9/17/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Fax legislators for free:
Or
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.
This week in
Congress: This week, the House is scheduled for a district work week.
They'll be returning next Tuesday, Sept. 25. The Senate starts off Monday after 5:30
pm with 2 bills: 1) Senate amendment to H.R. 6: Opioid Crisis Response Act; and 2) S. 2554: Patient Right-to-Know Drug Prices Act. (Source: Countable.) On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled vote on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh
to the Supreme Court. The balance of the Senate's schedule has not yet
been released; we can check the Senate Executive Calendar for updates.
2.
Now that
Christine Blasey Ford has taken the brave risk of coming forward publicly with
details about how Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her in high
school, http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/406925-kavanaugh-accuser-breaks-silence-about-sexual-misconduct-allegations-detailed, We agree with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) that the
Senate must postpone their vote until there is proper investigation in the
matter. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/16/kavanaugh-allegation-anonymous-republicans-825855 To do
anything less would be discrediting the rights of every woman in this country.
Let’s make sure to deliver this message to our Senators as often as necessary
until the vote is postponed. And we should also tell our friends and family
that now is the time to speak up even louder against this nomination.
3.
Last December, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) (https://www.wmtw.com/article/sen-collins-calls-on-franken-to-resign-cnn-reports-update/14290188) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AL) (http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Murkowski-calls-on-Franken-to-resign-462427983.html) called on
former Sen. Al Franken to resign when stories started circulating about long-ago
sexual misconduct. Let’s ask them to use
the same judgement with a Supreme Court nominee and vote against Kavanaugh.
4.
Since the FCC abandoned net neutrality regulations, major Internet
service providers have begun to slow traffic on popular Internet sites such as YouTube
and Netflix. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-04/youtube-and-netflix-throttled-by-carriers-research-finds. This is
exactly what net neutrality advocates warned against. The Senate voted to
restore net neutrality under the Congressional Reach Act, and now it’s up to
the House to follow. Let’s make sure our MoCs know about the recent behavior of
these ISPs and ask them to reinstate net neutrality as soon as possible. Let’s
also contact our state legislators and ask them
to pass legislation protecting net neutrality on the state level.
5.
A new regulation by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke would charge
protesters fees for demonstrating on public lands. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-trump-administration-wants-to-tax-protests-what-happened-to-free-speech/2018/09/11/70f08bfa-b5e1-11e8-b79f-f6e31e555258_story.html?utm_term=.8f1fae7ee546. This is a
direct violation of the First Amendment. Let’s make sure to issue a
public comment against this proposal on the Federal Register. And
let’s ask our MoCs how they will make sure to protect our First Amendment right
to demonstrate.
6.
Given the 41
Superfund sites, the scores of hog lagoons, the 3 dozen coal ash dumps, and the
many contaminated industrial and military sites that dot the region of the
storm, the human cost of Hurricane Florence—already more than the 5 deaths
Trump acknowledges—may vastly increase as heavy rain continues in the
Carolinas: https://www.apnews.com/71fa50739ae84e59a7deccfb4cf017cc/Regulators-keep-watch-on-toxic-waste-sites-during-hurricane In addition to the resources FEMA and other
federal agencies make available, we want to know the full impact of climate
change; we must insist that the EPA both keep track of—and make public—the
environmental effects of this storm: 202-564-4700 or EPA, Mail Code 1101A, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460.
7.
Kenneth
Marcus, the Education Department’s new assistant secretary for civil rights,
has reopened a case dismissed in 2011 claiming that Rutgers University
subjected Jewish students to a hostile environment; he has done this by
asserting that Jewishness is an “ethnicity” and by adopting a new “working
definition” of anti-Semitism---one already used by the State Department—in
which “it is anti-Semitic to compare Israeli policy and that of the Nazis; to
apply “double standards” not demanded of other nations; and to deny right to
self-determination, such as claiming that Israel is a “racist endeavor.”
This case, first brought by the conservative Zionist Organization of America,
conflates anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and is intended to shut down any
pro-Palestine speech on campus:
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/education/2018/09/12/case-against-rutgers-university-alleging-atmosphere-anti-semitism-reopened/1276968002/ We need to object to the danger of collapsing
of criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism and suggest that there are far more
important civil rights issues in our segregated, underfunded, and dysfunctional
public education system if Marcus needs something to do: Office of Civil
Rights, Dept. of Education, 800-421-3481 or OCR@ed.gov.
8.
On Friday,
Paul Manafort entered into a cooperation agreement as part of the investigation
of Special Counsel Robert Mueller: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-mueller/manafort-cooperation-could-energize-mueller-probe-legal-experts-idUSKCN1LU2VI Manafort has agreed to
cooperate “fully, truthfully, completely, and forthrightly”. Needless to
say, this belies Trump’s frequent protestations of a “rigged witch hunt”. After
we have exhaled deeply, let’s let our MoC know that know more than ever we
expect them to protect Mueller and the larger work of the investigation.
Election 2018 – General
1.
Ride Share 2 Vote is a “a technology based, people powered and campaign directed service
to get anyone to the polls conveniently. We are available to start you up
wherever you reside. Contact us if you have a grassroots group who can secure
volunteers, raise some money, and is motivated and determined.” Let’s learn more about this and see how we can
help: http://rideshare2vote.com/
2.
Great results
for Postcards To Voters' volunteers who wrote 283,000 get-out-the-vote postcards for eight (8)
NY state senate primary races! Five of these candidates won and will likely win
their Midterm Elections in these blue districts. Let's take a look at the
results; each has a link to an article where we can read more. 1) WIN: Alessandra Biaggi 2) Loss: Julie Goldberg 3) WIN: Zellnor Myrie 4) WIN: Rachel May 5) Loss: Blake Morris 6) WIN: John Liu 7) WIN: Jessica Ramos 8) Loss: Jasmine Robinson who is included
in this general round-up.
3.
If we want to
see just how often our MoCs vote aligned with Trump, we can do that here: Tracking
Congress In The Age Of Trump: An updating tally of how often every
member of the House and the Senate votes with or against the president: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/
4.
We are the best hope to gain a Senate majority this November. Let's
do all we can to make that happen, and a great way to start is to connect with
our local chapter of Indivisible to learn the best actions to take in our
specific areas: http://www.indivisible.org/act-locally/
Election
2018 – By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines: by date: https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by state: https://goo.gl/7gTzvE
2.
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:
3.
CA: Sunset Soirée with Simitian and
Seale: Sister District Event in Cupertino, CA in support of Kristin
Seale, candidate for Pennsylvania House of Representatives, district 168. Meet
Kristin Seale and Joe Simitian, Santa Clara County Supervisor. Sister
District works to flip State Legislatures aiming to create Democratic trifecta
states. Sister District has won 16 of the 17 races they have
endorsed. If we live in the CA Bay Area, let’s join the party and support this
Sister District candidate. https://mailchi.mp/f9d1a338c277/sunset-seale-web-336419?e=7d32967ed0
4.
NY: New York’s voting laws are designed to keep turnout low and protect
incumbents, The New York Times opined last week. Let’s read about it here,
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/opinion/new-york-primary-election-go-vote.html , and let’s tell our elected state officials
that we want to see voting reforms, including early voting, no-excuse absentee
ballots, automatic voter registration, and same-day voter registration: https://openstates.org/ny/
Other
Actions
1.
From Postcards for
America: “How You Can Help Stop Trump’s
Lie Machine” - http://robertreich.org/post/177804218240 A) Boycott Fox News advertisers. Find
here www.foxnewsadvertisers.com,
B) Postcards/ Write an Op-Ed to your local news
organizations if there is a Trump Rally in your Community, and C) Postcards to
Twitter. You can contact Twitter, Inc.'s
board of directors to provide comments, to report concerns, or to ask a
question: https://investor.twitterinc.com/corporate-governance/contact-the-board
2.
According to
the Southern Poverty Law Center, a recent statistical study of the Global
Terrorism database revealed that nearly two-thirds of terror attacks in the
U.S. were conducted by right-wing extremists. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/09/12/study-shows-two-thirds-us-terrorism-tied-right-wing-extremists. Let’s make sure to spread this information widely
with members of our circle who still believe the president and his cronies’
false rhetoric about immigrants.
3.
From Act 100: Civics engagement games are a
great way to get people involved and have a bit of fun while doing it. Check
out "This is Not a Game" and share with your friends. Samantha Bee wants to get you excited about
the 2018 midterm elections in the best way “possible: a daily trivia game with
a cash prize of up to $5,000! And don’t worry, the game isn’t rigged; it’s for
everyone! We don’t care if you’re Republican, Democrat, Green Party, or Gary
Johnson, we just want you to get excited about voting.” Let’s check out more
about this phone app: https://www.tbs.com/shows/full-frontal-with-samantha-bee/articles/thisisnotagame
4.
Words
matter. How we talk about politics makes
a difference. “. . . research
shows that when you’re looking at any given election race, framing the
candidates as “supporting Trump” or “opposing Trump” was far less effective
than framing the candidates as “a check and balance on Trump” vs. “someone
who’ll pass Trump’s agenda.”” https://demwritepress.com/2018/09/14/how-to-make-trump-into-the-anchor-that-sinks-republicans-in-november/ Using this information, let’s change up how we broach
political talk.
5.
Everyone is
talking about Bob Woodward's book, but here's another worthy read: "Getting
rid of presidents was never as entertaining as it is in David Priess's hands.
He barnstorms through more than two centuries of American history, showing all
the ways-from impeachment to death-that presidents have either left office
prematurely or just barely avoided doing so. Dramatic and instructive, his
narrative has clear resonance for the present day as calls grow for President
Trump's impeachment." If they haven't already, let's ask our local library
to order HOW TO GET RID OF A PRESIDENT: HISTORY'S GUIDE TO
REMOVING UNPOPULAR, UNABLE, OR UNFIT CHIEF EXECUTIVES. https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/david-priess/how-to-get-rid-of-a-president/9781541788213/
6.
The Texas
State Board of Education voted last week to remove Hillary Clinton from its
social studies curriculum,
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2018/09/14/history-curriculum-texas-remembers-alamo-forgets-hillary-clinton-helen-keller . Let’s tell the Board that we believe the
first woman to win a major political party’s presidential nomination is a
significant person in American history and that the youth of Texas deserve to
know about her. Contact: Donna Bahorich, Chair, State Board of Education, PO
Box 79842, Houston, TX 77279; 832-303-9091; donna.bahorich@tea.texas.gov . Contact info on other board members is available here:
7.
Here’s app that
automatically removes any Facebook comments to your discussion that include
words that you've blacklisted. For instance, 'bad' is a black-listed word in
the example below. Comments including 'bad' are automatically purged,
while others aren't affected. Let’s check it out: http://mailchi.mp/thedemlabs.org/letspleasekeepitcivil
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize
1. From Women’s March - Dear friends: We
need folks to sign-up to participate in an action on Sept 20th in DC. The
Senate Judiciary Committee is slated to vote on this sham nomination. This is a red-alert, all-hands action
sponsored by Housing Works, Women’s March, and CPD Action. It will start early
in the morning on Thursday Sept 20th
- we’re lining up at 6am outside of the Senate office buildings to get in to
the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room.
Sign up here, for the 20th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Rq6A7F-w2IJ6KAK4ufeMP8kwUGZ63xPrUuvj6kpZDH4/viewform?ts=5b97375e&edit_requested=true <—please share this far and wide,
and recruit-recruit-recruit! More info here: https://www.cancelkavanaugh.com/
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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
Reading/Watching
1.
“The official statistics say that the financial crisis is behind us. It's
not.” It is time, says David Leonhardt, for “a new set of statistics”
that capture the grim realities of modern American life: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/opinion/columnists/great-recession-economy-gdp.html
2. My Twitter Thread on Abortion - https://www.designmom.com/twitter-thread-abortion/
3. Here’s our weekly dose of Small Victories: https://mailchi.mp/peaceisloud/small-victories-change-cant-wait?e=86890239c4
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.