REMINDER: PDWV Platfomr Meeting

This is just reminder that the PDWV Democratic Platform meeting is tomorrow. The details are below. I hope to see a good representation of progressives at the event to push our issues. If you cannot make it to the meeting, but there is an issue that is pressing in your mind, please feel free to contact me by email or by phone. The information is at the bottom of this email.

PDWV Democratic Platform Meeting
2:00-4:30pm
South Charleston Public Library
312 4th Ave
South Charleston, WV 25303
(The meeting room is to the left as you go into the foyer of the library before you actually get into the main library itself. There should be a sign.)

This has the potential to be a big event in a couple of ways. First, this is an opportunity to have our voices heard by the Democratic Platform Committee (WV's representative on the DNC Platform Committee hopes to be at the event and definitely wants a report before the committee meetings.) Never before has the platform been open in this way. It's an opportunity we should take. Second, this event could be really good exposure for PDWV. It will help "put us on the radar" of local Democrats and Democratic leaders.

Hope to see you there!

A Quick Comment About Gas Prices

For almost 2 weeks, gas at the station I usually use has been $4.099/gallon. Now, crude production (via OCS or ANWR) hasn't increased and no new refineries have come online in the last couple of days, but prices are now $3.999/gallon.
Some have been saying for weeks that oil speculators have been at least part of the problem with rising gas prices. Since some lawmakers in Washington have been talking for the last week about putting more effort into controlling speculation the price of gas has gone down. Now this is not necessarily direct causation, but it could be.
Are speculators backing off crude with reports that Washington plans to monitor more fervently? Is this the reason prices are going down? Does that validate the argument that speculators (like Rep. Shelly Moore-Capito's (R-WV) husband) are a large cause of recent price spikes?

PDWV Forms PAC

As of this afternoon, Progressive Democrats of West Virginia is a legal and authorized Political Action Committee registered with the WV Secretary of State. This is an important step for our organization for several reasons.
As a legally registered PAC, PDWV can raise and spend money on behalf of the group. Now all of our hard-raised dollars can be kept here to benefit the local groups rather than being sent to the national organization.
With this designation we can endorse, raise and spend money and campaign for candidates on the state, county and city level. Since PDWV and PDA are grassroots, bottom-up organizations, it is important to the state and local chapters to be able to advocate for candidates here in West Virginia, in your county and in your municipality.
By registering the state group as a PAC, all other chapters within the state can fall under the umbrella of the state group when it comes to raising and spending money and endorsing candidates. If a local chapter doesn't want to deal with all of the forms and paperwork involved with reporting, they can use our state PAC for that purpose.
If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at pdawv@gmail.com

PDWV to host local Democratic Platform meeting

This year the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Obama for America campaign have asked Americans to participate in writing the Democratic National Platform. Progressive Democrats of West Virginia (PDWV) will host one of those platform meetings at the South Charleston Public Library on Saturday, July 26 from 2:00 to 4:30.

"From the beginning, we said we were going bring down the traditional walls of the Democratic Convention and make this event more accessible and include as many people as possible," said Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean. "This process will empower Americans in all 50 states to make their voices heard as they help write the document that embodies our Party's values and vision for the future,” he continued.

Progressive Democrats of West Virginia invites all interested parties to this open meeting. “If we have many diverse views represented at the meeting, the suggestions we send on to the national platform committee will be more representative of West Virginians,” said Dave Nichols, State Coordinator for PDWV.

Once the meeting is concluded, PDWV will be sending a summary to the Democratic Platform Committee so they will have those suggestions in hand for consideration during their drafting meetings August 1-3.

If you have questions or comments Nichols requests that you submit them via email to pdawv@gmail.com.

Anne Barth speaks to Veterans at the UMWA rally