Oilpatch Democrats
www.oilpatchdemocrats.com
Meetings: 4th Thursday of every month,
7pm, HCDP headquarters, 1445 N. Loop W., Suite 110, Houston, 77008
Oil Patch Democrats (OPD) seek to promote a responsible conduct of business within the energy industry for the common good of our country, particularly as it applies to energy efficiency, conservation, the environment, human rights, workers rights, the economy, domestic and foreign relations, national security and corporate accountability.
OPD MEETING DATE THIS MONTH IS MARCH 31 (not our regular meeting date)
Thurs, Mar 31, 6:30 meet & munch, 7pm business meeting, 8pm program, HCDP headquarters, 1445 N. Loop W., Suite 110, Houston, 77008
Former Texas Congressional Representative and candidate for Houston City Council, Ellen Cohen, will brief OPD on the 82nd Legislature and lead a discussion of municipal issues important to OPD members.
Remember that 2011 dues are now due. See wayyyyy below for where to pay up and how much.
UPCOMING MEETINGS: SAVE THE DATES
Note the next meeting will also not be on our regular meeting night:
· Tues, Apr 26—OPD will host an HCDP Evening Brown Bag featuring Matt Tejada, Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston, who will talk about the current status of the Houston region’s air quality as well as upcoming changes to regulations. This includes the state Sunset Review of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, EPA permitting for greenhouse gases, and reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
OTHER STUFF
MEETING OF CITIZENS TRANSPORTATION COALITION
Thurs, Mar 24, 7pm, Rice Lofts, Downtown
George Greanias, new METRO president and CEO, will provide the keynote talk, sharing his experience leading the transformation of a sometimes embattled agency and will update us on METRO's urban light rail expansion and the availability of federal transit funds. Greanias will be joined by Christof Spieler, an engineer and long-time transit advocate who was named to METRO's board in March 2010. Prior to joining METRO, Christof served 4 years on CTC's board, and he will contrast his experience advocating for high-quality transit from outside and inside the agency.
HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY LUNCHEON
Wed, Mar 30, 11:30am-1pm, Petroleum Club of Houston, 800 Bell St., 43rd Floor, Houston TX 77002
Contact Jim Rine if you’d like to join his party (see his contact information at the end of this email). Speakers Wayne Kelley and Richard Bishop (CEO and Exec Director of RSK, respectively) will discuss Economic Limits to Oil Supply: a Non-Hubbert Curve View. Go to http://www.hgs.org/en/
GET READY FOR 2012—BE A DEPUTY VOTER REGISTRAR
The Harris County Tax Office has scheduled four more training sessions for volunteer deputy voter registrars, all in April. All the classes last 1 hour and begin promptly at the stated time.
• April 2 (Saturday)—Crosby branch of the Harris County Public Library, 135 Hare Road, Crosby 77532. The session will begin promptly at 10:35 am.
• April 9 (Saturday)—Octavia Fields branch of the Harris County Public Library, 1503 South Houston, Humble 77338—11:05 am.
• April 12 (Tuesday)—Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter Drive , Houston 77042—11:05 am.
• April 30 (Saturday)—Tomball College and Community Library, 30555 Tomball Parkway, Tomball 77375—10:45 am.
If you are unable to attend any of the sessions, and wish to renew your certification, please fill out a renewal form on the Tax Office website www.hctvoter.net and mail the form to Marty Morrison, Harris County Tax Office 1001 Preston Suite 200, Houston, Texas 77002. You may contact Marty Morrison at 713-368-2323. Training for new or renewing registrars is available online. Go to http://www.hctax.net/Voter/
PROGRESSIVE FORUM 2011 SPEAKER SERIES
Tickets are sold only through the PF website (http://www.
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Premier Oceanographer, "Sustainable Seas: The Vision and the Reality"—Tues, Apr 5, 7:30 pm, Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
Called “Her Deepness” by The New Yorker and The New York Times, Dr. Sylvia Earle is widely acclaimed as the most important advocate for research and protection of the world’s seas. Her appearance is timely when much of the evidence should be in after the BP oil spill disaster. Formerly chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earle is explorer-in-residence at National Geographic. She is one of the world’s great adventurers, she has spent over 6,000 hours under the sea and still holds the record for the deepest untethered solo dive. She was the first Time magazine “Hero for the Planet” in 1998. She is a Library of Congress “Living Legend,” a member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and the 2009 TED Award winner. She is the author of over 100 publications on marine science and technology including her books Sea Change (1995) and Wild Ocean (1999). Her presentation will include a big-screen audio-visual experience. She will greet fans and sign books at the end of the evening.
Michael Pollan, Bestselling Author—Thurs, Oct 27, 7:30 pm, Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
Presented in Association with Urban Harvest. One of the top ten “New Thought Leaders” named by Newsweek, Michael Pollan is leading the American conversation about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: food, agriculture, and gardens. He is the author of the bestsellers In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals which was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by The New York Times. In 2009, PBS broadcast a 2-hour documentary based on another bestseller, The Botany of Desire. His most recent book, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, was an immediate No. 1 New York Times bestseller upon publication at the end of 2009. Pollan was the narrator of the Oscar nominated documentary, Food, Inc. He will sign books and greet fans at the end of the evening.
PROGRESSIVE FORUM NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
Progressive Forum has supported us by coming out to talk to us, so please keep voices of real answers coming to Houston by donating to PF! PF depends on us for essential cash flow; ticket sales cover only half the event costs. This is the only time this year PF asks for our support. PF is America's only civic speaker organization dedicated expressly to progressive values. It's more important than ever! Donate by:
- Clicking on donation: https://http://secure.
- Send a check to PO Box 1722, Bellaire, TX 77402-1722
- Call 713-664-0020 to make a credit card donation
FRIENDLY MEMBERSHIP REMINDERS
Did you move? Change your phone or have a different e-mail address? Please e-mailoilpatchdems@gmail.com with your updated information.
Have you paid your dues, or do you want to make a donation to the club or to the PAC? Dues are $25.00 per person/$10.00 Reduced/Student. If you are not able to attend the next meeting, you can mail your check to Jim Cargas at 2450 Louisiana St. #400-333, Houston, TX 77006 (make your check payable to OPD-PAC), OR go online to our ActBlue site: https://secure.actblue.com/
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONTACTS
Do you have any ideas for speakers, events, fundraisers, working meetings, etc.? Contact one or all of the Executive Committee—
Donna Hackemack Bryant (President)—schpinna@yahoo.com
Jim Rine (Vice President)—jmrine@hotmail.com
Bruce Menke (Treasurer)—kbmenke@earthlink.
Jim Cargas (Secretary/General Counsel, PAC Treasurer)—jcargas@aol.com