Special Guest Congressman Chris Van Hollen CONFIRMED

Montgomery County Progressive Alliance Coalition Event
(Including MoveOn, Democracy for Montgomery County, Progressive
Democrats of America, MeetUp and others)
Special Guest Congressman Chris Van Hollen CONFIRMED
Please sign up here:
http://www.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=92499

Saturday, March 28, 2009 / 12:30pm - 3:30pm
Wheaton Regional Library Mtg room 2
11701 Georgia Ave Wheaton, MD
Accessible to all, short walk or bus ride from the Wheaton Metro Station.
Directions:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/libraries/BranchInfo/wh.asp

Requested donation $5 (or more) to defray costs of the room,
refreshments, etc.
Please bring a snack or drink to share with other attendees.

We'll discuss ways to support President Obama's Green Economy/Green Jobs
initiatives and ways we can all conserve energy. We'll also organize
efforts to continue progress and build on our accomplishments. Please
join the Montgomery County MoveOn Council by clicking on this link:
http://www.moveon.org/team/search/signup.html?team_id=4221

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Organizing meeting for MCPA, DFMC, MoveOn, PDA, PWG and more.
Wednesday April 1, 7 p.m.
Saigonese Restaurant 11232 Grandview Ave Silver Spring (Wheaton), MD 20902

Short walk from Wheaton Metro (red line) /
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11232+Grandview+Ave+Silver+Spring+MD+20902
We're working on Coalition Building Efforts, several bills and lobby
efforts on the state and national level. We'll also discuss the upcoming
County Council Special Election, coalition efforts, and much more!

We're planning special events, forming a steering committee, and working
on meetings with legislators, etc. We'll be holding meetings and events
to make a real difference in our county, state and nation. Participating
organizations include: Montgomery County Progressive Alliance, Democracy
for Montgomery County, Progressive Democrats of America, MoveOn.org and
the Progressive Working Group as well as several "MeetUp" groups. MoveOn
has an exciting, progressive agenda for the U.S. and 1000s of involved,
informed members in our area.

If you care about saving money and secure elections

If you care about saving money and secure elections, please take action with Verified Voting.

Keep in mind: it's far better to use your own words rather than click and send the suggested message. Please share this with all concerned Marylanders.

You can send your message using this link: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26912

This is what I sent:

First, I want to thank you for your leadership in 2007, passing legislation and budgeting money needed to make Maryland's elections trustworthy by 2010. This was an important step forward.

I worked with legislators and concerned Marylanders back then. I testified before the Senate committee, send emails, made calls. I was back in Annapolis a few weeks ago, and again last week to discuss these issues with friends and leaders in the legislature. Why? Because I am very concerned about what I'm hearing.

After making the correct decisions and passing a good law and a budget to ensure Maryland will convert to trustworthy, cost-effective Optiscan paper ballot voting--the law to make this move passed unanimously--some have advocated costly and unnecessary delays in this transition. Please do not let this happen.

Continued use of these outdated, unreliable DRE machines will cost Maryland $millions in equipment upkeep, repair/replacement and other charges. Maryland would need only about one tenth as many Optiscan machines as DREs, which would save us $millions. This is especially important in these tough financial times. Sen. Madaleno and Del. Gutierrez both shared the grim news about the budget crunch with District 18 voters last week.

Also, use of DRE (touch screen) machines risks an election day (or primary day) debacle, such as happened in Virginia recently. You can read about the Virginia voting machine meltdown online here:

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=326929&paper=71&cat=104

I trust you will stand by your correct decision and ensure the smooth, timely and cost-saving move to more reliable, most efficient paper-ballot based Optical Scan machines.

Thank you!

This is background from Verified Voting:

If you've sent lawmakers messages in support of verified voting in Maryland this year, thank you! Your efforts are paying off - citizens have headed off a number of attempts to gut the paper ballot law. Lawmakers are listening, but there is still a strong chance that verifiable voting will be delayed.

An election in Virginia this month will help clarify the issue. Two weeks ago, paperless electronic machines in a Fairfax County election reported discrepancies of hundreds of votes on election night, and the discrepancies cannot be satisfactorily resolved. It's a great occasion to remind your Maryland lawmakers that they were wise to move the state away from paperless electronic voting, and that they should not delay any longer. Take just a moment to visit our Action Center and send a message to your lawmakers and Governor O'Malley:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26912

Please take just a moment to help keep the pressure on, and Maryland will remain on the path to verified elections.

Thank you for all you do.

Best regards,

The Team at Verified Voting

PROGRESSIVE EVENTS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND DC

PROGRESSIVE EVENTS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND DC

The Audubon Society and others forum
Candidates for the upcoming District 4 County Council special primary
election will discuss their positions and issues.

Date: Sunday March 22, 2009 Time: 7:30 pm
Place: Woodend: Audubon Sanctuary, 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase
MD 20815

Expected candidates: Michael Bigler, Robert Goldman, Thomas Hardman, Ben
Kramer, Cary Lamari, Nancy Navarro, Also invited: George Gluck (Green
Party)

-------------------------------

Building the Election Reform Movement MeetUp (DC Metro area)
Sign up/more details here: http://electionreform.meetup.com/176/

Date: Monday, March 23, 7 p.m.
Place: Burma Restaurant 740 6th street NW Washington, DC 20001 2nd floor
short walk from Gallery Pl. Chinatown metro stop (Green/Yellow
Blue/Orange Line)
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=740+6th+St.+washington+dc+20001

Guest speaker Joseph Oddo (writer/political consultant/businessman and
co-founder of the Independent Greens of Virginia). We will also discuss
progress on paper ballot/opti-scan voting in Maryland and the Lobby Day
in Annapolis on March 16th. More info, contact: jenkarius@gmail.com

--------------------------------

Senator Ben Cardin in Silver Spring Sponsored by the Greater Silver
Spring Democratic Club

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Place: White Oak Middle School 12201 New Hampshire Ave, Silver
Spring, MD

Senator Ben Cardin will discuss how the Congress is approaching the
Economic Crisis
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=12201+New+Hampshire+Ave,+Silver+Spring,+MD+20904
Public transportation info: http://www.wmata.com/

------------------------------

MoveOn PowerUp Campaign Kick-Off with Congressman Chris Van Hollen

Date: Saturday March 28 Time: 12:30 pm. to 3:30 p.m.
Place: Wheaton Regional Library Mtg room 2, lowest floor, 11701 Georgia
Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902
Accessible to all, short walk or bus ride from the Wheaton Metro Station.
Directions:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/libraries/BranchInfo/wh.asp

PowerUp Campaign Kick-Off of MoveOn's 2009 Agenda and Organizing our
efforts in Montgomery County--Special Guest Congressman Chris Van Hollen
CONFIRMED
Requested donation $5 (or more) to defray costs of the room,
refreshments, etc. We'll discuss ways to support President Obama's Green
Economy/Green Jobs initiatives and ways we can all conserve energy.
We'll organize efforts to continue progress. Sign up online:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/poweruplaunch/92499
Combined MeetUp/Meeting for MCPA, DFMC, MoveOn, PDA, PWG and more.
Wednesday April 1, 7 p.m.
Saigonese Restaurant 11232 Grandview Ave Silver Spring (Wheaton), MD 20902

Short walk from Wheaton Metro (red line) /
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11232+Grandview+Ave+Silver+Spring+MD+20902

We're working on Coalition Building Efforts, several bills and lobby
efforts on the state and national level. We'll also discuss the upcoming
County Council Special Election, coalition efforts, and much more!

We're planning special events, forming a steering committee, and working
on meetings with legislators, etc. We'll be holding meetings and events
to make a real difference in our county, state and nation. Participating
organizations include: Montgomery County Progressive Alliance, Democracy
for Montgomery County, Progressive Democrats of America, MoveOn.org and
the Progressive Working Group as well as several "MeetUp" groups.

MoveOn has an exciting, progressive agenda for the U.S. and 1000s of
involved, informed members in our area. Please join the Montgomery
County MoveOn Council by clicking on this link:
http://www.moveon.org/team/search/signup.html?team_id=4221

April: Maryland Legislative Update (details TBA) / May: Healthcare in
Maryland and the USA (details TBA)

-----------------

Eco-Justice Cafe' University of DC--Friday, April 3, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Music, poetry, an open mike session, good food, good beer, good people,
good cheer. University of DC, Firebird Inn, Van Ness/UDC Red Line West
exit--Building 39, B-Level, 4200 Connecticut Ave., NW, DC 20008,
Wheelchair Accessible.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4200+Connecticut+Ave.,+NW,+DC+20008

Suggested donation $15/$10 students/$5 kids -- Food and drink included.
All ages event; child activities provided and powered by kids!

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Progressive Working Group/Progressive Neighbors/SaveOurVotes Events Recap:

The PWG/Progressive Neighbors House Concert Fundraiser with Magpie was
GREAT!
Next time we mention Magpie, make sure you're there!

------------------

Our PWG Lobby Night in Annapolis (with Save Our Votes and others) for
Accurate, Verifiable Paper-Ballot Voting Monday, March 16 was
well-attended and (we hope) very effective.

Transition to paper ballot voting across the state will save Maryland
money, due to extravagant costs for maintaining the less reliable and
impossible to verify touch screen machines. Our state should use a
system which will provide private and independent voting for disabled
voters alongside the paper ballot-based system. Many jurisdictions in
Maryland used to use the paper-ballot optical scan voting which was
unanimously supported by the Maryland legislature in 2007. We ask our
representatives to ensure a smooth, cost-effective transition to
reliable, transparent voting for the 2010 election cycle, as planned.