The Progressive Caucus
presents
Solidarity Summit II
Hosted by the Fresno State College Democrats [website]
Sept 25 - 26, 2010
CSU Fresno
MN Congressman Keith Ellison!
Bill Hedrick, Candidate for 44th Congressional District
Eric Bauman, CDP Vice Chair
Basim Elkarra, Chair, Arab-American Caucus, CDP
Please RSVP on our Facebook page!
We need to have a count of participants.
If you prefer, you can RSVP by email to info@progressivecaucuscdp.org
Both days there will be coffee and bagels at 9:30
and the meetings will begin at 10:00 AM.
CSUF Industrial Technology Dept
Corner of Campus Dr and E Barstow
Download a map of the campus with meeting location [HERE]
Registration is not required.
There is no fee to attend the summit and membership in the Progressive Caucus is not required. All Progressive Democrats are welcome!
Join us for the biggest California Progressive event of the year. On Sept 25-26 Progressives from all over the state will converge in Fresno for our second annual Solidarity Summit. We have so many exciting things planned and you really don’t want to miss this. People are still talking about our Solidarity Summit I in San Luis Obispo last year and this year it will be even better!
In addition to our General Sessions and fascinating breakouts we’re having a great kickoff party on Friday night and a FUNdraiser for Bill Hedrick and the Fresno County Democratic Party on Saturday night.
Don’t Leave Early! Stick around for the Sunday sessions!!
On Sunday we’ll have one more rotation of breakouts and a general session meeting with a Basim Elkarra, Chair, Arab-American Caucus, CDP, and featuring special guest speaker MN Congressman Keith Ellison on the topics of Anti-Immigrant Bigotry, Progressive Politics, and the Democratic Party. We’ll also vote on the issues decided over the weekend. We’ll wrap up about 2:00 PM so everyone can get back on the road to go back home.
Here’s what we have planned for you at Solidarity Summit II in Fresno
FRIDAY 09/24
Friday Night Kickoff Party!
We’re having a Kickoff Party with free hors d'oeuvres and a no-host bar on Friday night at Toledo's Mexican Restaurant (367 E. Shaw Ave. Fresno, CA 93710 (559) 224-0975) to get acquainted and get the weekend off to a great start. As an added bonus, If you arrive in Fresno early on Friday check out the great event with acclaimed journalist, Robert Fisk speaking on “Middle East Fantasies and Myths”at CSUF at 2:00 PM , and then come on over to the Kickoff Party. More information here
Saturday and Sunday will be filled with interactive participation-based activities including breakout sessions on a variety of topics based on the feedback we received from our members.
SATURDAY 09/25
General Session
10:00 AM. The Predicament of Progressives in the Democratic Party:An honest assessment of where we are at this point in time, and how to get to where we want to be – is it possible?
Breakout Sessions
The Progressive Message: Making Powerful our Simple Truths. Les Marsden, Chair, Mariposa Democratic Party
Where are the Progressives in Local Media?A workshop in getting the word out. Mike Thaller, Director San Diego County Democratic Party Communications and Media Relations
Challenging the Warfare State:Resetting the ‘facts’ currently for sale in the mainstream media and creating our own conventional truths. Rebecca Griffin, Political Director, Peace Action West.
Can Progressives Prevail? The Talk:Progressive Campaigns in the environment of the 2010 midterms – a conversation. Progressive Caucus; Eric Bauman, Vice Chair, California Democratic Party and Basim Elkarra, Chair, Arab-American Caucus.
Can Progressives Prevail? The Walk:Hard and Lasting Lessons from the Campaign Trail - how to come back and WIN! Bill Lackemacher, former Field Director for Bill Durston (CD3) and Marcy Winograd (CD36); Katie Mantz, Campaign Manager for Bill Hedrick, and others
END Corporate Rule, MEND our Democracy, AMEND the Constitution:Need we say more? Covering various resistance efforts aimed at pulling us back from Corporatocracy. Susan Harman, PDA’s Amend to Suspend Working Group.
From the CA Budget to Public Housing: Saving our Public Programs from Severe Cuts, Privatization and Elimination. An educational session which will also include brainstorming creative ideas to save our public sphere. Susie Shannon, Chair, Progressive Caucus Poverty Committee.
Capacity Building for Progressives:With the Caucus’ letters to President Obama, being the first state Democratic Party to pass a resolution calling for an exit from Afghanistan, being on the Glenn Beck show and BBC News, there’s no question we’ve gotten noticed. What can we do next to keep our numbers strong and robust? Chris Niehaus, Organizer, CSEA and Karen Bernal, Chair, Progressive Caucus, Organizer CSEA and others.
Single Payer’s in VFib – Vent, Fix, Inoculate and Build:Come to this breakout to shock the movement back to a steady heartbeat and Vent about what happened both at the federal and state level; help determine the “Fix” to begin the healing process; discuss ways to Inoculate against the Industry and naysayers; and prepare to Build the movement to be stronger than ever. Rose Roach, Chair, Progressive Caucus Health Care Committee, and CSEA Field Director
Bylaws - North, Central and South:We need your input on what you think is Northern, Central and Southern CA so more Progressives in more areas of the State will have a presence. What should the responsibilities be of Officers? Who represent those areas? Your recommendations will be presented to the Caucus membership for adoption in November. Jeffrey Killeen, Parliamentarian; Brian Washman, Officer-at-Large and Communications Officer; and Karen Bernal, Chair, Progressive Caucus
FIGHT BACK – SUPPORT THE PROGRESSIVES!
A FUNdraiser for Bill Hedrick
And The Fresno County Democratic Party
Saturday night FUNdraiser hosted by the San Joaquin Valley Democratic Club in support of Bill Hedrick, progressive candidate for 44th Congressional District & the Fresno County Democratic Party 7:00 – 10:00 PM at Veni Vidi Vici Restaurant (1116 N. Fulton St. Fresno, CA 93728) in Fresno’s Tower District. It will be a great way to cap off an exciting day as well as show support for our wonderful progressive candidate and the hard working Democrats of the Fresno Democratic Party that have worked so hard to turn Fresno County BLUE!
SUNDAY 09/26
Breakout Sessions
Saving Public Education:The fight to save Democracy for all is happening in our own backyards! A discussion about current Public Education policies and how to fight to keep the PUBLIC in Education. Also: CSEA’s CAUSE campaign. Kerri Asbury, Special Education Teacher, Vice-Chair, Sacramento Democratic Party; Chris Niehaus, Organizer CSEA.
CNA vs Whitman:Get the lowdown on Meg and get ready for a fight! Speaker TBA
Props and Campaigns 2010:19, 23, 24, and more, plus our favorite campaigns. Sean Donahoe, Sacramento Democratic Party activist.
General Session and Sunday Finale
Anti-Immigrant Bigotry and the Democratic Party: Working to realize a Party of Inclusion. In an effort to whip up fearful Americans and advance the right-wing agenda, immigrants - particularly Muslims and anyone perceived to be Muslim - have become targets in a super-charged atmosphere of political fear-mongering. Though driven mainly by GOP and right wing operatives, there have been unfortunate incidents where Democrats have succumbedto the growing national hysteria about Islam in America. We know we should expect better from our Party -- what can we do to ensure that our message of inclusion does not surrender to political expediency? With Basim Elkarra, Chair, Arab-American Caucus, CDP, and featuring special guest speaker MN Congressman Keith Ellison. In conclusion, the discussion will also include a circling back to Saturday’s opening conversation from the perspective of one of the most progressive members of Congress.
* Hotel Information *
We have booked blocks of rooms in two different hotels in the area. There are no Union hotels in Fresno so we went with local recommendations. They are both adjacent to the University where the Summit will be held. The University Inn is a motel style property. The Piccadilly Inn is more upscale Hotel style property. When you make your reservations please tell them you’re with the Progressive Caucus in order to get the group rate.
University Inn
$53.99 per room, per night
Mention Progressive Caucus to get the Group Rate
2655 E. Shaw Ave. Fresno, CA 93710
559-294-0224
Piccadilly Inn
$86 per room, per night
Mention Progressive Caucus to get the Group Rate
(Deadline for group rate at Piccadilly Inn is 9/20/10)
4691 N. Cedar Ave. Fresno, CA 93726
559-224-4200
Please RSVP on our Facebook page!
We need to have a count of participants.
If you don’t want to RSVP on Facebook please email us at
info@progressivecaucuscdp.org to RSVP.
We're looking forward to seeing you in Fresno!
Your Progressive Caucus Officers
The 2009 Summit was a huge success!
Notes from the Solidarity Summit,
San Luis Obispo, August 15-16 2009
Notes from the Solidarity Summit,
San Luis Obispo, August 15-16
At long last, we are also happy to include a comprehensive recap of everything that happened at the Solidarity Summit in San Luis Obispo this past summer. A big Thank You! goes out to our hosts, Conner Johnston of the College Dems, Cal Poly and Sandra Marshall of the Progressive Democrats of San Luis Obispo. They worked hard to make sure everything went off as best it could. The venue for the general meetings and breakouts were spacious, perfect, and easily accommodated the approximately 75 attendees from various parts of the State.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the following speakers and Progressive Caucus members for leading various breakout meetings: Marcy Winograd, Rose Roach, Andrew McGuire, Hilary Crosby, Henry Vandermeir, Susie Shannon, Deana Igelsrud, and Steve Haze. Their expertise and leadership in the areas covered, combined with the level of familiarity on those subjects by the Caucus members themselves, made for discussions of the sort often hoped for, but rarely achieved. The conversations in all of the meetings (including the general sessions), revealed a seriousness which was reflective of the deep desire to be a part of arriving at solutions to issues we care about, and to plan next steps. In this regard, it succeeded in a way we had hoped for: as a real working meeting. We are indeed lucky to have the caliber of talent we have in our Caucus.
Of the many reports and notes you will find here, one which stands out is the Priority Issues Survey we took on Saturday morning. Attendees were asked to list their concerns and the issues they felt were a priority for the Caucus to work on. As expected, the following issues came to the fore: Healthcare, followed by the CA Budget (and establishing Majority Rule), War/Foreign Policy and Water. For a full breakdown, go here. The results mirror what we currently see on the Progressive Caucus list serve as topics of interest.
Perhaps the best and most useful aspect of the Summit was the fact that virtually all the meetings included an action component, with the understanding that there would be next steps for the efforts given to each one. Out of the California Budget meeting (entitled "From Crisis to Majority Rule") and the efforts of Susie Shannon, Deana Igelsrud and George Lakoff, has come the California Majority Rule Campaign. The campaign has been endorsed by lawmakers and advocacy groups alike and is a serious statewide grassroots campaign statewide. Rose Roach, CSEA and Andrew McGuire of the California OneCare Campaign put on a very informative talk, comparing the "Public Option" to Single Payer and also letting everyone know the plans for realizing SB 810. Rose, who chairs the Progressive Caucus' Healthcare Committee, will be rolling out an SB 810 12-24 month game plan for everyone to consider at the upcoming E-Board meeting. She just recently returned from the Physicians for a National Health Program Leadership Training and Annual Meeting in Boston last week.
Kudos go to Steve Haze for his discussion about the serious debate over Water in our state and to Henry Vandermeir, President of CDC for doing what he does best - talking to grassroots activists about the organization of the Democratic Party. Since the Summit, we have been asked to include more discussions on the topics. Rounding it out on Sunday morning, we were treated to a talk with our own Hilary Crosby, who made the case for why Progressives should invest in the Party and by doing so, truly staking a claim in the direction it goes. Last but by no means least, "Strategizing to Challenge the Warfare State in 2010 and Beyond". As everyone knows Marcy is a candidate for Congress 36th Congressional District. From lobbying efforts to electoral work to activism designed especially for those of us on the 'inside', many ideas were hatched for what we could do to strengthen those voices that are part of the push back to the policies of our current warfare state. Our upcoming meeting in San Diego will be just one of other future events and activities that will be organized to address the topic which we feel is of the utmost seriousness for our country and our relationship with the rest of the world.
For complete notes (minutes) of the meetings in SLO click here. For notes (minutes) of the Saturday breakout session click here.
The Progressive Caucus
Solidarity Summit!
August 15th & 16th
San Luis Obispo
WEEKEND PROGRAM
and AGENDA
* Agenda *
Saturday, August 15th
10:00 am - 5:00 pm with 1 hr lunch break
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo / Phillips Hall
Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo
9:30 AM: Doors open for registration, Coffee and mingle.
10:00 AM: General Session.
Welcome, introductions of Officers, Statement of Purpose.
Caucus Organization: The History and Future of the Progressive Caucus.
Setting Priorities, and Discussion of Proposed
Committees and Consideration of new ones.
Priority Issues Survey / Platform / Bylaws
11:45-12:45 PM: LUNCH
01:00 – 4:50 pm: Breakout Sessions (Details Below)
Saturday Evening Program
7:00 - 9:30 pm
Co-Sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
Ludwick Community Center
864 Santa Rosa St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Location information here
Crisis and Opportunity: War, Healthcare,
and the Democratic Party
6:15 PM: Registration Begins, doors open shortly thereafter
7:00 PM: Introductions, Karen Bernal
Marcy Winograd
Rose Roach
“A Doctor/Patient Health Care System – Single Payer is True Health Care for All”. A presentation on our current health care system, how a single payer system would work, including a brief video and a discussion on getting from here to there.
Sunday, Aug 16th
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo / Chumash Auditorium
Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo
9:30 AM: Doors open / Coffee and mingle
10:00 AM: General Session
Recap of Saturday’s events.
Hilary Crosby
Straight talk from one of our own. Hear the story of her extraordinary campaign
and what she can tell us about the new climate in the State Party from her
perspective as someone who succeeded because of the power of rank and filers.
How should we see ourselves in the scheme of things today?
Report back from the Saturday Breakout Sessions: The California Budget,
Healthcare, Foreign Policy, Water in California, The Party,
The Progressive Caucus Platform and Bylaws
Closing conversation
2:00 PM: Adjournment
Saturday Breakout Session Topics
Note: All discussions will be mainly strategic in nature,
with an eye towards implementing action items.
The California Budget: From Crisis to Majority Rule Campaign / Susie Shannon, Chair of Poverty and Budget Subcommittee for the Progressive Caucus, 42nd AD Exec Board Rep, CDP, Legislative Action Committee member, Homeless Advocate.
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Healthcare: “A Roadmap to Single Payer by 2015” / Andrew McGuire, Exec Director of Healthcare for All, and Rose Roach, CSEA Field Director, Stockton, San Joaquin County Democratic Party
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Foreign Policy: “Strategizing to Challenge the Warfare State in 2010 and Beyond” / Marcy Winograd, PDLA Vice Chair and candidate for Congress, 36th CD,
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Water in California: What you need to know and do as Progressive Democrats” / Steve Haze, CALFED Bay Delta Program, former Chair of the Fresno County Democratic Party.
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The Party: “How the Party works and how Progressives can get involved” / Henry Vandermeir, President of the California Democratic Council, DNC candidate.
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The Progressive Caucus Platform and Bylaws: A review, and considerations for improvements. This is your opportunity to be a part of collective self determination. Our recommendations will be voted on at the November E-board meeting.
Again, ALL California Progressive Democrats are invited to attend.
Sign up for the Progressive Caucus Yahoo list and join the conversation.
Keep an eye on our website for more details to come.
Thanks!
The Progressive Caucus Officers
