Kudos to all who
worked so hard to get out the vote yesterday!
New Jersey flipped its governor to BLUE and Virginia governor remained
blue and it may have flipped its General Assembly to blue!
Our country’s first openly transgender elected official beat the
incumbent who authored the failed bathroom bill in Virginia! New Jersey elected
its first woman of color lieutenant governor! Virginia has its first Latina
elected state officials. Minneapolis will have the first openly trans woman of
color on a city council of a major U.S. city!
Maine approved Medicaid expansion. The good news continues!
This is just the
motivation we need to keep us going. The
#resistance is alive and well and blue and diversity are showing up! Here we come, 2018!
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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.
In this tax bill, churches can endorse candidates and
maintain tax-exempt status: In case we missed it, the House Republican tax bill
would allow churches to endorse political candidates, rolling back a 1950s-era
law that bars such activities. The proposed change is listed at the end of
the 429-page legislation. It states that churches should not lose their
tax-exempt status based on statements about political candidates
made during religious services. The change to what is known as the Johnson Amendment has long been a priority of leaders on
the religious right. Read more at The Hill. Let's tell all of our Members of Congress
that we oppose churches endorsing political candidates unless they give up
their tax-exempt status.
2.
Also in this tax plan are hidden "features":
Columnist Michael Hiltzik of the LA Times tell us more about the tax plan's
hidden "features" in his article: "The GOP tax plan is filled
with petty cruelties aimed at the vulnerable and the middle class. Here's a list“ The list includes: A) Education
assistance slashed. B) Teachers lose their deduction for classroom
supplies C) No more deduction for medical expenses D) repeals the
adoption tax credit, which allows families to offset up to $13,570 in taxes for
every child adopted out of foster care. E) attack on renewable energy by
ending the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars and more. Let's
read this article and pick out the changes that would affect us then contact
our MoCs with our stories.
3.
The Sutherland Springs church shooter, Devin Kelley,
was court martialed in 2012 for assaulting his wife and stepson. “The domestic
violence convictions were serious enough that, according to an air force
spokesperson, he should have been prohibited from buying or owning firearms.”
But the record wasn’t entered into the national background check system.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/06/texas-shooting-suspect-devin-kelley-domestic-abuse-background-check Let’s contact the Inspector General
of the Air Force(http://www.af.mil/Contact-Us/, choose Air Force Public Inquiries) and the
Inspector General of the Department of Defense (Office of Inspector General,
United States Department of Defense, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350-1500) to urge them to follow up on their
promise to “conduct a complete review of the Kelley case, as well as a
comprehensive review of air force records to determine whether other cases had
been reported correctly.”
4.
On page 93 of the 429-page tax plan is a provision to
allow a fetus to be named as a beneficiary of 529 college saving
account. The Act would expand 529 college savings plans in two big ways:
first, by allowing an unborn child (or “fetus”) to be a beneficiary; second, by
allowing funds to be used for private education at the K-12 level, rather than
just for post-secondary education. Giving a fetus legal status in the tax
code would be an extraordinary and unprecedented move. Let's read more at Brookings then let's tell our MoC's that we
object to the language in the tax plan that attempts to define fetal
personhood.
5.
In a stunning move of “doublespeak”, Trump insisted
that hundreds more would have died in Sutherland Springs, Texas if we had
stricter gun laws:
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/359069-trump-hundreds-more-could-have-been-killed-in-texas-with-stricter-gun We can walk and chew gum at the same
time on this issue and need to stay in touch with our MoC about sensible gun
control rather than getting lulled back to sleep until the next massacre.
6.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has deemed any
bills seeking to protect Special Counsel Mueller as
"unnecessary" http://politi.co/2yuNO4E He further states "I don’t hear
much pressure to pass anything." Let's change this by make a few calls. We
can contact Sen. McConnell (202) 224-2541, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman
Grassley ((202) 224-3744) and Ranking Member Feinstein ((202)
224-3841) to let them know
we want them to pass the Special Counsel Independence Protection Act (S. 1735)
7.
Senator Chris Murphy has introduced the Background
Check Expansion Act (S. 2009), with 31 cosponsors, which would require a background check
for every firearm sale, including private sales http://bit.ly/2zoOzt6 The bill does still have some
loopholes (note the last paragraph of Sen. Udall's press release in the
previous link), but this is an important step forward. Another essential piece
of legislation, the Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act (H.R. 3947/S.1916), was introduced in the beginning of October in both the House
and Senate, to prohibit the use or sale of bump stocks, or other accessories
which would accelerate gunfire for semiautomatic weapons. Let's call our MoC
and make sure that they cosponsor and support these important bills. We can
also make it clear that gun reform is essential, and that a lack of support for
regulations will be a deal breaker in the upcoming elections.
8.
One of four satellites used to monitor the Arctic’s
shrinking ice cap broke down a few days ago. The three remaining ones are on
their last legs, “operating long past their shelf lives,” and now drifting out
of their orbits. Unfortunately, no new satellites can be launched at least
2023, and “None of the current satellites will still be in operation
then.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/nov/05/donald-trump-accused-blocking-satellite-climate-change-research Let’s contact our MoC urging them to
support legislation to fund a new satellite to monitor the Arctic’s shrinking
ice cap.
9.
There are many reasons to oppose the House tax bill,
but here's another one for those of us who are/know/support graduate students
in any field! "The tax reform bill released by Congress last week would
treat tuition waivers for graduate students as taxable income, increasing their
tax liability. Taxing students on a full year’s tuition—money they never
see—would make graduate school unaffordable to many, including graduate
students in the humanities. This would seriously deplete future generations of
scholars and leaders." For more information on this provision in the bill,
and a link to contact our MoCs about opposing it, see here:
10. Trump
and the GOP want to use their proposed tax reform bill to repeal Obamacare's
individual mandate, which keeps health insurance premiums affordable by
requiring everyone to carry health insurance https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/7/16619004/ted-cruz-obamacare-repeal-tax-bill
Republicans' biggest incentive for adding this amendment is the
additional $416 billion it would allow them to put towards cutting taxes,
primarily for corporations and the wealthy. Let's make sure our MoCs know that
we understand exactly what this is: stealing access to healthcare from millions
in order to give more money to the few who need it the least, aka
plutocracy.
11. The
Trump administration has announced it is terminating temporary protected status
(TPS) for refugees from Nicaragua, and is refusing to make a determination for
Hondurans. They are ripping away legal status from thousands of our friends and
neighbors who have lived in this country for almost two decades, and forcing
tens of thousands more to live with uncertainty for months to come (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41899733). Congress needs to put a stop to this and
enact a permanent solution to provide lawful residency and a roadmap to
citizenship for these folks. Let’s join the American Friends Service Committee
in contacting our reps to let them know we want them to act at this link:
1.
Now that the November elections are over, it's time to
focus on the December 12, Alabama Senate race where Doug Jones, who
prosecuted the KKK, faces racist, homophobic, anti-Muslim Roy Moore, whose
views are so extreme that even Trump campaigned for his opponent on the
primary. The race is close, turnout is vital, so Postcards to Voters needs
our help to Get out the vote. All we
need to do is to write 5 postcards a week to Alabama Democratic voters,
letting them know how important electing Doug Jones is. PTV,
now on its 32nd campaign, has plenty of ideas, help and encouragement to
make this a fun, friendly process. For addresses, text HELLO to (484) ASK-ABBY
which is (484) 275-2229. Remember, Abby the Address Bot will
also email you the same instructions and addresses as a courtesy. If you do not have a smartphone or prefer not
to text, email:
Postcards@TonyTheDemocrat.org We
can also learn more about Doug, volunteer and/or donate here: https://dougjonesforsenate.com/
Let’s help turn Jeff Sessions’ Senate seat blue!
State Actions
1.
MI: Let’s sign
this petition to tell the Michigan Legislature: No guns in schools: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/MI_gun_free_schools
Other Actions
1.
Remember that great woman on her bicycle, who showed
Trump exactly what we all think of him with a defiant one-finger salute? She
has been brusquely fired from her job as a result: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/she-flipped-off-president-trump--and-got-fired-from-her-government-contracting-job/2017/11/06/4cf1af9a-c2da-11e7-84bc-5e285c7f4512_story.html?utm_term=.a67548c5953a While
she appears entirely undaunted (when asked if she had any regrets, she replied
that she'd do it again!), those of us on Twitter might want to send a thank-you
(@julibriskman) to show her and the world our support for her spontaneous and
trenchant exercise of her 1st Amendment rights. Also, we could drop a note to
her former employer (http://www.akima.com, use their comment form there) wishing them
luck in court if, as Ms. Briskman is currently discussing with the ACLU, a
lawsuit arises.
2.
In the wake of the Texas church shooting, religious
institutions may be wondering what they can do to help reassure their members
and affirm safety. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is offering hard
copies and pdf's of their "Best Practices for Mosque and Community
Safety" booklet. The safety guide is applicable to all faith-based
institutions and includes multiple steps which can be taken to increase safety.
We can check out the pdf version http://bit.ly/2haazQb or sign up to receive a
copy here: http://www.cair.com/mosque-safety-guide.html
3.
“A shuttle bus driver at Texas Christian University
opened fire on another bus driver, prompting a campus-wide alert and lock
down Tuesday morning, police say. Fort Worth police said it
began as an argument between two Roadrunner drivers in the 3600 block of West
Cantey Street at about 7:00 a.m.” https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/TCU-Alert-455824543.html. Before you send your child off to
that Dream School they have worked so hard to get into, check the gun laws for
that state; and if allowed on campus, let the university know that this is a
foolish practice. You might ask your student to reconsider where
they choose to attend college.
4.
Another way we can reach our Members of Congress with
our tax plan concerns is through our friends at Herd on the Hill. Volunteers
with Herd on the Hill visit the DC offices of our elected officials, connecting
us on the phone with live staff members; delivering our petitions, letters, and
photos by hand; and coordinating conference calls and other group actions.
Let's use their link stampslicked.org to create our own letters to our MoC's
for hand-delivery. To write about the tax plan, choose the "No Tax
Breaks for Billionaires!" photo and follow the instructions.
5.
Local activists across the country are stepping up to
fight for a renewable energy economy with the Trump administration kowtowing to
fossil fuel companies. Communities are taking the lead by passing fossil fuel-free
resolutions to put halting new fossil fuel projects and 100% renewable energy
for all at the top of the agenda (http://portlandtribune.com/sl/365362-243797-pcc-goes-fossil-free). Those of us who want to join in this
fight can attend a #FossilFree house party from November 11th through
November 19th, or plan one if there is not one already scheduled near us. We
can get more information at this link: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/fossil-free-house-parties.
Petitions
1.
Let’s join Friends of the Earth in telling the House of Representatives not
to hand over our wild places to Big Oil:
https://us.e-activist.com/page/3826/action/1
2.
“Tax dodging by big companies costs the US and poor
countries more than $100 billion every year.
The Paradise Papers leak has revealed how big companies (including Apple
and Nike) and Trump administration officials are using offshore tax havens to
dodge taxes. These are some of the very same people negotiating the new tax
bill currently before Congress. Let’s join Oxfam
America and tell Congress
to halt progress on the tax reform bill until they complete a comprehensive
investigation into the details of the Paradise Papers scandal. https://secure3.oxfamamerica.org/page/speakout/no-rewards-for-tax-dodgers
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
“ActLocal is a nationwide coalition of local leaders
from established and new progressive organizations committed to advancing a
just, equitable and free America. That's why 1500+ progressive leaders from
100s of organizations are joining forces across the country for
#ActLocal2017
Let’s check out events being planned here: https://www.facebook.com/actlocal and get more information here: http://www.actlocal2017.org/
2.
December 14, 2017 is the five year mark of the
heartbreaking Sandy Hook tragedy. Since that tragic day in Newtown five years
ago, 500,000 Americans have been killed or injured by guns. We urge you to join
us in our effort to continue to shine a light on the devastating epidemic of
gun violence in our nation. ““ Between
December 6-17, the Newtown Foundation will be sponsoring nationwide events and
vigils to #EndGunViolence. Let’s click
here to find an event near us or ask to create one: http://foundation.newtownaction.org/2017/11/01/2017-nationwide-vigils-events-endgunviolence/
Reading/Watching
1.
“Donald Trump is right. Gun violence is a mental health
problem at the highest level, and our leaders need urgent treatment” –
from a stirring op-ed in The Guardian by Richard Wolffe titled “The
Heartbreaking Stupidity of America’s Gun Laws”: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/06/heartbreaking-stupidity-americas-gun-laws-texas
2.
"The House Tax Bill: Six Popular Breaks You Didn't
Realize You'll Be Losing." - https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonynitti/2017/11/02/the-house-tax-bill-six-popular-breaks-you-didnt-realize-youll-be-losing/#512082bd5453
3.
Timothy Egan’s essay on “national parks for the 1%” is
worth our reading:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/opinion/national-parks-entrance-cost.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/opinion/national-parks-entrance-cost.html
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