September 2, 2022
CONTENTS
UP FRONT
Anti-eviction canvass with Stomp Out Slumlords — TOMORROW, September 3, 1:30pm
The fight for rent control comes to Montgomery County — rally Sept. 9, plus canvasses and tabling this weekend
Get your car’s brake light repaired for free at the Metro DC DSA Brake Light Clinic — Saturday, September 10th
Anti-eviction canvass with Stomp Out Slumlords — TOMORROW, September 3, 1:30pm
This Saturday at 1:30pm, join Stomp Out Slumlords for an Anti-Eviction Canvass in Washington, DC! Come out and inform tenants facing eviction about their rights in court, how to get a lawyer and to see if they’re interested in organizing their building. Tenants we speak to are twice as likely to go to court and fight their eviction, so every volunteer can make a big impact.
We’ll meet at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station near the D Street exit between 6th and 7th, above the escalators (if the weather is bad, we’ll be downstairs just before the turnstiles). If you have a car, please drive it down to the meeting spot, as cars are helpful for getting canvassers to metro-inaccessible areas. After canvassing, we’ll meet at Sonny’s in Park View to socialize and debrief! RSVP here.
The fight for rent control comes to Montgomery County — rally Sept. 9, plus canvasses and tabling this weekend
Montgomery County DSA needs your help in spreading the word about the fight for rent stabilization! Here is our battle plan for the next two weeks: THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD (TOMORROW!), 11am – 2pm, join MoCo DSA & Everyday Canvassing for a renter canvass at the Rock Creek Woods Apartments in Twinbrook. The goals of the canvass are to gather information about renters’ building conditions and rent increases. We will also invite them to attend our rally next week on September 9th and get involved with our rent control campaign. RSVP here.
- Join us for a rally for rent stabilization at the county council, Friday, September 9th from 10 – 11am. On September 9, landlords and real estate developers will poor-mouth members of the council to pressure them for the right to price-gouge on rents and raise the cost of housing even further, just to pad their own pockets. We are showing up at the same time to say NO to price gouging and YES to a policy that helps working families. We need to extend rent stabilization! Speakers will include future council members, other elected officials and top advocates for affordable housing. We need 25 more people signed up to reach our goal – RSVP here.
- Table for MoCo DSA at the Long Branch Festival on Saturday Sept. 10th and the Takoma Park Folk Festival on Sunday, September 11th! Sign up for one or two 2-hour tabling shifts using this link! Tabling volunteers will be provided with merch, fliers, buttons, candy and talking points. But mostly we just need you to bring your enthusiasm for socialism and your love for Montgomery County to connect with festival attendees and get them plugged into our work. There will be food, music and a fun time had by all. We’d love to have at least 10-12 people signed up to volunteer each day with at least 2-4 people per shift.
Get your car’s brake light repaired for free at the Metro DC DSA Brake Light Clinic — Saturday, September 10th
Do you have a car with a broken brake or tail light? Metro DC DSA will be replacing brake lights for free on Saturday, September 10 from 11am to 4pm outside the Autozone at 519 Rhode Island Ave NE. You can request a repair in advance so we can be sure to have the right bulbs on hand: bit.ly/dsabrakelight. (Please spread the word to your neighbors!) If you’d like to volunteer in support of the event, please fill out this form, and one of our organizers will be in touch with you.
Broken lights are used as an excuse for cops to pull people into the criminal legal system. A simple traffic stop can end in police violence, and trap folks in our racist policing systems. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Seattle, WA, Berkeley, CA, and Cambridge, MA are among cities considering moving traffic enforcement from the police department to the department of transportation. The DC Council’s Police Reform Commission recommends this too. In DC, we want to build support for a bill that would ban cops from stopping cars for minor infractions like broken lights, noise, tinted windows and exhaust. Instead, let’s move these functions over to a helpful DDOT worker who could help you fix it instead.
BRIEFS
Support Starbucks Workers throughout Labor Day Weekend!
Unionized and unionizing Starbucks locations nationwide will be holding “sip-ins” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 1pm. Stop by one of these locations in our area, wear your DSA gear, share a few words of pro-union encouragement with your barista and share your experience on social media!
- 1429 P Street NW, Washington, DC
- 21000 Southbank Street, Sterling, VA
- 3046 Gate House Plaza, Falls Church, VA
- 526 E. Market Street, Leesburg, VA (drive-through only)
Candidate Q&A and Endorsement Resolution First Read on Tuesday, September 6th
Join the Political Engagement Committee for a Candidate Q&A! All candidates seeking our endorsement for the 2022 general elections will be present and answering questions from chapter members. It’s your chance to ask any and all questions you might have. You can register for the meeting here, and questionnaires will be published here before the meeting.
Mid-Atlantic DSA Regional Organizing Retreat to be Held in DC
DSA is hosting a Regional Organizing Retreat in DC, September 9 – 11th! Chapters from around the region will be sending up-and-coming organizers to DC for the weekend to build community, learn and explore opportunities for regional collaboration. A delegation of Metro DC DSA members will be taking part in this training. The training will include sessions on organizing basics from DSA national that will help DSA chapters across the region build power in our communities. The agenda will include a discussion of the state of the labor movement, a presentation about how to build a mass movement and how to set priorities. There will be Happy Hours and a walking tour led by Metro DC DSA’s Political Education Working Group.
Housing can be an obstacle for many who want to attend this important event. Our goal is to place as many people as possible in housing that need it for the nights of Friday, September 9th through Sunday, September 11th. If you can house folks from out of town during the event — please fill out this form!
Register Now for Fall 2022 Reading Groups: Kick-off Next Week!
Sign up now for nine reading groups sponsored by MDC DSA’s Political Education Working Group! These groups are great places to meet comrades, learn about topics of interest, talk through ideas with a group and come into the chapter’s work through political education. All groups will kick off next week for an introductory meeting and will hold a social meet-up in the first weeks. Whether it’s reading through W.E.B. Du Bois’ Black Reconstruction in America, joining the Marx at the Museum group to read Ways of Seeing by John Berger, fighting the Capitalist Patriarchy by reading Zilla Eisenstein’s classic with the SocFem section, discussing Hammer and Hoe by Robin D.G. Kelley on communist organizing by Alabama sharecroppers in the 1930s or reading through Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò’s Reconsidering Reparations and Elite Capture, there’s something for everyone! Several chapter working groups are sponsoring reading groups, making them a great way to get more involved in specific organizing within the chapter. Sign up here!
Register in Advance — Washington, DC: Capital of Neoliberalism Walking Tour on Saturday, September 17th
Want to learn about how international institutions in DC exported neoliberalism? Enjoy or miss the Housing and Displacement Walking Tour and want to attend a Metro DC DSA Walking Tour? Sign up now for the Washington, DC: Capital of Neoliberalism Walking Tour at 1pm Saturday, September 17th! The tour will start in Farragut Square NW at 1pm and will visit four sites in downtown DC connected to how neoliberal tactics were exported from international institutions located in the District — and how they came to local governance. The tour will feature experts on the history of both international institutions like the International Monetary Fund and on local institutions such as the 1990s Financial Control Board for DC government. The tour will be led by Christy Thornton, a professor at Johns Hopkins whose writing and work includes a focus on how international institutions have interfaced with Latin America — and how resistance to those institutions through large scale protests and social movements has shaped their policies and meetings. The tour will connect attendees to current efforts to democratize the District led by Metro DC DSA.
Join us afterward for a happy hour at outdoor tables at the Penn Quarter Sports Tavern. We will provide snacks and water on the tour, which will be under two miles. Sign up here and step up to volunteer if you can!
Labor Organizing in Prince William County: Show Up to 9/13 7pm PWC Board Meeting
We need YOU at the next board meeting on a collective bargaining ordinance on Sept 13th at 7pm. RSVP so we can contact you with more details: 7pm Meeting – RSVP. We’re hosting a planning call the night before and we welcome you to dial in to get more info. Other ways to help:
- If you live in PWC please send an email to the PWC Board of Supervisors and push for a strong collective bargaining ordinance.
- Please encourage PWC workers to sign this union election authorization card.
- We have yard signs for PWC union supporters in PWC — holler if you want one!
The September NoVA DSA General Branch Meeting is September 8th via Zoom or in-person at Arlington Central Library
Theme: ‘Eat The Rich.’ Please RSVP and put it on your calendar. The meeting is 6:30 – 8pm. Hopefully, the in-person folks can gather after at a nearby spot, like Tropical Smoothie Café. Plus — want to help NoVA DSA plan a monthly board game night? RSVP for our September 7 call here.
Ongoing Support for Migrants Bused from TX/AZ
It’s been five months since Texas Governor Abbott started sending migrants to DC, and in that time the DC community has welcomed and supported housing, transport and other needs for over 5,800 people. This is still ongoing, and the organizations involved still need support, particularly housing — we urge you to donate or volunteer, or learn more here.
AU Staff Union wins historic contract
“Who got a contract? We got a contract. Who fought? We fought! Who won? We won!” After a five-day strike, and after 468 days at the bargaining table, the AU Staff Union celebrated making history last Friday when they finally won a first contract. The union — members of SEIU Local 500 — drew support from students arriving back at American University and the local labor community, as well as area political leaders (from Union City Tuesday, 8/30). Our beat reporter also highlights “support from DSA members and specifically [MoCo Del.] Gabe Acevero, who showed up two days and gave great speeches.”
Labor Notes meetup — September 7 from 8 to 9pm
Join us for a “Labor Notes 101” session! In this session you’ll hear lessons from people involved in fights big and small; get connected with other activists; learn more about what Labor Notes is all about and get connected to resources to help your organizing. This meeting will be on Wednesday, September 7th from 8 to 9pm Eastern (5 to 6pm Pacific), on Zoom. Registration is FREE. Once you register you’ll get a link to join.
INFO ACCESS
Red Desk is where all members can go to request support, calendar links for events, etc. for their campaigns and working group needs. How to access and use Red Desk? Here are some visual how-tos.
Publications Schedule: September Updates are Fridays, the 9th, 16th and 23rd and the October issue of the Washington Socialist newsletter is scheduled for Friday, September 30th.
Reading Groups can become Writing Groups — next week, the fall round of MDC DSA Reading Groups kicks off (you can check them out and sign up here) and every word you read becomes writing in/out/about the topic that feeds into the rich environment of your co-readers’ group conversation. The Washington Socialist welcomes collaborative responses from reading groups; pass along what you are learning and thinking to your comrades who aren’t present and then onward to the widening world that’s paying attention. Join #publications channel to chat this up on Slack and send individual or group responses to thesocialist@mdcdsa.org.
Info: Available as a member resource on the local chapter website are up-to-date minutes on the Steering Committee’s 2022 meetings as well as on General Body Meetings 2022. The road map of MDC DSA’s activities — campaigns, working groups, etc., including our three branches — is here.
DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Saturday, September 3
1:30 – 5pm | Stomp Out Slumlords anti-eviction canvass (in person)
3 – 4pm | Monthly Meeting for Pubs WG Update team
Wednesday, September 7
6 – 7pm | NoVA Tenant Organizing Meeting
7 – 8:30pm | Cuba Campaign Committee Planning Meeting
7 – 8pm | Establish Monthly Boardgame Night (NoVA)
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation
Thursday, September 8
6:30 – 8pm | NoVA Branch Monthly Organizing Meeting (hybrid; virtual/in-person)
Friday, September 9
10am | Renters Against Gouging and Exploitation: Rally for Rent Stabilization in Montgomery County (in-person event)
Saturday, September 10
11:30am – 8:30pm | DSA (MoCo) Tabling at the Long Branch Festival (in person)
Sunday, September 11
10:30am – 6:30pm I DSA Tabling at the Takoma Park Folk Festival (in-perosn)
Monday, September 12
7 – 8pm | Labor Action Planning Meeting for Prince William County Board Meeting
Tuesday, September 13
7 – 9pm | Support Labor at Prince William Co Board of Supervisors 7PM Meeting
Wednesday, September 14
7 – 8:30pm | Cuba Campaign Committee Planning Meeting
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation
Saturday, September 17
1 – 3pm | Washington DC — capital of neoliberalism — walking tour (in person)
Sunday, September 18
2 – 3:30pm | MoCo September Branch Meeting (hybrid)
7 – 9pm | MDC DSA General Body Meeting for September
Wednesday, September 21
7 – 8:30pm | Cuba Campaign Committee Planning Meeting
Saturday, September 24
3 – 4:30pm | Pubs WG September Meeting – Washington Socialist
Sunday, September 25
1 – 3pm | Prince George’s Branch DSA monthly meeting
5 – 6:30pm | Internationalism Working Group Monthly Meeting
7 – 8pm | NoVA DSA Electoral Meeting
Wednesday, September 28
7 – 8:30pm | Cuba Campaign Committee Planning Meeting
COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Copwatch Training | DC Alternative Safety Coalition
Head to the Eaton Hotel on September 8 at 6pm for an in-person training that will teach attendees how to “cop watch” and invite all to join the Alternative Safety Coalition led by Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and Copwatch DC. Click here to register.
Starting from Scraps: A Discussion on Composting and Food Waste | Slow Food DC
On Sunday, September 18 at 4pm, join Slow Food DC, Compost Cab and the Mt. Pleasant Community Compost at Columbia Heights Green for a discussion about composting systems and food waste in DC. The event will be centered around a panel discussion and Q&A with experts from local stakeholders representing different parts of the compost process. Attendees will also be invited to tour the garden, receive free seeds from Share a Seed and take home fresh compost for your garden (must bring your own container for the compost!). This event is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. RSVP here.
Taco / Beverage Challenge | DC Abortion Fund (DCAF)
From August 30-September 18, bars and restaurants across the DMV are teaming up to support DCAF’s annual Taco or Beverage donation challenge. Here’s how it works: Post a picture on your social platform of choice with tacos or a beverage from one of DCAF’s supporting partners, include a line about why you support DCAF, tag your post with #ToBC2022 and challenge a few buddies to match or beat your donation. Not a fan of tacos? Don’t feel like going out this week? No problem! Photos of you enjoying your fav snack at home with a nice glass of whatever work just as well!
March with labor at the Greenbelt Parade, Monday, September 5
Area union members, leaders and supporters are urged to march in this year’s Greenbelt Labor Day Parade on Monday, September 5, either with the contingent organized by Susan Flashman (IBEW 26 and Maryland/DC Alliance for Retired Americans) or the one marching with labor-endorsed candidate Delegate Nicole Williams (MD LD 22). The two-hour parade begins at 10am; marchers should plan to arrive earlier, before streets close at 9am. CLICK HERE to RSVP (deadline COB Friday, September 3). For details/more info: Dejah Desiree Williams, dwilliams@dclabor.org or Susan Flashman FLASHMANBISSELL@aol.com.
GOOD READS / ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
How Oakland Tenants Forced Their Landlord To Turn Over the Keys (from Jacobin via Portside): The city of Oakland’s longest rent strike has ended in victory for tenants. They didn’t just win necessary repairs or rent control; they decommodified their housing, getting profit-motivated landlords out of the picture altogether.
A Gallup poll shows public approval of labor and unions is at its highest point since 1965.
And in Baltimore, workers at Mom’s Organic Market in the Hampden neighborhood vote to unionize.
Capitalists gotta capitalist, even at our, um, beloved hometown rag that’s – ICYMI – personally owned by a union-busting gajillionaire. The NYT can’t resist rubbing it in. “[Publisher Fred] Ryan’s focus on productivity and office attendance in the newsroom has also been a source of tension. He has expressed his belief to members of his leadership team that there were numerous low performers in the newsroom who needed to be managed out. He has monitored how many staff members come into the office, and has weighed new measures to compel people to return to work, including threats of firings, several people at The Post said.”
Should Public Transit Be Free? Freakonomics Asks the Experts.
This brief article from StreetsBlog, a transit/transportation destination for obsessives, poses the question in rich context and is full of links to pros and cons on the whether or not public transportation should be free debate, including the full Freakonomics podcast. An “equity perspective” on the issue: People can’t afford transit fares and “because we live in a society where basic needs are monetized, they are stuck. Arguing that transit subsidies are ‘unfair’ [to middle-class taxpayers] puts the burden of solving issues like climate change, once again, on the people who are suffering and struggling the most.”
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of the chains of its restrictions, shatters them, and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon.
–Virgilia D’Andrea