Politics

Assembly Bill 203, the bill to enact legal safeguards to protect
Wisconsin's National Guard from unlawful overseas deployments, has been
*scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly's Veterans and Military
Affairs Committee on Tuesday, March 9, 2010*. Please join us, so that
the hearing room is wall-to-wall with people who care about our Guard
members and families and want to see them protected from misuse by the
federal government.

This hearing will take place in the State Capitol. National Guard
members, other veterans, and military families will be joined by State
Rep. Spencer Black of Madison and State Rep. Michael Fisher of Lincoln,
Vermont.
Please let us know that you will be attending the hearing. We will send
you updates when we know the time and room location of the hearing.
*http://www.BringtheGuardHome.org/events/wi_first_guard_hearing
<http://e2ma.net/go/6597458781/208104809/211411320/29568/goto:http://www.BringtheGuardHome.org/events/wi_first_guard_hearing >*
Assembly Bill 203, a bill to enact legal safeguards to protect
Wisconsin's National Guard from unlawful overseas deployments, has been
scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly's Veterans and Military
Affairs Committee on March 9, 2010. Please join us, so that the hearing
room is wall-to-wall with people who care about our Guard members and
families and want to see them protected from misuse by the federal
government.

There's one remaining public hearing on the Clean Energy Jobs Act, when you can raise concerns about the pro-nuclear language in the current draft.  That's the Assembly hearing on the entire bill (Assembly Bill 649), at 10 a.m. on Monday, February 15 in room 412 East of the state Capitol building in Madison.

Everyone who registers can speak for a few minutes. (Since we're seeking to remove one bad part of an otherwise good and important bill, you can register as "informational" rather than "opposing" or "supporting.") We'll have Carbon Free, Nuclear Free signs that you can hold, to make our presence known.

Join us for our first meeting in February! Our central topic will focus on organizing an antiwar action on Saturday, March 20th. Little time remains before the scheduled date for this rally, and we wish to get feedback from our coalition groups, members, and individuals in the greater Madison community at large.

The antiwar movement has been on its heels since the advent of the Obama Administration despite the fact that it is business as usual in D.C. It is high time that the vast majority of Dane County residents begin to remobilize and create the vision of peace and a diminished Pentagon. There is no longer any justification to wait. Obama has clearly stated that he will 'reduce' the deficit by decreasing public funding by $14 Billion and increasing military spending by $44 Billion. If you have been waiting for Obama to begin a progressive movement in the White House, you must now know that he prefers to perpetuate the totalitarian policies of the Bush Administration.

We must stand together for the long haul and force whoever is in power to command real change. Change for demilitarization worldwide; change back to freedom and liberty; change to single payer health care; change for immigrant rights. MAPC hopes this meeting will work as a catalyst to bringing these issues - and other leftist concerns - to light.

This event welcomes progressives and activists alike, beginning with Mike McCabe, Ed Garvey, State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, Sen. Mark Miller, State Rep. Fred Clark, Rep. Steve Hilgenberg,  Rep. Sondy Pope-Roberts, Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, and Steve Montoya of the Feingold Campaign. (9:30-11:15a.m.)

Morning sessions will follow with topics including: Where Democracy Reform Stands in Wisconsin; The Race to the top in Education Reform; Moving Forward with the Regional Transit Authority; Learning how Words Frame your Message; What can we do to Improve Fuel Economy; Adding Stategy to our Passion for Social Justice. (11:15a.m.-12:15p.m.)

Lunch with Tammy Baldwin and Music by the Raging Grannies. (12:15-1:30)

Afternoon Sessions include:

Organizing for Action; Afghanistan: How to Explain a Disastrous War; Auto Industry Turmoil; The Progressive Approach to Dealing with Crime; How did we get into this Economic Mess?; Health Care Reform in Wisconsin with Baldwin, Miller, and Erpenbach. (1:30-2:30)

Reengaging Climate Change Here; Economic Myths that Matter; Phoning - or Writing a letter - can be Fun; Practical Solar Power; Running fo Office for the First Time; Taking a Look at Grassroots Organizing with Shirley Barnes, Tim White, and Nate Timm. (2:40-4:15)

Mixer and Dinner Follows at The Old Feed Mill. (4:30-6:30)

Town Hall Meeting

Speakers include John Nichols, associate editor of Capital Times and author of book on impeachment, and Robert Bowman, Viet vet, and former director of Advanced Space Programs Development in Reagan Administration, an open critic of Star Wars program. On July 25, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on potential impeachable conduct by Bush administration. Come and discuss possibility for further action on impeachment. (coffee and refreshments available at 6:15 pm)

Parking available in Helen C. White Library parking ramp on Park St. near Memorial Union (just walk up the hill from there to Bascom Hall. Van Vleck is the tall building to the left of Bascom Hall).

Free Screening: Documentary Film on U.S. Militarism: StratCom: "The Gun That's Still Loaded"

This one-hour documentary reveals how the Bush administration has restructured Strat Com, the U.S. military's central command structure in response to the so-called "war on terror". The film was proudced by peace activists Frances Mendenhall, Sung Hee Choi and R. Addision for Independent Television Omaha. The film examines StratCom's secretive and destabilizing mission, how it operates outside U.S. and international law,and why building global awareness about it is important to prevent nuclear war or catastrophe.

Join us for the next meeting ot the  Madison Area Peace Coalition featuring giest speaker Israeli Anti-Occupation Activist Jeff Halper

Business meeting at 6:30 pm, with Jeff Halper, co-founder of Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions speaking at 7:00 pm, to be followed by discussion of strategy on Palestine/Israeli conflict for ending the occupation. Jeff will also be speaking at greater length on UW Campus at 7:30 pm (Call 265-6583 for room location)