Action Prep

Key AIM leaders gathered last night at Woodside United Methodist Church in Silver Spring to make the final preparations for tomorrow's major action.

Research action teams reported on the final drafts of their issue campaigns to be proposed at the action. Other leaders updated those present on the status of discussions with elected officials and various candidates who are expected to attend the action. Alisa Glassman, Lead Organizer of AIM (pictured above) then ran through the planning team's agenda for the action, which was given final approval by those in attendance.

The group then moved to the church's sanctuary to physically run through the action (pictured at left). The group critiqued each speaker after they rehearsed their piece from the podium, and then offered constructive feedback. Floor team leaders and AIM staff noted key points and made the final logistical plans necessary for the event to run smoothly.

We're ready! Hope to see you tomorrow night, at 7:15pm sharp!

Putting the "Action" in Action In Montgomery

710 AIM leaders are scheduled to attend a major action this Thursday, March 9 (7:15-9:00pm sharp!), at Woodside United Methodist Church in Silver Spring. There they will announce and ratify AIM's new 2006 Issue Agenda, and launch a massive, non-partisan get-out-the-vote effort targeting the upcoming county elections. Numerous elected officials and candidates are also expected to attend.

Contact the AIM office for further details.

Where Will You Take Us?

A week ago last Friday, in an ongoing effort to recruit talented young organizers, IAF East staff held a workshop for individuals interested in pursuing an organizing career. Over 45 potential organizers attended this much anticipated event.

If AIM-style community organizing sounds intriguing to you, check out this new brochure (pdf) produced by IAF East.

AIM in the News - Affordable Housing

Russ Louch, AIM Co-Chair, was quoted in today's Washington Times as staff writer Jon Ward reported on the unmet need for affordable housing in a brief article. Ward focuses on the county's Moderately-Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) program that requires 12.5% of new developments to be "affordable," but exempts developments of less than 20 units.

To expand on Louch's comment, AIM believes the MPDU program was an innovative, cutting-edge program for its time, and congratulates the Montgomery County government for its implementation. Unfortunately, the program is no longer sufficient to meet the housing needs of our communities. That is why AIM has previously proposed the building of an additional 1000 affordable and workforce homes on surplus county land. That proposal received broad support from the county's top officials.

AIM will continue its work to address the critical affordable housing need in Montgomery County. In fact, AIM plans to announce a new housing proposal this coming Thursday. Stay tuned....