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: Protect Our Vote Rally at City Hall; "Your Voice Matters" Forum
Educate: Become a Poll Worker; Our Plan to Help Krasner Against the GOP
Empower: Join Us to Canvass on Saturday & Sunday
Read on to find out the when, where, and how.
Our Freedom, Our Vote Rally at City Hall
Thursday, October 20th, Noon, City Hall North Apron
On Thursday, Oct 20th starting at noon, we will be conducting a rally/press conference on the north apron of City Hall. We will demand accountability for Jan 6th and the ongoing attacks on our freedoms - the voters, the election officials and a free and fair process.
We expect to be joined by Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Jamie Gauthier, District Attorney Larry Krasner, SEIU Political Director Jarrett Smith and the West Powelton Drummers & Steppers to make some noise in defense of our democracy. We also anticipate a special guest speaker; once they are confirmed, we'll let you know!
We will call for a Council Resolution that supports the right of everyone to vote, acknowledges that efforts are being made right now to undermine our right to vote, and affirms our commitment to protecting our right to vote without hindrance, threat or intimidation.
We will be talking about the ongoing threat to our democracy, including looming state Constitutional Amendments that will directly impact a few million voters in Democratic areas of Pennsylvania by creating unreasonably burdensome restrictions and bureaucratic boondoggles meant to slow progress and depress turnout. And we will commit to protect our democracy from the radical right-wingers who continue to threaten our way of life.
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The GOP Wants to "Fire" Larry Krasner. Let's Stop Them.
Sign Up for Details
The Republicans want to make an example of Larry Krasner by demonstrating that if they can remove a District Attorney who was twice overwhelmingly-elected then nobody is safe from them.
When they come back from recess on October 24th, we anticipate that the House GOP will move quickly to impeach Larry Krasner. Then it goes to the State Senate, where it requires a 2/3rds vote to convict and remove him from office. To do this, the GOP needs to convince five (5) Democratic State Senators to vote to convict.
To counter this, we need to convince these wavering Dem State Senators (we know who they are) to stay with Larry. The tactic we'll use to convince them is to make a bunch of calls and send emails to these Senators to flood their office phones and email inboxes with messages of support for Larry. We'll also blitz their social media feeds and tag them in our posts.
We believe that our "media blitz" will leave them with the firm impression that their political survival is linked to their support for their fellow Democrat, Larry Krasner.
Are you willing to leave a voice message and send an email to stand up for Larry?
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Knock Doors for Democracy, Saturdays & Sundays!
Join us to help save our democracy. We need a big turnout in Philly to counter the far-right radicals who have been awakened by the Orange Cheeto. We'll be knocking doors to remind folks that their vote may swing this election.
Every Saturday, we'll meet at the Studio at 5535 Lena Street starting at 10AM.
Every Sunday, we'll start at the Lovett Library at 6945 Germantown Ave at 11AM.
Buddy-Up: We will be going out in teams of two to knock doors and talk with our neighbors about the importance of this election. Before you go out, we'll walk through the conversation you'll have at the doors, so you feel comfortable knocking doors.
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Blue Pennsylvania Canvass Opportunities Coming Up
Join us and our partners to canvass outside Philly for progressive candidates in neighboring counties.
Saturday, October 15th, 12 – 3 PM: 670 Malin Rd Newtown Square, PA 19073 for Lisa Borowski. SIGN UP HERE.
Sunday, October 16th, at 11 AM: Philly Neighborhood Networks' "Fight the Right Canvass" for Josh Shapiro and John Fetterman SIGN UP HERE.
Saturday, October 22nd, 11AM: PNN's Blue Pennsylvania Team will host a Day of Action for Tim Brennan for HD29, as well as other Democratic candidates in Bucks County.
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Participate in "Your Vote Matters: 2022 Midterm Elections and the Environment"
Thursday, Oct. 20th, 6:30 - 8:00pm
Join us on Oct 20th for a dynamic conversation about what it will take in PA to make progress on the environment, what is at stake, and what the strategies and on-the-ground plans are to Get Out the Vote (GOTV). Please register to receive the zoom link.
When it comes to the environment, our votes have never been more important than they will be in the 2022 Midterm Elections. Because of Philadelphia’s large population, good voter turnout in Philadelphia can potentially determine the outcome of the Pennsylvania races for US Senate and Governor. The choices have never been clearer between candidates committed to sustainability and renewable energy versus those who are pro -fossil fuels, and opposed to policies to protect the climate and environment.
Our moderator is Charles Ellison, an award-winning commentator, advocacy expert, and political strategist. Speakers include: Rep. Chris Rabb, Katie Blume, Political Director, League of Conservation Voters PA, Philly Neighborhood Network’s Organizing Director Tim Brown, and others TBA.
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The City Needs Poll Workers!
Philadelphia has a big need for citizens to help staff polling places and provide interpretation services on Election Day. And the base pay for city poll workers was recently increased to $200 with a $50 bonus for attending training. Bilingual interpreters are paid $180 for their services on Election Day. Poll workers who also serve as interpreters can earn a maximum of $295.
If you know anyone who may be interested about serving as a poll worker, they can sign up for information sessions here. See also this toolkit by All Voting is Local for recruiting multilingual poll workers.
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New Logo
You might have noticed that we have a new logo. We have been contemplating making the change for quite a while, but we just couldn't seem to come up with something that was eye-catching and not like everyone else's logo. We also wanted it to reflect, however much a logo can, the sense of who we are as an organization.
We finally came up with this logo – two hands shaking in solidarity, in a neighborhood of row houses, under a rising sun.
About that rising sun, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention Ben Franklin considered the sunrise carved into the back of the chair in the front of the room and said "I have often ... in the course of the session ... looked at that sun behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know it is a rising and not a setting sun."
One long-time member said the new logo, "expresses the diversity and working class nature of our city, building cooperation among the people who live here and having a shared vision of hope for the future of democracy.” One person called it a “symbol of hope”; and another remarked, “…”the logo will join with the Liberty Bell, the LOVE statue, and soft pretzels a symbol of Philadelphia". We can only hope.
Soon you'll be seeing them on our canvass stickers, as well as on our tee shirts, which we plan to make available before year's end. Meanwhile, stop by the next canvass and get your new logo sticker!
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This Week in History
Oct 14, 1979 – First March for Gay Rights. The National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights aimed to urge Jimmy Carter to sign a bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Oct 15, 1965 – Card Burning. The student-run National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam held the first coordinated public burnings of draft cards in 40 cities across the nation.
Oct 16, 1859 – Harper's Ferry Raid. On this day, abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the Federal Armory at Harper's Ferry, in what is considered by historians to be the main precipitating incident that triggered the Civil War.
Oct 20, 1947 – Hollywood Communists. Right-wing opportunists on the House Un-American Activities Committee begin their harassment of Hollywood celebrities with the question: “Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director