Our PA Housing Committee is working tirelessly So ALL can call Durham Home.  They need your assistance with the following urgent action item:

On Monday, May 2nd, 7pm, at City Hall, please stand with the People's Alliance Housing Committee to support the Southside Neighborhood.

 

We will ask City Council to fully fund services & housing to revitalize the Southside Neighborhood, along side the redevelopment of Rolling Hills. The for profit developer hired by the City will just build in Rolling Hills. Durham nonprofits will work with the SouthsideNeighborhood.



Housing, jobs, and services are needed for real transformation of Southside for the people who live there. Southside is one of three target neighborhoods. Please ask the City to complete the revitalization of Northeast Central Durham and Southwest Central Durham.



In this recession, we should increase our commitment to house the homeless and prevent homelessness throughout Durham. SIGN THE PETITION!

Contact City Council at: 560-4333 or [email protected]

Please help us get the word out and take action today!

During this recession it is imperative that Durham maintain basic services that feed the hungry, house the homeless, and improve neighborhoods.

Please ask City Council to:
1- Keep funding basic human services.

2- Maintain the same level of affordable housing production.

3- Invest in all three target areas (Southside, NECD, SWCD) and their residents.

4- Call a "Summit" to develop a funding plan to continue basic services, housing, and other critical needs.
Contact City Council TODAY [email protected] and ask them to continue funding services for residents and continue to revitalize downtown neighborhoods.

SIGN THE PETITION! (and then pass it along!)

The Durham People's Alliance has been leading the way, fighting for progressive causes in Durham for more than thirty five years.  In the pre-internet age, paper and pen petitions and screen printed t-shirts helped us win the long fight to integrate the Durham Public Schools, and helped us ensure that every resident has the right to know what's in their drinking water.

Over a decade ago, we lead the way again in adopting the digital age as a means to organize for social justice.  In 1997 we helped pass Durham's first living wage ordinance, and in 1998 we moved online with the launch of DuramPA.org.

But the times have changed, and the internet today is a far cry from the internet of 1998.

When DurhamPA.org first launched,  Google was an obscure 2-month old search engine, and Netscape Navigator ruled the digital realm (and Miley Cyrus was only six!).

Today, a new generation of web users and web-tools have emerged.  This is a new internet.  We now have a participatory interweb, a social network driven paradigm called Web 2.0.

It's time again for the Durham People's Alliance to transform and grow.  This is why we're so proud to announce the launch of DuhamPA.org Version 2.0.

It may look like something new, but our new website really just our natural next step.  We're going to use these new tools, together, to keep organizing for a new and better Durham for all.

If you're not already an official member, won't you please join?

Also:  If you have a website suggestion or simply a comment or kudos, please leave it in the comments section here.  Our comments section supports Globally Recognized Avatars (Gravatars), so please consider signing up for one of them too!

Big win!

Here's the news, via Bull City Rising:

City Council was pressing well into the 11 o'clock hour last night by the time the procedural event happened: City Councilman Mike Woodard made the motion for a vote on the billboard industry's rezoning proposal, while Cora Cole McFadden seconded the item.

By this point, the outcome was clear -- enough Council members had signalled during discussion that they'd oppose the measure to make its failure a foregone conclusion. The only question was the margin of victory/loss, depending on your point of view.

Mayor Bill Bell opened the vote, and all eyes turned to the big-screen TVs mounted on the wall. A sea of reds, red for "Nay" -- save for one green mark next to Farad Ali's name.

"Uhhhh... uhhhh..." Ali stammered, clearly flustered at a mis-vote. To much laughter, Bell reminded Ali that he'd opened the vote, but hadn't closed it. Quickly, Ali's green box flipped to red.

Half the audience erupted in anticipated cheers; the other, stood silently and smoothed out their sports coats and dresses in preparation for a grim walk out of the chambers.

To organizers of the billboard measure's opposition, the outcome was expected coming into the night, if their assurances from the close-held lobbying of Council members held. But it wasn't clear until the very last whether it'd be unanimous or not.

That unanimity? It came down to a variety of factors, including the overwhelming differential in emails and letters from citizens; concerns over job and tax numbers; concerns over reopening the door on a legal matter long-fought with a seven-figure litigation bill by the City; and the surprise presence of an influential speaker for the opposition.

Next up:  the issue moves to the Durham County Commissioners, who control signage rules outside the city limit.