July General Meeting THIS SATURDAY 7/27 (and other events this week!)

Posted by cochairs

Hey comrades!

We hope y’all have been able to stay cool in this July heat. Apologies for the delayed announcement, but this month’s General Meeting is this upcoming Saturday, July 27th from 12-2pm! We will be covering business carried over from Local Convention and more.

  • We will be at Norman Mayer Library (3001 Gentilly Blvd) and on Zoom here. We will be using Open Slides again, so look out for an email from Open Slides for the sign-in. It should use the same username. The draft agenda for the meeting can be found here. RSVP here!

Exciting news: local chapter member Gabriela Boni has qualified for School Board alongside our chapter-endorsed candidate Devin Davis for Congress! They will be on the ballot for the primary election held on November 5th, so make sure you check your voter registration at the Secretary of State — the deadline to register online is October 15th. Sign up here to volunteer at Devin’s phonebank this upcoming Tuesday, July 23rd at 5:30pm.

  • UPCOMING:
Reads as follows: Upcoming Committee Meetings. JULY 23RD @ 10AM: Joint Utilities & Public Works Committee Meeting. Discussing drainage consolidation that will be overseen by Sewerage & Water Board and recent fair weather outages from Entergy New Orleans. July 24th @ 12pm: Joint Governmental Affairs & Quality of Life Committee Meeting. Discussing STR enforcement, proposed changes to the Mardi Gras Code, parking enforcement, and more. Watch online at council.nola.gov/live.

Frustrated by recent power outages we’ve been experiencing out of nowhere? Comment on the Entergy agenda item with your experience, and tell City Council that we want affordable, reliable, and accountable energy! The agenda and public comment form are available at this link, and will remain open until 2 hours before the meeting.

Hate AirBNB? Let City Council know that homes are for residents, not tourists — no exceptions! View the agenda for the Quality of Life Committee meeting and submit a comment on short-term rental agenda items here.

Agendas and public comment links are made available by the City on their own time, usually the day before the meeting, and will remain open until 2 hours before the meeting begins

THURSDAY, JULY 25: Local Day of Action for Palestine

New Orleans City Council continues to fail their people by refusing to discuss our complicity in genocide in spite of the community demanding otherwise. Read more and tell New Orleans City Council to pass a Ceasefire Resolution NOW using this form, which will send an email directly to your councilmember to let them know that you and so many of their other New Orleanians demand that:

  • Gretna resident Samaher Esmail’s safety and freedom be ensured by the U.S. government due to her recent kidnapping and charging by the IDF in the Israeli-occupied West Bank;
  • they express their deepest condolences for Tawfic Abdeljabbar, the 17-year-old Gretna resident killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank
  • they publicly support peaceful student protests and condemn the Tulane and Loyola administrations for punishing students and attacking them with state police
  • And they support Palestine and an immediate and permanent Ceasefire in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Port of New Orleans continues to ship weapons to enable the genocide in Gaza. In the month of May alone, our Port has shipped to Israel:

  • 2,727,643 aircraft engines and parts
  • 51,261 rocket launchers, flamethrowers, grenade launchers, and torpedo tubes
  • 80,572 drones

Join NOSHIP (New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports) in demanding the Port be held accountable for their facilitation of genocide and that the City end all cooperation with the Zionist entity by signing their petition here, joining them at Port meetings (more information below), and checking out the rest of their resources here.

Post with text and image of pro-Palestine organizers outside City Hall. The text reads as follows: "Local day of action, thursday, july 25, New Orleans. City Council 10 am to 12 pm at NOLA City Hall. Lunch provided at noon outside NOLA City Hall. Port of New Orleans Board at 1 pm at 1350 Port of New Orleans Place.

(Organized by NOSHIP and Jewish Voice for Peace)

10am-noon: NOLA City Council Meeting @ City Hall (1300 Perdido St.)
Noon: Inter-Action Lunch outside City Hall 🍕
Gather at 1pm: Port of New Orleans Board Meeting @ 1350 Port of New Orleans Pl.

Join us for a day of organizer-supported local government actions. Give public comments to make your voice heard on Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and beyond.

First up, City Council! There will be a greeter stationed right outside council chambers who’ll be there 10am till noon to orient newcomers & regular participants alike. They’re happy to walk you through the process and happy to see new faces every time! Tell City Council: NOLA needs to take a stand against genocide NOW!

  • At NOON, grab a slice 🍕 on them outside City Hall. Organizers will be on-hand to debrief the City Council meeting and to answer questions about the upcoming Port Board meeting scheduled to start after lunch.

Then, carpool on over to the Port Board meeting. Plan to gather at the Port Board meeting at 1pm so we can let the Port of N.O. know: no more “business as usual!” It’s well past time for the the Port of New Orleans to end all cooperation with the State of Israel and complicit Israeli businesses. You can also try setting up carpools from elsewhere in the city at this link.

Unmet access needs? DM @_noship or @jvpnola on Instagram to request accommodations.

  • COVID 😷 safety: Masks strongly encouraged. The City Council meeting greeters will have masks on-hand right outside council chambers.

Show up. Stand up. Speak up.
Free Palestine.

small waving palestine flag

The city is gearing up for its 2025 budget deliberations, but so far have postponed the town halls originally scheduled for this week. In the meantime, fill out this survey from the Vera Institute for Justice, one of a coalition of organizations which advocate to the City Council on budget issues on behalf of our community (among many other great things)!

  • For further information on past budgets and keep an eye on when the meetings are scheduled, you can visit the City’s 2025 Budget page here. We deserve to have our desires, values and beliefs to align with how our city spends OUR money!

🌹

Keep up to date with New Orleans DSA actions by following us on Instagram, joining the members-only Slack (email us for access), and checking out DSA’s event calendar at dsaneworleans.org/events. Hope to see y’all at this Saturday’s General Meeting!

Solidarity forever,
New Orleans DSA Local Council 🌹

2024 Local Convention Recap (& Devin Davis Endorsement Vote Due Soon!)

Posted by cochairs

Hey comrades,

Thank you to all those who were able to come out to the Local Convention on Saturday! It was great to see and talk with everyone. For those who weren’t able to come, keep scrolling to read about what was missed, and we hope to see y’all at an event soon!

One convention discussion topic was potentially endorsing Devin Davis for Congress against Troy Carter. You can watch Devin’s recent DSA Endorsement Candidate Q&A here, read the notes from that Q&A on this document, and read his full policy platform on his website. To vote on his endorsement, please check your email for the subject line “Devin Davis Endorsement Vote” from OpaVote Voting Link.

  • Interested in supporting socialist electeds? Phonebank for Cori Bush, a nationally-endorsed DSA member and the author of the Ceasefire Now resolution, at 5:30pm today!

CONVENTION RECAP —

We had around 40 people present in-person at Broadmoor Community Church, with a few more members participating via Zoom. Our thanks go to Reverend Gregory Manning for his powerful opening remarks and all his assistance with the space. At this convention, we also officially began using OpenSlides for our voting — please reach out to Bob M on Slack with any feedback!

The meeting began with the outgoing co-chairs delivering the State of the Chapter before hearing updates from and the future priorities of each committee, campaign, and working group. Afterwards, our Local Council nominees spoke, before a vote was held to confirm their positions.

Congratulations to our newly elected Local Council!

  • Co-Chairs: Wash F & Jack RS
  • At-Larges: Bob M & Emmanuel S
  • Membership Chair: Iman N
  • Communications Chair: Taylor G
  • Secretary: Madelaine H
  • Treasurer: Chris C
  • Health Justice & Direct Service Committee Chair: Ali K
  • Political Education Committee Chair: John N
  • Municipal Action Committee Chair: Charlie B

At our August General Meeting, we will be electing stewards for Make Entergy Pay and Worker Power Louisiana (the labor committee). Please submit nominations for these positions by Monday, July 15th. The date of the coming GMs are TBD due to the current transition of leadership. The dates will be chosen and published soon; thank you for your patience.

DSA New Orleans deliberated on five bylaw amendments in addition to the resolution for endorsing Devin Davis. Major results include:

  • Internal organizing structures consolidated to include solely Committees, Campaigns, and Working Groups, made them easier to establish by reducing the amount of paperwork needed, and clarified Committee election requirements;
  • Expanded upon policy related to the formation of internal bodies such as caucuses and associations and established requirements needed for recognition via a Slack channel;
  • Committee Stewards are now referred to as Committee Chairs in line with the language currently used;
  • The Municipal Action Committee will assume all responsibilities and functions of the existing Electoral Working Group, and future Voter Guides will be drafted by a Voter Guide Working Group to sequester it from active electoral work;
  • Amended Financial Oversight section to bring it further in line with the chapter’s actual operations by adjusting the makeup of the Finance Committee, and to require finance reports at every Local Council meeting;
  • Term limits for all Local Council positions have been standardized to one year.
  • Election section condensed into more readable language and the notice requirements for elections clarified;
  • Codified an asynchronous voting process;
  • Condensed Election of Officers section by replacing the paragraphs detailing specific requirements for disclosing national political caucus affiliation with a sentence mandating disclosure of all organizational and political affiliations;
  • Codified requirements for a Code of Conduct and the requirements for amending them, codified the chapter’s commitment to the Jemez Principles, and mandates both are on the same easily accessible page separate from the Bylaws;
  • General cleaning of typos, unclear language, and repetitive or contradictory sections.

The bylaws on our chapter’s website have been updated to reflect the several new changes. Want to know more about what happened at Local Convention? Find the convention minutes in the #convention2024 Slack channel!

-🌹-

   Excerpt from the State of the Chapter:
“Looking forward, we face fascist right-wing governments on the state and federal levels, absurd levels of corporate greed and attacks on working people, unsustainably bad infrastructure, and the wholly unprecedented effects of late-stage climate change already impacting the most marginalized communities… We face a tidal wave of statewide issues either from repressive governments or from natural disasters, and there is no time like the present to collectively build our strength so we can weather the storms (both physical and political).“
   -Wash F, co-chair. Read the full speech here.

We hope to see you in the fight for a better world soon!

Solidarity forever,
New Orleans DSA Local Council

THIS SATURDAY: Local Convention 2024!🌹(RSVP ASAP)

Posted by cochairs

Hey comrades!

Our Local Convention is this Saturday! 📆 RSVP HERE (especially if you need to indicate any accessibility, dietary, or childcare needs!)

Our Local Convention is an annual meeting where our members elect chapter leadership, vote on amendments to our bylaws, discuss the political direction of our chapter, and review the year’s progress, priorities, and upcoming challenges to overcome. It’s our largest gathering of the year, so it’s also a great opportunity for socializing, building community, and sharing good homemade dishes.

We will be holding a hybrid convention, with in-person meeting at the Broadmoor Community Church (2021 S Dupre St) and on Zoom (registration link here) starting at 12pm noon on Saturday, June 29th until approximately 4pm. Masks will be required and provided for those without.

If you are unable to attend, your vote can still count! Email hello@neworleansdsa.org to request a proxy vote either for a specific comrade to vote in your place or for Local Council to find someone to hold your vote.

We will be using a website application called OpenSlides for Convention to handle voting and stack. Be on the lookout for your login email with the subject “Welcome to OpenSlides – New Orleans DSA Local Convention”.

Please RSVP as soon as you can, and visit our Convention Hub at bit.ly/NOLADSA24 for more info. We look forward to seeing you there!

Solidarity forever,

DSA New Orleans 🌹

RSVP for the Annual Local Convention JUNE 29th! (and visit the Brake Light Clinic & Hurricane Prep and Solidarity Event TOMORROW!)

Posted by cochairs

Hey comrades!

Mark your calendar for our Local Convention! 📆 RSVP HERE (especially if you need to indicate any accessibility, dietary, or childcare needs!)

Our Local Convention is an annual meeting where our members elect chapter leadership, vote on amendments to our bylaws, discuss the political direction of our chapter, and review the year’s progress, priorities, and upcoming challenges to overcome. It’s our largest gathering of the year, so it’s also a great opportunity for socializing, building community, and sharing good food.

We will be holding a hybrid convention, with in-person meeting at the Broadmoor Community Church (2021 S Dupre St) and on Zoom (registration link here) starting at 12pm noon on Saturday, June 29th.

Please RSVP as soon as you can, and visit our Convention Hub at bit.ly/NOLADSA24 for more info. We look forward to seeing you there!

Nominations are open for the Municipal Action Committee Co-chairs. Members in good standing are eligible and can nominate themselves. Please submit your nomination (link here) by June 22nd.

ALSO! TOMORROW (SAT 6/15) @ 11AM-2PM — Brake Light Clinic, Health Fair, & Hurricane Prep and Solidarity Event at A.L. Davis Park, Saturday 11am-2pm!

  • We can check and change your brake light, take your blood pressure, connect you to community health resources, share food and cold drinks, and chat about achieving socialist revolution together!
  • We’ll also be hosting a Solidarity and Hurricane Preparedness event where we’ll talk about prepping for this hurricane season, share skills for mutual aid during disasters, and distribute mini hurricane prep kits. Did you know they have forecast as many as 27(!) hurricanes this Atlantic Hurricane Season!? We’re all in this together — Be ready and help your neighbors be ready.
  • If you want to volunteer at the Brake Light Clinic & Health Fair, sign up here: https://forms.gle/cAMSMxnffhF5CefJ8 (or show up day of). See you Saturday!
Are you ready for this Hurricane Season? The forecasts predict a bad hurricane season. How much do you need to stock up? How do you cook when the lights go out? How do you make sure you have water if the disaster outlasts your supplies? How do you treat minor wounds or avoid heat stroke? How do you safely operate a generator? What about your neighbors -- what do they need and what do they know how to do? Come out to the DSA New Orleans Solidarity and Hurricane Preparedness Event to talk about these questions and more... AND get a free mini prep kit to get you started! Saturday June 15th, 11am to 2pm in A.L. Davis Park.

Solidarity forever,

New Orleans DSA

New Orleans DSA ’24 Convention Hub

Posted by cochairs

New Orleans DSA is a democratically-run, all-volunteer organization of the working class, and every year we convene to elect officers, consider amendments to our bylaws, and debate member-submitted proposals for the coming year. In short, Convention is our most important annual gathering! Members can weigh in on chapter priorities and fully exercise their power to shape Chapter work for the coming year and beyond. This year our Convention will be held June 29th at 12PM at the Broadmoor Community Church, 2021 S Dupre St. Don’t miss it!

Important Dates

RSVP Now!

Submit your bylaw amendments, political resolutions, and electoral endorsements to hello@dsaneworleans.org by June 25th. We also encourage members to post submitted or draft proposals to the #amendments-and-resos channel in slack for feedback and discussion.

Officer Elections

The following positions are up for election this year:

  • Co-Chairs (2): Wash F. & Jack RS.
  • At-Large Council Members (2): Bob M. & Emmanuel S.
  • Secretary: Madeleine H.
  • Membership Chair: Iman N.
  • Treasurer: Chris C.
  • Communications Chair: Taylor G.

Proposals & Bylaws Amendments

Below is a list of resolutions which will be debated and voted on at Convention (these require a 50%+ vote to be adopted). 

Resolution for Consistent Endorsed Candidate ExpectationsElectoral Working Group
Resolution to Endorse Devin Davis for Louisiana Congressional District 2Bob M., Jack R.S.
Resolution to Form a People’s PlatformBob M.

The following amendments to our Bylaws will be considered (these require a 2/3rds majority vote):

Amendment to Reconcile Terms, Definitions, and ProceduresWash F, Jack RS, & Bob M
Amendment to re-organize and modernize the Chapter’s internal Committee and Campaign structureMany contributors, consolidated & revised by Jack RS
Amendment to Advance Administrative DiscretionWash F, Jack RS, & Cate R
Amendment to clarify quorum requirements and codify an asynchronous voting processJack RS
Amendment to Clarify Member Oversight and ConductWash F, Jack RS, & Cate R
Amendment to establish procedures for formation and approval of a statewide organizationJack RS

We’ll continually update these lists as new proposals are submitted before the deadline on June 25th, so be sure to check back then to read everything we’ll be voting on this year.

Voting

Only members currently in good standing can vote on proposals and in Chapter elections, so make sure you’ve signed up to DSA before the start of Convention! If you’re unsure of your membership status, please visit proof.dsausa.org, or email us at membership@dsaneworleans.org.

Proxy Voting: If you are unable to attend either in-person or via Zoom, you may identify another member to serve as your proxy. This member then votes on proposals and in elections according to your preferences. Attending members may hold up to two proxies. If you will be requesting a proxy, please notify us at hello@dsaneworleans.org by June 27th with the name of another dues/paying member who will serve as your proxy. If you are unable to identify another member to name as your proxy, please let us know in a note to the above email address, and we’ll assign you a proxy to make sure your votes are cast.Proposals: Resolutions and Bylaw Amendments will be voted on at the Convention using OpenSlides in a browser on your phone or computer. You will receive a login from DSA New Orleans – OpenSlides with your login. For more information, here’s the member guide to OpenSlides.

DSA BBQ THIS SATURDAY and LOCAL COUNCIL NOMINATIONS DUE 5/30! 🌹

Posted by cochairs

Happy start to the summer, comrades! To celebrate, this weekend’s general meeting will be a BBQ at the Lakeshore Park — read on for more info! 

SATURDAY, May 25th, 12-2pm — BBQ GM!: Join us this Saturday at Lakeshore Park (1626 Cloverleaf Rd) for good vibes, food, and conversation! Veggie options will be available and kids are welcome!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: DSA New Orleans Local Convention will be JUNE 29TH!

  • Our Local Convention is an annual meeting where our members vote on chapter leadership, amendments to our bylaws, and take up business related to the political direction of our chapter in the coming year. 
  • We will be holding a hybrid convention, in-person at Broadmoor Community Church (2021 S Dupre St) and on Zoom starting at 12PM NOON.
  • For the first time, we will be using OpenSlides to run the meeting. If you have any interest in assisting with tech, please reach out! No prior experience with OpenSlides required, just willingness to help out.
  • Join the convention-planning channel in Slack to help with planning, discuss bylaw change proposals, and organize cooking!

THURSDAY, MAY 30th — Local Council Nominations DUE!

  • Nominations for 2024-2025 chapter leadership should be emailed to hello@neworleansdsa.org by May 30th! Read more about these positions here. You may nominate as many members as you like, but no one may nominate themselves. If you have any questions or interest, reach out to any current LC member to chat more about it! 

OTHER REMINDERS: 

  • The Electoral Working Group is looking to recruit at least one candidate in the 2025 Fall election for municipal offices like City Council. Contact Bob M at 504-417-4121 or on Slack if you’re interested.
  • SIGN CEASEFIRE PETITION: If you have not already, sign the petition demanding City Council call for a ceasefire, stop all support of Israel, and condemn the murder of Tawfic Abdeljabbar. DM the Instagram or respond to this email if interested in getting more involved with this campaign. Follow @nola4palestine on Instagram if you haven’t already, subscribe to this constantly-updated calendar of actions and benefit events in the City, and check out NOSHIP’s fantastic site of resources, petitions, ways to help, and more.
  • Are you a member in good standing but not in our Slack? Email us so we can get you in!
  • Find other upcoming events on the calendar on our website!

Hope to see you this weekend!

Solidarity forever,

New Orleans DSA 🌹

MARCH UPDATES — Elections, Upcoming Events, and More!

Posted by cochairs

Hey comrades! Read on for updates, important info, and calls to actions.

Election Day for party offices is March 23rd. Check out the fully released Voter Guide at dsaneworleans.org/voter-guide-spring-2024 for the breakdown on the stakes, races, and candidates. Happy voting!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • THURSDAY, March 21st, 7-8:30pm — Political Education Committee Meeting: Communism? Exchange? Hierarchy? Thursday at Parish Hall (or over Zoom here), come on down and talk about money, where it comes from, and why it doesn’t mean what we think it does… We are discussing David Graeber’s “Debt: the First 5000 Years” and the film Parasite. Watch, read, or just come in to talk economics. Text available for free here!
  • SUNDAY, March 24th, 3pm-dinner — Let Us Not Forget: Vigil for Unhoused Lives: Join us at Duncan Plaza for a ceremony honoring the unhoused neighbors we lost over the past year, building community, and reaffirming our dedication to the fight for housing as a human right. Can’t come but want to support? Their Venmo is @NolaVigilForUnhoused; donations are used to pay for supplies and compensation for unhoused artists & performers. Reach out to see how else you can volunteer; every extra hand helps
  • MONDAY, March 25th, 6-7pm — Make Entergy Pay Meeting: Join us to plan taking back control over our power! Meets at QiQi’s; if you want to attend but can’t come in-person, reach out!
  • WEDNESDAY, March 27th, 5-6pm — Health Justice & Direct Service Meeting: Join the Health Justice and Direct Service Committees as we plan our Brake Light Clinics and Health Fair. This is a hybrid meeting, in person at Parish Hall and over Zoom here.
  • WEDNESDAY, March 27th, 7-8pm — Municipal Action Committee Meeting: Now that the voter guide is out the door, the next MAC meeting will be March 27th to review how it went & look ahead to school board elections this fall. 
  • SATURDAY, March 30th, 12-2pm — General Meeting: Join us at Nora Navra Library at noon for our monthly chapter-wide meeting, where we’ll discuss our organizing efforts and make collective decisions about the political work we are doing. These meetings are open to all. Prefer to meet online? Join via Zoom here!
  • Sunday evenings at 6pm — Emma Goldman Gathering at Holy Ground: Come talk politics with us and test out how well you believe the things that you think you believe. Reading books is all well and good, but you have to practice pulling it out of your head and putting it into your own words. Beer can sometimes help that process.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO AND CALLS TO ACTION!

  • The New Orleans Workers’ Bill of Rights is up to be heard to get on the ballot this fall! Join Step Up Louisiana & some DSA members at City Hall for an important council hearing Tuesday, March 19th @ 9:30AM. Make your voice heard for union rights, living wages, paid leave, and healthcare! Read more about the Workers’ Bill of Rights here.
  • Save Grow Dat! The City Park Conservancy began a master planning process for all of City Park which will alter transportation, infrastructure, and access in the park. They propose building a road straight through the Grow Dat Youth Farm, displacing them from the 7 acres they have cultivated and flourished on for over 13 years. Make your voice heard and stand up to save Grow Dat’s current home! Fill out this form to get involved, and attend the City Park Planning meeting Thursday, March 21st @ 5:30-7:30pm at Dillard to speak out.
  • The Electoral Working Group is looking to recruit at least one candidate in the 2025 Fall election for municipal offices. Contact Bob M on Slack if you’re interested.
  • Local Council voted to endorse and help organize a Statewide March on the Capitol during the legislative session, scheduled for Friday, April 19th. Interested in helping with the statewide march or assisting in coalition building? Reach out!
  • SIGN CEASEFIRE PETITION: If you have not already, sign the petition demanding City Council call for a ceasefire, stop all support of Israel, and condemn the murder of Tawfic Abdeljabbar. DM the Instagram or respond to this email if interested in getting more involved with this campaign. Follow @nola4palestine on Instagram if you haven’t already and check out NOSHIP’s fantastic site of resources, petitions, ways to help, and more. 

Hope to see y’all at these events and look forward to talking more! 

Solidarity forever, 

New Orleans DSA

TOMORROW: February General Meeting!

Posted by cochairs

Hey comrades! 

Tomorrow is the most important holiday of February: General Meeting day! 

Join us at Nora Navra Library at noon for our monthly chapter-wide meeting, where we’ll discuss our organizing efforts and make collective decisions about the political work we are doing. These meetings are open to all. Prefer to meet online? Register here!

Check out the agenda here! We encourage you to read the resolutions in advance:

Hope to see y’all soon!

Solidarity forever,

New Orleans DSA Local Council

Our Chapter’s Local Convention 2021 is Coming Up Soon!

Posted by cochairs

In just a few months, we will be holding our chapter’s Annual Convention. This is the meeting where we elect new chapter leaders, make key decisions about the political direction we want to go in, and amend our bylaws. As the planning for this year’s Convention comes together, we will be posting updates on our website here! Check it out now to find out some important dates, such as when proposals will be due (May 22nd) and when we will start our election (June 12th) and when we will meet to consider all the proposals (June 26th). 

The 2021 Special Election Voter Guide is Here!

Posted by cochairs

On Saturday, March 20th, we’ll be having a special election to fill the 2nd Congressional District House Seat, amongst other things! We are excited to release our 2021 Special Election Voter Guide, which covers LA-02, LA-05, the 82nd State Rep District, and Westwego municipal races! Check it out here.

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