3/12/20
NATIONAL
ISSUES
Contact all Federal
Members of Congress
(includes contact info and
links to social media)
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
|
COVID-19: On the day that the World Health Organization has
declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus/who-says-coronavirus-is-a-pandemic-uk-and-italy-announce-big-war-chests-to-fight-it-idUSKBN20Y1RF)
we have learned that the White House has been classifying briefings on the
virus which has “has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government’s
response to the contagion”. This also makes these meetings off-limits to government
public health experts. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-secrecy-exclusive/exclusive-white-house-told-federal-health-agency-to-classify-coronavirus-deliberations-sources-idUSKBN20Y2LM In
addition, during a House hearing today on the subject, Dr. Fauci and Dr.
Redfield were called away to the White House, not to return. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/487014-trump-officials-cut-testimony-short-at-coronavirus-hearing
This unprecedented move did not stop them from testifying that it’s “going to
get worse.” https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/11/814460233/coronavirus-1-000-cases-now-in-u-s-and-it-s-going-to-get-worse-fauci-says Let’s contact our MoC to say that we are
outraged to have our health treated as a political football by an incompetent
administration. Scientists among us can also sign on to the Union of Concerned Scientists
letter asking for experts to be included and information shared: https://blog.ucsusa.org/michael-halpern/white-house-removes-public-health-experts-from-coronavirus-discussions
SAY NO TO
PAYROLL TAX CUTS: As the number
of people in the U.S. with coronavirus increases daily, Trump’s response has
been focused on proposals to shore up the economy through payroll tax cuts (a
backdoor way of defunding Social Security) and fossil fuel company bailouts. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-proposes-payroll-tax-cut-through-end-year-n1154656.
The proposal is to extend the cuts to the end of the year, a clear move to make
sure the economy doesn’t fail before his re-election. Trump’s proposed payroll
tax cut has many problems: 1) It does nothing to contain or mitigate the coronavirus
epidemic. It is designed only to boost the stock market, 2) It is a blatant
campaign ploy. Trump is proposing the tax relief end after the election., and 3)
It gives relief only to those who pay payroll taxes, leaving out the unemployed
and millions of non-payroll tax paying workers, many (probably most) of them
working poor. The Democrats have come up with a plan of their own that includes “emergency
unemployment insurance and paid sick days for people who have to stay home from
work because of the virus; grants to small businesses who lose profits and
workers; and housing, food and education assistance.” There are better ways to
approach this: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/far-
BAIL OUT
THE FRACKERS?: In a
stunning revelation, the Washington Post reports the following: “The White
House is strongly considering pushing federal assistance for oil and natural
gas producers hit by plummeting oil prices amid the coronavirus outbreak, as
industry officials close to the administration clamor for help, according to
four people familiar with internal deliberations.” And the article goes
on: “Trump and advisers have been taking calls since Monday from concerned
energy sector allies, who have voiced concern and at times exasperation not
only about oil prices, but also privately warning against the administration
supporting any sweeping paid sick leave policy, according to a major GOP donor
and a White House official familiar with the discussions.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/10/trump-oil-bailout/ Let’s
raise our voices in protest—to the White House, to Congress, and any other way
we can think of.
PRIVATE
PRISONS/CORONAVIRUS: As
people across the country are taking measures to prevent the spread of
COVID-19, there are concerns about our vast population of incarcerated people,
who are left particularly vulnerable to outbreak. Senator Elizabeth Warren and
a group of fourteen other Democratic senators have contacted the U.S. Bureau of
Prisons and three private prison operators, questioning their preparedness for
the coronavirus (https://bit.ly/2U14JDw). Let's read through the letters, then contact those same organizations,
demanding that they respond to every question posed by the senators: Director
Michael Caraval, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 1st St. NW, Washington, D.C.,
20534. George C. Zoley, CEO, The GEO Group, Inc., Suite 700, 621 NW 53rd St.,
Boca Raton, FL, 33487. Damon T. Hininger, CEO, CoreCivic, 10 Burton Hills
Blvd., Nashville, TN, 37215. Robert S. Marquardt, CEO, Management and Training
Corporation, 500 N Marketplace Dr., Centerville, UT, 84014.
STOP THIRD
COUNTRY AGREEMENTS WITH EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, AND GUATEMALA: The Trump administration is currently finalizing
plans to send asylum seekers from Mexico and other Central American countries
to El Salvador, a place where many people are already leaving to seek asylum
and where the U.S. State Department has urged US travelers to “exercise
increased caution” because “violent crime, such as murder, assault, rape, and
armed robbery, is common.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/el-salvador-us-asylum-seekers-plan?.
This is part of an enhanced fast-tracking plan, which also includes sending
people to Guatemala and Honduras, which U.S. asylum officers and advocates have
said is illegal, badly organized and geared to put people in dangerous
circumstances. Let’s ask our MoCs what they can do to stop this plan and
also invite them to visit the border so they can see for themselves the effects
of these dangerous policies.
NEVER AGAIN
APPLIED TO COVID-19: Despite
frequent and numerous visitors from China, as of March 10, Taiwan has had just
forty-five COVID-19 cases and only one death. These articles explain: “Taiwan
has millions of visitors from China and only 45 coronavirus cases. Heres’
how.” https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/10/21171722/taiwan-coronavirus-china-social-distancing-quarantine “Response to COVID-19 in Taiwan: Big data
analytics, new technology, and proactive testing.” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762689 Let’s
share these articles with our Members of Congress, State Legislators, and
Governors, and let’s tell them that we want them to establish protocols for a
crisis management system so that the US is never again caught flat-footed in
the face of a potential pandemic. Look up: https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
TO RUTH BADER GINSBURG: “Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been a tireless advocate for women's
rights and gender equity. This Women’s History Month join Pantsuit Nation and
Supermajority in wishing her a happy 87th birthday! We'll be sending a birthday
card thanking Justice Ginsburg for her lifetime of service with a list of all
of the signees and your personalized birthday messages!” Let’s sign
here: https://www.pantsuitnation.org/happybirthdayrbg.html
KUDOS TO
DICK’S SPORTING GOODS: “Dick’s
Sporting Goods said Tuesday it will remove guns from another 440 stores
this year, building on its efforts after the deadly school shooting in
Parkland, Florida, in 2018.” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/10/dicks-sporting-goods-dks-reports-q4-2020-earnings.html Once again, let’s give Dick’s a big thanks
for these efforts: http://www.corporate-office-headquarters.com/dicks-sporting-goods
TELL NBC TO
FIRE HARVEY WEINSTEN ENABLERS: Enough is a Enough Voter Project,
which reminds us that violence against women is a voting issue, tells us that Harvey Weinstein has been
sentenced to 23 years in prison for being a serial rapist. Finally, the justice
system is treating privileged rapists like #BrockTurner and #Weinstein just
like all other rapists. Women have hit the RESET button on how crimes against
women are treated in our justice system. But Harvey Weinstein didn't commit these
crimes alone. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/harvey-weinstein-sentenced-23-years-prison-landmark-metoo-case-n1154166
He had many enablers, including NBC News's Noah Oppenheim and Andy Lack, who
killed Ronan Farrow's reporting. Noah Oppenheim and Andy Lack should not be in
a position to continue to cover up for rapists like Weinstein. In fact,
Oppenheim's contract was just renewed -- incredibly. We can let
NBC News know that the days when men can cover for powerful rapists like
Weinstein are at an end. Noah Oppenheim and Andy Lack must go! Phone. Main:
212-664-4444. News: 866-639-7244. Email. tips@nbcnewyork.com.
ELECTION/VOTING
PRIMARIES/CAUCUS CALENDAR: https://ballotpedia.org/Elections_calendar
OH: POLLING PLACE CHANGES DUE TO CORONVIRUS AND VOTE BY
MAIL INFO: Several polling places, especially those at senior residential
facilities, have been changed to help limit possible exposure to the
Coronavirus. Thousands of voters at over 100 locations will be affected.
Polling places will be sanitized, but, if we choose to, we can still vote by
mail. We can start by using Absentee Ballot Request Forms here under
the “Election Publications” heading. https://www.ohiosos.gov/publications/#abr
After printing out the form, we can mail it to our
county board of elections
https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/elections-officials/county-boards-of-elections-directory/? as
soon as we can. Our ballots must be postmarked by Monday, March 16, or
they can be dropped off curbside at our county board of elections on Election
Day Tuesday, March 17. We can check our
polling location on the Secretary of State Website here: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/toolkit/polling-location/#gref We can check out this article, which will
be updated as needed, to see if our polling place has been moved and to find
other helpful related Coronavirus related information.
OH: POLL WORKERS NEEDED. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND OTHERS CAN
HELP.
Since many poll workers are senior citizens who have been advised to
avoid public places, there may be a huge, last-minute need for more poll
workers. College students whose classes have been cancelled could help fill
this gap, and other able-bodied volunteers would also be most welcomed. We
can share the need for poll workers widely with college students, and with our
friends on social media. To sign up as poll workers, we can go to: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/precinct-election-officials/ or
call our county board of elections.
LET’S GET RUNNING! “For too long, Republicans have been the only
ones competing in local, rural races. Contest
Every Race is an unprecedented coalition of organizations working to
transform this moment of crisis into long-term change. Our aim is to move local
and national politics towards a democracy that works for everyone. When we stop
the GOP from running up the score in rural areas, we’ll start winning back
state houses, governors’ mansions — and Congress.” Let’s check out Contest Every Race and
learn more and see how we can get involved to get more Democratic candidates
out there: https://contesteveryrace.com/
STATE/LOCAL
ALL: AMERICAN HEALTH CARE FAILURE: Trump and Pence
met with health insurance leaders, who, in theory, will take some steps to
cover covid-19 testing and cease “surprise billing” for coronavirus-related
treatment, but these measures are far from adequate: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-coronavirus-briefing-health-insurers/
27 million Americans are without health insurance and millions more are
underinsured: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/insurance/states-health-insurers-address-coronavirus-costs The
coming privatization of virus testing will undoubtedly make access more
expensive. If for no reason other than concern for our individual
well-being, we should demand that our state legislators follow the lead of
Washington State and New York and pass emergency legislation that would (A)
waive all out-of-pocket costs for patients who seek screening or need care
related to the virus, (B) guarantee free testing and treatment for all residents,
including the uninsured, and (C) require drug insurers to fill prescriptions
for necessary drugs, even if the refill date has not been reached.
MOST: ASK OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SUPPORT THE REVERSAL OF
THE ROLLBACK OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) (All except WA,
CA, NY, CT, DE, IL, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NE, NJ, NM, OR, PA, RI, VT) The
Attorney Generals of 18 states have asked the Trump Administration to forgo the
rollback of the National Environmental Policy Act, and maintain independent
environmental impact reviews on major projects, such as highways or pipelines. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/487082-18-states-ask-trump-administration-to-withdraw-major-environmental.
Let’s ask our Attorney General to sign on to this effort.
MA: DISABILITY RIGHTS: Last week, the FDA
published its final rule to implement a ban on electrical stimulation devices
(ESDs), shock devices that function as aversives to manipulate behavior (https://bit.ly/2TCQuVp). In
response, the Judge Rotenberg Center and the Judge Rotenberg Center Parents
Association have stated that they will fight the FDA's decision.
As disability rights activists point out, the use of shock devices calls
into question the broader issue of using aversives with people who have not
given consent, including children and disabled individuals (https://bit.ly/2TVPSu9). Let's
contact Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders and
tell her that it's time to speak directly with disabled activists and
individuals who have been subjected to aversives, and to collaborate with them
on what the next steps should be: One Ashburton Place, 11th Floor, Boston, MA
02108. Phone: (617) 573-1600
NY: PRISON LABOR/CORONAVIRUS: Governor Andrew
Cuomo has announced that the state is producing hand sanitizer to help combat
the shortage currently taking place. However, the sanitizer is being produced
by incarcerated people who are being paid only sixteen cents per hour, and may
not be allowed to use the sanitizer themselves, as it is currently prohibited (https://bit.ly/2TZVoMr, https://wapo.st/2xucavz). Let's
contact the Governor and tell him that incarcerated people should be allowed to
use hand sanitizer, especially during a health crisis: The Honorable
Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany,
NY 12224, (518) 474-8390. We can also contact our state MoC and ask them
to pass the Prison Minimum Wage Act (A.1275/S.3138): https://www.news10.com/news/local-news/ny-lawmakers-propose-higher-minimum-wage-for-prison-inmates/
WI: FREE COVERAGE OF CORNAVIRUS INFORMATION FROM THE MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTENTIAL: As news about the Coronavirus changes rapidly, it can be
hard to stay on top of it. Now the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is making staying
informed a little easier for us. We can stay up to date with the latest
developments in our state through this link: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2020/03/11/coronavirus-wisconsin-latest-updates-confirmed-cases-cancelations-milwaukee-map-symptoms/5021074002/
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS
#TheIdesOfTrump: On March 15, together let's make
history by sending 1 million postcards to Donald Trump telling him he is fired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBq9GTAtsyU&feature=youtu.be
DISINFORMATION LITERACY WEBINAR: DemCast has paired up with Disarm Disinformation to present a free webinar on disinformation literacy! On March 18 they will be covering the following topics: 1) What is disinformation and what does weaponized information look like? 2) How can disinformation so easily flourish on today’s social media platforms? 3) What forms is disinformation taking in 2020? 4) How can we fight back effectively as engaged citizens and activists? And 5) What could a network of disinformation-fighters look like? This is critical information we can all use in 2020! We can learn more and sign up here: https://demcastusa.com/2020/03/09/webinar-disinformation-literacy/ (h/t Political Charge)
Light
UP America: Mark your
calendar for March 24 at dusk, and follow Vigil for Democracy to stay
updated: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vigilfordemocracy
and Instagram.com/VigilForDemocracy and Twitter.com/vigil4democracy.
This is not another march or rally. It’s a thoughtfully designed non-violent direct-action
campaign, put together by seasoned activists. While you wait, read George
Lakey’s book How We Win, or browse his org’s website: wagingnonviolence.org
READING/WATCHING
Cancel
Everything - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-cancel-everything/607675/
Coronavirus
fears show how 'model minority' Asian Americans become the 'yellow peril' - https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/coronavirus-fears-show-how-model-minority-asian-americans-become-yellow-ncna1151671
These
are 6 of the main differences between flu and coronavirus - https://www.technologyreview.com/f/615341/flu-vs-coronavirus-6-differences/
The
Trump Administration Is Stalling an Intel Report That Warns the U.S. Isn’t
Ready for a Global Pandemic
- https://time.com/5799765/intelligence-report-pandemic-dangers/
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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
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