Now is the right time...

...to get going on the elections for 2020.

The second round of debates are coming up. Once again, there will be 20 candidates distributed between the two nights. We won't know until a few days from now who will be on which night but we'll put that information on our events pages once we get the information. Be aware that this month the debates will begin at 7pm CDT!

And once again Grassroots North Shore is hosting several Debate Watch Parties. You can find out all the details of each on on our website's GRNS Events page. Right now, we have 5 watch parties scheduled: on July 30 and July 31 at Ferrante's Restaurant in Mequon; on July 30 and July 31 at Art Bar in Milwaukee; and on July 31 at Martha Pincus' house in Fox Point. We currently looking for someone to host a watch party in Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Glendale, and/or Brown Deer on July 30. (Actually we could use a couple more on the North Shore. So if you would like to volunteer to host one on July 30, or even on July 31, please get in touch with Dean Schultz or Norma Gilson).

Although the level of political activity in the Milwaukee region is on the light side right now, some important work is going on at Grassroots North Shore. As Nate Cohn explains in a must-read NY Times piece on July 15, a larger-than-normal turnout for the 2020 elections does not necessarily confer an advantage on the Democrat's nominee. With our work cut out for us, Grassroots North Shore is trying to learn about infrequent voters in our area. Cohn's piece underlines just how important knowing who are potential voters are! To that end, we are mounting a series of what are known as "deep canvasses," a proven technique for understanding the issues infrequent voters care about and figuring out who we need to motivate to turn out for the election. You can and should sign up to do this vital work. We have canvasses set up on Sunday, July 21; Wednesday, August 7; Sunday, August 11; Wednesday, August 21; Sunday, August 25; Wednesday, September 11; Saturday, September 14; Wednesday, September 25; and Saturday, September 28. You can find all the dates and details for each date on our GRNS Actions --> deep canvassing page. If we want a win in Wisconsin, this is the work we must do. So please become a deep canvasser!

Finally, for those of you who missed the talk on healthcare proposals given by Dr. Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action in Wisconsin, Shirley Horowitz has kindly provided a succinct summary. (You can also see it on our website.)

What Health Care Plans are Proposed? Who Supports What? How does Medicare for All Differ from Medicare for America?

Despite health care being a winning issue for Democrats in 2018, people are more uncertain than ever about what is being proposed and how it will affect them. Instead of discussing how to improve the ACA, candidates are talking about Medicare for All and its variations. Many people assume that the ACA is no longer a factor. On May 16^th the House passed legislation strengthening the ACA and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. However, because the Senate has declined to take up the bill, the conversation appears to have moved on.

On Sunday, June 23^rd, Dr. Robert Kraig of Citizen Action of Wisconsin filled us in on the new debate, new legislation and its supporters, and which candidates might support various health care reform alternatives. Daniel Folkman (you can find him on YouTube and at Video Hub) recorded the presentation. He also recorded short videos of individuals’ health care (or lack of) stories. (We appreciate his help in making this more widely available).

Robert described the differences between Medicare for All, as introduced by Bernie Sanders, and Medicare for America. The major distinction between them is budgetary and financial, regarding who should pay how much, rather than major differences in coverage. Medicare for America has budgetary provisions that would pay for the legislation, while Medicare for All does not. Medicare for America offers full coverage with a robust public option but allowances for keeping private insurance, and financial support. Dr. Kraig noted that Beto O’Rourke supports Medicare for America. From recent statements, Kamala Harris also seems to support it. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders support Medicare for All. Biden supports what appears to be an upgraded ACA similar to Medicare for America. It is not clear yet whether there are other candidates who support Medicare for All but who would not support Medicare for America.

People with whom I discussed health care while canvassing tended to support fixes to the ACA, particularly in the area of drug coverage and subsidy categories. That was a topic used to our advantage in the 2018 elections. It remains to be seen whether the newer proposals will garner support or just increase the already high level of anxiety among voters.

The conversation within the Democratic candidate community and those who go out to work for them needs to shift to figure out how to fix the system without pushing our supporters to either fight or run. Good explanations of the alternatives followed by a poll would go a long way to help us finalize a position.

To view this talk (and there is a lot of information here), watch the video of the event plus health care stories by Mark Foreman, Eilene Stevens, and Pastor Ellen Rasmussen.

EVENTS

Wed Jul 17, 2019

Drinking Liberally Wauwatosa, 6pm - 8pm
Red Dot, 6715 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa
Come join fellow Wauwatosa progressives for good conversation. DLW meets monthly on the 3rd Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Refuel the Resistance, 6pm - 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.

Drinking Liberally Wauwatosa, 6:30pm - 9pm
Walter's, 6930 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa
Come join fellow Wauwatosa progressives for good conversation. More info.

Southwest Region Dems Meeting, 7pm - 7pm
Studz Pub Sports Bar & Grill, 6833 W. National Ave., West Allis
Southwest Dems will hold their monthly meeting. Region 5 covers Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Milwaukee (Southwest), West Allis, West Milwaukee. For more information contact [email protected].

Thu Jul 18, 2019

Fermenting Up Freedom, 6pm - 8pm
Central Standard Craft Distillery, 613 S. 2nd St., Milwaukee
Wisconsin has a three-tier system for alcohol production, distribution, and retailing that significantly burdens small craft manufacturers. This panel discussion will seek to raise public awareness of how the system distorts the market in favor of big business and how to level the playing field. Americans for Prosperity is sponsoring this "nonpolitical" event, and although "Milwaukee Democrats and AFP haven't traditionally worked together," it has reached out to "partner together to really benefit the Milwaukee area and strengthen the craft alcohol industry." AFT facebook.

Fri Jul 19, 2019

Stand for Livable Climate, 12pm - 1pm
Zeidler Park, 4th Street & Michigan Street, Milwaukee
Help make climate justice happen! Join 350.org Milwaukee and allies to Stand for a Livable Climate, a weekly rally across the street from WE Energies focusing on its policies of using fossil fuels, thwarting renewable energy, and giving inordinate returns to investors vs. a fair cost to consumers. More information.

DNC Convention Fundraiser, 5:30pm - 5:30pm
Address upon RSVP
The Democratic National Committee's Women's Leadership Forum cordially invites you to a Women's Leadership Forum reception in Milwaukee, with special guests DNC Chair Tom Perez, DNC Secretary Jason Rae, U.S. Representative Abby Finkenauer, U.S. Representative Gwen Moore, Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, and Mayor Tom Barrett, County Executive Chris Abele, and Marcus Switzer. Attendee tickets are $250, with support levels up to $10,000. Tickets and more information.

Sat Jul 20, 2019

NAACP Monthly Meeting, 11:30am - 1pm
2745 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., Milwaukee
Monthly membership meeting of NAACP Milwaukee Branch. The meeting is held in the basement conference room.

Ozaukee County Dems Picnic, 12pm - 3pm
Rotary Park Court, Rotary Park Ct, Mequon at the North Reuter Pavilion
Our family-friendly event is open to people interested in connecting with like-minded people and progressive values. Participants will hear from local and state Democratic politicians while enjoying food, drink, and games. $20.00 will be collected to cover the cost of the food, venue, and to raise money for upcoming elections. We hope you are able to spread the word and join us for this fun event!

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
East Capitol Drive & Oakland Avenue, Shorewood
Stand for peace in the streets of Milwaukee, every Saturday at noon. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Bystander Intervention Training, 1pm - 3pm
Bay View Community Center, 1320 E. Oklahoma Ave., Milwaukee
Bystander Intervention training will focus on ways to intervene in public instances of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-Trans, and other forms of oppressive interpersonal violence and harassment while considering the safety of all parties. This workshop includes a learning segment of tips and strategies, how to document, film the police, knowing your rights as an intervener, and practice scenarios constructed on ways to show up and support a diversity of identities through an intersectional lens, both as the intervener and the person experiencing harm. Hosted by SURJ MKE.

Sun Jul 21, 2019

Deep Canvassing Event, 2pm - 4:30pm
GRNS office, 5600 W. Brown Deer Rd., Suite 116, Brown Deer
Deep canvassing does not seek to get votes for any particular candidate or party. Instead, its purpose is to listen to specific voters' concerns. The techniques and the script canvassers use require then to work in pairs and to have a real discussion with voters. Help Grassroots North Shore get to know voters in the area. Training will be provided. RSVP.

Wed Jul 24, 2019

Drinking Liberally Glendale, 6:30pm - 9pm
Bar Louie, 5750 N. Bayshore Dr., Glendale
Drinking Liberally Glendale meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month. A monthly meetup to eat, drink, and talk politics with like-minded people. More information.

Drinking Liberally Port Washington, 6:30pm - 8pm
Schooner Pub, 114 N Franklin St, Port Washington
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Judicial Independence Corrupted, 7pm - 7pm
Boswell Book Co., 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee
Former Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals Charles Benjamin Schudson explores the decision-making process of judges, going behind the bench to hear judges forging appellate decisions about life and death, multimillion-dollar damages, and priceless civil rights. He will discuss his new book, entitled Independence Corrupted: How America's Judges Make Their Decisions.

Fri Jul 26, 2019

Outspoken: Women's Voices, 7pm - 7pm
Boswell Book Co., 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee
Peabody winner Veronica Rueckert will discuss her book about how women can claim the power of their voices and what needs to change so they can be heard. Rueckert, former host of Wisconsin Public Radio’s Central Time, offers a substantive yet entertaining analysis of why most males and many females don’t grant women the power to speak and solutions for change.

Sat Jul 27, 2019

Community Brainstorming, 8am - 11am
St. Matthew CME Church, 2944 N. 9th St., Milwaukee
Community Brainstorming Conference Breakfast Forum Breakfast: 8 am, Program: 9 am. The 2020 Democratic Convention's Impact on Wisconsin. Panelists: Jason Rae, Secretary, Democratic National Committee; Alex Lasry, SVP, Milwaukee Bucks (Finance Chair, DNCC 2020); Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive; Tom Barrett, Mayor of Milwaukee; John Chisholm, Milwaukee County District Attorney; Dr. Lakeshia Myers, Representive, Assembly District 12. Moderator: Martha Love. Chairperson: Hon. Russell Stamper Sr. All Are Invited, Come and Participate.

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Locust Street & Martin Luther King Drive, Milwaukee
Stand for peace in the streets of Milwaukee, every Saturday at noon. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

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