Tricounty DFA Update: Meeting Report, Much More
Hello Everyone;

In this update:

1. Meeting Report: Resolution On Iran
2. No Decision On Presidential Primaries
3. Report On Precinct System & Think Precinct
4. Local Races: Queensbury
5. Saratoga DFA Monday: Meet Commissioner Ron Kim
6. Seven Straight Days
7. Washington County Democratic Women's Luncheon
8. Gore Tipped To Win Next Week
9. Step It Up 2007 For November
10. Friday Night Film Fest


1. Meeting Report: Resolution On Iran

We had a good turnout and a productive meeting Wednesday night at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe.

Discussion quickly turned to the danger of a new war with Iran. There was general agreement there was a grave danger Bush would widen the war. Rosemary Weinberg brought everyone's attention to HR. 3119, a bill that would require the President to come to Congress for permission before any attack on Iraq. A resolution was adopted unanimously to urge our Congressional representatives to support Hr. 3119 and also SR. 759, the Senate equivalent, which Senator Clinton has already cosponsored. The resolution also thanks Senator Clinton for her support.

I sent it out Thursday and also sent it to DFA National in Burlington, where Communications Director Sheri Divers was kind to feature on the front page of Blogforamerica.com. You can see it at: http://blogforamerica.com/view/22459


2. No Decision On Presidential Primaries

We also discussed at some length the DFA National Agenda item for October-- DFA and the upcoming Presidential Primaries. We were pleased to have Krista Kammerer present, who is working for Obama at ACC and recently did a three day training internship with the Obama campaign. She gave us her view and why she supports Obama. However, nothing was decided, and there was a consensus we needed to wait to see what Al Gore is going to do.


3. Report On Precinct System & Think Precinct

We also discussed DFA's Tuesday Night Training Academy session on precinct organizing, which Lisa Scerbo and I sat in on. It was a terrific session with the DNC's Training Director, rolling out the national plan by DNC Chair, Governor Dean, to put a precinct organizer in all 203,000 precincts nationally. (In NYS we call precincts Election Districts-- they are not to be confused with wards.)

Each precinct organizer will be able to access the new DNC voter database for their area, and also update it interactively ( this really is politics for the 21st century!).

Voter contact is what wins elections today. Here's one extraordinary statistic from Tuesday's session: what does it take to get one new voter? The answer is 389 pieces of mailed literature, 460 phone calls or 14 canvass visits. You read that right-- fourteen canvass calls, where a volunteer goes door to door talking to neighbors, works better than hundreds of pieces of literature or phone calls. Times have changed and canvassing is far and away the only option. In fact, the DNC apparently no longer recommends phone banking at all.

They also talked about the Democracy For Colorado Think Precinct system, which has the best precinct organizing manual I've seen.

You can still get hear the Training Academy session and view the slide show at: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/nightschool go to October 2.
Also, Think Precinct is at: http://democracyforcolorado.com/thinkprecinct The manual is great, and it is free, you have to sign in to get it.


4. Local Races: Queensbury

At the meeting Dough Auer also updated us on the races in Queensbury, where Roger Boor and Dick Sanford, are now running on the Democratic ticket for Town Board. They were cross endorsed by the Democrats in Queensbury, and then knocked off the Republican line in the primary by a sleazy last minute mailing. Doug reports that turning back the "Old Boy Network" in Queensbury is critical to the area. The machine is really trying to knock them out.

So there's a big Democratic ticket in Queensbury that needs suport: John Strough, who we endorsed earlier, Davide Strainer and Dick Mason, along with Roger Boor and Dick Sanford. We'll have more info on how we can help later.


5. Saratoga DFA Monday: Meet Commissioner Ron Kim

Democracy For Saratoga Springs host Sally Kirouac will be hosting a DFA Link-Up meeting on Monday, October 8, 2007 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will feature a talk with Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Ron Kim.

For more info and to RSVP go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=23915

What: Talk with Ron Kim
When: Monday, October 8, 2007, 7:00 PM
Where: Home of Sally and George Kirouac
21 Horseshoe Drive
Saratoga Springs NY 12866


6. Seven Straight Days

Kate Austin is organizing for Seven Straight Days, and sends this along:

"Seven Straight Nights is a nationwide event put on by straight people in support of LGBT rights. It will take place Sunday, October 7th at 4:00 pm in City Park - we will have several guest speakers, and afterward we will head over to Rock Hill for a showing of "After Stonewall". Straight people are necessary at the event to show support for the gay community, and gay people are needed to show up and be appreciated!"

"More info can be found at www.sevenstraightnights.org or http://tinyurl.com/3b5k2o - I'm the contact person, Kate Austin, kate@aephemera.net or 353-2121."

"There is also a rally going on outside of Senator Bruno's office on Broadway in Saratoga at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 13th. Details on the rally can be found here: http://www.soulforce.org/pdf/seven_straight_nights_new_york.pdf "


7. Washington County Democratic Women's Luncheon Oct. 19

You Are Invited To The Washington County Democratic Women’s Luncheon Friday, October 19th, 2007, 12 noon - 2 pm at the Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge, NY. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door.

Featured Speaker: Barbara Bartoletti, Legislative Director of the NYS League of Women Voters.
Plus Guests: Atty. Peter Tulin – Democratic candidate for Supreme Court Justice in NY’s 4th JD and Lisa Manzi – Regional representative from Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand’s office

Special Musical Presentation: Bob Warren performing excerpts from “Only the Message Mattered” – his original song cycle and narrative about the life and times of Susan B. Anthony

For reservations, contact luncheon coordinators: Ellen Faber at 677-8345 or Sheila Comar at 642-9566 or mail checks (made out to WCDC) to Ellen Faber, 100 East Main Street, Cambridge, NY 12816.

For more info go to http://www.washingtoncountydemocrats.com


8. Gore Tipped To Win Next Week

Rosemary also sends this along:

"Former Vice President Al Gore and other campaigners against climate change lead experts' choices for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, an award once reserved for statesmen, peacemakers and human rights activists... "I think they are likely winners this year," said Stein Toennesson, director of Oslo's International Peace Research Institute (PRIO) and a long-time Nobel Peace Prize watcher."

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL0463286920071006

9. Step It Up 2007 For November

Ruth Lamb informs me that another Step It Up 2007 event will be held in Glens Falls on November 3rd. The focus will be on building in a time of global warming - how to do it in environmentally friendly ways. We sponsored a well attended Step It Up Event last Spring.

If you want to help or want more info contact Ruth at cooperlamb@yahoo.com For more info on Step It Up 2007 go to: http://www.stepitup2007.org/

10. Friday Night Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe will be holding a special screening and presentation Friday night as 7:30 as part of its weekly progressive Film Fest:

Fri. Oct 12
* Special Event * REESE ERLICH - Booksigning w/Discussion on Iran 7:30 pm
Reese Erlich is a reporter from the Christian Science Monitor and an author as well. His new book is "The Iran Agenda: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis". He will be at Rock Hill Cafe to read from and sign his new book but also to lead a discussion about our impending war with Iran. Following Mr. Erlich will be a screening of "Independent Media: In a Time Of War". The film was made by Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Center in Troy and centers on a speech given by Amy Goodman (in Troy) about the corporate media's coverage of "Shock and Awe" and about the media's drums of war. Apropos considering the current drumbeat concerning Iran. 40 minutes

Thanks everyone!

Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 5:36 PM