Come on out to our next PDS meeting. There is a lot going on so come on out and get involved in one of the most exciting organizations in the city!

When: Tuesday, May 26 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Blue Shirt Cafe - 424 Highland Avenue - Davis Square

From 6:30 to 7:30, we will have our monthly meeting focused on next steps on community participation in the city budget process, learn more about the endorsement process for the upcoming city elections, discuss a PDS summer picnic and much more! At 7:30, all Somerville delegates to the Democratic State Convention are invited to come together to talk about ways to get involved and make a difference at the state convention. PDS delegates will share issues that they are working on and hear from others who are interested in getting involved.

Come on out to a great meeting at a great location and meet some great people!

For more information, please contact PDS Chairperson, Marty Martinez at chair at pdsomerville dot org.

Come out to the Progressive Democrats of Somerville (PDS) Annual Meeting. See what exciting things are happening with PDS as it celebrates the start of its 6th year.

When: Tuesday, April 21 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Independent Restaurant - Union Square

The short program will include elections for new officers, a review of where PDS has been and is going and more! This is a great opportunity to come out and share some good food and good politics with good people!

The Annual Meeting will run from 6:30 to 8:30 with a short program starting at 7:15. This is a great time to also pay your yearly dues of $10. A waiver is available if needed.

Come out and show why PDS continues to say....

Democracy Demands Participation!

For more information, please contact PDS Chairperson, Marty Martinez at mm8353 at hotmail dot com.

Come out to our next monthly meeting and see what exciting things PDS is working on!

The first hour of the meeting (6:30 to 7:30) will focus on updates including organizing around the Democratic State Convention, a check in from the ad-hoc committee on the fiscal challenges in the city, a brief discussion about the campaign training being rescheduled, planning and preparation for our April annual meeting and a vote on a proposed by-law change (see below).

The second hour (7:30 to 8:30) will actually be a meeting of the ad-hoc committee that has come together to raise awareness about the fiscal challenges that the city is facing. This will give all PDS members who are interested a chance to get involved in this important campaign and effort.

For more information, please contact Marty Martinez, PDS Chairperson at mm8353 at hotmail dot com.

Join us for our first meeting of the new year!

What: PDS January Meeting
When: Tuesday, January 27th - 6:45pm to 8:45pm
Where: Visiting Nurses Association, Community Room, 259 Lowell Street

Agenda includes:

• upcoming campaign and candidate training
• endorsement discussion on the condo coversion ordinance
• PDS' campaign on how Somerville will respond to the national and state financial downturn and
• Planning for the new year!

Join us for our next meeting and experience some good people, good politics, and good conversation with one of the most exciting organizations in Somerville!

For more information, please contact Marty Martinez, PDS Chairperson, mm8353@hotmail.com

Join PDS for Obama! Get Out the Vote Trip to New Hampshire!

This Sunday, PDS is headed up to New Hampshire with the Cambridge and Somerville for Obama group. The Cambridge and Somerville for Obama group has been doing fantastic work and just last Sunday, sent 130 canvassers up to New Hampshire!

Timeline for Sunday
8:00 Meet in Porter Square parking lot in front of Shaw's
8:30 Cars leave for NH
10:30 Arrive at one of the NH campaign offices
10:30 Canvass training
11:00 Canvass
4:00 Depart NH
6:00 Arrive at Porter Square parking lot

The Cambridge and Somerville for Obama group is aiming to turn out 1,000 canvassers between Saturday and Monday and an additional 1,000 volunteers on Tuesday! In addition, they will be making phone calls from offices located by Davis Square and by Central Square. If you are interested in volunteering for one of the phoning shifts, please respond to Rachel Heller, PDS Vice Chairperson at vice-chair at pdsomerville.org. More information will then be sent to you.

Please make every effort to volunteer during the critical final days of this election!

Somerville, MA - The Progressive Democrats of Somerville have weighed in on two key ballot questions in the November election. PDS members voted to support the Vote NO on Question 1 campaign which is working hard to defeat the elimination of the state income tax. PDS members know how dire the elimination of the state income tax would be to our schools and other critical services. PDS Vice-Chairperson Rachel Heller summed it up by saying, "Just imagine if your family lost 40% of its budget next year, what kind of impact would that have on what you can afford? Our city cannot afford this kind of budget catastrophe."

PDS members also voted to support the Vote YES on Question 3 campaign that is working to eliminate greyhound dog racing in Massachusetts. Thirty-four (34) other states have outlawed greyhound racing and proponents of this initiative in Massachusetts are working to end this sport that caused over 800 greyhounds to be injured in violent and sometimes fatal collisions since 2002.

Help us raise a glass! Join us at our next meeting on Thursday, October 2nd from 6:30 to 8:00 at Sagra Restaurant (400 Highland Avenue) in Davis Square for our regular monthly meeting. Connect with other members as we celebrate Rep. Carl Sciortino’s primary win, make endorsements in other local races and ballot questions, and hear from the Somerville for Obama campaign.

Before attending the meeting, please read the following statements from the uncontested candidates seeking our endorsement:

State Rep. Tim Toomey Statement (26th Middlesex)
State Rep. Denise Provost Statement (27th Middlesex)
State Senator Anthony Galluccio Statement (Middlesex, Suffolk & Essex)
State Senator Pat Jehlen Statement (Second Middlesex)

Good food, good people, and a great reason to celebrate!

Somerville, MA - The Progressive Democrats of Somerville has endorsed Rep. Carl Sciortino for re-election in the 34th Middlesex District (Somerville/Medford) House race. PDS members were impressed by Sciortino's hard work on behalf of the district on a variety of issues including working for increased local aid for education, advocating for the extension of the Green Line and his continued efforts on behalf of all the residents of the district.

Ward 7 Resident and PDS Endorsement Chair, Barry Rafkind, is one of those constituents who enthusiastically supports returning Sciortino to the State House. "From closing corporate tax loopholes to supporting mass transit to helping to increase local aid, Rep. Sciortino has proven himself to be a hard working representative and has accomplished a great deal in his time in office. It is clear to me that our district needs his leadership on Beacon Hill."

PDS, which voted unanimously to endorse Sciortino at its June General Meeting, invited both candidates in this race to submit a written response detailing their positions on a variety of issues. Candidates were asked to respond to important issues facing this district including thoughts on the Green Line extension, ways to increase support for public education and ideas for more accountability in government.

Join PDS in supporting Rep. Sciortino's campaign by emailing endorsements at pdsomerville dot org or check out more information about the candidate at www.electcarl.org.

PDS invited all of the Democratic candidates for State Representative in the 34th Middlesex and 35th Middlesex districts to fill out a questionnaire covering a number of the issues important to PDS members, and we received the following responses. We will be voting on endorsements in these races at our upcoming meeting, so please join us!

34th Middlesex District (Somerville/Medford)

• Carl Sciortino (responses) (website)
• Bob Trane (did not respond) (website)

35th Middlesex District (Medford/Malden)

• Jim Caralis (responses) (website)
• Paul Donato (responses) (website)
• Patrick McCabe (responses) (website)

Come out to the next PDS Meeting.

Tuesday, June 24th at 7:30pm at the

College Avenue United Methodist Church on Chapel Street.

PLEASE NOTE: We have moved our meeting to start a little later so interested people can attend the Union Square Zoning Meeting that starts at 6pm.

Check out our June meeting which will be an endorsement meeting for State Representative candidates in the 34th and 35th Middlesex Districts. A great meeting to come out and see some of the important work that PDS takes on in advocating for strong progressive candidates. Remember, this is a "Bring A Friend" meeting so all PDS members should try to bring someone new or someone who has not been to a meeting in a while.