PDA Members Meet in Medina
April 8, 2009, Medina, OH
Mary Nichols-Rhodes, Sen. Sherrod Brown, John Nichols, Michael Carano
Over the course of five days, March 31 – April 4, members of PDA’s grassroots leadership met with the
national team to analyze the organization’s structure, offer ideas, and construct strategies for growth and long-term sustainability. PDA’s strength lies with its grassroots members and the inside/outside strategy. "The meetings produced meaningful discussions and provided direction to PDA for addressing the growing economic crisis facing the new administration in Washington."
Members of the national team converged in Medina, Ohio, at the home of Dave and Chic Kelley. A thorough review of the website, the database, and outreach tools for PDA’s members was conducted. Besides updating some of the language and
materials available for downloading, the introduction of online training tools on how to use the website and the database was scheduled, along with the unveiling of the new issue-organizing-team pages (
sample page) and improvements to the
PDA blog. A webpage for Congressional district organizing will also be made available in the next month.
A series of conference calls with the state leaders and issue organizing teams (IOTs) took place throughout the week. The agenda included time to share what’s working and what isn’t, and allowed time to hear ideas.
The Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign, which merged the work of the "End War and Occupation, Redirect Funding" IOT with the "Healthcare for All, Single-payer" IOT has been a successful effort. The petition, which has been active since March of last year, will be delivered to Congress in May. A new campaign will emerge tying together the work of the Stop Global Warming IOT and the Economic & Social Justice IOT based on a sustainable economy with green jobs. Once all the information is collated, the grassroots leadership will be provided with the results.
In addition, a review of the PDA budget was conducted, which included cost-cutting measures, the
PDAstore, and increasing financial support. There were very few opportunities available to cut costs, other than eliminating duplicate records and removing inactive records from the database. PDA, which stays afloat because only 1% of PDA members contribute to the organization, has for a long time been practicing good money-management. The PDAstore was created to enable organizers to purchase small quantities of outreach materials at bulk rates. It was temporarily closed earlier this year while the store was revamped and the web pages were reworked. It is open again, and members should look for new products to help in their organizing efforts. Proceeds from the sales are reinvested in new merchandise and the management of the store.
The issue of how to attract new donors was discussed in detail in light of the bad economy. There’s no doubt that PDA fills an important niche in the political landscape and is very effective in spreading its message and building coalitions inside and outside the beltway. Willing to do the hard work and heavy lifting, PDA remains committed to its core issues and has fought with integrity for progressive ideals and legislation. It was determined that it is more important than ever for PDA to survive in order to offer sound progressive solutions to the problems Americans face and then to fight for them. It is hoped a campaign to attract small donors at $5 and $10 dollars a month will attract enough members to raise the donor rate to 5%. The additional income will allow PDA to better service its growing base, deliver the equivalent of a living wage to members of the national team, and cover travel expenses for national team members to visit each state in response to growing requests from the grassroots leadership.
It wasn’t all work, though. On Saturday, April 4, The Nation's Washington correspondent John Nichols delighted a small gathering at the Kelley home over dinner. Nichols didn't just deliver a speech; he took time to talk with each guest—a rare opportunity for the lucky attendees.
It was on Sunday, April 5, that the big fun happened. Those PDAers who took advantage of the offer to attend the play “
The Lady with All the Answers” starring PDA Advisory Board chair Mimi Kennedy were treated to a pre-play reception with Kennedy, Nichols, and surprise guest Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Kennedy portrayed Eppie Lederer, better known as Ann Landers, in a one-woman show; she was perfect in the role. Her surprising, funny, and poignant performance was followed by a talk-back, which allowed audience members the opportunity to ask questions of director Seth Gordon and the actress herself, who morphed from Ann Landers to Mimi Kennedy right before our eyes.
The Dennis Kucinich 2004 and 2008 presidential campaign policy director Dave Kelley and his wife Chic were gracious hosts for the national team. They provided a comfortable space for long meetings, ensured the team was well fed, provided transportation, and entertained local PDAers in between. PDA thanks them for their generosity of spirit and their commitment to progressive organizing and ideals.
The road ahead will undoubtedly be a bumpy one, but PDA is up to the task. The PDA grassroots leadership is a remarkable collection of individuals from all walks of life who share a commitment to make our country live up to the ideals set forth by our nation’s founders—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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