Rogan's List

8/9/18 

Contact Federal Government Officials

Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Fax legislators for free: 

Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

Senate: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/

White House contact:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house

 

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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.       “Russian operatives have "penetrated" some of Florida's election systems ahead of the 2018 midterms, Sen. Bill Nelson [D-FL] said Wednesday, adding new urgency about hacking.”  http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/08/08/bill-nelson-the-russians-have-penetrated-some-florida-voter-election-systems/  Let’s ask all our MoCs if this is enough of a wake-up call to do something about election security.  Let’s tell our senators that it is time to revisit their 8/1/18 vote 50-47 against more election security funding ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. 

2.      Likewise,  is clearer than ever that Trump can't be counted on to stop Russia from interfering in our elections, making the DETER Act (S. 2313/H.R.4884)  - which makes punishment for such actions automatic, taking it out of Trump's hands - all the more important (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia/senators-push-sanctions-to-send-putin-election-meddling-warning-idUSKBN1KC0QV). This should be common sense legislation, and a litmus test for anyone who believes the intelligence agencies and not Putin. Let's call our MoCs and ask what they are doing to force a vote on it.

3.      The swamp gets swampier and there are no drains in sight – Forbes has exposed that, all-told, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is accused of having stolen/siphoned $120 million: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2018/08/06/new-details-about-wilbur-rosss-businesses-point-to-pattern-of-grifting/   Let’s let Ross know that we await his resignation and will continue to ask like we asked   Pruitt:  

https://www.commerce.gov/page/contact-us

4.      Though it seems like a dark Onion headline, ProPublica has done an expose that three of Trump’s Mar-A-Lago cronies are the shadow decision-makers of the Department of Veterans Affairs: https://www.propublica.org/article/ike-perlmutter-bruce-moskowitz-marc-sherman-shadow-rulers-of-the-va  Let’s share this with our MoC and let them know that we have had enough of the corruption of this administration.

5.      The first congressman to endorse Trump for president along with his son, and another person have been arrested for insider trading. The Attorney General (“AG”) of New York on morning news shows indicated that Collins acted as though “the law did not apply to him.” No one in Congress have asked for his resignation yet. The presentation by the AG this morning was very clear about the charges that apply to Congressman Collins, his son and his finance’s father.  Collins is on the ballot in November and cannot be removed.  Serving in congress while under arrest and dealing with a trial will prevent him from being able to truly serve in Congress.  He must resign.  https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-chris-collins-arrested-insider-trading-charges/story?id=57108196. We must pressure our MoCs to demand his resignation immediately. No one is above the law and his attention will not be on serving the people but rather on dealing with his trial.   

6.      From Calvins List: Three (3) bills were introduced last month that undermine the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  1) The STORAGE Act, HR6354, would exempt areas of water infrastructure (reservoirs, dams, etc.) from being required to follow ESA policies.  2) The PETITION Act, HR6355, would allow listing deadlines to be ignored if a ‘backlog’ is declared (meaning species may go extinct waiting for review) and aims to again cut out crucial judicial review of decisions with the excuse that it will expedite petitions.   3) The EMPOWERS Act, HR6345, aims to weaken the ESA by allowing states and county governments to put the kibosh on ESA petitions before they even get to the federal government.  Let's group these bills together in an email or postcard and tell our representatives that we oppose these anti-ESA bills.

7.      The U.S. is in dire need of paid family leave, not only for new parents and postpartum recovery, but also for adult caregivers who are taking care of their aging parents or sick family members. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) have introduced a bill which would provide paid leave, however, individuals would be drawing from their Social Security payments, leaving them to gamble their future financial security against their current medical needs (https://wapo.st/2KEIexD, https://bit.ly/2Mtg8Y1). The bill would also only cover new parents, not caregivers or those who take medical leave. Let's be sure that as we are contacting our MoC about paid leave, we are asking them to support the Family and Medical Insurance Leave, or FAMILY, Act (S. 337/H.R. 947), which would create a trust fund from which individuals could receive benefits while on leave to care for relatives, their newborn babies, or to recover from their own health conditions.

8.     As we work to expand the electorate, and get out the vote, one of the things we can do is to make sure that our state has same-day voter registration (SDR) and election day registration (EDR): http://www.projectvote.org/issues/voter-registration-policy/same-day-registration/ While seventeen states and D.C. currently offer SDR, that leaves the majority of states without it. Let's check to see if our state currently offers SDR and EDR, and if it does not, let's contact our state legislators and ask them to introduce and support legislation which would do so. We can also contact our U.S. MoC and ask them to support this at the federal level by supporting the Voter Empowerment Act (S. 1437/H.R.12).

9.      A special prosecutor has been appointed to investigate whether aides to Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA) forged signatures in order to get an independent on the ballot in order to draw votes away from the Democrat in a 3-way race. http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/special-prosecutor-scott-taylor-forgery  Let’s spread this story widely and call on Rep. Taylor to resign if these allegations prove to be true.

10.  The federal deficit has increased by 20% in 2018, mostly due to the tax cut bill. http://thehill.com/policy/finance/400876-federal-deficit-jumps-20-percent-after-tax-cuts-spending-bill. At the time the law was voted on, Republicans argued that the expense would be offset by a growing economy, but despite a good growth rate, revenues are down and spending has increased. Let’s make sure to raise this issue with our GOP MoCs and make sure to tell them that the way to address this is NOT to cut social programs, but to reverse policy and make businesses pay their fair share.

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:  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit

1.       As the 2018 midterm election season goes into high gear, let's take a few minutes to review Roll Call's information summary: "Every Member of Congress’ Wealth in One Chart." More than half the collective wealth of Congress is held by twelve (12) members.  Let's look for our own legislators. 

2.      Postcards to Voters' volunteers spent a month writing get-out-the-vote postcards for Democrat Danny O'Connor (Campaign 93) in Ohio's 12th Congressional District.  This Central Ohio seat has been a Republican stronghold for years. With 3,435 outstanding provisional and 5,048 outstanding absentee ballots still to be counted, O'Connor trails Republican Troy Balderson by only 1,744 votes or just under one percent of all votes cast. Those ballots cannot be counted until at least Aug. 18 and will likely not be certified until at least Aug. 24. If the final margin is within 0.5 percent, an automatic recount would be triggered under Ohio law. Let's read more at NPR. No matter the outcome, these two candidates will face each other again on Nov. 6. Thanks to all the postcarding volunteers and everyone who made the O'Connor campaign such a success in this deep red territory.  

3.      Ragtag “is launching a new tech support initiative, Campaign Helpdesk!  Sounds good, right...But what is it? The Campaign Helpdesk pairs a self-service searchable help archive with an email-based helpdesk to make sure volunteers, organizers, and campaigns have access to and support for the key campaign technologies they need to win. The Campaign Helpdesk will cover all the tech you know about, including:

-         NGP/VAN support
- Online fundraising tools
- Setting up wifi in a field office
- Troubleshooting phonebanks
- Digital security best practices
- Navigating the tangle of brand-new campaign tech tools available
...and much more!

Read more about the new program below, and share with campaigns, staffers, and volunteers who could use our help! http://bit.ly/2Ms8m0h”

4.      If we want to increase voter turnout, we can join the Vote by Mail enrollment #PostcardsToVoters campaign. When we do, we will get addresses of Democratic voters to send postcards to, encouraging them to sign up to vote by mail. Once they do,
each one of these Democratic voters will, for two years, automatically receive a ballot by mail for each election - big and small - for which they are eligible to vote.  That bump in Democratic voter participation is “yuuuuuge!” We can ‪get in on the fun by emailing Join@TonyTheDemocrat.org or by texting JOIN to 484-275-2229

5.      Maybe we’ve thought about being poll workers but aren’t too sure what they do.  Let’s read this and get a little insight:  https://politicalcharge.org/2018/08/08/bluewave-interview-jody-bob-wilson-on-working-the-polls/

6.      Yesterday, Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) - the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump - was indicted and charged with fraud by federal investigators in connection with an alleged insider trading scheme (https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/08/gop-rep-collins-indicted-charged-with-securities-fraud-766744). His district is deep red, but the Democrats have a legitimate nominee in Grand Island town supervisor Nate McMurray. Let's do what we can to support him. We can follow him on Facebook and Twitter or sign up to volunteer and donate at his website.

Election 2018 – By State

1.       Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:

August 9	Connecticut	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 9	Hawaii	Early Voting ends	Primary
August 10	Wisconsin	In person absentee voting ends	Primary
August 10	Wisconsin	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 11	Delaware	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 11	Hawaii	Election date	Primary
August 12	Rhode Island	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 13	Alabama	Voter Registration Deadline	Municipals
August 13	Arkansas	Early Voting ends	State Senate Dist 8
August 13	Minnesota	Early Voting ends	Primary
August 13	Vermont	Early Voting ends	Primary
August 14	Vermont	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 14	Wisconsin	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 14	Connecticut	Election date	Primary
August 14	Minnesota	Election date	Primary
August 14	Vermont	Election date	Primary
August 14	Wisconsin	Election date	Primary
August 14	Arkansas	Election date	State Senate Dist 8
August 15	Massachusetts	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 17	New York (state)	Voter Registration Deadline	Primary
August 18	Florida	Early Voting Begins	Primary

(source:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u   by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)

2.      Upcoming Primaries:

HI:  Hawaii 8/11 Primary: At a Glance

CT:  Connecticut 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

MN:  Minnesota 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

VT:  Vermont 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

WI:  Wisconsin 8/14 Primary: At a Glance

3.      MA:  The Badass Activists of the Pioneer Valley have compiled an excellent comprehensive election resource guide. Included: voter registration deadlines, absentee ballots and other voting issues, important election dates, statewide races and ballot questions, detailed information on western Massachusetts elections and links to information on eastern Massachusetts elections. Check it out here, and share it widely with your friends and networks.  

4.      OH:  From one of our own:  ATTN: #OH12 VOTERS If you cast a provisional ballot, you need to confirm your ID before AUGUST 14. Go down to your county board of elections. http://bit.ly/OHCBE  There are 3.4k provisional ballots that could easily decide this election.

5.      VA:  Virginia General Assembly Delegate Greg Habeeb, a Republican, notified party leadership last week that he will step down as of Aug. 31, in the middle of his two-year term.  By giving up his seat representing an area near Roanoke, Habeeb is potentially jeopardizing the GOP’s delicate 51-49 advantage in the VA House of Delegates.  A special election to replace Habeeb offers a chance for Democrats to gain the seat and achieve parity with Republicans, but the district will be a tough one for them to win. Let's read more at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. If we are in VA Assembly District 8, let's watch for the Special Election announcement and plan to support any Democrats running.

Other Actions

1.       Democrats are launching an unprecedented Freedom of Information Act request to get the full range of documents on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/400903-senate-dems-make-unprecedented-foia-request-for-kavanaugh-documents). But ultimately, we can only delay so long - we are going to need a Republican senator to vote no on him. Today, groups including the National Equality Action Team are holding a national call-in day, where activists can reach voters in key states and connect them with their home state senators. We can join in from anywhere in the country. Let's sign up here: www.theNEAT.org/SaveSCOTUS.

2.      From one of our own:   If you’d like to be part of a growing “army” to promote ACA Open Enrollment this fall: “Here's the public group which contains links to the signup form and to each week’s action items. Share, share, share, sign up, and encourage others to do the same!”  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2468746626684978

3.      Reality Winner, the young NSA worker who disobeyed the law to alert us to the Russian interference in the 2016 election, is being sentenced on Aug. 23.  “Although Reality Leigh Winner’s plea agreement calls for a 63-month prison term, U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall is not bound by it. The crime can be punished by up to 10 years in prison, but in the federal judicial system maximum sentences are generally reserved for defendants with extensive criminal histories. Winner, 26, had no prior criminal conviction.”  http://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20180808/nsa-leaker-reality-winner-will-be-sentenced-later-this-month  Let’s contact Judge Hall and ask for leniency in this case for this whistleblower who was not properly protected.  Our requests need to be in writing:   U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia, 600 James Brown Blvd., Augusta, GA 30901

4.      From Postcards from Kate:  Today we're thanking Rosie O'Donnell! On Monday, Rosie led a group of Broadway musicians and actors in singing show tunes outside of the White House to protest President Trump. This was the 22nd consecutive night of protests since Trump's meeting with Putin, named the "Kremlin Annex."  //“Let your voice be heard,” Ms. O’Donnell added. “Let the president know in no uncertain terms that we are alive, awake and we are woke. We are not going away.”// Read more here.  And did you know she also runs a theater program for low-income kids in NY?! More info here. Let's send her some love and support!  Rosie O'Donnell, c/o Rosie's Theater Kids, 45 W 45th St., New York, NY 10036

5.      “Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a former aide to President Trump, secretly recorded conversations with the president while she was serving in the White House, multiple sources told the Daily Beast.”  Simon & Schuster is the publisher of her new book titled “Unhinged.”  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/400965-report-former-white-house-staffer-secretly-recorded-trump.  Here is another member of the WH team writing a book to collect more money from all of us. This book and Spicer’s book are books we can choose not to buy. If they were people of moral value they would be telling us all freely, not charging us for books and fees to meet the author. 

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       When the Unite the Right holds their white supremacist rally in Washington, D.C. this weekend, there will be counter protests:  A) Rise Up Fight Back Counter-Protest (https://www.facebook.com/events/252309685372109/)  hosted by Black Lives Matter DC, on Aug. 12 from 2-4PM at  905 16th St NW, DC, B)  Still Here, Still Strong Rally (https://shutitdowndc.org/index.html)  hosted by Shut It Down DC, on Aug. 12 from 12-3PM at Freedom Plaza, 1455 Pennsylvania Av NW, DC, and C)  United to Love: Standing Together in Love and Resisting Hate (https://www.unitedtolove.org) hosted by United to Love , on Aug. 12,  11 am- 3PM on the National Mall-4th Street NW, DC.  Here is some good advice from our friends at RISE District: BE ADVISED: White supremacists at the Unite the Right Rally will be looking to provoke violence in hopes of getting counter-protesters arrested. DO NOT ENGAGE WHITE SUPREMACISTS. They want to project themselves as victims because it helps their recruitment and strengthens their cause. Don't give them any fuel by getting close enough for them to instigate a confrontation!  ***IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: The following link has important information to ensure you are safe and to help you in the event you encounter abuses, or anything goes wrong. This comprehensive list includes instructions for every outcome, from escaping tear gas to protecting your online privacy:  https://right-to-protest.org/protect-your-protest/

2.      On Thursday, August 16, join hundreds of volunteers for a host call to learn how you can plan a successful Organizing for '18 House Party on Saturday, August 25 at 8PM EDT, and start mobilizing folks to volunteer for crucial campaigns this fall, and make their voices heard at the polls this November.  We can sign up for the webinar here:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4c4n3bQmROGtDI1PKRMpPw

3.      Evidence is piling up that Brett Kavanaugh cannot be trusted to protect the right to choose or check executive power (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/29/us/brett-kavanaugh-signing-statements.html). So activists across the country are coming together for a 50-state day of action against his nomination on August 26^th. Let’s find an event near us or start our own here.

4.      Experts say we are already starting to see the impacts of climate change playing out in real time with extreme weather patterns:  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/27/extreme-global-weather-climate-change-michael-mann). We cannot wait for action. On September 8th, people all over the world are coming together in a coordinated call for local action for the climate, jobs and justice. We can find a Rise for Climate event near us here, or we can sign up to organize our own.

States

Find elected state officials: https://openstates.org/

Reading/Watching

1.       “For too long, the left has allowed the right to own and define our patriotic symbols, but symbols matter.  With Trumpism taking hold, the opposition need to fly – and fight for – the American Flag.  #WeAreThePatriots.”  https://demwritepress.com/2018/08/07/its-time-to-rescue-old-glory-from-trumpism-and-the-un-american-gop/

2.      “Americans have always held differing views about policy issues, but increasingly we don’t agree on even basic facts. It’s a symptom of what RAND calls “Truth Decay,” and it’s doing severe damage to our democracy.” https://www.rand.org/blog/articles/2018/05/how-to-increase-immunity-to-truth-decay.html

3.      What To Know About Sunday's 'Unite The Right' White Supremacist Rally - http://dcist.com/2018/08/unite_the_right.php