Dear comrades,

Hello! Most importantly this week - MoCo DSA will soon hold a special election for one opening on the Branch Steering Committee. Please nominate yourself or ask any questions about the position by emailing us here! The online election will begin on October 4, and nominations must be sent to the steering committee in writing by this Friday (September 20).

Bernie Sanders agrees with us on rent control and housing for all, paid for by taxing the very rich! We are thrilled that he finally listened to us and added rent control to his platform. :)

Speaking of rent conrol, we hope everyone who attended enjoyed this past Sunday's branch meeting! Our members were energized and excited after we practiced having mobilizing conversations as part of our rent control campaign! Don't miss out on our next rent control working group meeting on Sep. 25 (see below).

 MoCo DSA was proud to join other progressive organizations last week, including CASA de Maryland, Takoma Park Mobilization, and SURJ MoCo, at the MoCo Stands with Immigrants counter-protest Friday. The counter-protest was held in response to a right-wing extremist rally organized in order to demonize undocumented immigrants in the wake of the Trump regime's attacks on Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich for his executive order banning most forms of cooperation with ICE. Speakers at the anti-immigrant rally included literal Nazi (and former Trump official) Sebastian Gorka; the noted racist and anti-Semite Michelle Malkin; and Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, a Joe Arpaio acolyte.

As always, Montgomery County Democratic Socialists of America is proud to stand with allies in support of immigrants' rights and against fascist hate.


(Editor's note: These photos are not of our members - these are allies who were at the counter-protest.)

Upcoming DSA events:

Monday, September 23: D.C. Climate Strike with DSA
Youth climate activists from around the world have called for a global week of action from September 20-27. In response, a group of organizations in DC--including 350.org, labor union activists and many others--are shutting down DC on the morning of September 23. Each group is planning a nonviolent direct action to block key infrastructure and bring DC to a gridlocked standstill. DSA is looking to block an intersection and we really need your input and participation to make it a success. To get involved, email Jake H  (or 202-957-3761) and join the #climate-strike Slack channel. More information: http://strikedc.org

 Wednesday, September 25 at 7:00 PM: MoCo DSA Rent Control Working Group Meeting in DTSS
We have met with County Executive Marc Elrich and a number of local organizations who are excited to partner on this campaign with us. Now we need to plan our next phase of the campaign - which will include reaching out to the many DSA members in MoCo who haven't been as active with the branch, and creating content for the new MoCo DSA website that is currently being built!  (RSVP by emailing us here, and we'll send you the exact location details.)

 Saturday, September 28 at 10:00 AM: Queer Socialist Caucus - National Trans Visibility March on DC
From the organizers: MDC QSC will have a contingent in the National Trans Visibility March to show our solidarity with our trans comrades, trans women of color, one of the most marginalized groups in society, and all trans people. Details here.

 Don't forget to check out the Metro DC DSA Meetup Events page to find many DSA events throughout the Washington Metro region!

Upcoming community events:
Thursday, September 19 at 6:00 PM: People's Forum on Racial Equity in MoCo / Foro: Equidad Racial, in Rockville
From the organizers, including DSA member Brandy Brooks: What would our county be like if race and ethnicity didn't predict our opportunities, resources, or quality of life? And how can a racial equity policy get us closer to that kind of world? Right now, our elected officials are drafting a racial equity policy for Montgomery County. Join us on Thursday, September 19 at Visarts in Rockville (155 Gibbs Street) for a community-organized forum to ensure our voices are heard. Details here.

 Friday, September 20 at 9:00 AM: MoCo Student Striker Kickoff Rally at Silver Spring Metro Station
From the organizers: Join in support of our Montgomery County climate strikers as they head to DC to demand climate action NOW! We will surround the Metro station entrance with a #ClimateStrike human banner and hear from strikers before they board the train for the 11:00 DC Climate Strike march at Freedom Plaza. Details here. Details on the Global Climate Strikes are here.

Saturday, September 21 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM: Maryland Trans Resilience Conference
From the organizers: The Baltimore Transgender Alliance, Trans Healthcare Maryland, and CLEAR Baltimore are partnering with local trans community to launch the Maryland Trans Resilience Conference, an annual trans-led, trans-focused gathering to foster connection, healing, and education. The conference includes workshops, panel discussions, wellness, art, resource tables, and more, all within a social, trans-affirming environment. Details here.

Good Reads:
 From Jacobin: "We Can Have Beautiful Public Housing" by Meagan Day. "From Vienna to Chile, the success of social housing for the working and middle classes shows how beautiful homes can coexist with urban housing for all."

 From the Los Angeles Times: "California Tenants Will See Cap on Rent Increases Under Bill Sent to Newsom" by Liam Dillon. "Tenants across California will for the first time have protections against how much landlords can increase their rents after legislators on Wednesday narrowly approved a measure to cap annual rent hikes. Under Assembly Bill 1482, most yearly rent increases over the next decade will be limited to 5% plus inflation and tenants will receive protections against being evicted without cause. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who brokered the deal that led to its passage, pledged to sign the bill in a statement issued immediately after the vote."

 From NBC News: "No, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren Aren't Too Far Left to Win the Presidential Election" by Adrian Pecotic. "It’s become clear that Americans are willing to countenance far more ideological options than we would have expected even a few years ago, on both the left and the right. One explanation for this growing ideological diversity should reassure Bernie Sanders, the most radical Democratic presidential candidate and the only one who proudly wears the socialist label: According to some political scientists, voters will often follow the lead of their political figures to greater extremes of political thought."

 From the Washington Post: "The Gig Economy Has Costs. We Can No Longer Ignore Them" by California State Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego). "California is home to more millionaires and billionaires than anywhere else in the United States. But we also have the highest poverty rate in the country. One contributing factor is we have allowed a great many companies—including 'gig' companies such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Handy and others—to rely on a contract workforce, which enables them to skirt labor laws, exploit working people and leave taxpayers holding the bag. I believe society must defuse this economic time bomb; otherwise, we will live with the consequences."

 From the Washington Post: "Why the Patriarchy is Killing Men" by Liz Plank. "When I traveled to Iceland in 2018, the World Economic Forum had ranked it No. 1 in gender equality for an entire decade. According to the common way of discussing that honor, the country must be a feminist utopia for women. What goes under-reported is how great it is for men, too. Iceland helps show that changing men’s ideas about what it means to be a man, and lifting up women in the process, doesn’t make men worse off—it has far-reaching benefits to their lives."

In solidarity,