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UP FRONT

History of Tenant Rights: DC Walking Tour to set off from Columbia Heights this Sunday, March 10 at 1pm

The History of Tenant Rights: DC Walking Tour takes place this weekend, starting at 1pm on Sunday, March 10 at Columbia Heights Civic Plaza in DC. The event will take attendees on a walking tour through Columbia Heights, exploring the past, present and future of tenant rights in the area. The tour will explore how Columbia Heights tenants could and have previously come together to demand rent control and better housing conditions, buy their buildings from landlords and form cooperatives, organize tenant unions and exercise their power to get the DC Council to pass the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA) Act. The Walking Tour will be led by Professor Amanda Huron, organizers with the Stomp Out Slumlords campaign and tenant organizers in Columbia Heights. Sign up in advance to not miss weather updates and notices.

Stomp Out Slumlords coordinating a 10am Wilson Building rally on March 12th to protect tenant TOPA rights

TOPA, which gives tenants a seat at the table when their building is up for sale, is currently under attack from landowners as the real estate industry is ramping up efforts to roll back the protections tenants in DC have won over the last 50 years. Stomp Out Slumlords is coordinating a rally at 10am on Tuesday, March 12 at the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW) to tell the council to resist the landlord lobby’s biggest attack on tenants’ rights in DC history. Developers (and the mayor) are plotting to hack away at TOPA, and tenants at a recent city-wide meeting determined that they would resist any drawdown of tenant protections in the city. Fight back — tenants and socialists demand TOPA for all, fully funded and with no cuts or loopholes. Register here and email [email protected] to plug into the fight.

Secure DC (Crimnibus) passes in DC Council, weakened from grassroots resistance effort

In an extended Council session on Tuesday, March 5, the Secure DC legislation passed its final vote 12-0 (with 1 voting present).

The Coalition that rallied against the measure (which includes Metro DC DSA) was able to organize 1,611 people to send over 24,963 letters to the DC Council and pull 62 organizations into opposition. Hundreds packed the Council meetings on February 6 and March 5 in opposition to the legislation. As a result of this push, several amendments have severely weakened the final legislative package, including:

Capped pretrial detention provisions to expire and require reauthorization later this year;
An amendment passed by CM Lewis George, and adopted by the majority of the Council, maintained (rather than lowered) the current threshold on felony thefts;
Weakened DNA collection to occur only after probable cause is determined. This provision remains still alarming — CMs Lewis George, McDuffie and T. White voted against reentering this policy into the final version of Secure DC;
Watered down and thwarted anti-mask provisions included in the bill, which include carve outs for people exercising first amendment rights;
removed provisions that would withhold MPD officers’ names from adverse action proceedings.
The final version of this legislation also includes “drug-free zones,” though it’s likely to be constitutionally challenged and overturned.

In the hearing, Councilmembers remained ambivalent about Secure DC’s effectiveness, doubting CM Pinto and Mayor Bowser’s belief that this legislation would significantly address and impact violence in the city. (Read more coverage: from The Washington Informer, 730DC’s March 6th coverage.) Metro DC DSA’s Abolition working group played a critical effort in the campaign, and will debrief at the next DC-based working group meeting on March 19. DSA members are encouraged to ask questions or get involved by joining the #abolition channel on the Metro DC DSA slack.

BRIEFS

Volunteer to re-elect Janeese Lewis George for DC Council — Saturday and Sunday, March 9 and 10

Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is running for re-election for District Council in Ward 4, but she is being targeted by both the police union and Mayor Muriel Bowser for the strong stances she has taken as a socialist in office. Metro DC DSA is organizing to defend her seat. While in office, Councilmember Lewis George has introduced legislation to bring a Green New Deal for Social Housing to DC, advocated to expand rent control and raise the minimum wage for tipped workers, fought to claw back the carceral state and much more. There are many ways to volunteer as a socialist, including research and communications support. DSA will also be holding canvasses every weekend for Janeese, including this Saturday, March 9 from 1 to 4pm at the Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center and Sunday, March 10 from 1 to 4pm at the Shepherd Park Community Center. Sign up here to get updates on future canvasses.

Metro DC Happy Hour at Aslin Brewing — tonight at 5:30pm

Celebrate International Women’s Day with comrades at a chapter-wide happy hour at Aslin Beer Company, DC’s newest union brewery, tonight from 5:30 to 8pm. It’s organized by our new Community Builders team; come catch up with comrades you know, meet new comrades, get plugged into our chapter’s work on the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy National Campaign and support union beers. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Maryland Palestine Solidarity and #CeasefireNow Coalition Update

On Monday, March 4, MDC DSA-endorsed Delegate Gabriel Acevero’s resolution HJ0002, Supporting a Long-Term Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, was heard in the Maryland General Assembly’s House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. The hearing drew over 60 witnesses from different parts of the state, as well as different ages, political affiliations and faith backgrounds, all united in their call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire. An insurgent alliance in Maryland is organizing in support of Palestinian solidarity and urging supporters to visit IMAN’s Action Alert to send an email or Justice 4 All’s dialer tool to make a call to Maryland politicians. On Monday, March 11 at 1 PM, there will also be a hearing on HJ0005, a resolution meant to protect students and academics facing attacks for their speech in solidarity with Palestine. Maryland DSA members are encouraged to contact the Montgomery County branch at [email protected] to get involved with DSA’s Palestine solidarity organizing work.

Apply Now: Join the New Member Community Cohort, starting in late March

Anyone new to Metro DC DSA is invited to apply to join the Spring 2024 New Member Community Cohort. The cohort will hold trainings and social events weekly from late March through mid-April covering “Why We Organize,” “What is Socialism?,” chapter operations and resources and a dedicated social outing. It will be a great way to get to know new people and familiarize yourself with socialism, along with the chapter and those in it. But don’t wait — cohort applications are due by March 12.

Montgomery County DSA launching renter canvass — Saturday, March 16

Last year, the Montgomery County Council passed rent stabilization legislation limiting rent increases to 6% or less, thanks to tireless organizing by tenant groups including Metro DC DSA. But landlords across the county continue to increase rents by 10% or more because the county government is not yet enforcing the law. Now, the county council must pass rent stabilization regulations as soon as possible so that the county government can start enforcing rent stabilization. On Saturday, March 16, join the Montgomery County branch to talk to tenants in Gaithersburg and get tenants involved in demanding that the county council pass strong regulations ASAP. RSVP here.

Socialist Night School: Prison Capital — Saturday, March 16

Metro DC DSA’s Political Education working group will be hosting their next hybrid Socialist Night School on Saturday, March 16 at 6pm at the Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library and on Zoom. Come out to listen to Lydia Pelot-Hobbs discuss her new book Prison Capital: Mass Incarceration and Struggles for Abolition Democracy in Louisiana. Louisiana had the highest per capita rate of incarceration in the nation (and thus, the world) every year between 1998 to 2020 except for one. Understanding Louisiana’s carceral crisis extends our understanding of the interplay between the crises of mass criminalization and racial capitalism while highlighting the conditions of possibility for dismantling carceral power in all its forms. RSVP here.

Montgomery County Council considering ban on consent searches

On Tuesday, February 27, the Montgomery County Council held a public hearing on the Freedom to Leave Act, a bill that would ban consent searches. The hearing was a great success, with overwhelmingly positive testimony from a diverse group of people — from legal experts to individuals sharing their stories and powerful policing critiques from LGBTQ, racial justice and feminist perspectives. A work session on the bill has not yet been scheduled, but MDC DSA members can monitor the #montgomery-county Slack channel for updates on the expected timeline. To learn more about the bill and for a sample script to use to contact your council members, you can view the coalition’s outreach guide and talking points here.

Fairfax Connector workers win big after 15 day strike

In yet another big win for organized labor, the Fairfax Connector workers of Local 689 ratified a new contract on Wednesday after a 15 day strike that shut down bus service in Fairfax. The union states the contract would "guarantee retirement security for members, include competitive wages for bus operators and mechanics, and enhance the 40-hour guarantee, among other key Union priorities.” Check out the #nova-labor and #labor Slack channels to get plugged into other area labor struggles.

INFO ACCESS

MDC DSA Up Close

Find out more about our local chapter structure — our campaigns, working groups and branches covering the DMV, and the chapter’s detailed history since the mid-seventies. Then there’s our welcome to new members. Browse the archive of the Washington Socialist to see how we write about ourselves and our socialism (some assembly required). Staying Current: live from our studios Wednesday, March 13, 7 – 8pm, Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation with Q&A.

DSA national has its own site of course. DSA Feed is an RSS feed that aggregates multiple DSA publications — including our own Washington Socialist — in one convenient place. More from the National Tech Committee here.

MDC DSA Publications Schedule: Washington Socialist is on a quarterly schedule. Updates to the current number will be published on a rolling basis over the next month. Get on record about your socialism! Contributors to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected]. Weekly Updates are scheduled for Fridays — March 15, 22 and 29.

Want more INFO ACCESS? Submit your Update suggestions to the tip line. Or even better, participate in MDC DSA’s publications effort. We write, we edit, we design, we do the tech — there are so many ways your hand could lighten the load in 2024 and beyond. Check us out on #publications and let us know what you would like to write, or write about.

COMMUNITY BULLETIN

Film Screening: Tomorrow’s Freedom | Friends Place on Capitol Hill
Come out to Friends Place on Capitol Hill or via Zoom on Thursday, March 14 for a screening and discussion of Tomorrow’s Freedom — a critical film in the conversation about peace in Palestine and Israel. Made over the course of five years, Tomorrow’s Freedom provides an intimate look into the lives of the family of imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouthi. RSVP here.

Help push and pass sweeping EmPOWER law in Maryland | Green & Healthy Homes Initiative
Join the Maryland Sierra Club and coalition partners in Annapolis on Wednesday, March 13, from 11:30am to 12:30pm, to champion EmPOWER reform. EmPOWER, established in 2008 to enhance statewide energy efficiency, needs support to reach its full potential. If passed, HB864 would align the program with state greenhouse gas reduction goals, increase funds for improvements in homes and multi-family buildings, mandate multilingual outreach for inclusivity and enhance transparency and accountability requirements for utilities. RSVP here to let the General Assembly know that they need to pass a strong EmPOWER bill this year.

ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES

Growing Racial Disparities in Voter Turnout, 2008–2022
A report from the Brennan center outlines how election suppression is affecting minority turnout.

Estimated 2.5 million people displaced by natural disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable

Residents who don’t know how to find information about disaster recovery assistance or can’t take time away from work to apply for aid can have a harder time getting quick help from federal and state agencies. From The Conversation via Route Fifty

Lawmakers across the U.S., including in Md., seek to curb utility spending on politics, ads and more

After a string of scandals and amid rising bills, lawmakers in statehouses across the country, including in Maryland, have been pushing legislation to curb utilities spending ratepayer money on lobbying, expert testimony in rate cases, goodwill advertising, charitable giving, trade association membership and other costs. At least a dozen states have considered bills to limit how gas, water and electric utilities can spend customers’ money, according to a tracker maintained by the Energy and Policy Institute, a watchdog group. Maryland Matters/States Newsroom

Uh-Oh — Robots…

In the sweepstakes for AI advances, “both Google and OpenAI… may have fallen behind a third rival, Anthropic, whose newly released Claude 3 model surprised researchers by realizing it was being tested, demonstrating something like self-awareness. Claude also became the first AI to score above 100 on a modified Mensa IQ test.” Semafor

DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Friday, March 8

5:30 – 8pm | MDC DSA Chapter Happy Hour

Saturday, March 9

11am – 1pm | DSA Prince George’s County Branch General Body Meeting

Sunday, March 10

1 – 3pm | History of Tenant Rights: DC Walking Tour

Wednesday, March 13

7pm | Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation

7pm | MDC DSA Reproductive Justice Weekly Meeting

Thursday, March 14

6:30 – 7:45pm | NoVA Branch Monthly Organizing Meeting

Tuesday, March 19

6 – 7pm | NoVA Medicare for All Working Group Meeting

7 – 8pm | Abolition Working Group Biweekly Meeting

Wednesday, March 20

8pm | MDC DSA Reproductive Justice Weekly Meeting

Thursday, March 21

6:30 – 8:30pm| NoVa Branch Social Meetup

Saturday, March 23

1:30 – 4:30pm | Stomp Out Slumlords Anti-Eviction Canvas

Sunday, March 24

2 – 4pm | MDC DSA General Body Meeting (hybrid)

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 its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vast and free horizon.

- Virgilia D'Andrea