Rogan's List

10/10/18 

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/

Or use StampsLicked to have messages hand-delivered to our own legislators:  https://stampslicked.org/

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.       While Trump and some other GOP members do not believe it, the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made of up the world’s leading climate scientists, has warned that unless we make some major changes in the next 12 years there will be a catastrophic environmental breakdown.  “Coal-fired electricity must end by 2050”.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2018/oct/08/ipcc-climate-change-report-urgent-action-fossil-fuels-live  Let’s tell our MoCs that they need to take this seriously and to start letting our country help lead this effort like we had been. 

2.      Ignoring the seriousness of the IPCC report, the “U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday turned aside appeals of a 2017 lower court ruling by its newest justice, Brett Kavanaugh, that struck down an environmental rule imposed under former President Barack Obama regulating a potent greenhouse gas linked to climate change.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-environment/u-s-top-court-rebuffs-appeal-of-kavanaugh-ruling-nixing-climate-rule-idUSKCN1MJ1OC  Let’s tell our MoCs that this is another indication that they will have to be the ones to lead this climate-change fight.

3.      “U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is set to lead a Democratic effort this week to force a Senate vote to overturn a Trump administration rule on short-term health plans that she said could hurt patients with pre-existing conditions.  And the Trump administration is fighting back by threatening to veto Baldwin's measure.”  https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/09/baldwin-lead-dems-trying-overturn-trump-health-coverage-rule/1578687002/  Let’s ask our senators to join Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in saying for their constituents, “Mr. President, I know what it’s like to be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition.  And a veto threat isn’t going to stop me from fighting for the millions of Wisconsinites who need health care that actually works when they need it.”

4.      “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are releasing the families from detention en masse without following their usual protocol that ensures immigrants have a means to travel to their court hearing and reunite with potential relatives in the U.S.”  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/abrupt-release-hundreds-migrants-phoenix-start-dam-breaking-n918256?   Once again, the process is being ignored and people will suffer.  Let’s ask the members of the Senate Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/subcommittees/subcommittee-on-border-security-and-immigration) and the members of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security  (https://judiciary.house.gov/subcommittee/subcommittee-on-immigration-and-border-security/)  to hold hearings on the fiasco at the border.

 Election 2018 – General

1.       With the midterms less than a month away, there is still much we can do to make an impact, including contributing to candidates' campaigns. For those of us who would like to make a donation to highly competitive races for the U.S. Senate and/or House, but are unsure where to start, we can check out this Google Doc:   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q3HqVTyIni54w8VjLrRK7kdIZPssp2mxaVLLrnbqb70/htmlview#gid=1567040383   In it, we can find campaign websites, fundraising links, current polling numbers, and ratings on how close the race is and how much financial help the candidate may need. For those of us who would like to focus on state races, we can check out Flippable for donation and volunteer opportunities.

2.      The free VoteWithMe app uses the public voter files to tell us which of our phone contacts didn't vote in 2014 or 2016, and gives us an way to nudge them to vote in 2018. The app was used in the PA-18 to help Conor Lamb get elected, and in controlled trial found that it was 20x more effective than canvassing. This is great for volunteers who aren't able to show up for things in person or who don't like talking to strangers. We can find out about the app https://votewithme.us  In addition to electronic distribution, we can find many other resources for in-person events. We can them out here:  https://votewithme.us/friends.html

3.      In the 2016 election, voter turnout at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) drastically decreased. To help encourage young black students to get out the vote for the midterms, Voting While Black, led by Color of Change PAC, is visiting four HBCUs over the next few weeks, inspiring students to head to the polls. We can help fund the tour and support young voter turnout here.

4.      Grab Your Wallet has just launched #GrabYourBallot.  It automatically splits your donation between Democratic candidates in especially tight midterm races:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/grabyourballot

5.      Swing Left has launched a new Take Action tool, which identifies key ways you can help in the next few weeks, based off of your location. "Choose from a range of canvasses, phone banks, giving opportunities, and more—including priority actions marked with a “High Impact” tag." Let's check it out and get to work!

6.      Let's make sure to support Senator Heidi Heitkamp, who was ready to vote yes on Kavanaugh and changed her mind when she saw the hearings, making what was probably the riskiest move of her career, but she did the right thing, and she needs our back. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/08/politics/heidi-heitkamp-kavanaugh-cnn-interview/index.html. We can find out more about how to help her campaign here.

7.      Lift Every Vote works for voting rights by, among other things, engaging ordinary citizens in projects and campaigns (like phonebanking for voter registration in Georgia and postcarding to restore voting rights in Florida) to fight voter suppression and expand the right to vote. Let’s sign up: https://lifteveryvote.net/

8.     The organization Need To Impeach will send us 10 addressed and stamped postcards to mail to voters across the country. All we need to do is add our handwritten personal message asking them to vote. We can request cards here and can come back for more. Let's work together to reach as many voters as we can. This is an easy and cost-effective action that we can take.

9.      Voter registration in Texas has increased by 11% since the last midterms. 

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/410540-texas-sees-record-number-of-registered-voters-ahead-of-tight. This could be a potentially good sign for Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke. To find out more how to help his campaign check his website here.

10.  We can use this short essay about slowly converting to the strength of political postcarding to thank friends, to recruit new #PostcardsToVoters volunteers, and to market any postcarding parties we have planned:  https://vtdigger.org/2018/10/03/jules-rabin-penning-message-part-message/

11.   Republican Ron DeSantis's campaign has once again been charged with making racist remarks about his Democrat opponent, African American Andrew Gillum in the campaign for Governor of Florida. Rep. Matt Gaetz, campaigning for DeSantis, referred to Gillum as "Kill 'em" in reference to his record on crime.

 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/410325-florida-dems-attack-gop-campaign-as-racist-after-republican-labels-gillum. Rep. DeSantis has refused to comment on the racial implications of the remark. To donate or find out more about Gillum's campaign, check out his website here.   

12.  Current Florida law excludes 1.4 million people from voting for life because of a previous felony conviction. These are Floridians who have completed the full terms of their sentence. With Postcards to Voters' Campaign # 117: Vote YES on 4, Second Chances in FL, we have the opportunity to help get out the "yes" vote on this important issue. We can see John Oliver address this issue in a 13 minute segment on his show Last Week Tonight on YouTube. Let's write 5 cards today and encourage others to do the same. New volunteer can sign up here or by emailing JOIN@TonyTheDemocrat.org. 

Election 2018 – By State

1.       ALL:  Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u   by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE

2.      ALL:  If we are not sure where to start looking for information about candidates, issues, etc., we can check out the League of Women Voters’ website:  https://www.vote411.org/

3.      FL: Floridians will be deciding 12 potential amendments to the state constitution. We can read this overview of all the amendments at Florida Today. Let's be informed voters and inform other voters. 

Other Actions

1.       The New York Times is wanting to know how women feel following the Kavanaugh confirmation.  Let’s share our thoughts:  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/reader-center/women-reaction-kavanaugh-vote.html

2.      During a middle school active shooter drill in Stafford County Middle School in Virginia, a transgendered child was reportedly left behind alone in a gym because staff could not decide which locker room she should go to. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/410422-group-claims-virginia-middle-school-left-transgender-student    Let’s let the Superintendent know that the whole district has a duty to get this right: Scott Kizner, PhD, Superintendent, Stafford County Public Schools, 31 Stafford Rd, Stafford, VA, 22554

3.      “Once the hearings were over, we began putting a video together to more fully capture the inspiration behind this song. We wanted to point to women, from a range of walks of life, women who have taken a stance when it wasn’t necessarily easy to do so. Our goal was to highlight the courage it takes to call something out loud and to stand up tall when the odds may not be in our favor.”  https://www.gracieandrachel.com/more-news/2018/10/3/new-song-video-her-out-now  Let’s listen/watch this moving tribute, then share with our friends and on social media.

4.      The Supreme Court, now with Brett Kavanaugh, will be hearing Timbs v. Indiana, which shines a light on the government practice of squeezing low-income communities for money they do not have through asset forfeiture. Let's read about this case at ACLU so we understand more about it when it comes up. The case is not yet scheduled on the Supreme Court docket. We can review cases coming up in October and November as well as unscheduled cases at SCOTUSblog.  Let's make also make note of as-yet unscheduled case Gamble vs US which examines whether the Supreme Court should overrule the “separate sovereigns” exception to the double jeopardy clause. This would increase the President's pardoning power and has been considered by some as the reason for the rush to get Kavanaugh on the bench.

5.      From our friends at DemLabs:  Make it easier for supporters to find about rallies and protests near them. A new app lets organizers quickly announce new rallies and supporters to easily find the one closest to them. The approach is similar Uber which matches passengers and drivers based on their proximity and not zip codes. More details here. 

6.      A petition to impeach Brett Kavanaugh has already reached over 155,000 signatures. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/410518-petition-to-impeach-kavanaugh-reaches-over-155000-signature s. Let's add our names here, and make sure to support Democrats in the midterms so that impeachment proceedings can begin. Even if our own district is not in play, we can support efforts by Swing Left, Indivisible, and Postcards to Voters to Take Back the House.

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       This Sunday, October 14, at 7pm ET, Action Together Network is hosting “"For The Win: Tech and Tools to Propel Us to Victory" which will introduce the tools and technologies available to maximize our impact over the final weeks of this election cycle. We will cover helpful apps and sites that enable voter registration, acquisition of voter ID, peer-to-peer voter empowerment, text banking, and other forms of electoral action.” We can register here:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YY8z7IszQZKNRBWMn3Puwg

2.      Beginning Monday, October 15, and running for four consecutive weeks, Jen Hofmann, creator of the weekly Americans of Conscience Checklist is offering a tele-class called The Art of Perseverance to help keep us going.  We can find more details, and how to sign up, here: https://jenniferhofmann.com/the-art-of-perseverance/

3.      In a national effort coordinated by author Glennon Doyle, every Friday “through Consumer Black Friday (Nov 23), WE ARE GOING TO TURN OUR RAGE INTO CHANGE. We are going to: Represent, Act, Gather & Exit.”  https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156714102374710&id=178909129709  When we sign up, we will get each week’s call-to-action. “Please share this post, tag your people, and consider signing on to support this Rage-to-Change Movement:  http://bit.ly/blackfridays2018

4.      January 19, 2019 is the date of the third Women’s March with the main event to be held in Washington, D.C. with sister marches all over the country.  Let’s find more information here:  https://www.womensmarch.com/2019

States

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

1.       CO:  The blame for Kavanaugh does not fall solely on Susan Collins. Senator Cory Gardner, who styled himself as a moderate when he was running for Senate, is definitely *not*, as his voting record shows: 

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/cory-gardner/ 

Want to help make sure he serves only one term? Constituents are so fed up they have started a fund to donate to Gardner's 2020 Democratic opponent. We can contribute here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/goodbye_gardner 

2.      NJ: The situation In Syria continues to worsen, but there is something we can do to help.  Empower and Help is holding "Medical Supply Drive" to help Women and Children to send to Refugee camps (No DRUGS) . We can check for something lying around our house that we do not need -For example - Gauzes, Gloves, Walking boots, Medical cotton, Medical tape, Sanitary pads, nebulizers, thermometers, tongue depressors, masks, wheelchairs, crutches, Band-Aids, Alcohol gel hand sanitizers, first aid kits, canes, walkers, patches , diapers  and drop them off here:  Time: 8:00 - 11:30AM at Service Center, 144 W Farms Rd, Farmingdale, NJ 07727 on the following Saturdays : October 13, 20th and 27. We can find other ways to help when we click the link at the end of this post.  If we have medical connections and can get spare, unused equipment we can let them know here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2171076653214953/

Reading/Watching

1.       Reading personal stories of those who have been traumatized by family separation is important to ensure that we do not become desensitized to the Trump administration's cruel immigration policies. Let's take the time to read about Adayanci Pérez, who has been reunited with her family, but who continues to exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress: https://www.univision.com/univision-news/immigration/nightmares-and-selective-amnesia-the-trauma-of-a-6-year-old-girl-separated-from-her-parents-at-the-border

2.      Sen. Susan Collins and Brett Kavanaugh are Both in the Bush Family Inner Circle.  That Helps Explain her Vote - https://theintercept.com/2018/10/05/brett-kavanaugh-susan-collins-bush/

3.      A Leading Holocaust Historian Just Seriously Compared the U.S. to Nazi Germany -https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/5/17940610/trump-hitler-history-historian