City Council Forums on CCTV

10/15 10:00 p.m. Channel 9
10/19 9:30 a.m. Channel 10
10/25 10:30 a.m. Channel 10
10/28 7:00 p.m. Channel 9
10/30 2:30 p.m Channel 9
11/5 10:00 p.m. Channel 9

10/16 2:00 p.m. Channel 9
10/22 9:30 p.m. Channel 9
10/26 9:00 a.m. Channel 10
11/1 10:00 a.m. Channel 10
11/4 7:00 p.m. Channel 9
11/6 11:30 a.m. Channel 9

Date: 10/16/2005 Time: 9:24 p.m. on Channel 10
Date: 10/19/2005 Time: 6:20 p.m. on Channel 10
Date: 10/20/2005 Time: 8:59 a.m. on Channel 9
Date: 10/30/2005 Time: 9:24 p.m. on Channel 10
Date: 11/6/2005 Time: 7:00 p.m. on Channel 10

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City Council Forum

Dear PDC members and friends,

Progressive Democrats of Cambridge (PDC) presents its third annual candidates forum this Tuesday, August 2 at 6:45 pm at the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue (in Central Square). All are welcome to attend and participate! This year's forum, jointly sponsored with the Cambridge area group of Democracy for America (DFA), and co-sponsored by Citizens for Participation in Political Action (CPPAX), focuses on the upcoming Cambridge City Council election. 17 of the 18 announced candidates, including a number of individuals well known to the local progressive community, will be participating.

Following the forum, PDC will convene a membership meeting to consider endorsements. If you have attended at least one prior PDC meeting or event in the past 12 months and reside, maintain domicile or are employed within the City of Cambridge, you are eligible to establish voting membership at this meeting, Non-members are also welcome to stay and participate in the discussion (DFA will be conducting a separate online endorsement process among its membership.)

Candidates' responses to advance questionnaires highlighting a number of issues being discussed in this election can be viewed at www.pdCambridge.org by Monday evening. Please email ProgressiveCambridge@yahoo.com or telephone (617) 547-6465 if you have any questions. We hope to see may of you on Tuesday evening!

Progressively yours,
Lesley Rebecca Phillips,
Chair, Progressive Democrats of Cambridge

Endorsed candidates:

Candidate questionnaire responses

Progressive Democrats of Cambridge

MS-Word

online

Cambridge as model for national policy
Open governance and accountability of elected officials.
Focus on livability.
Tolerance of alternative lifestyles
Shared community and shared responsibility
Affirmative action and outreach.
Cambridge's vibrancy comes from newcomers and diversity
Electoral reform and voting reform

Please join our Discussion Group

groups.yahoo.com/group/progressiveDemocratsofCambridge/

Previous Meeting

Progressive Democrats of Cambridge will hold its monthly meeting at 7:00 pm on Tuesday May 17 at the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue. The principle agenda items will be discussing the results of this week's Democratic State Convention, in particular the platform proposals sponsored by a coalition of Progressive Democratic groups, and ideas for expanding and developing PDC.

1. Introductions
2. Review and approve agenda
3. Report from CDCC Progressive Agenda Committee
4. Report from Democratic state convention
5. Ideas for expanding/developing PDC
6. Discussion of bylaws proposal (below)
7. Preliminary discussion of PDC endorsement process
8. Next steps for PDC
9. Other new business
10. Set next meeting date(s)
11. "Plus/Delta"
Agenda plus final version of proposed PDC bylaws

-- Lesley, 810-394-1317, Lesley@lesleyPhillips.org

PDC is meeting on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:30 pm at the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Ave in Central Square.

Oxfam's Fair Trade efforts (Elisa Arond)
Petitions at upcoming state Democratic Convention (Jesse Gordon)
Relationship with Cambridge Democratic City Committee (Lesley Phillips)
Expanding / Developing PDC (Garrett Anderson)

If you have any input for the agenda which you have not yet submitted, please let us know and we will try to include it.

Attached is a draft of possible bylaws for PDC. Please take a look at it, and post any comments or questions that you may have. We'll allot a short discussion time for this at Wednesday's meeting; if the consensus of the group is that we need more time to work this through, we will of course do so. Preliminary examination of this draft by a few of us has suggested that at least the following points need some further discussion: affiliations, endorsement votes, and ratification/amendments. If there's anything that's a particular concern for you, please respond. As the principal drafter, I will just say that my overarching concern was to create a document that was short, simple and flexible, and to allow us to quickly complete our becoming an official chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) if that is the will of the group. (PDA requires that chapters have some kind of bylaws.) Beyond that, it's for you all to work with and decide.

Ken Thomson, Bruce Taub, and Elaine Giddis' report on Cambridge as model for national policy
Jesse Gordon's report on Open governance and accountability of elected officials. (Same in MS-Word)
Lesley Phillip's report on Focus on livability.
Garrett's report on Tolerance of alternative lifestyles
Megan and Sam Seidel's report on Shared community and shared responsibility
Shai and Ethan's report on Affirmative action and outreach.
Brian Young's report on Cambridge's vibrancy comes from newcomers and diversity
Lesley Phillip's report on Electoral reform and voting reform

- Affordable Housing FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/hsg/hsg_faq.html
- Census of voter counts: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~Election/eleccen-faq.html
- Community Development Block Grant FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/cdbg/cdbg_faq.html
- Community Development Services FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/faq.html
- Community Learning Center FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/DHSP2/clcfaq.cfm
- Concord-Alewife Planning Study FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/cp/zng/concalew/concale_faq.pdf
- Conduct of Elections FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~Election/eleccon-faq.html
- Consumers' Council FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/Consumer/faq.html
- Demographics FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/data/datafaq.html
- Domestic Partnership Information: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CityClrk/domestic-partnership/index.html
- Election Commission FAQs: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~Election/eleccom-faq.html
- Historical Commission FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/Historic/faq.html
- Human Rights Commission FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/HRC/humanr_faq.html
- License Commission FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/License/faq.html
- Public Election Records Access FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~Election/elecpub-faq.html
- Voter Registration FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~Election/elecreg-faq.html
- Water Department FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CWD/fpfaqs.cfm
- Water Protection Plan Maps: http://www.cambridgema.gov/cwd/depmaps.cfm
- Women's Commission FAQ: http://www.cambridgema.gov/Women/women-faq.html

March 23 2005: Reorganizational Meeting

The Progressive Democrats of Cambridge will hold a re-organizational meeting on Wednesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.

PDC is a group of concerned citizens organizing to promote social justice, political reform and progressive values, and to reach out to those who have become disconnected from the democratic process. As a chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, PDC aims to work within the Democratic Party through issue advocacy, promotion of responsible government, and support and recruitment of progressive candidates for elected office.

PDC is open to anyone who shares our vision of a better society and welcomes people of all ethnicities, races and sexual orientations. For more information, call 617-547-6465.

June 30 2004: Candidate Forum

Candidates for State Representative
26th Middlesex District
(Cambridge & Somerville)
Avi Green (D) David Slavitt (R) Tim Toomey (D)

Wednesday, June 30, 7 pm

Filarmonica Santo Antonio Centro Cultural (Portuguese Cultural Center)
575 Cambridge Street, Cambridge

Cambridge Councilor Ken Reeves, Moderator

Sponsored by the Progressive Democrats of Cambridge
Co-sponsored by the Progressive Democrats of Somerville
For more information, contact Jesse Gordon (Jesse@MassChange.org, 617-320-6989) or Eric Weltman (617-876-3384)

PDC-PDS Debate Flyer
Debate Flyer half sheet
Debate Questions (Pre-determined questions sent to candidates one week prior to debate)
Debate Questions (MS-Word download)
Debate Format (Rules and schedule)
Debate Format (MS-Word download)
Map 575 Cambridge Street location

Previous Events

Dec 3 Meeting agenda:

The Mass Scorecard -- The result of the Accountability Amemndment from the Democratic Party Issues Convention is almost ready for public release. It compares legislators' voting records to the Democratic Party platform. We need a lot of help in getting it ready -- to volunteer contact Jesse@MassScorecard.org .
Endorsements -- We will come up with a process for endorsing candidates in future local races. PDM-Somerville endorsed this year and we can use their process as a starting point.
Future debates -- In 2004 the state rep races in Cambridge will have some contested primaries. What about PDM-Cambridge hosting a debate? With PDM-Somerville or other affected PDM regions?
Working with neighborhood groups? (North Cambridge Stabilization Committee, Porter Square Neighbors Association, and others).
Establishing by-laws -- necessary for requesting recognition by the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
Electing representative to PDM statewide organizing committee

Issues Convention Action Agenda Amendments:

Accountability Resolution -- scorecard of elected officials voting record against the Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform (a progressive document). Seeking delegate signatures on the Accountability Amendment at the Convention. For more information see Somerville Journal article.
Peace Resolution -- seeking assistance to gather signatures for a Convention floor vote as a Peace Amendment to the Action Agenda.
Vote on Instant Runoff Voting -- proposal to add IRV to the Action Agenda (resolution accepted, so draft need not be finalized and a vote will occur).

First Meeting:

Our founding meeting will be held at 175 Harvey Street at 7 PM on May 22, 2003.
Click here for directions and a map.
Meeting Agenda:
Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts mission statement and history.
PDM's "Call to Action" (document to be distributed at the June 28 Kickoff Meeting -- there are three rough drafts currently under discussion -- draft one and draft two and draft three).
Three activities at the Issues Convention (see above).
PDM's Organizing Report (outline of plan of action through 2006 -- this document was approved at the PDM meeting of May 18).
Upcoming events for the Cambridge Democratic City Committee.
Upcoming plans at the June 7 Issues Convention.
Upcoming plans for the June 28 Kickoff Meeting.
Click here for latest newsletter.

2003 Convention Preparation:

Election and Outreach Committee: Co-chairs: Barrios-Gay-Glodis
E-MAIL: eoc@massdems.org
Will report to the Convention on how to reach unenrolled voters and draw them into the Democratic Party. Glodis interprets that as meaning "be more centrist," and Barrios as "be more progressive." Please write to them and say "be more progressive," or Glodis will win. Write WHATEVER you believe and call yourself a progressive, and Barrios gets to count you on his side.
Click here for details and samples.
Action Agenda Committee : Co-chairs: Gabrieli-Rivera-Pollard
E-MAIL: ActionAgenda@massdems.org
Will decide what gets voted on at the Convention. If you're concerned about issues -- ANY issues -- write an e-mail to this committee. The issues that get the most input will become the Action Agenda for the year.
Click here for details and samples.
Convention Reform Committee: Co-chairs: Dukakis-McGovern
E-MAIL: crc@massdems.org
Will determine how the next gubernatorial convention should be changed from the current one, as well as rules for other nominating conventions and issues conventions. This includes the 15% rule, the registration date rules, and all the other nasty rules that kill good candidacies.
Click here for details and samples.

Democrat resources:

Web site:

Jesse Gordon
1770 Mass Ave #630 Cambridge, MA 02140
617-320-6989
Jesse@ProgressiveDems.org