Making States More Green

cross-posted from Sum of Change

The question on how states and local level governments can assist the green wave is commonly considered, especially when discussing the current job market and nation’s economy. Michael Fedor, the Pennsylvania state director for Repower America, and Adam Graber, PennEnvironment, bring up various ways to support this process.

The following clips were filmed at the 2010 PA Progressive Summit, held this last January in Harrisburg, PA. In the first video, Fedor and Garber answer a question regarding the Maglev System (a budding green friendly train system appropriate for state wide and city commuting) and how to gain federal funding for a project such as this. In the final video, Garber and Fedor specifically address plans to decrease coal dependency in Pennsylvania, another solution to help states become greener.

For more info on the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit and it's organizer, Keystone progress, please go to paprogressivesummit.org and keystoneprogress.org

PA-Sen Primary Eve: Recap from PA Progressive Summit

cross-posted from Sum of Change

As Pennsylvania gets ready to vote in, arguably, the most-watched primary of the year, we thought folks might appreciate one last look at the two candidates, Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak, back-to-back on the issues. (Videos from the PA Progressive Summit)

--Question 1- What Do You Think of a Partial Spending Freeze?

--Question 2- What Would You Do To Increase Manufacturing Jobs in the US?

--Question 3- What is Your Opinion of Same-Sex Marriage?

--Question 4- Will You Vote For The Employee Free Choice Act With Card Check?

--Question 5- What Are you Going to do About the Trade Deficit?

--Question 6- Do You Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform?

--Question 7- What Should We Do About the Filibuster?

Green Thoughts: Green Jobs for Green Days

Originally Posted at SumofChange.com

With a poor economy, new technology offers the ability to create new jobs as well as progression for companies large and small. Combining this with the global need for clean energy creates a viable opportunity for economic alleviation.

To continue our “Green Thursdays”, here are some clips from a panel at the 2010 PA Progressive Summit, held this last January in Harrisburg, PA. Michael Fedor, the Pennsylvania state director for Repower America, and Adam Graber, PennEnvironment, discuss the current job environment and how clean energy “green jobs” are essential for the future for most companies.

In the first video, Fedor (along side Adam Garber) explains the realistic ways green jobs can fix unemployment. Once more green jobs have been established, Fedor in the second video describes the ways green jobs can become green careers. In the final video, Fedor illustrates how to make Pennsylvania the leading green jobs state in the nation.

For more info on the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit and it's organizer, Keystone progress, please go to paprogressivesummit.org and keystoneprogress.org

For more videos from Sum of Change at the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit, please go to SumofChange.com/paprog

The Need for More Women In Office and How to Make It Happen

Originally posted at SumofChange.com

Who needs women in office? Everyone.

That was the title of one of the more powerful panels held at this year's Pennsylvania Progressive Summit, in Harrisburg, PA. Sam Bennett, Women’s Campaign Forum President/CEO and former congressional candidate, led the panel discussion which previewed several of the state's female candidates and elected officials. Largely discussing the various ways to get more women into public office, the candidates shared their personal stories on why they chose to run for office, how to personally fund your campaign, and discussed the reasons why more women in office is "essential to the health of our nation".

In the first two videos, Sam Bennett and other panelists outline the major points on why we need more women in public office. In the third video, Lois K. Herr illustrates how to support other women in running for office. The final video offers advice on ways to support your own campaign, especially if its your first.









For more videos from the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit, go to SumofChange.com/paprog

For more info on the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit and it's organizer, Keystone progress, please go to paprogressivesummit.org and keystoneprogress.org

Marriage Equality: Details You Should Know to Make it Happen

Cross Posted from SumofChange.com

Also from the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit (paprogressivesummit.com), I'd like to bring you a few videos form a panel simply entitled 'Marriage Equality'. On this panel, the speakers discussed the benefits, issues, and consequences of allowing homosexual couples marriage rights equal to those of heterosexual ones.  The panelists and approached the topic from a variety of angles.  Some spoke about the legal issues equality, both in the PA state legislature and in the constitution, others talked about the religious aspects, especially from the Christian and Jewish traditions, and others talked about the moral and human rights aspect of the debate.

The clips below go into many of the arguments against marriage equality and gay marriage and why most of them struggle for validity.  The first video, PA state senator Daylin Leach, who sponsored a bill in the PA state legislature in support on marriage equality, goes into many of the arguments against gay marriage that he has heard while debating the bill.  As he says, no one has debated him twice, because no one has presented him an argument with any validity.  The second video looks at many of the religious issues brought up by the marriage equality debate.  Many think that religion has no part of the legal debate over gay marriage and often when religion is invoked, it is done so incorrectly.  Finally, the last clip discusses why marriage equality supporters should want legalized gay marriage and not civil unions.  Civil unions seem like an acceptable compromise, but really they are impractical and still discriminatory.







For more videos from the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit, go to SumofChange.com/paprog

For more info on the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit and it's organizer, Keystone progress, please go to paprogressivesummit.org and keystoneprogress.org

Specter/Sestak Senatorial Forum

At the PA Progressive Summit, we got the chance to catch a Senatorial forum with Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak. This election is sure to be one of the most watched, and both campaigns have quite a long road ahead of them. They were asked the same questions, so we threw their answers back-to-back for you folks:

Question 1- What Do You Think of a Partial Spending Freeze?


Question 2- What Would You Do To Increase Manufacturing Jobs in the US?


Question 3- What is Your Opinion of Same-Sex Marriage?


Question 4- Will You Vote For The Employee Free Choice Act With Card Check?


Question 5- What Are you Going to do About the Trade Deficit?


Question 6- Do You Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform?


Question 7- What Should We Do About the Filibuster?


For more videos from the PA Progressive Summit, visit www.SumofChange.com/paprog

'The Morrill Plan' for a Heathy Progressive Future

In continuing our coverage of the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit (paprogressivesummit.org),  I'd like to bring to you excerpts of a one of the speeches by Michael Morrill, the executive director of Keystone Progress, the main organizers of the conference (keystoneprogress.org).  Here, Mr Morrill outlines his 4 points for a permanent progressive minority in Pennsylvania (and in the US) in, as he says, his humbly named "Morrill Plan".  In continuing of a vertebrae related theme from William McNary's speech we released last week, his fist point is to GROW A SPINE.  Democrats have a huge majority, even if it is no longer a super majority, and they have to start acting like it by taking control.

Secondly, progressives must remember that NOT ALL DEMOCRATS ARE PROGRESSIVE.  Several democrats aren't going to vote for progressive values and it may be easier to engage and work with a moderate Republican or Independent than a moderate Democrat.  Thirdly, the opposite is also true: NOT ALL PROGRESSIVES ARE DEMOCRATS.  Even if people don't identify themselves as progressives, many common American values are progressive and there is a lot more support for progressive issues from people who don't identify themselves as progressive than we may think.

Finally, to expand upon and paraphrase Bill Clinton's mantra from the early 90s, IT'S ABOUT JOBS, STUPID.  There are a lot of important issues in America that have to be addressed, but until we can create jobs, people are going to be more concerned about fighting for their own survival than fighting for what is best for America.

-- Grow A Spine



-- Not All Democrats Are Progressives



-- Not All Progressives Are Democrats



-- It's About Jobs Stupid



For more videos from the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit, go to SumofChange.com/paprog

For more info on the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit and it's organizer, Keystone progress, please go to paprogressivesummit.org and keystoneprogress.org

Joe the Nerd Protests Senator Specter at PA Progressive Summit

The last main event at the PA Progressive Summit this past weekend was a Senatorial Forum with Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak.

During the Q&A with Sen. Specter, there was one man who spent the entire time standing with his back to the stage. It was rather obvious, one man standing while the rest of the room was seated. We caught up with the protester, Joe Ferraro, better known to the online world as Joe the Nerd, and got a chance to chat with him about what he was doing and why:



Whether you agree with Joe the Nerd or think the Senator deserves to speak with progressives, it is rather difficult to argue with his logic. Senator Specter has a conservative history, albeit moderate and on some issues, and even liberal on others. According to the Specterometer, after switching parties the percentage of votes he cast with the Democrats jumped from 44% to 69%. After it became clear that Congressman Sestak would enter the primary, that spiked up to 97%. That is sure to please many progressives, but is it enough to overcome the years of pre-Democrat-Specter?

More videos from the PA Progressive Summit available at www.SumofChange.com/paprog with lots more to come!

Quick Interview with Sen. Arlen Specter at the PA Progressive Summit

At the end of the PA Progressive Summit, Senator Arlen Specter was kind enough to take a few moments for an interview with us. I asked him what concrete steps he is taking to work with his former party members towards a reduction in their use of the filibuster.

As you can see, the Republicans are on track to have threatened the filibuster far more often than ever before. In response, liberals all across the netroots have posed the thought of ending the filibuster once and for all.

There are many good reasons to end the filibuster and a few bad reasons. Ultimately, if the Republicans demand 60 votes for every piece of legislation in existence, than the true purpose of the filibuster has been lost and it should be eliminated. But that might be using a shotgun to punch a hole in a piece of paper.

Senator Specter is in a position that other Democrats are not. Those Republicans filibustering everything are his former party members. He likely has a much stronger personal relationship than other Democrats with many members on the other side of the aisle. So asked him if he could share with us some concrete steps that he is taking to work with them towards returning the filibuster to a level more consistent with the historic use of the filibuster.

This may be one of the few advantages that Senator Specter has over Congressman Joe Sestak. Folks appreciate someone who can move the other side. In this election, he should, and has, played on that fact. At Netroots Nation last year, he got a great applause when he said he would call Senator Grassley the minute he stepped back stage to tell him to tone down the rhetoric against the health care proposals.