Progressive Update--01/06/2009

Remember me? It’s been two months, so I guess that it is time to get working again!
Actually, I had double knee replacement surgery in November, and am only now getting back to the ‘supplemental’ activities such as my progressive emails/blogs.
The Progressive Democrats for Delaware (http://www.progressivedemsdel.com/) have their monthly meeting tomorrow at DelDems HQ in New Castle, at 7pm. Come join us!
There is a Town Hall meeting tomorrow from 6-8pm, with special guest Governor-elect Jack Markell. For more information, go to http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gptkv5 The meeting will focus on minimizing foreclosures in Delaware. Two sponsoring organizations are ACORN (http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=13311) and DCRAC (www.dcrac.org).
Lisa Diller will be running for the soon-to-be-vacated 5th District New Castle County seat (as Stephanie McClellan leaves to join Markell’s team in Dover). There is an organization meeting for her from 2-4pm on this Sunday, at the Williamsburg Village Community Room. This district spans portions of RDs 21 through 25.
Newark City Council will have two very good public meetings coming up. On January 26th at 7:30pm the meeting will include discussion of an open government resolution. On February 9th, the meeting will include public comments on equal rights proposals (benefits to domestic partners, recognizing gender identity, etc). Please plan to attend and be heard.
Delaware ACLU is hosting a meeting on Relationship Recognition, on January 15th from 6:30-8pm, at Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek (http://www.uusmc.org/).
The weekend of January 24th will be a weekend of service, promoted both by President-elect Obama and Governor-elect Markell. Contact Carol Boncelet (carolboncelet@hotmail.com to find out about three Newark-area opportunities she has identified, and labeled Newark Cares).
The state Democratic Party will be organizing this year, and you can have a role. Each RD, Representative District, will be electing its committee members in the coming week. Find out your RD, and go to www.deldems.org to determine when your RD holds its nominating meeting. Join your committee—typically a monthly meeting is involved, and you will be asked to pitch in for community events and in local campaigns. You will also be well positioned to have a voice in the party’s platform and in the selection of county and state-wide party leaders.
There are some good bills coming before Delaware’s General Assembly this season. House Bill 1 will call for open government, removing the legislature’s exemption from the Freedom of Information Act. This should fly through the House. Good senators will need to work on preventing this from dying in Thurman Adams’ desk drawer. Let your senator know that you want them to ensure that HB1 gets a vote on the senate floor, and for that matter, that you are fed up with the senate rules permitting bills to die in desk drawers.
New Officials—Information on Governor-Elect Markell and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Denn’s inauguration is at inaugural.delaware.gov . There is a swearing in ceremony at midnight on Monday night the 19th at the UD’s Mitchell Hall. Members of the state legislature will be sworn in on Tuesday the 16th in Dover. Committee assignments will be announced today. Obama and Biden will come through Delaware on a train on the 17th.