The Licking County Progressives

Agenda for Monthly Progressive Business Meeting

3/6/18

7-9pm

24 Mill St., Newark, OH

Subject to Change

• Introduction (5 Mins. 7:00-7:05)
• Fair Districts = Fair Elections Update  (5 Mins. 7:05-7:10)
• Summer of Labor Update (5 Mins. 7:10-7:15)
• Working Class Discussion Series (5 Mins. 7:15-7:20)
• Newark Poor People’s March (5 Mins. 7:20-7:25)
• Gazebo and Related Activism (5 Mins. 7:25-7:30)
• Working Families First (5 Mins. 7:30-7:35)
• Working America (5 Mins. 7:35-7:40)
• LCP PAC (5 Mins. 7:40-7:45)
• Open Discussion (If Desired) (75 Mins. 7:45-9:00)
• Adjourn (9:00)

Minutes for Progressive Meeting

2/6/18

• We were updated on the progress of the Fair Districts Fair Elections campaign. The General Assembly was reportedly moving along a proposal that the FDFE campaign was endorsing which will – if passed via the May ballot – require a 3/5ths vote of both chambers to approve drawn congressional districts on the first try or the support of at least 2 minor party members of a bipartisan commission to approve a ten-year map or a simple majority for a 4 year map. Even with this proposal, the campaign was encouraging activists to continue collecting signatures just in case. In the discussion, it was noted that moderates of each party hate gerrymandering as well, since gerrymandered districts typically favor the base of the advantaged party.
• We discussed the upcoming tentative calendar for the full-length Summer of Labor: kicking off possibly with a poor people’s march in March (it was suggested by another member that we reach out to Reverend William Barber, because his organization is encouraging a series of events from 40 days of lent to 40 days of civil disobedience with the poor people’s march in the middle of these actions, but the events culminate in May, not March), then we continue with a community discussion series throughout the Spring (called “Community Spring”) as a lead up to the official Summer of Labor, wherein a central theme (“Economic and Political Poverty”) will be covered through four sub-topic discussions (a. “We Need Transportation”, b. “We Need Living Wages”, c. “We Need Work Benefits”, and d. “We Need Power”). The next major event, taking in place on May 10^th will commemorate the birthday of Corporate Personhood. Then, we have the official kickoff of the Summer of Labor on the first day of Summer with “Working Families Bash!”, then “Connecting Families with Opportunities”, “Restore the Dream Rally”, a July voter registration drive, a “Where’s the Dream?” Discussion panel [possibly featuring members of the teachers unions, the head of Job and Family Services, social workers, Stephanie Dodd, Guthrie, etc.], a march for Economic Fairness, another voter registration/education event, a “Fair Shake Forum”, a “Labor Day Debriefing” event, an event dubbed “Labor History Appreciation”, and finally wrapping it all up with the 2^nd Annual Democracy Day complete with voter registration, education, and a call to action!
• We discussed the current efforts by the Gazebo group to keep pressing for answers from the City of Newark and the County Commissioners. Crawford’s recent article apparently has some member riled up, the media is trying to get the Administration to come in and talk about it, and there will be a call to action at the end of March when Council hears more about the proposed blocking of the pedestrian bridge.
• We highlighted how the spring will also feature some grassroots efforts to help build the Working Families First Initiative as an alternative source for community outreach for interested and determined public servants.
• We had as guests the creators of “Democracy First”, a new PAC: borne out of the fact that the Ohio Democratic Party has given up on Licking County until we “lose less badly”, the goal is to facilitate a consensus and share volunteers from likeminded projects, possible candidate training, the initial goal will be to help Democrats, but will later expand to likeminded Independents, the concern is that there are too many separate causes and ineffective coordination as well as the fact that the current condition of the party sucks, the creators have experience in helping successful campaigns, the party’s “Main Street Initiative” has been decent, but it comes with strings attached and the requirement to feed information to the larger database, the new PAC wants to help generate media interest via big gatherings of the likeminded causes, and the chief rule is to ALWAYS have fun.
• We highlighted the first meeting of Working America’s Licking County chapter (which was summarized in a previous update here), it was noted that education was one major issue that the Working America group generated a consensus on: it was noted that one problem we have is that “nothing is designed to be portable”, people still have basic needs, the lack of portability holds people back, we need to make it easier for people to take care of their basic needs, we must teach resilience (which isn’t happening in schools) with special emphasis on adaptability.
• We discussed the recent creation of Licking County’s Our Revolution chapter by one of our members: the new PAC can meet and nominate candidates for possible endorsement by the larger Our Revolution organization.
• There was some talk about how some in the Party are trying to undercut or delegitimize alternative options.
• Creating a PAC for the Licking County Progressives (which was created officially today) was suggested so as to cover all bases if the intent is to influence election outcomes.