Cumberland County Progressive Democrats’ Meeting
Minutes: Saturday, February 16, 2008
The meeting was called to order @ 2:15 pm by Roderick Lewis, Chair
Roundtable/ Introductions
Guest Speakers:
Jimmy Valentine -Feed My People Ministry
Did not attend our meeting
John Autry -US Congress -District 8
How the Congress has missed placed it’s values
Concentrating more on the nation’s past-time (baseball) than on the nation’s business ( wars,
education, government waste of funds, and bad bills)
Questions from the floor allowed a frank and open ended discussion on various aspects of the Iraq War
The need for troop withdraw and & how will that message would be received by residents of the 8th district
A need to find opportunity to promote the message of troop withdrawal & peace
*A frank and open ended discussion on the direction John Autry -US Congress campaign
District 8 Campaign and the alternatives if he can not run for the seat in the upcoming primary
Review of the form letter sent by Richard Burr sent on recycled paper
- Cumberland County Progressives on one side
- Information on the other side written to a different group on a different subject
Agenda:
-
Reports given by Andrew Bryant (Homeless political action group formation)
-
Reports given by Nancy Shakir (*Detail report on first meeting of socio-economics forum)
Review of the budget for this fiscal year
Sale of Cumberland County assets
Review of the Cumberland County Progressives Fund appeal letter
Next meeting date, time, and place agreed on
Meeting was adjourned by group @ 4:30 pm
*
My dear friends and supporters,
Rebecca and I have spent the last year traveling across the 8th district in North Carolina. We’ve
met voters, made new friends and had a wonderful time. Rebecca and I are grateful for the hospitality that has been extended
to us by you, our new friends.
My ambition was to campaign for the democratic nomination and be elected to the US House of Representatives
to represent the working people in
NC-08. But, this year, that is not to be.
Recently I have been confronted with some health issues. It isn’t anything critical or life threatening,
just issues that require my attention and discipline over the next few months.
Our son Chris is in his last semester at law school and will need Rebecca’s support and mine
as he prepares for the bar exam. As proud parents we won’t permit anything to jeopardize his success.
As many of you know, I have a day job. A job I must maintain. Campaigning for congress is always in
conflict with the job and demands time that I just don’t always have. It’s impossible to make an event in Albemarle
when my job takes me to Salt Lake City, UT or Florida. So, with much regret I must step aside in the race for the democratic
nomination
for NC-08.
I will continue in my position on the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors.
I will continue to advocate progressive causes and principles. I will continue as an organizer with Veterans For Peace. I
will continue working for energy policy reform, clean air to breath and safe water to drink. And I will continue as vice
president
of my neighborhood association in our struggle against “hit and run” development that threatens our neighborhood.
I will work to elect progressives to Congress, the Senate and the Whitehouse.
Thanks to everyone who embraced us, encouraged us and supported the campaign. Simple words cannot express
how grateful we truly are.
Always remember that you can make a difference.
John Autry
--
The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed
by men worse than themselves.
Plato (427-347 BC)
*
To: Roderick Lewis, Chair Cumberland County Progressives
From: Forum Subcommittee
Racism and Economics Committee Meeting
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Stacey and I met to develop ideas for an upcoming workshop.
Some of the proposals were making are the following:
Workshop to be held Saturday, October 18, 2008.
Location possibly at Fayetteville State University
Time from 9am to 2PM
Tentative Schedule
9-10 am Registration/ Continental Breakfast
10-10:30 Plenary- focus on racism & economics in regard to pay scale;
homelessness; prison industrial system and disability.
10:30-11:15 Workshop-Institutional Racism
11:30-12:15 Workshop-Biology/White Privilege
12:30-1:15 Workshop- Economic impact (Color
of Wealth)
1:15-2:00 Box Lunch/Closing Plenary & Charge-Where do we go from here?
Tips for organizing.
Participants:
FSU/ Methodist Students: Social Work; Pre-Law; Sociology;
History; Sociology; Education programs. Ask faculty to give extra credit for participating students.
FTCC; NAACP; Umoja; Public Library; Urban Ministries; Great Oaks Mentoring
Possible facilitators: Chip Smith; Dr. Annie Chavis;
Dr. Susan Franzblau; Marguerite Joralemon; Nancy Shakir; NC Justice Project participants;
Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond; FSU faculty.