On Saturday, February 9, Northside Democracy For America is hosting a candidate forum at the Green Olive (bar/restaurant) in Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood.
People who live in the Chicago region, including northwest Indiana are invited to attend.
When? Noon to 2 PM, Saturday, February 9
Where? Green Olive, 13501 Avenue N, Chicago, IL (ten minute walk from South Shore* station, one block walk from bus stop (CTA #30) with plenty of free parking)
Which candidates? Rev. Anthony Williams, Patrick Brutus and the campaign managers for Sen. Toi Hutchinson and former Rep. Robin Kelly
Why? Northside DFA members volunteer on campaigns. At the Tuesday, February 12 meeting NDFA voting members will decide which candidates to endorse. This meeting will be held at the Lincoln Restaurant, 4008 N. Lincoln, Chicago. The formal meeting is 7-8:30 PM; social hour starts at 6 PM.
How can you help? Attend the candidate forum; attend the NDFA meeting where the endorsement will be made. Be ready to share your opinions.
NDFA would like 3-8 people from the Daily Kos community to attend the candidate forum. NDFA would also like to get a dozen or so people to either join the Northside DFA Facebook group or email NorthsideDFA@gmail.com and ask to be put on the meeting invite list.
The candidates will each get a couple minutes to introduce themselves. There will be ten minutes of questions and then they get a couple minutes to conclude.
As of now the schedule is
12:30 Rev. Anthony Williams
12:50 Patrick Brutus
1:30 Vlad Gutman for Sen. Toi Hutchinson
And Jon Blair for former Rep. Robin Kelly is yet to be placed in the schedule.
Who is Northside DFA?
NDFA is affiliated with Democracy For America in Burlington, VT. Both were formed based on the infrastructure remaining after Gov. Howard Dean discontinued his presidential campaign in 2004.
The mission of NDFA is to elect socially progressive, fiscally responsible and ethically committed Democrats to all levels of government. These are candidates NDFA has supported in the past.
NDFA meets once per month (currently the second Tuesdays at the Lincoln Restaurant, 4008 N. Lincoln). NDFA attempts to schedule politically relevant speakers. People who attend meetings are encouraged to volunteer for political candidates endorsed by NDFA. Endorsements are determined by voting members. A voting member is anyone who has attended at least three meetings in the last year and has thrice volunteered for endorsed candidates.
NDFA is currently recruiting new members to prepare for the 2014 elections and to make the Chicago City Council more progressive in the 2015 elections.
* The South Shore is like a Metra line that runs from Chicago's Millennium Station to South Bend, IN. The start and end times for the forum are designed to be compatible with traveling from Downtown or Hyde Park on the South Shore.