3/5/20
NATIONAL
ISSUES
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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
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LEGISLATION
TO BATTLE CORONAVIRUS: “The
House on Wednesday passed an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus package, just
hours after congressional negotiators clinched a bipartisan deal to tackle the
spreading epidemic.” The vote was 415-2. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/04/house-coronavirus-funding-121065 Let’s tell our senators that we want them
to approve this bill quickly and with the same bipartisanship that was shown in
the House.
TELL PETER
PAN BUS LINES TO STOP ALLOWING ICE ON BUSES: Now that Greyhound and Concord Bus Lines, have bowed to public pressure
and stopped letting ICE agents on buses, https://wgme.com/news/local/concord-coach-lines-stops-warrantless-immigration-checks
it’s time to put pressure on Peter Pan, who is claiming that they will “always
cooperate with law enforcement.” https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/03/03/peter-pan-springfield-cbp-immigration-agents-buses.
Let’s contact them via this form,
or by writing to Peter Pan Bus Lines, Union Station--Suite 300, 1 Peter Pan
Way, Springfield, MA 01103. Let’s also plaster their Facebook
and Twitter @PeterPanBus sites with our disapproval.
SURPRISE
BILLING FOR CORONAVIRUS TEST:
In this country in which health insurance is understood as a luxury not a
right, the stories of people who sought or needed or were mandated to undergo
coronavirus testing and then found themselves facing huge “surprise” medical
bills proliferate:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/upshot/coronavirus-surprise-medical-bills.html or https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article240476806.html The
reluctance some flu-sufferers will invariably feel to consulting a doctor,
knowing they may face hefty medical bills even if they test negative for COVID-19,
endangers us all while highlighting everything that is wrong about for-profit
health insurance. Let’s demand that our MoCs sponsor and pass a bill
appropriating funding to cover 100% of the cost of all coronavirus testing
& care within the United States.
DETROIT
WATER SHUTOFFS: Some people in Detroit have been without running
water for a year. https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-health-watch/i-hate-complain-i-havent-had-water-year-detroit-story Governor Gretchen Whitmer chose not to
use her executive privilege to end these shutoffs. https://www.michiganradio.org/post/whitmer-will-not-use-executive-powers-end-detroit-water-shutoffs Now, with the coronavirus situation and the hand
washing cited as the first line of containment, several organizations are
asking Governor Whitmer to reconsider: https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-health-watch/coronavirus-fears-renew-calls-gov-whitmer-end-detroit-water-shutoffs Let's join our voices to those asking Governor
Whitmer to put an end to water shutoffs, and to make safe, clean water
affordable for all Michiganders. Mail: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, P.O. Box
30013, Lansing, Michigan 48909, Phone: 517-335-7858
DISABILITY
RIGHTS: As we celebrate the
victory of the FDA implementing its ban on electrical stimulation devices, it's
important to note that the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) institution had
continued to operate an abusive environment for people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities even when its actions were categorized as torture by
the UN (https://bit.ly/3cuVkg7). Let's
educate ourselves on the institutionalization of people with disabilities,
something which does not only happen at JRC, then let's learn how the Disability
Integration Act could work to end this practice. Finally, let's
contact our MoC and urge them to stand up for the dignity and civil rights of
disabled people in the U.S., and re-introduce the DIA.
HOMEMADE
HAND SANITIZER—The best way to
clean our hands is with soap and water. But sometimes, soap and water is not
available. If we can’t find hand sanitizer to buy, we can make it at
home. We can use the recipe reported here: https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/coronavirus-prevention-how-to-make-hand-sanitizer-at-home.html
GETTING
VETTED CORONAVIRUS
INFORMATION: We can subscribe to the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
E-Newsletters and specify the newsletter on COVID-19: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html
And, if we are on twitter, we can check out Josh Marshall’s list of
trusted epidemiologists, public health experts, researchers, agencies,
health and infectious disease journalists who are providing real time
information on the COVID-19 outbreak. We can find this Coronavirus
Information list, subscribe and share it here:
https://twitter.com/i/lists/1233998285779632128
https://twitter.com/i/lists/1233998285779632128
SELF-CARE: This has been a very pressured stretch of time
both politically and in the face of the corona virus. Let’s be sure to be
taking regular breaks to focus on our physical and emotional well-being.
ELECTION/VOTING
PRIMARIES/CAUCUS CALENDAR: https://ballotpedia.org/Elections_calendar
SUPER TUESDAY FOLLOW-UP: It has been a wild ride
in the Democratic primary over the past five days with Biden’s blowout in South
Carolina followed by Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Bloomberg dropping out before
and after Super Tuesday amidst some surprises among the 14 states that voted on
Tuesday: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/mar/02/democratic-primary-2020-latest-delegate-count
Let’s continue to support our current favorite candidate with our time,
talent, and treasure wherever possible to assure the unified defeat of Trump in
November.
ANTI-RACIST VOTING: Showing Up
for Racial Justice (SURJ) has launched the Let's Collect Our Cousins
(to Vote!) campaign, which asks anti-racist white voters to: "1.) Vote for
the Democratic nominee for President, 2.) Vote for anti-racist candidates up
and down the ballot, and 3.) To persuade and mobilize our 'cousins' - in this
case - that's 3 other white voters you know to do the same." Those who
make take the pledge will receive updates and resources from SURJ to help us
effectively communicate with our community. Let's sign up: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/lets-collect-our-cousins-to-vote
P2V ELECTION RESULTS. Postcards to Voters' (P2V) volunteers wrote for
two (2) California Super Tuesday elections: a) Campaign
192: Ellen Beraud for San Luis Obispo County Supervisor. Results
are not yet final for this election. Preliminary results show the Republican
candidate leading this race. More at KSBY; b) Campaign
193: Ammar Campa-Najjar for Congress, CA District 50. Ammar
received 34% of the vote and will now face off in a Nov. 3 runoff election
against Republican Darrell Issa. More at CBS8. Thanks to everyone who wrote for these campaigns.
GET OUT THE VOTE CALLING OPPORTUNITY: TurnOut2020
needs folks to help make calls. “It’s not just the presidency — there are also
many competitive Senate races in 2020, and we need to seize this opportunity. You’ll
be calling infrequent voters in the states we need to win, including Michigan,
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, and North
Carolina. As opportunities arise and races continue to evolve, we’ll direct
calls to the voters we most need.” Let’s
sign up here and make some calls: https://turnout2020.org/
STATE/LOCAL
KY: SHARE INFO ON NEW FORMER FELONS VOTING RIGHTS RESTORATION
WEBSITE: Now
that Governor Andy Beshear has restored 152,000 former felons'
voting rights, we need to get the word out. We can share this link with
our friends, groups and networks on social media to help people check if their
now have voting rights back: CivilRightsRestoration.ky.gov
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
Light
UP America: Mark your
calendar for March 15 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
What to
make of the Super Tuesday results? Our panelists' verdict - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/04/what-to-make-of-the-super-tuesday-results-our-panelists-verdict
The
President is Winning his War on American Institutions - https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/04/how-to-destroy-a-government/606793/
When
Xenophobia Spreads Like A Virus
- https://www.npr.org/2020/03/02/811363404/when-xenophobia-spreads-like-a-virus
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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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