5/15/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
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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. At least
55 Palestinians were killed and another 2700 injured by Israelis on Monday while
protesting the US move of its embassy to Jerusalem. Nearby, Ivanka Trump, Jared
Kushner, and Steve Mnuchin celebrated at a party: https://apnews.com/42e68289e3244ca2879f258d4e445850 We
know that the history in this region is fraught and long, but let’s let our MoCs
know that whatever the question, Jared Kushner is not the answer.
2. The effort
to protect Net Neutrality continues and Democrats hope it can be a key issue in
the midterm elections: http://thehill.com/policy/technology/387357-dems-increasingly-see-electoral-wins-from-net-neutrality-fight It is reported that the
vote will be tomorrow. Let’s continue to
contact our MoC to let them know that we expect them to protect Net Neutrality
and will remember their decisions when we reach the polling stations.
3. In a new
head-scratching move, Trump took to Twitter to seek to improve the employment
situation in China through lifting sanctions on the technology company ZTE
which is suspected of being used for cyber-security violations against us:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-zte/in-concession-trump-will-help-chinas-zte-get-back-into-business-idUSKCN1IE0QI Let’s let our MoC know that we
are not seeking to bolster ZTE. We can take the lead of California Congressman
Adam Schiff who said this: “Our intelligence agencies have warned that ZTE
technology and phones pose a major cyber security threat. You should care more
about our national security than Chinese jobs.”
4. Investigating
and exposing the fraud in for-profit colleges has been stopped in the Dept. of
Education. Several people currently
working for Betsy DeVos’ department originally worked at schools the department
was investigating. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/education-department-for-profit-colleges.html As
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said, “Secretary DeVos has filled the department
with for-profit college hacks who only care about making sham schools rich and
shutting down investigations into fraud.” It is time to ask our MoCs who
is going to pick up that role that helps our students not get taken by these
types of schools.
5. The
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed an injunction to prevent the
separation of immigrant families who enter U.S. illegally (http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sd-ice-separation-20180505-story.html). We can read more about the Department of
Justice's new policy here, then, while we await the judge's decision
on the injunction, let's call our MoC and ask them to use their oversight to
prevent the Department of Homeland Security from exercising this cruel practice
of separating children from their parents. We can use this call script at 5calls.org
6. Last
week Congressional Democrats released a trove of information about the 3500+
Facebook Ads that were purchased by Russia's infamous Internet Research Agency.
Half of those ads sought to divide us over racial issues, trying to
exploit one of our biggest cultural vulnerabilities. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/13/17349670/facebook-russia-ads-race-house-democrats All indications are that Russia will
continue these kinds of information attacks, so what can we do about it? Well,
one concrete thing to do is call our Senators and demand that
they support and advance the Honest Ads Act (S.
1989), a
piece of proposed legislation that Mark Zuckerberg himself endorses. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-hearings-what-is-the-honest-ads-act/
7. Florida
Senators Marco Rubio (R) and Bill Nelson (D) have introduced the Sober
Home Fraud Detection Act (S. 2828). The bill is seen as a small step
forward as lawmakers figure out how to regulate the industry, which has been
plagued by misleading marketing and insurance fraud. We can read more at
the Sun-Sentinel. Let's tell our own Senators to co-sponsor
or support S. 2828 to help protect vulnerable consumers.
8. Although
there is an open public comment period on Pruitt’s request to lessen the
regulations on the insecticides Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, and Malathion (https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0141-0001), “for both humans and wildlife, the
Republican reauthorization of the Farm Bill would usher in the weakest federal
protections against pesticide abuse since Silent Spring.” http://www.ehn.org/farm-bill-pesticides-hurt-environment-2567912597.html Our
MoCs need to know that we are fully aware of the sneaky way that this Agriculture
and Nutrition Act (H.R.
2) is
full of items (including allowing these insecticides) that are good for
industry, but not for people and we do not support the bill.
Election 2018 –
General
An election guide from Postcards for America: In this Google doc (in process),
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: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
1. This
Tuesday's special elections include five (5) campaigns for which Postcards
to Voters volunteers sent cards to get out the vote. 1)PA-Campaign 72: Helen Tai for State House. 2) OR- Campaign 78: Joe Berney for Lane County Commissioner. 3)
PA-Campaign 79: Clark Mitchell for State House. 4) AL-Campaign 80: Juanita Healy for State House. 5) NE- Campaign 83: Machaela Cavanaugh for State Legislature. Those of us who
write postcards know that Tuesday election returns have become what
Fantasy Football Sundays are to football fans. If we want to write cards for
current open campaigns, we can sign up here. Let's make Tuesdays exciting! (Our Rogan's
List contributor was so excited about these elections that they submitted this
information last week in error. We regret any confusion.)
2. Kids can
help make the blue wave happen, too, by signing up new voters. "Want to
HAVE A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE AT YOUR SCHOOL? Let's make it happen! HeadCount
can provide you with a guide to running your own voter registration
drive." Of course, registration drives are nonpartisan, and teachers and
administrators can sign up to hold one, too. Parental permission is necessary
for those under 18. We can get more information on this great initiative,
here: http://info.headcount.org/signup
3. State
attorneys general have been on the front lines of the Resistance to Trump,
leading the way in protecting immigrants and the environment (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-emissions/17-u-s-states-sue-trump-administration-over-vehicle-emissions-idUSKBN1I241H). But we’ve also seen Republicans in those
offices putting pressure on the White House to do even more damage (http://www.fox4news.com/news/attorney-general-paxton-6-other-states-sue-trump-admin-to-end-daca). We need to make sure we’re putting the
right people in these powerful positions nationwide. Let’s join OpenProgress’
text troop and help progressives turn out voters to win attorneys general races
in states from Arizona to Wisconsin this November: https://www.openprogress.com/text-troop.
4. Some mailed-in
ballots may require more than a single first-class postage stamp, and ballots
lacking proper postage may or may not be delivered to election officials for
counting. We may have seen articles like this one. Postage requirements seem to be mixed
based on the district per this fact-checking article in Snopes.. If our mail-in ballots are two pages
or longer and we are unsure of postage requirements we should check with our
local election board or post office to ensure proper delivery. Please note that
the 47 cent stamps mentioned in these articles are now 50 cents or any first
class "forever" stamp. Let's ensure that our ballots are received and
counted.
5. Las
Vegas casino owner and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson has kicked in $30M
to stop a Democratic House takeover. Let's read more at Politico. That's our own "Blue Wave"
they are trying to stop. Let's show them that their money can't trump (pun
intended) our hard work, dedication and numbers. Let's stay engaged and keep
doing what we're doing.
6. This is
what Sister District is all about –inter-state support: a CA EVENT for CO State Legislature -- CRAFTS
FOR CANDIDATES MAKER’S FAIR! Sister
District South Bay invites you to a fun and creative afternoon. Each guest
receives $50 worth of lovely maker items. Fellow activists will be
donating handcrafted jewelry, woodworking, knit and crochet items,
award-winning paintings, container gardens, children’s puppets, paper art and
more. Savory and sweet treats served with wine or another beverage.
Minimum donation of $50 per person. Every dollar raised is matched by a
generous donor. Proceeds go to Colorado campaigns of Tammy Story and Faith
Winter. Working to turn Colorado state legislature Blue. June 10, 2018.
Details to purchase a ticket and RSVP or make a donation can be found here.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe692UUL7FPrz6R-BPbchSBduoMbhU9lCqrSZUco-xji2092A/viewform?entry
Now, let’s all join Sister District
and volunteer: https://www.sisterdistrict.com/volunteer
7. If we
are a candidate or are working for one, we can get help spreading the word
about our campaign from 21st Century Campaign Strategies’ Li Longo, political
consultant. She is willing to help any candidate with one free ad and one-hour
free conference call on how to use digital media or any other questions. Li is
a former Obama for America Sr Data Analyst, Sr Alumni Trainer, Digital Fellow
and Organizing Fellow, who has worked on campaigns for 10 years, doing
everything from campaign budgets to field plan design, talking points, strategy
and fundraising. She knows what it’s like to be a candidate as well, since she
ran her own successful school board race in 2015. We can email her at lisa@consultcts.com or phone her at 215-527-9705
Election 2018 –
By State
1. Voting
dates and deadlines this week:
|
May 15
|
Nevada
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
May 15
|
New Jersey
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
May 15
|
Alabama
|
Election date
|
Special-State house 04
|
|
May 15
|
Alabama
|
Election date
|
Special-State Senate 26
|
|
May 15
|
Idaho
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
May 15
|
Nebraska
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
May 15
|
Oregon
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
May 15
|
Pennsylvania
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
May 15
|
Pennsylvania
|
Election date
|
Special- house 178,68,48
|
|
May 18
|
Texas
|
Early voting ends
|
Runoffs
|
|
May 18
|
Washington
|
Filing Deadline
|
|
|
May 19
|
Washington D.C.
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary (postmark)
|
Other Actions
1. There
are large disparities in the maternal health and morbidity rates of black
women, as compared to white women, in the U.S. (https://n.pr/2kDpjvW, https://nyti.ms/2GOKeCf). Systemic racism and sexism in our country,
including in our healthcare system, is at the heart of this crisis, and there
is much we can do to help protect black mothers. Let's check out this article published following Black
Maternal Health Week,
which shows us concrete actions we can take to ensure that we are listening to,
trusting, and investing in black women to help improve black maternal health.
2. For
years, conventional wisdom has held that the right cares far more than the left
about judicial nominations, and the Republicans taking the White House and
holding the Senate after the blockading of Merrick Garland seemed to be a
confirmation of that. So a group of Obama White House and Clinton campaign
operatives are launching a new organization to push progressives to take the
courts just as seriously as conservatives (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/03/us/politics/merrick-garland-judicial-trump.html#click=https://t.co/GpHNyAB4JU). Let’s join the fight. We can follow Demand
Justice on Twitter here and sign up for email updates and learn
more at their website here.
3. “The
original 1968 Poor People's Campaign was a multicultural, multi-faith coalition
planned by Martin Luther King. It brought thousands of Americans living in
poverty to the national mall to demand better living conditions and higher
wages.” MLK was not able to see the Poor
People’s Campaign through, but 50 years later, a new group, led by Rev. William
Barber, is ready to pick up where he left off.
https://www.npr.org/2018/05/14/610836891/the-poor-peoples-campaign-seeks-to-complete-martin-luther-king-s-final-dream Yesterday started the first of 40 days of
non-violent action in capitols all over the country. Let’s find ways to help: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1. “The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for
Moral Revival is uniting tens of thousands of people across the country to
challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological
devastation and the nation’s distorted morality.” Let’s join in their 40-day nonviolent moral direct
actions. Find out more here: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/events/
2. If we are African, Arab, Asian Pacific
Islander, Latino or Caribbean American and are thinking about running for
office, we can apply to New American Leaders Ready to Lead Summer Free Training
Program designed by and for immigrants. If we know someone who fits this description,
we can share this information with them too. In these workshops, we can
learn how to message, target, fundraise, embrace our heritage and become a
successful candidate. Upcoming training application deadlines are nearing,
so let’s learn more and apply now: https://www.newamericanleaders.org/what-we-do/ready-to-lead/
States
1. ALL (except DE): Delaware has become the first
state in the country to ban child marriages.
Marriage under the age of 18 is no longer legal under any
circumstances. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/delaware-first-state-ban-child-marriage-new-jersey-next Let’s
encourage our own state lawmakers to follow suit: https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/
Reading/Watching
1. As the Poor People’s Campaign kicks off 40 days
of nonviolent direct action across the country, https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/events/ ,
let’s become conversant with the issues by reading “The Souls of Poor Folk:
Auditing America 50 Years After the Poor People’s Campaign Challenged Racism,
Poverty, the War Economy/Militarism, and Our National Morality,” from the
Institute for Policy Studies: www.ips-dc.org/souls-of-poor-folks/
2. Amber Tamblyn, an actress who has been pivotal
in the #MeToo movement has written a powerful piece for Time magazine in time
for Mother’s Day:
3. "This country has room for everybody who
believes that there’s room for everybody. For those who don’t—well, that’s
partly a battle about who controls the narrative and who it’s about." https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-the-myth-of-real-america-just-wont-go-away/
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