9/10/19
NATIONAL
ISSUES
|
(Including Emails & Twitter)
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
|
IMPEACHMENT: President
Trump is now saying that the efforts to have peace talks with the Taliban are
“dead” after he purportedly called off an invitation to host their leaders at
Camp David: https://apnews.com/bf2b42d5e86d466ab5f434d0f646bc72 We
are in a situation where it is unclear whether we should believe the account of
the President or the version we are hearing from the Taliban. This is not
acceptable in any way. With a growing number of incidents involving
alleged corruption and abuse of power, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/us/politics/impeachment-investigation-trump.html,
a majority of House Democrats now support impeaching Trump. However, House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and these ten notable Democrats are still holding out. Let’s tell
them, especially if they are our representatives, that for the sake of our
democracy we can’t keep letting these abuses of power go unchecked. To continue
to do nothing is to give tacit agreement that this behavior is normal and
acceptable. Let’s let our MoC know that
we expect them to move swiftly towards impeachment before more damage is done
domestically and internationally.
BAHAMAS: On
Sunday night, Bahamians were forced off a ferry boat after the boat reportedly
received a last-minute call from Customs and Border Protection. These people
were fleeing the devastation of Hurricane Dorian:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/09/hundreds-of-bahamians-evacuees-ordered-off-boat-due-to-lack-of-us-visas Normally,
as Miami-based reporter @BrianEntin reports on Twitter, Bahamians can travel to
the US with a Bahamian passport and a printout showing a clean police record.
On Sunday, Bahamians trying to evacuate to the US on a ferry were told they had
to disembark if they did not have a visa to enter the US. https://twitter.com/BrianEntin/status/1170853692934971393?s=20 Why
did US Customs and Border Patrol suddenly change their tune? Let’s let
our MoC know that we are morally obligated to be good neighbors to those
suffering in the Bahamas and should not be creating barriers to their safety
and survival.
ATTACKS ON SCIENCE: Trump’s scribble on the Hurricane Dorian
map has gotten a lot of attention; we should be more alarmed by two directives
that have come to light from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) warning staff—including NOAA meteorologists—not to
contradict Trump, even if he purveys false scientific information and spreads
unnecessary alarm in places not threatened by the storm: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/NOAA-staff-told-not-to-contradict-Trump-14422206.php
Like all of Trump’s attacks on science, this one appears to have been willingly
undertaken by one of his sycophants, acting administrator Neil Jacobs. Let’s
tell NOAA that we are alarmed and angry that under Trump even the weather
forecasts are politicized: 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 5128, Washington,
DC 20230 or (828) 271-4800 or webmaster@noaa.gov.
REPARATIONS: The Movement for Black Lives has released a Reparations Now Toolkit, which is a comprehensive resource
detailing the history of chattel slavery in the United States, exploring why
reparations are necessary, and looking at case studies of different kinds of
reparations. The toolkit also includes numerous activities, where participants
can use their creativity and critical thinking skills to gain a better
understanding of the toolkit material and case for reparations. Let's
explore the Reparations Now toolkit, and work through it with our
friends and peers. We can also contact our Representatives in the House and ask
them to support H.R. 40, which "establishes the Commission to Study and
Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans...and recommend appropriate
remedies."
DEFUND HATE WEEK: In the next couple of weeks, Congress will be
finalizing government appropriations including budgets for ICE and Customers
and Border Patrol (CBP). This week Indivisible.org is launching a targeted
campaign calling for massive cuts to these agencies with strict guidelines on
how the funding can be used. Let’s check Indivisible’s
website for resources for action we can take--phone calls, social
media, letters to the editor, town hall visits and more.
STOP DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON PUBLIC BENEFITS: Trump recently announced an executive order that would increase the government’s ability to deny green cards to immigrants if they’ve been enrolled in public benefit programs. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/457077-trump-administration-releases-final-public-charge-rule. The rule is scheduled to go into effect next month. This could prevent numerous people from receiving necessary life-saving services. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) has introduced a bill that would prevent federal funds from being used to implement the rule. Let’s tell our MoCs to support HR3222, No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act of 2019. 5calls.org has more information and a calling script here.
GUN CONTROL: According to the American Psychological
Association, our problem with mass shootings cannot be blamed on mental
illness. We are only 5% of the world's population, but we suffer 31% of all
mass shootings because we have nearly half of the world's civilian
firearms (https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/08/gun-violence-mental-health). Let's
emphasize this atrocious fact when we tell our MoCs to push harder for
common-sense gun laws and better funding for research into gun violence as the
public health menace it so clearly is.
MENSTRUAL HYGIENE FOR
IMMIGRANTS: A lawsuit filed by 19
states accuses the Trump administration of not providing adequate sanitary
products to girls in ICE custody, leaving them to bleed through their clothes
and unable to clean themselves. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-immigration-migrant-children-border-lawsuit-period-tampon-latest-a9081341.html “Period.
The Menstrual Movement”, a nonprofit organization,
https://www.period.org/, seeks to raise
$28,000 for a campaign that will purchase and distribute tampons and sanitary
pads to women and girls at the Texas border who have been denied entry in
Mexico. (Unfortunately, there is no way to deliver period products to people in
US concentration camps.) If we are able, let’s donate to this
effort:
AID FOR THE BAHAMAS: Here's a great list for those of us trying to
figure out the best charities to donate to. Collated by Celeste Pewter: https://medium.com/@Celeste_pewter/how-to-help-those-impacted-by-hurricane-dorian-1a7516a0dbde Let’s find a good way to help.
SANCTUARY SYNAGOGUES: “Mikdash: The Jewish Sanctuary Movement”
https://www.truah.org/campaign/mikdash-the-jewish-sanctuary-movement/ is
an initiative of T’ruah https://www.truah.org/ ,
a human rights organization of North American rabbis and Jewish communities.
Through Mikdash, Jewish congregations can become sanctuary synagogues and offer
legal support, housing, financial help, and other assistance to those facing
deportation and other immigration challenges. If we are members of
Jewish communities, let’s work with the leadership of our synagogues to join
Mikdash. Congregations can contact Rabbi Salem Pearce at spearce@truah.org for
more information.
POSTCARDING: From one of our own – Here are this week’s
issues/addresses write-ups for postcarding:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rREZjNSn0U24KuDkDg2vvNN-_dzMOXsFU6fGQ2BWZA4/edit Look
them over and choose the ones that speak to you.
BLACKROCK INVESTMENTS
AND THE AMAZON FIRE: It seems that Blackrock Investments is almost
singlehandedly responsible for the fires in the Amazon. Read how here and here: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/follow-money-amazon/597319/ Then let's do a couple of things: First,
let's use the contact them form here and them why they think this is OK. Second, let's ask our money manager (if we
have one) if any of our money is in Blackrock stocks. If so, let's take
whatever financial hit it is and take it out. (h/t Chop
Wood Carry Water)
RESTRICTIVE BOOK
ACCESS FOR PRISONERS: Even though many studies show that access
to books can reduce recidivism, many states have severely restricted or
even eliminated prisoners’ access to reading materials. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, for
example, has banned over 10,000 books including works by Alice Walker, John
Grisham, Jenna Bush Haeger and Bob Dole.
We can click here to ask House and Senate Judiciary Committees to
hold hearings on book restriction practices in prisons: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-congress-stop-the-largest-book-ban-in-america
WAYS TO PROMOTE THE
CLIMATE STRIKE: If we are looking for more ways to get involved
with the upcoming Climate Strike on September 20, Katie Eder, Co-founder
and Executive Director of the Future Coalition has several ideas for us to
check out. We can click here to find an informative Climate Strike
video, website, social media toolkit, parents’ webinar, ways to donate if we
are able to, and more:
PENDING CUTS TO FOOD
ASSISTANCE: “The Trump administration is once again
proposing significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP), which provides food assistance to 40.3 million
low-income people each month. Trump has tried to slash funding for
SNAP in the federal budget every year since he took office, but Congress has
rejected the cuts each time. In July, he released a proposed rule
change that would allow him to do an end run around Congress to cut
food assistance to 3.1 million people—including 44,000
Mainers—and to eliminate school meals for more than 500,000
children by ending automatic enrollment of children in SNAP families
in free and reduced-cost school meal programs.”
While this source originates in Maine, the general information and actions
we can take can be easily tailored to our state: https://www.suitupmaine.org/save-snap/
WEAKENING FUEL
STANDARDS: The Trump EPA wants to weaken existing
fuel efficiency standards by finalizing the SAFE rule in September. As of
today, Canada and 6 major auto manufacturers have signed an MOU agreeing on
standards that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save consumers money. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/22/automakers-snub-trump-to-side-with-climate-crisis-says-obama-era-official
The holdouts are Toyota, Chrysler &
GM—do we own any of their products? If so, we can email them from their
“contact us” links on their websites. If we don’t own cars made by these
companies, we can email them anyway!
EDUCATION—AMERICAN
SLAVERY AND ITS LEGACY: If we
have not done so already, let’s read the New York Times’s outstanding
reporting, The 1619 Project, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html (If
we aren’t subscribers, we can read it through our local public library.)
There’s a video, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrfV7w3EyGI Then,
let’s make sure that our public schools properly teach this subject to our
rising citizens. Let’s forward “The 1619 Project Curriculum”
https://pulitzercenter.org/lesson-plan-grouping/1619-project-curriculum to
our state’s Board of Education and tell them that we want this curriculum
taught in our public high schools. We can use this resource to look up contact
information for our state’s Board of Ed:
GRATITUDE TO THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE NEWSPAPER: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper won a
Pulitzer Prize, in April, for its coverage of the shooting at the Tree of Life
Synagogue. The newspaper’s staff decided to donate the entire $15,000 Pulitzer
award to the Tree of Life Synagogue for the building’s repair and
renewal. https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2019/09/04/Post-Gazette-newsroom-donates-Pulitzer-monetary-award-to-Tree-of-Life-congregation-jeffrey-myers-keith-burris-john-robinson-block/stories/201909040150 Let’s
express our congratulations and gratitude to the newspaper’s editor and
publisher: 1) Keith C. Burris, Executive
Editor, 412-263-1606; kburris@post-gazette.com, and 2) John
Robinson Block, Publisher of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Block Communications,
405 Madison Ave, Ste 2100, Toledo, OH 43604
FOLK ART FOR THE
RESISTANCE HAS US IN STITCHES:
“’Tiny Pricks’ is an ongoing community project in which participants stitch
quotes by Trump into antique textiles to create a material record of his
presidency.”
https://www.speedwellprojects.com/ We
can see samples in this video narrated by the project’s originator Diana
Weymar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt-xSpGyYws An
exhibition of the Tiny Pricks Project will be on view September 14-November 3,
2019, at SPEEDWELL Projects, 630 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04101. Here’s the
press release:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/588788de2994ca0cab622da0/t/5d69393de543ab0001df0e06/1567177023602/FOR+IMMEDIATE+RELEASE_Speedwell+Projects+_+Tiny+Pricks+-+September+14+-+November+3%2C+2019+%282%29.pdf Let’s
go visit the exhibit, and if we’re handy, let’s contribute our own work to the
Tiny Pricks public archive.
ELECTION/VOTING
NORTH CAROLINA: It’s Special Election Day in North Carolina in NC09 and
NC03: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/460449-gop-faces-must-win-race-in-north-carolina If
we are in North Carolina let’s make sure we get to the polls (and bring friends
and family) to turn out for Dan McCready (NC09) and Allen Thomas (NC03) for
Congress.
POSTCARDS TO
VOTERS' TUESDAY ELECTION WATCH! Volunteer postcard-writers will be watching polling exit results for
two congressional special elections in North Carolina: 1) Campaign 166:
Dan McCready for CD09. 2) Campaign 169:
Allen Thomas for CD03. We can join other watchers at
the Postcards To Voters' Facebook page to watch as returns
come in.
GET OUT THE
LOUISIANA VOTE! With no
Republican challenger, the winner of the Democratic primary for Louisiana State
Senator will win the position. The incumbent's challenger previously had to
resign in disgrace. Postcards To Voters' Campaign
170: Re-Elect Ed Price. Let's request 5 addresses for valuable
Louisiana voters today. If we are new to Postcards To Voters, we can
find out more and sign up here.
RURAL VIRGINIA
VOTERS NEED ENCOURAGEMENT!
With many rural voters lacking high-speed internet access and relying on
mail, our postcards just might have the greatest impact. Postcards4VA.com has
teamed up with
VirginiaGrassroots.org to
reach these critical voters as we work to flip Virginia blue. Let's
sign up to write postcards. If we are Virginians, let's tell our family and
friends about these great organizations and look for ways to participate.
NEW YORK VOTER
REGISTRATION: To vote
in the state's 2020 primary elections, voters must be registered as either
Democrat or Republican by October 10th. This deadline is very early, to
prevent voters from switching parties to sabotage primary elections. If
unsure about registration status, try the NYS Voter Lookup tool
https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ or
contact a local election office.
STATE/LOCAL
MI: 2020 Budget/Mental Health: From MI Resistance:
In the past, Michigan had one of the most advanced public health systems in the
country. However, Medicaid expansion led to a General Fund support reduction
for mental health, because it was believed that Medicaid could cover it. But
Medicaid only covers 20 mental health visits per year. There are barriers to
signing up for Medicaid and not all are eligible. Any costs not covered by
Medicaid have been passed on to County Mental Health systems. Our systems
are near collapse. The need for more funding is urgent (https://bit.ly/2m7FrGJ). Let's
tell the Michigan GOP to support budget increases for county community mental
health: State Senators Ruth Johnson (MI-14): 517-373-1636, Pete Lucido (MI-8):
517-373-7670, Jim Runestad (MI-15): 517-373-1758, and State Reps Mike Mueller
(MI-51): 517-373-1780 and Tommy Brann (MI-77): 517-373-2277
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS
GLOBAL CLIMATE
STRIKE: “On September 20,
three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, young people and adults will
strike all across the US and world to demand transformative action be taken to
address the climate crisis. Millions of us will take the streets to demand a
right to a future, and we’re inviting you to #strikewithus
Find a strike near
you to attend on September 20 on the map . . . If you don’t see an event in your area,
organize one! We’ll provide everything you need to get started in planning
something in your community, so no experience is necessary.” Let’s check out more here: https://strikewithus.org/ (scroll down page to see map of locations) If we are outside the U.S., let’s check out
this site for opportunities: https://globalclimatestrike.net/
WE THE PEOPLE MARCH: Needless to say,
a lot has transpired during the two weeks of Rogan’s List hiatus. Let’s be
inspired by our siblings in the UK, Hong Kong, and Russia who have taken to the
streets in support of democracy. The We The People March (organized by Amy
Siskind of The List) is
Saturday, September 21 in Washington DC. The March is looking for
volunteers to house people coming from other states to DC, as well as leaders
to put together marches in cities across the country. Check out the website to
find local marches or buses headed to DC. If you can, make a donation to help
the marchers: https://wethepeoplemarch.org
READING/WATCHING
These Are The
Military Projects Losing Funding To Trump's Border Wall - https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757463817/these-are-the-11-border-projects-getting-funds-intended-for-military-constructio
Judiciary panel
issues subpoena on Trump's alleged offer to pardon DHS officials - https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/04/judiciary-panel-issues-subpoena-on-trumps-alleged-offer-to-pardon-dhs-officials-1481317
‘Can’t feel my heart:’ IG says separated kids traumatized - https://apnews.com/63e7e47666914bf79eff7366e8eb411b
Ijeoma Oluo: 'I
am drowning in whiteness' - https://www.kuow.org/stories/ijeoma-oluo-i-am-drowning-in-whiteness
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We can stay up to date
on Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes a
weekly schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday)
as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates
their schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.