6/14/18 (#489)
Contact Federal Government Officials
********************************
Many
newspapers, including New York Times and Washington
Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles
each month. We can also check with our
local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.
Link correction: Trump’s war on poor
people continues unabated. The House voted to cut the Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP) last week; now it’s up to the Senate. Let’s
contact our senators now, before the mandatory 45 day limit for a Senate vote
on the “rescissions” bill is over. Trump’s
war on poor people continues unabated. The House voted to cut the
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) last week; now it’s up to the
Senate. Let’s contact our senators now, before the mandatory 45-day limit
for a Senate vote on the “rescissions” bill is over. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/06/house_cut_childrens_health_insurance_funding_advocates_watch.html Ben Carson has backed away from huge rent
increases on poor households, but not from the “structural reforms” he wants to
make at HUD:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/08/ben-carson-triple-rents-for-poorest-households-634986
We must keep up the pressure on our senators, if we hope to protect the
most economically vulnerable of us.
1.
Speaker
Paul Ryan (R-WI) has agreed to bring two different immigration bills to the
floor for a vote next week. “Moderates
were promised a vote on a compromise immigration plan, which remains a work in
progress but will likely include a citizenship pathway for the young immigrants
who have been living in the country illegally since they were children.
Conservatives were guaranteed a vote on their favored approach, which provides
a path to legal status but not citizenship.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-congress-immigration-vote-20180612-story.html Let’s let our MoCs know that we want what is
best for our DREAMers as they’ve already proven they add to the value of our
country.
2.
For a
multitude of reasons, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is not only
higher than in other developed nations, but it is also getting worse (https://n.pr/2t4NxCZ). Bipartisan legislation (H.R. 1318/S. 1112) was introduced last year in the House
and Senate which would create and provide funding for maternal mortality review
committees in each state to examine and address the cause of maternal deaths (https://bit.ly/2JCz49r). Let's contact our MoC and ask them to
support the Preventing Maternal Act in the House, and the Maternal Health
Accountability Act in the Senate.
3.
While Trump
is alienating our long-time allies and cozying up to dictator governments, a
US-backed airstrike in Yemen attacked a Doctors Without Borders cholera
treatment clinic. https://www.npr.org/2018/06/12/619085964/airstrike-reportedly-hits-doctors-without-borders-facility-in-yemen Let’s ask our MoCs to support legislation to
address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, such as the bipartisan S.J.
Res. 58.
4.
A day
after his summit in Singapore with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, President Trump
declared that North Korea is “no longer a nuclear threat”:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/13/trump-north-korea-no-nuclear-threat-643532 Since
photo ops do not actually achieve denuclearization, let’s let our MoC know that
we need a more thorough process.
5.
Tennessee
Republican Senator Bob Corker has continued his rants against the GOP with a
focus on weakness about Trump’s tariffs actions: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/391907-corker-republicans-afraid-to-anger-trump-on-tariffs Let’s
continue to stay in touch with Senator Corker to say that we appreciate the
sentiment and want action – even if he needs to cross party
lines: Email
Me - - United States Senator Bob Corker or
on Twitter @BobCorker or via mail at 425 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington,
DC 20510
6.
Ben
Carson has backed away from huge rent increases on poor households, but not
from the “structural reforms” he wants to make at HUD:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/08/ben-carson-triple-rents-for-poorest-households-634986
We must keep up the pressure on our senators, if we hope to protect the
most economically vulnerable of us. We can also contact Secretary Carson to let
him know that we oppose these so-called reforms: Mailing
address: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th
Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410 Phone: (202) 708-1112 Twitter:
@SecretaryCarson
7.
Since
they initially met alone, it is impossible to know what was said between Trump
and Kim. However, North Korea media is
portraying different alleged agreements than appear in the scant written
agreement which does not meet the criteria for a “deal”. https://www.npr.org/2018/06/13/619464740/north-koreas-media-touts-trump-concessions-you-won-t-find-in-the-joint-statement Let’s make sure our MoCs stay on top of this
as it has all the makings of an international fiasco.
8.
We all
know that ethics is out the window in the Trump administration, but the warning
by Walter Schaub, former director of the Office of Government Ethics is
chilling. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1006610024381255680.html We need to make sure our MoCs see this
and let them know that we think it is important.
Election 2018 –
General
An election guide
from Postcards
for America: In this Google doc (updated
regularly), each State shows ALL Democratic Candidates running for Congress,
Governor, Lt Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State (if applicable) with
links to their websites and Twitter. Each has a link to a Twitter Thread, a
Shareable Facebook Post and a Document. For most States, there are also Info
& Links for Voter Registrations, Absentee Ballots, Early Voting & Voter
ID, Age Requirements and being a Poll Worker. Let’s check
this out and use and share it:
1.
We’ve
all learned a lot about the importance of the secretary of state’s office since
Trump, as cybersecurity of elections and voting rights have been thrust into
the national spotlight. Now it’s time to act, with 26 states seeing their
secretaries of state up for a vote this fall (http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-secretary-state-races-2018.htm). Let’s read up on the seats that may be
competitive in this article from Governing, and then sign up to help Let
America Vote and iVote elect voting rights champions.
2.
Congresswoman
Jacky Rosen won the Democratic Senate primary in Nevada on Tuesday so
she will be the candidate running against Republican incumbent Dean
Heller: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/dean-heller-jacky-rosen-win-primaries-nevada-senate-55852009 This seat is considered flippable
so let’s consider supporting Rosen’s candidacy: https://www.rosenfornevada.com
3.
Postcards
to Voters volunteers wrote get-out-the-vote cards for two WI candidates running
in Tuesday's elections. One won; one lost. 1) Campaign 89: Caleb Frostman for State Senate. Frostman, a
Sturgeon Bay Democrat, garnered 14,606 votes, or 51.4 percent of votes
cast in the 1st Senate District special election. We can read more at
the Green
Bay Press Gazette. 2) Campaign 90: Ann Groves Lloyd for State Assembly. Groves
Lloyd conceded defeat in this race for an open seat in a south-central
Wisconsin Assembly seat. (Source: USNews). Both of these candidates will be running
for these seats again in November. We can sign up to write for current
Postcards To Voters campaigns here.
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines:
June 15
|
New Hampshire
|
Filing Deadline
|
|
June 04
|
Washington D.C.
|
Early voting ends
|
primary
|
June 15
|
South Carolina
|
In Person absentee voting begins
|
runoffs
|
June 18
|
Arkansas
|
Early voting ends
|
runoffs
|
June 18
|
Colorado
|
Early voting begins
|
Primary
|
June 19
|
Utah
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary (in person/online)
|
June 19
|
Washington D.C.
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary (at polls)
|
June 19
|
Washington D.C.
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
June 19
|
Arkansas
|
Election date
|
Runoffs
|
June 21
|
Maryland
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
June 21
|
Oklahoma
|
Early Voting begins
|
Primary
|
June 22
|
Utah
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
June 23
|
Oklahoma
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
(source: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WJiqNAZNlWPSCAvuRpQ5e5dFiC5IY3O3epicrCuHINs/edit#gid=514224366 We can also see this info by state
here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMWqHIktIBS7jPxS4mVV1--YKYVa-2yYWjV8QHsi1F4/edit#gid=1798528701)
Other Actions
1.
It’s about Russia.
It’s always been about Russia. Here's
an amazing, fact-checked resource, put together by PBS News Hour, for
understanding and looking up all the moving parts in "everything Russia,
Trump, and the investigations." This massive timeline, in spreadsheet
form, is good for digging in to various people, events, and how they are all
connected. Great for professors, teachers, and anyone else who wants to gain
deeper insight into all the issues that fall under the scope of Special Counsel
Mueller's probe.
2.
While the federal government remains under Trump’s
thumb and Congress bickers, states are stepping up to protect the rights of
immigrant communities, with a recent victory in Massachusetts as legislators
get closer to making it a sanctuary state (http://www.wbur.org/news/2018/05/24/mass-senate-safe-communities-amendment). That’s
why the National Immigration Law Center has launched its Winning in the States
initiative to make investments in local and state-level policy. We can learn
more and sign up to help out here.
3.
The Desert Southwest Conference of the United
Methodist Church sponsors The Inn Project (TIP)* “where immigrants with
children come for food, rest and other relief after being processed by ICE
(Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and approved to pursue asylum.” http://universe.byu.edu/2018/05/08/church-based-inn-project-helps-ice-remove-children-from-detention-centers/ Let’s follow their Facebook
page and see how we
can help. As one volunteer said recently,
“I think of the mother, whose husband had been executed in her presence, who
said to me, “I am not bringing my children here for a better life. I am
bringing them here, so they won’t be killed.””
If we are able, we can make a donation here: https://dscumc.org/secure/payments/
4.
From one of our own: here is a profile picture frame and are
asking people to pair it with the message of support from Families Belong Together - feel free to share!!!
5.
Global retailer Ikea plans to phase out all
single-use plastic products from its stores and restaurants by 2020 amid
growing concern about the effects of plastic on the environment. Ikea said
plastic straws, plates, cups, freezer bags, bin bags, and plastic-coated paper
plates and cups would all be phased out and where possible replaced by
alternatives. The retailer has already invested in windfarms and
put solar panels on its stores as part of plans to rely on renewable electricity
and heat in its stores by 2020. Let's read more at The Guardian. We can support Ikea's efforts by shopping in
their stores. We can send postcards of support to Ikea North America, 420
Alan Wood Road, Conshohocken, PA 19428-1141.
6.
Here is a good way to support Planned Parenthood: “To celebrate Pence's 59th birthday this year,
every donation you make before June 30 will be matched with $59 (up
to a total of $500,000) by a generous donor. We'll put that money right to work
to defeat the Trump-Pence administration's extreme agenda, fight for our
reproductive rights, and defend access to health care.” If your
pocketbook can manage it, it’s a nice way to let Pence know Women’s healthcare
matters.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
States
1.
ALL: A recent study highlights the growing threat
to Americans' health, especially those in the Southwest, from increases in
airborne dust caused by climate change (https://theconversation.com/increased-deaths-and-illnesses-from-inhaling-airborne-dust-an-understudied-impact-of-climate-change-96625).
This new report is a harsh reality check on the anemic responses to climate
change made by most western states thus far. Back in 2011, when all of
them except California abandoned a regional effort to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, their call was for federal action (https://www.platts.com/latest-news/electric-power/washington/six-us-states-leave-the-western-climate-initiative-6695863).
With federal action on climate change going in reverse, the time is right to
challenge our statehouses to save lives with real climate action plans that
honor the Paris Climate Accord. This goes for all states, but doubly
so if your statehouse is in dusty Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, or
Nevada.
2.
FL: Real-time currents, water levels, rising tides and other
oceanographic information is now available to the public after the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
installed an advance sensor device in Port
Everglades. The information provided by the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time
System, or PORTS, will give the public live information on incoming storms,
rising tides, climate change and overall sea-level rise. We can review data on
tides and currents here. Port
Everglades is now the fourth Florida location with a PORTS device. Tampa Bay,
Jacksonville and Miami all have PORT systems. We can read more about PORTS
at The Sun-Sentinel.
Climate change and sea level rise are real and we are actively measuring the
changes.
Reading/Watching
1.
*“Showing Up at the Inn” - https://www.saymoreaboutthat.com/blog/showing-up-at-the-inn
2.
“Trump is draining White House of science” - https://www.axios.com/trump-drains-white-house-of-science-52b990cd-845e-4ac6-9006-f838b620674c.html
3.
“The
Language of the Trump Administration Is the Language of Domestic Violence” - https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-language-of-the-trump-administration-is-the-language-of-domestic-violence
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