By the San Diego Libertarian Socialist Caucus’ Mutual Aid Committee

As socialist organizers, we know that building collective power is relationship building, and mutual aid is a critical component of doing so. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shelter-in-place orders, the Libertarian Socialist Caucus recognized an immediate need, as well as an opportunity to build camaraderie, and thus began our Grocery Shopping project. 

What has blossomed forth is so much more than the organizers could’ve hoped, thanks to the work of dedicated coordinators, and the people who comprise the network. However, our work is far from over. The worsening COVID-19 crisis in San Diego is taking its toll on working class people. With quarantine being in full […]

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Thursday, July 16, 2020, San Diego City Council’s Environment Committee will hold a public comment meeting regarding San Diego’s energy franchise agreement with utility grid operators. Below you can find background information and recommended comments for the event:

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DSA San Diego’s Energy Democracy Campaign Committee sent the below letter to the San Diego City Council and city attorney on Sunday, July 12th, 2020.

Dear Council President Gomez and members of San Diego City Council,

As the coordinating committee of DSA San Diego’s Energy Democracy campaign, we write with great frustration over the unfolding process for the City to ratify a new franchise agreement for operation of the City of San Diego’s energy utility(ies). It is unclear how thoroughly each council member has been briefed on the process, as the Environment Committee has not convened since the last official milestone, publication of expressions of interest in utility operation. At that time, DSA San Diego submitted a letter describing our […]

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TELL SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL: 

EXTEND THE  EVICTION MORATORIUM 

WITH MORE TENANT PROTECTIONS! 

• The current moratorium is set to expire on June 30th
• Tenants will owe all accumulated rent debt by September 25th
• More than 1 in 4 San Diegans are still unemployed
• The unemployment benefits from the CARES act expire on July 31st
• SD City Council must invest in tenant protections and to prevent mass homelessness and evictions during a global pandemic

OUR DEMANDS: 

• Extend the eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted           
• Extend the payback period to AT LEAST six months after the moratorium expires                         
• Allow tenants to break their leases if they are not able to pay their rent because of COVID19 

This is […]

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In May, our Energy Democracy campaign was designated a priority campaign by the chapter. The timing couldn’t be better. Energy Democracy is a movement across the country to convert privately owned energy utilities into public management and ownership, and to bring greater transparency and accountability to municipal utilities and rural energy cooperatives. The need to transition to renewables is too urgent to let corporate shareholders and fossil fuel lobbyists call the shots – public power is a public good, essential for climate justice.

SDG&E is owned by Sempra Energy, whose primary business is storing and shipping fracked natural gas. Sempra operates massive operations in Ensenada and Louisiana, and is building a new terminal on Texas’ gulf coast. Our Energy Democracy […]

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Location: 4655 Border Village Rd, San Ysidro, CA 92173-3105, United States

Start Date & Time:  May 1, 2020,  9:30am

End Date & Time:  May 1, 2020, 2pm

DSA San Diego, in coalition with ACCE, The San Diego Tenants Union, Anakbayan, & Migrante. Will be executing a caravan demonstration in order to bring awareness to the rent strike movement happening all throughout the state of California.

The Rent Strike is being made in order to get several demands from the State and the City of San Diego. Demands include but are not limited to:

ACCE’s Demands:

• All publicly owned property and vacant housing units -including luxury unitsneed to be opened up to house currently unhoused people.
• Rent and

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Emailed 4/16 to Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, City Attorney Mara Elliott, Councilmember Barbara Bry, Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, Councilmember Christopher Ward, Councilmember Monica Montgomery, Councilmember Mark Kersey, Councilmember Chris Cate, Councilmember Scott Sherman, Councilmember Vivian Moreno, Council President Georgette Gomez, Supervisor Greg Cox, Supervisor Dianne Jacob, Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Supervisor Jim Desmond

Endorsing organizations:

• Democratic Socialists of America – San Diego
• Otay Mesa Detention Resistance
• San Diego 350
• San Diego Tenants United
• Standing Up for Racial Justice – San Diego
• Student Housing Association at UC San Diego
• Sunrise Movement – San Diego
• The Travelers Club
• Think Dignity
• UCSD Green New Deal
• Unión del Barrio

We are calling on San Diego leadership to immediately enact emergency […]

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What is Mutual Aid?

Mutual aid is an organizational strategy with the goal of building the strength and resilience of a given community through the reciprocal exchange of goods and/or services. The core value that undergirds mutual aid projects is one of reciprocity, as opposed to charity, where aid typically flows only in one direction. 

The practice of mutual aid has existed since hunter-gatherer societies, where individuals within a collective unit provided various skills to contribute to the success of the whole. In a more modern context, mutual aid structures have been built in times of crisis, hardship, and when existing civic institutions have withdrawn from a given community. Some more recent examples of mutual aid can be found in […]

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As we face an unprecedented pandemic in our communities, it’s vital that we empower ourselves with information and resources to be able to provide support and solidarity to our comrades and communities. As socialists, we recognize that our power comes from our ability to stand together and support one another in times of uncertainty. 

Below you’ll find resources and mutual aid projects that have sprung up to provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ways for you to plug in and provide support as well.

DSA San Diego Libertarian Socialist Caucus COVID-19 Mutual Aid Grocery Run – Click here to sign up to be a volunteer shopper, to get grocereies delivered, and/or to request monetary aid.

DSA San Diego Libertarian […]

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Good evening comrades,

DSA National has issued the following statement that includes guidance for local chapters: Now is the Time for Solidarity: DSA National Statement on COVID-2019. Local officials have also asked that large gatherings be canceled, postponed, or moved online.

Sunday’s General Assembly Meeting

Tonight, your Steering Committee voted to conduct two online meetings on Sunday in place of the New Member Orientation and General Assembly Meeting, starting at the same times, following an amended agenda. These meetings will be online-only – no one will be at Unite Here.

Our new General Assembly meeting agenda will focus on the COVID-19 epidemic, indlucing discussion of the national statement, local impact and strategy, mutual aid, and what this means for […]

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