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Lawmakers resurrected the mayor’s stalled government consolidation plan Wednesday, a surprise twist to one of the session’s most heated debates.

Rep. Win Moses, D-Fort Wayne, successfully pushed through an amendment to Senate Bill 638 that puts most of Mayor Bart Peterson’s plan — known as Indianapolis Works — back in play.

Peterson called the House Local Government Committee’s vote “an important step” that left his plan “in the best shape it has ever been in” since the legislative session began.
(Source: Panel gives Indy Works 2nd chance by Matthew Tully, Indianapolis Star)

Find out more about Indianapolis Works

Via the Indiana Young Democrats Yahoo Group:

Spending an evening with “our Guv” Joe and Maggie Kernan, Kathy and John Davis, and other old friends:
priceless

Thursday, April 7th · 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Pat Flynn’s
5198 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis

Suggested Contribution: $25 · $50 · $100 · $500

Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 5th to
Molly Wilkinson Chavers 317.261.3826

Paid for and authorized by the Indiana Democratic Party, Daniel J. Parker, Chairman. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. www.indems.org

Labor donated by volunteers

[Editor: This event is the same night as the weekly Drinking Liberally: Indianapolis. A decision hasn’t been made whether to cancel that week’s Drinking Liberally in favor of this or keep it on for people not interested in the fundraiser]

From the Indiana AFL-CIO e-Activist Network:

Social Security Day Of Action March 31
President Bush and top administration officials have been barnstorming the country on a 60-city, 60-day tour to drum up support for the president’s plan to privatize Social Security. And conservative groups are spending millions on advertising to promote private accounts.

Despite this all-out effort, recent polls indicate most people don’t support privatization of Social Security. In fact, the more people learn about Bush’s privatization plan, the more their opposition grows.

But we can’t afford to let up now. Our representatives in Washington need to continue to hear from their constituents. Please let your representative and senators know you don’t want your Social Security jeopardized through risky, costly privatization schemes.

Thursday March 31st is a national day of action to tell our elected officials “not to privatize” Social Security.

First take a moment and send a quick message to your US Congress person, US Senators and President Bush and tell them you are against any privatization to Social Security. Simply follow this link Social Security Day Of Action March 31 - Take Action Page.

Second tell a friend about this campaign–the more people learn about this risky plan the more they are against it. Simply follow this link Social Security Day Of Action March 31 - Tell-A-Friend Page..

Third call your elected officals and tell them not to privatize Social Security.

[Editor: Find your elected officials here]

Finally you can go to http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/toolkit/ and create custom Social Security issue fliers for your local union and or organization to distribute this upcoming week.

Thank you for all that you do to protect Social Security.
Indiana Working Families E-Activist Network

From the Marion County Democratic Party’s Weekly List:

March 28 - April 3, 2005

Monday, March 28, 2005

• 12 noon, Barringer’s For Lunch, 2535 S. Meridian Street, Meet and chat with a number of Democrats!

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

• 7:30 am - 9 am, Community, Faith & Labor Prayer Breakfast, Christ Church Cathedral, 125 Monument circle, Indianapolis.
  125 Monument Circle, Indianapolis
  Hot Breakfast, Musical Entertainment
  Gary Antelept and friends from Chronicle Luscious Newsom, Founder of The Lord’s Pantry
  Guest Speakers (confirmed)
  Dr. A. Dwayne Walker, Pastor, Jones Tabernacle AME Zion Church
  Rev. Catherine M. Waynick, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
  Ken Zeller, President, Indiana State AFL-CIO

  Topic:
  Balancing employer interests/worker justice on a moral scale.

  $10 per person. Tables of 8 - $80
  RSVP Nancy Holle -509-7453 or nancyholle1@aol.com

  By Monday -3/28/05

  Sponsors: Community, Faith & Labor Coalition & Central Indiana Labor Council

• 6:30 Social Hour with Refreshments. 7:00 pm meeting, Perry Township Democratic Club, Perry Township Government Center, 4925 South Shelby Street.

Thursday, March 31, 2005

• 8:00 am, Marion County Democrat Party Chairman’s Club, The Rathskeller, 401 E. Michigan Street, $10.00 for breakfast. Guest Speaker: Cheryl Sullivan, National Issues Director, Gore-Lieberman 2000. RSVP Jen, 637-3366.

Saturday, April 2, 2005

• 8:30 am, CONCERNED CLERGY, Carson Government Center, 300 East Fall Creek Parkway.

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Beyond This Week

April 9, 2005
The Southside Democratic Club is holding their annual Big Old Truck Driver’s Breakfast Saturday April
9th. The details:

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

Big Old Truck Drivers Breakfast Saturday April 9th, serving time from 8:30 to 10:00 A.M
At the Southside club house: 1135 Shelby Street, Indianapolis
Menu: Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Biscuits & Sausage Gravy, Fresh Fruit and coffee.

All you can eat for a suggested $5.00 Donation. TICKETS AT THE DOOR WILL BE $6.00

A committee of men will be serving the ladies.

Advance tickets can be purchased for $5:00 from the following committee members;
>>> Hon, Charles Boswell, Chairman Hon. Frank Anderson, Hon. Rozelle Boyd, Hon. Charles Deiter, Hon. Carl Drummer, Hon, David Dreyer, Hon. Tony Duncan, William Eads, George Farley, Richard Feldman MD, Hon. Evan Goodman, Hon, John Hanley, George Kemp, Ken Kern, Hon. Jim Maley, Gene McWilliams, Robert Myrick, Van Barteau, Michael Reiger, Hon Lou Rosenberg, Larry Ryan, Hon. David Shaheed, Hon. King Ro Conley, Hon. Mark Stoner, Robert Voorhies, Ken Zeller, Hon Gerald Zore

One lucky ticket holder will receive a $100.00 U.S. government savings bond.

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WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2005, 7 P.M.

Please join thie Perry Township Democrat Club
Communication Workers Of America Local 4900
1130 E Epler, Indianapolis
For an evening with:
Bob Voorhies, President
Central Indiana Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Please feel free to invite the general public to attend

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ARGOSY CASINO TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT. The Decatur Twp. Democrat Club will sponsor a 1-day bus trip to the Argosy Riverboat Casino at Lawrenceburg, Ind., on Saturday, June 11. A charter will leave Southern Plaza Shopping Center, 4200 S. East St., at 9 a.m. and return at 6 p.m. Cost is $30 per
person, and includes snacks and beverage enroute. Free admission plus a $5 buffet coupon given to each passenger. For reservation, contact: Paul G. Fox, 856-1692 or Pgfoxindy@aol.com. Deadline is June 1, 2005. First-come, first serve basis.

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Wayne Township Democratic club, NEW LOCATION, LBC Community Center, 709 South Lynhurst, Indianapolis, 46241. Located on Lynhurst, at the corner of Delmar and Lynhurst (between Rockville and Washington on Lynhurst). And here’s some additional information on our Club’s upcoming speakers for April
& May (note location is subject to change).

(Editor: See last week’s MCDP Weekly List for information on the guests at the next two Wayne Township meetings)

***********************************************************************

The weekly e-mail list is a product of the Marion County Democratic Headquarters. If you have any questions about the events, or wish to be added to this list, call Gwen at 637-3366.

The deadline for additions to the weekly list is Friday, for the next week.

From the AP:

CLEVELAND (AP) — Domestic violence charges cannot be filed against unmarried people because of Ohio’s new constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a judge ruled Wednesday.
…
His public defender, David Magee, had asked the judge to throw out the charge because of the new wording in Ohio’s constitution that prohibits any state or local law that would “create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals.”

Before the amendment, courts applied the domestic violence law by defining a family as including an unmarried couple living together as would a husband and wife, the judge said. The gay marriage amendment no longer allows that.
…
Seventeen states have constitutional language defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Ohio’s is regarded as the broadest marriage amendment of those passed by 11 states Nov. 2 because it bans civil unions and legal status to all unmarried couples and gay marriages.
(Source: Judge: Ohio Gay Marriage Ban Affects Law by Connie Mabin of the AP)

The proposed Indiana Constitutional Amendment is similarly vague. From SJ0007/HJ0010:

Definition of marriage. Provides that marriage in Indiana consists only of the union of one man and one woman. Provides that Indiana law may not be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents of marriage be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.

Emphasis added.

On March 22, 2005 a meeting of the Indiana Democratic Club was held. turnout was good with a number of new faces in attendance. Topics from the night:

• The club was updated on the 2006 Marion County Superior Court Judge elections. There will be 17 judges up for re-election and one open seat - 9 Republicans, 8 Democrats and 1 Open seat. If we win the open seat and hold onto all of our current seats there will be an even split among Democrats and Republicans on eh Marion County Circuit Court. Election “season” starts May 1st, so expect to see the judges running for office even more often starting then. if you would like to meet them, we suggest coming to IDC meetings and other township meetings.
• Unfortunately, the Voter ID bill passed the Indiana Statehouse. There are many, many negatives to this bill including:
  • The cost of obtaining IDs.
  • Even if IDs are made freely available, the cost of obtaining other IDs and documents needed to obtain the state ID, such as out of state or non-existent birth certificates.
  • It functions as a virtual poll tax on the poor, elderly and minorities who traditionally have difficulty and/or are hesitant in obtaining IDs.
  • Additional cost to the state in administration and providing IDs if indeed the state will provide them free of charge
  • Most voter fraud occurs in absentee balloting and this bill does nothing to address that problem. In fact, the requirement for Voter IDs when voting in person will drive more absentee voting - exacerbating the problem..
• An education “swat team” is crossing the state informing voters of the problems for public education caused by the GOPs efforts in the statehouse. State Senators Breaux and Howard, among others, are a part of this effort. For example: IPS will lose nearly #18 million over the next two years causing cuts of up to 200 teaching positions over that time, causing an increase in class sizes and a decrease in the quality of education. More information available via this memo from one of the recent information sessions.
• Becky from Justice for Janitors and the SEIU came to present the petition that the IDC Board of Directors signed on to. The action of the Board of Directors was endorsed by a unanimous vote of the general club membership as well.
• The Marion County Women’s Democratic Club was welcomed back into the Indiana Democratic Club. Welcome!
• The Social Security Truth Truck will be in Indianapolis and South Bend soon.
• The Southside Democratic Club “Truck Driver Breakfast” is April 9th at 8:30am.

Our guest speaker was Dr. Charles Warren of the Institute for Working Families here in Indianapolis to speak about Social Security and the dangers of President Bush’s privatization plan. Look for a press release from them, jointly with the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, this Thursday.

Read the rest of this entry »

SOCIAL SECURITY PETITION ‘TRUTH TRUCK TOUR’ DESTINED FOR YOUR AREA
Starting next week, an Alliance for Retired Americans flatbed truck carrying more than a million messages to Congress from seniors against privatizing Social Security will visit select Congressional districts. The drive is part of a tour called the Social Security Truth Truck Tour: 3000 Miles, 1 Million Voices. The truck tour will kickoff in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and then travel on to North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.

At rallies in each state, local Alliance leaders and seniors who signed the “Don’t Privatize Social Security” petition will deliver to their Representatives’ district offices the names of local petitioners. The petitions were collected by the Alliance as part of its campaign opposing Social Security privatization. The tour begins March 21 in Florida and ends April 1 in Pennsylvania. Please join us by coming to our press conference when the truck stops in your area!

Itinerary for Upcoming Social Security Truth Truck Stops in Indiana:
Indianapolis
Date:Thursdayz March_24 with Rep. Julia Carson
Rep. Carson’s District Office Parking Lot
300 E. Fall Creek Pkwy., N. Drive
Indianapolis, IN
Time: 4:00 p.m.

South Bend
Date: Monday, March 28
UAW Local 5 1426 S. Main St. South Bend, IN
Time: 9:00 a.m.

We will be thanking Rep. Carson and Sen. Evan Bayh for their efforts to stop the privatization of Social Security. At the same time, we will be applying pressure to Sen. Richard Lugar, Rep. Chris Chocola and Rep. John Hostettler and telling them not to dismantle Social Security as we know it. The petition cargo is the centerpiece of the 16-stop, six-state road show, which is expected to travel through the home districts of more than 20 members of Congress. The Alliance believes these Members can be instrumental in saving Social Security.

The launch of the Alliance’s Social Security Truth Truck Tour coincides with the recent admission by White House strategists that seniors are not only Social Security’s “gatekeeper,” but also the one group capable of derailing President Bush’s campaign to privatize the 70-year-old government program. Older Americans, more so than any other age group, are against private accounts, recent polls indicate. In addition, they are skeptical that their benefits would be protected if the system were privatized.

These sentiments and beliefs, coupled with fact that seniors exert great influence and play an outsized role in the general and Congressional elections, is not lost on the President. The Administration’s 60-day campaign to promote private accounts is increasingly being tailored to 55+ audiences.

If you have questions about the Indianapolis or South Bend event, please contact Elmer Blankenship at 317/547-1351.

The Alliance is planning additional Truth Truck tours in other parts of the country for later this year.

(the following was a handout from the forum on education recently held in Indianapolis hosted by Democratic Senators Breaux and Howard. it was not written by the Indiana Democratic Club, but is re-published here for the education of the members of and those interested in the Indiana Democratic Club)
Read the rest of this entry »

Rally for Justice for Janitors
Wednesday, April 20th at 5pm
Location : TBD

(meet at 4:30 at Justice for Janitors office at 1 N Meridian)

For more information call Becky at 317-417-1628.

The March meeting of the Indiana Democratic Club is this Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:30pm.
Julia Carson Government Center
300 E. Fall Creek Parkway
2nd Floor

Dr. Charles Warren, Research Manager, Indiana Institute for Working Families, will speak on “SOCIAL SECURITY: CRISIS OR CHALLENGE.” Dr. Warren will have some new research to share with us. Also, we will be welcoming the ladies from the Marion County Women’s Democratic Club to our membership. The Women’s Club has disbanded and elected to become members of our club. Their treasury will become a
dedicated fund to support womans issues. Hon. Tonya Walton Pratt will welcome the women(and men) into our membership.

Many of you are behind in your dues so please see Cheryl at the meeting or remit your dues to IDC, P.O.Box 1901, 46206.

Ken Kern(317- 353-6038), President