FCCPR Newsletter
February 10, 2019
New Book on Education by Doug Selwyn, member FCCPR Education Task Force
Doug Selwyn’s All Children are All of Our Children offers insightful perspective on the current health of children and the public education system in the United States. This easy-to-read book provides historical perspective and offers advice to educators, parents, and lawmakers on how to put children’s health at the center of the conversation.
To buy Doug’s book at a discount, please follow these instructions:
- Email to customerservice@plang.com
- Put in the subject line Selwyn30
Someone from Peter Lang customer service will get back to you and help you order the book. As a result the book will cost around 28.00. This discount is good through March 1st.
Here is a link to Democracy Here episode 13: An interview with Doug Selwyn on his new book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLd7Vb3BEIo
2019 Membership Renewal
It’s time to once again renew your membership in FCCPR. Membership renewal is $10 per year. People who joined in November and December of 2018 will be considered as having paid their dues for 2019.
If you can, please consider making an additional donation to FCCPR to help us pay the rent and provide needed supplies for changing the world.
You can send your dues to FCCPR, P.O. Box 216, Greenfield, MA 01302 or pay online at FCCPR.us, using either PayPal or Common Good card (if you are a member of Common Good)
Municipal Socialism:
A Conference on Curbing Corporate Power & Expanding Democracy in Our Towns
At the workshops, experts will help activists and town officials explore the creation of publicly-owned & non-profit solar power, hydro power, affordable housing, broadband, public banking, expanded school services, and incentives for forming worker coops. Each workshop will address one of these topics with ample time for discussion.
Our keynote speaker will be Gianpaolo Baiocchi. Gianpaolo Baiocchi is a New York City-based scholar and activist. He directs the Urban Democracy Lab at NYU and works closely with organizations such as Right To The City. He is the author of many books including Militants and Citizens, and We the Sovereign.
Save the Date!
March 30, 2019 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Greenfield Community College
Morning snacks and light lunch provided
$15 (nobody turned away for inability to pay)
For more information and to register in advance: http://fccpr.us/conference-registration
Sponsored by Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution
For more information contact Dave Cohen: davidjc at comcast.net
January General Assembly Climate Presentation
Watch the Climate presentation by Shaina Rogstad from the January General Assembly here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4B9pagmNTw
No intervention in Venezuela
The FCCPR Coordinating Committee has endorsed the following statement from the Peace Task Force:
FCCPR expresses its support for the national sovereignty, freedom, and independence of the people of Venezuela and opposes any foreign economic, military, or diplomatic intervention in the domestic affairs of the Venezuelan people. We particularly oppose our government’s ongoing efforts to destabilize and overturn the government of Venezuela. The history of US empire in the southern hemisphere should be a thing of the past.
Here are some links to articles to read about the situation in Venezuela.
https://portside.org/2019-02-01/sorting-through-lies-about-venezuela
https://portside.org/2019-02-08/venezuela-uss-68th-regime-change-disaster
https://portside.org/2019-02-09/12-step-american-method-regime-change
News from the Labor Task Force
Members of the FCCPR Labor Task Force met with representatives of Western Mass Jobs With Justice, the Pioneer Valley Workers Center and the Franklin-Hampshire Central Labor Council to discuss issues of mutual concern. The group decided to collaborate on efforts to organize the unorganized in Franklin County, to combine efforts on the Fund Our Future Campaign, and to engage in discussions with the Labor Network for Sustainability regarding the Green Jobs Plan. The group will continue to meet quarterly.
Save the Date: Feb. 28
The Mass. Nurses Association nurses invite you to attend a Community Forum in Greenfield the evening of February 28.
On Monday, Feb. 4 Baystate Health announced that it plans to open a behavioral health hospital in the Springfield area with for-profit US HealthVest and close inpatient behavioral health services at Baystate Franklin, Noble and Wing in about two years.
We are very concerned about this proposed plan and have many questions. Our first thoughts went to our patients and our community. As always, when highly profitable health systems threaten to close vital services, we stand with our neighbors to keep care local. Ensuring patients have access to safe, high-quality care is our first priority.
More details on the Community Forum will be provided as our planning goes forward.
Please RSVP to Diane Scherrer at dscherrer at mnarn.org for more information.