Roll your mouse over Texas or any other state to see how the President's programs have had a positive impact.
posted by Joel Mayer
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
First 100 Days!
View this summary of President Obama's achievements during his first "100 Days" on myBO:
April 27 - Weekly Roundup
Survey Deadline Coming Up
We want to thank many of you for taking a few minutes out of your day to fill out our survey. As a grassroots group, it is vital to hear from everyone so we can formulate the group's activities around our interests. We are people-driven and your voice is extremely important in this dialogue. We will close down the survey on Sunday, May 2 at 8pm. Please follow the link now to the survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=hdYE3iWDPz_2fluw2VWHai9Q_3d_3d
Next Monthly Meeting
Don't forget to mark your calendar for the monthly ALAMOBAMA meeting Thursday, May 7th, 6:30 - 8:00 PM at 7122 San Pedro, Suite 114. Make sure to check our website www.alamobama08.com to keep up with the latest information. Sign up for the meeting at:
Organizing for America Listening Tour
Close to 100 people showed up at the two different stops here in San Antonio. Our new state director, Luke Hayes, had a chance to to hear from everyone throughout the state as OFA begins to formulate there plan for Texas. We will talk more about the listening tour at our upcoming meeting. Photos of the April 21 Meeting
ALAMOBAMA Special Request
As our e-mail list has grown, we are in need of someone who is familiar with mass e-mailing. Our system is manageble but less than ideal. If anyone has the technical expertise please contact us at alamobama09@aol.com.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act and Upcoming Events
Things are heating up with regards to the President's Energy Plan as The American Clean Energy and Security Act works its way through the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives. Representative Charlie Gonzalez is lukewarm to the bill, citing the importance of oil. MoveOn features the congressman in a new ad they are running and a
rally is planned outside of his office next week here in San Antonio. Here is an opportunity for federal and local politics to merge right here in our backyard. For more information, check out the link below: www.alamobama08.com/legislative-watch.html
Monday, April 20, 2009
April 20 - Weekly Roundup
Organizing for America Listening Tour
A chance to meet Luke Hayes, the new state director of Organizing for America in Texas . This meeting is a chance to learn what OFA's mission is. How people can become involved, and feedback of what worked and what didn't work in Texas for Obama. Tuesday (April 21) night’s meeting is at the SAAPAC office at 7122 San Pedro, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM . Location is on San Pedro, just south of North Star Mall, between E. Rampart and Sprucewood. There is a CVS Pharmacy and Shell/Jack in the Box at the corner of the complex. Drive into the parking lot and go to the back of the $1.99 Cleaners. We are immediately opposite Kaplan Career Institute. Wednesday (April 22) night’s meeting is at the Universal City Public Library, 100 Northview Drive. Northview drive is off Pat Booker Road and the library is located immediately to your left after onto Northview.
alamObama Volunteers
Thanks to everyone who has filled out the survey. We had great response from those filling out the survey last week. There’s still room for those willing to roll up their sleeves. The survey will end in the next few days. We are waiting until the Listening Tour has concluded to begin work in earnest. Plan on our next alamObama meeting being a working session. This very short and quick survey (3-5 minutes) will help us fine tune our working groups so we can begin to tackle some of the very important issues facing us here in Texas and across this nation. Your input is vital to the success of alamObama moving forward! Please take the alamObama survey to get plugged in to the place you fit best as we continue our mandate for change.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the monthly alamObama meeting May 7, 6:30 PM at 7122 San Pedro. Make sure to check our website www.alamobama08.com to keep up with the latest information.
From the White House
In his weekly address, the President talks about going through the budget line by line, and announces his Chief Performance Officer and Chief Technology Officer who will help him streamline government; at the Summit of the Americas, The President addresses the issues that have divided the hemisphere, from Cuba to disengagement to anti-Americanism; joined by famed rail enthusiast Vice President Biden, the President releases his vision for high speed rail as funded by the Recovery Act and the coming budget. This and more at www.whitehouse.gov.
Congress
They’re back! Congress is back but most of the work will be done in committee. Read details here. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_go_co/congress_returns
State of Texas
Our Beloved Governor
He’s become Limbaugh’s darling and Leno’s punch line. But the Houston Chronicle says Kay made him do it. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/casey/6380565.html Meanwhile the legislature is looking to head him off at the unemployment pass. Sen. Kevin Eltife’s bill (SB1659) to change the state’s unemployment laws to make way for ARRA funding passed on second reading 22-9 last week. Read about it, and more state legislature news, here http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/firstreading/
San Antonio
Citizen Academy
The Housing and Neighborhood Services Department Citizen Academy is offering a free seven hour educational seminar covering specific city departments operations, services, and programs Saturday, April 25. The Academy will provide an opportunity for citizens to learn specific operational and policy guidelines along with regulations the community is governed. The sessions will last forty five minutes with each participating city entity with plenty of opportunity to ask questions. The Citizen Academy be held monthly and will be located in a different city council district (see schedule). We will also provide breakfast and lunch for participates along with a valuable city manual covering city services. Registration is at 8:30 and class begins at 9:00 at 3141 Culebra Road (St. Mary’s Center). For more contact: http://www.sanantonio.gov/nad/
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
April 13 - Weekly Roundup
Thanks for Stepping Up
"I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours." - Barack Obama
We had great response from those filling out the survey last week. There’s still room for those willing to roll up their sleeves. We still need volunteers for the Rapid Response team in Congressional districts 23 and 28. As ALAMOBAMA continues to transition from campaign mode to our new purpose, it is important that we determine areas of interest for our volunteers. This very short and quick survey (3-5 minutes) will help us devise working groups so we can begin to tackle some of the very important issues facing us here in Texas and across this nation. Your input is vital to the success of alamObama moving forward! Please take the alamObama survey to get plugged in to the place you fit best as we continue our mandate for change.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the monthly alamObama meeting May 7, 6:30 PM at 7122 San Pedro. Make sure to check our website www.alamobama08.com to keep up with the latest information. Help us plan by signing up for the meeting on my.BarackObama.com.
Organizing for America Listening Tour
OFA is holding a San Antonio listening tour and a chance to meet Luke Hayes, the new state director of Organizing for America in Texas. We’ll have two opportunities to meet and talk to Luke. San Antonio proper will meet Luke April 21, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at a location still to be determined (we’ve narrowed down to two but have bugs to work out). Those in surrounding areas can meet April 22, same time at the Universal City Public Library, 100 Northview Dr, 78148. Please sign up at this link Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | Event | OFA San Antonio Listening Tour. Here's some info about Luke: Obama General Election Campaign Organization, Virginia ; The Pickle: Wisconsin is the new Alamo .
Our President
President: Phillips had courage …“a model for all Americans”
Somali pirates found the United States a poor source of ransom money as the President and the US Armed Forces, particularly the Navy, worked tirelessly with a focus on saving and protecting the life of Capt. Phillips. Hopes were to bring the incident to a non-violent end and one pirate remains in US Navy custody. Here’s yesterday’s official briefing on the rescue
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/includes/templates/library/flash_popup.php?pID=285237-1&clipStart=&clipStop= The Washington Post is calling the dramatic and successful rescue effort “an early military victory” for President Obama calling it an early test for a new President http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/12/AR2009041203002.html.
From the White House
In the weekly address, President Obama discusses the multitude of problems and opportunities
before the world through the prism of Passover and Easter; you can retrace the President’s steps through Europe with behind-the-scenes photos; meet Bo, the first dog; watch the President’s visit in Iraq, or read his remarks unveiling improvements for their care as veterans. As always you can find links to the 2010 Budget, Recovery.gov, and the Middle Class task Force, and more at http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Congress
The Budget
The budget passed both houses before Congress went on recess. But there’s still a lot of work to be done as soon as they reconvene. We are going to need to keep watch as the budget goes into reconciliation and be prepared to act. A major concern, health care, is under siege as pointed out in this article. http://www.congressmatters.com/story/2009/4/7/104840/8840/130/881. Much is being said about the financial burden being placed on our youth, here’s a site with their voices on the issue http://fundingourfuture.campusprogress.org/tag/recess/.
Tea Party Movement
Most of you have heard about the Tea Parties being staged nationwide in protest of the President’s initiatives. San Antonio and the Alamo are scheduled to be front and center of the fray with Fox’s Glenn Beck as keynote speaker. He has backed out as keynote speaker but will host his TV show live from 4 – 5 PM from the location, host a fundraiser and be available to sign autographs. http://www.woai.com/content/blogs/headlines/story/Discuss-Glenn-Beck-backs-out-as-San-Antonio-Tea/yCHUBz36kUW7I-4SVzB0cA.cspx. Here’s a piece about the Tea Party Movement from Nobel Prize winning journalist Paul Krugman http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13krugman.html?_r=1
Our Congressional Representatives’ Positions
Many of us have called or written our Senators and Congressman about the President’s agenda for recovery through ARRA and the Budget. If you’ve received a response, please forward it. We’d like to feature our representatives’ positions on the website so we all know where they’re coming from. We already have Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson’s response on ARRA and Senator Cornyn’s response on the budget. It will give us a point from which to start as we let Congress know what we want them to do on our behalf.
State Legislature
Voter ID
Several of us made the trip to Austin last Tuesday for public testimony. We were present, and appalled, when Representative Brown suggested Asian voters change their names after hearing testimony from a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans against SB 362. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/041209dntexbrownapology.1abd22b.html. One item we haven’t seen reported is the ACLU study which revealed more than 70% of provisional votes are trashed. Here’s an overview of the hearings from the Star-Telegram http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/1305548.html
Other Legislative News
The House and Senate took an Easter break and go back in session tomorrow. There was some action before the break however. Governor Perry a number of state legislators called the federal government “oppressive” and called for a return to states’ rights through passage of House Concurrent Resolution 50. Details here http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/firstreading/entries/2009/04/10/_house_and_senate_are_1.html
City Election
Follow Mayoral Race
Here’s a resource http://sanantoniomayor.blogspot.com/
Sierra Club announces endorsements
The Sierra Club announced its endorsements for Mayor and City Council at alamObama’s Thursday night meeting. They will be published in the organization’s April newsletter tomorrow http://texas.sierraclub.org/alamo/index.htm.
Stonewall Democrats announce endorsements
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
April 6 - Weekly Roundup
alamObama Survey
"It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today." - Barack Obama
As ALAMOBAMA continues to transition from campaign mode to our new purpose, it is important that we determine areas of interest for our volunteers. This very short and quick survey (3-5 minutes) will help us devise working groups so we can begin to tackle some of the very important issues facing us here in Texas and across this nation. Your input is vital to the success of alamObama moving forward! Please take the alamObama survey to get plugged in to the place you fit best as we continue our mandate for change.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the monthly alamObama meeting May 7, 6:30 PM at 7122 San Pedro. Make sure to check our website www.alamobama08.com to keep up with the latest information.
Thanks for Your Calls and Emails!
The budget passed both the house and senate basically along party lines. Here are details from both the San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgif=/c/a/2009/04/02/MN4416RHS0.DTL
and the Washington Post
It now moves to conference committee.
From the White House http://www.whitehouse.gov
In his weekly address the President discusses the breadth and depth of the global challenges we face, as well as our potential to address them through renewed international alliances. In other news at www.whitehouse.gov , the President lays out a new vision for cooperation, including an end to nuclear arms during a town hall in Strasbourg; read the President's remarks on progress at the G-20 Summit, or watch his press conference with Prime Minister Brown
beforehand; the Vice President returns from Latin America, where he urged a new era of cooperation. Read his remarks and see the photos.
State Legislature
Voter ID
Voter ID moves from the Texas Senate to the House as the elections Committee holds hearings Monday, April 6 and Tuesday April 7. Public testimony will be held Tuesday afternoon following the recess. The state’s Attorney General was absent in testimony from the Senate deliberations. It seems another legal entity is missing in action for testimony as well…district
attorneys...
Scuffle Over Education Funds
There seems to be a question about the $3.2 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Funds bound for Texas . Dick Lavine, senior fiscal analyst with the Center for Public Policy Priorities says the Senate Finance Committee is not using those funds for the purpose they were intended
City Election
Eastside Forum
Mayoral/Dist. 2 Candidates Forum will be held April 11 at the Red Cross Building located near the corner of E.
Commerce and E. Houston Streets across from the police station. The time is 10 AM – 12 Noon for mayoral candidates; 1-3 PM for District 2 candidates. Sponsored by NAACP and Panhellenic Council.
Military Community Forum
San Antonio ’s military community will have a chance to hear and question candidates in the city’s mayoral race, Monday, April 13, 7:00 PM at the Central Library Auditorium downtown. The Central Library is located at 600 Soledad , San Antonio , TX 78205 , (210) 207-2500. There is 1 hour free parking at Central Library Garage with validated ticket.
Texas Blue Star Voices, event host, says the event is an ideal example of their purpose for existing…giving the military community its own voice with each other, within the community and with those who make decisions that affect them. They define the military community as active duty members and their families, veterans, retirees, National Guard, Reserves and anyone who supports those in the uniformed services. Texas Blue Star Voices encourages all military community members to attend this Town Hall to let their voices be heard by the next San Antonio mayor and help them decide who that should be.
Follow Mayoral Race
Here’s a resource http://sanantoniomayor.blogspot.com/
Sierra Club announces endorsements
The Sierra Club announced its endorsements for Mayor and City Council at alamObama’s Thursday night meeting. They will be published in the organization’s April newsletter next Tuesday http://texas.sierraclub.org/alamo/index.htm.
San Antonio Adopts Mission Verde
San Antonio took the first step of the mayor's ambitious Mission Verde plan Thursday, passing new sustainable building codes aimed at making the city's homes and buildings more energy- and water-efficient. Read more on this move toward greening in this Express-News article
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