Progressive Center Events:

Wildcatting the Sun: Expanding Solar in Texas
Saturday, February 6th, 10:0am sign-in, 10:30am event
This is a repeat engagement because of the heavy rain for last week's evening event. We're looking at clear skies on Saturday!
Right now, Texas is only ninth in the country for solar energy, tied with Wisconsin.  But with the right incentives and a renewable energy standard, like those that have boosted wind energy in the state, Texas can be a leader. Texas has the most solar potential in the country - we have enough sunshine to power the entire state hundreds of times over - and by using existing technologies to tap into just a fraction of our solar potential, we can protect our environment and move towards a cleaner energy future.
To do that, the Go Solar Texas Coalition is bringing together citizens, businesses, elected officials, and community leaders to voice their support in telling Governor Perry and the Public Utilities Commission that it's time for Texas to Go Solar.
Join us as we screen a short video presentation, answer questions, and discuss more about how you can get involved in the effort! Click here for more info.
For questions, to get involved, or to host a screening house party contact Sriram Madhusoodanan: sriram@greencorps.org or (352) 216-6751.

Lessons We Can Learn from the Massachusetts Special Election
Saturday, February 6th, Noon to 2:00pm
There has been a  lot of spin about the outcome of the special election in Massachusetts. Come and meet Grace Ross, a candidate who is on the ground in Massachusetts and hear her assessment of the situation there are the lessons Texas can learn for our elections in 2010. This is a unique opportunity for the grassroots supporters in Dallas to be able to ask our questions without the filter of the press or "party insiders". Grace Ross is in Dallas to speak at the National Conference on GLBT Equality: Creating Change.
This special engagement was made possible by Ruttle Consulting.

At the Progressive Center she will share her thoughts on:
    * Future of the Democratic Party
    * The importance of the GLBT Community in the political system
    * What happened in Massachusetts Special Election and the lessons they have learned

Grace Ross has been a long time activist for independent politics, economic and social justice. Grace grew up in New York City, made her home in Massachusetts after attending Radcliffe and Harvard. She went on to make a name for herself coordinating community non-profits and being an effective and inclusive community organizer.  Her 2006 populist gubernatorial campaign generated large-scale grassroots response and modeled that politics need not be "business as usual".

Some of Grace Ross's accomplishments include:

• Played key leadership role in successful policy change campaigns through legislative and budget processes in statewide and municipal coalitions for 25 years on issues such as public benefits, affordable housing and access to healthcare

• Co-created strategy and lead successful campaign to get historic objection filed in Congress to the counting of the 2004 Ohio presidential vote

• Networked with key decision makers; governor, congress people, National Democratic Party leaders, labor to successfully influence swing legislators to uphold MA Equal Marriage ruling

• Filed briefs and organized the use of international law and institutions to create international attention on US poverty and voting rights violations

• Organized community outreach and public education through public hearings across Massachusetts to preserve our state's non-profit hospital system

• Facilitated low-income organizing and lead grassroots lobbying effort that delayed implementation of destructive national welfare reform

• With 13 years on the Executive of Jobs with Justice, backed workers - unionized and not - through Worker's Rights Board Hearings, delegations to employers, organized community campaigns

• Written or co-written legislation on housing, healthcare, prison reform, environment, economic human rights, public benefits

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