Summer Garden Party Fundraiser—We Need Your Support

Friday, June 19th

The 2009 Progressive Dane Fundraiser will be held Friday June 19th at the home of Betty Zeps, 1922 Adams Street, Madison, Wisconsin

This is our major summer fundraiser and we need your support to continue rebuilding politics in Dane County from the grassroots and stregthen Progressive Dane for the future.

The suggested sponsorships are $25-$100.

Come relax with friends and talk summer politics over drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts.

You can help Progressive Dane meet our fundraising goals. It’s easy to do:

Print this pdf and send a check made out to Progressive Dane for your sponsorship amount.

Click on the Join/Donate Button to the right and donate online.

Send an e-mail to office@prodane.org to indicate that you want to support the Garden Party.

Volunteer to bring food or help with set-up by e-mailing office@prodane.org or calling 608-358-2940.

Attend the Progressive Dane Garden Party!!!

TJ Mertz, Chairing

Guest Speaker - Jacque Pokorney, Prioritizing our Priorities

There are many issues we can be concentrating on. PD Policy Committee has come up with a large list. A small sampling includes Urban Agriculture/Food Sovereignty, Regional Transit Authority (RTA), 4-year old Kindergarten, Race/Immigration, Paid Sick Leave, and Public Financing of Elections.

Where is your energy? What are the one or two big PD issues you can help move forward now?

And as always staff, alders, supervisors, and/or school board members will brief us on activities and other important issues needing support and action.

Individuals who are not members of Progressive Dane are encouraged to attend.

Anyone with questions or special needs should contact the Progressive Dane office at 358-2940 or office@prodane.org.

Dace

We retained Alders Marsha Rummel, Satya Rhodes-Conway, and Mike Verveer who all ran unopposed.

President Arlene Silveira, who did had an opponent, also retained her seat on the Madison Metropolitan School Board.

Progressive Dane would like to thank Arnold Harris for running in the Town of Cross Plains and seeking our endorsement. He ran a spirited race and came up a little bit short for a seat on the Town Board.

Of course, the closest race, and the one we put the most energy into, was to retain Brenda Konkel on the Madison Common Council. We lost that one, 962 votes to 900.

Notwithstanding Scott Milfred’s genteel gloating in the Wisconsin State Journal about how positivism would now replace conflict, it was Brenda who ran the positive campaign in this race. She concentrated on the issues facing District 2 and the city, offered solutions, and recounted how she’d been working for those solutions in her eight years on the Council.

Her opponent, Alder Bridget Maniaci, took advantage of years of attacks on Brenda, largely by the State Journal. Maniaci had little to say about issues, and in the end was correct in believing that attacking Brenda’s “style” would be enough. May she be a better Alder than her campaign suggested she’d be.

Brenda will not disappear. She’ll have more time, as she said, “to do the things I love to do.” As Executive Director of the Tenant Resource Center, she’ll be busy, as she likes to be.

Progressive Dane, and Madison, owe Brenda Konkel a huge debt of gratitude for her years of unstinting, selfless work in city government.

Kyle Szarzynski, Chairing

Guest Speaker - Alex Gillis on the May Day Rally
At last months meeting we voted to endorse the Rally, but didn't have much time to talk about the event or issues. On Wednesday, April 22nd, we will have a conversation about the issues being raised at the May Day Rally. To view those issues go to www.maydayinmadison.org.

The continuing discussion of Progressive Dane 2009 Priorities and Plan of Action will focus on transportation.

And as always staff, alders, supervisors, and/or school board members will brief us on activities and other important issues needing support and action.

Broad based discussion and dialogue better inform any conversation. It is important to hear and value all voices before moving forward on any issue. It is also important to examine all the information available and wait for studies to be concluded before making any decision.

In the recent past, we’ve heard in essence, “Trust me, I know what is best for you,” but that is not how this little corner of the world became the great place that it is for many. It is not going to be how it becomes a great place for everyone.

We need strong voices to stand up to those who tell us to be quiet and sit down. We need progressive voices to lead us into a new way of being on this earth. We need everyone to participate in the conversations that will make a difference in how well people are able to live their lives in Madison and Dane County.

Click on the Endorsed Candidates link to learn more about several of the candidates running for office. More information can be found at http://www.danenet.org/lwvdc/answers.html.

Vote today, Tuesday, April 7th, then join or renew your membership in Progressive Dane, and get involved to make Dane County a place where everyone succeeds.

In addition to assisting local campaigns in getting the word out to voters, Progressive Dane outreach efforts include educational sessions and forums which are open to the public and held throughout the year. These include City, County, and Budget 101s and issue oriented forums.

Progressive Dane members have voting rights at general membership meetings. Members can serve on several issue related task forces or organizational committees to shape public policy and advise electeds in Dane County. Many Progressive Dane members also actively participate within the community on issues that matter to them most and are encouraged to share with the membership and appropriate task force those needs and concerns.

Progressive Dane distributes a monthly newsletter and has communication listservs to keep its members informed. Members are also encouraged to subscribe to the PDDiscuss listserv to engage in general discussion, share events and announcements, and post calls to action.

Take some time to review our City and County Platforms as well as other information here on our website, then click on the Donate/Join PD button and make a commitment to yourself, your community, and to Progressive Dane.

Thanks! and I hope to see you soon at a Progressive Dane General Membership Meeting, usually held the 4th Wednesday of every month at Madison’s Public Library downtown.

Please feel free to contact me directly at office@prodane.org or 608-358-2940 to let me know how you would like to become more involved or if you have any questions.

Linked are 2 flyers that you can download, print, and help us distribute. One is black and white, 2-sided, and there are 3 on an 8.5x11 sheet; it's intended for distribution, for instance by putting it into doors in your neighborhood (not in mailboxes). The other is color, 1-sided, and is intended for posting.

The message is the same, with talking points about why bus fares in Madison should not be increased again, and action points on how to keep that from happening.

We need to change 3 votes on the City Council to stop the adult cash bus fare from going up to $2. If enough of us generate pressure on our Alders, we can do it.

If you'd like to join a leafletting party, we're meeting at Electric Earth, 546 West Washington, near Bedford, at 11am this Saturday. Other leafletting opportunities will be available.

If you distribute on your own, let us know where, so we can have an idea which Alders are getting pressure, and where we might want to turn up the heat. Contact your PD co-chairs: Jacque Pokorney at juju_jacque@yahoo.com and Norm Littlejohn at normlittlejohn@hotmail.com; or Aaron Crandall, chair of PD's Transportation Task Force, at aaron.crandall@yahoo.com.

We have less than a week to make sure Madison Alders hear from their constituents!

Have you called or e-mailed your own Alder yet? Even if they're already on the right side of this issue, they need to hear from us. The Mayor needs an earful, too, whether he wants it or not!

E-mail the Mayor at mayor@cityofmadison.com.
E-mail your Alder at district#@cityofmadison.com -- use your district #.
E-mail the whole Council at allalders@cityofmadison.com.
Call the City Council at 266 4071.

Let's get out there and make some democracy!

Thanks -- Norm

---Madison City Council---
Alder Brenda Konkel (District 2): 5-way primary!
Alder Mike Verveer (District 4)
Alder Marsha Rummel (District 6)
Katrina Flores (District 8): 4-way primary!
Alder Satya Rhodes-Conway (District 12)

---Madison School Board---
Arlene Silveira (Seat 1): Contested race.

---Town of Cross Plains Supervisor---
Arnold Harris (Seat 4): Contested race.

---Wisconsin State Superintendent of Schools---
Todd Price – 5 way primary!

Aaron Crandall, Chairing

Treasurers Report - Mary Anglim

School Board Report - Arlene Silveira

Additional Election Committee Recommendations - Lukas Diaz
1. To endorse Arnold Harris for Town of Cross Plains (Seat 4)
2. To endorse Todd Price for State Superintendent of Schools
3. To endorse Katrina Flores in District 8
4. Various donation and purchase recommendations

Discussion regarding the recent activities surrounding the bus fare increase and the Transit and Parking Commission and how that impacts good government and process

2009 Priorities and Plan of Action - Jacque Pokorney

Jacque Pokorney, 843-9616 or juju_jacque@yahoo.com
Norm Littlejohn
Co-chairs of Progressive Dane

As supporters of good and open government, Progressive Dane asks the Mayor and Common Council to stand in support of democracy and support the initial decision of the Transit and Parking Commission regarding the bus fare discussion.

One week earlier due to the holiday.

This month's chair is Jacque Pokorney.

Items of particular interest being presented for vote this month include:

- Adam Porton and Kyle Szarzynski of Student Progressive Dane will lead a discussion and vote on a resolution about immigration and deportation.

- PD Elections Chair Lukas Diaz will recommend early endorsements for
vote of candidates for Madison Common Council.

Regular reports include brief updates from staff, treasurer, and electeds.

You can help by supporting the outreach and administration of Progressive Dane by coming together for an evening of fun, political talk, and music at the Annual Snow Ball, Progressive Dane winter fundraiser on Saturday, December 6th, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Brink Lounge on 701 E. Washington Avenue.

Sponsorship levels start at $35, please give as you can. Send your check to PO Box 1222, Madison, WI 53701 or donate online at
http://www.prodane.org/get_involved/online/.

If you have questions, please e-mail office@prodane.org or leave a message at 257-4985.

Progressive Dane's General Membership Meeting is one week earlier due to the holiday.

It is this Wednesday, November 19, 2008, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Madison's Downtown Public Library.

Alder Satya Rhodes-Conway and County Board Supervisor John Hendrick will update us on current activities and summarize the budget for us.

Adam Porton, Student Progressive Dane, will present on the student action regarding the deporation issue.

Aaron Crandall, Transportation Chair, will lead a panel on Madison Metro.