How to Get Involved

Fed up with war-mongering Republicans?  Spineless Democrats?  If so, you're among friends at Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles (PDLA), a chapter of Progressive Democrats of America.   Join us as we wrestle with the big issues at our general membership meetings the third Saturday of each month, 10 am - 1 pm, at the Westside Pavillion (Community Room A),  located at Overland and Pico, in Westwood.  Meet progressive candidates and law makers, debate issues and strategy, and network with other activists working both inside (Platform Committee) and outside (picket line) the Democratic Party. 

To receive a meeting agenda, email pdlavote@aol.com 

PDLA is committed to creating a just and peaceful world of
 sustainable communities working to improve the common good.  We seek to end war, establish single-payer univesal health care, ensure election protection through verifiable paper ballots, protect our environment from global warming, diversify our media and protect our free and open Internet, reform our criminal justice system, and strengthen our public institutions and safety nets.

PDA peace candidate Marcy Winograd, (featured to the right) garners almost 38% of the vote in her 2006 challenge to entrenched Blue Dog Jane Harman in the 36th congressional district (Venice to San Pedro).   PDA's goal is to establish a permanent progressive majority in congress.   

PDLA Co-Chair Michael Jay is shown below calling Fox News at the Election Protection forum he organized in Sept., 2006.  Jay is about to hand the call to Rep. Maxine Waters, who criticized the newsroom for not covering the recent report from Princeton University which proved it was all-too-easy to hack a Diebold touchscreen voting machine (Watch Princeton's amazing video,here: ) Waters extracted a promise of coverage, and Fox did indeed soon run the story. The forum also included Debra Bowen, Gore Vidal, Bob Firtrakis, Brad Friedman and Mimi Kennedy.



                                                                  
Electing slates of progressives as delegates to the California Democratic Party, PDLA lobbied successfully for party platform language calling for withdrawal, without delay, from Iraq -- and resolutions safeguarding net neutrality and publicly-owned transparent elections systems.  Working to build the Progressive Caucus in the California Democratic Party, PDLA hopes to play an instrumental role in connecting Progressive Caucuses in each state.

On the campaign trail, we worked to elect Secretary of State Debra Bowen  to ensure our votes are counted as cast and not manipulated through the use of electronic voting systems.

Our Great Mind Series features speakers such as former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, author Gore Vidal, former White House counsel John Dean, PDA Executive Director Tim Carpenter and PDA Chair Mimi Kennedy, and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinny.

Our volunteer base is growing daily as pro-active citizens exercise their voice, create their own media, and educate the public about crucial issues. You, too, can make a difference. Sign up for our email alerts, or email pdlavote@aol.com to volunteer.