9/12/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
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use Resistbot: https://resist.bot/
White House contact: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
********************************
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.
From Suit Up
Maine: As we continue to make our case
to @SenatorCollins, we Mainers ask a favor of our fellow patriot activists in other states
who are working hard with us to #StopKavanaugh. Please keep calling the senators
in your states. But leave Collins' phone lines open for Mainers. She has
pointed to out-of-state calls and TV ad purchases as evidence that it's not her
constituents doing the calling. We know better. We need to remove all doubt. For more info on this, let’s check here: https://twitter.com/SuitUpMaine/status/1038615558504243201?s=19
2.
Telling us
erroneously that the Maria hurricane relief effort in Puerto Rico last year was
an "incredible unsung success", Trump has people worried what the
response will be for Florence this week.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-puerto-rico-hurricane-response-unsung-success-deaths-maria-2018-9 Let’s make
sure to stay on top of this issue and make sure that Florence is not a repeat
of Maria.
3.
“The Trump administration, taking its third major step this year to roll
back federal efforts to fight climate change, is preparing to make it
significantly easier for energy companies to release methane into the
atmosphere. Methane, which is among the most powerful greenhouse gases,
routinely leaks from oil and gas wells, and energy companies have long said
that the rules requiring them to test for emissions were costly and burdensome.
If implemented, the proposal would recoup nearly all the costs to the oil and
gas industry that would have been imposed by the Obama-era regulation. The
E.P.A. estimated that rule would have cost companies about $530 million by
2025. The E.P.A. estimates that the proposed changes would save the oil and gas
industry $484 million by the same year.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/climate/methane-emissions-epa.html
and http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/405971-trump-set-to-weaken-methane-rules-report Let’s tell our Reps and our governors to put
pressure on the EPA and oil companies to do their part for clean air and a
clean planet.
4.
While Obama
tried to curtail it after civilians were killed, the Trump administration is
now expanding the CIA’s covert drone program in Africa, with additional
aircraft, a new runway and other “improvements” in its base in Niger: https://www.wpr.org/u-s-expands-c-i-covert-drone-program-africa or https://www. nytimes.com/2018/09/09/world/africa/cia-drones-africa-military.html “One American official said the drones had not
yet been used in lethal missions, but would almost certainly be in the near
future,” probably in Libya. Let’s tell the White House and the CIA that
we do not want their secret war-making: (703) 482-0623 or Central
Intelligence Agency, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C. 20505
5.
We hoped
getting rid of Scott Pruitt would help, but in the course of two weeks, the
Trump administration has taken a crucial step toward de-emphasizing the
benefits to human life and health of environmental regulation in their calculus
when the EPA announced that it would “rethink” limiting mercury emissions by
coal-burning power plants--https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/climate/epa-mercury-life-cost-benefit.html--and, shortly thereafter, said they were going to weaken
the regulation on methane emissions--http://theweek.com/speedreads/795212/epa-reportedly-close-weakening-rules-emissions-methane or https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/climate/methane-emissions-epa.html Environmental Integrity lists EPA regulatory
rollbacks--http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/trump-watch-epa/regulatory-rollbacks/--and Harvard has a tracker so we can keep up on
their status--http://environment.law.harvard.edu/policy-initiative/regulatory-rollback-tracker/ As this degradation of our environment
continues, let’s make sure the EPA knows we’re watching: Acting Administrator
Andrew Wheeler, 202-564-4700 or @EPAWheeler or EPA, Mail Code 1101A, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460.
6.
If we are
looking for where to make public comments to the national government on various
issues, here is a list of items that are new and closing this week: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19x84KPIawD_4BTfrzYfBN5GGyVHECji6/view
7.
In the 1600 Daily that was emailed from the White House on Monday, it was stated, “Make no
mistake: This is an economic turnaround”. We are not sure what turnaround the White
House is referring to, but this is not the first time they have erroneously
used that phrase: https://apnews.com/a7e135215ebc4993a99a85f7eb6963f3 and things are not as good as the Trump
administration wants us to believe: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/ap-fact-check-are-trump-policies-boosting-economy and we will
be hitting the one trillion dollar deficit by the end of this year instead of
2020: https://www.axios.com/deficit-grows-222-billion-tax-laws-debt-us-trump-de9f61f5-5d8e-437b-ad36-bd7640349059.html Let’s share
these resources with the White House for a reality check and tell them we know
what is really happening.
8.
The Farm Bill
is still in conference combining the House and Senate versions. The Senate version does not include
additional work requirements for SNAP (food stamp) recipients, as there is
already a sufficient work requirement and adding more could be harmful. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/09/the-farm-bills-threat-to-food-security/569464/ Let’s check out Hands Off SNAP to see how we can encourage key players to make
sure not to include more work requirements.
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 & 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.
Nick Knudson
of DemWrite Press is “going to
write an analysis about Republicans refusing to debate their Democratic
challengers. It appears we have a epidemic.” Nick is asking that if we are a Democratic
candidate or constituent in a district where the Republican is refusing or
ignoring requests to debate, we can let Nick know by emailing him at contributors.dwp@gmail.com or reply to his Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/DemWrite/status/1038973663083524096
2.
Postcards To Voters' volunteers will be watching primary election
returns on Thursday, Sept, 13 for eight (8) races for NY state senate.
These districts are currently held by Democratic incumbents who vote with the
Republicans in Albany, blocking needed reforms. We wrote in support of these
true blue Democrats: 1) Alessandra Biaggi 2) Julie Goldberg 3) Zellnor Myrie 4) Rachel May 5) Blake Morris 6) John Liu 7) Jessica Ramos 8) Jasmine Robinson. If we are New Yorkers, let's vote in tomorrow's primary. It's
all up to us now.
3.
From one of
our own: Are you or do you know a
college student who needs help in navigating voting from college? The following
link gives them (and you) all the operative dates and how to go about doing it. EVERY-SINGLE-VOTE-WILL-COUNT. Please vote and help someone else by sharing
this information with them! Link: http://campusvoteproject.org/studentguides/
4.
“Out and out
fraud” by VA Republicans-- https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/richmond-judge-finds-out-and-out-fraud-rules-independent-shaun/article_59706d14-f2da-5270-847b-a3faa64950d0.html ; a new Sheriff Arpaio in Virginia--https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/crime_and_justice/report-agreement-with-ice-to-house-federal-detainees-brings-a/article_3e6a73d5-5b2f-5025-b02a-65f89c2ae8aa.html ; false accusations of anti-Semitism by
Democrats against Democrats-- https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/NY-Democratic-Party-Sends-11th-Hour-Mailer-Calling-Cynthia-Nixon-Weak-on-Jewish-Issues-Anti-Semite-492809821.html Keeping track of the 2018 primaries and
elections is a full-time job, but if we are to win, we must pay close attention
to the political shenanigans in our own districts and states.
Election
2018 – By State
1. Upcoming voting dates and
deadlines:
|
September 12
|
Rhode Island
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
September 13
|
New York
|
Election date (State primary)
|
State Primary
|
|
September 17
|
Alaska
|
Early Voting begins
|
REAA
|
|
September 17
|
Illinois
|
Early Voting begins
|
General
|
|
September 21
|
Minnesota
|
In person absentee voting begins
|
General
|
|
September 21
|
South Dakota
|
In person absentee voting begins
|
General
|
|
September 21
|
Wyoming
|
In person absentee voting begins
|
General
|
|
September 22
|
Vermont
|
Early Voting begins
|
General
|
(source: by date: https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by state: https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)
Other
Actions
1. We
send best wishes for safety and security to all our Resistance friends in the
path of Hurricane Florence: https://apnews.com/b80e3de011484b32bb47f04ebcb12a5a/Florence-could-hit-with-punch-not-seen-in-more-than-60-years The rest of us will write extra postcards
and make extra calls while you get to safety.
2. There
is not a shortage of reasons Brett Kavanaugh is an unsuitable nominee for the
Supreme Court, and this list has already provided numerous sources to explain
this. Now, for those of us who want to take the next step, Indivisible is
asking for volunteers to reach out to voters, to ask them to tell their
senators to vote "KavaNOPE!" Indivisible will be providing training
for this effort, and using a phonebank system that uses your computer
and automates the connection process, making the whole affair much
easier. https://www.indivisible.org/phonebank/
3.
“An unusual
fundraising technique tying the release of campaign funds to how Maine Sen.
Susan Collins votes on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh reached a
milestone on Tuesday, going over $1 million.”
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/09/11/fundraising-campaign-tied-to-how-collins-votes-on-kavanaugh-surpasses-1-million/ We can learn
more and join in this crowdfunding effort here:
https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/387413/either-sen-collins-votes-no-on-kavanaugh-or-we-fund-her-future-opponent
4. The Women's March on
Washington - Disability Caucus is putting out a
call for disabled women to join together in Washington D.C. on Monday,
September 17th, to protest the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh has a
long history of ruling
against disability rights, and we will be
showing up in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to demonstrate how
crucial it is for senators to vote "no." For those of us who are able
to make it to D.C. on the 17th, let's sign up to participate and note our
travel needs here.
5. From
one of our own: Today I learned [Nike’s]
customer service representatives have been fielding a whole boatload of hate. Today
I called to thank Nike for airing what I think may be the most impressive piece
of corporate video 1 (800) 806-6453 ext. zero. I spoke with a lovely young woman who was so
appreciative of my call. "It has been tough," she said, "really
tough." While I know people have had issues with Nike's outsourced
manufacturing. I think when someone/a company does well they deserve recognition.
AND the employees who are catching the flak, I think they really deserve
appreciation.
6. Those
of us who haven't yet discovered "resistance genealogist" Jennifer
Mendelsohn are in for a treat. Mendelsohn, who is also a professional writer
and journalist, likes to hold racist immigration critics accountable for their
hypocrisy. Check out her exposés on the ancestors of Trump, Stephen Miller, and
Toni Lahren (to name a few), who have all complained about so-called
"chain migration" (which is better called “family reunification”).
She's got receipts, and it's satisfying to watch. We can follow her on Facebook
and Twitter, as well as sign up for her newsletter, here: http://resistancegenealogy.com
7. Bob
Woodward, the investigative reporter who along with Carl Bernstein, broke the Watergate
story scandal, is a well-respected journalist having won nearly every major
award in the field, including two Pulitzers.
He has now written a non-fiction book about the Trump White House: http://time.com/5389397/bob-woodward-fear-book Let’s buy a copy of Fear from our local
bookseller and see what we can learn and use in our activism.
8. From
one of our own: The students of March For Our Lives are
calling on mayors to support a national, bipartisan youth voter registration
initiative in high schools and college campuses leading up to September
25, National Voter Registration Day. Mayors will pledge to make registration
forms readily available to all eligible students, maintain goals for
registration, participate in get out the vote campaigns, collaborate with other
mayors, and empower their communities to have their youth voices be heard
during elections. Link here: https://marchforourlives.com/mayors-for-our-lives
9. Atlanta
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an executive order last week calling for all
remaining U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees to be
transferred out of the city jail as soon as possible and declaring that Atlanta
will no longer hold anyone for the federal agency. More at WSBTV.com.
If we are residents of a large city, let's ask our own mayors to take similar
actions. We can send "thank you" and notes of support to Mayor
Bottoms at Mayor's Office, Atlanta City Hall Annex, 55 Trinity Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
10. ESRI
StoryMaps is a great app to share your message. This DemLabs StoryMap on the
need to vote to reduce mass shootings features Lin-Manuel Miranda and Michelle
Obama: https://arcg.is/1qfnWO
11. Once
again, Trump is asking our opinions on the mainstream media:
https://action.donaldjtrump.com/msm-media-accountability-survey/
Let's let him know what we believe.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize
1. She the People, a network to advance the political power of
women of color for progressive goals, is kicking off a 3-year initiative with a
summit on Thursday, September 20 in San Francisco.
Registration is open to the public. Let’s go! https://www.shethepeople.org/#summit-section
2. From Saturday,
September 22 to Saturday, September 29, When We All Vote will
celebrate a week of action. Communities across the country will host voter
registration events throughout the week in cities big and small with the help
of volunteers like us. On September 23, Michelle Obama will be
hosting the Las Vegas event and on September 28, she will host the Miami
event. We can sign up to volunteer or RSVP for one of the events at When We All Vote.
Let's look for an event near us.
3. On September 22 there
will be a protest at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago in Florida in commemoration of the first
anniversary of Hurricane Maria: http://thehill.com/latino/401578-trumps-mar-a-lago-to-be-greeted-with-massive-protest-on-hurricane-maria-anniversary Let’s put this on our
calendars if we will be nearby.
4. The 2018 March for Black Women will occur in
Washington, D.C. on September 29 and New York City on September
30, with sister marches all over the country. Let’s fine
more information here: https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/march-for-black-women and here: https://www.facebook.com/events/187741818714062/ Let’s learn how to start a sister
march/townhall here: https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/town-halls-sister-marches
States
Find elected
state officials: https://openstates.org/
1.
ALL: The ACLU has released the Smart Justice 50-State Blueprint, which takes a look at
how each state contributes to mass incarceration, so that we can address this
issue in a nuanced way, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. The
Blueprint breaks down state policies, and offers proposed reforms to help
reduce the number of incarcerated people. Let's check out our own state's Blueprint, then contact our state
legislators and tell them how we'd like to see them enact prison reform and
change policy.
2.
ALL: From Small Deeds Done: Director of National Intelligence Dan
Coats recently warned that, just like the
lead-up to 9/11 “the warning lights are blinking red again,” as our digital
infrastructure is “literally under attack.”. . . check out what grade your
state gets on election security here. The Center for
American Progress assessed all states based on their voting machines, audit
procedures and security and – spoiler alert – not one state gets an A.
Based on what you learn, call your Secretary of State’s office. “Hi. I’m really concerned about the
threat Russia poses to the integrity of our elections. What is our state
doing to ensure every vote counts and the results are verifiable and resistant
to tampering by actors seeking to undermine our democracy?”
Reading/Watching
1. I thought democracy in Chile was safe. Now I see America falling into the
same trap - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/11/us-chile-coup-democracy
2. When it comes to conditions inside prisons, should
prisoners have a voice? That's one of the questions raised by a three-week
strike by inmates in more than a dozen states - https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2018/0910/Amid-debate-on-prison-reform-rising-voices-from-the-inside
3. Trump's Economic Scorecard: Higher Inflation, Flat Wages And A Ballooning
Federal Deficit - https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2018/08/11/trumps-economic-scorecard-higher-inflation-flat-wages-and-a-ballooning-federal-deficit/#185874ac22fa
4. Dear Anonymous Trump Official, There Is No Redemption in Your Cowardly
Op-Ed - https://theintercept.com/2018/09/06/dear-anonymous-trump-official-there-is-no-redemption-in-your-cowardly-op-ed/
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