10/19/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Fax legislators for free:
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
********************************
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. The
president is threatening military action against Mexico if they can’t stop
people from crossing the border. https://thehill.com/latino/411990-trump-threatens-military-action-at-border-if-mexico-doesnt-stop-immigration-onslaught.
Let’s make sure our MoCs know our opposition to this rash and dangerous
response, and let’s remind them that they have the power to decide on military
action, not the president.
2. Freedom
Caucus leaders Mark Meadows is calling on Deputy Attorney General Rod
Rosenstein to resign: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/412077-meadows-calls-on-rosenstein-to-resign-immediately This
is a good reminder of why taking back the House and Senate are imperative but
let’s also let our MoC know once again that we expect the Mueller investigation
to be thoroughly protected.
3. In
Trump’s latest tantrum over immigration, he has threatened to cut off aid to
Honduras—and other Central American countries—unless they stop a large group of
migrants heading north to Mexico or the US: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45880621;
he has, moreover, threatened to call out the army to “defend” the southern
border: https://www.vox.com/2018/10/18/17994148/trump-border-immigrant-military-mexico-honduras
It seems Trump and friends refuse to acknowledge the truth that Rep. Adriano
Espaillat noted on Wednesday: “Guatemalans migrate to Mexico, Mexicans migrate
to the United States, Africans migrate to Spain and Italy, Libyans migrate to
Italy, Middle Easterners migrate to Germany and Britain, so this is a global
issue of the have and have nots”:
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/411852-trumps-threats-to-cut-aid-from-honduras-is-not-going-to-work-says-dem
Let’s remind the White House that migration is a not a personal affront, and
make sure our MoCs do not play along with Trump’s hysteria.
4. A
point made by the New York Times journalists whose thorough reporting burst the
myth that Trump is a self-made millionaire is that the IRS lacks the resources
to hold the rich and powerful accountable for the taxes that they owe to the
people of our nation. https://www.npr.org/2018/10/18/658442355/times-journalists-puncture-myth-of-trump-as-self-made-billionaire Let’s
tell our MoCs that everyone should be paying the taxes that they legally owe so
that our schools, roads, bridges, consumer protections, safety net, etc., are
adequately funded, and that we therefore want them to strengthen the ability of
the IRS to go after tax cheats like Trump and his cohort.
5. As
expected, the Republican tax bill has resulted in the deficit rising by nearly
17% https://www.npr.org/2018/10/16/657790901/federal-deficit-jumps-17-percent-as-tax-cuts-eat-into-government-revenue,
, and the Republicans’ plan for addressing the issue is to cut Medicare,
Medicaid, and Social Security. Let’s make sure to tell our MoCs not to balance
the budget on the backs of the poor and the elderly. And perhaps the first step
in reining in the deficit is to go after people like the president’s
son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who reportedly hasn’t paid taxes in years. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/13/business/jared-kushner-taxes.html.
6. The
Trump administration is attempting to amend the
Flores Agreement, so they may be allowed to detain children indefinitely. In
order to do so legally, they have proposed the rule change at the Federal
Register, where we can submit comments until November 6th. We can learn more
about the proposal, and submit a comment at www.stopfamilydetention.org Then,
let's keep up to date one what is happening, and find more ways to help
at Families Belong Together.
For those of us who prefer to submit comments directly through the Federal
Register, we can do so here.
Election 2018 – General
1.
Do we want to help in the midterms but need some
guidance on how? Let’s use this cool tool—it will customize a plan for
us!
2.
With the midterms nearly upon
us, we citizens are now democracy's best defense, because we are
about to choose the people who will embody our next government. Historically,
though, one group of us has not shown up at the polls for midterms: young
voters. Progressive/liberal issues and candidates do better when 18- to
24-year-olds vote in force, so let's each find at least one young voter to help
to the polls, whether that means guilt-tripping them into registering or giving
them a ride on November 6th. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/young-voters-might-actually-show-up-at-the-polls-this-year
3.
One now-avid phone banker shares with us how she
came to love phone banking after disliking it. She says,” One excuse that
I had made for myself (to justify non-involvement), was that phone banking
didn’t really do that much. Only, that’s not true. Studies show that, outside of face-to-face
canvassing, phone banking is the most effective way to get out the vote. “It’s
an inspiring tale, with practical tips for the rest of us. Want to at least
give it a try? It's free, we can do it from home, and scripts are included. Let’s
try volunteering with grassroots organizations she links to at the end of her
article. https://whystatesmatter.sisterdistrict.com/phone-banking-conquering-your-fears-making-a-difference-c2d475f99a86
4.
Postcards To Voters just
added Campaign 122: Mike Revis for Missouri State House. In
February, thousands of Postcards to Voters volunteers like us wrote to
every Democratic voter in his district for a special election. On that election
night, Mike won by 108 votes! Let's help Mike get re-elected by writing 5 postcards
today. If we are new, we can email JOIN@TonyTheDemocrat.org to get
started. Multiple campaigns are currently open.
5.
Minority ranking Judiciary Committee member,
Dianne Feinstein said she would absolutely re-open the Kavanaugh investigation
if the Democrats win the Senate. Let’s make sure we do everything we can to
help Democratic incumbents and challengers in tight political races including Heidi Heitkamp, Beto O’Rourke,
Jon Tester, Jacky Rosen, Claire McCaskill, Philip Bredesen,
Kyrsten Sinema, Bill Nelson, Joe Donnelly.
We can read more about these races here.
6.
Reform of our criminal justice system is another
issue on the November ballot. Want to know how candidates rate in that
department? Let's use this interactive tool just released by the ACLU. Input a
zip code and get an instant comparison: https://www.votesmartjustice.org
7.
From one of our own: Friends!!!! I've been tasked with organizing
100 Second Chances Florida call parties on *Sat, Oct 27* to pass Amendment 4
and restore the vote to 1.4 million people in Florida with past convictions. We
also need people to host call parties day or evening during GOTV *Nov 2 - Nov
6*. I'm up to 70 parties - CAN YOU HOST A CALL PARTY AND HELP ME SET A RECORD? *And oh yeah, also help pass the largest
voter enfranchisement since Women's Suffrage in 1920 and the largest expansion
in access since the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DkOY1b9nv4UvJHihq99Q51q4Z1PckTemqp_n1Ap33Bo/viewform?edit_requested=true
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 this out: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
3. GA -Georgia voters whose names were
removed from the rolls because of the state’s list-purging efforts will not be
able to cast a ballot. Voters whose registrations are on hold can still vote if
they bring one of the six accepted government-issued photo IDs. If we
are Georgians, let's read more at ProPublica so
we are prepared when we go to the polls.
4. ND:
If we live on a reservation or know those who do, let’s get the word out
that the ND state election officials are asking tribal members who don’t have a
street address needed to vote in next month's election to contact local
authorities for a solution. For more information we can check out Native
American Rights Fund’s link:
https://www.narf.org/north-dakota-2018-election/
We can also donate, if we are able, to a
fund to help folks get the needed documentation: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dkndnativevote
5.
NYC:
400,000 voters in NYC received letters inaccurately informing them that their
voter registration was “inactive.” The NYC Board of Elections disclaims
responsibility; Mayor Bill de Blasio disclaims responsibility; everyone blames
Civis Analytics, a business and political consultant that buys raw voter data
from elections boards and sorts and analyzes it for their clients:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/nyregion/inactive-voter-letter-nyc.html
But someone was their “client” and we should demand to know who: Mayor Bill de
Blasio, City Hall, New York, NY 10007 or 311 or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC.
And we should spread the word that these letters may be incorrect; recipients
should contact the Board of Elections: Executive Office, 32 - 42 Broadway, 7
Fl, New York, NY 10004 or 212.487.5400 or ElectionInfo@boe.nyc.ny.us.
Other Actions
1. “Some
of these activists call themselves “the Resistance.” Trump and his allies call
them an “angry mob.” On the ground it’s just called participatory democracy.
Hundreds of thousands of volunteers, allied with thousands of autonomous
groups, are doing the grunt work of propelling their neighbors to the polls,
using tactics tailored to their communities. Suburban moms are knocking on
doors in North Carolina battlegrounds; racial-justice organizers in Georgia are
mobilizing black voters in churches and restaurants; college students in
Pennsylvania are using social media to reach new voters. In Texas,
immigrant-rights activists are helping Latino voters get their paperwork in
order. Teenage gun-safety advocates from Florida are on bus tours to register
other newly eligible voters.” http://time.com/longform/democrat-midterm-strategy/ This is us.
Let’s find more like-minded people to join in and become active.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1. The
time has come to turn the Senate Blue.With Healthcare, Medicare and
SocialoneSecurity and the results of the Mueller Investigation all on the line,
we must elect a Democratic Majority this November and now we have a chance
to help three Democratic Candidates in need of a boost: According to
the latest polls, Jacky Rosen in Nevada is now behind in the polls, while Phil
Breseden is deadlocked and Jon Tester is clinging to a small lead We
can help all of them when we join Action Together Network’s Twitter
Warriors for a Twitter storm this Sunday, October 21 at 8pm EDT. When we click on this link, we will find
prewritten tweets that we can send out with just a few clicks. Working
together, we can turn the tide! https://www.facebook.com/events/1939862122746392/
2. Conditions
in Rukban Refugee Camp are desperate. Syrian Refugees, mainly children and the elderly,
on the brink of starvation as 65,000 of them are trapped without food, medicine
or water. Even as a glimmer of hope appears, with a chance of some aid being
allowed to try and reach the camp, political turf wars continue to jeopardize
these refugees’ lives. We can help raise awareness to demand these vulnerable
people are not forgotten and that they receive the aid and care they need in a
continuing basis, when we join this TwitterStorm on Monday, October 22 at 3-4pm. EDT. We can find out more about the event when we
click on this link. Prewritten tweets will be available for us on Monday,
making it simple to help out with just a few clicks.
3.
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
1. SEVERAL: In Georgia, civil rights groups have sued to
end the “exact match” protocol, according to which the transposition of a
single letter or number, deletion or addition of a hyphen or apostrophe, the
accidental entry of an extra character or space, or the use of a familiar name
like 'Tom' instead of ‘Thomas’” can result in disenfranchisement; Secretary of
State and gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp’s office has put 53,000 applicants,
70 percent of them African-American, in limbo; he claims these applicants can
vote in the midterm, but who knows about 2020? https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/georgia-sued-placing-thousands-voter-registrations-hold-election-n919526
Meanwhile, in Florida, a federal judge refused a week-long delay in voter
registration in view of Hurricane Michael; Gov. Rick Scott and Secretary of
State Ken Detzner have instead allowed a one-day extension, only in those
counties that planned to close on Tuesday because of the hurricane:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/article219859230.html
In Texas, Vote.org, a nonpartisan advocacy group, claimed that 2400 voter
registration applications were unfairly rejected by the Secretary of
State:
https://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Texas-rejects-2-400-online-voter-registrations-as-13279521.php
And a Supreme Court decision this week allowed a voter ID law in North Dakota
that many fear will disproportionately keep Native Americans from voting: https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/12/politics/north-dakota-voter-id-native-americans/index.html
Let’s go on record in opposition to these voter suppression tactics: GA--Brian Kemp, 844-753-7825 or 214
State Capitol, Atlanta GA 30334 or by email at http://sos.ga.gov/cgi-bin/email.asp ;
FL--Ken Detzner, 850.245.6500 or FAX
850.245.6125 or SecretaryofState@DOS.MyFlorida.com or
R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399; TX—Rolando Pablos, 512-463-6116 or FAX
512-475-2761 or Capitol Bldg, 1100 Congress, Rm 1E-8, Austin, TX 78701; ND - Alvin Jaeger, 600 E Boulevard Avenue Dept 108,
Bismarck ND 58505-0500, 701-328-2900 or Fax: 701-328-2992
2. MI: From one of our own: The National
Popular Vote bill (SB1117, HB6323) has now been introduced in both houses of
the Michigan legislature and has bipartisan support, with broad co-sponsorship
commitments in the senate! The only thing standing in our way is Speaker of the
House Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt Township) who REFUSES to give the bill a hearing in
committee despite calls from his Republican and Democratic colleagues to move
the bill forward. Now is the moment when we need grassroots action to push this
over the line. Let's use all our #Kava-nope fury to make real change at the
root of the problem: How we elect Presidents in this country #CallToAction: A) Join the force at One Person One Vote
Michigan where we will be coordinating our
efforts, B) Find out where your state legislators stand on this bill by calling
them and reporting back, and C) Read more about the Michigan NPV
situation here.
3. FL: When the Everglades Trust
announced Tuesday, it was supporting Republican Ron DeSantis for governor over
Democrat Andrew Gillum, heads were scratched and some environmentalists were
aghast. Let's read more at The Gainesville Sun. Sierra Club Florida notes
that DeSantis has an abysmal record voting against the
environment 98% of the time in his three terms as a Member of
Congress. If we are environmental activists, we may want to revisit our
support for Everglades Trust. We can give them our comments and
feedback here.
Reading/Watching
1.
In the Wake of Khashoggi’s Disappearance,
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Is Pushed to the Brink: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/in-the-wake-of-khashoggis-disappearance-saudi-arabias-crown-prince-is-pushed-to-the-brink
2.
This
Vicious Buffoon Is a Vessel for All the Worst Elements of the American
Condition - https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23579738/donald-trump-mock-christine-blasey-ford-sexual-assault/
3.
The Man
Who Broke Politics - https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/
4.
Scary Time
for Boys - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/10/a-scary-time-for-boys-lynzy-lab-kimmel
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