In support of President Obama's call for major national health care revision, Riverside for Change will join with Duval County for Change on June 27, 2009 to help bring this major issue to light. Duval County for Change will be hosting a National Health Care Day of Service at the University of North Florida at 1:00 pm. The event will feature a wellness and prevention medicine panel discussion and a screening of the documentary film, Money Talks, which is about the drug industry. The event will take place at the School of Health, Building 39, Room 1009.
To RSVP for the event or to get more information, contact: yeswecanduval@peacemail.com or register to attend at:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpcvbz
The decision for Riverside for Change to join forces with Duval for Change came about during our June 6th health care house party when 25 Riverside neighbors came together to discuss the current health care crisis. We felt that a greater impact would be made if we brought as many voices as possible together during this single day of service. Everyone is encouraged to come out to UNF and help expand our range of influence in order to bring about substantial change in health care policies.
In addition to this single day of service, there are at least two other health care oriented events/organizations that we are currently working on:
Good morning everybody,
Our group received a request for assistance with mortgage payments and/or electric bills this week. While we don't have any monetary funds at this time, I would like to open up a virtual discussion about how we could solve these issues locally. If you know of existing groups or programs in place to solve these issues, please post them here. If you have ideas about how we ourselves could be of service, please post those as well.
To get you started thinking, I will post some of the ideas folks have come up with so far:
I had one thought, which was that Chris and I could unplug things and turn down the heat, lose the cable tv, etc. and then "adopt" a family to help with their electric bill. Riverside for Change families could decide to participate on a household basis, and maybe single folks could partner up to "adopt" a family. We'd be helping the environment and our neighbors.
Holly put forward that The Jacksonville Urban League has housing counseling programs, for buying homes and for finding subsidized housing. http://www.jaxul.org/
Anybody else have ideas?
Casie SimpsonRiverside for Change
Hey everybody,
Max Wood and the Young Democrats have alerted me of the need to contact city council and urge them to vote "no" on the $750,000,000, 35-year no-bid contract to give Trail Ridge over to Waste Management. All you need to do is e-mail cityc@coj.net. Let them know, briefly, that you'd like the Trail Ridge bid to be open, competitive, transparent, and fair. Ask them to vote "no" on the mayor's contract proposal. The e-mail can be as short as a couple of sentences. You can even copy my letter below and change it as you see fit!
Bringing this contract down would establish a mighty precedent: Jacksonville residents will not tolerate any more no-bid contracts.
Example:
Dear City Council Members, As one of your constituents, I urge you to vote "no" on the no-bid Waste Management contract for Trail Ridge. In these tough economic times, it seems both unethical and irresponsible to approve a $750,000,000 contract without opening the bid to other vendors. Jacksonville residents deserve a competitive, transparent, and fair bidding process for all contracts — especially one of such magnitude. Thank you, Casie
Early Voting for the entire state of Florida has just been extended.
Every Early Vote location in Florida will now be every day from 7am-7pm up through November 2.
Please pass along this great news to everyone you know who will be voting in Florida. Click here to find your nearest early vote location.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS ~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~October 28, 2008Contact:GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. "I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote." Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting. Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting. Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29. Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217. STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217 WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties; WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; andWHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008. GOVERNORATTEST:SECRETARY OF STATE
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS
~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~
October 28, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting.
Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting.
Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29.
Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217.
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217
WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and
WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and
WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and
WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties;
WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; and
WHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008.
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
It's pretty disappointing to be told at local Democratic HQ that they are out of signs and do not know for sure when they will be getting any. Awful. Unacceptable. How can we be like this?
I've been helping get signs into the yards of neighbors who want them by picking up trunkfuls at time and calling & giving them away free. So far I've distributed over 20! But I cannot create them out of thin air!
If anybody knows of a local treasure trove of Obama signs, I'd love to know about it...
Wow, how amazing was yesterday (Saturday 20 September)?! The event in Jacksonville was so inspiring. To see that many of my fellow citizens engaged in the process was well as they say I am fired up and ready to work!!!!!!! As my husband and I worked as volunteers helping people at the event I was amazed at how positive everyone was. On a hot and humid Jacksonville day, I saw no one get snippy with anyone and I saw people helping each other out. I don’t know about anyone else but after seeing the turn out yesterday, if we can all ensure that everyone votes there is no way we can lose this election. To the people who hired the planes with the banner that read "Florida is McCain and Palin country" twenty thousand plus people said in one loud voice who is going to win Florida OBAMA!!!!!
Okay, okay! My title takes creative liberties, opening me to charges of "lying": 3,000 or so people is not nobody. But it's also not very many, especially in this (red) neck of the woods...
PLEASE BE AGRESSIVE REGARDING E85. We can all retrofit our cars to use it, regardless of make/model/year as long as it's a gasoline, fuel-injected engine.
Ethanol is cheap, renewable, and safe for the environment.
Doesn't it make you mad that the oil companies put 10% ethanol in their gas at most stations (especially in summer months), yet the price is not 10% cheaper? Ethanol is EXPONENTIALLY less expensive to make than gasoline. These companies are profiting at the expense of us all and without good cause or reason.
DON'T FORGET BIODIESEL, TOO. SPENT KITCHEN OIL CAN RUN YOUR DIESEL ENGINE WITH THE RIGHT MODIFICATIONS.
All of these modifications to any car cost under $500 to accomplish. New cars off the production line only cost $30 more to make them Flex-Fuel E85 compatible.
THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO DO THIS!!!
Don't allow the oil companies to stop this energy source from becomming a reality! Brazil is doing it...why not the USA?
FARMERS: Why not just take the oil companies out of the equation? Start making ethanol-producing crops and build your own E85 stations. We don't need approval to compete!
Well, I have had several events which few or even no one showed up other than myself. I don't mind doing the cleanups by myself but the meetings are alittle more difficult. Please PLEASE call my cell if you can or cannot come just so I know. Or if you have any questions or ideas feel free to call me then too. Don't be afraid to call me! Seriously! Well, hopefully someone will show up to the Willowbranch Library meeting at 4 pm- 6...See ya then!
Katie Langella
I now have a new group called Riverside LGBT for Obama! Please join is you are LGBT or if you support the LGBT community. This group will organize us to get a message out that we deserve the same rights as everyone else. Thank you!
Katie
For those of you who have joined, welcome to my new group, Avondale for Obama. Hopefully by being in this group it will be easier to organize and get things done! My plan is to meet about twice a month and have events to help out our community. We can brainstorm and come up with some interesting ways to help out. I had two meetings so far called Meeting of Minds, and I also had a Riverside cleanup that I myself could not attend becuz of family issues. But I hope to continue having these meetings and doing good things to bring ppl together. See ya soon!
At Raglands on park st., this wednesday there is a meeting of the young democrats. Anyone in or around Riverside/Avondale should come!!! If you come then I'll see ya there!
Hey everyone, I started my own little group and I hope to gain members in the Jacksonville area so that we can organize and get some positive things done for our community. If you live near me, please do join! Thank you!
Peace,
