We've marched; we've sung solidarity songs; we've petitioned; we've called; we've sent postcards, letters and emails; we've posted, shared and tweeted. All good. All necessary. But not enough. Speaking up and speaking out call attention to issues, make resistance visible and audible, even keep terrible legislation (like repealing the Affordable Care Act) at bay. But the time for positive work is upon us. We can't stop all the things we've been doing to resist what is happening in Congress, in the Trump administration, in our WI legislature and the Walker administration. As they say, "keep those cards and letters coming." But now we have to start to dig deeper, to commit to the work that wins elections so that we can create positive change. Resist, persist, and assist!

The trends nationwide are encouraging — we should be cautiously optimistic.

Animated by opposition to President Donald Trump and the Republican congressional majorities, at least 162 Democratic candidates in 82 GOP-held districts have raised over $100,000 so far this year, according to a POLITICO analysis of the latest FEC data. That’s about four times as many candidates as House Democrats had at this point before the 2016 or 2014 elections, and it’s more than twice as many as Republicans had running at this point eight years ago, on the eve of capturing the House in the 2010 wave election. (Politico, 10/23/17 )

On the national scene right now, there are two key races to watch: Northam v. Gillespie for VA governor and Jones v. Moore for US Senate from Alabama. The Virginia election will take place on November 7. You can help Northam defeat Gillespie, who has been running a very nasty racist and nativist campaign to try to capitalize on Trump's slimy coat-talls. The MKE Dems are holding a phone bank on the eve of the election at the party's office, 2999 S. Delaware Ave, on Monday, November 6, from 6-8pm. Bring a cell phone and an laptop. Make a difference.

The Alabama special election will take place on December 12. Alabama hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate in 25 years. So this one still seems like a very long shot. Yet, the polls are tight, giving Dems some cheer. Right now, the focus is raising money. If you can spare a few dimes, you could do worse. After all, if the GOP loses three votes on any piece of legislation — like their proposed tax cuts — their bill is defeated. A Jones win would reduce that number to two and would also increase the chance that Democrats could win back the senate in 2018!

But closer to home we have real opportunities to contest GOP dominance in the state legislature. On the North Shore, we have two outstanding and courageous Dems ready to fight in Assembly Districts 24 (Dan Knodl) and 60 (Robert Brooks). And we know there will be a strong Dem to try to drum Jim Ott out of his seat in AD 23. With the election just over a year away, now is the time to start reaching out to voters, especially those who do not always vote in off-year elections. Grassroots North Shore is participating in an early canvassing technique — holding bridge-building conversations with people who tend to vote for Democrats or who are genuinely independent (truly a shrinking share of the electorate but still worth trying to reach). The effort is not geared toward persuasion, yet, but is instead focused on genuinely listenting to citizens' concerns. The information we gather will then help candidates hone their messages and prepare responses to the kinds of questions they are likely to face once the real campaign is under way. If you'd like to participate, we're holding the first event this Saturday, October 28, beginning at 11am. (We're providing lunch!). Just sign up. If you can't do this weekend but are interested in participating in the future, just let us know.

In the coming weeks, I will be covering the state of some upcoming campaigns for Congress in the 2nd, 6th, and 8th Congressional Districts plus the race for State Attorney General. We have at least 10 current candidates vying to be the nominee for governor. So I'll also try to help you learn about all of them (without asking you for money).

Tue Oct 24, 2017

Foreign Policy Study Group, 6pm - 8pm 
Celebrity's Hall, 1325 S. 25th St., Milwaukee 
Citizen Action is pleased to announce the forthcoming study/discussion group on'War, Peace, US Foreign Policy and the Left'. This session is the first of two and is open to Co-op members. If you are interested in attending please contact Al Nichols (below); you will be sent a reading list and presentation notes in advance of the event. Seating is limited, first-come, first- served. RSVP. Contact: . Al Nichols.

Sup. Lipscomb Town Hall Meeting, 6pm - 7pm 
Villard Square Library, 5190 N. 35th St., Milwaukee 
Join County Board Chairman Theo Lipscomb for a 1st District Town Hall Meeting where you can offer your feedback or simply learn more about our 2018 budget.

The Movie 13th, 7pm - 9pm 
100 E Broadway, Waukesha (First Congregational Church) 
The film '13th' is based on the 13th Amendment which outlawed slavery ‘except for punishment of criminals’. This Emmy award winning documentary shows the progression from the passage of the 13th Amendment to the current situation of mass incarceration in this country. Discussion will follow viewing. Sponsored By SOPHIA.

Wed Oct 25, 2017

Community Justice Council, 9:30am - 11am 
Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 N. Martin Luther King Dr., Milwaukee 
Milwaukee Community Justice Council Meeting of the Whole. More information.

Refuel the Resistance, 5pm - 8pm 
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee 
Weekly gathering at Bounce Milwaukee's mezzanine bar for networking,inspiration or just to vent. Bring along any evidence of your civic resistance from the last week to get a beverage (up to $7) on the house, and compare notes with other individuals and groups working to make things better. More information.

Progressive Democrats Meeting, 6pm - 8pm 
DPMC Office, 2999 S. Delaware Ave., Milwaukee 
The Progressive Democrats of America in Milwaukee County invite all who are interested to attend its meeting and learn about the group. The keynote speaker will be Robert Hansen, chair of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party. PDA is a grassroots Political Action Committee dedicated to reforming U.S. politics and promoting an ambitious progressive agenda through an "inside-outside" electoral and direct action strategy. It is dedicated to moving the Democratic Party into more progressive politics. For more information contact . Jim Carpenter, (414) 347-0353.

Sup. Lipscomb Town Hall Meeting, 6pm - 7pm 
North Shore Library, 6800 N. Port Washington Rd., Glendale 
Join County Board Chairman Theo Lipscomb for a 1st District Town Hall Meeting where you can offer your feedback or simply learn more about our 2018 budget.

Drinking Liberally Glendale, 7pm - 7pm 
Bar Louie, 5750 N. Bayshore Dr., Glendale 
Drinking Liberally Glendale meets on the last Wednesday of the month. Comedrink a beverage or two of your choice and talk about Liberal stuff. More information.

Thu Oct 26, 2017

Mental Health Board Meeting, 8am - 8am 
Zoofari Conference Center, 9715 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee 
Milwaukee County Mental Health Board Meeting. More information.

Prison Education Panel Discussion, 4pm - 6pm 
MATC, Room S120, 700 W. State St., Milwaukee 
Panel discussion: “Is Doing Time a Waste of Time and Money?” Panelists: Daniel Karpowitz, Author of “College in Prison: Reading in an Age of Mass Incarceration”, Bard Prison Initiative’ Darren Wheelock, Associate Professor of Social & Cultural Sciences, Marquette University; Attorney Larry R. Coté, Jr. Kim Donald, 9 to 5 Wisconsin More information. Hosted by MilwaukeeTurners.

Felesia Martin Campaign Kick-off, 6pm - 8pm 
Sherman Perk Coffee Shop, 4924 W Roosevelt Dr, Milwaukee 
Suggested Donation: $50

MICAH Public Meeting, 6pm - 6pm 
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 2433 W. Roosevelt Dr., Milwaukee 
MICAH is a multi-racial, interfaith organization committed to the justice issues of greatest impact on our communities. The meeting's theme is “Revitalizing MICAH, our Community, and our City.” Congregations will recommit themselves to do justice through MICAH. Issue task forces will announce action plans to increase job opportunities for formerly incarcerated persons, to greatly reduce joblessness in the 53206 zip code, and to strengthen quality education for youth. More information.

Sup. Lipscomb Town Hall Meeting, 6pm - 7pm 
Brown Deer Village Hall, 4800 W. Green Brook Dr., Brown Deer 
Join County Board Chairman Theo Lipscomb for a 1st District Town Hall Meeting where you can offer your feedback or simply learn more about our 2018 budget.

Waukesha Writers Club, 6:30pm - 8pm 
336 Wisconsin Ave, Waukesha, WI 
The "Letter to the Editor" section is one of the most widely read partsof thenewspaper, offering a chance to reach a broad audience. Letters to our legislators are also an effective way to let them know what we expect of them. Working together gives us the opportunity to discuss the current issues, improve writing skills, develop persuasive techniques that target intended readers, and help each other with ideas and suggestions. Sponsored by grassrootswauksha.org ([email protected])

"College in Prison" Author Event, 7pm 
Boswell Book Co., 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee 
Daniel Karpowitz will talk about his book "College in Prison: Reading in an Age ofMass Incarceration." American colleges and universities have made various efforts to provide prisoners with access to education. However, few of these outreach programs presume that incarcerated men and women can rise to the challenge of a truly rigorous college curriculum. The Bard Prison Initiative, however, is different. As this compelling new book reveals, BPI has fostered a remarkable transformation in the lives of thousands of prisoners. Karpowitz is a director and teacher in the Bard Prison Initiative.

Fri Oct 27, 2017

Voces Masquerade Gala, 5:30pm - 5:30pm 
Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 W. Canal St., Milwaukee 
Voces de la Frontera invites you to the Dia de los Muertos inspired Masquerade Gala, featuring live entertainment by Abraxes, Milwaukee's own Santana tribute band. Keynote Speaker: Iván Ceja, Co-founder of Undocumedia. 5:30 Cocktail hour, 6:30 Dinner and program, 7: 30 Dancing. Tickets: $75 members / $100 nonmembers. Sponsorships: $3,000 Freedom Fighter, $2,000 Vocero; $1,000 Dreamer; $750 Member Table. Purchase tickets. More information: Nancy Flores.

Sat Oct 28, 2017

Community Brainstorming, 8am - 11am 
St. Matthew CME Church, 2944 N. 9th St., Milwaukee 
Community Brainstorming Conference Breakfast Forum Breakfast: 8 am, Program: 9 am. All Are Invited, Come and Participate. Details.

Fight the Opioid Crisis, 10am - 12pm 
Humboldt Park Pavilion, 3000 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee 
Milwaukee County, like much of the nation, is in the midst of an Opioid crisis. Clearly, something must be done. The City-County Heroin, Opioid, and Cocaine Task Force is holding two special Saturday meetings this month to seek input from the community on solutions to this deadly epidemic. Citizen Action of Wisconsin is mobilizing people to testify at these hearings, and would love for you to help! Citizen Action believes SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) is the most promising, evidence-based prevention program available. It's up to us to make it a priority for Milwaukee County. RSVP. Contact: Justin Bielinski, 414-208-9283.

Bridge-Building Conversations, 11am - 4:30pm 
GRNS Office, 5600 W. Brown Deer Rd., Brown Deer 
If you want Democrats to win in 2018 please join Grassroots North Shore for Bridge-Building Outreach Training. Learn how to talk to citizen sand more importantly how to listen to them. The conversations with potential voters about their issues and concerns will focus on three assembly districts: AD 23 (Jim Ott, incumbent); AD 24 (Dan Knodl, Incumbent), and AD 60 (Robert Brooks, incumbent). 11 am: Orientation to Bridge-Building Conversations and practice with scripts; 12 pm - 12:45pm: Pizza provided for lunch; 12:45: Depart for specified locations to speak to voters; 1 pm - 4 pm: Conversations with voters; 4 pm - 4:30 pm: Feedback on what worked and did not work. RSVP.

Fair Elections Town Hall, 2pm - 4pm 
Tippecanoe Church, 125 W. Saveland Ave., Milwaukee 
Wisconsin’s voting maps are unfair. We need to work together to changet his!Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative will host Shauntay Nelson from Wisconsin Voices and Sachin Chheda of the Fair Elections Project to speak about unfair voting maps, why the U.S. Supreme Court is now considering the most important case of the decade against Wisconsin’s unfair voting maps, and what we can do to get fair government representation. Doors open at 1: 45. RSVP. Contact: Anna Dvorak, 414-469-0118.

Mon Oct 30, 2017

Dana Wachs Meet & Greet, 5:30pm - 7:30pm 
2719 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee 
State Rep. Dana Wachs, Democratic candidate for governor, will be at the Meet & Greet to share his vision for moving Wisconsin forward and to answer any questions you have about his campaign. RSVP.

How to Run for Office, 6pm - 7:30pm 
MATC, Yatchak Hall, 633 S. Hawley Rd., Milwaukee 
Come learn more about what it takes to run for office! Join Citizen Action WI, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, and Wisconsin Education Association Region 7 for an evening of conversation with progressive champions and hear how they made the decision to make a difference. Meet labor and community activists. Connect with resources to run for any level of office, from School Board to State Senate. RSVP. Contact: Matt Brusky, 414-315-4127.

County Budget Public Hearing, 6:30pm - 6:30pm 
Marcus Center, Bradley Pavilion, 929 N. Water St., Milwaukee 
The Milwaukee County Board will hold its Annual Public Hearing on the county's budget. Come and be heard on this crucial issue. Doors open at 6 pm. Free parking in the Marcus structure.

Getting Tough: Welfare and Incarceration, 7pm 
Boswell Book Co., 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee 
Julilly Kohler-Hausmann, assistant professor of history at Cornell University, will discuss her book "Getting Tough: Welfare and Imprisonment in 1970s America." In the 1970s politicians began "getting tough" on drugs, crime, and welfare. These campaigns helped expand the nation's penal system, discredit welfare programs, and cast blame for the era's social upheaval on racialized deviants that the state was not accountable to serve or represent. Getting Tough sheds light on how this unprecedented growth of the penal system and the evisceration of the nation's welfare programs developed hand in hand.

Wed Nov 1, 2017

Citizen Lobby, 9:45am - 6:30pm 
Gather at Bethel Lutheran Church (312 Wisconsin Ave., Madison) 
Citizen Lobby Day because we, the citizens of this state, deserve to be heard. We will hold training and lunch before heading to the Capitol together. COST: $15, includes lunch, a tote bag, and citizen lobbying training materials to make your meetings as powerful as possible. **Please contact WAVE at 414-351-9283 if you need transportation from Milwaukee.

Refuel the Resistance, 5pm - 8pm 
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee 
Weekly gathering at Bounce Milwaukee's mezzanine bar for networking,inspiration or just to vent. Bring along any evidence of your civic resistance from the last week to get a beverage (up to $7) on the house, and compare notes with other individuals and groups working to make things better. More information.

Grass Roots South Shore Meeting, 6pm - 6pm 
Cudahy Library, 3500 Library Dr., Cudahy 
Grass Roots South Shore will hold its monthly meeting. Grass Roots South Shore meets on the first Wednesday of each month. For more information call Jim Balk, 414-218-5944.

Israeli/Palestinian Understanding, 7pm - 8:30pm 
Plymouth Church, 2717 E. Hampshire St., Milwaukee 
Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, an Orthodox settler, and Ali Abu Awwad, a leadingPalestinian activist, are the co-founders of Roots. Roots is a grassroots movement fostering understanding, nonviolence, transformation and coexistence among Israelis and Palestinians. Free event presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council and Plymouth Church. RSVP. or contact Allison, 414-390- 5781.

Thu Nov 2, 2017

On the Issues with Mike Gousha, 12:15pm - 1:15pm 
Marquette University Law School, 1215 W Michigan St, Milwaukee 
On the Issues with Mike Gousha: Amanda Baltz, CEO of Spaulding Medical; MattCordio, founder of Startup Milwaukee and Skills Pipeline; Richard Yau, co-founder and CEO, Bright Cellars—Just days before Startup Week in Wisconsin, we’ll talk with three entrepreneurs about Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s startup scene. Amanda Baltz is CEO of Spaulding Medical, which makes an electrocardiogram machine for use in homes, hospitals, and post-acute care facilities. Matt Cordio is the founder of Startup Milwaukee and Skills Pipeline. He is a technology talent scout and started his first business while still in college. Richard Yau is CEO and co-founder of Bright Cellars, a monthly wine club with 16,000 subscribers. In this one-hour conversation, Baltz, Cordio and Yau will share their personal startup stories. They’ll also address some key questions. What are the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs here? Why do we as a region fare poorly in national rankings for startups, or are those rankings missing something? What, if any, role can government play in encouraging entrepreneurship? Join us as we discuss this key component to our region’s economic vitality.

RID Leadership Meeting, 5pm - 6:15pm 
Video call: Join video call with the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee 
Leadership Team meets bi-monthly (odd months) from 5 - 6:15pm. on the first THURSDAY. This is prior to the General Membership Meeting. Any member may attend the Leadership meeting. There we discuss business and future activities. Input is greatly welcomed! Thanks! Leadership Team Please consider the following committees: RID Committees: Programming Team (events, workshops, programs, dialogues, book discussions); Communications Team (newsletter, and maintain website/facebook content); Membership Team (member, new member, and partnerships); Website Resources and Research Team (research of articles, media lists, resources, organizations, etc.); Fund Development Team (fundraising to support our programs); Advocacy/Action Team (support action teams, issue campaigns, and coalitions). Action Teams: Ban the Box, Alternative to Incarceration, and Youth Incarceration.

Josh Kaul Fundraiser, 5:30pm - 7pm 
Woman's Club of Wisconsin, 813 E. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee 
Milwaukee reception in support of Josh Kaul, Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Wisconsin. Hosted by Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Mayor Tom Barrett, Debbie Patel and others. More information and RSVP.

Tim Burns Campaign Fundraiser, 5:30pm - 7:30pm 
2448 N 73rd St., Wauwatosa 
Join Chris Rockwood for a reception in support of the campaign of Tim Burns, candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Host $500; Co-host; $250; Sponsor $100; Friend $50. RSVP.

DPMC Issues Committee Meeting, 6:30pm - 8pm 
Amalgamated Transit Union, 734 N. 26th St., Milwaukee 
The Democratic Party's Issues Committee will hold its monthly meeting. All Democrats are welcome to participate. Enter from the parking lot.

RID Membership Meeting with Program, 6:30pm - 8pm 
Video call: Join video call with the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee 
General Membership Meeting - includes Program and/or Speaker with Q&A. We will meet bi-monthly (odd months) 6:30 - 8pm on the first THURSDAY.

Mon Nov 6, 2017

Virginia Election Phone Bank, 6pm - 8pm 
DPMC Office, 2999 S. Delaware Ave., Milwaukee 
Virginia will hold an election on November 7 for offices including governor. Join other Milwaukee-area volunteers for a phone bank to help get out the vote in Virginia for their Democratic candidates. Bring a cell phone and laptop.

Drinking Liberally Waukesha, 6:30pm - 9pm 
Clarke Irish Pub, 314 W. Main St., Waukesha 
More information.