Democracy For The Southern Adirondack/Tricounty Area: Tricounty DFA Update: A New Era, Meeting Wednesday, Gasland Video, More

Democracy For The Southern Adirondack/Tricounty Area

Monday, May 02, 2011

Tricounty DFA Update: A New Era, Meeting Wednesday, Gasland Video, More

Hello Everyone!

Bin Laden's death is a moment for celebration, but also a moment to remember all those who have died or suffered over the last decade.

Hopefully, Bin Laden's death, along with the still burgeoning Arab Spring, will mark the beginning of a new cycle of events. The Dean campaign and DFA may never have come into being had 9/11 not happened, and had George Bush had not been able to exploit it politically. We now must work to restore balance in our foreign commitments, repair our battered civil liberties, curtail the national security state, and a create sane and moral approach to rebuilding our nation's economy.

And I hope it is not politically crass to point out that this success makes Barack Obama the un-Jimmy Carter. The failure to rescue the hostages in Terhan doomed Carter's reelection chances. The jubilant crowds outside the White House and in Times Square last night, a sight not seen since V-J Day in 1945, surely immensely bolsters Obama's. Watch for Republican challengers to start dropping out.

In this update for 5-2-2011:

1. Glens Falls DFA Meeting Wednesday at 7pm

2. Academy Award Nominated Video Documentary Gasland

3. Gibson Watch Videos Up Of Town Hall

3. America's Growing Inequality

4. Washington County Women's Luncheon

We will be holding our regular monthly meeting of Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area this Wednesday, May, 4th at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls.

On the agenda is a discussion of local events, and a report on the Democratic Rural Conference, which I was at last weekend. The Cafe is on the corner of Elm and Exchange Streets and Hudson Avenue, one block west of the roundabout in downtown Glens Falls

2. Academy Award Nominated Video Documentary Gasland

If we get time, we will also have a showing of the Academy Award nominated video documentary Gasland, which is about the horrible, environmentally destructive practice of hydrofracking, which is becoming an enormous issue here in New York State.

DFA National has been making a big push on this, and you should add your name to their petition: http://stopfrackingnow.com/fp

3. Gibson Watch Videos Up Of Town Hall

Republican Rep.Chris Gibson held a town hall in Malta last Tuesday. A lengthy succession of questioners hammered Gibson on a range of issue from Medicare to America's growing inequality. I got some video and will be putting clips up online. The first is already up at http://www.chrisgibsonwatch.com

They are worth watching because a demonstration outside completely blew off coverage of the tough questions being asked inside, so everyone who was not there missed Gibson's squirming and ducking. The worst thing we could do to Gibson is to let people see what he is actually saying.

3. America's Growing Inequality

The first question at Gibson's town hall meeting was about inequality. Here is something on this from the Huffington Post:

THERE IS A WAR ON AMERICAN WORKERS

The top 1% owns 43% of the financial wealth; the next 4% owns 29%. THE BOTTOM 80% SHARE ONLY 7% OF THE FINANCIAL WEALTH.

This is not what a democracy looks like. The top 5% control 72% of all the financial wealth, and along with it, the vast majority of power. The republican meme of "what's good for the rich is good for all of us" just is not true.

Working class Americans are facing cuts in education, healthcare, wages, and services as essential as sanitation of their water supply. Yet we're told that tax cuts and subsidies to corporations are essential because they create jobs. We've been told that for 40 years now, so why do wealth inequalities continue to grow?

There's a pie chart at Flickr. Go to Flickr, in their search box type in "DISTRIBUT ION OF FINANCIAL WEALTH", click on green pie chart until you get to the size you want, then PRINT IT OUT AND PASS IT ON.

I've been leaving copies in restaurant booths, public restrooms, waiting rooms, shopping carts, etc.

When I quote the wealth distribution figures to people, they don't believe me. When I prove it to them, they are shocked.

4. Washington County Women's Luncheon

You are invited to the Washington County Democratic Women's Luncheon on Friday, May 20th from Noon-2pm at the Cambridge Hotel in Cambridge, NY. Tracey Brooks, President of Family Planning Advocates of New York will be the featured speaker. Brooks was former regional director for Sen. Clinton. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Men are, of course, welcome!

For information call Barbra Kinglsey at 518-677-5921 or Ellen Faber at 518-677-8345., Mail checks made out to WCDC to Ellen Faber, 100 East Main Street, Cambridge, NY 12816

Thanks everyone! See you all Wednesday,

Larry

Labels: 20th Congressional District, Chris Gibson Watch, Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Gasland, Glens Falls