This coming week we have a number of opportunities to get into “good trouble” – we’ll be going live with Councilperson Derek Green as he answers questions about the value of a public bank in our City; or you can join a march to call for the enactment of a PILOTS program to help fund our schools; then you can join a forum on local judges; and be sure to sign up for a meeting of one of our Action Committees and Working Groups below.
Join Derek Green at Public Banking Forum, Tues, March 30th
The Philadelphia Public Banking Coalition will be continuing its online educational series called, “Financing Philadelphia’s Future” on Tuesday, March 30th at 4:30. It is hosted by Councilmember Derek Green and his guest will be Walt McRee, spokesperson for the Public Banking Institute. McRee produces and co-hosts the bi-weekly radio program “It’s Our Money with Ellen Brown” and hosts PBI’s TV program “The Public Bank Solution.”This event will take place on the last Tuesday of every month to inform us all about how a Public Bank will help to finance projects that will lift up all Philadelphians.
Interested? Let us know you’ll be there by signing up below.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Join a March For PILOTs, March 30th @ 4:30PM
Some of the wealthiest institutions in our city still aren’t paying their fair share of taxes; instead, our students are paying the price! Joining with our allies Jobs with Justice and Our City Our Schools, PNN is a co-sponsor of a socially protocoled march starting at 3800 Walnut St. and going right through the heart of two of the biggest offenders – Penn & Drexel.
Parents, educators, students, and activists across Philadelphia are calling for these wealthy nonprofits to contribute 40% of the property taxes through Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) to support the School District. It’s the least they can do if they claim to be responsible “corporate citizens”.
Penn & Drexel use their non-profit status to fund multi-million dollars construction projects, while our City faces a budget crisis that ends up with public schools having to do without libraries, rec. centers and other critical resources.
Our students could thrive in a properly-resourced educational environment, but they’re going to need the funds to do this. It’s time for these educational giants to build the next generation of our country’s leaders and innovators by paying their fair share of taxes.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Forum for Philly Judicial Candidates, March 30th & 31st @ 6PM
Local judges have a lot of discretionary power and are the ultimate decision-makers in critical criminal and civil law matters. They affect the lives of countless of our fellow citizens. There are 8 vacancies in the Court of Common Pleas and 3 in the Municipal Court up for election this year.
To learn more about these local judicial candidates, review the judicial candidates’ questionnaires and attend the judicial forum “Judge the Judges” which is scheduled on March 30 & 31, 6-8 PM. Sign up for the Judicial Forum here.PNN is a member of a broad judicial endorsement coalition which is actively interviewing the candidates and making recommendations. After PNN reviews all the questionnaires and hears from the judicial candidates, we plan to make some recommendations to you in early April. Look for it.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Join an Action Committee or Working Group
Committees meet to discuss the broad range of issues we should work on within a variety of categories, and our Working Groups develop specific campaigns to take on and develop plans. Take this opportunity to join any of our Action Committees and Working Groups as we begin to decide our work for the year.
Here are our scheduled meetings:
:: Energy Working Group Meeting, Sat, March 27th, 4PM
Discussion of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), next steps on fracking and protecting our waterways, renewables and community solar will be on our agenda, along with other energy initiatives. Get the Link
:: Public Health & Environment Working Group, Mon, March 29th, 7PM
We’ll be planning an Environmental Justice Earth Day Action in Germantown at both Fernhill Park and the SEPTA Gas plant, working with allies Neighbors Against the Gas Plant and Toxic Free Philly. Get the Link
:: Environment Outreach Working Group, Thurs, April 1st, 7PM
Come join our discussion on how to use community outreach to promote good environmental behavior from each of us and what that might mean as a collective action. We’ll also talk about how to encourage our younger members to engage in community work. Get the Link
:: Economic Justice Action Committee, Thurs, April 15th, 7PM
Right now we’re working on the Public Banking campaign, as well as on creating a progressive revenue stream for the City, so that rich corporations like Comcast and the super-wealthy pay their fair share. Join us as we continue our discussion and hone in on actions we can take. Get the Link
Isn’t it Time You Joined an Action Committee?
Join an Action Committee for Economic Justice, Education, the Environment, Healthcare, Housing and Electoral Politics. To get started, email Tim@phillynn.org
______________________________________________________________________________________________
This Week in History
Mar. 26, 1953 – Polio Vaccine. On this day, researcher Jonas Salk announced that he had successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio. In the previous year, there were 58,000 new cases reported, mostly afflicting children.
Mar. 27, 1912 – Cherry Blossom Time. First Lady Helen Taft, planted the first of more than 3,000 Yoshino cherry trees near the Jefferson Memorial. A gift from Japan, the trees became an immediate tourist attraction for the city. The cherry trees will be in full bloom this year from April 4th-9th.
Mar. 28, 1979 – Three Mile Island. On this day, our nation barely averted a core meltdown at the nuclear reactor located just south of Harrisburg, PA.
Mar. 30, 1870 – 15th Amendment Adopted. Passed by Congress the year before, the amendment reads, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director
Comments