Notes from the field: NH campaign for health care reform in full swing

by: judy stadtman

Sun Aug 23, 2009 at 12:19:52 PM EDT

Health Care for All: You Can Get It if You Really Want It...

by: judy stadtman

Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 07:50:23 AM EDT

I cop to the fact that I'm passionate about grassroots politics. I'm excited by the idea that when people of good will come together and work hard and smart, we can change the course of history. I know this sounds sick, but I often fantasize about how much progress we could make in America if the Democratic party embraced an inclusive, activist culture, and invested in the infrastructure to support it.

We got a taste of what that would look and feel like during the '08 election, when the NH coordinated campaign mobilized thousands of in-state volunteers to deliver strong Democratic victories up and down the ticket. Right now, DNC's Organizing for America project and SEIU's Change That Works | NH for Health Care Campaign are trying to rekindle that momentum to win meaningful health care reform. Our Democratic delegation in Congress is fully on board with legislation that measures up to the best principles of health care reform, including the creation of a public plan option to lower costs and provide healthy competition for the private insurance industry.

Health Care Summer: It's time to do the work

by: judy stadtman

Sun Jun 07, 2009 at 14:13:42 PM EDT

On Election night, President Obama reminded the nation that his victory was not the change we seek - only the opportunity to make that change. Right now, we have another chance to make historic progress, and a formidable challenge ahead of us.

This summer, we have a real shot at making substantive progress on comprehensive health care reform. President Obama has made health care reform one of his top priorities, and our Democratic majority in Congress is favorable to passing legislation to guarantee every American access to affordable, quality health care when they need it.

But opposition to meaningful change - backed by big-money special interest groups with a reputation for ruthlessness - is mounting. Anyone hoping to see a more caring and equitable society in this lifetime cannot afford to wait this one out and expect the right thing to happen.

OFA-MA: "Change Is Slow, Except When It's Fast"

by: JimC

Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:05:32 AM EDT

A not-so-little bird pointed me to this line-by-line account of yesterday's OFA-MA (Organizing for America-Massachusetts) meeting.

I'm pretty impressed with this effort, so far.

9:55 AM: Mitch Stewart: The President is very receptive to feedback. If you don't agree with one of his policies and don't feel comfortable advocating for it, then don't. We want healthy discussions, but don't lose the forest for the trees. 90% agreement is really good.

10:00 AM: Marshall Ganz: We've all passed the first test -- we found this place -- our first success (Applause). I'm going to put this into historical context. Martin Luther King coined the term "the fierce urgency of now". We often remember the dream, but we forget the nightmare before the dream. That is what significant about now. Criticality -- clear understanding of the world's problems. Hope -- clear understanding of the possibilities for a better world. The juxtaposition of those two is where we are now. One of the things about being a policy expert is that you get really good at being critical. We need to ensure we step up to the politics of hope. We need to exercise our imaginative skills. We need to break out of habits of limitations into the domain of possibilities. How can we take advantage of this moment. Change is episodic, not incremental. It goes all the way back to movements in the Jeffersonian era. This is the first time a movement was born in an electoral campaign. How do we build on this movement? On the appetite for citizenship? Before this, the consensus was that nobody cared. How different is it now? People are hungry for change. Change happens large and small, top and bottom. The successful movements of the past have been successful because they were organized locally but acted nationally. But also the national action affected local communities. We at the base need to step up to the challenge. "Change is slow except when it's fast. We're in a fast movement now so let's not lose it."

I am the shirker of all shirkers, I haven't made it to any of this stuff. I will, but I haven't yet.

Organizing For America Fulfills Promise

by: Jack Mitchell

Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 13:22:23 PM EDT

Lowell Transitional Living Center is a client-centered shelter for homeless adults dedicated to providing safe short-term housing, food, and the basic support services required to transition clients to permanent housing in their home communities.

Our mission is supported by a vision that draws upon:
-A "housing first" model of client support
-A sense of partnership that recognizes Reciprocity, Responsibility, Respect
-Partnerships with our funders, our community, our neighboring communities and those organizations who can help us transition our clients to permanent housing
-An organization characterized by commitment, accountability and strong leadership
-High value programming that reduces the barriers clients experience in  obtaining permanent housing
-Being an integral part of the neighborhood and the City of Lowell

Organizing For America - Greater Lowell prepares and serves dinner at LTLC on the last Monday of every month. The spaghetti & meatball dinner receives much praise from the residents. :v) We have also contributed, along with several other local volunteer community groups, in LTLC's continual improvement efforts.  

Today OFA-NH Volunteers Meet With U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen

by: KrisSchultz

Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 18:11:52 PM EDT

Most of us volunteered for both the Obama and Shaheen campaigns, which she acknowledged at the beginning of the meeting.

We had a lovely exchange with her regarding the need for accessible, affordable health care for all, as well as for a clean environment.  She's a strong advocate for both of those issues, as well as for fiscal responsibility and education.  Those four points are the key components of  President Barack Obama's budget priorities.  
 

Organizing For America - Greater Lowell

by: Jack Mitchell

Mon Mar 09, 2009 at 10:46:52 AM EDT

Susanne Curry, the group's coordinator, covered many points quickly and thoroughly. Of topics discussed by Susanne, arguably the most important was solidifying the group's community service commitment to these two excellent organizations:

The Lowell Transitional Living Center (LTLC), is a community supported, non-profit organization that provides a safe, temporary shelter for 90 homeless men and women, ages 18 and older, in the Greater Lowell area.

The Best Party You Ever Gave

by: JimC

Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 07:09:40 AM EST

Let's imagine that you are a recent college graduate, and you happened to get a job and apartment not far from the college with a roommate or two. So, in early November, you decide to throw a party.

It turns out to be a blowout: hands down, the best party you ever gave. Nobody can believe how well it goes, and it becomes a local legend.

Then, in April of the following year, you decide to have another party. So you think about what made the other one work so well:

- You resisted the temptation to control the music, handing it over to collective wisdom.

- You set some limits. No woo-woos or jello shots in the kitchen.

- Outreach. Lots of it. You invited the fraternity or sorority your friends didn't like, because you were out of college and it was time to move on. Everyone got on famously.

But there are elements you can't control:

- In November, the school year is somewhat young. Old social groupings remain, but new and sometimes surprising ones have formed to make life interesting.

- In April, a lot has gone on on campus that you weren't privy to. Even if you heard about it later, it's not the same as being there. There are undercurrents and little dramas filling the room.

- Almost every guest was at your last party, and the memory of that success lingers in their minds. So some people come and wait for the party to take off.

- The outreach doesn't go as well, because the old divisions have reasserted themselves. There was change and shifting roles from last year, but not that much.

- The crowd is less willing to accept limits.

In one sense, you are doomed to fail. You can't possibly re-create a unique event.  

But, it's always worth it to have a party. Even a mediocre party is pretty good. So you push on.

Organizing for America, aka Obama 2.0

by: KrisSchultz

Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 14:43:03 PM EST

Plouffe explains that while this group isn't working to win an election, it can push forward our shared agendas on energy, the economy and health care.  This movement will

...connect Americans to the debate here in Washington.  And I think that is not only good for our Democracy and our country, but will also help President Obama succeed in bringing about the change that we all fought for in the campaign.

This sort of post-election organizing effort from a sitting President is revolutionary, but not unexpected from our first ever Community-Organizer-in-Chief.  While Franklin Roosevelt reassured a nation through his Fireside Chats, Barack Obama brings us together to act for change.

We need to keep Barack Obama's movement going right here in New Hampshire, and we have great grounding already. I've been a part of the post-election Barack Obama group out of Concord, and we are working with groups in Manchester and Portsmouth.  We'll be hosting another meeting in Concord in February, and I'll post details here on BH once the details have been set.