Hi everyone,

The 2020 DSA New Orleans Voter Guide is live! Check it out here, and join our Municipal Action Committee for a Voter Guide Release Party on Zoom tonight at 7:30 PM. Register for the call here!

Solidarity,

DSA New Orleans Local Council

At our September General Meeting, we held a rousing debate and discussion about how our chapter should engage with electoral politics and state power. As a chapter, we voted to form an Electoral Politics Working Group, which will be housed under our longstanding Municipal Action Committee.

As part of their formation, the EPWG argued that whoever holds legislative power affects the possibilities for social change. EPWG also recognizes that, for many people who are open to socialist politics, their first experience with progressive and leftist ideas comes through electoral politics. EPWG is committed to establishing an openly democratic socialist presence in Louisiana politics. They will develop strategies for building working class power and redistributive politics in the electoral arena. They will support chapter efforts to develop and run candidates for office.

Electoral Politics Working Group meetings are held every other Sunday at 2 PM and are open to all. Check the calendar for the next meeting and the call-in information!

Hi everyone,

Last week, the Democratic Socialists of America launched the DSA100K recruitment drive – an ambitious attempt to recruit 5000 new members in the next 5 weeks. This is the first major recruitment drive our organization has ever run, and it’s going extremely well. In the first week, DSA grew by over 2000 dues-paying members: the fastest period of growth the organization has ever seen. In the past, we’ve seen big membership spikes when big news breaks, like when Alexandria Ocasio Cortez won her primary in New York. This recruitment drive success is even better than that, because this shows us that organizing works: making direct asks of our friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors to join our political project gets results.

Have you signed the 100K pledge yet? You can do so here! Recruit three members to DSA and not only will you build working class power, you’ll get a cool pink hat! Once you’ve signed the pledge, generate your unique join link here. 

The most important tool that the working class has is organization. We’re strong when we fight together. We have to build a durable, mass political organization to wield the kind of power we need to win real change in our society. If you aren’t a dues-paying member of DSA yet, join here! Also, not to brag, but New Orleans DSA is #3 in the country in recruitment numbers right now. Let’s keep that lead going! 

Lastly, if you speak Spanish and would be interested in helping translate some of our externally facing chapter materials into Spanish, please reach out to hello@dsaneworleans.org! We have also been doing weekly voter registration events, and we’d love to train some more Spanish-speaking volunteers in voter registration.

Solidarity,

DSA New Orleans Local Council

Our August General Meeting is this Saturday at 2 PM! This is the most important meeting of each month – the meeting where we put the small ‘d’ in democratic socialism. This is when we bring the whole chapter membership together and make decisions about how to move forward as a chapter. Do you have an idea for a project that the chapter should take on or a campaign that you’d like to see us get involved in? The General Meeting is where those ideas can be discussed and voted on by the whole membership. Email hello@dsaneworleans.org to submit a proposal or to find out more information about how to do so! 

At this month’s General Meeting, we will elect a delegate to the Green New Deal Strategy Summit, discuss how to structure our chapter’s abolition work, and consider other proposals being submitted by members like yourself! Join us – register for the call here!

Are you a teacher or a parent? Or are you concerned about ensuring a safe return to school for the teachers, parents, and students in your life? We are hosting a Safe Schools Panel with teachers from Jefferson Parish on Monday the 17th @ 7 PM. Join the call to get connected with other teachers and parents in our chapter and beyond!

Also, the DSA Municipal Action Committee has begun our work on a voter guide for the coming November elections, but we need more researchers, especially those with knowledge of Plaquemines, St. Bernard and Jefferson parishes, and local school or judicial systems. That being said, you do not need any experience or special knowledge to help with this project, it’s a collaborative effort between a group of people. To join the project, please fill out this form and we will get back to you. Our next Zoom meeting will be 8/27, and you can register for that call here (password: MAC). 

Lastly, on Wednesday the 19th at 10:00 AM the Louisiana House and Governmental Affairs Committee will meet to discuss if the threat of coronavirus in November will be enough to warrant an emergency voting plan, and if so what that plan should look like. Mail-in ballots are currently allowed for voters with especially high risks from COVID-19, but not for all residents. State Republicans have blocked past measures to make voting safer. To contact our state government and announce your support for an extended period of early voting and universal mail-in voting, you can email the H & GA Committee at h&ga@legis.la.gov and LA Secretary of State Ardoin online here or by phone at 225.922.2880.

See you on Saturday! Register for the General Meeting here.

Solidarity,

Local Council
New Orleans DSA

P.S. New to DSA? Check out our chapter’s new member resources here. You can always email hello@dsaneworleans.org with questions about how to get involved or about the work our chapter is doing. 

Hi everyone,

Last week, City Hall announced plans to hire Peter Bowen as a new Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) in charge of the city’s land use. They will also expand the duties of the job, creating a new agency, the Office of Business and External Services (OBES), a project of Gilberto Montaño, the city’s Chief Administrative Officer.

The OBES will include the regulatory agencies already under the leadership of the DCAO and add agencies in charge of economic development and buying, selling and leasing city-owned land.

Bowen is a former general manager for Sonder, a short-term rental company that became the largest operator of STRs in New Orleans in 2018. Bowen fought against regulation for the STR industry and “blitz scaled the New Orleans market for Sonder from launch to 1,000 apartments (2,500 rooms) in under 36 months” (from his application for the DCAO position). 

The last DCAO left the position in the wake of scandals based around big business dodging city regulation. A building inspector was indicted on taking $65,000 in bribes, and two building inspectors were suspended for falsely claiming multiple inspections of the Hard Rock Hotel on Canal St.

City Hall has failed in its duties to regulate the STR industry, and appointing an STR exec to a powerful regulatory job makes it even more clear that our city government is catering to corporations at the expense of New Orleans locals. The needs of our city residents come before the profits of wealthy developers, especially during an economic crisis and looming mass evictions.

We oppose the hiring of Peter Bowen as a DCAO for the city and the creation of the OBES. We demand Gilberto Montaño step down as CAO and for City Hall to make good on its promise to regulate the STR industry fairly. Take action – send a email to City Hall officials today and sign our petition here!

Are you interested in getting involved in this campaign to oppose the hiring of Peter Bowen? Email municipal@dsaneworleans.org to get connected with a leader from our Municipal Action Committee or come out to one of our upcoming events! 

What’s next? Join our our next Local Council meeting, TONIGHT at 6:30 (register here). This is the monthly meeting of our chapter’s leadership body, and everyone is welcome to attend these meetings. And put the August General Meeting, which will be on August 22nd at 2 PM, in your calendar today! General Meetings are held monthly. These are the largest meetings of the General Membership (that’s you!) each month, and this is where the entire chapter membership makes collective decisions on how to move forward. If you can only make one meeting a month, a General Meeting is the place to start! 

Solidarity,

Local Council
New Orleans DSA

P.S. New to DSA? Check out our chapter’s new member resources here. You can always email hello@dsaneworleans.org with questions about how to get involved or about the work our chapter is doing. 

P.P.S. Here are the full minutes from our chapter’s annual convention last week! 

Hi everyone,

This weekend, our chapter wrapped up our 2020 Local Convention. This year’s Convention was split into two meetings, one for elections, which was completed last month, and one for political resolutions and bylaw amendments, which was this last Saturday. Over the weekend, we tackled a daunting agenda with 19 proposals, each with different solutions for addressing the structure and guiding the political direction of our chapter. This was by far the highest number of proposals we’ve ever considered at Convention. We had great debate and minimal technical difficulties. Well done everyone, and HUGE thanks to our Convention Committee for organizing our first entirely online Convention! 

Full minutes for the Convention meeting will be ready soon, but in the meantime, you can find a list of the proposals we considered and the results of the final votes here. Among other things, we voted to prioritize organizing towards abolition in Orleans and surrounding parishes, formalize our committee and working group structures within the chapter, and implement chapter-wide assessments for developing new projects. We also approved our General Meeting schedule for 2020-2021. Check it out here, and put these dates in your calendar! 

Are you interested in getting involved in making the proposals we passed this weekend a reality? Email hello@dsaneworleans.org to get connected with a New Orleans DSA leader, or come out to one of our upcoming events! 

What’s next? Join our our next Local Council meeting, on August 3rd at 6:30 (register here). This is the monthly meeting of our chapter’s leadership body, and everyone is welcome to attend these meetings. And put the August General Meeting, which will be on August 22nd at 2 PM, in your calendar today! General Meetings are held monthly. These are the largest meetings of the General Membership (that’s you!) each month, and this is where the entire chapter membership makes collective decisions on how to move forward. If you can only make one meeting a month, a General Meeting is the place to start! 

Solidarity,

Local Council
New Orleans DSA

P.S. New to DSA? Check out our chapter’s new member resources here. You can always email hello@dsaneworleans.org with questions about how to get involved or about the work our chapter is doing. 

It is almost time for New Orleans DSA’s annual Convention, our largest meeting each year. Due to social distancing measures related to the pandemic, we will be holding this important gathering online through Zoom. Though it will not be the same as convening in person, we are doing our best to replicate all aspects of the Convention and provide all of our members the resources they need to participate.

Save the Dates
We will hold Convention in two parts:

Saturday, June 27th, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST
State of the Chapter presentation
Annual Treasurer’s Report
Candidate Statements + Voting

Saturday, July 25th, 2 p.m. CST
Discuss and vote on proposed Bylaw Amendments and Political Resolutions

Candidates
These members have accepted their nominations to run for officers of the Local Council. (Read descriptions of each position here).

At-Large Members:  Nadia J. & Andrew S.
Co-Chair: Alec D., Frances G. & Benjamin H.
Membership Chair: Sean D. & Amanda S.
Secretary: Lori DG. & Zack D.
Treasurer: James P.
Treasurer Trustee: Alli DJ. & Bill M.

How to Vote
We will be using the online voting platform Opavote [read our guide]. You do not have to register an account to use this platform, but you must be a member in good standing with National DSA in order to vote. That means that you are up to date with your national dues. 

If you are not a member, why not take this opportunity to officially join DSA and have a say in our election? 

This year, we will hold an open voting period that begins on June 27th and runs to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 3rd in order to accept ballots by mail. This is the first year we are offering mail-in ballots as an option. We will mail election packets with candidate information and the ballots to all members.

If you do not need or want a mail-in ballot, please fill out this quick form. You can also update your mailing address through this form. Opting-opt will allow us to reduce the number of packets we need to print and mail, so please consider this!

Hear from the Candidates
The candidates are allowed to campaign any way they choose, but our chapter is providing a few opportunities for them to introduce themselves and present their platform. Written candidate statements will be posted on the chapter website, emailed to members, and included in the mailed election packet. We are also holding a Candidate Forum in a Q&A panel style the week before the election (time and date TBD). 

If you have a question for the candidates, you can submit it here or email hello@dsaneworleans.org.

Open Call for Bylaw Amendments & Political Resolutions 
Finally, we are accepting proposals for bylaw amendments and political resolutions to consider and vote on during the July 25th portion of Convention. Bylaw amendments add, remove, or alter the text of our chapter’s bylaws. Political resolutions are the same type of document we typically vote on during General Meetings. We will provide more information about this process in the coming weeks, but you can read about how to write a resolution here.

Amendments and resolutions must be submitted to hello@dsaneworleans.org by members in good standing by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 12th.

If you have any questions, please email us!

Thanks & Solidarity,

The 2020 Election Committee
New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America

On June 3rd, the New Orleans Police Department used chemical weapons (teargas) and rubber bullets against peaceful protestors marching on the Crescent City Connection bridge to the West Bank. This comes after the previous night of protests (6/2), when NOPD tried to play us by taking a knee as protesters lined up to block I-10, only to turn around and use force the next evening, in a situation with children present. The use of teargas over the CCC bridge could have ended with protestors falling off the bridge. NOPD must be held accountable for their dangerous, life-threatening actions.

Over the last several years, Black uprisings against the police in cities across the country have advanced popular understanding of policing and prisons. We have seen police departments across the country attempt to implement “reforms” like de-escalation training, community police boards, and requiring police to wear body cameras. These reforms have not proven to be effective, as Black men, women and children are still dying at the hands of cops. Here in southeast Louisiana, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and Kenner Police have been responsible for the deaths of many Black people in recent years, including Modesto Reyes, Keeven Robinson, Chris Joseph, Daviri Robertson, Armond Jairon Brown, Desmond Willis, and others.

Eric Garner was killed by the New York Police Department nearly six years ago. His death, and his final words, “I can’t breathe,” were captured with irrefutable video evidence. Yet his murderers were not held to account. Police violence has been captured on video for decades now with few consequences.

It is not the job of socialist workers to stand back and watch the uprisings re-shaping our political system and society. We do not merely provide commentary on the Rebellion taking place across the nation in reaction to police murder. We are working class organizers. These are the questions we need to be asking ourselves now: how can we support and sustain the spirit, the leadership of the Black rebellion? What steps must we take to end racist police violence?

The vague, liberal promise of “community policing” and “bias training” are not enough. They misunderstand the nature of the problem. We cannot sensitivity train the institutionalized racism and violence of the policing system out of existence. We must fight to reduce police interventions and to eliminate access to riot gear and weapons of war police use to terrorize our communities. Police officers are treated like general first responders, called for all emergency situations, even though they are an ultra-militarized force trained to arrest, shoot and kill. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. We must fight to defund and disarm the police.

Currently, 30% of New Orleans’ city budget is spent on policing. That does not include the costs of Orleans Parish Prison, a notoriously unsafe, violent institution. What could we do with that money? How many childcare providers, educators, and social workers could we employ? How many youth after-school programs could we fund? How many emergency first responders, trained to safely address mental health crises, could we put to work?

As socialists who struggle for the liberation of Black, brown, Indigenous communities and all oppressed peoples in our society, we must ORGANIZE for real working class solutions. Do not let yourself be lulled into a sense of complacency by copaganda and liberal half-answers to the institutionalized state violence.

Disarm the police. Defund the police.

New Orleans DSA stands in solidarity with the uprisings in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Columbus, Louisville, Los Angeles, and beyond. We stand in solidarity with people everywhere who are demanding freedom from racist violence at the hands of the police. We stand in solidarity with the Black-led rebellions taking place across the nation. The police are one of the lethal tools of white supremacy, used to protect capital and property rights and to crush the powerful movements of working people.

In Louisiana, we can look back to the Thibodaux Massacre in 1887, where white supremacist militias massacred hundreds of Black people after an estimated 10,000 Black sugarcane workers went on strike. We can look to the 1970 storming of the Black Panther Party’s headquarters in the Desire Housing Projects. Or we can look to the present, where PeopleReady, a temp agency that contracts labor for Metro Service Group, fires striking sanitation workers (all of whom are Black men), and forces people who are imprisoned to replace them for pennies on the dollar. 

This is how the carceral state works; this is what policing is. This is not unique to Minneapolis or to “a few bad apples.” The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis came just days before the police murder of Modesto Reyes here in Jefferson Parish and on the heels of Breonna Taylor’s murder in Louisville.   

We uphold the right of Black communities to protect themselves against a murderous state, and we encourage all people to join the ongoing movement to end state violence and white supremacy. 

As the events this week in Minneapolis have shown, we will only win this fight when we—the multiracial working class—come together to leverage our collective power and force the end of a system that relies on white supremacist violence to maintain the status quo. This system will not end because of a moral shift in the hearts of the ruling class or in individual white people’s conscience. It will only end when we all commit to stepping up now, joining the fight for the long-term, and building our power together.  

This year, New Orleans will elect a district attorney and several criminal court judges—we demand that they hold officers accountable for misconduct and brutality. The city will pass a budget this fall in the midst of a pandemic and record unemployment. We demand the city divert our tax dollars away from NOPD and surveillance contractors to community health and social services. Orleans Parish Prison, which has killed about 50 people since 2006, is at its lowest population since the 1980s. We support the demands of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and call for a mass release of incarcerated people.

We are angry, and we are mourning, and we are ready to fight.

Take action with us: 

• Direct Action
  • This week, join Take Em Down Nola & Workers Group daily 6pm at Duncan Plaza.
• Donate
  • Take Em Down Nola
  • Louisville Community Bail Fund
  • Southern Solidarity
• Get Organized 
  • Eyes on Surveillance
  • Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition 
  • VOTE (Voice of the Experienced)
  • Congreso de Jornaleros/Congress of Day Laborers 
  • DSA

Solidarity,
New Orleans DSA