The Battle at Hudson Yards
Charlotte Metro DSA statement: Bernie Sanders Endorsement
At our March 3rd meeting the members of Charlotte Metro DSA engaged in the debate facing all of our fellow 60,000 comrades: whether to affirm the demands of the National Political Committee (NPC) and provide financial and labor support for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, and more broadly, what Bernie Sanders and his bid for president means to the burgeoning and resurgent Socialist movement in the United States. Naturally, as good Socialists, we held a structured and comradery debate about what our role nationally is in relation to electoral politics and what our capabilities as a chapter are to affect change locally through elections and campaigning. Our conversation about local needs and capabilities transitioned to why the national debate was happening so early in the 2020 election cycle, and was seemingly predetermined by the NPC, when an opportunity to decide this more democratically and transparently is only months away.
Regarding the endorsement for Bernie Sanders for President set forth by DSA NPC, Charlotte Metro DSA decided to delay our decision whether to endorse in order to better focus on issues that affect our local communities and allow us to build a broader working class movement in the Charlotte Metro area. We also call on the NPC not to endorse at this time, especially under the current conditions of the endorsement presented. This endorsement is too important and impactful to be decided by so few individuals and without the transparency necessary for a democratic organization. Additionally, we are concerned that in its current form the endorsement will pull too much money away from other more necessary DSA-led endeavors to continue to build our movement, particularly by chapters outside of major metropolitan areas. Due to the lack of horizontal participation and likely cost to Charlotte Metro DSA, we cannot at this time and in good conscience endorse Bernie Sanders for President, and we ask for the NPC to call off its vote for an endorsement and to instead let it be determined at the General Convention this August in Atlanta.
In Solidarity, CLTMDSA
MoCo DSA Steering Committee Votes to Support Healthy Maryland Act
Montgomery County DSA
MoCo DSA Steering Committee Votes to Support Healthy Maryland Act
March 5, 2019
(SILVER SPRING, MD) —
The Montgomery County Democratic Socialists of America Steering Committee voted Monday to join the growing list of organizations supporting the Healthy Maryland Act of 2019.
As noted by National Nurses United, this legislation will establish the Healthy Maryland program to provide true universal health care on a single-payer basis. “All residents shall be automatically enrolled in the program and receive benefits on a non-discriminatory basis and without regard to preexisting conditions. All medical benefits currently provided under public programs, and benefits comparable or better than those available under employer-sponsored plans, shall be provided including dental and vision. Benefits provided through Healthy Maryland shall not be subject to any co-insurance, deductible or co-payments.” Patients enrolled in the program will be able to receive care from any qualified medical care provider they choose.
Organizations supporting the Healthy Maryland Act include National Nurses United, Our Revolution Maryland, Clinicians for Progressive Care, Progressive Maryland, Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, SEIU 32BJ, CASA de Maryland, Maryland Working Families, Women’s Law Center of Maryland, AFSCME Maryland, and the Progressive Democrats of America.
As legislators continue to advance the Healthy Maryland Act, Montgomery County DSA looks forward to working with our allies to advance a transition to statewide single-payer health care that will be crafted to ensure economic justice and security for all healthcare industry workers and their patients.
The post MoCo DSA Steering Committee Votes to Support Healthy Maryland Act appeared first on Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America.
MoCo DSA Calls for Del. Lisanti to Resign or Be Expelled
Montgomery County DSA
MoCo DSA Calls for Del. Lisanti to Resign or Be Expelled
March 5, 2019
(SILVER SPRING, MD) —
The Montgomery County Democratic Socialists of America has joined the growing chorus of prominent organizations and political leaders calling on Maryland State Delegate Mary Ann Lisanti (D-Harford County) to resign her office. Its Steering Committee passed a resolution on Monday calling for Delegate Lisanti’s resignation or expulsion.
Delegate Lisanti, who used a vile racial slur in the presence of several fellow members of the Maryland House of Delegates in January, has attempted to imply that she may not have used the slur after initially confirming that she had. House Speaker Michael Busch has stripped her of her committee and leadership assignments, and the House has censured her for her behavior. In spite of numerous organizations and leaders calling on her to resign, Delegate Lisanti has refused to leave office.
Those calling on Delegate Lisanti to resign include the NAACP, the Legislative Black Caucus, Jews United for Justice, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Progressive Maryland, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, and the Harford County Democratic Central Committee.
The Montgomery County DSA Steering Committee issued the following statement:
“Delegate Lisanti’s behavior has been shameful. Not only did she use a vile, blood-soaked racial slur to describe her fellow Marylanders, but she has attempted to evade taking responsibility for her choices by prevaricating on whether or not she used the slur, arguing that diversity is hurting our country, and refusing to resign her office when called upon to do so. White supremacists have no place in the Maryland General Assembly, nor anywhere in our government. We stand in solidarity with the people of Prince George’s County and Harford County, and with those calling for Delegate Lisanti’s resignation. If she continues in her refusal to resign, we call upon the House of Delegates to exercise its authority under the Constitution of the State of Maryland to expel Delegate Lisanti from office.”
The post MoCo DSA Calls for Del. Lisanti to Resign or Be Expelled appeared first on Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America.
Caban for Queens
Today’s show is about radically re-imagining criminal justice, and approaching it from a socialist and anti-racist perspective. We’ll talk about NYC-DSA endorsed Tiffany Cabán's campaign for Queens DA and what she has the potential to do.
Emma Goldman Reading Group Syllabus
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Introduction: April 13, 12pm, Grindhaus
a. Emma Goldman on Wikipedia
b. What I Believe (1908)
c. A New Declaration of Independence (1909)
d. Anarchism: What It Really Stands For (1910) -
Feminism: May 18, 12pm, Grindhaus
a. Anarchy and the Sex Question (1896)
b. The Tragedy Of Women’s Emancipation(1906)
c. The Traffic in Women (1910)
d. Woman Suffrage (1911)
e. Marriage and Love (1911) -
Religion: June 15, 12pm, Grindhaus
a. The Failure Of Christianity (1913)
b. The Philosophy Of Atheism (1916)
c. The Hypocrisy Of Puritanism (1917)
d. Emma Goldman and the Soul of Anarchism , by Kim Domenico (2017) -
State Repression: July 20, 12pm, Grindhaus
a. Patriotism, a Menace to Liberty (1911)
b. Prisons, a Social Crime and Failure (1917)
c. Meeting of No Conscription League transcript (1917)
d. The Individual, Society and the State (1940) -
My Disillusionment in Russia: August 17, 12pm, Grindhaus
a. My Disillusionment in Russia (1923)
The Democratic in DSA
2018 Year in Review
Hello Charlotte Metro DSA Members,
2018 was our second year in existence, and one that saw a lot of change and action. Firstly, our charter and bylaws were accepted from DSA National and we transitioned from an organizing committee to an official chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. With official chapter status, we were able to hold our first officer elections in November, and now we can start the process to become a non-profit, open a bank account and receive a percentage of our dues back from national’s coffers.
Last year, we hosted several political education events to increase consciousness around issues important to building working class solidarity and power in our community. In January we hosted Medicare for All expert, writer and fellow DSA member, Tim Faust, for a rousing speech and Q and A session about Health Care justice. In May we put on a labor week with help from local unions and hosted two events at the IBEW hall. The first of the events was a panel discussion with local union officers and labor organizers, where the speakers dissected local peculiarities of organizing labor in the South and problems facing unions in Charlotte. To cap off the week we hosted the creators of the documentary “Union Time” about unionization of a Smithfield plant in eastern North Carolina.
Mutual aid is also an important part of building working class power. Our chapter hosted 6 brake light clinics last year, because broken or burnt out taillights are one of the most common reasons for traffic stops. By offering free light changes, we can help folks in marginalized and exploited communities avoid police interaction that can lead to arrest or violence. We also assisted Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy in their upkeep and maintenance of their office space so they can continue advocating for their clients. Helping CCLA allows Charlotte Metro DSA to increase local ties and help out a wonderful organization that offers legal assistance to the most vulnerable in our community.
To continue building an effective chapter, many of our members have gone to regional trainings in Atlanta, Asheville and Knoxville. We have learned skills to help us organize our membership, develop leadership in the chapter and assess obstacles to change locally. These trainings also led to the creation of the Outreach and Retention Committee to continue these lessons and build a sustainable and effective chapter.
There are already many plans in motion for 2019, and more to come. Housing will be our chapter’s focus issue in 2019, and in February we had our first Housing Committee meeting. In less than 18 months, the RNC will be in our city and we have begun strategizing how to be most effective during the convention. This year we will also have our first May Day picnic to celebrate International Worker’s Day. There will certainly be more to come!
Montgomery County Residents Say: “Money for Jobs and Education, Not the Wealthy’s Recreation”
Montgomery County DSA
Montgomery County Residents Say: “Money for Jobs and Education, Not the Wealthy’s Recreation”
February 19, 2019
(ROCKVILLE, MD) — Montgomery County residents gathered at Woodmont Country Club yesterday to demand an end to tax subsidies given to private country clubs. This was the first of two such protests. The next will be held at Columbia Country Club on Friday, February 22, at 8:00 AM.
The protesters held banners and signs that said “End Tax Breaks for Country Clubs.”
The State of Maryland provides property tax subsidies to country clubs by assessing their property at a rate far below market value when determining clubs’ tax liability. Columbia Country Club, for example, pays less than 25% of what its property tax bill would be if it was taxed at the same rate as homeowners. The Montgomery County state delegation is currently considering bill MC 27-19 which would scale back tax breaks for the largest private golf clubs in the county.
Elissa Laitin, Chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), stated, “Elite country clubs like Woodmont, Columbia, Chevy Chase and Congressional enjoy a property tax break that costs the county $10 million annually. This is outrageous. These are clubs whose members can afford to pay initiation fees of upwards of $90,000 – well more than what a typical worker in the county makes in a year.”
Meanwhile, revenue shortfalls have forced newly-inaugurated Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich to propose painful budgetary cuts to the County government, including $25 million from Montgomery County Public Schools and $3.9 million from Health and Human Services. If country clubs were assessed at standard rates, the County would receive about $10 million in additional tax revenues annually.
Laitin continued, “While MC 27-19 is a good start, this bill doesn’t go far enough. Woodmont and some other clubs are exempted from these bills, which we don’t agree with. We strongly support the bills, but we also want our elected officials to go further. It is unconscionable for the working class to pay more in order to continue subsidizing the golf games of the ruling class.”
Said MoCo DSA Steering Committee member Zach Wiita, “This kind of class privilege is obscene. Public services are being cut, but our government is holding working people and elite country clubs to different standards. A few years ago, the County raised property tax rates on homeowners by almost nine percent, and we’re told we have to live with budget cuts. Meanwhile, private country clubs continue to pay lower taxes, and in some places these tax breaks are used for what can only be described as scams in order to build luxury housing for the rich. Simply put: these giveaways to the elite need to end.”
Laitin warned, “The Maryland General Assembly has a choice: take a step to provide tax fairness and adequate revenue for vital public services, or side with the whims of the one percent. DSA will be watching the vote to see whether Delegates and State Senators take the side of working people or millionaires in Montgomery County.”
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