Guest Speaker: Andy Bindman, MD

Our guest speaker in December will be Andrew B. Bindman, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at UCSF and a nationally known health policy expert.

Dr. Bindman will provide a framework for thinking about the different health care proposals the candidates are talking about. He will also be talking about the role of the states versus the federal government, and of course, he will be available to answer our questions.

MVCAN Monthly Meeting and Holiday Celebration

Sunday, Dec 8, 5 - 6pm meeting, 6-7pm Holiday Celebration

Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto

Come celebrate a year of accomplishments! Fun entertainment - Gina Stahl-Haven, who came in second in the SF Comedy Competition (just like Robin Williams and Ellen Degeneres!).  We'll be serving heavy hors d'oevres and libations!!

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MARIN CITY HOUSING EVENTS - Mon. Nov 18 and Tues, Nov 19

The Golden Gate Village public housing site was built in Marin City in 1960. Currently, it is the only family public housing development in Marin County. After nearly 60 years of use and long periods of deferred maintenance, the site, with 300 units, faces a very significant backlog of unmet and unfunded capital replacement needs.

Unfortunately, the Marin Housing Authority has proposed a private developer to handle the extensive renovation needed, which is problematic in a number of ways. The county is continuing to move ahead with plans to hire a private developer against the direct wishes of the residents of public housing. The county is scheduled to approve a plan for Golden Gate Village by the end of this calendar year. Only because of community pushback have those plans been modified. They need to be modified even more to avoid resident displacement and to allow for an alternative development strategy - a community land trust.

We at MVCAN can help support the residents of public housing. MVCAN has committed to supporting the Golden Gate Village Resident Council’s Deep Green Revitalization Plan. This plan will retrofit and rehab Golden Gate Village and commits to preserving Golden Gate Village as an Historic District and Historical Legacy Community. It will also develop a green tech/high tech workforce for Golden Gate Village youth and young adults.

You can show your support for the struggle for racial justice and decent housing in Marin by attending either or both of two upcoming events:

FIRST EVENT:

Potluck Dinner
Monday, Nov 18: 5:30 pm - 7:30pm
Bayside/MLK school, Marin City,

Please RSVP here.

Please contact Peter Graumann at petergraumann@yahoo.com with any questions. Also, please let Peter know if you can volunteer to help with setup for this event.

This event is an informational session and community conversation which addresses Marin City redevelopment issues, sponsored by the MLK Coalition.

SECOND EVENT:

Marin Housing Authority Meeting
Tues, Nov 19 - 1:30 pm
Marin Civic Center, Supervisor’s Chamber

If you can make it, please show up! It will be critical to show a strong level of community support for the Golden Gate tenants at this Marin Housing Authority meeting on November 19.

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“NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW” RALLY ON EVE OF IMPEACHMENT VOTE - SIGN UP NOW TO BE NOTIFIED!

Impeachment is here!

The night before the House of Representatives takes a historic vote to impeach Trump, people will be heading to every congressional office and public square to declare that Nobody Is Above the Law as representatives finalize their positions and senators look on.

Multiple Marin grassroots groups, including MVCAN, are hosting a joint “Nobody is Above the Law” rally - one of many, many nationwide.

Please RSVP HERE at the national MoveOn.org site. Enter your zip code and select the San Rafael location. That way you’ll be updated right away as soon as the plan is launched!

Let’s show our collective power and join this historic nationwide mobilization on the eve of Trump's impeachment vote!

“Nobody is Above the Law” Impeachment Rally

On the eve of impeachment vote

Downtown 4th St Plaza in San Rafael (between A St. and Lootens)

The date and time are TBA. A date for rally events will be sent out once a vote is scheduled in the House, so please RSVP to make sure you get important updates.

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CANVASSING IN TRACY FOR JOSH HARDER’S RE-ELECTION

Sat. Nov 16

MVCAN will be canvassing in Tracy on behalf of the Congressman Josh Harder reelection campaign. Josh’s CD-10 seat has been selected as number 1 of 12 key House seats that the DCCC is targeting nationwide to defend. Josh Harder is No. 1 on the Democrats’ list, because the Republicans are using huge resources to target his district to flip it Red. So, we need all hands on deck to protect this key Congressional seat!

In November, we will be going to Tracy on November 16, from 8:30am to 4pm. We will be participating under the auspices of The Democratic Club of Greater Tracy.

To sign up to canvass in Tracy on Sat. Nov 16, click Here.

If you want to go or have any questions, contact Bill Jansen, MVCAN CD-10 Canvassing Coordinator, at billjpolitics@gmail.com or (415) 516-1112 to let him know you are game!

After you sign up, you will be contacted by the Tracy Dems with details.

In January and February we will be canvassing in Tracy again on the second and third Saturdays of those months, and also likely the last weekend before the March 3, California primary election.

NOTE: Tracy Dems also canvas on selected Sundays. If you would like to independently sign up for one of those, feel free to do so. Check the Greater Tracy Dems website for details.

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LAST 2 SAUSALITO PHONE BANKS IN 2019

Sat Nov 9 and Sat Nov 16

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PHOENIX, AZ CANVASSING TRIP IN OCTOBER

MVCANERS traveled to Phoenix for a tremendously productive and fun few days door-knocking for Democrats and registering voters.

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MARIN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE CONVENTION - Oct. 27

Earlier this year MVCAN, as a constituent organization, joined the Marin Organizing Committee (MOC) as an additional way to work in coalition on local initiatives to improve the lives of all Marin residents.

At the 10th Annual Convention of MOC on Oct 27, ten MVCAN members proudly stood up as Carol Korenbrot introduced us to the assembly during a roll call of member institutions.

An interesting note: the power was shut off at the Marin Civic Center site a day before the convention! The MOC had to rush to notify hundreds of participants that the anniversary convention was being moved to Congregation Rodef Shalom. Nonetheless, the Marin Organizing Committee pulled it off with over 650 delegates attending from 22 member institutions, who adopted an activist agenda for 2020 and beyond.

At the convention we heard compelling stories about the need for improved mental health services in the schools, stories about the need for expanded rent protections and affordable housing, and stories about the dearth of services for our aging population. Marin Board of Supervisors President Kate Sears gave an impassioned speech supporting the 2020 agenda of MOC. We also got a chance to hear some great music.

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VOTER COMMUNICATION TRAINING SESSION - Oct 26

On Oct 26, Democracy Action had the first voter communication training of this election season with inspiring trainer Kathy Walsh. Attendees learned how to listen actively and communicate with voters persuasively. More sessions will be coming up - so stay tuned.

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GREAT AIRLIFT OUTCOMES

To date, MVCAN’S Fundraising project, Airlift, has raised close to $450,000 for 17 rigorously selected grassroots groups around the country.

Airlift is holding more and more house parties - their chief way of explaining the Airlift mission and raising money. They have held 4 house parties in the last 4 months and have an additional 5 scheduled before the end of the year! Also, Airlift’s portfolio of grassroots groups is being fine-tuned to align with our top priorities of 1. Winning back the presidency, 2. Flipping the Senate, and 3. Protecting key congressional seats.

Happily, the mainstream media is accelerating its coverage on the importance of grassroots groups. Checkout this link to a Washington Post article to understand why neighbor-to-neighbor organizing is key to winning in 2020.