Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley

Perhaps the MHPA might consider organizing an event in concert with the organization Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley?

Here is a statement from them.

Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley has been working towards expanding its reach into Dutchess County. At this time, CAHV has some members from Beacon, in Dutchess County, but most of its active membership is from Ulster County, the west side of the river. The CAHV steering committee decided to focus its Dutchess recruitment efforts on the City of Poughkeepsie. An important factor in this decision was the steering committee’s desire to recruit more people of color to its leadership and general membership. Working towards racial justice is central to Citizen Action’s mission. The local chapter also wants to ensure its steering committee reflects the diversity of the Valley.

CAHV is interested in involving more people from Poughkeepsie in the health care campaign and other important campaigns. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact me at (516) 749-1995. We need your energy, activism, and leadership. Don’t wait another day to advocate for yourself, your family, and your community – become an active member of Citizen Action today!

-Stephanie Ruggiero, CAHV Steering Committee Member

Citizen Action of NY offers the following description of itself and its goals.

Citizen Action of New York is a grassroots membership organization taking on big issues that are at the center of transforming American society – issues like:

* quality education and after-school programs for all our kids
* guaranteed quality, affordable health care
* public financing of election campaigns
* dismantling racism and promoting racial justice
* a more progressive tax system
* an end to the War in Iraq

New York Activist Groups

Here is a link to a variety of activist groups in New york State, courtesy of Activist Resource Dot Org.

I have updated their list for us to include this website as a place for folks to reach us.

MHPA Survey of members

Dear MHPA members. I have created a survey for the MHPA so as to survey present and former members on their connection to our organization. The intent here, ultimately, is to strengthen progressive politics in our area by strengthening the MHPA and making it more responsive to the needs and wishes of the local progressive community.

Please take a moment to answer this survey. There are only ten questions and your answers will be anonymous.

Click here to take survey

Paul Wellstone, a Model of a Progressive Activist

Oh how I miss the late Paul Wellstone, a smart, principled, truly decent man who represented the people of Minnesota in the U.S. Senate and who, tragically, left this world at way too young an age. If we are looking for a reminder of what the word "progressive" might mean, we might consider looking to the legacy of Paul Wellstone.

Grover Norquist Wants another Govt Shutdown

The GOP is not even pretending that it will be pursuing a moderate course, as one of its modern day tax cutting architects, Grover Norquist, famous for the line about wanting to "reduce it (government) to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub," is openly cheering for another government shutdown, a battle that he and likely other Republican radicals believe will benefit the GOP.

Video: Women in Afghanistan

Nan Hayworth's Radical Right-Wing Agenda

Following today's MHPA meeting, it was decided that we should keep tabs on our various elected officials, starting with our soon to be Congressperson from the NY 19th district, Dr. Nan Hayworth, seen here with House GOP whip, Eric Cantor.

One question that came up at our meeting today was that of what Nan Hayworth stands for and what she will stand for once she is sworn in. Time will tell, of course, but in the meantime, we can hazard some educated guesses.

The website On the Issues gives us some indication, and it is, of course, some bad news for progressives, as well as for the citizens of the 19th district; in general, Dr. Hayworth looks to be positioning herself to represent a swing district while nonetheless taking a series of very radical right wing positions, including supporting the following statements and positions:

*Cap-and-trade has no impact on global temperatures
*Identify constitutionality in every new congressional bill
*Audit federal agencies, to reform or eliminate them
*Moratorium on all earmarks until budget is balanced
*Defund, repeal, & replace federal care with free market
*Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes
*Adopt a single-rate tax system
*Repeal tax hikes in capital gains and "death taxes"

In other words, an imbalanced political economy that benefits the economic elites!

The website Left of the Hudson has a series of links on Hayworth and her positions. One particular link that caught my attention raised the following concerns.

At last night's Congressional debate, Nan Hayworth refused to denounce the actions of exrteme Tea Party group, Tri-State Sons of Liberty, which notoriously brands Democrats as "socialists" and "communists" and brazenly flies the Confederate Flag at their rallies. She also refused the repudiate the Club for Growth, which is dedicated to destroying Social Security, pushes for a 23 percent National Sales Tax, which really means higher taxes for the poor and middle class and greatly reduced taxes for the rich, and refers to President Obama as "Comrade."

But Hayorth's no fool, she knows that in order to win this election, she needs to fool the Tea Party folks into thinking she's one of them while also working as a double agent for one of their objects of ire, the pro-TARP Wall Street interests that nearly destroyed our economy. This is a precarious tight-rope she's walking.

Clearly, progressives will need to keep up the pressure on Nan Hayworth so as to counter the far right wing proclivities that she has already clearly expressed.