WNY Coalition for Progress update

There was a meeting on December 2nd (which I could not attend) of our nascent group. How shall it be named? Please vote now. The choices: WNY Coalition for Progress WNY Citizens for Progress Coalition for Progress WNY Alliance for Progress Americans United for Progress Vote via e-mail to Mark Poloncarz. Here is Mark's report on last week's meeting:

The second meeting of the new regional progressive organization was held on December 2nd and was attended by 45 people. After much discussion it was overwhemingly decided that the organization be non- partisan in nature and focus on progressive/democratic issues. A similar national organization would be the Center for American Progress, a progressive issue based group headed by Bill Clinton's former Chief of Staff John Podesta: http://www.americanprogress.org. While the organization would not endorse candidates, it will endorse and support progressive/democratic ideas. If the group moves forward a PAC could be created to endorse and help fund progressive candidates. It was also decided that a central Board of Directors/Executive Committee govern various working groups, which groups would be split into 2 general issue wings - National and Regional/Local. The working groups would review issues and present findings to the Executive Committee for determination on endorsement of issues. Ideas for working groups were thrown around and the following groups were suggested:

National - Progressive Moral Identification/Values, Federal Election Reform, Protect Social Security, Communication/Media Reform, Foreign Policy/Affairs, Healthcare/stem cells/prescription drugs, Free Trade Policies, Women's Reproductive Rights, Environment Regional/Local - State/Local Election Reform, Cross Border Issues, Working Wage, Local Fiscal Policy, Medicaid Reform, Taxes, Buffalo Media Accountability, City-County Consolidation, reform Albany, Low Cost Utilities, Education Reform, Development, Transportation, Downtown Development, Erie County, Niagara County, Southern Tier, Eastern Counties. Other working groups may be suggested, and I ask for everyone's suggestions on other recommended working groups. We will not be able to have a working group for every recommendation, but we would like to have a few working groups up and running in January. So please provide me your suggestions and let me know if you would like to sit on or chair any of the above recommended working groups. A provisional Board/Executive Committee will be in place by January. Though we have about 20 people interested in the board, if you have not yet notified me and are interested in sitting on the board please drop me an e-mail. At the end of the meeting attendees were asked to vote for a name choice. Out of the 18 suggested names the top 5 were:

WNY Coalition for Progress: 12 votes WNY Citizens for Progress: 8 votes Coalition for Progress: 7 votes WNY Alliance for Progress: 4 votes Americans United for Progress: 3 votes In order to put the name of the organization to rest I ask everyone to send me an e-mail with your name choice from the above 5 names., which will then be presented to the provisional board for final approval. Finally, while I have most members' addresses and phone numbers, I do not have everyones. So I ask everyone who has not attended a meeting and filled out an application to send me an e-mail with your address and home, cell & work numbers. As always, if you have any ideas or questions please feel free to drop me an e-mail, and if you want to review e-mail suggestions from members please click here: http://www.poloncarz.com/wnycoalition.htm.

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