Democracy For The Southern Adirondack/Tricounty Area: Tricounty DFA Update: Meeting Wednesday, Murphy Thanks, Yepsen Announces, More

Democracy For The Southern Adirondack/Tricounty Area

Monday, May 03, 2010

Tricounty DFA Update: Meeting Wednesday, Murphy Thanks, Yepsen Announces, More

Hello Everyone:

In this update for May 2nd, 2010;

1. Meeting Wednesday

2. Meeting Report: Murphy Thanks

3. Taser Hearing

4. Yepsen Announces

5. WCDC Women's Spring Luncheon

1. Meeting Wednesday

With our seventh anniversary behind us last month, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area begins its eight year with its regular first Wednesday of the month meeting this coming Wednesday, May 5th, at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls.

As always, the meeting is open to all liberals and progressives, who are also urged to bring a friend. On the agenda this month is this year's upcoming election and whether we should continue the effort elsewhere to hold Town Hall meetings on business corruption, influence and lobbying in government.

The Cafe is located on the corners of Elm and Exchange Streets and Hudson Avenue, one block west of the roundabout in downtown Glens Falls.

A very sad note related to our recent seventh anniversary: one of the twelve people who came to that first meeting, Walter Lape, died a week ago Saturday at the vacation home he shared in Florida with his spouse Ron Pisano, who also came to that first meeting. Walt will be well remembered by several decades of students at Queensbury High School, and as an artist and writer. Ron is organizing a memorial at the Hyde Museum on Sunday, June 6th at 2:30pm.

2. Meeting Report: Murphy Thanks

At our April meeting we unanimously passed a pair of resolutions, one thanking Rep. Scott Murphy for his decision to support the Healthcare Reform Bill, and another to Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, for her remarkable leadership in getting healthcare reform passed: given the failure of decisive leadership from the White House, it is clear it never would have passed without her. (The resolutions are at the bottom of this message.)

We also heard a report from Chris Schmidt about his campaign to end Taser abuse by local police departments, particularly the Glens Falls Police Department. Chris recently had a guest op-ed in the Post Star on Tasers.

Then, to celebrate our 7th anniversary, we kicked back for a showing of Michael Moore's latest film, Capitalism, A Love Story, which was both shocking and inspiring. (I highly recommend it if you have not seen it! It's available in the Crandall Library video section.)

3. Taser Hearing

Chris Schmidt announced as part of his presentation that there will be an official meeting of the City Committee For Public Safety at Glens Falls City Hall on Wednesday May 5th at 4:00pm. "The Taser Issue" will be on the agenda. The meeting will be held in room 202, the Mayor's Conference Room. The meeting is open to the public and all interested parties are urged to attend.

4. Yepsen Announces

Democratic Saratoga County Supervisor Joanne Yepsen announced Thursday that she will enter the race for State Senate against incumbent State Senator Roy McDonald of Wilton. Yepsen presently represents the City of Saratoga Springs on the county board of supervisors. She gathered signatures to run against McDonald the last time but was knocked off the ballot when some of her signatures were challenged by Mike Russo, who subsequently went down to defeat by a wide margin.

5. WCDC Women's Spring Luncheon

You are cordially invited to the annual Washington County Women's (and men's) Spring Democratic Luncheon, Friday, May 21st, Noon to 2pm, at the Cambridge Hotel in Cambridge, NY, hosted by Ellen and Steve Faber. Guest Speaker will be Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice, who is a candidate for State Attorney General.

Tickets are $25, $30 at the door. RSVP's are strongly recommended as space is limited. Food will be soups, salads and quiches by chef Rich Wilson. For information, call Barbara Kingsley at 677-5921. Or send a check made out to the Washington County Democratic Committee, to Ellen Faber, 100 East Main Street, Cambridge, NY, 12816.

Thanks, Everyone! See you all soon. The resolutions thanking Rep. Murphy and Speaker Pelosi are below.

Larry

Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area

Resolution #1, April 7th, 2010

Be it resolved:

Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, a group following the leadership of Democracy For America, now in its seventh year of continuing the principles of the Howard Dean and other progressive campaigns, would like to express its great gratitude and appreciation to Rep. Scott Murphy for his courageous decision to vote for Healthcare Reform legislation. It was a pivotal vote for America’s future, and his support came at a critical and decisive time.

We would urge him to continue the struggle for healthcare rights for all Americans, and urge him to fight for Rep. Grayson’s proposal to allow all Americans to buy into Medicare, or other similar proposals, including a strong Public Option. We believe these public options are essential to his stated goal of reining in out of control healthcare costs which, even in the present legislation, pose a threat to America’s long term prosperity. Only not-for-profit public solutions, not private ones based on denying coverage while passing along costs, can guarantee a a basic human right to healthcare combined with economic efficiency. Medicare is the model for the future, both for its rights-based service model, and its economic efficiency.

Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area

Resolution #2, April 7th, 2010

Be it resolved:

Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, a group following the leadership of Democracy For America, now in its seventh year of continuing the principles of the Howard Dean and other progressive campaigns, would like to express its great gratitude and admiration to the greatest Speaker of the House since Henry Clay, Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Your resolution, skill, finesses, fortitude and indomitable spirit of commitment to healthcare for all Americans, made healthcare reform possible, and it would not have happened without you. This achievement will endure as one of the high points of the long and extraordinarily distinguished history of the House of Representatives, the very vindication of what President Lincoln called government of, by, and for the people.

We support your continued efforts to advance heatlhcare reform, including, we hope, future provisions for Medicare For All or a strong Public Option.

Labels: 20th Congressional District, Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, healthcare reform, Scott Murphy, Walter Lape