Tricounty DFA Update: Meeting Next week, Movies, Letters, Gillibrand and more
Hello Everyone;

First, hope you all have a great holiday weekend!

In This Update:


1. Meetup Next Week! Spitzer Joins DFA On PB/OS, Action Agenda For Fall
2. DFA October Movie Offer
3. Online Letter To Local Papers On "Red Handed" Threat
4. Kirsten Gillibrand To Be On WAMC
5. Progressive Film Fest Tonight
6. Fundraiser For Preston Jenkins For Saratoga County Treasurer
7. Tabling Saturday At Farmer's Market
8. Gov. Dean On Anniversary Of Katrina
9. Back Keith Olbermann

1. Meetup Next Week! Spitzer Joins DFA On PB/OS, Action Agenda For Fall

Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area will be holding its September DFA-Linkup or "meetup" next week on Wednesday, September 6th at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe on Elm and Exchange Streets in downtown Glens Falls. For directions or info go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=10954

There was discussion at an earlier meeting of meeting on the second Wednesday, but exciting news came in late this week from our state wide coalition, Democracy For New York. A group of our DFNY leaders have been negotiating an endorsement with the Spitzer For Governor campaign.

As we all know, voting integrity is a major DFA issue. Spitzer's position on this was unclear. However, this week, Eliot Spitzer endorsed the progressive voting option, Paper Ballots/Optically Scanned, known as PB/OS. With PB/OS we can be sure our votes are actually being counted.

If Florida had PB/OS state wide in 2000, Al Gore would be President now. Ossama would likely be in jail, there'd be no Iraq War, Roberts and Alioto would not be on the Supreme Court... well, you get the point, PB/OS matters. No more stolen elections, that's what this is about.

This is a major breakthrough for DFNY, and the team working on this: which included: Alan Goldston of Democracy for Westchester, John McBride and Andrew White of Democracy for the Hudson-Mohawk Region, Cynthia Kouril of Democracy for Long Island and David Kogelman of Democracy for New York City, deserve all our thanks.

This has been holding back a DFNY endorsement-- that is coming next week, and all our local groups have been invited to join in with our local endorsements on the 6th. So we will be discussing if we want to do an endorsement Wednesday.

Also on the agenda: we have to start thinking about what we can do to help the candidates we back get elected-- especially, how do we connect with voters to get them to actually go vote?

The answer is the Neighborhood Network, a modern plan to reach out to Democrats and likely Democratic voters by contacting our neighbors with a simple question; what's the most important issue to you? The goal is then to follow up later in the election season with a specific answer from our candidates. This approach-- basically listening first-- has been found to be far more effective than traditional, impersonal phone banking.

The state party is asking for our help with the Neighborhood Network; so we'll be talking about this more at our next meeting; we may also have a special guest from the State Committee.

Again, To RSVP: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=10954
For directions: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Exchange%20Street++Glens%20Falls+NY+12801&hl=en

We'll also be talking about the next item:

2. DFA October Movie Offer

Many of us will remember Robert Greenwald's previous work like Outfoxed and Walmart: The High Price Of The Low Price, which we showed last year.

This year DFA National is making us a special offer on Greenwald's newest and possibly most timely video-- Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers. Iraq For Sale takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. The film uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who let it happen. Halliburton, Dick Cheney and Republican leaders everywhere don't want you to see this movie.

If we can get 15 people to RSVP to attend this showing by September 23rd we can get our own free copy of Iraq For Sale. To RSVP click this link and hit the RSVP button on the side: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=12132

Once we have this copy we can show it as many times as we like and also loan it to others who wish to see it.

(Note: exact date and time are tentative-- we can talk about that at the meeting).

Again, will you help us with this by clicking http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=12132 and RSVPing? We need 15 RSVPs by September 23rd.

3. Online Letter To Local Papers On "Red Handed" Threat

If you read the Post Star this morning you will know that John Sweeney is threatening to sue because he doesn't like an ad Moveon.org has been running on area TV stations. (poor baby!)

Our Lisa Scerbo is circulating a letter/petition to area TV stations thanking them for running the ad (which was paid for by Moveon) and calling on them to stand firm against this kind of intimidation. You can add your name, too, by going to: http://where-did-my-country-go.blogspot.com/

The ads themselves and what one may or not think of them are not the issue. The issue is whether a member of congress can bully anyone out of their free speech rights. Again, http://where-did-my-country-go.blogspot.com/

Click "make a comment" at the bottom and leave your name.

4. Kirsten Gillibrand To Be On WAMC

Kirsten Gillibrand will be featured on WAMC’s Roundtable (90.3 FM) with Alan Chartock next week.
There will be three appearances on:
* Tuesday Sept. 5th, 10:50 am: Intro segment
* Wednesday Sept 6th, 10:50 am: Iraq
* Thursday Sept. 7th, 10:50 am: Iraq continued, and energy independence

This has been eagerly awaited for quite some time, so it's not to be missed!

5. Progressive Film Fest Tonight

The Friday Night Film Fest at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe continues tonight at 8pm with:

LIFE & DEBT (2002) Stephanie Black 86 min.
“If you come to Jamaica as a tourist, this is what you will see …” These words are the jumping off point for a film that New York Times critic, Stephen Holden, says, “ … offers the clearest analysis of globalization and its negative effect that I’ve ever seen.” This scathing film is an unapologetic look at the “new world order” from the point of view of Jamaican workers and farmers, as well as government and policy officials. Features a dynamic soundtrack and a voice over based on text by Jamaica Kincaid.

(My apologies for not getting this out earlier-- I've taken some time off.)


6. Fundraiser For Preston Jenkins For Saratoga County Treasurer

From Our Saratoga County Chair Larry Bulman:

“Come one come all to a Dinner with Preston Jenkins, cpa
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR SARATOGA COUNTY TREASURER

Prime rib buffet!
Donations: $35

WHEN: Friday, September 8th, 2006
TIME: 7:00 PM
WHERE: THE RACINO
DIRECTIONS: Take I-87 to exit number 13N- towards Saratoga Springs
Follow US-9 North for approximately 2 miles.
Turn RIGHT onto CRESCENT AVE.
Follow CRESCENT AVE. for approximately 1 mile.

The Saratoga Gaming and Raceway entrance is located on the left.

Please make checks payable to:

TheCommittee to Elect Preston Jenkins
PO Box 1104
south Glens Falls, NY 12803

Please RSVP by Tuesday, September 5, 2006 by contacting mary meade at 307-1855.

For more information, please call Mary Meade, 307-1855, Mary jenkins, 793-1130 OR Larry Bulman, 792-9157.

(Note: for our folks outside Saratoga, the Raceway is the harness track, not the Flat Track)

7. Tabling Saturday At Farmer's Market

We will be tabling again at the Glens Falls Farmer's Market from 9am, until about 11am this Saturday. We've been getting a pretty good response on this, so if you have a free couple of hours, please come and help.

For more info or to RSVP go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=11209

However, we are watching Ernesto and hoping we miss it. Maybe more on that later.

8. Gov. Dean On Anniversary Of Katrina

Speaking of hurricanes, Governor Dean sent a statement out this week on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I had lunch with the Governor a year ago today, and he predicted then that Katrina would be THE turning point in American history when the right wing started to go down, and he clearly is right: For his comments and more to go: http://www.dnc.org/a/2006/08/dean_on_the_fai.php

9. Back Keith Olbermann

Finally, I hope no one missed Keith Olbermann's blast at Rumsfeld "fascist" speech this week.

There is often talk how Walter Cronkite started the end of the Vietnam War with his frank assessment after Tet. No one has that stature today, but Olbermann rises to that level of eloquence, anger and probity.

See it at: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/08/30/keith-olbermann-delivers-one-hell-of-a-commentary-on-rumsfeld/

However, many people are worried that the network might retaliate again him. Write NBC to tell them you support Keith. The addresses are at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/31/82620/4825

Many thanks everyone! See you tomorrow at the Market, Wednesday at the Cafe and don't forgot to RSVP for our free copy of Iraq For Sale: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=12132 We need 15 RSVP's by the 23rd.

Larry Dudley
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 2:48 PM