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Progressive Maryland improves the
lives of working families in our state

2009 Md. General Assembly Opens Jan. 14
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Progressive Md. Honors Sen. Cardin,
Six Others at Annual Awards Gala

Honorees included (left to right): U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin; State Senator Verna Jones (MD District 44); Delegate Sheila Hixson (MD District 20); Dr. Ngoc Chu, Co-Chair, Coalition of Asian Pacific American Democrats of Maryland; Meg Gage, President & Exec. Director, Proteus Fund; Joseph Hansen, International President, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); and PM star canvasser Barry Hale.

Video Below: Senator Ben Cardin praises Progressive Maryland and expresses optimism about the new President and Congress in his acceptance speech at the Gala. Click here to see complete photos and videos.

Hundreds Attend Progressive Summit,
Plan Cooperation on 2009 Reform Agenda

On Nov. 22, the Progressive Maryland Education Fund and allies convened the 2008 Progressive Summit in Annapolis, where hundreds of leaders from across the state met to exchange information, ideas and formulate a common agenda and strategic plan for collaboration in the coming year. See more photos and description...

President Obama Needs Our Help
Now to Achieve Historic Reforms

President-elect Barack Obama thanks and reassures supporters Election Night in Chicago, promising to carry out his sweeping agenda for "Change."

Barack Obama's 2:1 electoral landslide constitutes a clear mandate for sweeping, progressive reforms -- especially health care for all. But self-appointed "fiscal disciplinarians" in the commentariat and among conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats are already saying President Obama should not even try for big reforms, but instead content himself with nibbling around the edges of Dubya's disastrous legacy.

That's funny: just a few weeks ago these same fiscal disciplinarians had no trouble finding $700 billion to bail out Wall Street swindlers. But now they can only find chump change to stimulate the real economy and help regular Americans -- and not one nickel for the millions of Americans who lack decent health care. To counter these conservative naysayers:

Tell Congress to enact a big (not small) economic stimulus that helps regular Americans (not Wall Street bankers).
Tell Congress to enact quality health care for all.

Click here for a fuller analysis of this crucial historical opportunity and what we need to do to help President Obama seize it.

Take Action for Public Transit:
• Sign the Purple Line petition
• Submit your comments on proposed cuts to the MTA Redline
• Read Progressive Maryland's testimony for the Purple Line

Md. Health Care Reformers Unveil State,
Federal Plans, Win Support in Congress

Health Care For All news conference Nov. 12 in Baltimore <
Vincent DeMarco, President of Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative speaks at Health Care For All! news conference Nov. 12 in Baltimore. Representing Progressive Maryland was Baltimore Regional Director Matthew Weinstein (third from DeMarco's left).

Progressive Maryland joined allies in the Health Care For All! coalition Nov. 12 to unveil a plan to implement universal health care in Maryland. The group announced its proposal at a news conference at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. The plan would create a health insurance pool for coverage of individuals and employees of small businesses, offer reinsurance that covers high-cost care, further extend Medicaid eligibility and make premiums affordable for middle-income residents.

The event followed last week's progressive landslide that provided a popular mandate for massive federal reform of the nation's health care system. It also comes as the new national coalition, Health Care for America Now is busily securing the support of members of Congress to enact a federal plan for universal coverage. Progressive Maryland, HCAN's statewide coordinator, organized a news conference Oct. 31 at AFSCME's offices in Baltimore to announce the support of U.S. Senators Mikulski and Cardin and five of Maryland's House delegation (so far) for HCAN's statement in support of quality, affordable health care for all.

-Read More

HCAN News Conference Oct. 31
Dr. Ari Silver-Isenstadt of the National Physicians Alliance and American Academy of Pediatrics speaks at the Oct. 31 HCAN news conference, while listening are (left to right) Reps. Ruppersberger, Cummings, and Sarbanes; Renee Cohen representing Sen. Ben Cardin; and Jahantab Siddiqui representing Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

Report: The State of Working Maryland 2008

Report Finds Benefits of State's Economic Expansion Not Trickling Down to Middle-Class, Blue-Collar Families

The Progressive Maryland Education Fund (PMEF) and the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute released on Sep. 19 a co-authored report, The State of Working Maryland 2008. This annual publication – based on fresh census data and other authoritative sources – provides the only comprehensive overview of living standards and life opportunities of Maryland's working families. The report's most important finding: In the period 2001-2007, strong productivity growth produced robust overall economic growth in Maryland, but the fruits of this expansion did not trickle down to most Marylanders. Instead, most of those fruits went to top and upper-middle earners, whose income growth was so strong that it hoisted Maryland's median family income to the highest in the country. Read the full report and executive summary.