DFNYC Big Linkup, Wednesday, February 3rd 

Join Democracy for NYC
with special guest Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy For America
to celebrate six years of accomplishments and plan our direction going forward. 

When:  Wednesday, February 3, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Where:  SideBAR, 118 East 15th Street, Manhattan (corner of 15th Street and Irving Place)

When Howard Dean started our movement in 2004, President Bush had just been re-elected and Republicans held majorities in both houses of Congress. Democrats were afraid to challenge an incompetent president on issues of war and the economy or civil rights of gay people. Howard Dean stood up to Bush, and promised to take our country back.

Six years later, thanks in great part to the Deans and to the leadership of millions of volunteers and contributors, we have a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress. This year the Deans have lead the movement for a robust public healthcare option.  But Democratic politicians have not yet fulfilled their promises to us. We don’t have universal healthcare and the current bill is full of giveaways to insurance and drug companies. The Supreme Court has just enabled corporations to control all future elections. Here in New York, our state senate just voted against marriage equality and politicians are cutting metrocards for school kids while giving themselves $34,000 bonuses.
 
There’s lots more work to do if we want to take our country back. So come join us at this citywide Big Linkup.  All are welcome!  

We will be raffling off tickets to a new play by Jon Marans, The Temperamentals and Broadway’s hit Afrobeat musical, FELA! - all proceeds to benefit the Haitian relief effort through Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontiere (MSF) http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

(cash bar and free hor d’ouevres)

RSVP and invite your friend on DFNYC's Facebook Page.

ACTION ALERT! January 26, 2010:

Within the next two weeks, Jan Schakowsky (Rep-IL) will reintroduce the “Stop Outsourcing Security Act,” to responsibly phase out the use of private security contractors, such as Blackwater, for functions that should be reserved for U.S. military forces and for government personnel. Bernie Sanders (Sen-VT) will be concurrently introducing a companion bill into the Senate.

As Rep Schakowsky said in her letter to her fellow members of the house, “In 2009, the U.S. government employed well over 20,000 armed private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there is every indication that these figures will continue to rise in 2010. These men and women are not part of the U.S. military or government. They do not wear the uniform of the United States, though their behavior has, on numerous occasions, severely damaged the credibility and security of our military and harmed our relationship with other governments.”

Rep. Schakowsky’s bill recognizes that with our military already so very overtaxed that it will take time to eliminate the use of private contractors for functions that should be reserved for U.S. military personnel. Her bill is also in keeping with the recommendations made in July of 2009 by the U.N. Working group on the Use of Mercenaries.

This bill puts our government back on the path of restoring military functions to the U.S. military. “The legislation would prohibit the use of private military contractors for military, security, law enforcement, intelligence, and armed rescue functions unless the President tells Congress why the military is unable to perform those functions. It would also increase the transparency over any remaining security contractors by increasing reporting requirements and giving Congress access to details about large contracts.”

Please contact your representative and ask him/her to sign on as an original co-sponsor of this bill.  Please email Bernadette with their response at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Democracy for NYC supports this bill and has sent this letter to each member of our NYC Congressional Delegation (plus our good, progressive neighbors, Reps. John Hall, Maurice Hinchey, and Eric Mass) asking them to co-sponsor this bill.

As reported by Sally Swisher.

Single-payer advocate and major Healthcare reform spokesman, Rep. Anthony Weiner, along with Rep. Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn, met with and listened to their constituents this past Sunday, Jan. 24.  People had a lot to say – but the Reps also had important information about what can be done from here.  Both said that they can’t vote for the Senate Bill as it is, which caused a lot of controversy because many people were anxious that the Democrats pass something right away.  People did not want Pres. Obama and the Democrats to fail to deliver on the issue, and be seen as powerless.  Many also felt that the current bill would offer at least some improvement, which would be better than nothing.
 
Rep. Weiner offered an alternative strategy.  He felt that the House should pass an amendment to the Senate bill that would improve the deficient parts of it – one that could be passed by reconciliation in the Senate, (only requiring 51 votes:  50 Senators plus VP Joe Biden).  After the Senate passes that bill, the House could pass the original Senate bill – leaving us with healthcare reform to send to the President.  He felt that this strategy could work – but that, once again, it needs visible support from the people.
 
So we need to call, email & fax our Representatives, our Senators AND the White House.   And we need to contact our friends and relations in other states and ask them to do the same.  Echo Ed Schultz  and tell our Democratic representatives – especially the President - “We’re with you, but you’ve got to be with us!”  Tell them to pass an amendment in the House, and then in the Senate (by less than 60 votes) to give us:
 
1.     A public option – There must be competition for the private insurance industry
2.     Fair financing – Don’t pay for health care with a tax on health benefits.
3.     No new restrictions on reproductive healthcare – Expand healthcare access, don’t restrict it.
4.     A health insurance industry subject to anti-trust laws – Why should they be exempt?
5.     States that can enact single-payer for themselves – Why shouldn’t we have that right?
6.     Fair tax treatment for same-sex partners and other beneficiaries – Won’t we stand for equality?

Then, and only then, should the House pass the Senate bill.
 
Let the President know that this is what you want before the State of the Union tomorrow night, Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Comments: 202-456-1111
             FAX: 202-456-2461