PNN’s mission is to engage, educate and empower our neighbors to make our City a better place to live. Here’s what’s coming up in each of these areas:
Engage: All-Hands Meeting, Community Job Fair
Educate: "Bring Our Pension Money Home" Show
Empower: Save the Train Rally, Support New Health Centers
All-Hands Meeting Update
Hold the Date: Saturday, March 23rd, 3PM
District Attorney Larry Krasner will be our featured speaker for our annual All-Hands meeting, to be held on Saturday, March 23rd starting at 3PM. We are deciding upon a venue, but it will likely be in the Germantown section of Philly. We'll provide you with weekly updates on our program planning for the meeting.
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Save the Train Rally
Saturday, February 24th, 9:30AM, Chelten Station, Chelten & Pulaski Avenues
While the governor tries to convince the MAGA Republicans running the state Senate to increase funding for SEPTA, concerned neighbors will be meeting at the Chelten Train Station to ride the train and show support for keeping this important train line running.
There is still time to put pressure on these elected officials to do the right thing and find the money to keep services running. See you on Saturday!
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Bring Our Pension Money Home
Tuesday, February 27th, 4:30PM, Online
Wall Street has privatized Philly’s Pension Fund as well as other state and local funds around the nation. PNN Is planning to call at least a partial halt to this quietly kept scandal by working with the Philadelphia Public Banking Coalition to allocate 2% of the city's pension fund portfolio ($168 million) for local economically targeted investments (ETIs). At the next "Financing Philly's Future", join FPF's Peter Winslow and Stan Shapiro for a deep-dive on how this small investment could pay big dividends for Philly.
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Germantown Community Job Fair
Wednesday, February 28th, 11AM-2PM, 5847 Germantown Avenue
Join State Senator Art Haywood for a Hiring and Resource Fair on Wednesday, February 28th at Career Link, located at 5847 Germantown Avenue. There will be employers, apprentice programs, and career training programs for those in attendance.
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Raise Your Pay Event in East Germantown
Wednesday, March 6th, 6PM, 5650 Sprague Street
Join State Senator Art Haywood for a Raise Your Pay event at Mastery Charter School-Pastorius located at 5650 Sprague Street in East Germantown. This is an opportunity for people who are currently employed to learn about opportunities to raise their pay. To learn more call 215-242-8171.
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Support New Health Centers in NE Philly
Tuesday, February 27th, 6:30PM, 5435 North 3rd Street
This city has too few health centers to help low-income people with their health needs. That's why it is important to support the building of two new health centers in NE Philly. Join concerned neighbors on Tuesday, February 27th, 6:30PM-8PM, at First Presbyterian Church of Olney located at 5435 North 3rd St as city officials hold a community meeting regarding the new Healthcare Center at Friend's Hospital Campus to continue collecting feedback from community members.
If you'd like to sign the petition, you can do so here.
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Poor People's Campaign in DC & Harrisburg, PA
Saturday, March 2nd, 8AM
Our friends at the Poor People's Campaign made a National Call for Moral Revival last week and launched 40 weeks of massive voter mobilization across the U.S. On March 2nd, folks will gather at over 30 state houses and in Washington, D.C. for a day of nationally coordinated, simultaneous direct action. Click here to learn more.
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Biden's SAVE Plan Saves Student Borrowers Another $1.2 Billion
Good news on the student debt front is that President Biden has used a provision of the Saving On a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan to discharge another $1.2 Billion in student debt to 153,000 borrowers. Those who have signed up for SAVE will automatically receive this deduction in their debt.
At present, 7.5 million borrowers are registered for SAVE, and 4.3 million of them have monthly payments of $0 based on their incomes. The SAVE Plan also prevents borrowers from generating the “runaway interest” that saddles them with loan balances bigger than the amounts they took out initially.
Although the Supreme Court blocked the administration’s loan forgiveness plan in June that would have canceled up to $20,000 in debt for all borrowers earning under $125,000 annually, the administration has, to date, approved debt relief for 3.9 million people.
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This Week in History
February 24, 1988 - SCOTUS Defends Satire. The Supreme Court rules 8-0 to overturn the $200,000 settlement awarded to the Reverend Jerry Falwell for his emotional distress at being parodied in Hustler magazine.
February 25, 1862 - Paper Becomes Legal Tender. In order to pay for the funding of the Civil War, Congress passes the Legal Tender Act, authorizing the use of paper notes to pay the government’s bills instead of using only gold or silver.
February 26, 2012 - Treyvon Martin Murdered. Walking home from a trip to a convenience store, the 17-year-old was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer, who later was acquitted of murder.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director