PNN Newsletter: "Good Trouble" Calls, Science Town Hall, Slice of Democracy, More
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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: Join Our Call Squad, Come to the Science Town Hall, Lobby City Council
Educate: Watch "Financing Philly's Future", "Slice of Democracy" Teach-In
Empower: "No Kings" Rally, Call About Hidden Budget Rule
Congrats to Our Endorsed Primary Winners!
District Attorney: We are happy to report that Larry Krasner moved closer to a third term as our city's District Attorney by soundly defeating Pat Dugan. While the GOP encouraged their voters to write-in Dugan for the General Election, the former judge declined the offer by reminding folks that he intends to remain a life-long Democrat.
City Controller: Christy Brady ran unopposed and she has been doing a great job!
Court of Common Pleas: Congratulations to Will Braveman, Leon A. King III, Larry Farnese, Irina Ehrlich, Sarah Jones and Kia Ghee.
Municipal Court: We are also happy to announce that long-time PNN member, Sherrie Cohen comfortably secured a place on the ballot this November for Municipal Court Judge. She is joined by Amanda Davidson and Cortez Patton.
Ballot Questions: All three Ballot Questions passed, including #3 which creates a Prison Oversight Board. For more information on the results, Click Here.
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Lobby City Council for a Fair Budget
Thursday, May 29th, 9AM, City Hall North Apron Visitor's Center
Right on the heels of Republican passage of one of the biggest corporate tax giveaways of all time, our Democratic City Council is on the verge of savaging the City’s own business tax! The Mayor wants to cut the tax by 75% over a period of years, and there’s a real chance that Council may cut the rates even more sharply and sooner.
At the same time, Council is considering wiping out a small exemption for small businesses, the only thing in the Tax Code that makes the business tax somewhat progressive.
These cuts would take hundreds of millions of dollars out of the City treasury at a time we will also be losing similar amounts of federal funding. We cannot tolerate our supposedly people-oriented Democratic Mayor and Council mimic MAGA Republican policies.
On Wednesday, May 28th, from 9-11 AM we, along with our allies in the Alliance for a Just Philadelphia, will be fanning out at City Council to bring that message to Councilmembers and their staffs. Please join us, and let us know you’ll be coming by clicking the link below.
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Hidden Rule in Trump Budget Bill Let's Him Ignore Law
Buried inside Trump's Big Ugly Bill is a provision that reads: “No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued….”
The key words are "appropriated funds". Since the judiciary is funded by appropriations from congress, it means that the courts on their own would not be allowed to enforce a contempt citation.
Instead, it requires that a security or bond to be given in civil proceedings seeking to stop alleged abuses by the federal government. Since those seeking such court orders generally don’t have the resources to post a bond., it would effectively immunize such conduct from judicial enforcement.
With this single provision, in other words, Trump will have crowned himself king. No Congress and no Court could stop him. So, we have to pressure our Senators to pull this provision from this bill ASAP. And while our Philly House Members are on our side about this, they are not making enough noise about it - in chambers, in the media, on their socials.
Call one or more of these people - who work for us - and tell them to do their job and make some noise! The Capitol Hill switchboard number is (202) 224-3121
Senator John Fetterman
Senator Dave McCormick
Rep. Brendan Boyle, PA-02
Rep. Dwight Evans, PA-03
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, PA-05
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Make "Good Trouble" Calls
Wednesday, May 28th, 6PM-8PM, RSVP for Location
If we are going to stop the ongoing demolition of our public institutions and programs, we are going to have to force some Republicans to jump off the Trump bandwagon.
The stakes are high RIGHT NOW. The House approved the atrocious budget bill this week in the dark of night. As many as 15 million Americans will lose health insurance if these Medicaid changes are enacted.
As the Big Terrible Bill moves to the Senate for a vote, we are targeting Senator Dave McCormick. (Fetterman made it clear that he will oppose this bill.) In fact, this past Thursday we connected more than 70 constituents to McCormick's office to let him know we adamantly oppose cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
We need to keep making calls and blowing up McCormick's phone. Please join us for our next "Good Trouble" Phone Bank on Wednesday, May 28th (address upon RSVP). Help us keep up the pressure!
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Financing Philly's Future
Tuesday, May 27th, 4:30-5PM, Virtual
Our 45th show will feature Oscar Perry Abello as our guest. Oscar is Senior Economics Correspondent at Next City, reporting on public banking and related topics. We will discuss his recent book, “The Banks We Deserve: Reclaiming Community Banking for a Just Economy”.
Click the link below at 4:30PM this Tuesday to join the conversation.
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"Slice of Democracy" Teach-In
Tuesday, June 3rd, 6PM-7:30PM, 4601 North 18th Street
Join us at Stenton Mansion to enjoy a slice or two of pizza, meet some folks who share concerns about an issue, and learn about it from the folks who are doing the work in the field.
The topic of our next Teach-In is: Financing Affordable Housing.
Our Teach-Ins are held at Stenton Mansion, 4601 North 18th Street. To park, enter the gate next to the blue Stenton sign on 18th Street and park along the grass.
Please note that space is limited to 30 people, so reserve your seat below.
_________________________________ Actions with Our Allies ________________________________
Join the Science Town Hall
Thursday, May 29th, 6PM-8PM, 315 Chestnut Street
The Trump regime has launched an unprecedented attack on American science and higher education. Cures for cancer, life-saving drugs, as well as the careers of scientists and researchers who dedicate their lives to this vital work are being threatened by massive funding cuts that will devastate the scientific community.
All so Trump can deliver on his only real promise - tax cuts for his billionaire buddies.
So, instead of waiting for our elected representatives to take up the challenge of defending science in Greater Philadelphia, our friends from Philadelphia Science Action are going to take the conversation to them.
In partnership with the Science History Institute, they are hosting a Science Town Hall this coming Thursday evening. We are inviting several federal and state representatives of Greater Philadelphia to come meet with you, their constituents, to discuss how they can help protect scientific integrity, defend higher education, and ensure that Philadelphia and Pennsylvania remain national leaders in research, innovation, and public trust in science.
Seating is limited to 250 people, so please sign up promptly.
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Word Scramble
STAANEIRRPO
Hint: Making of amends, often financially, for a wrong one has done.
Last Week - LEGISLATION (NLTGLSOEAII)
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This Week in History:
May 23, 1935 – First MLB Night Game. Cincinnati's Crosby Field held the first MLB night game where the host Reds beat the Phillies 2-1.
May 24, 1844 – Morse Code. On this day, inventor Samuel Morse demonstrated the telegraph to Congress by sending the message, "What hath God wrought?" This new invention greatly aided American expansion, and replaced the Pony Express as a reliable form of long distance communication.
May 25, 1787 – Constitutional Convention. Four years after the United States won its independence, George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and others convened in Philadelphia to compose a new U.S. constitution.
May 30, 1868 – Memorial Day Observed. The first major Memorial Day observance was held to honor those who died “in defense of their country during the late rebellion.” Known to some as “Decoration Day,” mourners honored the Civil War dead by decorating their graves with flowers.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director