Saturday, August 10, 2019

We agree with Bernie: working people need rent control! Socialist Alternative

Socialist Alternative<newsletter@socialistalternative.org>
To  alfredjohnson34@comcast.net  
Please see the message below from the campaign to re-elect Kshama Sawant, Seattle's Socialist Alternative City Councilmember.
Friends,
Did you see that Bernie Sanders published an op-ed ahead of this week’s presidential debate explaining how rent control kept a roof over his head growing up? We agree with Bernie: working people need rent control.

With recent census data showing that Seattle is now the most expensive city in the country outside of California, we urgently need to lead on rent control to stop skyrocketing rents! Major cities all over the country are facing severe shortages of affordable housing. A victory in Seattle for universal rent control with no corporate loopholes could spark successful legislation for rent control in cities across the country.

But the real estate lobby fiercely opposes rent control because it limits their ability to maximize profits by gouging tenants. Here in Seattle, notorious developer Vulcan, big developers and real estate interests have poured nearly half a million into the Chamber of Commerce’s corporate PAC. The PAC is spending far more against Councilmember Kshama Sawant than on any other race in the city, because Councilmember Sawant is using her seat to spearhead the struggle for rent control.

We are now less than $10,000 away from reaching our fundraising goal of cancelling out Vulcan’s $80,000 check by the August 6 primary! But we have only 4 days left — there is no time to waste. Please donate $15, $50, or $100 today to #CancelOutVulcan.

Across the country, the for-profit housing system has failed working people. It’s enriching Wall Street investors while the working class struggles to access high-quality, affordable housing. We welcome Bernie Sanders supporting the millions of tenants organizing in cities across the country for rent control and stronger tenant protections, a topic that is both wildly popular and broadly ignored by establishment Democrats in the presidential race thus far.

We saw with the $15 minimum wage movement that working people organizing can change public opinion on what’s possible, and bold demands can go from being mocked to becoming mainstream. It took building a grassroots movement for $15/hr in our communities and workplaces, taking strike actions, and protesting at City Hall to force a vote on the $15 minimum wage.

Bernie Sanders should also use his profile to call on his supporters to get organized to fight for affordable housing for all, which includes taxing big business to build the affordable social housing we need.

But everything we win to make housing more equitable will still be vulnerable under capitalism — big developers and Wall Street won't give up their profits without a fight! We must build a stronger grassroots movement ready to not only challenge the big developers and corporate landlords, but to go further in harnessing the power of working people to fight for fundamental change. We need to fight for a society based on the needs of working people, not the greed of Wall Street speculators — a socialist society.

Join us in this fight by donating today to #CancelOutVulcan.
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Let's erect billboards to hold Mitch McConnell and the NRA accountable NOW Stop Mass Shootings (MoveOn Gun Control Team) 8/4/2019 3:48 PM

Stop Mass Shootings (MoveOn Gun Control Team)<moveon-help@list.moveon.org>
To  Alfred F Johnson  
Alfred—This weekend, gunmen killed at least 29 people in back-to-back mass shootings—in El Paso, Texas, in an attack apparently fueled by anti-immigrant racism and white supremacy—and in Dayton, Ohio. These were the 250th and 251th mass shootings this year in America.1
In comparison, there's been one mass shooting this year in Canada and three in Mexico.2
We can tackle the epidemic of gun violence in America. But Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and other GOP senators are blocking sweeping gun control legislation passed by the majority-Democrat House earlier this year.
That's why we wrote you last week—after the mass shooting in Gilroy, California—that we must hold McConnell and other GOP senators accountable and defeat those who are up for re-election in 2020 (especially McConnell), starting with putting up billboards in central, high-traffic locations in their home states that highlight their role in America's gun violence epidemic. Will you chip in now to help us pay for the billboards?
In the wake of these horrific tragedies, we simply must come together and speak out. See below for more. –Emily, Emma, Stephen, Manny, and the rest of the team
Dear MoveOn member,
Last Sunday, a gunman with a military assault-style weapon killed three people, including a 6-year-old boy, and injured 12 at a garlic festival in California. It was the 42nd mass shooting in July alone and the 246th in America this year.3
These shootings need to stop. At festivals. At shopping centers. At schools. At places of worship. At night clubs. At movie theaters.
There are so many simple, clear steps that lawmakers can take to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in America—by passing into law policies that are supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans and even most gun owners.4,5
Universal background checks. Closing the gun show loophole. Banning assault weapons such as AR-15s. Banning bump stocks. Addressing America's mental health crisis. And redoubling our efforts to combat white supremacy and domestic terrorism.
Indeed, the Democratic U.S. House passed two bills that would accomplish many of these goals earlier this year, but Mitch McConnell and the GOP—at the bidding of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun manufacturers—won't even allow the bills to come up for a vote in the Senate.6 They won't even allow federal funding for research into gun violence.7 It's outrageous. And it's heartbreaking.
That's why we're going to hold McConnell and other vulnerable GOP senators accountable and defeat them in 2020, starting with putting up billboards in central, high-traffic locations in their home states that highlight their role in America's gun violence epidemic. Will you pitch in $3 to help us pay for the billboards?
The horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School nearly seven years ago should have been a tipping point on gun violence in America, but since then:
  • There have been approximately 2,185 mass shootings.8
  • Congress has passed into law zero measures to make our children and communities safer.
  • The NRA and gun manufacturers continue to write big checks to Republican politicians.
According to polls, Mitch McConnell and other GOP senators who are up in for re-election in 2020 are increasingly vulnerable.9 But to defeat them in 2020—which is the only way we can finally pass legislation to address America's gun violence crisis—we need to make sure their constituents know that they're standing with the NRA and blocking commonsense reforms to address America's gun violence epidemic.
We didn't budget for the billboards, which is why we're asking you to chip in now, so we can quickly purchase them. We can only do it if we raise the money now. Can you chip in $3—or whatever you can afford—right now?
We can never forget that the GOP is culpable in these heartbreaking and avoidable gun deaths, as a result of their obedience to the NRA's dangerous agenda. Let's make sure that the voters in their states know it, too.
Thanks for all you do.
–Emily, Emma, Stephen, Manny, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Dayton, Ohio shooting: Nine dead, 26 injured; suspected gunman killed, police say," USA Today, August 4, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/72806?t=5&akid=240825%2E38417624%2EbpnIR2
3. Tweet by Gun Violence Archive, July 29, 2019
 
4. "Americans support gun control but doubt lawmakers will act: Reuters/Ipsos poll," Reuters, February 8, 2019
 
5. "Most Gun Owners Support Stricter Laws — Even NRA Members," Time, March 13, 2018
 
6. "House Passes Sweeping Gun Bill," NPR, February 27, 2019
 
7. "House GOP appropriators block funding for gun violence research," Politico, July 11, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/68482?t=17&akid=240825%2E38417624%2EbpnIR2
 
8. "After Sandy Hook, we said never again. And then we let 2,185 mass shootings happen." Vox, accessed July 30, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/68483?t=19&akid=240825%2E38417624%2EbpnIR2
 
9. "Poll: McConnell is most unpopular senator," The Hill, July 18, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/68663?t=21&akid=240825%2E38417624%2EbpnIR2
Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
This email was sent to Alfred Johnson on August 4th, 2019. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
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Changes in the condition of women in China 1900-1949 | Tuesday, August 13 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM Center for Marxist Education

Center for Marxist Education<centermarxisteducation@gmail.com>
To  cme-emaillist@googlegroups.com,    act-ma@act-ma.org  
*The Center for Marxist Education presents....*

*Changes in the condition of women in China 1900-1949, Li Congna*
*Tuesday, August 13 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM* | 550 Mass. Ave., Central Square,
Cambridge

The period 1900-1949 was one of lightning changes in China. Even Italy
joined the US, Britain and other imperialist countries in invasions at the
start of the century. National awakening followed, then creation of the
Communist Party in 1921, brutal Japanese invasions, civil war, liberated
areas and -- revolution on October 1, 1949. Li Congna teaches Marxism in
China. She has long studied this topic and period, which opened when foot
binding was still practiced. Poor peasant women suffered much worse. Note
the special time.

We regret this program is not at an accessible location.
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If sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia's not impeachable, what is? RootsAction Team

RootsAction Team<info@rootsaction.org>
To  alfredjohnson34@comcast.net  



GRAPHIC: Sign here button
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Please donate 3 dollars
The Trump Administration has sought to illegally transfer nuclear technology to the government of Saudi Arabia.

Click here to ask your Representative to impeach or to explain exactly what it would take.

As documented by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform (see background link below), approval of Congress is required to transfer nuclear technology to a foreign country.

Congress has not given its approval to such transfers to Saudi Arabia, which has not committed to avoiding activities linked to proliferation, but has, on the contrary, publicly threatened to develop nuclear weapons.

Team Trump has nonetheless made efforts on behalf of IP3 International, a consortium of private companies that would profit financially by transfering nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.

Trump has, moreover, completely refused to cooperatewith the Congressional Committee investigation of this matter, and not produced a single document requested.

Enough is enough. It's time for impeachment.

Click here to send your email. 

Then make the phone call suggested on the next page. Then share this message with everyone you can.

This work is only possible with your financial support. Please chip in $3 now. 



-- The RootsAction.org Team

P.S. RootsAction is an independent online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Frances Fox Piven, Lila Garrett, Phil Donahue, Sonali Kolhatkar, and many others.

Background:
>>  House Committee on Oversight and Reform: "Corporate and Foreign Interests Behind White House Push to Transfer U.S. Nuclear Technology to Saudi Arabia"
>>  Vanity Fair: "Report Accuses Trump Allies of Conspiring to Profit off Saudi Nuclear Deal"
>>  RootsAction.org Draft Articles of Impeachment
>>  RootsAction.org Impeachment Strategy
>>  RootsAction.org Impeachment FAQ
>>  RootsAction.org Impeachment Campaign
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I am writing to ask you to make a $2.70 contribution to Bernie today. The New York Times published maps showing how many contributions we have — but that also shows we're being outraised by a number of our opponents. It will take a lot of donations to keep pace. So Bernie needs your help. Bernie Sanders for President

Bernie Sanders for President<info@berniesanders.com>
To  alfred johnson  

So far in this campaign we have more donations than anyone else, but we’ve been outraised by candidates taking money from the billionaire class. These maps show the strength of our movement — and where we could fall short.
Let’s get even more contributions than before so we can transform our country. Please make a contribution today:
Alfred -
Want to see what a movement looks like? This is a map from the New York Times showing donations to our campaign compared to other Democratic candidates. Yes, Bernie is blue.
Bernie's donors dominate the New York Times map in virtually every part of the country.
We were SO dominant that they had to create a map that excluded us, just to see other candidates:
A map of the other candidates donors that excludes Bernie's donors.
And yet, even though we have MANY more people, we were still outraised by several candidates. The map turns a lot less Bernie Blue when you look at the actual money raised:
A map of the amount raised that shows that even though we have significantly more donors, we were outraised in certain parts of the state.
That’s what we’re up against… right now, we have the people. But they have more money. So we have two paths: get a lot more people, or raise a little more money from people who’ve already donated.
As a donor, you turned this map blue. But now we need to make it even bluer when it comes to how much money we’re raising. Because if we can do that, we are going to win this primary, beat Trump, and transform our country. So we’re asking:
Can Bernie count on you to make one more contribution to our campaign? Bernie doesn’t do big-dollar fancy fundraisers — so he needs you, Alfred.
If you've saved payment info with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
EXPRESS DONATE: $100
EXPRESS DONATE: $200
EXPRESS DONATE: $350
EXPRESS DONATE: $500
EXPRESS DONATE: $1000
OR DONATE ANOTHER AMOUNT
We’re doing something that’s never been done. We’re bringing together more people, more quickly to support a presidential campaign than ever before.
And if we’re successful, we’ll turn that map VERY blue — especially the night of November 3, 2020.
Please contribute to our campaign today. Use this link:
Thanks for being a part of this.
In solidarity,
Faiz Shakir
Campaign Manager

Last quarter we had FAR more individual contributions than any candidate, but were out-raised by a few of them. So we’re aiming for even more donations this quarter to catch up and pass them. Please contribute today:






 
Paid for by Bernie 2020
(not the billionaires)
PO BOX 391, Burlington, VT 05402
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