Category: Resist - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

DOGE Privacy Act request - What You Can Do Now

3/23/2025

DOGE Privacy Act requests

Civil Rights Forum
U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin has suggested that citizens file formal demands for access to the data that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk have obtained on us.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has issued an injunction commanding DOGE to comply with citizen requests under the Freedom of Information Act. This law encompasses the Federal Privacy Act of 1974, which entitles any citizen to access personal information held in any U.S. government records system.

This newly recognized federal agency, which has been systematically accessing government computer data systems, now has an obligation to respond to specific information demands from any of the 340 million U.S. citizens who exercise their legal right to defend their privacy and establish the security of their private information.

Citizens need only download, print and fill out the form, sign it and mail it to DOGE (the address on the pdf). (Note: a Wet Signature means using pen on paper.)

Alta Price (she/her)

doge_privacy_request.pdf
File Size:	82 kb
File Type:	pdf

Resistance rally in Geneseo - After Action Report

3/17/2025

Resistance Rally in Geneseo - After Action Report

Resistance Blue Dot Quad Cities

Over 100 people participated in a rally in Geneseo, IL to express our concerns about the actions of the current administration.

Rael Slavensky (he/him)

Toast the Resistance - After Action Report

3/4/2019

Toast the Resistance - After Action Report

On February 23rd, close to 50 people attended our 2nd Annual Toast the Resistance party. We celebrated the RESISTANCE at The Key restaurant in downtown Davenport. Many of the attendees were new to PACG and had come to learn more about our organization and about how they could get involved in making a difference.

Allison Ambrose delivered a "Toast" to the Resistance and membership awards were given for "Most Active New Resister” - Deb Sperry; "Worker Bee Resister” - Susan Meenan; "Behind the Scenes Resister” - Jeannie Price; and, the "Successful Forum Event" award went to the Environmental Forum for the Renewal Energy Conference they presented in November.

The energy in the room was at a high level while everyone discussed with each other the “goods” and the “bads” of the past year. Forum facilitators informed the crowd of the various things being done to advance progressive causes and the PACG Book Club publicized their activities. Those in attendance were encouraged to sign up for a forum and/or the book club.

At the conclusion of the event, the various sign-up sheets were full of names. Everyone had a great time! Cheers!

Nobody is Above the Law - Rapid Response for Jeff Sessions Firing

11/8/2018

Attend the Nobody is Above the Law Rally TODAY at 5:00 pm
Davenport - LeClaire Park 400 West Beiderbecke DR (map)
Rock Island - US County Clerk 211 19th ST (map)

With the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions yesterday, Donald Trump is demonstrating his intention to put himself above the law. We won’t allow it.

Trump is compromising the Special Counsel investigation and will create a constitutional crisis if he fires special counsel Robert Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Mueller.

Our response is imperative now! We must show Members of Congress that they need to stand up to Trump or allow him to move our democracy toward authoritarianism.

From the MoveOn rally organizers: "Donald Trump has installed a crony to oversee the special counsel's Trump-Russia investigation, crossing a red line set to protect the investigation. By replacing Rod Rosenstein with just-named Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as special counsel Robert Mueller's boss on the investigation, Trump has undercut the independence of the investigation. Whitaker has publicly outlined strategies to stifle the investigation and cannot be allowed to remain in charge of it. The Nobody Is Above the Law network demands that Whitaker immediately commit not to assume supervision of the investigation. Our hundreds of response events are being launched to demonstrate the public demand for action to correct this injustice. We will update this page as the situation develops."

MoveOn is holding emergency “Nobody is Above the Law” rallies around the country TODAY at 5:00 pm local time. There are over 900 of these demonstrations planned, in every state, with 350,000 RSVPs to date!

RSVP to attend the rallies today. Nobody is Above the Law – Mueller Firing Rapid Response rallies here:

For Davenport RSVP here.

For Rock Island RSVP here.

Alta Price

Are You Interested in Non-Violent Resistance? Learn More!

11/5/2018

Civil Disobedience Training
from the PACG Board

Sunday, November 11th 4:00 pm
Metropolitan Community Church, 2930 W Locust St, Davenport, IA (map)

Rev. Rich Hendricks of the Metropolitan Community Church is training activists in peaceful civil disobedience. This training is very important! If you have not yet gone through one of these sessions, and you think that you might wish to participate in acts of peaceful civil disobedience, you really need to go through the training. With the administration considering redefining Transgender out of existence and the approach of the Immigrant Caravan, we may soon find ourselves needing to engage in acts of peaceful civil disobedience, should the government remain unresponsive to our protests.

Note: Even if you do not want to personally participate in civil disobedience, we need support in the community for those who do, and those supporters also need to be trained.

Alta Price

What You Can Do Now - Sign Up for Mueller Firing Rapid Response Rallies

5/8/2018

Nobody is Above the Law – Mueller Firing Rapid Response

Donald Trump could be preparing to put himself above the law. We won’t allow it.

Trump will create a constitutional crisis if he fires special counsel Robert Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Mueller, or attempts to compromise the investigation by other means.

Our response in the hours following a potential power grab will dictate what happens next – whether Congress will stand up to Trump or allow him to move our democracy toward authoritarianism.

MoveOn is preparing to hold emergency “Nobody is Above the Law” rallies around the country, in the event they are needed- 900+ of them and counting, in every state, with 350,000 RSVPs to date!

To learn more, visit this MoveOn website.

You can sign up for local Nobody is Above the Law – Mueller Firing Rapid Response rallies here:

For Davenport sign up here.

For Rock Island sign up here.

Alta Price

February 21st Lobby Day in Des Moines

2/18/2018

Lobby Iowa State Legislators Against Bills Promoting Intolerance

Wednesday, February 21st, 10 am
State Capitol Building Cafeteria, Des Moines, IA (map)

The Iowa Legislature is considering three bills that would ban public school diversity programs, promote deportation of law-abiding immigrants, and encourage businesses to discriminate against LBGT people. Come to a Lobby Day organized by LULAC and supported by PACG, One Human Family, and other progressive groups to oppose these bills.
#HatefulState #NotIowaValues #NoHate

Toast the Resistance - January 20, 2018 - After Action Report

2/2/2018

Toast the Resistance - January 20, 2018

On Saturday, more than 40 people came out to celebrate the Resistance on its one year anniversary at Soiree Wine and Martini Lounge in Moline. Many of the attendees were new to PACG and had come to learn more about our organization and about how they could get involved in making a difference.

Alta Price delivered a "Toast" to the Resistance and everyone interacted discussing the “goods” and the “bads” of the past year. Alta and forum members informed the crowd of the various things being done to advance progressive causes.

At the conclusion of the event, the various sign-up sheets were full of names. Everyone had a great time and our common thought was that this should become an annual event!

Allison Ambrose
Chair, Membership Committee

Toast the Resistance - January 20, 2018

1/25/2018

PACG is having a Toast the Resistance party, to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Women’s March, and to commit to growing the resistance in 2018. Recruit a friend you think should join PACG to come to the party. Come yourself and make a commitment to do more in 2018.

The party is on Saturday, January 20, 2018 from 5 to 7 pm at Soiree Wine & Martini Lounge, 1516 5th Ave, Moline. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and a free drink will be provided. Space is limited, so you and your friend must register in advance to reserve your spot.

Download the flyer at the link below the image. Use it to send or hand to your friend to invite them to the party.

toast_the_resistance_flyer.pdf
File Size:	182 kb
File Type:	pdf

Prescription Drug Pricing

6/19/2017

Health Care Reform Forum

Trump Says House Health Bill "Mean." That was the headline after the President met with senators last week. We agree. Now, he should act and not just talk.

In the meantime, our Health Care Reform Forum continues its series of letters to the editors on Prescription Drug Pricing.

Pharmaceutical companies continue to be the most profitable segment of our economy. The companies claim that high prices fund necessary research and development (R&D). However, 9 of the 10 top pharmaceutical companies spend much more on marketing and sales, totaling $3 billion annually to consumers and $24 billion to healthcare providers, than on R&D. The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world to permit the advertising of drugs.

The drug companies have other strategies to increase prices to prescription drugs. Most new drugs are patented, giving the manufacturer monopolistic marketing and price protection for up to 20 years. But when the patent is due to expire, companies often make a minor change in the formula, and get a new patent to maintain profits

Another strategy is to keep generic versions of the drugs off the market, sometimes by paying generic manufacturers to postpone the introduction of cheaper versions.

Another strategy is to buy the rights to an old, cheap, “niche market” drug with only one supplier, and then hike the price by several hundred percent. Patients who need that drug are hostage to that inflated price.

They also encourage the use of prescription drugs for purposes other than that for which they have been tested and approved by the FDA.

By using these monopolistic strategies, pharmaceutical companies have proven that they cannot moderate their own pricing practices. We need to tell our legislators to regulate the costs of these necessary and often life-saving medications like is done in nearly every other country.

Doug McCollum,
Rock Island

Frank Samuelson
[email protected]