Events

DFMC July Link-up

Find out how Monroe County can win the nationwide $5m Georgetown Energy Prize competition! Innovation, scalability, replicability, and of course energy savings are topics of discussion. The Monroe County Energy Challenge is the perfect grass root effort to get behind and support. This is one link up where you can take what you learn over dinner and implement as soon as you head home!

Our confirmed speakers include:

Jacquie Bauer- City of Bloomington Sustainability Coordinator
Molly O’Donnel- Bloomington Commission of Sustainability
Amanda Figolah- Bloomington High School South
Nolan Henderson- City of Bloomington Utilities Conservation Manager

More information here: https://guep.org/

We will be at Bobby’s Colorado Steakhouse, at 1635 N. College Avenue in Bloomington, on Thursday, 2 July 2015, 6pm.

Remember we meet-and-greet from 6 to 6:30 as well as try and get any food and drink order in by then, at 6:30 the program begins. All are welcome to attend, have a beer, glass of wine or even water, dinner or fabulous salad bar and hang with Bloomington’s coolest progressives for a night

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Events

Special Event: Minimum Wage, Maximum Wage: New Paths to a More Equal America, with Sam Pizzigati

flyercolums3iDemocracy for Monroe County is excited to bring Sam Pizzigati to speak in Bloomington on Friday, May 1. Pizzigati is currently an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C., and is editor of Too Much, an online magazine. His writings on income inequality have been published in major newspapers, magazines and journals. He will speak at Indiana University School of Education auditorium at 7 p.m. and it is open to the public. The title of his speech is, “Minimum Wage, Maximum Wage: New Paths to a More Equal America.”

http://inequality.org/author/sam-pizzigati/

His latest book, The Rich Don’t Always Win, will be available for purchase.

There is easy parking for the event in the Jordan Street Parking Garage.

RSVP on Facebook here.

Those wishing to sponsor this event can do so on this page.

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Candidates

Endorsements! We have Endorsements!

Congratulations to the following candidates who received endorsements from DFMC this evening:

Nicole Bolden, for City Clerk

Kevin Easton, for City Council, District 1

Dorothy Granger, for City Council, District 2

Allison Chopra, for City Council, District 3

and…

John Hamilton, for Mayor of Bloomington.

We thank all the candidates who participated in our endorsements process and our forums last week. Every contribution to the discussion is valuable, and raises the interest and engagement of our society.

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Candidates, Events

April Link-Up and Endorsements Voting

Democracy for Monroe County is pleased to announce our April 2015 Link-Up, to take place on 9 April 2015, 6pm, at Bobby’s Colorado Steakhouse, on North College Avenue in Bloomington.

This is the Link-Up at which we will be voting on endorsements of candidates in the 2015 Bloomington municipal election. All members in good standing are eligible to vote on endorsements. “Good standing” means that you have paid your year-2015 dues of $20 on or before 10 March 2015.

All candidates who have chosen to seek our endorsement have submitted responses to several questions. Those responses are attached to this post. DFMC members are encouraged to read over these responses before attending the Link-Up. In addition, our endorsements committee will deliver their report at the Link-Up, which will include any recommendations that they have made.

We are also offering the option of voting early for endorsements this year, for the first time ever. Current members will receive an email explaining the rules of early-voting. However, we encourage members to attend the meeting and cast your votes at that time, after hearing the report of the committee, so that you may make a fully-informed decision. Those who know that they will be unable to attend may cast their votes between 8am on Monday and 11:59pm on Wednesday. (Details on submitting your vote will be in the email that you should receive soon.)

Please join us! If you are on Facebook, please click here and submit your RSVP so we know to expect you.

Candidate responses are here: Candidates-responses-2015

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Events

LINK-UP MARCH 5TH, 2015

Please join Democracy for Monroe County for an exciting and timely link-up on public transportation in Monroe County.

Our panelists are Kerry Conway (Director of Area 10 Agency on Aging, the provider of Rural Transit), Lew May (General Manager of Bloomington Transportation), and Kent McDaniel (executive director of the Indiana Transportation Association and chair of the Bloomington MPO).

Our panel will discuss existing services, possible expansion plans, and statewide funding issues related to public transportation.

Come join us for great conversation and (optionally) dinner and drinks at Bobby’s Colorado Steakhouse (1635 N College Ave, Bloomington IN 47404) from 6PM-7:30PM on Thursday, March 5, 2015.

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Events

Link-Up February 5th, 2015

Come join us at Bobby’s Colorado Steakhouse on Thursday, 5 February 2015, at 6pm, as we explore the topic of Affordable Housing and Homelessness in Bloomington as an issue in the upcoming municipal elections.

We are interested in looking at the scope of the issue, how Bloomington is addressing the issue(s), and possible solutions or recommendations for dealing with this issue. Our three guest speakers will be Jennifer Osterholz (Executive Director of the Bloomington Housing Authority), Carmela Garcia (Manager of Re-store), Todd Lare (Executive Director- South Central Community Action Program). Come have a beer, dinner, salad bar, a glass of wine and stimulating conversation about real problems here in Bloomington.

Bobby’s is on North College Avenue, across from the park.

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Candidates

Eric Schmitz Selected as the 2014 Sophia Travis Grassroots Champion

eric schmitzDemocracy For Monroe County’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Eric Schmitz, the Democratic Candidate for Monroe County Recorder, has been selected as the 2014 Sophia Travis Grassroots Champion.  Eric was inspired to become politically active by Howard Dean  and led the Dean For America Campaign here in Monroe County when the former Vermont governor ran for President in 2003-2004   When Dean’s campaign came to a close in March of 2004 and Dean For America changed to Democracy For America, Eric was a founding member of Democracy For Monroe County, DFA’s local affiliate.  Since then Eric has worked hard for DFMC, serving as Chairman, Treasurer, and internet host.  While Chairman of DFMC, Eric led the host team that brought DFA’s nationally-known Campaign Academy to Bloomington. Eric has also worked with the Monroe County Democratic Party in both official and unofficial capacities.  For a number of election cycles he coordinated the operations that got candidates’ yard signs out to the polls on Election Day, a difficult and somewhat thankless job.  He also served as Deputy Chair in charge of the Party’s technology. For more information about Eric visit his campaign website at http://ericschmitz.com/.

What Is The Sophia Travis Grassroots Champion Award?  The late and much-loved Sophia Travis was a stellar example of progressive grassroots activism. She was also a strong supporter of Democracy For Monroe County and our mission.  In 2012, the Board of Directors decided to elevate one candidate who also exemplifies that trait, much as Democracy For America elevates certain candidates to the Dean Dozen; and they felt natural to name that award after Sophia with her husband Greg’s permission.

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