Interesting exchange for some PA CP members
Facebook | Cherie Tripp Lejeune
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
March 31, 2010
Mr. Robert Reinsel
3203 Armory Court
Fairfax, VA 22030-1911
Dear Mr. Reinsel,
Thank you for contacting me with respect to your concern with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on Citizens United versus the Federal Election Commission. I appreciate your concern on this issue. Your views are important to me.
I share your concern that this ruling was an unprecedented change in Constitutional law, bestowing all of the guaranteed individual rights to corporations. Giving corporations an unfettered ability to fund and influence various election campaigns is a dangerous policy, and anathema to our nation's principle of one individual - one vote. I will keep your concerns with this ruling in mind as the Congress deliberates opportunities to address this ruling.
Once again, thank you for expressing your concern on this very important issue. I appreciate hearing from you. For more information on my views on other issues, please feel free to visit my website at http://connolly.house.gov. I also encourage you to visit the website to sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress
11th District, Virginia
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Petition to Drop the law suit Against Helth care
Tell Virginia Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, to drop his lawsuit against the health care reform bill
http://www.dropthelawsuit.com/
mc said...
This was posed as a comment by mc .
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I think this is good. I totally agree that growing the organization is paramount at this point. But I do think there are a few issues where there is enough consensus to come up with precise policy positions, comment publicly, and help the organization in terms of attracting others. Hope I didn't seem overly cautious.
1. Campaign Finance Reform and Current Legislation in the works re: Citizens United
2. Lobbying Reform for the House and Senate
3. Extreme and Violent tactics of the Tea Party
4. I'd also note that a lot of people were dissappointed in Rep. Cantor in particular.
There were also a few people who worked on Health Care professionally. I think that could come in handy not only for education, but also for reaching out to the community. For example, helping people in the community sift through the various healthcare plans, finding the best one for them, etc., could attract some others who might not normally get involved in politics/advocacy. It also could distinguish us from some of the other advocacy groups. Just a thought.
mc
Monday, March 29, 2010
Coffee and Comments: Tom Udall on Campaign Finance Reform
Coffee and Comments: Tom Udall on Campaign Finance Reform
http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=398
http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=398
Tom Udall on Campaign Finance Reform
Senator Udall proposes 2 options. A Constitutional Amendment or a complete overhaul. Check them out.
http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=398
http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=398
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Coffee Party Fairfax Round 2!
The Coffee Summit, round #2-- legislative issues for change included: filibustering, fact checking and corporate funding. We all agreed no simple fixes or easy time stamps but understanding the process we could assess how being informed would enable us to act. Agreement was unanimous that promoting civility as a standalone issue would bear more immediate results. Already some of our members have put together a conflict resolution workshop for our next meeting, great. The suggestion of creating a presentation ( Coffee Sphere included) for High School history classes on how civility or lack thereof, impacts the democratic process--Mark, our History teacher member offered to work on an outline. A Fairfax County "Civility Day"--something like a political truce day inviting elected officials/ potential candidates to take a civility pledge or similar is another possibility for immediate action. The timing perhaps 6 weeks before the primaries. The one idea we all laughed at (besides dressing up as referee outfits calling fouls from the congressional gallery), was a meter/report card on our website to monitor Congress's civility level during their session as well as fact checking info. I do agree with Robert, our coffee and comments blog host-- we should exchange advocacy opportunities that other organized groups are tackling on issues that we feel aligned with. I think we all agree these are dangerous times and it is so hard to decide where we all could make our volunteer advocacy time count. The "all welcome" Coffee Party banner gives us right now one of the best opportunities to put our collective feet into the doorway of political culture, which if we keep them there, change will absolutely come--40 years ago, I saw that validated. And, that is BIG.
Thoughts on way ahead
From 2010
Tinking about yesterday’s Coffee Party in Vienna.
There were a lot of independent thinkers there and, while I was there' it seemed that none wasr willing to jump on board on a specific issue and lead the charge. It was kind of a “somebody needs to do something” situation. I was not able to stay till the end so I don’t, at this point, know what was resolved, if anything.
I seems to me, that in order to have an impact and get recognition by the mass media and policy makers, an organization that is not shouting must grow to the point where it can not be ignored. That suggests that we must; 1) reach out to like minded people and build off-shoot groups; 2) point out areas for action to make our voice heard in the short term; and 3) develop a focus for the long term where we can impact the legislative process.
Short Term
1)We can, as individuals, sign the petition opposing Ken Cuccinelli’s suit concerning the healt hcare Act. And we can suggest to others that they should sign.
2) We can tell friends and neighbors about the Coffee Party and encourage them to associate themselves with the organization.
3) We can, as individuals, select an area of possible congressional action and learn more about it so that we can present a balanced discussion of the pro’s and cons and identify which members of congress are leading the charge.
Examples:
Finance Reform
Corporate Financing of Elections
Jobs
Education
Senate Rules
Comments Welcome.
There were a lot of independent thinkers there and, while I was there' it seemed that none wasr willing to jump on board on a specific issue and lead the charge. It was kind of a “somebody needs to do something” situation. I was not able to stay till the end so I don’t, at this point, know what was resolved, if anything.
I seems to me, that in order to have an impact and get recognition by the mass media and policy makers, an organization that is not shouting must grow to the point where it can not be ignored. That suggests that we must; 1) reach out to like minded people and build off-shoot groups; 2) point out areas for action to make our voice heard in the short term; and 3) develop a focus for the long term where we can impact the legislative process.
Short Term
1)We can, as individuals, sign the petition opposing Ken Cuccinelli’s suit concerning the healt hcare Act. And we can suggest to others that they should sign.
2) We can tell friends and neighbors about the Coffee Party and encourage them to associate themselves with the organization.
3) We can, as individuals, select an area of possible congressional action and learn more about it so that we can present a balanced discussion of the pro’s and cons and identify which members of congress are leading the charge.
Examples:
Finance Reform
Corporate Financing of Elections
Jobs
Education
Senate Rules
Comments Welcome.
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