@ the Schaumburg Library, 2nd Floor, Rasmussen North
March 5th
7 pm – 9 pm
(Doors Open at 6:30 for informal Meet and Greet Time)
First full NWSOFA Meeting Combined with a Movie Night presented by The Coalition to Restore Democracy.
Like the recent documentary “Citizen Koch,” “Pay 2 Play” aims to stir up outrage over influence peddling. Although billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch aren’t mentioned until midway through this film, they and their ilk – wealthy conservatives who push their agendas by pouring cash into the coffers of like- minded politicians – are clearly the villains here.
But director John Ennis is interested in doing more than getting people riled up. “How do we get past the pay-to-play system?”
The answer to Ennis’s question, which he provides himself, is not just to get mad, but to get active. He advocates doing whatever one can to protest the status quo, whether it’s as an individual street artist or blogger or as part of a larger collective such as the Occupy movement. Ennis is an optimist at heart, and his belief that one person can make a difference is infectious, if naive.
The NWSOFA “Mini” meeting will include updates on it’s Issue teams on ACA, Fiscal & Economic Discussions, Womens Rights, Climate Change, Immigration Reform, and it’s outreaches to minority communities and college and university students
Last Weeks NWSOFA GVP & MDA Meeting .. Accomplished
Lots!
Decorating / Writing Cards
for
Gun Violence Victims
Fiscal Discussion Groups February BLS Deep Dive
In Last Weeks
Fiscal & Economic Discussion Group
@ the Schaumburg Library
Key Economic Indicators from the February BLS
3.2 million jobs added in last 12 months;
257,000 jobs added in January
Dec 2014 employment level revised up to 245,000 jobs
Unemployment rate nationally at 5.7% in January,
Down 0.9% in the past year
Continues to trend down from its high of 10.0% in October 2009.
Budget Deficits – Historical and Projected: 2.8% of GDP in FY 2014, down from a high of 9.8%
IL unemployment rate was 6.2% in December
Down from 8,9% in December 2013 and trending down from its high of 11.4%
GDP growth was preliminary 2.6% in the 4th quarter, 5.0% in the 3rd quarter and 4.6% in 2nd quarter, up from minus 2.1% in 1st quarter. Real GDP increased by 2.5% for 2014. Revisions scheduled for February 27 and march 27 http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdpnewsrelease.htm
New 10 year CBO projections released in January: deficit will stay below 3% of GDP for the next few years, but we still have a problem in the out years as baby boomers retire.
Funding for Department of Homeland Security expires February 27, 2015. Congress needs to act to avoid a partial government shutdown.
Attending the NWSOFA Fiscal & Economic Discussions and be the most informed on your block or your discussion group!
ACA EXCHANGE Qualified Health Policy (QHP) Enrollments:
In Illinois according to David T. Elin, MSW,
Enroll America / Get Covered America
State Director, Illinois
“Here in Illinois, we’ve accomplished many of the goals we laid out for ourselves before the beginning of the first enrollment period in 2013. Thanks to widespread outreach efforts, more than 217,000 consumers signed up for marketplace coverage during the first open enrollment period-and another 500,000 (plus) through Medicaid. The uninsured rate fell 7 percentage points from 16 to 9 percent.
And during this Open Enrollment Period, we’ve seen more than 347,000 consumers enroll in or renew their marketplace coverage. That momentum is due to the incredible coalition and momentum we’ve all built here – our 14 employees and 4600 volunteers have worked closely with so many of you, especially those of you who understand the true value of collaboration.
I thank you for your unwavering support despite all of the barriers we’ve faced.”
———————————————————————————-
Gov’t: 11.4 Million Signed up for 2015 coverage under the ACA’s health law prior to 2/15
Congratulations on 11.4 million (and counting)! This week, HHS announced that about 11.4 million Americans, including those in both HealthCare.gov states and State Based Marketplaces, have selected plans or were automatically re-enrolled during this Open Enrollment period. This news is an excellent opportunity to help frame the work you and your organization(s) have accomplished since November — particularly in getting local with state and local area.
Click on the above NWSOFA e-magazine for all the on Comprehensive Immigration Reform from News Sources across the Country
Immigration Reform
(CIR)
in the News
Would you like to get involved with other like minded Progressives and join our Comprehensive Immigration Reform Team
then:
Please Call
Sara or Bill
@ 224-241-2012
Did You Know?
President Obama is taking action to help fix our broken immigration system, strengthening our economy and our country and protecting our communities and our families.
According to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the President’s actions on immigration will grow the Illinois economy by $3.8 billion to $9.0 billion over the next 10 years.
It’s an important first step in the President’s plan to work with Congress on common sense, comprehensive immigration reform
Give parents of American citizen or legal resident children relief from deportation if they register with the government, undergo background checks, and pay taxes.
Allow immigration enforcement officials to focus resources on deporting felons, not families.
Strengthen our economy and our country, growing wages and shrinking the deficit. These are important steps forward, but only Congress can finish the job and fix our broken immigration system
Click on the Above Image to see NWSOFA e-magazine Stand With Women.. Timely Articles from the Press
Stand With Women
Gains Momentum
The House GOP Leaders Pull Abortion Bill After Revolt by GOP Women Moderates!
January 21, 2015: Bowing to the wishes of several moderates and women members, House Republican leaders pulled a controversial antiabortion bill from consideration late Wednesday night, a move sure to enrage antiabortion activists, who will descend on Capitol Hill Thursday for their annual March for Life.
The bill will be replaced by the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, a bipartisan bill that passed the House last year and will get another vote on Thursday, the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. The change came after House Republican women and moderates battled against their leaders on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, exhibiting the deepening rift between centrists and conservatives who are at cross-purposes on which issues the party should be highlighting.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Republican leaders were insistent they would move ahead with legislation banning abortions after 20 weeks, but the Rules Committee announced an emergency meeting Wednesday night and sources said the bill would be pulled in favor of the less controversial alternative.
You Can Make a Difference in Undeserved Communities
Organizing for Action has a strong commitment to providing easy points of entry for
everyday Americans who want to have their voices heard and make a difference in their communities.
Historically, we have found that the tools and tactics employed to help in these efforts skew toward
volunteers who have access to reliable transportation, can afford financially to give hours, and have
ready access to the internet. That, in turn, means that volunteers who gravitate toward OFA tend to be people who are retired, have financial means, and/or live in the suburbs. In order to ensure that OFA remains true to our mission of providing easy access, we have developed the Fulfilling the Promise Program aimed to address these concerns and ensure we are organizing in all communities.
PURPOSE: To ensure that Organizing for Action is providing training, leadership development, team building, and issue advocacy opportunities to communities and people who do not have ready access to the internet, reliable transportation, etc. We will focus specifically in communities of color and historically underserved areas, which tend to have less financial means. The Fulfilling the Promise program will ensure that our organization and the progressive community at large is comprised of a diverse group of talented organizers who are representative of all of the communities that make up our country.
If This Outreach resonates with you, Please Call Sara or Bill @ 224-241-2012
University & College Outreach Sets Organizing Call
New Initiative for 2015 Announced by OFA
Feeling the call to work with the young adults at college and University levels to engage them in Progressive Issue Engagement.. Then Contact us:
If This Outreach resonates with you, Please Call Sara or Bill @ 224-241-2012
Other News in the Burbs
The League of Women Voters
of the Palatine Area Present
Democracy in the Balance
Thu, February 26, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 South Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL
While many communities are busy with local elections, money raising for 2016 has already begun.
If you are concerned how this money has more influence on what gets done than votes come to this meeting. In the context of the past and present situation, steps we can take to fight corruption will be discussed.
Open to the Public
About NWSOFA
In January 2013 we started as a gathering of friends and neighbors from the NW Suburbs who wanted to continue to have impact on the progressive issues we voted for in 2012.This grassroots, bottom up movement spread across the country and sparked the creation of Organizing for Action, OFA National which now has Chapters all over the country. This is a non-partisan, volunteer organization that focuses on progressive issues we are committed to taking Action on to make a difference locally, statewide and nationally.
NWSOFA’s 1st Issue Team was right after the tragedy at Sandy Hook. The Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) team felt we needed accurate information and facts, events to teach others and actions we could take to make a difference on pushing for common sense gun violence prevention. That has been our basic format as new issues arose and team developed. We now have the GVP, ACA/Obamacare, Climate Change,Fiscal Issues and Stand with Women Issue Teams.Check out their individual pages to see all the events they have scheduled and to join the teams you want to make a difference with. Other teams are developing such as for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
OFA National coordinates “Days of Action” that Chapters across the country will all do on the same day. Each team also has local events and may work with affiliate organizations i.e. Sierra Club, Al Gore Reality Project, etc. to combine like-minded groups on a local, state or national event.
In this type of organization there are numerous ways you can be involved with the teams and in other roles.We were looking for ways to get our events out and now have a Twitter Master, Kathy,and Press Lead, Kym.
Two new initiatives were introduced in January 2015 from OFA. The first one is to get more young people involved in progressives issues. We prioritized working with colleges to reach out to them. One of the major benefits of joining us is learning to be a community organizer. These skills can be beneficial for a lifetime. The second initiative is working with under served populations that traditionally have not a voice on issues that are crucial for them. If either of these sound like something you would be interested in helping to develop, please let us know.
Maybe you have a special skill we haven’t even thought about give us a call we’re always open to new ideas and teams.
Thanks for stopping and hope you’ll stay and join us.
Notice:
This is a public meeting / event(s)
NWSOFA is a 501(c)4,
non-partisan organization.
All opinions are solely those of NWSOFA
NWSOFA
To leave a message or Sign up for an Issue Team .. just click the Info button and fill out the NWSOFA Comment log. We will be in touch with you shortly.———->>>>>>>
NWSOFA is a whole, diverse wonderful family of people who want to do more than talk about the social issues. We explore and dig deep on the facts and decide what actions we can take that can have an impact locally and nationally. NWSOFA members not only “talk the talk”, but we “walk the walk”.
All our teams have numerous events that will enlighten and inspire you and yes, challenge you to make the effort to make a difference.
We invite you to join us!
Follow NWSOFA on Social Media
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Join Us for Coffee, Conversation, Cookies and Call @ the 4C’s
March 4th .. Wednesday night NWSOFAer’s get together to relax, drink coffee, discuss current topics, enjoy cookies and make some important calls to other Progressives in the suburbs notifying them of our meetings
We call these the 4C’s and we need your help. Volunteer for an hour or two doing what we do best “organizing”!
NWSOFA GVP & MDA
Cards for the Victims of
Gun Violence
February Meeting in Photos
Fiscal & Economics February Meeting in Photos
NWSOFA GVP Team
Trip to Senator Dan Kotoski’s Office Congressman to Discuss GVP (Gun Violence Prevention)
The ACA team working with Enroll America .. Rocks It! Congradulations
It’s time to Act .. It Is Time To Get Involved
Over the years the American Citizens have lost their voices, believing that we can not make a difference. We have been beat down by the constant droning noise of the conservative right. This onslaught has made us like sheep .. afraid to express our views. Not anymore! OFA gives us back our voices and by working together we are making change one issue at a time. Together we can and will make a difference.
Thank You to our NWSOFA Issue Leads in 2013 !!
Just Click on the Photo to link the NWSOFA e-magazines daily & archived articles
