11/3/17
Marches being planned for November 4 are organized by Refuse
Fascism. These rallies aren't planned or endorsed by any of the major,
organized Resistance groups like Women's March, MoveOn, etc. Instead, it is an
outgrowth of the Revolutionary Communist Party.
Do not be mislead. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/01/far-right-conspiracy-theory-us-civil-war
Contact Federal Government Officials
Find
your legislators here: https://www.theloyalopposition.net/rep-finder/
OR
OR
OR
Find senators Twitter and Facebook
Accounts here:
Find representatives on Twitter
here:
OR
Learn about ResistBot here: https://resistbot.io/
********************************
If
your senators and reps aren't saved in your phone yet,
text
your US postal address to (520) 200-2223 and get a text back with your
STATE
& FEDERAL legislative rep phone numbers.
*******************************
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.
1.
Paul Ryan, whose own reported net worth is between $2
and 7.8 million, seems to think that a $1182 tax break will make all the
difference for the “average” family of four who earn, according to Ryan,
$59,000 a year: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/02/politics/tax-reform-republican-plan/index.html Remember
when Rudy Giuliani had no idea of the cost of gallon of milk or a loaf of bread
or George H.W. Bush was amazed at a supermarket scanner. Apparently, the
Republicans have not made progress on this front. The House tax “reform”
bill lowers the caps both on the mortgage deduction and on the deduction for
state and local taxes while lowering the corporate tax rate from a statutory
(and rarely paid) 35% to 20%. According to the Washington Post, “In total, the
plan contains $1 trillion in total tax cuts over 10 years for businesses and
$300 billion for individuals and families, as well as $200 billion in tax cuts
— almost all of which will accrue among the wealthiest families — by repealing
the estate tax, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Committee for a
Responsible Federal Budget.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/republican-tax-plan-to-lower-cap-on-mortgage-interest-deduction-to-500000-loans/2017/11/02/c0f594d6-bfd5-11e7-8444-a0d4f04b89eb_story.html?utm_term=.361e27855259 As we did with the ACA "repeal and
replace," we need to call our Representatives and make it clear to them
what it will cost them with voters if they pass this plan: US capital
switchboard 202-224-3121 We can also use
this Trump Tax Toolkit: https://trumptaxtoolkit.org/ Word is out that the number of calls on the
tax bill are much lower than that on the healthcare one. Let’s fix that.
2.
Unwilling to use the shootings in Las Vegas last month
or in Colorado on Wednesday evening as s to call for gun control, Trump lost no
time Wednesday night in using the NYC bike path truck attack to call
for: A) an end to the Diversity Visa Lottery, established to benefit immigrants
from countries underrepresented in the immigration pool (http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/01/politics/donald-trump-chuck-schumer-nyc-attack/index.html ),
B) the death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov
(http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/01/us/new-york-attack/index.html),
and C) Saipov’s incarceration at Guantanamo (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/01/trump-new-york-attacker-chuck-schumer-244409 ) Showing no compunction in taking on the role
of both judge and jury, Trump attacked what he called “joke” justice--even
though the courts have yet to act. We need to remind the White House that
the judiciary is a separate branch of government and that his inappropriate
meddling can only complicate the Saipov case.
3.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte, leading roadblock to restoring the
Voting Rights Act and leader of the attack on the Office of Congressional
Ethics, is championing a bill that would undermine wages and working conditions
for agricultural workers across the country. His legislation would allow
employers to pay farm workers less than the minimum wage, and to replace any
farm worker not willing to work for $8.34 or their state minimum wage… and it’s
headed for a full House vote http://www.thefencepost.com/news/goodlatte-defends-ag-guestworker-bill-conyers-ufw-oppose-it/
Let’s join the United Farm Workers and a broad coalition of almost 150 groups
in contacting our members of Congress to ask them to oppose this bill and pass
the Agricultural Worker Program Act of 2017 to stabilize the industry and
provide farm workers laboring in the U.S. with a path to lawful permanent
residency and eventual citizenship at this link: http://action.ufw.org/page/speakout/h2a1117.
4.
In the wake of the tragic terror attack in Manhattan,
reckless politicians are again exploiting the violence to erode our
constitutional values with policies that undermine our freedoms and do nothing
to make our country safe. Congress will soon vote on H.R. 398, which would
allow the Trump administration to continue spying on Americans without a
warrant (http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/356968-senate-intel-votes-to-advance-surveillance-reform-proposal).
Let’s let our reps know we need strong surveillance reform, not more enabling
of the abuses of the past. We can find talking points and a petition to sign at
this link from Win Without War: https://dontlettrumpspyonus.com
5.
NIH officials decided earlier this year not to renew
funding for its firearm violence research program http://bit.ly/2lJ2oz8 While
the 1996 Dickey Amendment has been interpreted in such a way as to prevent the
CDC from gun research, 27 senators argued in a letter to NIH Director Dr.
Francis Collins that the amendment only prohibits research on gun control; not
research into gun violence prevention. We can check out the letter in
full http://bit.ly/2gc9Lx9 Then,
let's join these senators in calling on Dr. Francis to renew funding for this
essential program: Phone: 301-496-2433 Mail:
Dr. Francis S. Collins Director National Institutes of Health 9000
Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 E-mail: execsec1@od.nih.gov
6.
On Wednesday, Trump referred to our judicial system as
a “joke” and a “laughingstock” and then hours later Press Secretary Sarah
Huckabee Sanders denied that he had done so:http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/358275-trump-us-justice-system-a-laughing-stock-joke On
the same day, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein insisted in a speech that
Trump is committed to the rule of law: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/01/rosenstein-justice-trump-law-244443 Let’s
let Huckabee Sanders know that we are tired of her lies: The White
House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500 or on Twitter
@PressSec and let’s express our disagreement with Rosenstein’s assessment of
Trump: U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,
DC 20530-0001
7.
On Tuesday, Senator Mazie Hirono (D, HI) tweeted that
she is beginning “immunotherapy to fight my cancer, and don't expect it will
keep me from the fight.”
https://twitter.com/maziehirono/status/925482512608059397 During
the fight for our healthcare, Senator Hirono was on the frontlines, reminding
her fellow senators about their efforts to support her during her cancer fight
(on government-sponsored healthcare), and asking them why they weren’t doing
the same thing for their fellow Americans.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/hirono-to-gop-senators-where-is-the-care-that-you-showed-me-when-i-was-diagnosed-with-my-illness/2017/07/28/4c82d4f2-7349-11e7-8c17-533c52b2f014_video.html?utm_term=.818899b8cd45 We
need more MoC like Senator Hirono. Let’s send her our well wishes: (202) 224-6361 or 730 Hart
Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510 or 300 Ala Moana Blvd. Rm. 3-106,
Honolulu, HI 96850.
8.
Executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google testified
before Congress on Tuesday. They admitted to “their role in Russia’s
influence on the presidential campaign, but offered little more than promises
to do better.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/31/us/politics/facebook-twitter-google-hearings-congress.html Their
complacency shows that we need legislation to safeguard our democracy. Senator
Klobuchar (D, MN) has proposed legislation that would require “social media
networks to maintain a public archive of campaign ads published on their
platforms by purchasers who spend more than $500,” allowing us to track efforts
to influence public opinion. This bill was introduced in mid-October, but there
are still only two-cosponsors! (Warner (D, VA), and McCain (R, AZ))
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-10-19/warner-klobuchar-mccain-propose-honest-ads-act
Let’s call our MoC to urge them to cosponsor S.1989,
the Honest Ads Act.
9.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm Joan Larsen
as U.S. Circuit Judge for the 6th District. Larsen's nomination was opposed by
27 LGBT groups, yet twelve Democrats still voted in favor of Larsen. Let's read
through the joint letter from the Lambda Legal and other LGBT rights groups on
why Larsen was a questionable choice for this lifetime appointment to the Court
of Appeals http://bit.ly/2hxitn5 Then,
let's be sure to hold our senators accountable for their votes on her
confirmation http://bit.ly/2ioAfZC
10. “Energy
Secretary Rick Perry suggested Thursday that expanding
the use of fossil fuels could help prevent sexual assault. But also from the
standpoint of sexual assault,” Perry said. “When the lights are on, when you
have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will on those types of acts.
Perry said that using fossil fuel to push power into remote villages in Africa
is necessary and will have a “positive role” in peoples’ lives. President Trump
has called for expanding domestic production of fossil fuels for
export.” http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/358386-rick-perry-fossil-fuels-will-help-prevent-sexual-assault
Yes, he actually made that ridiculously stupid sexist comment while pushing
fossil fuels on underdeveloped countries to help his buddies sell dirty energy
to them. Let’s tell Perry that his comment is sexist and disgusting; and we
don’t want to send dirty energy to Africa to pollute our neighbors and the world.
Contact: https://www.energy.gov/contact-us or tweet @SecretaryPerry
1.
Postcards to Voters campaign 32 in support of Doug Jones running
for U.S. Senate from Alabama! This Special Election on December
12 will be for the Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff
Sessions. The Republican candidate is Roy Moore who is known for
his racist, extremist views but the GOP is standing behind
him anyway. On Oct. 31, Moore called for the impeachment of the
federal judge who partially blocked President Trump's ban on transgender people
serving in the military. (full article: The Hill) If we've been thinking about writing
with Postcards to Voters, now is the time to join and write 5
cards. Email: JOIN@TonyTheDemocrat.org If we are returning
Postcarders: text HELLO to (484) ASK-ABBY which is (484) 275-2229. Remember, Abby
the Address Bot will also email us the same instructions and addresses as a
courtesy. We need everyone on board to defeat extremist Roy Moore and
send a message to the GOP.
State Actions
Other Actions
1.
The University of Notre Dame has just announced its
intention to drop insurance coverage of birth control for all of its students,
faculty, and staff: https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/10/31/16584026/notre-dame-birth-control This, from an institution that received over
$72 million in federal funding (i.e. our tax dollars) last year (https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/education/annual-research-funding-at-notre-dame-tops-million/article_00bc0119-64ef-589e-af74-1f13b12f0a6e.html).
If we are Notre Dame Alumni or fans, let's contact Notre Dame to let them
know that we will not be contributing to them, purchasing their merchandise or
watching their games while they hurt their students and employees. The
Notre Dame President is Rev. John Jenkins, University of Notre Dame, Notre
Dame, IN 46556. Call: 574-631-5000. Let's let Notre Dame know what we think of
their decision to cut off this basic service from thousands of people, many of
whom use it for more than pregnancy prevention.
2.
Always a bastion of conversation thought, The Wall
Street Journal has taken a much-darker turn this week with their anti-Mueller
editorials: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/11/the-wall-street-journal-editorial-board-coverage-of-mueller/amp
Our democracy needs intellectually honest and ethical journalism on both sides
of the political spectrum, so let's help "the loyal opposition" by
telling the Journal (support@wsj.com, 1-800-568-7625) that we object to this betrayal of its
commitment to championing truth in media, Let’s also let WSJ editor Gerard Baker know
that we expect better: The Wall Street Journal, 1211 Avenue of the
Americas, New York, NY 10036
Petitions
1.
Let’s join MomsRising
and “sign this petition today to tell the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission it must move forward on developing a revised equal pay data
collection system that will increase transparency around pay and ensure
race and gender wage gaps can’t be swept under the rug.” http://action.momsrising.org/sign/LatinaEqualPay2017/
2.
The tax bill has cuts to many elements of healthcare,
let’s tell Congress to keep their hands off our Medicare: https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/congress-hands-off-our
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1.
Thursday through Saturday we can partake in Twitter
Warrior’s 3 Day Tweet Blizzard hosted by Action Together Network: Info and details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/157860028035636
Reading/Watching
1.
Amy Siskind’s list of what changes now has a website
home: http://theweeklylist.org/
Not only are all the lists there, but they are searchable.
2.
“How Terrorism is Defined by the United States
Government” -- https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-terrorism-is-defined-by-the-united-states-government
3.
In the wake of General Kelly's shockingly ignorant
remarks about the reasons for the Civil War https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2017/10/31/john-kellys-civil-war-comments-shouldnt-surprise-us/?utm_term=.6b6c10b098c9,
why don't we turn to some actual authorities on the matter? In this article,
the indefatigable Ta-Nehisi Coates offers us "Five Books to Make You Less
Stupid About the Civil War." The facts of history matter. https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2017/11/five-books-to-make-you-less-stupid-about-the-civil-war/544628/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.