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"One-Stop Shop" for Health Care Campaign Organizing // MARCH MATERIALS

Campaign Update, 3/10/10:

March is shaping up as an exciting month. President Obama and Democrats in Congress are aiming to pass a final health care package by the end of the month. On March 20 and 21, we're having our first National Leadership Training ever in Washington, D.C. And we're getting ready to move ahead with some exciting new campaigns for 2010—including planning our first big round of movie parties in years.

Here's a more in-depth update on what's ahead for MoveOn Councils:

  • We're entering the final push for health care reform. We've come so far—we need to see real reform cross the finish line! So Councils around the country are running "Stand for Health Care" events in the coming weeks to pressure targeted members of Congress to pass real reform this year. Your Council should decide which tactics make the most sense for your targets. Check with your Council Coordinator, Field Organizer, or Regional Coordinator for help if you're not planning something already.
  • Mark your calendar for "Capitalism: A Love Story" movie parties on March 27 and 28. Thousands of MoveOn members will gather in living rooms across the country to watch Michael Moore's documentary about how we got into the financial crisis and who is responsible—and then we'll talk about what we can do to make the economy work for regular folks again. We'll be recruiting non-Council members to participate in and host parties in their neighborhoods, so this is a great Council-building opportunity. Talk with your Council Coordinator, Field Organizer, or Regional Coordinator about how best to take advantage of these movie parties to grow your Council.
  • What do you think of our plans for 2010? After months of discussion, including two national calls with Regional Coordinators and Council Core members, we're ready to move forward with some exciting plans for this year. In the months ahead, we'll work to build an independent progressive movement that can take on corporate influence in Washington. Along the way, we'll be looking for new and innovative ways to push power into the hands of MoveOn members, to make sure that this movement is genuinely led by the grassroots. If you have thoughts on this approach, or anything you want to share on how we should be doing our work in the months ahead, talk to your Field Organizer, Regional Coordinator, or Council Coordinator.

Organizing Story for "Capitalism: A Love Story" movie parties on 3/27 and 3/28

Bob: http://pol.moveon.org/event/capitalismparty
 
In the past year, we've seen the massive influence of corporate money in our national politics. As we worked to pass real health care reform, insurance companies fought tooth-and-nail to stop it, spending tens of millions of dollars. It was the same story with Big Oil and Coal companies working to block clean energy legislation. And even after plunging us into the worst recession in decades, Wall Street has fought even the most modest efforts to pass financial reform.

Corporations have blocked progress on our most urgent priorities -- from restoring jobs to passing real health care reform. After the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision, it's just getting worse. We can't sit by and let this continue. So we're launching a major new campaign to root out corporate influence in Washington and make sure our elected officials start passing policies that look out for Main Street.

To help kick it off, thousands of MoveOn members will gather in living rooms across the country on March 27 and 28 to watch "Capitalism: A Love Story," Michael Moore's documentary about how we got into the financial crisis and who is responsible. We'll watch and then talk about what we can do to move our country forward and make the economy work for regular folks again.

This is a "1000 flowers" event -- which means we'll be recruiting hosts from the entire MoveOn membership. We want as many parties as possible so that the maximum number of people can participate. Councils should talk with their Regional Coordinator or Field Organizer about who should host a party in their community. Parties are about 2.5 hours long, and will include watching the movie and discussing what action we can take in our communities. The ideal location for a party is in a private home. Hosts need a DVD player, and they should also have a computer with internet access available at the party. The DVD will be released on March 9th and we'll provide you detailed instructions on where you can acquire one in your area.

FAQ:
 
Q: What is the schedule of mailings and materials for this event?
A: Here are the key dates:

Mon Mar 15: Host recruit #1
Mon Mar 15: Most organizing materials posted
Thurs Mar 18: Host recruit #2
Sun Mar 21: 6pm ET - Vetting deadline #1 for Support Corps
Mon Mar 22: Attend recruit #1
Mon Mar 22: Remaining organizing materials posted
Tues Mar 23: National host call
Weds Mar 24: 6pm ET - Vetting deadline #2 for Support Corps
Thurs Mar 25: Attend kicker
Sat & Sun, March 27-28: PARTIES

Q: What will happen at the party?
A: The main activity -- and the thing that we expect will draw the most people to attend -- is the simple act of watching this movie together. We'll also provide an agenda for discussion and action in addition to watching the movie. The entire event should take around 2.5 hours, or longer if folks want to stay. It's great to make this into a fun social gathering that includes popcorn, desserts, or pot luck.

Q: What are the rules for central email for this event?
A: We want as many parties as possible so that the maximum number of people can participate. We'll recruit for all events that are posted and that meet the event guidelines. To get a central email, a party must take place on Saturday or Sunday, March 27 or 28, and it must start between 12pm and 7pm local time.

Q: What's next after the party?
A: We're planning a longer campaign to challenge corporate influence in our national politics. We'll have an activity at the parties to enable people to getting more involved in that campaign, and a handout to help guide that activity. These materials will be linked from the guide.

Q: Are we advocating or taking action for any specific legislation at this party?  

A: No. At the parties, we'll watch the movie to educate ourselves, and then we'll have some discussion about what we can do together. But we won't mostly be focused on a particular bill or piece of legislation. Going after corporate power in politics will be a multi-month effort -- no single bill will fix the problem.

Q: How do I get a copy of the movie to play at the party?

A: Hosts have many options. You can order a DVD online; get it from Netflix; stream it online on-demand from Amazon; or rent it from their local Blockbuster. Price ranges from about $5, for renting it form Blockbuster, to more than $30 for buying it online from Barnes & Noble.

Here are some detailed options of how to get the DVD:

Order the DVD online:

- You can pre-order the movie for same-day delivery on Amazon.
Total cost: $28 ($19.99 for the DVD; $7.98 for shipping & handling).
DVD page: http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Love-Story-Michael-Moore/dp/B0030Y11XS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1267564244&sr=8-2
Release-day delivery details: http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Love-Story-Michael-Moore/dp/B0030Y11XS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1267564244&sr=8-2

- You can pre-order the movie from Barnes and Noble and get it delivered in 2 or 3 days guaranteed. (FWIW, Barnes & Noble is actually where Moore's site directs people.)
Total cost: $35 ($24 for the DVD; $11 for expedited 2-3-day shipping)
DVD page:
http://video.barnesandnoble.com/DVD/Capitalism-A-Love-Story/Michael-Moore/e/13132136592/?itm=1&USRI=capitalism+a+love+story
Shipping costs & timing:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/help_cds2.asp?PID=26950

Stream the movie online:

- You can pre-order the movie for same-day play-on-demand from Amazon.
Total cost: $14.99
Order page: http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-A-Love-Story/dp/B0036SPOHC/ref=ed_oe_vdl

Rent the movie locally:

- You can go rent the movie at your local Blockbuster for about $5. Blockbusters in Ann Arbor, Dallas, and Seattle each said they'd have 17-26 copies available. Most Blockbusters don't let you reserve copies ahead of time, unfortunately, but you can check.
Store locator: http://www.blockbuster.com/stores/storelocator

Netflix: Movie page: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Capitalism_A_Love_Story/70122701

Q: What rules should I know about if we want to hold a MoveOn event in a private commercial or organizational venue, such as a restaurant, bar, or other indoor venue?

A: First, please try to find a venue for free.

The best location for a house party or meeting is usually your own home or someone else's home.

If you want to hold your event in another location, it's best to find a space that's free of charge and open to the public, that can seat at least 20 people. A library meeting room or community center are perfect. Some restaurants and bars have back rooms that they allow groups to use for free.

The ideal venue will allow you to bring potluck food in, or buy it there. Food makes every event better! Look first for resources that are free to all organizations/groups -- like a library community room.

If you must pay for a venue, you must make absolutely certain that you're not getting a special deal that wouldn't be offered to other users of that same space just because you are a MoveOn member. That could be counted as a corporate in-kind contribution to MoveOn, and we are not set up to track or account for that.

If you must pay, we ask that you pay out of pocket. MoveOn has limited resources, so whatever your council can cover on its own helps our campaigns stretch our resources further. If you need to share the expense between multiple people on your council, for legal reasons please *don't* pass the hat -- but you can each write separate checks made out to the vendor for whatever you are paying for. For instance, if the venue costs $100, Joe can write a check for $40, and Jane and John can each write checks for $30, and give them straight to the vendor. The key thing is, members can't collect money from other members.

Always report out-of-pocket expenses. Then, always make sure the individuals who spent money go to http://pol.moveon.org/poweruplaunch/inkind1.html to report these expenses.

If you have a necessary expense that your Council can't cover, talk to your organizer. We have a small budget for venue and other large event-related expenses that you can tap into. This help is available for some limited circumstances.

You must pay for venue expenses, if you do, from your personal account, not from a business account.

Note that you can contribute no more than $5,000 to MoveOn PAC in a calendar year, including direct and
in-kind contributions combined.

Can I hold my event at a church, business, or nonprofit organization?

Events hosted at or by a business, nonprofit, church, or other corporate entities must follow these strict rules:
• They must be held in a space which is given out FREE OF CHARGE to ANYONE -- any group or individuals -- who request it.
• OR, you can rent a space at a private corporate entity like this on your own dime, IF they offer it at that rate to anyone who asks. But you must make sure that they are not offering you the space at a reduced rate -- you must pay the same as anyone else, again so that this doesn't get counted as a corporate donation.
• Note that churches and other 501c3's may have their own concerns about IRS regulations and political activities taking place in their space; you can check with them to see if they have those concerns.
Can I hold my event at a Democratic or other party headquarters?
No. That could be an in-kind corporate contribution to MoveOn, and isn't allowed.

Can I hold my event at a university?
University spaces ARE allowed if the university would allow any student to use that space free of charge, or if you are renting a publicly-available space.

What else do I need to know about having my event at a venue outside of my own home?
You should know that MoveOn is not responsible in any way, shape, or form for what takes place at the venue that you procure, whether you rent it or find a place for free.

 

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