PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good - Blog

Welcome to Our New Office Manager!

8/20/2019

PACG Welcomes New Office Manager

Hello Progressives, I would like to take this time to introduce you to our new employee, Julie Ross!

Julie has been a long-time resident of the Quad Cities community and has been active in progressive issues for many years. She holds a Masters degree in Anthropology from Southern Illinois University. She is married, has two adult daughters and in her spare time, she cuts snowflakes and raises monarch butterflies.

We are happy to add such a passionate progressive to our team. Please join me in welcoming Julie to PACG! You can contact her at PACGoffice@gmail.com.

Allison Ambrose

7th Annual PACG Picnic and Pie Auction

8/11/2019

7th Annual PACG Picnic & Pie Auction
Sunday, September 15th at 12:00 pm

Register here

2019_pacg_picnic_poster_.pdf
File Size:	820 kb
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Longview Park
18th Avenue & 17th Street, Rock Island, IL. (map)

PACG Board

Please join us again this year for great food catered by Fresh Deli, music, raffles, our famous pie auction - and an opportunity to chat and have fun with other progressive minded people!

It would help us plan for food if you pre-register at the link above (preferred) or call the PACG number on the flyer and tell Julie you are coming to the picnic and the number of people you are bringing. You can then pay at the door (although this option leads to longer lines) or mail a check to PACG, Suite 3D 1212 W. 3rd St., Davenport, IA 52802.

Tickets are $10 each or $25 for families. Kids under 10 are free. And there's playground equipment right there, so bring the kids and grandkids! We look forward to seeing you on September 15th!

Ann McCluskey

Caryn Unsicker

After Action Report - Green Drinks

8/5/2019

Green Drinks - After Action Report
for June & July

Fresh Deli - 421 W. River Drive, Davenport, Iowa

Environmental Forum

Green Drinks!

June

Flood waters had finally receded, so our June Green Drinks went on as scheduled. Karen Neder gave an excellent presentation on Terracycling and provided a wide range of materials that can be recycled from your kitchen, bathroom, office and more. Numerous companies have formed brigades and are recycling materials from their own production, as well as from competing brands. Terracycle Quad Cities is a company that collects and recycles thousands of products. Check out Karen’s Facebook page or go to the Terracycle Quad Cities website directly for a list of products. They range from snack bags to toothpaste tubes to juice pouches. The collection is stored and sorted at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moline and the proceeds go to the Blessings Preschool .

July

Our July Green Drinks had a good sized crowd of nearly 20 people. We chatted informally and got to know each other. We shared our concerns about climate change and local environmental issues. Representative attended from three presidential campaigns: Booker, Buttigieg, and O’Rourke, and they each shared details from their candidates’ environmental platform. Each campaign has been invited to attend, and may be at upcoming events. Check out www.greendrinks.org/IA/QuadCities for more details about our group. We meet at Fresh Deli from 5-7 pm on the last Thursday of each month.

Lori McCollum

What You Can Do Now - Drug Price Control Action Alert

7/29/2019

Action Alert - Drug Price Control
Quad Cities Area

Health Care Reform

Action Alert - Drug Price Control

The Senate Finance committee chaired by Sen. Grassley, approved by a vote of 19-9, a bi-partisan bill to limit prescription drug prices to the inflation index, but drug company lobbyists are mounting forces to oppose the bill. Many Republican senators seem ready to oppose it or amend it to death during floor debate.

Now is the time for us to act. If you live in Iowa, call Sen. Grassley 515-288-1145 and thank him for his leadership on this bill, and urge him to keep fighting for its passage without crippling amendments. Then contact Sen. Joni Ernst 515-284-4574 and urge her to ignore industry lobbyists and support passage of this bi-partisan bill that will help protect all Americans from huge prescription drug price increases.

If you live in Illinois, you can also thank Sen. Grassley for his leadership on this issue and contact Sen. Durbin 202-224-2152 and Sen. Duckworth 202-224-2854 and thank them for their continuing support on this and other health care reform issues.

Frank Samuelson

What You Can Do Now - Containers for Monarch Butterflies Needed

7/23/2019

Containers for Monarch Butterflies Needed

Partners of Scott County Watershed
Nahant Marsh (map)

Cassie Druhl from Partners in Scott County Watersheds contacted me about collecting containers to rear monarch caterpillars. Plastic containers - 32-oz cottage cheese or yogurt type - are requested. If you have some to share, drop them off at Nahant Marsh's office at 4220 Wapello Avenue in Davenport between 8:30-4:30 or Saturday 9-3.

Lori McCollum

What You Can Do Now - Bees to Share?

7/23/2019

Bees To Share? East Moline/Hampton

Living Lands and Waters

Living Lands and Waters is setting up bees on one of their properties. They are seeking additional bees from anyone willing to share, as they want to increase the diversity of their bee population. If you have bees to share, contact Rachel at Living Lands and Waters at 309-230-0057 or rachel@livinglandsandwaters.org.

Lori McCollum

Next Civil Rights Forum Meeting - July 21st at 3:00 pm

7/1/2019

Civil Rights Forum Monthly Meeting -
Sunday, July 21st at 3:00 pm

Greatest Grains
1600 N Harrison St, Davenport IA (map)

Civil Rights Forum

Notice the time change to 3 pm. Greatest Grains is closing an hour earlier.

Join us to hear what's happening in the Auto Theft Accountability Program, in Juvenile Justice, and on immigration.

Most of the time will be devoted to how we can use the Davenport DCAP (Davenport Citizens Advisory Panel) model to end racial profiling in Bettendorf. We particularly need Bettendorf residents to step up.

Learn more about statewide efforts to end racial profiling in this article from the Iowa ACLU. Notice that Davenport is singled out as a leader on this issue.

Alta Price

Lights for Liberty Vigil

7/1/2019

Lights for Liberty Vigil - Friday, July 12th at 7:00 pm

Mercado on 5th
5th Avenue and 12th Street, Moline, IL (map)

Civil Rights Forum

A national organization called “Lights for Liberty” is calling for communities around the country to join them in holding an event called: “Lights for Liberty: A Vigil to End Human Detention Camps”.

PACG is a co-sponsor of our local event which will be held at Mercado on 5th in Moline on July 12th from 7 - 9 pm. See the event Facebook page for more information: facebook.com/events.

Join us in delivering this very important message!

To find out more about the organization and their plans for this national vigil, you can go to their website - www.lightsforliberty.org

Allison Ambrose

Environmental Forum Meeting

6/24/2019

Environmental Forum Meeting - Monday, July 1st at 6:30 pm

Cobblestone Place, 1212 W 3rd Street, Davenport, IA (map)

The PACG Environmental Forum will meet on the first Monday of each month. We welcome newcomers to our Forum ~ this week’s topics include:

• The June 27, 2019 PACG Environmental Forum Green Drinks Gathering the last Thursday of every month from 5:00-7:00 pm. Join us for this networking opportunity at Fresh Deli at the Freight House (map).

• Meeting with Iowa and Illinois state legislators and federal representatives. Please bring a question you would like to ask your legislators https://votesmart.org/

• Earth Day 2020!!! Planning - Join us for this planning meeting!

Shirley Johnson

Save the Date - 7th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction

6/24/2019

SAVE THE DATE:
7th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction
Sunday, September 15th Noon to 3pm

Longview Park 18th Ave. & 17th St., Rock Island, IL (map)

More details will be provided in the coming weeks.