Reminder to Candidates: City Council Questionnaires are Due Soon!
In order to be considered for a PNN endorsement, any Philadelphia City Council Candidate must complete the appropriate Questionnaire and follow the instructions for submission before midnight on January 12, 2023 . You can access the Questionnaire on our website. If you need an extension or need further information, please contact Gloria Gilman at gmgilman@gmail.com.
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 Us at Volunteer Pot Luck
Educate: People's Platform Press Conference
Empower: Sign Up for Annual "All Hands" Meeting (Virtual)
TONIGHT - Volunteer Pot Luck Party at Summit Church
Friday, January 13th, 5PM-7PM, 6757 Greene Street
Join us for our Volunteer Appreciation Pot Luck that will take place from 5PM-7PM this evening at the Summit Presbyterian Church, located at 6757 Greene Street, 1st floor, Parlor Room (Covid precautions followed). No worries if you come empty-handed, we'll have plenty of food, plus desserts and beverages. We'll be playing Political Bingo, catching up with friends, and getting a preview of what PNN intends to take on this year. No need to sign up, just show up!
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Annual "All-Hands" Membership Meeting
Saturday, January 28th, 4PM-5:30PM, Virtual
Join us as we gather for our annual All-Hands Meeting, taking place virtually (via Zoom) on Saturday, January 28th starting at 4PM. Please mark your calendar!
PNN-endorsed candidate for Mayor Helen Gym will kick off our meeting as she shares her vision for the city and her priorities should she get elected. Then Rep Chris Rabb will talk about what’s on the horizon in Harrisburg with this new lineup, and how it could affect Philly. We'll highlight our accomplishment, and provide opportunities to engage on important issues that will help move us forward in 2023.
Our action-packed agenda will include:
Highlights of the Year. A slide show of all the actions, rallies, issue and electoral campaigns in which PNN participated. It’s more than you think!
Issue Work. Our issue-based work will continue apace in the areas of criminal justice & prison reform, the environment, economic justice & public banking, housing, and education. At the meeting you’ll learn what’s popping and how you can plug into this work.
Candidate Endorsement Process. PNN is in the midst of our endorsements. Learn how members can vote on the upcoming endorsements.
Election Plan. We will roll out PNN’s comprehensive plan to spread the word about the importance of voting this year and our GOTV Plan. This local election will shape the direction of Philly for the next four years and longer. You will learn all the details that will enable you to decide for yourself how exactly to plug in.
Questions & Answers. You will have an opportunity to ask questions of our main speakers.
Our meeting will be a time to reflect on this moment in history and how we can take collective action to make a difference. Once you sign up, the zoom information will be sent to you.
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ALERT: Housing Voucher Program Reopens Jan 23rd!
The City has decided to reopen the Housing Choice Voucher Waitlist, for the first time in a decade! That's great news for folks who need assistance with housing. The twist is that this time it will take place as a lottery, with drawings taking place as homes become available.
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People's Platform Press Conference
Monday, January 16th, 1PM, City Hall (Octavius Catto Statue, South Side)
The Alliance for a Just Philadelphia (A4JP), of which PNN is a member, will be holding a press conference at City Hall on Monday, January 16th at noon to reveal our "People's Platform" for 2023.
The platform is the culmination of a six-month process, which included an in-person retreat, multiple A4JP member meetings, two virtual sessions for public opinion, and our People's Assembly that took place a few weeks ago. In that work, we received a lot of great input that we think makes this People's Platform representative of the needs of the people of our city.bNo need to sign up, just join us on January 16th at City Hall.
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This Week in History
Jan 14, 1784 – U.S. Wins Independence. On this day, the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris thus officially ending the War for Independence from Great Britain.
Jan 15, 1929 – MLK's Birthday. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on this day in Atlanta, GA. This son of a Baptist minister went on to receive a degree in divinity and helped organize the first major protest of the civil rights movement, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in 1955.
Jan 17, 1961 – Ike Warns of Military Industrial Complex. President Eisenhower warned the nation about the increasing power of the military-industrial complex during a televised farewell address to the nation. Had we only listened.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director