Bernie campaign asking for donations to get delegates to the convention

[Omaha Steve]

Looks to me like you CAN use the DU or JPR links to do it.

Donate to DU for Bernie at Act Blue here: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/duforbernie

Or through JPR here: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/jackpineradicals4bernie

The text of the letter.

Steven,

Before our nearly 1,900 delegates can vote at the Democratic convention next month, we need to actually get them to Philadelphia.

Here's the thing: our delegates are not wealthy campaign contributors. They're not party insiders or establishment elites. They're working folks, and it's not easy for many of them to fly to Philly and stay in hotels for a week.

We really need to have all of our delegates at the Democratic convention because we expect there could be critical votes for the party platform and electoral process. We'd hate to fall short on these votes because some of our delegates couldn't afford to go to the convention.

That's why I'm asking you directly:

Make a contribution to our campaign before Thursday's midnight FEC deadline to help our delegates come to the Democratic convention so we can have our entire political revolution represented next month in Philadelphia.

If you've saved payment info with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

EXPRESS DONATE: $42

EXPRESS DONATE: $60

EXPRESS DONATE: $120

EXPRESS DONATE: $240

EXPRESS DONATE: $420

OR, DONATE ANOTHER AMOUNT

You'd be shocked at how expensive it is to attend the Democratic convention. It can cost more than $4,000 per delegate!

Hotels are booked months in advance, and then resold at higher prices. Lobbyists throw all sorts of fancy parties. It's easy for the political establishment to navigate this and know whom to call to find the right way in. That, or they're wealthy enough to pay for themselves.

Our political revolution is not made up of people like that. Our folks need help to get to the convention and stay there.

Steven, you can make sure all our delegates represent Bernie at the Democratic convention. Can you help us before Thursday's midnight FEC fundraising deadline?

Contribute to our campaign and make sure that Bernie's delegates can get to the Democratic convention next month.

Thank you for stepping up to help the members of our political revolution.

In solidarity,

Jeff Weaver
Campaign Manager
Bernie 2016

CONTRIBUTE

[JudyM]

1. This is a good cause, still, I don't know why people signed up to be delegates in Philly without

realizing it was a commitment that would cost them. I don't mean this in an unkind way, I just personally did not sign up for specifically that reason. Did people think their expenses would be paid? And now apparently Bernie may be short of delegates as a result...

[Donkees]

2. Seems most of the hotels hiked their prices for the week...

"When we ran for delegate positions we knew it was going to be a little pricey, but none of us knew how expensive it is," said Niquette, who has set a fundraising goal of $3,600 on GoFundMe, a crowdfunding site. "I am trying to self-fund the rest of the money I need by working 70 hour weeks."

Niquette said that since the daily schedule starts at around 7:00am every morning and delegates must go through time-consuming Secret Service security checks, most are forced to stay in hotels the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has designated. The DNC has blocked out rooms in approximately 26 hotels in Philadelphia for the week of the national convention, and depending on the size of the delegation, there are between one and three state delegations staying at each hotel. Most of the hotels have hiked up room prices for the week. For example, at the Lowes Philadelphia Hotel, where the New York delegation is housed, the nightly block rate for DNC-held rooms is $449 a night. Ordinarily on a non-convention weeknight, rooms can cost $229.

"We have to stay at our hotels because they serve as our headquarters," Niquette said. "They make it very, very insanely difficult to go to a cheaper hotel."

[Pharaoh]

7. With Bernies fundraising power

it shouldn't be too hard to raise a few million dollars , don't ya think?

[Donkees]

8. I vote for the convention being moved to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

[Pharaoh]

9. lol......

is that where you live?

[Donkees]

10. No, Imagine the convention taking place in one of the poorest counties in America as a backdrop to

the elites' speeches.

[JudyM]

11. LOVE the idea. It ought to be in such a location, as long as there are enough rooms etc.

That would be a great statement.

[dflprincess]

3. I have just been fed up with the number of "Go Fund Me" requests I've received and/or read about

for national delegates. I really wanted to go in 1980 as a Kennedy delegate but there was no way I could afford it so, like you, I didn't run (and haven't had a big desire to go to one since then).

I have begun to worry how many of Bernie's delegates will make it to the convention.

I know long before the a single delegate was elected the DFL made it clear to anyone who was interested in being a delegate (for either candidate) what the costs could be. And, to be honest, what really irks me is I know two long term party activists who have sweated blood for the party since 1968 and they burned a few bridges by being ardent Bernie supporters this year - and they were among the first to sign up as volunteers on his campaign in Minnesota. (All this while one of them has been fighting cancer.)

They both were running for delegates and given that they are about 70 figured this would be about the last chance they'd have. As one pointed out, he had the money and the time to go.

Neither one of them got anywhere and it was made clear to them that the younger Bernie supporters would shut them out and weren't interested in how much time they'd put in to the party or Bernie's campaign. To add insult to injury, after delegates were elected both were asked by one person if they'd help pay his way "since they weren't going". He was turned down.

The state party chair did offer them guest floor passes but neither one of them really wanted to go to Philadelphia if they couldn't vote for Bernie.

While we were all thrilled to see so many new and young people get involved at the caucuses this year it was a bit painful to find out that they thought none of us who had been around a while knew anything. And, already, the new faces are disappearing from the local meetings.

Sorry for the rant, but I've really needed to get this off my chest for a while now.

[JudyM]

12. That's really disappointing. And then they weren't so ardent about it, after all... Hopefully

that was just some random personalities in MN interested in more self-glorification in Bernie's actual ethical platform. Here in VA we didn't have anything like that AFAIK.

I find it strange to hear about these young ones since the ones I've met on the trail have been authentic and caring people with genuine raised consciousness. There was some talk of supporters of the other side infiltrating here so that could've been a possibility but who knows. Truly sorry to hear about, either way.

[dflprincess]

13. There were a good many young ones here who truly want to advance a progressive agenda

(I didn't mean to imply there weren't any like that). They're also not the ones who decided they just had to be a national delegate even if they don't have a way to get to the convention.

I can't imagine running for a delegate slot if I had no way of knowing how I was going to pay for the trip. If, prior to delegates being elected, I had had someone tell me they'd like to go to the convention but wanted to know they had a way to pay for it before running, I wouldn't have had a problem pledging an amount to them.

[JudyM]

14. Exactly.

[HumanityExperiment]

4. good cause!

n/t

[andym]

5. I'm surprised the campaign hasn't tried to organize free accommodations

for the delegates in supporter's home in Philadelphia. There must be plenty of supporters within a reasonable distance of the convention who would be glad to put a few delegates up for a few nights.

[Pharaoh]

6. just sent my 42 bucks!

[Arazi]

15. K&R! nt

[Segami]

16. kick