2021
10/18
Redistricting Results
The Oregon redistricting maps passed the legislature and were signed by Governor Brown. There are still possibilities for challenges, but these maps are good news for Democrats in Hood River County. Some of the earlier proposals would have split Hood River County into different districts, but that didn't happen.
The biggest news is that we will no longer be represented in Congress by Cliff Bentz. Earl Blumenauer is our new representative and will be an excellent progressive voice for Hood River County. Congressman Blumenauer would like to plan a visit to Hood River in the next few weeks to introduce himself to interested Democrats and learn more about our issues.
Here are the new maps:And another that’s interesting: Map: Look up how partisan your new legislative, congressional districts are in Oregon .
Article by Beth Flake, new Chair of Hood River County Democrats (HRC Dems). Sign up for HRC Dems’ news/updates for details on Blumenauer’s visit, and to see how the newly invigorated HRC Dems are working to ELECT DEMS.
U.S. Action on Methane/Climate. Finally.
The EPA will soon be issuing a rule targeting leaks of methane from oil and gas operations. This is a Big Deal because cutting methane emissions is the fastest opportunity available for immediately slowing the rate of global warming. Methane is roughly 80 times more potent as a warming gas than CO2 (although the amount of CO2 emitted is greater). 25% of today’s global warming is driven by methane from human actions, and one of the largest methane sources is the oil and gas industry.
Michael Regan, Biden’s EPA chief, stated, “Whether it's the American Petroleum Institute or the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, all have said that they believe that EPA should set standards for methane… So we need to lean in and set a very aggressive standard so that the industry understands what the rules of engagement are and what the expectations are.”
Yes, it would have been great for the US and the world to have had this level of interest and commitment in fighting climate change twenty years ago. But humans and politics don’t work that way. We respond to crises, and climate change now certainly is one. We write term papers the night before they’re due. We stop smoking after the heart attack or stroke. But this is progress, finally. And there will be more, especially if we keep electing the right leaders.
10/5 Political Messaging
COIN, our network of Oregon Indivisible groups, of which ICG is a part, recently hosted a training on political messaging that was taught by Anat Shenker-Osorio and Jiggy Geronimo of “We Make The Future.”
Here are some highlights from the presentation:
We can use this information to craft more effective messages, whether we’re contacting our MoCs, writing letters to the editor, or talking with our fellow humans. To learn more, check out We Make The Future’s excellent messaging guide.
9/21 Legal Fight against Texas’ SB8: Center for Reproductive Rights
Dr. Alan Braid, an Ob-Gyn specialist in Texas, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post last week revealing that he has provided abortion care for a patient in violation of SB8, Texas’ new law banning abortion at 6 weeks gestation. As expected, he has now been sued, as encouraged by the TX law, by numerous individuals around the country.
The “admission” by Dr. Braid and the subsequent suits now set the stage for the legal challenge which will be led by the esteemed Center for Reproductive Rights. Abortion is, after all, constitutionally protected care. Nancy Northup, President & CEO of CRR, wrote this in an email to CRR supporters:
“I wanted to share with you this op-ed, which is running in tomorrow’s print edition of the Washington Post and just became available online. The author, Dr. Braid, is one of our clients in our lawsuit against Texas SB8, and we have represented him for many, many years. He shares a powerful and personal history and on-the-ground perspective to which few have a window.
“He also reveals that he has provided abortion care for a patient in violation of SB8.
“This public pronouncement is an act of bravery and moral fortitude. It opens him up to lawsuits by an unlimited universe of anti-abortion rights vigilantes and exposure to bounties and attorneys’ fees of those who would sue him. All for providing constitutionally protected care. Which is why we are challenging this heinous law to begin with. And why we will be there to defend Dr. Braid when the lawsuits come, along with our intrepid pro bono partners Debevoise & Plimpton and Susman Godfrey.
“Stay tuned. With this development in Texas, the amicus briefs coming in Monday in support of our Mississippi Supreme Court case, and a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act in the House, it’s going to be an intense and important week.”
Since its founding in 1992, the Center for Reproductive Rights has been at the forefront of using the power of law to advance reproductive rights as fundamental human rights in the U.S. and around the world. This includes not only access to safe abortion services, but access to life-saving obstetric care, contraception, and maternal health services, as well as the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage. CRR has secured important legal victories before national courts, United Nations Committees, and regional human rights bodies. Now they’re coordinating OUR legal defense against Texas’ oppressive SB8, and the many “copycat” initiatives already underway in the U.S.
If you can donate to CRR, do. They need and deserve our grateful support.
9/7
Supreme Court: Power to the Vigilantes
The Texas legislature passed an extreme “heartbeat ban” bill outlawing abortion at 6 weeks of gestation, long before many women even know they’re pregnant. Enforcement is left to vigilantes. Residents of the state can [are encouraged to] sue clinics, doctors, nurses and even people who drive a woman to get the procedure, for at least $10,000.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law. In her dissent, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted that the law "deputize[s] the state's citizens as bounty hunters, offering them cash prizes for civilly prosecuting their neighbors' medical procedures."
To support the law, Texas Right to Life had set up an anonymous tip site for anyone wanting to report someone helping a patient in Texas seeking abortion care. A twitter post started a run of spamming the site with fake claims. The site has gone cold.
The law authorizes citizens to sue, and seek financial damages from, the support networks who help women get an abortion — such as families, friends, counselors, pastors, health care providers, and others.
"It's designed to intimidate physicians and other clinic staff out of providing abortion care," said Kirby Tyrrell, staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. "If they continued to provide abortion care after six weeks into a pregnancy, they would face ruinous financial penalties, legal costs and court orders shutting their doors."
The financial threat embedded at the heart of the law also has implications for insurers and other businesses that back abortion clinics. That includes providers of property, medical malpractice and other types of insurance for clinics, doctors and other health care providers who perform the procedure.
The mere threat of lawsuits — which could result in legal fees that dwarf the $10,000 awarded in statutory damages — will likely be sufficient to shut down abortion providers, and could cause insurers and other services to stop doing business with abortion clinics.
American historian H. C. Richardson notes that this is not just about women or fetuses. “The new anti-abortion law in Texas…is about undermining civil rights decisions made by the Supreme Court during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The Supreme Court declined to stop a state law that violates a constitutional right. …
“In 1957, Republican President Dwight Eisenhower used the federal government to protect the constitutional rights of the Little Rock Nine from the white vigilantes who wanted to keep them second-class citizens. In 2021, the Supreme Court has handed power back to the vigilantes.”
[content credit to Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9/3/21]
Not the Headlines
Current national and world catastrophes capture the headlines and our attention, but there are some great policies being adopted in blue America.
We have 25 “red” states where Republicans pretty completely dominate state governments, and 17 “blue” states in pretty complete Dem control. Only 8 states are not dominated by either “red” or “blue,” in keeping with the observation that we are increasingly “two Americas.”
This year, the 25 red state governments have busied themselves pushing through anti-transgender laws, voting rights rollbacks, limits on teaching about racism, and policies that make it harder to fight covid-19. Ugh. We hear, read, and talk about them with a combination of disgust and lament.
At the same time, though, the blue state governments are adopting bold policies that would be unlikely to pass at the fed level, with the current narrow Dem margins in Congress. Some notable examples:
[content credit to Perry Bacon in Washington Post, 8/25/2021]
Hood River County Dems: Organization on the Move
The HRC Democrats organization has taken on new leadership, and dedicated itself to (1) electing Dems at every level and to (2) promoting Democratic values and policies. Newly-elected officers are Beth Flake (chair), Lara Dunn (vice chair), Sarah Bellinson (secretary), and David Michalek (treasurer).
Meetings are held monthly, on every second Thursday, from 6-7pm. Meetings will be streamlined and informative, to build a robust infrastructure and to focus on electing Dems. See the Calendar item above re: the upcoming Sept. 9 meeting. Please attend, and bring a friend!
To be clear, ICG and the HRC Dems are NOT one and the same, although we have values in common. ICG is an issue-advocacy organization, working to implement progressive policies and an inclusive democracy. The HRC Dems is the local division of the Democratic party, and is focused on electing Dems at every level.
8/24
Redistricting, Gerrymandering, & Us
Every 10 years, Congressional and State legislative districts are redrawn based on new census data (called “redistricting”). The 2020 date has just recently been released, and Oregon will be gaining a 6th Congressional district. Public input is part of the process of drawing the new maps.Interested? We should be! Because this is when GERRYMANDERING happens, or is prevented.
Gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process to reduce the political power of one or more specific groups while advancing the political power of another group. It’s typically done on the basis of political party and/or race. Is this a problem in Oregon? Is the sky blue (usually)?
Get up to speed with this spiffy slideset on RESDISTRICTING 101, and this one, on how you can get involved. You can also visit the websites of We Draw Oregon and People Not Politicians Oregon for additional resources. ICG invites you to “attend” (by zoom) our next COIN meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 7, when COIN hosts We Draw Oregon’s Jaylyn Suppah, who coordinates their redistricting information sessions and learning circles.
Redistricting: How You Can Influence It
Whether OR’s redistricting will or will not be gerrymandered depends in part on the public input received in the process, so ICG urges all of our members and friends to take part in the process. Here are two ways that you can be involved in the process:
(1) All the COIN Indivisible groups, including ICG, are working to get as many people as possible to testify at the State Legislature’s upcoming public hearings. We’ll help you put together your written testimony, if you wish.
You can Zoom or call in. Here’s a complete schedule:
Sept. 8 - Boardman at 8 a.m. and Bend at 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 9 - Medford at 10:30 a.m. and Eugene at 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 - Salem at 9 a.m. and Oregon City/N. Clackamas at 3 p.m.
Sept. 11 - Central Portland at 9 a.m. and Hillsboro/Beaverton at 3 p.m.
Sept. 12 - Newport at 1 p.m.
Sept. 13 - Statewide at 9 a.m.; 1 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.
(2) If the legislature can’t agree on where to draw the lines for state representatives and senators, the decision will fall to Oregon’s Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. To prepare for that possibility, Fagan is putting together an advisory People’s Commission. If you are interested in being on that commission, you can apply here.
[content credit to COIN, Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network]
Afghanistan Withdrawal: Context Helps
In the last week, more than 20,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan without a single loss of an American life, while in the same period of time, 5000 Americans have died from Covid-19 and 500 have died from gunshots (commentary by Matthew Dowd, CNN, 8/22/2021).
Quote
Blaming Biden for the fall of Afghanistan is like blaming Gerald Ford for the collapse of South Vietnam. Each owned by 4 Presidents.
- Larry Sabato, PhD. Political analyst, author, journalist. On Twitter, 8/15/2021.
8/9
Up-to-Speed on “Critical Race Theory?”
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is rather an unfortunate name to hand to a segment of the population unfamiliar with science and scientific method. They apparently assume “theory” is merely someone’s wild-hair idea. Au contraire. CRT is a “theory” like the theory of gravity - started from an observation, and confirmed and reconfirmed over time by the work of experts in the field.
“Critical Race Theory, a theory conceived in the 1970s by legal scholars trying to understand why the civil rights legislation of the past twenty years had not eliminated racial inequality in America. They argued that general racial biases were baked into American law so that efforts to protect individuals from discrimination did not really get at the heart of the issue. While this theory focused on the law, it echoed the arguments historians have made—and proved—since the 1940s: our economy, education, housing, medical care, and so on, have developed with racial biases. This is not actually controversial among scholars. …
“Republicans have turned this theory into the ideas that it attacks white Americans and that history teachers are indoctrinating schoolchildren to hate America. …Republicans are open about their hopes that pushing cultural issues, especially CRT, will win them control of Congress in 2022.” (1)
“So why is Critical Race Theory such a flashpoint in today’s political world? Perhaps in part because it rejects the Republican insistence that an individual can create a prosperous life by will alone. It says that, no matter how talented someone might be, or how eager and dedicated, they cannot always contend against the societal forces stacked against them. It argues for the important weight of systems, established through time, rather than the idea that anyone can create a new reality.” (2)
Appropriately recognizing the important weight of systems (eg economy, education, housing, and medical care) points out that we as a country have made grave and compounding errors in the past - and even more importantly, that we could choose to own them, fix them, and proceed differently.
(1) https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-23-2021
(2) https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-12-2021
More if you’re interested:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/01/us/critical-race-theory-explainer-trnd/index.html
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/civil-rights-reimagining-policing/a-lesson-on-critical-race-theory/
“Divisive Concept” Laws: Rewriting Our History
“As of the end of June, nine states have passed so-called “divisive concepts” laws, and 17 more are considering them. These measures try to control how teachers talk about issues of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin, saying that such discussions are divisive. [However, there is broad consensus among historians and educators] that these issues provide essential content to understand our history and that they are appropriate for school history classes.
“[It is worth noting that the bills are not coming from initially from] people in school districts, but instead follow a template produced by an organization led by Russell Vought, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget under the Trump administration. The organization’s website has a file on it titled: “Model-School-Board-Language-to-Ban-CRT-SD-HCS-edits-1.”
“Here’s why this rewriting of our history matters. … An inaccurate picture of what creates change means that people cannot make good decisions about the future. They are at the mercy of those who are creating the stories. Knowledge is indeed power.”
- Heather Cox Richardson, PhD. Political historian. 7/7/2021
For an example, return to top of this section (Up-to-Speed on “Critical Race Theory?”)
Examining the Legacy of Slavery (or Happy 400th Birthday, U.S. of A.)
“1619 is not a year that most Americans know as a notable date in our country’s history. Those who do are at most a tiny fraction of those who can tell you that 1776 is the year of our nation’s birth. What if, however, we were to tell you that the moment that the country’s defining contradictions first came into the world was in late August of 1619? That was when a ship arrived at Point Comfort in the British colony of Virginia, bearing a cargo of 20 to 30 enslaved Africans. Their arrival inaugurated a barbaric system of chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the country’s very origin.
“Out of slavery — and the anti-black racism it required — grew nearly everything that has truly made America exceptional: its economic might, its industrial power, its electoral system, its diet and popular music, the inequities of its public health and education, its astonishing penchant for violence, its income inequality, the example it sets for the world as a land of freedom and equality, its slang, its legal system and the endemic racial fears and hatreds that continue to plague it to this day. The seeds of all that were planted long before our official birth date, in 1776, when the men known as our founders formally declared independence from Britain.
“The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. The goal of The 1619 Project is to reframe American history by considering what it would mean to regard 1619 as our nation’s birth year. Doing so requires us to place the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are as a country.”
- Jake Silverstein, for the NYTimes Magazine, Dec. 20, 2019.
7/27
How We Got Here: From Moon Shot Success to Polarization and Marginalization
In July 1969, “American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans ever to land, and then to walk, on the moon…[B]y the time [they] were stepping onto the moon in a grand symbol of the success of the nation’s moon shot, Americans back on earth were turning against each other. Movement conservatives who hated post–World War II business regulation, taxation, and civil rights demanded smaller government and championed the idea of individualism, while those opposed to the war in Vietnam increasingly distrusted the government.
After May 4, 1970, when the shooting of college students at Kent State University in Ohio badly weakened Nixon’s support, he began to rally supporters to his side with what his vice president, Spiro Agnew, called “positive polarization.” They characterized those who opposed the administration as anti-American layabouts who simply wanted a handout from the government. The idea that Americans could come together to construct a daring new future ran aground on the idea that anti-war protesters, people of color, and women were draining hardworking taxpayers of their hard-earned money.”
- Heather Cox Richardson, PhD. Political historian.
Another Activist Win
Oregon OSHA has enacted the most protective heat rules for farmworkers in the nation. The rules were adopted on an emergency basis after a 38-year-old farmworker died while working on a tree farm in St. Paul, OR, during our extreme heat wave in early July. The agency is in the process of drafting permanent rules, expected to be finalized this fall.
The rules’ high heat procedures are triggered when the heat index reaches 90 degrees F. They include requiring employers to:
[content credit to OEC]
Quote
“Listen, I’m all for space exploration and it must have been an amazing view. But maybe – and I’m just spitballing here – if Amazon and other companies paid their fair share in taxes, we could lift all kids — if not into space — at least out of poverty.”
- Rep. Adam Schiff, 7/20/21
7/13
Millennium Export Terminal is Dead. Another Climate Win!
You’ll remember the proposed Millennium coal export terminal in Longview, Washington? After many years of advocacy, permit denials, and lawsuits, the U.S. Supreme Court finally dismissed the coal industry’s last appeal for the Millennium coal export terminal, officially ending that project. It was the last of eight coal export facilities once proposed in the Northwest.
Congrats and thanks to Columbia Riverkeeper, Earthjustice, other litigants, and an unprecedented coalition of Tribal Nations; local governments; and health, environmental, faith, and community groups from across the Northwest and Mountain West that united to oppose this and other coal export proposals. And yes, all of us activists, with our pens and posters and feet on the ground.
Tips for Effective Communications with Legislators
A respected OR House staffer spoke with OR Indivisible leaders recently and gave these tips on how to be most effective when we communicate with our state legislators:
1. The best way to reach a legislator is either with a personalized letter, postcard or phone call. They want to hear who you are and why this piece of legislation is important to you.
2. Be sure to call or write even -- or especially -- if your legislator supports a bill you like.
3. Your call matters.
COIN Website
COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network) has an informative new website. There’s a map showing all 50 participating Indivisible groups, including ICG of course. Soon the map graphic will be downloadable as a postcard to use for writing to our legislators.
6/29
Voter Suppression: Unanimous Republican Vote Against S1
The vote on S1 in the US Senate last week, where every Republican legislator voted against the bill, was all about voter suppression. The voted followed months of Republican work at the State level to restrict voter access. According to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, 18 states have put in place more than 30 laws restricting access to the ballot. These laws will affect around 36 million people, or about 15% of all eligible voters.
In a debate with candidate Abraham Lincoln, in 1858, Sen. Stephen A. Douglas stated, “I hold that this Government was made on the white basis, by white men, for the benefit of white men and their posterity forever, and should be administered by white men and none others.” This view has been reiterated by Republicans in State houses around the country, and now unanimously in the US Senate.
The story on S1 is not over, though, not by a long shot. MoCs are on break, hopefully listening to their constituents, 6/26 to 7/12. The big push to pass a voting rights measure will happen when they return to DC in July.
The Fight for S1: Manchin plays a second card
“Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has made it very clear he opposes both [S1 and ending the filibuster]. … But that is not the final word on the For the People Act. [Manchin has now proposed a compromise which includes] expanding access to voting, an end to partisan gerrymandering, voter ID, automatic registration at motor vehicle offices, making Election Day a holiday, and making it easier for state officials to purge voters from the rolls. This is a mixture of the priorities of the leadership of both parties.” Dems are lining up behind Manchin’s compromise.
- Dr. Heather Cox Richardson 6/19/2021
Climate Success in OR! CO2 Status Report.
HB 2021B, 100% Clean Energy for All, passed in the OR legislature!!!! All electricity in OR will be from clean, renewable sources by 2040 (80% by 2030, 90% by 2035)! THIS IS HUGE, and is being lauded and held up as an example by climate experts around the country. Congrats and a big thank you to all the advocacy groups, activists, and legislators who worked this. FYI - Rep Anna Williams voted YES. Sen. Chuck Thomsen voted NO.
And OR’s Clean Energy climate commitment comes not a moment too soon:
“The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere reached 419 parts per million in May, its highest level in more than four million years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Monday [6/7/2021].”
Get the Skinny on Oregon Redistricting
The Portland League of Women Voters gave a really informative presentation on redistricting in Oregon recently. In case you missed it, you can read all about it here. Here’s the link to the handout they provided, and the link to the accompanying power point slides.
Preventing Future Walk-Outs in OR
During the OR legislative session that just ended, there were five bills introduced to prevent future walkouts like the ones that Repubs staged over the last few years. None of the bills went through, although it’s possible they had some deterrent effect this session. The effort is not over, though. There will be ballot initiatives coming up to address the quorum rule that allows a rogue minority (Repub or Dem) to disrupt the work of the state by snatching up their toys and going home.
6/12
For The People Act: Long Fight Ahead
Ezra Levin, Indivisible co-director, explains in this excellent article, that we’re headed for a series of GOP-led filibusters this month as the For The People Act is introduced in the Senate and the fight for democracy reform heats up. Victory will depend on the full commitment of Biden and Schumer, and on historic grassroots engagement (akin to our work on saving the ACA).
Fighting the filibusters is expected to be a drawn-out legislative fight, but history has shown success is possible. In 1964, it took overcoming a 54-day filibuster to pass the Civil Rights Act in the Senate. The next year it took more than a month after the Voting Rights Act started full senate debate to get past the threat of a filibuster.
We need our Senators to speak out forcefully to reiterate that the path forward depends on For the People, not on hazy ideas from Sen. Manchin (or anyone else) about compromising with a party of insurrectionists. We need Sen. Schumer to publicly, loudly, forcefully recommit to getting democracy reform done before August recess. We need President Biden to use his full moral authority and bully pulpit power to drive the national conversation and urgency around the threats to our democracy.
Read Ezra’s analysis/manifesto/pep-talk here, and get ready to write emails, write postcards, and make calls like an ACTIVIST to see this historic and mission-critical fight through.
Ready, Set, Go: Priming the Pump for 2022
You’ve probably heard politicos saying that Republicans could easily take the House and the Senate in 2022. They’re right. It’s true that midterm elections are notoriously tough for the party that controls the White House. And with that general background challenge, we now have a critical need to defend existing blue seats, and especially to expand our number in the Senate. Our democracy-preserving blue agenda is being threatened by Republican use of the filibuster and from “rogue,” unreliable Dems (eg Sens. Sinema, Manchin).
US Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) recently announced that he would not support our For The People Act (FTPA) because Republican Senators oppose it. This defection from the Dems’ 50-senator voting block is a BIG blow for us, but helps define these next steps in our path forward:
First, Dem leadership is exploring all options for getting the FTPA passed in spite of Manchin’s announcement. The FTPA would put in place basic national standards to ensure all citizens’ freedom to vote, to stop billionaires from buying elections, and to end partisan gerrymandering. Its provisions have strong bipartisan support across this country, even though that support is not reflected by Republican elected officials.
Second, 50 seats is clearly not enough. We need more Dems in the U.S. Senate who will unabashedly and dependably champion democratic reforms to end corruption and protect citizens’ freedom to vote. To make that happen in 2022, we must defend targeted senators like Raphael Warnock (GA), Mark Kelly(AZ), and Tammy Duckworth (IL), flip critical swing seats in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Florida.
As Emily’s List says, Early Money Is Like Yeast, and it makes all the difference in candidates’ races. So please consider making some EARLY MONEY donations:
Activism Finally Kills Keystone XL
TC Energy, the company behind the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, announced last week it's officially terminating the project.
13 years of protests about processing dirty oil sands oil, climate change, desecration of Indigenous lands and artifacts, and threats to aquifers. 13 years of protests from frontline communities, Indigenous peoples, and environmentalists. If you were one of them, with your pen, your voice, or your feet on the ground, thank you and congratulations. OUR VOICES AND PERSISTENCE HAVE GREAT POWER.
6/1
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
The state of Oregon will recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, thanks to recent passage of HB 2526. Columbus Day has traditionally been celebrated Oct. 12.
High Five for Bentz (pretty much)
Rep. Cliff Bentz voted recently in favor of establishing a Jan. 6 Commission. He was one of 35 House Republicans who split with their party to vote in favor of the 9/11-style probe into the pro-Trump riots, which followed a rally the former president held nearby earlier in the day. A cynic might say that it was a “safe” vote, no skin off his teeth, because he and Senate Repubs knew they’d filibuster the commission away in the Senate (they did). But still…we’re trying to give credit.
Jan. 6 Commission: Death by Filibuster (surprise!)
On May 28, Republicans in the Senate killed the bill to establish a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection. The vote was 54 to 35, and yet the thirty-five “no” votes won because of the current shape of the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to break, even if the minority doesn’t show up to vote. This comes as no surprise, but certainly brings the filibuster, and Dems’ need to abolish or disarm it, into even higher relief.
And, fyi, even though an average onlooker might guess that the only people who would oppose an investigation into a deadly insurrection are those with something to hide, the Repubs assure us that’s not the case. The commission just wasn’t needed.
5/18 August Deadline: Democracy reform
Republican state legislators have now got over 360 voter suppression bills in the works, with some having already passed and others making quick headway. The For the People Act has cleared the US House (as HR 1) and is now before the Senate (as S. 1), with an August “deadline” and a Republican filibuster looming. The only hope is for the Senate Dems to stick together. Not most of them, but all of them - including current holdouts Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
It is going to take an all-out grassroots push for the next 3 months to badger, encourage, thank, urge, and demand that our Senators STICK TOGETHER and PASS THIS BILL. We know how to do this, right? We’ve been practicing hard for the last four years. But do we really need to lean on our stalwart Senators, Merkley and Wyden?
It does seem counterintuitive - they’re dependable progressives, after all, and already support S.1. But they have to hear our voices loud and clear and constant over the next 3 months to make it their PRIORITY. They’ve told us this many times - they set their priorities, what they work hardest and longest on, according to what they actually hear from us.
Check out this headline article from Indivisible National’s current monthly newsletter, “What the hell is happening with democracy reform?” - then get ready to call and email Senators Merkley and Wyden for the next 3 months with this clear message: we want you to make it your highest priority to pass the For the People Act. You’ll be seeing this A LOT in our Calls-to-Action. You know what to do. Call! Act!
5/4
Local Election: 2 Contested Races
Hood River County’s May 2021 election is here (!), and you should have received your ballot in the mail. As sometimes happens with local-only election cycles, many of the races are non-contested. Here’s important info on two contested races:
JEN KELLY Recommended for HR County School Board
The ICG Steering Committee recommends Jen Kelly for HR County School Board, At-Large position. Jen has a record of significant civic engagement in HR, and is both a sharp, critical thinker and a good team player. She has worked extensively this past year as a parent volunteer with the school district re: covid response, including attending school board meetings and producing a logistical plan to help meet state requirements for reopening schools.
The Steering Committee did not find a similar history of engagement or familiarity with school district issues for the opponent, Parr (whose campaign signs are seen in orchards next to “Thanks for representing us, Sen. Chuck Thomsen” signs).
Candidate Meet-n-Greet: LACH LITWER for Port Commission
Friday, May 7, 5-6pm, by Zoom. Register here to get the zoom link.
Join us to meet LACH LITWER, candidate for Port of HR Commission, position 3, at this Zoom event.You’ll hear about his background and why he's running, and have a chance to ask questions.
New Ballot Box in Parkdale
Thanks to the efforts of folks from Indivisible Columbia Gorge and our local League of Women Voters, there’s a spiffy new drive-up ballot box at Parkdale Elementary School. Yay! Please help spread the word, and give it a spin yourself!
4/21 George Floyd’s Murder & Reinventing Policing
Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd. Where does that put us, the national “us,” on the subject of cleaning up policing in this country?
In the wake of Floyd’s death, we’ve seen prolonged, heated national and international protests. The conversation has focused on racism, systemic racism, police violence, and the role of police forces in our communities. We’ve heard calls to “defund the police” and reform the police, and many states and school districts are making changes to their police forces.
Maryland passed sweeping police reform legislation this month. Los Angeles approved a plan in February to cut the district’s security force by a third. A growing number of cities have reduced the presence of police officers in school hallways. Some cities are reallocating funding from policing to hire more social workers and mental health professionals to handle noncriminal problems. Denver started a program that replaces police officers with health care workers on mental health and substance abuse calls. A six-month progress report is showing signs of success. The report said that, despite responding to hundreds of calls, the workers made no arrests, and the city's police chief said he believes the program "saves lives." Many believe that police officers shouldn’t be the ones to enforce traffic laws. Data shows that automated technology and unarmed monitors could do most of the job more efficiently and more safely.
Timothy Egan’s recent NYT article The Blue Wall of Silence Is Starting to Crack addresses the code that calls on cops to protect one another against charges of brutality and criminality. He says “The blue wall may be starting to crack. It was broken in the Derek Chauvin trial.” He notes that several Minneapolis police officers, including the police chief, took the stand against Chauvin in his murder trial, and that fourteen officers in Chauvin’s department had previously signed an open letter saying Derek Chauvin “failed as a human and stripped George Floyd of his dignity and life.”
Mr. Egan writes: “Smashing the blue wall is one thing that has to happen to fix the lethal flaws in modern law enforcement. Another will be just as hard, if not more so: acknowledging that racism, like the code of silence, runs deep in police ranks.
"Defunding the police is not the answer. It’s an absurd idea. A wave of violence and chaos quickly overwhelmed an area declared police-free in Seattle, where I live, last summer. Among the victims were several people of color.
““Defund the police” is even worse as a political slogan; the idea is supported by only 18 percent of Americans, according to one poll from last month. Politically, all the slogan will do is hurt the cause of reform, as it appeared to drag down Democrats in last year’s congressional elections.
“Reinventing the police, a far better idea, got a start in New Orleans in 2016, with a program that teaches officers to intervene when they see fellow officers doing something bad. It’s about to get another go in Maryland, now that lawmakers just overrode a veto and passed sweeping police reform legislation.
“We need every cop to wear a body camera. We need to curb the power of police unions, the biggest protectors of the blue wall. And we need officers of all stripes to back the words of those 14 in Minneapolis. They said, “This is not who we are.” Now prove it.”
So there is plenty of work for the national “us” to do. The prescription for reinventing policing will vary from one place to another, as communities and their needs are different. But the above examples demonstrate the variety of opportunities to consider - eg, getting police out of schools, replacing police officers with health care workers on mental health and substance abuse calls, taking police out of traffic law enforcement, and actively working to eliminate both the deep-running racism in the police ranks and the blue wall of silence.
George Floyd should not have died. We can help ensure some good comes from this sorry, tragic chapter by working to reinvent policing that truly serves and protects everyone in our communities.
Quote
“Cops protect the state. They also are the state. We revere them for the first part. We fear them for the second.”
- Timothy Egan
4/6 Democracy To-Do List
Here’s what’s on the Dems’ democracy to-do list:
The For the People Act
The For the People Act is a sweeping democracy reform bill that puts power where it belongs: with the voters.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act would combat racist voter suppression that has purged tens of millions of voters from the rolls and closed thousands of polling places.
D.C. Statehood
The Washington, D.C. Admission Act would admit the district as the 51st state, naming it the “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth” and enfranchising 700,000 people.
The Protecting Our Democracy Act
The Protecting Our Democracy Act would prevent any future president from corrupting executive power the way Donald Trump did, from profiting from the presidency to abusing the pardon power.
Ending the Filibuster
For decades, the filibuster has given a minority of senators the ability to hold legislation hostage. Dems are working to get rid of this antiquated hurdle and open the door to bold change.
This will remind you why:
Republican legislators in 43 states are working hard to suppress voting, and have now introduced 361 voter suppression bills across the country.
Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia recently signed the first of these major suppression bills. It adds new identification requirements for absentee voting, limited the use of drop boxes, and made it a misdemeanor for groups to offer food or water to voters waiting in line near polling places. It also takes power away from state and local election officials—like the secretary of state, who refused to throw the election to Trump in 2020—and give it to partisan legislators.
In response, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it would pull the 2021 All-Star Game and the MLB draft from Georgia. Republicans are furious, and have tried to pin the MLB’s decision on Stacey Abrams, a voting-rights advocate. It actually had nothing to do with Abrams, who rejected calls for a business boycott and tweeted that she was “disappointed” that MLB would move the All-Star Game “but proud of their stance on voting rights.”
MLB’s decision served as a warning shot to Republicans in other states who are trying to restrict voting, and is likely to put new pressure on other organizations and corporations to consider pulling business out of Georgia.
The initial corporate response to Georgia’s bill was tepid at best. Delta Airlines, Georgia’s largest employer, had made only general statements in support of voting rights and had declined to take a position on the legislation. That drew fierce criticism, as well as protests at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and calls for a boycott. Coca Cola was equally slow on the draw. They’ve now changed their tunes, stating “crystal clear” opposition.
Since Delta and Coca Cola’s newfound sense of urgency came after the legislation was passed and signed into law, their statements won’t change the outcome in Georgia. The damage is done. But more substantial and timely corporate responses are being mounted in other states moving forward with their voter suppression bills. This past week, American Airlines and Dell voiced their opposition to a Texas bill that would limit early voting hours, ban drive-through voting, add restrictions to absentee voting, and make it illegal for local election officials to mail absentee ballot applications to voters, even if they qualify.
A group of prominent Black executives, recognizing that race is a central issue in voter suppression efforts, have called on companies nationwide to publicly oppose a wave of similarly restrictive voting bills being advanced by Republicans in almost every state.
The For the People Act (HR1/S1), passed in the House and now before the Senate, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (HR4) are desperately needed to ensure voting rights and access, the foundation of our democracy. They would overrule restrictions enacted by individual states like Georgia and Texas. Both S1 and HR4 (and other key legislation of the Biden administration) are threatened by the Republicans’ threatened use of the filibuster.
Hope for Ending Oregon Walkouts
Remember those [MANY] Republican walkouts that have immobilized the OR legislature for the last few years, wasting time and money and killing/delaying much needed legislation? SJR 4 is a proposal in front of the state legislature for an OR constitutional amendment that would set a quorum for conducting business at a majority, rather than at 2/3 of members (currently Oregon’s method). A quorum is set as a simple majority in 45 other states, and would effectively neutralizing walkout as a tool to let the minority control the work of the legislature. Stay tuned!
Quote
Sen. Jeff Merkley supports abolishing the filibuster. On his website Sen. Merkley offers a spoof headline: “McConnell Threatens To Grind Senate To Halt If Dems Don’t Let Him Keep Power To Grind Senate To Halt.”
3/23
Getting Oregon to 100% Clean Energy
The goal of the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity Campaign is to pass a set of three climate bills in the Oregon state legislature in 2021. Together the bills provide for the adoption of commitment for 100% clean energy in the state by 2040 at the latest, establishment of a special utility rate class for low-income Oregonians, and home upgrades to help improve the health of families across the state. These are the three bills:
Energy Affordability (HB 2475)
Decrease utility costs for families already struggling in the economic recession by establishing a Low-Income Utility Rate Class. Click here for a factsheet on this bill.
Healthy Homes (HB 2842)
Support home upgrades to help improve the health of families across Oregon. Click here for a factsheet on this bill.
100% Clean Energy for All Bill (HB 2021)
Create good, well-paying, local jobs in the renewable energy sector that incentivize local projects that are good for communities and that help us achieve 100% clean energy in Oregon. Click here for a factsheet on this bill.
As in our Call-to-Action above, you can help by urging our state legislators to support these bills. Click here to
send them a “support” letter.
“Jim Crow in a Suit and Tie”
Republican legislators in many states are mounting an attack on voting rights that is staggering in its scope and intensity. They’re fueled by the Big Lie that Trump won the election -- or at least, they’re pretending to be so that they can suppress as many votes as possible.
To get a sense of exactly how scary this is, click here to check out the Washington Post’s review of approximately 250 state voter suppression bills that have been introduced in state legislatures already this year. This is an avalanche of voter suppression legislation -- far more than we’ve seen even in the recent Trump era. And, as is almost always the case, this attack targets Black and brown voters with surgical precision. It should come as no surprise that the attacks on democracy are particularly popular in states with a GOP trifecta -- where Republicans control the state legislature and governorship. From Arizona to Texas to Georgia to even New Hampshire (oddly, yes there’s a GOP trifecta there), voter suppression bills are moving at a dizzying pace. We can expect similar power grabs when the GOP trifectas get the chance to redraw (i.e. gerrymander) districts later this year.
However, there are seasons for optimism, including the energy around HR1/S1, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and the critical ongoing work of Stacey Abrams. Abrams has been on a crusade for democracy since the Georgia governorship was stolen from her through anti-Black voter suppression in 2018. She describes the voter suppression laws championed by reactionary electeds in Georgia and other GOP trifecta states as “Jim Crow in a suit and tie.”
Click here to watch Stacey Abrams’s interview with Rachel Maddow, and join us this Sunday night for our Movie Watch Party showing Stacey Abrams’ “All In: The Fight for Democracy” (see calendar event above for March 28.).
[content credit to Indivisible National]
Ballot Box Coming to Parkdale
In cooperation with the HR County School District, the HR County Elections Office will install a permanent ballot box on the grounds of Parkdale Elementary. Installation is expected to be completed in time for use for the May 2021 elections. Hats off to Brian Beebe and Darlene Johnson of the Elections Office, Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn of the School District, members of the School Board, and Principal Gus Hedberg of Parkdale ES for making it happen!
Thanks, too, to ICG, League of Women Voters, and many interested HR County citizens who’ve worked on this for several years.
Increased Health Insurance Subsidies FOR ALL under ACA
This message on the HR Dems website brings attention to increased subsidies now available for buying health insurance under the ACA. Under Biden’s recent signed American Rescue Plan, ACA marketplace premium subsidies are substantially enhanced for people at every income level and, for the first time, offered to those with income above 4 times the federal poverty level (FPL). You can take advantage of a special enrollment period from April 1, 2021 through May 15, 2022.
Want to Get More Involved with Indivisible’s Work?
COIN, our network of OR Indivisible groups, has 5 ongoing workgroups that are seeking additional members -
3/10
Repair Work Ahead
Now that Trump is out of office, we’re working to fix the larger, systemic problem that allowed Trumpism to fester - our rigged democracy. This is our chance to unrig the system that Republicans built to work against people of color, workers, immigrants, low-income families, and others who don’t have the pass-cards of privilege.
We’ve got two years to prioritize structural democracy reform, and that starts with passing the For the People Act (HR 1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (HR 4), and making D.C. the 51st state (HR 51). Dealing with the power of the filibuster to derail democratic process, either by eliminating it or by reforming it, is essential, too. Indivisible National endorses eliminating the filibuster; Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley favors reforming it. As with most things, there is not a single “right” answer.
This is our moment of Democratic opportunity - and it all starts with creating a strong foundation for a democracy that works for the people. Look back at the Calls-to-Action above. We’ve tried to make it easy for you to weigh in on these important issues. Please do!
What Wins People Over
Nicholas Kristof’s recent article in the NYT started with a emotion-piquing title: “How to Reach People Who Are Wrong.” Whether positively or negatively, it’s likely it touches each of us somehow. The idea of how to win people over, especially in this charged, divided post-Trump era, is [still] highly relevant, and the research Kristof cites is worth heeding:
“Research suggests that what wins people over is listening, asking questions and appealing to their values, not your own. Grant [Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton] cites evidence for “complexifying” issues so they become less binary and more nuanced, enabling someone on the other side to acknowledge areas of ambivalence.
“Researchers find that it is easier for people to reach agreement on difficult issues if they have been prepped to see the world as complicated and full of grays. It’s a painstaking, frustrating process of building trust, keeping people from becoming defensive, and slowly ushering them to a new place.”
Quotes
“U.S. leadership has been sorely missed over the past years.”
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, at his first meeting with Pres.Biden, 2/23/2021
“Every time Democrats brandish their wokeness and wag fingers or call people bigots, they manufacture more Republicans.”
- Nicholas Kristof, in How to Reach People Who Are Wrong, in NYT 3/3/2021
2/22
HR1/S1 - The For The People Act
Trump is gone, but our democracy is on life support. We won the Presidency, the House and the Senate, but GOP and far-right extremists are working hard to stop us with misinformation, voter suppression laws, dark money, and Trump-appointed judges.
The For the People Act, currently in front of Congress as HR1 (in the House) and S1 (in the Senate) addresses all of this with voting rights expansion, campaign finance reform, and ethics reform.
The bill mandates access to vote-by-mail and a minimum number of early voting days for everyone. It requires permanent paper ballots and counting of provisional ballots cast by eligible voters. It ensures deployed military and overseas voters' ballots are mailed at least 45 days in advance, to ensure their votes are counted.
It institutes automatic voter registration and same-day and online registration, and protects against flawed purges of voter rolls. It restores the Voting Rights Act, restores voting rights to people with prior convictions, strengthens vote-by-mail systems, institute nationwide early voting, and protect against deceptive practices.
By making these voting protections federal law, HR1/S1 will override state laws passed to suppress the vote. Voter suppression, as we all know, has been a mainstay of Republican election strategy since before any of us were born.
The bill itself is long and incredibly comprehensive (see a terrific layman’s “explainer” from the Brennan Center here). HR1 was developed by Dems in 2017 as a “signaling” bill - one they knew wouldn’t be passed in 2017 because of Trump and Republican control of the Senate, but “signaled” Dems’ priority when we regained power in 2020. So here we are.
We must help Congress pass HR1/S1. ICG and our sister groups in COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network) are joining Indivisibles across the country in putting out repeated calls-to-action to press our Congressperson (Bentz) and Senators (Wyden and Merkley) to support passage of HR1/S1. When you see a call-to-action (like the one above), please hop right on the phone/email to respond!
But why bother contacting them? I already know …
What? You say you already know where our reps stand on this, so it’s no use contacting them? Here’s a different picture, and one that will hopefully help you reconsider that point of view and understand the utility of our calls/emails to them, for this issue and most others.
Yes, Senators Merkley and Wyden are reliable progressives, and have even said they will support S1. But each of them has also said repeatedly that hearing from us constituents about issues is how they prioritize how to spend their time, energy, and political capital. So YES, they’re going to support S1, but YES, they want to and need to hear from all of us that this is what we think is important for them to devote themselves to.
Yes, Rep. Bentz appears to be every bit as party-driven as Walden was, maybe even more so, and therefore highly unlikely to either listen to us or to support a voting rights act like HR1. But he needs to hear from us loud and clear on issues - X is important to us; we want you to do Y. This notification/request then becomes the basis of our holding him accountable. No info/requests from us, then no accountability. So YES, you’re likely right that he won’t be swayed by our message to support HR1, but YES, he needs to hear it so we can hold him accountable publicly and especially next year when he’ll be campaigning again.
Supporting Youth Activists
ICG is making support of youth activist activities a priority. Many local middle school and high school youth pitched in like champs volunteering for various aspects of the 2020 election - letter-writing, candidate support, driving, copying, shuffling papers. Many of them were introduced to political activism and encouraged by their parents who are ICG members, and some got the advocacy bug in school clubs.
For years there have been various “clubs” at HRVHS, some more oriented to recreation, and some oriented to issue advocacy like climate change and support for girls’ education in developing countries. A new club this year is HRV Demands Action for Gun Safety, which is sponsoring the rally on March 4. The leaders are informed and dedicated and working to raise awareness of gun violence in the community. These young people are our future. ICG is honored to be able to work with them, sharing resources and amplifying each other’s advocacy efforts. Please join in attending their events, cheerleading for them and supporting their work.
2/12 Calling/Writing our MoCs (members of Congress)
Q: Why call/write Send. Merkley & Wyden when they already support our issue?
A: PRIORITIZATION.
Senators Merkley and Wyden are reliable progressives, and usually are already on board on our Call-to-Action issues. But each of them has also said repeatedly that hearing from us constituents about issues is how they prioritize how to spend their time, energy, and political capital. (This was how Merkley decided to visit the border re: children in cages.) So YES, they’re already supporting our issue, but YES, they want to and need to hear from us to decide what to make their priorities.
Q: Why call/write Rep. Bentz when you think he won’t listen??
A: ACCOUNTABILITY.
Rep. Bentz appears to be every bit as party-driven as Walden was, maybe even more so, and therefore highly unlikely to either listen to us or to support the actions we advise. But he needs to hear from us loud and clear on issues - X is important to us; we want you to do Y. This notification/request then becomes the basis of our holding him accountable. No info/requests from us, then no accountability. So YES, you’re likely right that he won’t be swayed to support our issue, but YES, he needs to hear it so we can hold him accountable publicly and especially for campaign against him next year.
2/9
Tide is Turning
The political tide is turning away from the Republicans. President Biden strode into his office the afternoon of the inauguration, setting out to immediately address the multiple crises of the moment - an out-of-control pandemic, a tanking economy, families hungry and losing their homes, and the climate crisis.
His actions and his conviction that the government has a role to play in stabilizing the economy and society are proving popular with the American public, and were echoed by Mitt Romney’s (R-UT) proposal to give at least $3000 annually per child to American families.
At the same time, Republicans as a party are deeply stained by their connection with the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, as well as by the behavior of those who have continued to support Trump. A film shown at the Jan. 6 rally just before the attack on the Capitol is now being called “a White House production” with Trump having been deeply involved. Voters and some legislators are turning away from the party. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has been stripped of her House committee assignments for her embrace of and even threats of political violence. Money is speaking as well. Smartmatic, the defamed voting machine company, has sued Sidney Powell, Giuliani, and Fox news and its “personalities.” And corporate entities have walked away with their wallets from Republican insurrection supporters.
The implosion of the Republican fantasy-reality was inevitable, and while some observers may be privately enjoying the meltdown process, it is as true now as in the past several months that the future of the U.S. is still up for grabs. Uncertainty abounds, still. Anxiety too, still. At least there’s an adult in the room now.
Local Elections Coming May 2021
There are lots of positions up for election in HR County this May - Port Commission, Parks & Rec, School Board, and many others. Filing to run for office starts Feb 6 and continues through Mar 18.
Have you ever thought of running for office? Do you know someone you think would be a great candidate?
We’re rid of Trump, but we still have to deal with the forces that gave us and supported Trump in the first place. They’re emboldened and running for elected positions. We need to run and elect principled and pragmatic public servants at the local level.
Think about it. Talk to that friend.
1/26
Congrats. Big breath. Better sleep. And onward.
Happy inauguration, Comrades, and congrats again to all of us ICG peeps for the hard work we put in to this election, and to resisting this dangerous cretin for four long years. We’ve learned a lot, and we’ve come together as an awesome, organized, and effective progressive advocacy force.
Enjoy this time fully. Sleep well. Let your tenseness unwind. You’ve earned it. And then we’ll move forward, as there will always be progressive interests to be held up and worked for. It will be a relief to work at a more normal pace, and in a more proactive, less put-out-the-new-fire way. It’s already refreshing to see Biden knocking out some powerful executive orders and installing experienced, topical experts in his Cabinet. But there are plenty of issues at federal and state (and some local) levels that will need our advocacy - environment, climate, social services, race, economic equity, campaign finance reform - and we’ll be on it. And when mid-terms roll around again in 2022, we’ll be on that too.
The Insurrection: White supremacist domestic terrorism
The January 6 attack on the Capitol seemed to be about Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. While that was the rallying cry for the event, drummed up for weeks before Jan. 6 by Trumpists like our newly elected CD2 Congressman Cliff Bentz, a rabid racism appears to be the long-lasting glue underneath.
Photos of the mob showed people with tattoos and insignias of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups. The flags being waved were Confederate. The crowd, including middle-age suburbanites, was almost exclusively white. On their way to storm the Capitol, a group of white insurgents broke into a peaceful BLM vigil nearby, re-enacted the murder of George Floyd while shouting the "N" word, then continued on to go storm the Capitol.
The insurgents, and unfortunately, millions of Americans like them, found sustenance and reassurance in the racism and xenophobia of the Trump administration. The huge anti-racist response from around the country and around the world to the murder of George Floyd upended that reassurance. It has brought renewed attention to the many murders of blacks by police and others in the recent past. It has prompted open examination of white privilege, implicit bias, and systemic racism. It has forced institutional reassessment of “diversity” efforts, recognizing many have been only window-dressing.
This is a threatening time for racists who see their “ruling class” status changing. We're getting through the transition to a new administration. We’re moving beyond the specious claims of voting fraud. We’ll still need to work on the racism that has flourished in this country for over 250 years.
CD2 Rep. Cliff Bentz - Part of the Problem
Rep. Cliff Bentz showed himself very quickly to be part of the Trump insurrection crowd. He started drumming up Trump’s baseless charges of election fraud in December, then voted to object to Pennsylvania's presidential electors on Jan. 6. He stated he objected to the PA electors because he believed PA’s decision to extend the deadline for return of absentee ballots violated the Constitution. And this in spite of the fact that the 10,000 ballots in question, postmarked by Election Day but received afterward, were not even included in PA's vote count. Not what you’d call solid reasoning.
Many are rightfully looking toward the 2022 election cycle when Bentz can be replaced by a candidate with more integrity and commitment to democratic process. Oregon’s redistricting process will wrap up this summer, and the planning for retiring Mr. Bentz can begin in earnest.
Two Environmental Victories: Power of Our Voices
On Jan. 19, FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) sided with Oregon against the Jordan Cove LNG export terminal and pipeline. This project had been on the drawing board for 15 years, and sought to build a 229-mile pipeline that would cross 300 rivers, streams and wetlands in Oregon, as well as a marine export terminal in Coos Bay for the piped gas. Oregon DEQ had recently denied the project a clean water permit, which the owner, Pembina, appealed to FERC. The pipeline would have been an environmental disaster in and of itself, and the entire project would have further built climate-damaging infrastructure in our state.
Two days later, Gov. Jay Inslee and the WA Dept of Ecology denied a key permit for the world’s largest fracked gas-to-methanol refinery, proposed for Kalama, WA, citing significant danger to our climate and WA’s shorelines. Several Tribal Nations and thousands of people across the PNW had advocated to Inslee and Ecology against the refinery.
If you acted on one of our many calls-to-action about one or both of these projects, THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS!! Our voices have power!
Quotes
If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it. - Sen. Lindsey Graham, on Twitter 5/3/2016
I have a feeling Mt. Rushmore is off the table. - Seen on Twitter 1/13/21.
1/5 Big Days, Slow Days
Today, Jan. 5, has a lot riding on it. As this newsletter is taking form, the Ossoff / Warnock double runoff is under way in Georgia. The party balance of the US Senate will be decided by this election, and that will influence political process and the ability of the Biden administration to implement significant changes in policy.
Tomorrow, Jan. 6, is even more critical. While the smart thinking is that our most basic democratic processes will not be upended as Trump and his allies intend, the fact that we as a country are even at this dangerous crossroad of a dictator trying to annul a properly conducted election is momentous and frightening in itself. We will get through this. And we will most certainly have identified procedural and even Constitutional vulnerabilities that should be corrected. A damn close call - and we’re not through it yet.
And after tomorrow, on Jan. 7, we will still have 14 days left. 14 days of the most incompetent, corrupt, and dangerous president and administration in U.S. history. These 14 days will be slow, and likely filled with the spoils of this dictator’s rampant hatred and anger and mental illness. He will do what he does. We will get through this.
Redistricting Results
The Oregon redistricting maps passed the legislature and were signed by Governor Brown. There are still possibilities for challenges, but these maps are good news for Democrats in Hood River County. Some of the earlier proposals would have split Hood River County into different districts, but that didn't happen.
The biggest news is that we will no longer be represented in Congress by Cliff Bentz. Earl Blumenauer is our new representative and will be an excellent progressive voice for Hood River County. Congressman Blumenauer would like to plan a visit to Hood River in the next few weeks to introduce himself to interested Democrats and learn more about our issues.
Here are the new maps:And another that’s interesting: Map: Look up how partisan your new legislative, congressional districts are in Oregon .
Article by Beth Flake, new Chair of Hood River County Democrats (HRC Dems). Sign up for HRC Dems’ news/updates for details on Blumenauer’s visit, and to see how the newly invigorated HRC Dems are working to ELECT DEMS.
U.S. Action on Methane/Climate. Finally.
The EPA will soon be issuing a rule targeting leaks of methane from oil and gas operations. This is a Big Deal because cutting methane emissions is the fastest opportunity available for immediately slowing the rate of global warming. Methane is roughly 80 times more potent as a warming gas than CO2 (although the amount of CO2 emitted is greater). 25% of today’s global warming is driven by methane from human actions, and one of the largest methane sources is the oil and gas industry.
Michael Regan, Biden’s EPA chief, stated, “Whether it's the American Petroleum Institute or the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, all have said that they believe that EPA should set standards for methane… So we need to lean in and set a very aggressive standard so that the industry understands what the rules of engagement are and what the expectations are.”
Yes, it would have been great for the US and the world to have had this level of interest and commitment in fighting climate change twenty years ago. But humans and politics don’t work that way. We respond to crises, and climate change now certainly is one. We write term papers the night before they’re due. We stop smoking after the heart attack or stroke. But this is progress, finally. And there will be more, especially if we keep electing the right leaders.
10/5 Political Messaging
COIN, our network of Oregon Indivisible groups, of which ICG is a part, recently hosted a training on political messaging that was taught by Anat Shenker-Osorio and Jiggy Geronimo of “We Make The Future.”
Here are some highlights from the presentation:
- Messaging works best when it appeals to emotion; facts don’t engage people.
- Instead of preaching to the choir, we need messages that enlarge the choir. At the same time your most enthusiastic followers are most likely to help spread the messages.
- Messaging should be inclusive, so it reaches everyone.
- Start with a shared value.
- Don’t be afraid to blame who is responsible for the problem (fossil fuel, timber companies, etc.)
- Messages should give people hope, and something they can do to create change.
We can use this information to craft more effective messages, whether we’re contacting our MoCs, writing letters to the editor, or talking with our fellow humans. To learn more, check out We Make The Future’s excellent messaging guide.
9/21 Legal Fight against Texas’ SB8: Center for Reproductive Rights
Dr. Alan Braid, an Ob-Gyn specialist in Texas, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post last week revealing that he has provided abortion care for a patient in violation of SB8, Texas’ new law banning abortion at 6 weeks gestation. As expected, he has now been sued, as encouraged by the TX law, by numerous individuals around the country.
The “admission” by Dr. Braid and the subsequent suits now set the stage for the legal challenge which will be led by the esteemed Center for Reproductive Rights. Abortion is, after all, constitutionally protected care. Nancy Northup, President & CEO of CRR, wrote this in an email to CRR supporters:
“I wanted to share with you this op-ed, which is running in tomorrow’s print edition of the Washington Post and just became available online. The author, Dr. Braid, is one of our clients in our lawsuit against Texas SB8, and we have represented him for many, many years. He shares a powerful and personal history and on-the-ground perspective to which few have a window.
“He also reveals that he has provided abortion care for a patient in violation of SB8.
“This public pronouncement is an act of bravery and moral fortitude. It opens him up to lawsuits by an unlimited universe of anti-abortion rights vigilantes and exposure to bounties and attorneys’ fees of those who would sue him. All for providing constitutionally protected care. Which is why we are challenging this heinous law to begin with. And why we will be there to defend Dr. Braid when the lawsuits come, along with our intrepid pro bono partners Debevoise & Plimpton and Susman Godfrey.
“Stay tuned. With this development in Texas, the amicus briefs coming in Monday in support of our Mississippi Supreme Court case, and a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act in the House, it’s going to be an intense and important week.”
Since its founding in 1992, the Center for Reproductive Rights has been at the forefront of using the power of law to advance reproductive rights as fundamental human rights in the U.S. and around the world. This includes not only access to safe abortion services, but access to life-saving obstetric care, contraception, and maternal health services, as well as the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage. CRR has secured important legal victories before national courts, United Nations Committees, and regional human rights bodies. Now they’re coordinating OUR legal defense against Texas’ oppressive SB8, and the many “copycat” initiatives already underway in the U.S.
If you can donate to CRR, do. They need and deserve our grateful support.
9/7
Supreme Court: Power to the Vigilantes
The Texas legislature passed an extreme “heartbeat ban” bill outlawing abortion at 6 weeks of gestation, long before many women even know they’re pregnant. Enforcement is left to vigilantes. Residents of the state can [are encouraged to] sue clinics, doctors, nurses and even people who drive a woman to get the procedure, for at least $10,000.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law. In her dissent, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted that the law "deputize[s] the state's citizens as bounty hunters, offering them cash prizes for civilly prosecuting their neighbors' medical procedures."
To support the law, Texas Right to Life had set up an anonymous tip site for anyone wanting to report someone helping a patient in Texas seeking abortion care. A twitter post started a run of spamming the site with fake claims. The site has gone cold.
The law authorizes citizens to sue, and seek financial damages from, the support networks who help women get an abortion — such as families, friends, counselors, pastors, health care providers, and others.
"It's designed to intimidate physicians and other clinic staff out of providing abortion care," said Kirby Tyrrell, staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. "If they continued to provide abortion care after six weeks into a pregnancy, they would face ruinous financial penalties, legal costs and court orders shutting their doors."
The financial threat embedded at the heart of the law also has implications for insurers and other businesses that back abortion clinics. That includes providers of property, medical malpractice and other types of insurance for clinics, doctors and other health care providers who perform the procedure.
The mere threat of lawsuits — which could result in legal fees that dwarf the $10,000 awarded in statutory damages — will likely be sufficient to shut down abortion providers, and could cause insurers and other services to stop doing business with abortion clinics.
American historian H. C. Richardson notes that this is not just about women or fetuses. “The new anti-abortion law in Texas…is about undermining civil rights decisions made by the Supreme Court during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The Supreme Court declined to stop a state law that violates a constitutional right. …
“In 1957, Republican President Dwight Eisenhower used the federal government to protect the constitutional rights of the Little Rock Nine from the white vigilantes who wanted to keep them second-class citizens. In 2021, the Supreme Court has handed power back to the vigilantes.”
[content credit to Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9/3/21]
Not the Headlines
Current national and world catastrophes capture the headlines and our attention, but there are some great policies being adopted in blue America.
We have 25 “red” states where Republicans pretty completely dominate state governments, and 17 “blue” states in pretty complete Dem control. Only 8 states are not dominated by either “red” or “blue,” in keeping with the observation that we are increasingly “two Americas.”
This year, the 25 red state governments have busied themselves pushing through anti-transgender laws, voting rights rollbacks, limits on teaching about racism, and policies that make it harder to fight covid-19. Ugh. We hear, read, and talk about them with a combination of disgust and lament.
At the same time, though, the blue state governments are adopting bold policies that would be unlikely to pass at the fed level, with the current narrow Dem margins in Congress. Some notable examples:
- making it easier to vote (e.g. simplifying vote-by-mail, adding more days of early-voting)
- making criminal justice systems less punitive (e.g. legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana, eliminating phone call fees for people in jail, abolishing cash bail)
- instituting policing reforms (reining in police misconduct; barring local police departments from purchasing surplus equipment from the U.S. military; putting the state’s attorney general’s office, not local police departments, in charge of investigating cases of police killings of civilians)
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and passing other measures to fight climate change
- raising taxes on millionaires and capital gains
- raising their states’ minimum wages to $15
- offering free lunch to all public school students (ME and CA)
- giving $3,200 to all children born into families poor enough to qualify for Medicaid (CT)
- abolishing the death penalty, enacting a state-level Voting Rights Act, adopting a “red flag” law that lets police confiscate guns from individuals when there is substantial evidence they pose a threat to themselves or others (all VA).
[content credit to Perry Bacon in Washington Post, 8/25/2021]
Hood River County Dems: Organization on the Move
The HRC Democrats organization has taken on new leadership, and dedicated itself to (1) electing Dems at every level and to (2) promoting Democratic values and policies. Newly-elected officers are Beth Flake (chair), Lara Dunn (vice chair), Sarah Bellinson (secretary), and David Michalek (treasurer).
Meetings are held monthly, on every second Thursday, from 6-7pm. Meetings will be streamlined and informative, to build a robust infrastructure and to focus on electing Dems. See the Calendar item above re: the upcoming Sept. 9 meeting. Please attend, and bring a friend!
To be clear, ICG and the HRC Dems are NOT one and the same, although we have values in common. ICG is an issue-advocacy organization, working to implement progressive policies and an inclusive democracy. The HRC Dems is the local division of the Democratic party, and is focused on electing Dems at every level.
8/24
Redistricting, Gerrymandering, & Us
Every 10 years, Congressional and State legislative districts are redrawn based on new census data (called “redistricting”). The 2020 date has just recently been released, and Oregon will be gaining a 6th Congressional district. Public input is part of the process of drawing the new maps.Interested? We should be! Because this is when GERRYMANDERING happens, or is prevented.
Gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process to reduce the political power of one or more specific groups while advancing the political power of another group. It’s typically done on the basis of political party and/or race. Is this a problem in Oregon? Is the sky blue (usually)?
Get up to speed with this spiffy slideset on RESDISTRICTING 101, and this one, on how you can get involved. You can also visit the websites of We Draw Oregon and People Not Politicians Oregon for additional resources. ICG invites you to “attend” (by zoom) our next COIN meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 7, when COIN hosts We Draw Oregon’s Jaylyn Suppah, who coordinates their redistricting information sessions and learning circles.
Redistricting: How You Can Influence It
Whether OR’s redistricting will or will not be gerrymandered depends in part on the public input received in the process, so ICG urges all of our members and friends to take part in the process. Here are two ways that you can be involved in the process:
(1) All the COIN Indivisible groups, including ICG, are working to get as many people as possible to testify at the State Legislature’s upcoming public hearings. We’ll help you put together your written testimony, if you wish.
You can Zoom or call in. Here’s a complete schedule:
Sept. 8 - Boardman at 8 a.m. and Bend at 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 9 - Medford at 10:30 a.m. and Eugene at 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 - Salem at 9 a.m. and Oregon City/N. Clackamas at 3 p.m.
Sept. 11 - Central Portland at 9 a.m. and Hillsboro/Beaverton at 3 p.m.
Sept. 12 - Newport at 1 p.m.
Sept. 13 - Statewide at 9 a.m.; 1 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.
(2) If the legislature can’t agree on where to draw the lines for state representatives and senators, the decision will fall to Oregon’s Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. To prepare for that possibility, Fagan is putting together an advisory People’s Commission. If you are interested in being on that commission, you can apply here.
[content credit to COIN, Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network]
Afghanistan Withdrawal: Context Helps
In the last week, more than 20,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan without a single loss of an American life, while in the same period of time, 5000 Americans have died from Covid-19 and 500 have died from gunshots (commentary by Matthew Dowd, CNN, 8/22/2021).
Quote
Blaming Biden for the fall of Afghanistan is like blaming Gerald Ford for the collapse of South Vietnam. Each owned by 4 Presidents.
- Larry Sabato, PhD. Political analyst, author, journalist. On Twitter, 8/15/2021.
8/9
Up-to-Speed on “Critical Race Theory?”
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is rather an unfortunate name to hand to a segment of the population unfamiliar with science and scientific method. They apparently assume “theory” is merely someone’s wild-hair idea. Au contraire. CRT is a “theory” like the theory of gravity - started from an observation, and confirmed and reconfirmed over time by the work of experts in the field.
“Critical Race Theory, a theory conceived in the 1970s by legal scholars trying to understand why the civil rights legislation of the past twenty years had not eliminated racial inequality in America. They argued that general racial biases were baked into American law so that efforts to protect individuals from discrimination did not really get at the heart of the issue. While this theory focused on the law, it echoed the arguments historians have made—and proved—since the 1940s: our economy, education, housing, medical care, and so on, have developed with racial biases. This is not actually controversial among scholars. …
“Republicans have turned this theory into the ideas that it attacks white Americans and that history teachers are indoctrinating schoolchildren to hate America. …Republicans are open about their hopes that pushing cultural issues, especially CRT, will win them control of Congress in 2022.” (1)
“So why is Critical Race Theory such a flashpoint in today’s political world? Perhaps in part because it rejects the Republican insistence that an individual can create a prosperous life by will alone. It says that, no matter how talented someone might be, or how eager and dedicated, they cannot always contend against the societal forces stacked against them. It argues for the important weight of systems, established through time, rather than the idea that anyone can create a new reality.” (2)
Appropriately recognizing the important weight of systems (eg economy, education, housing, and medical care) points out that we as a country have made grave and compounding errors in the past - and even more importantly, that we could choose to own them, fix them, and proceed differently.
(1) https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-23-2021
(2) https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-12-2021
More if you’re interested:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/01/us/critical-race-theory-explainer-trnd/index.html
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/civil-rights-reimagining-policing/a-lesson-on-critical-race-theory/
“Divisive Concept” Laws: Rewriting Our History
“As of the end of June, nine states have passed so-called “divisive concepts” laws, and 17 more are considering them. These measures try to control how teachers talk about issues of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin, saying that such discussions are divisive. [However, there is broad consensus among historians and educators] that these issues provide essential content to understand our history and that they are appropriate for school history classes.
“[It is worth noting that the bills are not coming from initially from] people in school districts, but instead follow a template produced by an organization led by Russell Vought, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget under the Trump administration. The organization’s website has a file on it titled: “Model-School-Board-Language-to-Ban-CRT-SD-HCS-edits-1.”
“Here’s why this rewriting of our history matters. … An inaccurate picture of what creates change means that people cannot make good decisions about the future. They are at the mercy of those who are creating the stories. Knowledge is indeed power.”
- Heather Cox Richardson, PhD. Political historian. 7/7/2021
For an example, return to top of this section (Up-to-Speed on “Critical Race Theory?”)
Examining the Legacy of Slavery (or Happy 400th Birthday, U.S. of A.)
“1619 is not a year that most Americans know as a notable date in our country’s history. Those who do are at most a tiny fraction of those who can tell you that 1776 is the year of our nation’s birth. What if, however, we were to tell you that the moment that the country’s defining contradictions first came into the world was in late August of 1619? That was when a ship arrived at Point Comfort in the British colony of Virginia, bearing a cargo of 20 to 30 enslaved Africans. Their arrival inaugurated a barbaric system of chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the country’s very origin.
“Out of slavery — and the anti-black racism it required — grew nearly everything that has truly made America exceptional: its economic might, its industrial power, its electoral system, its diet and popular music, the inequities of its public health and education, its astonishing penchant for violence, its income inequality, the example it sets for the world as a land of freedom and equality, its slang, its legal system and the endemic racial fears and hatreds that continue to plague it to this day. The seeds of all that were planted long before our official birth date, in 1776, when the men known as our founders formally declared independence from Britain.
“The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. The goal of The 1619 Project is to reframe American history by considering what it would mean to regard 1619 as our nation’s birth year. Doing so requires us to place the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are as a country.”
- Jake Silverstein, for the NYTimes Magazine, Dec. 20, 2019.
7/27
How We Got Here: From Moon Shot Success to Polarization and Marginalization
In July 1969, “American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans ever to land, and then to walk, on the moon…[B]y the time [they] were stepping onto the moon in a grand symbol of the success of the nation’s moon shot, Americans back on earth were turning against each other. Movement conservatives who hated post–World War II business regulation, taxation, and civil rights demanded smaller government and championed the idea of individualism, while those opposed to the war in Vietnam increasingly distrusted the government.
After May 4, 1970, when the shooting of college students at Kent State University in Ohio badly weakened Nixon’s support, he began to rally supporters to his side with what his vice president, Spiro Agnew, called “positive polarization.” They characterized those who opposed the administration as anti-American layabouts who simply wanted a handout from the government. The idea that Americans could come together to construct a daring new future ran aground on the idea that anti-war protesters, people of color, and women were draining hardworking taxpayers of their hard-earned money.”
- Heather Cox Richardson, PhD. Political historian.
Another Activist Win
Oregon OSHA has enacted the most protective heat rules for farmworkers in the nation. The rules were adopted on an emergency basis after a 38-year-old farmworker died while working on a tree farm in St. Paul, OR, during our extreme heat wave in early July. The agency is in the process of drafting permanent rules, expected to be finalized this fall.
The rules’ high heat procedures are triggered when the heat index reaches 90 degrees F. They include requiring employers to:
- observe workers for signs of heat illness or create a mandatory buddy system,
- provide additional paid breaks every two hours, and
- develop and implement an emergency medical plan.
[content credit to OEC]
Quote
“Listen, I’m all for space exploration and it must have been an amazing view. But maybe – and I’m just spitballing here – if Amazon and other companies paid their fair share in taxes, we could lift all kids — if not into space — at least out of poverty.”
- Rep. Adam Schiff, 7/20/21
7/13
Millennium Export Terminal is Dead. Another Climate Win!
You’ll remember the proposed Millennium coal export terminal in Longview, Washington? After many years of advocacy, permit denials, and lawsuits, the U.S. Supreme Court finally dismissed the coal industry’s last appeal for the Millennium coal export terminal, officially ending that project. It was the last of eight coal export facilities once proposed in the Northwest.
Congrats and thanks to Columbia Riverkeeper, Earthjustice, other litigants, and an unprecedented coalition of Tribal Nations; local governments; and health, environmental, faith, and community groups from across the Northwest and Mountain West that united to oppose this and other coal export proposals. And yes, all of us activists, with our pens and posters and feet on the ground.
Tips for Effective Communications with Legislators
A respected OR House staffer spoke with OR Indivisible leaders recently and gave these tips on how to be most effective when we communicate with our state legislators:
1. The best way to reach a legislator is either with a personalized letter, postcard or phone call. They want to hear who you are and why this piece of legislation is important to you.
- A personalized email is okay, but there are so many mass-generated emails by lobbying groups that constituent emails can get buried and hard to find.
- Postcards are better than letters because they are short, colorful, direct and won’t be delayed to be checked for possible contaminants.
- Some legislators prefer handwritten mail.
- Form emails are like junk mail. Don’t expect a response.
- It’s okay to contact leaders of committees who aren’t your legislators, especially if it’s about a bill stuck in their committee. You can tell your legislator that you are going to do that. Don’t expect a response.
2. Be sure to call or write even -- or especially -- if your legislator supports a bill you like.
- Legislators need to know they have support. And if the opposition encourages hundreds of people to call and there are none from supporters, it puts the legislator in an awkward position.
- Call or write, and then do it again to say thanks after he/she votes.
3. Your call matters.
- Legislators are not experts in many areas and often have full time jobs.
- Lobbyists, who outnumber staff in Salem 10 to 1, try to push their ideas and opinions in Salem. Large, out-of-state lobbying organizations often call constituents, give them talking points, and then connect them directly to their legislators’ offices. These calls may number in the 100s, but the callers are often confused.
- But just a few constituents calling about an issue and saying why it is personally important to them, can be more powerful.
COIN Website
COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network) has an informative new website. There’s a map showing all 50 participating Indivisible groups, including ICG of course. Soon the map graphic will be downloadable as a postcard to use for writing to our legislators.
6/29
Voter Suppression: Unanimous Republican Vote Against S1
The vote on S1 in the US Senate last week, where every Republican legislator voted against the bill, was all about voter suppression. The voted followed months of Republican work at the State level to restrict voter access. According to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, 18 states have put in place more than 30 laws restricting access to the ballot. These laws will affect around 36 million people, or about 15% of all eligible voters.
In a debate with candidate Abraham Lincoln, in 1858, Sen. Stephen A. Douglas stated, “I hold that this Government was made on the white basis, by white men, for the benefit of white men and their posterity forever, and should be administered by white men and none others.” This view has been reiterated by Republicans in State houses around the country, and now unanimously in the US Senate.
The story on S1 is not over, though, not by a long shot. MoCs are on break, hopefully listening to their constituents, 6/26 to 7/12. The big push to pass a voting rights measure will happen when they return to DC in July.
The Fight for S1: Manchin plays a second card
“Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has made it very clear he opposes both [S1 and ending the filibuster]. … But that is not the final word on the For the People Act. [Manchin has now proposed a compromise which includes] expanding access to voting, an end to partisan gerrymandering, voter ID, automatic registration at motor vehicle offices, making Election Day a holiday, and making it easier for state officials to purge voters from the rolls. This is a mixture of the priorities of the leadership of both parties.” Dems are lining up behind Manchin’s compromise.
- Dr. Heather Cox Richardson 6/19/2021
Climate Success in OR! CO2 Status Report.
HB 2021B, 100% Clean Energy for All, passed in the OR legislature!!!! All electricity in OR will be from clean, renewable sources by 2040 (80% by 2030, 90% by 2035)! THIS IS HUGE, and is being lauded and held up as an example by climate experts around the country. Congrats and a big thank you to all the advocacy groups, activists, and legislators who worked this. FYI - Rep Anna Williams voted YES. Sen. Chuck Thomsen voted NO.
And OR’s Clean Energy climate commitment comes not a moment too soon:
“The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere reached 419 parts per million in May, its highest level in more than four million years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Monday [6/7/2021].”
Get the Skinny on Oregon Redistricting
The Portland League of Women Voters gave a really informative presentation on redistricting in Oregon recently. In case you missed it, you can read all about it here. Here’s the link to the handout they provided, and the link to the accompanying power point slides.
Preventing Future Walk-Outs in OR
During the OR legislative session that just ended, there were five bills introduced to prevent future walkouts like the ones that Repubs staged over the last few years. None of the bills went through, although it’s possible they had some deterrent effect this session. The effort is not over, though. There will be ballot initiatives coming up to address the quorum rule that allows a rogue minority (Repub or Dem) to disrupt the work of the state by snatching up their toys and going home.
6/12
For The People Act: Long Fight Ahead
Ezra Levin, Indivisible co-director, explains in this excellent article, that we’re headed for a series of GOP-led filibusters this month as the For The People Act is introduced in the Senate and the fight for democracy reform heats up. Victory will depend on the full commitment of Biden and Schumer, and on historic grassroots engagement (akin to our work on saving the ACA).
Fighting the filibusters is expected to be a drawn-out legislative fight, but history has shown success is possible. In 1964, it took overcoming a 54-day filibuster to pass the Civil Rights Act in the Senate. The next year it took more than a month after the Voting Rights Act started full senate debate to get past the threat of a filibuster.
We need our Senators to speak out forcefully to reiterate that the path forward depends on For the People, not on hazy ideas from Sen. Manchin (or anyone else) about compromising with a party of insurrectionists. We need Sen. Schumer to publicly, loudly, forcefully recommit to getting democracy reform done before August recess. We need President Biden to use his full moral authority and bully pulpit power to drive the national conversation and urgency around the threats to our democracy.
Read Ezra’s analysis/manifesto/pep-talk here, and get ready to write emails, write postcards, and make calls like an ACTIVIST to see this historic and mission-critical fight through.
Ready, Set, Go: Priming the Pump for 2022
You’ve probably heard politicos saying that Republicans could easily take the House and the Senate in 2022. They’re right. It’s true that midterm elections are notoriously tough for the party that controls the White House. And with that general background challenge, we now have a critical need to defend existing blue seats, and especially to expand our number in the Senate. Our democracy-preserving blue agenda is being threatened by Republican use of the filibuster and from “rogue,” unreliable Dems (eg Sens. Sinema, Manchin).
US Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) recently announced that he would not support our For The People Act (FTPA) because Republican Senators oppose it. This defection from the Dems’ 50-senator voting block is a BIG blow for us, but helps define these next steps in our path forward:
First, Dem leadership is exploring all options for getting the FTPA passed in spite of Manchin’s announcement. The FTPA would put in place basic national standards to ensure all citizens’ freedom to vote, to stop billionaires from buying elections, and to end partisan gerrymandering. Its provisions have strong bipartisan support across this country, even though that support is not reflected by Republican elected officials.
Second, 50 seats is clearly not enough. We need more Dems in the U.S. Senate who will unabashedly and dependably champion democratic reforms to end corruption and protect citizens’ freedom to vote. To make that happen in 2022, we must defend targeted senators like Raphael Warnock (GA), Mark Kelly(AZ), and Tammy Duckworth (IL), flip critical swing seats in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Florida.
As Emily’s List says, Early Money Is Like Yeast, and it makes all the difference in candidates’ races. So please consider making some EARLY MONEY donations:
- Blue Wave Project (founded by Sen. Merkley)
- Emily’s List candidates
Activism Finally Kills Keystone XL
TC Energy, the company behind the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, announced last week it's officially terminating the project.
13 years of protests about processing dirty oil sands oil, climate change, desecration of Indigenous lands and artifacts, and threats to aquifers. 13 years of protests from frontline communities, Indigenous peoples, and environmentalists. If you were one of them, with your pen, your voice, or your feet on the ground, thank you and congratulations. OUR VOICES AND PERSISTENCE HAVE GREAT POWER.
6/1
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
The state of Oregon will recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, thanks to recent passage of HB 2526. Columbus Day has traditionally been celebrated Oct. 12.
High Five for Bentz (pretty much)
Rep. Cliff Bentz voted recently in favor of establishing a Jan. 6 Commission. He was one of 35 House Republicans who split with their party to vote in favor of the 9/11-style probe into the pro-Trump riots, which followed a rally the former president held nearby earlier in the day. A cynic might say that it was a “safe” vote, no skin off his teeth, because he and Senate Repubs knew they’d filibuster the commission away in the Senate (they did). But still…we’re trying to give credit.
Jan. 6 Commission: Death by Filibuster (surprise!)
On May 28, Republicans in the Senate killed the bill to establish a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection. The vote was 54 to 35, and yet the thirty-five “no” votes won because of the current shape of the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to break, even if the minority doesn’t show up to vote. This comes as no surprise, but certainly brings the filibuster, and Dems’ need to abolish or disarm it, into even higher relief.
And, fyi, even though an average onlooker might guess that the only people who would oppose an investigation into a deadly insurrection are those with something to hide, the Repubs assure us that’s not the case. The commission just wasn’t needed.
5/18 August Deadline: Democracy reform
Republican state legislators have now got over 360 voter suppression bills in the works, with some having already passed and others making quick headway. The For the People Act has cleared the US House (as HR 1) and is now before the Senate (as S. 1), with an August “deadline” and a Republican filibuster looming. The only hope is for the Senate Dems to stick together. Not most of them, but all of them - including current holdouts Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
It is going to take an all-out grassroots push for the next 3 months to badger, encourage, thank, urge, and demand that our Senators STICK TOGETHER and PASS THIS BILL. We know how to do this, right? We’ve been practicing hard for the last four years. But do we really need to lean on our stalwart Senators, Merkley and Wyden?
It does seem counterintuitive - they’re dependable progressives, after all, and already support S.1. But they have to hear our voices loud and clear and constant over the next 3 months to make it their PRIORITY. They’ve told us this many times - they set their priorities, what they work hardest and longest on, according to what they actually hear from us.
Check out this headline article from Indivisible National’s current monthly newsletter, “What the hell is happening with democracy reform?” - then get ready to call and email Senators Merkley and Wyden for the next 3 months with this clear message: we want you to make it your highest priority to pass the For the People Act. You’ll be seeing this A LOT in our Calls-to-Action. You know what to do. Call! Act!
5/4
Local Election: 2 Contested Races
Hood River County’s May 2021 election is here (!), and you should have received your ballot in the mail. As sometimes happens with local-only election cycles, many of the races are non-contested. Here’s important info on two contested races:
JEN KELLY Recommended for HR County School Board
The ICG Steering Committee recommends Jen Kelly for HR County School Board, At-Large position. Jen has a record of significant civic engagement in HR, and is both a sharp, critical thinker and a good team player. She has worked extensively this past year as a parent volunteer with the school district re: covid response, including attending school board meetings and producing a logistical plan to help meet state requirements for reopening schools.
The Steering Committee did not find a similar history of engagement or familiarity with school district issues for the opponent, Parr (whose campaign signs are seen in orchards next to “Thanks for representing us, Sen. Chuck Thomsen” signs).
Candidate Meet-n-Greet: LACH LITWER for Port Commission
Friday, May 7, 5-6pm, by Zoom. Register here to get the zoom link.
Join us to meet LACH LITWER, candidate for Port of HR Commission, position 3, at this Zoom event.You’ll hear about his background and why he's running, and have a chance to ask questions.
New Ballot Box in Parkdale
Thanks to the efforts of folks from Indivisible Columbia Gorge and our local League of Women Voters, there’s a spiffy new drive-up ballot box at Parkdale Elementary School. Yay! Please help spread the word, and give it a spin yourself!
4/21 George Floyd’s Murder & Reinventing Policing
Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd. Where does that put us, the national “us,” on the subject of cleaning up policing in this country?
In the wake of Floyd’s death, we’ve seen prolonged, heated national and international protests. The conversation has focused on racism, systemic racism, police violence, and the role of police forces in our communities. We’ve heard calls to “defund the police” and reform the police, and many states and school districts are making changes to their police forces.
Maryland passed sweeping police reform legislation this month. Los Angeles approved a plan in February to cut the district’s security force by a third. A growing number of cities have reduced the presence of police officers in school hallways. Some cities are reallocating funding from policing to hire more social workers and mental health professionals to handle noncriminal problems. Denver started a program that replaces police officers with health care workers on mental health and substance abuse calls. A six-month progress report is showing signs of success. The report said that, despite responding to hundreds of calls, the workers made no arrests, and the city's police chief said he believes the program "saves lives." Many believe that police officers shouldn’t be the ones to enforce traffic laws. Data shows that automated technology and unarmed monitors could do most of the job more efficiently and more safely.
Timothy Egan’s recent NYT article The Blue Wall of Silence Is Starting to Crack addresses the code that calls on cops to protect one another against charges of brutality and criminality. He says “The blue wall may be starting to crack. It was broken in the Derek Chauvin trial.” He notes that several Minneapolis police officers, including the police chief, took the stand against Chauvin in his murder trial, and that fourteen officers in Chauvin’s department had previously signed an open letter saying Derek Chauvin “failed as a human and stripped George Floyd of his dignity and life.”
Mr. Egan writes: “Smashing the blue wall is one thing that has to happen to fix the lethal flaws in modern law enforcement. Another will be just as hard, if not more so: acknowledging that racism, like the code of silence, runs deep in police ranks.
"Defunding the police is not the answer. It’s an absurd idea. A wave of violence and chaos quickly overwhelmed an area declared police-free in Seattle, where I live, last summer. Among the victims were several people of color.
““Defund the police” is even worse as a political slogan; the idea is supported by only 18 percent of Americans, according to one poll from last month. Politically, all the slogan will do is hurt the cause of reform, as it appeared to drag down Democrats in last year’s congressional elections.
“Reinventing the police, a far better idea, got a start in New Orleans in 2016, with a program that teaches officers to intervene when they see fellow officers doing something bad. It’s about to get another go in Maryland, now that lawmakers just overrode a veto and passed sweeping police reform legislation.
“We need every cop to wear a body camera. We need to curb the power of police unions, the biggest protectors of the blue wall. And we need officers of all stripes to back the words of those 14 in Minneapolis. They said, “This is not who we are.” Now prove it.”
So there is plenty of work for the national “us” to do. The prescription for reinventing policing will vary from one place to another, as communities and their needs are different. But the above examples demonstrate the variety of opportunities to consider - eg, getting police out of schools, replacing police officers with health care workers on mental health and substance abuse calls, taking police out of traffic law enforcement, and actively working to eliminate both the deep-running racism in the police ranks and the blue wall of silence.
George Floyd should not have died. We can help ensure some good comes from this sorry, tragic chapter by working to reinvent policing that truly serves and protects everyone in our communities.
Quote
“Cops protect the state. They also are the state. We revere them for the first part. We fear them for the second.”
- Timothy Egan
4/6 Democracy To-Do List
Here’s what’s on the Dems’ democracy to-do list:
The For the People Act
The For the People Act is a sweeping democracy reform bill that puts power where it belongs: with the voters.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act would combat racist voter suppression that has purged tens of millions of voters from the rolls and closed thousands of polling places.
D.C. Statehood
The Washington, D.C. Admission Act would admit the district as the 51st state, naming it the “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth” and enfranchising 700,000 people.
The Protecting Our Democracy Act
The Protecting Our Democracy Act would prevent any future president from corrupting executive power the way Donald Trump did, from profiting from the presidency to abusing the pardon power.
Ending the Filibuster
For decades, the filibuster has given a minority of senators the ability to hold legislation hostage. Dems are working to get rid of this antiquated hurdle and open the door to bold change.
This will remind you why:
Republican legislators in 43 states are working hard to suppress voting, and have now introduced 361 voter suppression bills across the country.
Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia recently signed the first of these major suppression bills. It adds new identification requirements for absentee voting, limited the use of drop boxes, and made it a misdemeanor for groups to offer food or water to voters waiting in line near polling places. It also takes power away from state and local election officials—like the secretary of state, who refused to throw the election to Trump in 2020—and give it to partisan legislators.
In response, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it would pull the 2021 All-Star Game and the MLB draft from Georgia. Republicans are furious, and have tried to pin the MLB’s decision on Stacey Abrams, a voting-rights advocate. It actually had nothing to do with Abrams, who rejected calls for a business boycott and tweeted that she was “disappointed” that MLB would move the All-Star Game “but proud of their stance on voting rights.”
MLB’s decision served as a warning shot to Republicans in other states who are trying to restrict voting, and is likely to put new pressure on other organizations and corporations to consider pulling business out of Georgia.
The initial corporate response to Georgia’s bill was tepid at best. Delta Airlines, Georgia’s largest employer, had made only general statements in support of voting rights and had declined to take a position on the legislation. That drew fierce criticism, as well as protests at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and calls for a boycott. Coca Cola was equally slow on the draw. They’ve now changed their tunes, stating “crystal clear” opposition.
Since Delta and Coca Cola’s newfound sense of urgency came after the legislation was passed and signed into law, their statements won’t change the outcome in Georgia. The damage is done. But more substantial and timely corporate responses are being mounted in other states moving forward with their voter suppression bills. This past week, American Airlines and Dell voiced their opposition to a Texas bill that would limit early voting hours, ban drive-through voting, add restrictions to absentee voting, and make it illegal for local election officials to mail absentee ballot applications to voters, even if they qualify.
A group of prominent Black executives, recognizing that race is a central issue in voter suppression efforts, have called on companies nationwide to publicly oppose a wave of similarly restrictive voting bills being advanced by Republicans in almost every state.
The For the People Act (HR1/S1), passed in the House and now before the Senate, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (HR4) are desperately needed to ensure voting rights and access, the foundation of our democracy. They would overrule restrictions enacted by individual states like Georgia and Texas. Both S1 and HR4 (and other key legislation of the Biden administration) are threatened by the Republicans’ threatened use of the filibuster.
Hope for Ending Oregon Walkouts
Remember those [MANY] Republican walkouts that have immobilized the OR legislature for the last few years, wasting time and money and killing/delaying much needed legislation? SJR 4 is a proposal in front of the state legislature for an OR constitutional amendment that would set a quorum for conducting business at a majority, rather than at 2/3 of members (currently Oregon’s method). A quorum is set as a simple majority in 45 other states, and would effectively neutralizing walkout as a tool to let the minority control the work of the legislature. Stay tuned!
Quote
Sen. Jeff Merkley supports abolishing the filibuster. On his website Sen. Merkley offers a spoof headline: “McConnell Threatens To Grind Senate To Halt If Dems Don’t Let Him Keep Power To Grind Senate To Halt.”
3/23
Getting Oregon to 100% Clean Energy
The goal of the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity Campaign is to pass a set of three climate bills in the Oregon state legislature in 2021. Together the bills provide for the adoption of commitment for 100% clean energy in the state by 2040 at the latest, establishment of a special utility rate class for low-income Oregonians, and home upgrades to help improve the health of families across the state. These are the three bills:
Energy Affordability (HB 2475)
Decrease utility costs for families already struggling in the economic recession by establishing a Low-Income Utility Rate Class. Click here for a factsheet on this bill.
Healthy Homes (HB 2842)
Support home upgrades to help improve the health of families across Oregon. Click here for a factsheet on this bill.
100% Clean Energy for All Bill (HB 2021)
Create good, well-paying, local jobs in the renewable energy sector that incentivize local projects that are good for communities and that help us achieve 100% clean energy in Oregon. Click here for a factsheet on this bill.
As in our Call-to-Action above, you can help by urging our state legislators to support these bills. Click here to
send them a “support” letter.
“Jim Crow in a Suit and Tie”
Republican legislators in many states are mounting an attack on voting rights that is staggering in its scope and intensity. They’re fueled by the Big Lie that Trump won the election -- or at least, they’re pretending to be so that they can suppress as many votes as possible.
To get a sense of exactly how scary this is, click here to check out the Washington Post’s review of approximately 250 state voter suppression bills that have been introduced in state legislatures already this year. This is an avalanche of voter suppression legislation -- far more than we’ve seen even in the recent Trump era. And, as is almost always the case, this attack targets Black and brown voters with surgical precision. It should come as no surprise that the attacks on democracy are particularly popular in states with a GOP trifecta -- where Republicans control the state legislature and governorship. From Arizona to Texas to Georgia to even New Hampshire (oddly, yes there’s a GOP trifecta there), voter suppression bills are moving at a dizzying pace. We can expect similar power grabs when the GOP trifectas get the chance to redraw (i.e. gerrymander) districts later this year.
However, there are seasons for optimism, including the energy around HR1/S1, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and the critical ongoing work of Stacey Abrams. Abrams has been on a crusade for democracy since the Georgia governorship was stolen from her through anti-Black voter suppression in 2018. She describes the voter suppression laws championed by reactionary electeds in Georgia and other GOP trifecta states as “Jim Crow in a suit and tie.”
Click here to watch Stacey Abrams’s interview with Rachel Maddow, and join us this Sunday night for our Movie Watch Party showing Stacey Abrams’ “All In: The Fight for Democracy” (see calendar event above for March 28.).
[content credit to Indivisible National]
Ballot Box Coming to Parkdale
In cooperation with the HR County School District, the HR County Elections Office will install a permanent ballot box on the grounds of Parkdale Elementary. Installation is expected to be completed in time for use for the May 2021 elections. Hats off to Brian Beebe and Darlene Johnson of the Elections Office, Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn of the School District, members of the School Board, and Principal Gus Hedberg of Parkdale ES for making it happen!
Thanks, too, to ICG, League of Women Voters, and many interested HR County citizens who’ve worked on this for several years.
Increased Health Insurance Subsidies FOR ALL under ACA
This message on the HR Dems website brings attention to increased subsidies now available for buying health insurance under the ACA. Under Biden’s recent signed American Rescue Plan, ACA marketplace premium subsidies are substantially enhanced for people at every income level and, for the first time, offered to those with income above 4 times the federal poverty level (FPL). You can take advantage of a special enrollment period from April 1, 2021 through May 15, 2022.
Want to Get More Involved with Indivisible’s Work?
COIN, our network of OR Indivisible groups, has 5 ongoing workgroups that are seeking additional members -
- Recruiting/Supporting Candidates
- Rural/Urban Divide
- Anti-racism Team
- Social Media Team
- Cliff Bentz Accountability
3/10
Repair Work Ahead
Now that Trump is out of office, we’re working to fix the larger, systemic problem that allowed Trumpism to fester - our rigged democracy. This is our chance to unrig the system that Republicans built to work against people of color, workers, immigrants, low-income families, and others who don’t have the pass-cards of privilege.
We’ve got two years to prioritize structural democracy reform, and that starts with passing the For the People Act (HR 1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (HR 4), and making D.C. the 51st state (HR 51). Dealing with the power of the filibuster to derail democratic process, either by eliminating it or by reforming it, is essential, too. Indivisible National endorses eliminating the filibuster; Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley favors reforming it. As with most things, there is not a single “right” answer.
This is our moment of Democratic opportunity - and it all starts with creating a strong foundation for a democracy that works for the people. Look back at the Calls-to-Action above. We’ve tried to make it easy for you to weigh in on these important issues. Please do!
What Wins People Over
Nicholas Kristof’s recent article in the NYT started with a emotion-piquing title: “How to Reach People Who Are Wrong.” Whether positively or negatively, it’s likely it touches each of us somehow. The idea of how to win people over, especially in this charged, divided post-Trump era, is [still] highly relevant, and the research Kristof cites is worth heeding:
“Research suggests that what wins people over is listening, asking questions and appealing to their values, not your own. Grant [Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton] cites evidence for “complexifying” issues so they become less binary and more nuanced, enabling someone on the other side to acknowledge areas of ambivalence.
“Researchers find that it is easier for people to reach agreement on difficult issues if they have been prepped to see the world as complicated and full of grays. It’s a painstaking, frustrating process of building trust, keeping people from becoming defensive, and slowly ushering them to a new place.”
Quotes
“U.S. leadership has been sorely missed over the past years.”
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, at his first meeting with Pres.Biden, 2/23/2021
“Every time Democrats brandish their wokeness and wag fingers or call people bigots, they manufacture more Republicans.”
- Nicholas Kristof, in How to Reach People Who Are Wrong, in NYT 3/3/2021
2/22
HR1/S1 - The For The People Act
Trump is gone, but our democracy is on life support. We won the Presidency, the House and the Senate, but GOP and far-right extremists are working hard to stop us with misinformation, voter suppression laws, dark money, and Trump-appointed judges.
The For the People Act, currently in front of Congress as HR1 (in the House) and S1 (in the Senate) addresses all of this with voting rights expansion, campaign finance reform, and ethics reform.
The bill mandates access to vote-by-mail and a minimum number of early voting days for everyone. It requires permanent paper ballots and counting of provisional ballots cast by eligible voters. It ensures deployed military and overseas voters' ballots are mailed at least 45 days in advance, to ensure their votes are counted.
It institutes automatic voter registration and same-day and online registration, and protects against flawed purges of voter rolls. It restores the Voting Rights Act, restores voting rights to people with prior convictions, strengthens vote-by-mail systems, institute nationwide early voting, and protect against deceptive practices.
By making these voting protections federal law, HR1/S1 will override state laws passed to suppress the vote. Voter suppression, as we all know, has been a mainstay of Republican election strategy since before any of us were born.
The bill itself is long and incredibly comprehensive (see a terrific layman’s “explainer” from the Brennan Center here). HR1 was developed by Dems in 2017 as a “signaling” bill - one they knew wouldn’t be passed in 2017 because of Trump and Republican control of the Senate, but “signaled” Dems’ priority when we regained power in 2020. So here we are.
We must help Congress pass HR1/S1. ICG and our sister groups in COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network) are joining Indivisibles across the country in putting out repeated calls-to-action to press our Congressperson (Bentz) and Senators (Wyden and Merkley) to support passage of HR1/S1. When you see a call-to-action (like the one above), please hop right on the phone/email to respond!
But why bother contacting them? I already know …
What? You say you already know where our reps stand on this, so it’s no use contacting them? Here’s a different picture, and one that will hopefully help you reconsider that point of view and understand the utility of our calls/emails to them, for this issue and most others.
Yes, Senators Merkley and Wyden are reliable progressives, and have even said they will support S1. But each of them has also said repeatedly that hearing from us constituents about issues is how they prioritize how to spend their time, energy, and political capital. So YES, they’re going to support S1, but YES, they want to and need to hear from all of us that this is what we think is important for them to devote themselves to.
Yes, Rep. Bentz appears to be every bit as party-driven as Walden was, maybe even more so, and therefore highly unlikely to either listen to us or to support a voting rights act like HR1. But he needs to hear from us loud and clear on issues - X is important to us; we want you to do Y. This notification/request then becomes the basis of our holding him accountable. No info/requests from us, then no accountability. So YES, you’re likely right that he won’t be swayed by our message to support HR1, but YES, he needs to hear it so we can hold him accountable publicly and especially next year when he’ll be campaigning again.
Supporting Youth Activists
ICG is making support of youth activist activities a priority. Many local middle school and high school youth pitched in like champs volunteering for various aspects of the 2020 election - letter-writing, candidate support, driving, copying, shuffling papers. Many of them were introduced to political activism and encouraged by their parents who are ICG members, and some got the advocacy bug in school clubs.
For years there have been various “clubs” at HRVHS, some more oriented to recreation, and some oriented to issue advocacy like climate change and support for girls’ education in developing countries. A new club this year is HRV Demands Action for Gun Safety, which is sponsoring the rally on March 4. The leaders are informed and dedicated and working to raise awareness of gun violence in the community. These young people are our future. ICG is honored to be able to work with them, sharing resources and amplifying each other’s advocacy efforts. Please join in attending their events, cheerleading for them and supporting their work.
2/12 Calling/Writing our MoCs (members of Congress)
Q: Why call/write Send. Merkley & Wyden when they already support our issue?
A: PRIORITIZATION.
Senators Merkley and Wyden are reliable progressives, and usually are already on board on our Call-to-Action issues. But each of them has also said repeatedly that hearing from us constituents about issues is how they prioritize how to spend their time, energy, and political capital. (This was how Merkley decided to visit the border re: children in cages.) So YES, they’re already supporting our issue, but YES, they want to and need to hear from us to decide what to make their priorities.
Q: Why call/write Rep. Bentz when you think he won’t listen??
A: ACCOUNTABILITY.
Rep. Bentz appears to be every bit as party-driven as Walden was, maybe even more so, and therefore highly unlikely to either listen to us or to support the actions we advise. But he needs to hear from us loud and clear on issues - X is important to us; we want you to do Y. This notification/request then becomes the basis of our holding him accountable. No info/requests from us, then no accountability. So YES, you’re likely right that he won’t be swayed to support our issue, but YES, he needs to hear it so we can hold him accountable publicly and especially for campaign against him next year.
2/9
Tide is Turning
The political tide is turning away from the Republicans. President Biden strode into his office the afternoon of the inauguration, setting out to immediately address the multiple crises of the moment - an out-of-control pandemic, a tanking economy, families hungry and losing their homes, and the climate crisis.
His actions and his conviction that the government has a role to play in stabilizing the economy and society are proving popular with the American public, and were echoed by Mitt Romney’s (R-UT) proposal to give at least $3000 annually per child to American families.
At the same time, Republicans as a party are deeply stained by their connection with the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, as well as by the behavior of those who have continued to support Trump. A film shown at the Jan. 6 rally just before the attack on the Capitol is now being called “a White House production” with Trump having been deeply involved. Voters and some legislators are turning away from the party. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has been stripped of her House committee assignments for her embrace of and even threats of political violence. Money is speaking as well. Smartmatic, the defamed voting machine company, has sued Sidney Powell, Giuliani, and Fox news and its “personalities.” And corporate entities have walked away with their wallets from Republican insurrection supporters.
The implosion of the Republican fantasy-reality was inevitable, and while some observers may be privately enjoying the meltdown process, it is as true now as in the past several months that the future of the U.S. is still up for grabs. Uncertainty abounds, still. Anxiety too, still. At least there’s an adult in the room now.
Local Elections Coming May 2021
There are lots of positions up for election in HR County this May - Port Commission, Parks & Rec, School Board, and many others. Filing to run for office starts Feb 6 and continues through Mar 18.
Have you ever thought of running for office? Do you know someone you think would be a great candidate?
We’re rid of Trump, but we still have to deal with the forces that gave us and supported Trump in the first place. They’re emboldened and running for elected positions. We need to run and elect principled and pragmatic public servants at the local level.
Think about it. Talk to that friend.
1/26
Congrats. Big breath. Better sleep. And onward.
Happy inauguration, Comrades, and congrats again to all of us ICG peeps for the hard work we put in to this election, and to resisting this dangerous cretin for four long years. We’ve learned a lot, and we’ve come together as an awesome, organized, and effective progressive advocacy force.
Enjoy this time fully. Sleep well. Let your tenseness unwind. You’ve earned it. And then we’ll move forward, as there will always be progressive interests to be held up and worked for. It will be a relief to work at a more normal pace, and in a more proactive, less put-out-the-new-fire way. It’s already refreshing to see Biden knocking out some powerful executive orders and installing experienced, topical experts in his Cabinet. But there are plenty of issues at federal and state (and some local) levels that will need our advocacy - environment, climate, social services, race, economic equity, campaign finance reform - and we’ll be on it. And when mid-terms roll around again in 2022, we’ll be on that too.
The Insurrection: White supremacist domestic terrorism
The January 6 attack on the Capitol seemed to be about Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. While that was the rallying cry for the event, drummed up for weeks before Jan. 6 by Trumpists like our newly elected CD2 Congressman Cliff Bentz, a rabid racism appears to be the long-lasting glue underneath.
Photos of the mob showed people with tattoos and insignias of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups. The flags being waved were Confederate. The crowd, including middle-age suburbanites, was almost exclusively white. On their way to storm the Capitol, a group of white insurgents broke into a peaceful BLM vigil nearby, re-enacted the murder of George Floyd while shouting the "N" word, then continued on to go storm the Capitol.
The insurgents, and unfortunately, millions of Americans like them, found sustenance and reassurance in the racism and xenophobia of the Trump administration. The huge anti-racist response from around the country and around the world to the murder of George Floyd upended that reassurance. It has brought renewed attention to the many murders of blacks by police and others in the recent past. It has prompted open examination of white privilege, implicit bias, and systemic racism. It has forced institutional reassessment of “diversity” efforts, recognizing many have been only window-dressing.
This is a threatening time for racists who see their “ruling class” status changing. We're getting through the transition to a new administration. We’re moving beyond the specious claims of voting fraud. We’ll still need to work on the racism that has flourished in this country for over 250 years.
CD2 Rep. Cliff Bentz - Part of the Problem
Rep. Cliff Bentz showed himself very quickly to be part of the Trump insurrection crowd. He started drumming up Trump’s baseless charges of election fraud in December, then voted to object to Pennsylvania's presidential electors on Jan. 6. He stated he objected to the PA electors because he believed PA’s decision to extend the deadline for return of absentee ballots violated the Constitution. And this in spite of the fact that the 10,000 ballots in question, postmarked by Election Day but received afterward, were not even included in PA's vote count. Not what you’d call solid reasoning.
Many are rightfully looking toward the 2022 election cycle when Bentz can be replaced by a candidate with more integrity and commitment to democratic process. Oregon’s redistricting process will wrap up this summer, and the planning for retiring Mr. Bentz can begin in earnest.
Two Environmental Victories: Power of Our Voices
On Jan. 19, FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) sided with Oregon against the Jordan Cove LNG export terminal and pipeline. This project had been on the drawing board for 15 years, and sought to build a 229-mile pipeline that would cross 300 rivers, streams and wetlands in Oregon, as well as a marine export terminal in Coos Bay for the piped gas. Oregon DEQ had recently denied the project a clean water permit, which the owner, Pembina, appealed to FERC. The pipeline would have been an environmental disaster in and of itself, and the entire project would have further built climate-damaging infrastructure in our state.
Two days later, Gov. Jay Inslee and the WA Dept of Ecology denied a key permit for the world’s largest fracked gas-to-methanol refinery, proposed for Kalama, WA, citing significant danger to our climate and WA’s shorelines. Several Tribal Nations and thousands of people across the PNW had advocated to Inslee and Ecology against the refinery.
If you acted on one of our many calls-to-action about one or both of these projects, THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS!! Our voices have power!
Quotes
If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it. - Sen. Lindsey Graham, on Twitter 5/3/2016
I have a feeling Mt. Rushmore is off the table. - Seen on Twitter 1/13/21.
1/5 Big Days, Slow Days
Today, Jan. 5, has a lot riding on it. As this newsletter is taking form, the Ossoff / Warnock double runoff is under way in Georgia. The party balance of the US Senate will be decided by this election, and that will influence political process and the ability of the Biden administration to implement significant changes in policy.
Tomorrow, Jan. 6, is even more critical. While the smart thinking is that our most basic democratic processes will not be upended as Trump and his allies intend, the fact that we as a country are even at this dangerous crossroad of a dictator trying to annul a properly conducted election is momentous and frightening in itself. We will get through this. And we will most certainly have identified procedural and even Constitutional vulnerabilities that should be corrected. A damn close call - and we’re not through it yet.
And after tomorrow, on Jan. 7, we will still have 14 days left. 14 days of the most incompetent, corrupt, and dangerous president and administration in U.S. history. These 14 days will be slow, and likely filled with the spoils of this dictator’s rampant hatred and anger and mental illness. He will do what he does. We will get through this.
2020
12/23
Jamie McLeod-Skinner on Bridging the Divide
During a recent call organized by COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network), Jamie McLeod-Skinner gave an inspired presentation on how we Oregonians can work to bridge the divide between Republicans and Democrats in our state. After losing her primary bid for Secretary of State last spring, she began working with rural candidates for the state House and Senate, and in the process started mapping out what we can do to find common ground.
Jamie shared her insights into how we can reach out to others who don’t share our views. With bracing conviction and practical tips, she made it clear that the work begins with each of us individually—identifying our biases, emotional triggers, and stereotypes. Facing them honestly is the first step. Then, we need to learn to communicate in a way that involves both listening and mindfully avoiding the trigger words of others. The goal is to find a single point on which everyone can agree.
Jamie is developing a tool box that she will share with groups, candidates, and campaign workers in the coming months. In the meantime, she recommends being prepared for a long haul. This isn’t a project that will be completed quickly or within a single election cycle.
Keep your eyes on Jamie’s work on her website and Facebook page.
[content credit to OST-PDX]
Quotes
“The best leaders trust their followers with the truth, and you know what happens as a result? Their followers trust them back.” - George Schultz, former secretary of state, now 100, in a WaPo OpEd.
“America under Trump became less free, less equal, more divided, more alone, deeper in debt, swampier, dirtier, meaner, sicker, and deader. It also became more delusional.” - George Packer, A Political Obituary for Donald Trump, in The Atlantic.
12/9
Overview of OR 2020 Election
Oregon remains blue, with Dems ruling the top of the State ballot (Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer), but we didn’t make gains in down-ballot races. The margins of Dem wins in the state (including Rep. Anna Williams) were smaller than in the past. We didn’t secure a quorum-proof SuperMajority in the state legislature, so we can’t prevent walk-outs by GOP legislators. However, there were some bright spots - for example, in Bend House races. Timber Unity candidates, mostly rural, won consistently, and will be a force in our future.
Overall, the Republicans put themselves where they wanted to be in the state legislature and with a governor that is both a lame-duck and unpopular in rural areas. Our work as progressives is cut out for us in 2022, our next election cycle
Going forward, OR Dems need to focus on recruiting, promoting, and funding rural candidates, and on creating a broad message that will unify and benefit candidates.
[content credit to COIN, Coonsolidated OOregon Indivisible Network]
Speaking of recruiting and promoting rural candidates…
Have you ever thought of running for office? Not just state positions, but city, county, and special district? Or do you know someone you think would be great in an elected position?
Two things to know:
Indivisible National’s core advocacy issues for 2021:
Democracy reform (top priority), economic justice, climate, health care and immigration, with a connecting thread of racial justice through all of them.
Read about them here.
Pebble mine: Environmentalists, take note. Activists, take heart.
The Pebble mine project, to extract rich copper, gold, and molybdenum mineral deposits, has been stealthily advancing for more than 20 years now. It would be an environmental disaster in the rich and sensitive Bristol Bay area of SW Alaska, devastating salmon fisheries and indigenous land and cultures.
It should have had a nail put in its coffin long ago. The current permit denial (by the Army Corps, no less!) is the strongest nail yet, and is 101% due to sustained, vocal fighting back by environmental activists and environmental advocacy groups.
This denial is not final, though - the project owners are planning to appeal (of course). A more comprehensive and long-term shut-down would come from an EPA denial based on the Clean Water Act.
If you have weighed in as an activist on this project in the past, YAY for you! And if you ever wonder if your efforts matter, take heart.
Quote
“Competence is the new cool.” - Dan Rather, on Twitter.
11/23
Anna Williams Wins!
Anna was originally called the winner on Nov. 3, but A LOT of votes from conservative Clackamas County had not yet been counted (a counting machine there broke down). When those votes were counted, her lead decreased to double digits and booth sides had 4 days to contact voters with rejected ballots (signature problems) to “cure” their rejections. Anna won by about 90 votes, just enough to avoid a recount, and was announced the winner last week.
Anna thanked ICG's many devoted activists who helped make the win happen, doing postcards, phonebanking, yard signs, sign-waving, fundraising, and vote "curing.” Soooo proud of our team, and so proud to have Anna Williams as our State Rep. Well done, all!
GA Runoffs: Build/Support the Infrastructure
You might want to consider supporting and/or working with these local organizations working on voter enfranchisement in Georgia, all of which will continue their work beyond the January Senate election.
Fair Fight – Founded by Stacy Abrams. The group is working on getting Warnock and Ossoff elected while fighting voter suppression through mobilizing voters and legal action. They are running a texting effort for GOTV.
New Georgia Project - Founded by Stacy Abrams. CEO is Nse Ufot. Nonpartisan effort to register and civically engage Georgians, particularly people of color and young people. Fights voting obstacles, like precinct closures and attempts to reduce the time period for early voting. Their strategy is on meeting people where they are, including faith-based institutions, college campuses, and neighborhoods. They have a texting program focused on young voters to GOTV.
Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda - Black-founded and -led. Mission includes voter empowerment, education, criminal justice, and environmental justice reform.
NAACP Georgia is partnering with Lyft to get voters to the polls.
Voter Participation Center - Using site-based (as in tables in front of grocery stores), on-the-ground volunteers to get people to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot and register to vote until the December 7 cut-off.
[content credit to OST-PDX]
A Time to Renew, Reflect, Reconfirm
In this time of transition, we are savoring what we’ve accomplished over the past four years, and thinking ahead to upcoming challenges and opportunities. Join us in renewing and reflecting, and in reconfirming our commitment to progressive activism.
Do you have thoughts on or suggestions for ICG’s work in the coming year? Are you interested in getting more involved, or in a particular topic? Please reach out, and let’s talk!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
11/16
TIME to FIX: Timber corporations hurting OR rural communities by avoiding taxes
Recent articles (1, 2) have shown that Oregon's timber corporations don't pay their fair share of taxes. For decades these corporations have worked to incrementally reduce their tax liability, and, as a result, rural communities have suffered.
Concerned Oregonians are exploring ways to reinstate fair timber taxes to fill the hole left in Oregon's rural county budgets created by the elimination of the tax that helped to pay for county services. State legislative counsel is drafting the citizen legislative concept to reinstate a severance timber tax to 1990 levels and redirect that funding to local communities and support watershed restoration, water and emergency preparedness infrastructure. It would also provide a tax reduction to those companies that switch to more environmentally-sound forestry practices.
Interested? Learn more at this presentation/discussion hosted by Tax Fairness Oregon
REMINDER: Stay alert. Stay tuned.
We’re not out of the woods yet in terms of difficulties related to Trump and his minions. ICG leadership will alert our members pronto if there is any need/plan for grassroots resistance.
If a rally or other event is called, remember our basics: nonviolence, personal safety, de-escalate conflict, mutual respect, take care of each other, use covid precautions (masks and distancing).
Do not be baited. Proud Boys and others Trumpers are rallying in major cities, often instigating confrontations and violence. Similar could happen here. Don’t play ball. Stay away. Ignore. Don’t engage. We don’t want to give Trump or his terrorists any foothold for actions in our community.
ICG will communicate about protests/actions in two ways:
1. Posts on ICG’s Facebook page, and
2. Emergency action email to all our newsletter subscribers.
Quote
President Trump’s first and final contribution to the nation’s civic health will be [has been] to have motivated a voter turnout rate not seen for more than a century. - George Will (Washington Post 10/29/2020).
11/14 Congrats! Thanks! STAY TUNED.
We wrote letters. We wrote postcards. We textbanked and phonebanked. We wrote letters to the editor. We donated. We registered voters. We delivered yard signs. We had elementary age kids putting stamps on letters, bigger kids making up letter packets, young and older adults hosting friends and neighbors for candidate support activities, and younger teens registering their older schoolmates to vote. And we voted.
YAY for us!!! Congrats to all of us, and many thanks to our hundreds of activist-volunteers for jobs well-done.
And now, here we are post-voting. (Not yet post-election, since the vote counting continues.) As expected, as more and more mail-in ballots are counted, it's becoming more clear that Biden & Harris are on track to win this election.
Overall we aren’t seeing a massive push from the GOP to discount the results, although Trump has demanded a recount in Wisconsin and is ranting as usual on Twitter. So…so far, nothing illegal, and vote counting is continuing as it should.
Therefore, AT THIS TIME nationwide protests have not been activated. But things are in flux, so STAY ALERT for communications from ICG about local rallies/responses.
We will communicate about protests/actions in two ways:
1. Posts on ICG’s Facebook page, and
2. Emergency action email to all our newsletter subscribers.
Stay tuned, friends - and in the meantime, be kind to yourselves and each other.
10/29
Our gratitude (and we’re not finished yet!)
ICG leaders are so very thankful for all our MANY volunteers for their commitment to the 2020 Election. Today, we want to take a moment to say “thank you!”
We’ve rallied, written letters and postcards, done phonebanking and texting, but we’re not quite finished yet...and we still need you! With Election Day less than one week away, there’s not a moment to waste. We are in this together. Can you rise to the challenge?
We’re joining Indivisible Oregon over the next five days to phonebank like crazy to swing states. There are phonebanking trainings and events every day leading up to Nov.3 - take your pick!
ICG Endorsements - Local, State, & Federal
HR CITY
Mayor - Kate McBride; City Council (3) - Gladys Rivera, Megan Saunders, Mark Zanmiller
YES on ballot measure: Measure 14-70 Revision of Hood River County Home Rule Charter
STATE
Attorney General - Ellen Rosenblum; Secretary of State - Shemia Fagan; State Treasurer - Tobias Reed; State Representative (HD52) - Anna Williams
YES on all state ballot measures: Measure 107 Campaign Finance Limits; Measure 108 Tobacco & E-Cig Tax Increase for Health Programs; Measure 109 Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program; Measure 110 Drug Decriminalization & Addiction Treatment
FEDERAL
President/VP - Joe Biden/Kamala Harris; US Senator - Jeff Merkley; US Representative (CD2) - Alex Spenser
Resistance Actions During/After Elections
If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was “stolen,” tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the integrity of the election or the peaceful transition of power, mass grassroots mobilization will occur around the country. It’s quite possible that one or more of these triggers will occur immediately on/after November 3, and that the first mobilization will be called for Wednesday, November 4.
We are committed to nonviolence and to personal safety. We expect all participants to act nonviolently and lawfully at all times and to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with us. We expect all participants to respect one another and look out for one another.
Stay tuned in, and be ready to act:
ICG leadership will communicate plans for rallies/other actions in Hood River and/or The Dalles as developments unfold. Communication will be via ICG’s Facebook page and by “emergency alert” newsletter. Any gatherings will include social distancing and masks, and safety will be part of the planning.
10/20
Making it happen: Week 2
Our letter-writing (11,000+!) and postcard-writing (3000+!) campaigns have now come to a close. We and our fellow activists around the country are turning our full attention to phonebanking for the last 2 weeks.
Even if you’ve resisted phonebanking in the past, give it a try. THIS IS THE TIME. Choose one of these well-polished resources, and give it all you’ve got -
ICG Endorsements - Local, State, & Federal
HR CITY
Mayor - Kate McBride
City Council (3) - Gladys Rivera, Megan Saunders, Mark Zanmiller (incumbent)
YES on ballot measure: Measure 14-70 Revision of Hood River County Home Rule Charter
STATE
Attorney General - Ellen Rosenblum
Secretary of State - Shemia Fagan
State Treasurer - Tobias Reed
State Representative (HD52) - Anna Williams
YES on all state ballot measures:
· Measure 107 Campaign Finance Limits Amendment
· Measure 108 Tobacco and E-Cigarette Tax Increase for Health Programs Measure
· Measure 109 Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program Initiative
· Measure 110 Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative
FEDERAL
President/VP - Joe Biden/Kamala Harris
US Senator - Jeff Merkley
US Representative (CD2) - Alex Spenser
Editorial Opinion: Engagement with Civility
We, the BIG we, are in desperate need of a change in attitude in this country. I know it can’t happen under Trump, as he purposefully sows divisiveness and fans the flames of hatred among us. But I am hoping and expecting it can start under Biden-Harris. They at least recognize and are speaking of the need for unity and civility.
The negative, confrontational attitude on display daily in the U.S. has been building for a long time. We see it in our growing distrust of institutions - governmental, educational, commercial - and each other. We see it in our promotion and celebration of American “individualism” and individual rights, which can also convey “f*** you, society, I’ll do what I want.” Not only is the overall feel one of hostility, we seem to have lost the inclination to respect and work for the common good - actually subjugate our individual judgment / “rights” / preferences for the collective benefit of all.
The idea of achieving a greater sense of unity and respect for others is not just a utopian dream. It can happen - in fact, it must, if we are to flourish. We do not have to roll over and play dead to avoid conflict. We do not have to give up working for the issues and values we hold dear. We do need to make a real effort, though, to do it with civility, even tolerance, even acceptance. People are different. There will always be different points of view. But the common good calls.
Resistance Actions During/After Elections
If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was “stolen,” tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the integrity of the election or the peaceful transition of power, mass grassroots mobilization will occur around the country. It’s quite possible that one or more of these triggers will occur immediately on/after November 3, and that the first mobilization will be called for Wednesday, November 4.
The thinking on and planning for grassroots response has been detailed in our last 3 newsletters -
Please reread these basics, in case resistance actions are called for:
Commitment to nonviolence: We commit to a nonviolent strategy for several reasons. First, we want to prioritize keeping people safe, especially those most at risk from rising threats of right-wing violence. Second, we want to win. Rigorous study of social movements has shown that nonviolent civil resistance is more effective than violence at resisting oppression and making change.
Lawfulness, de-escalation, mutual respect and caretaking: We expect all participants to act lawfully at all times and to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with us. We expect all participants to respect one another and look out for one another.
Sustained mobilization: The first week following the election is extremely critical. If Trump challenges the integrity of the election or is otherwise sowing chaos, we will repond with sustained protests.
Increasing pressure: If the crisis lasts longer than that first critical week post-election, we will need to be ready to ramp up our pressure. The strategy(ies) chosen will depend on the scenario at the time.
Attention to risk and safety: Trump’s attempts to create chaos and his encouragement of state-sponsored and right-wing violence, combined with polarizing media, misinformation, and accusations of fraud, all increase the risk of post-election violence. We will promote deescalation strategies, and seek to minimize the risk of violence in planning our response events.
Local actions and communications: ICG leadership will communicate plans for rallies/other actions in Hood River and/or The Dalles as developments unfold. Communication will be via ICG’s Facebook page and by “emergency alert” newsletter. Any gatherings will include social distancing and masks, and safety will be part of the planning.
10/14/20
Making it happen: Week 3
Our SwingLeft letter writing campaign, which started in mid-February, has finally wrapped up! Volunteers Lani Roberts, Nancy Clement, Irene Zimmerman, Pennie Burns, Marilyn Smith, Elise Tickner, and Claire Culbertson did the final honors by checking addresses and adding stamps to our 11,000+ voter turnout letters. They’re off now for THE BIG SEND - our contribution to 15 million letters written by activists all over the country. Yay for us!
ICG Endorsements - Local, State, & Federal
HR CITY
Mayor - Kate McBride
City Council (3) - Gladys Rivera, Megan Saunders, Mark Zanmiller (incumbent)
STATE
Attorney General - Ellen Rosenblum
Secretary of State - Shemia Fagan
State Treasurer - Tobias Reed
State Representative (HD52) - Anna Williams
YES on all state ballot measures:
· Measure 107 Campaign Finance Limits Amendment
· Measure 108 Tobacco and E-Cigarette Tax Increase for Health Programs Measure
· Measure 109 Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program Initiative
· Measure 110 Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative
FEDERAL
President/VP - Joe Biden/Kamala Harris
US Senator - Jeff Merkley
US Representative (CD2) - Alex Spenser
America’s 2020 Election Nightmare, Part 3
This is the third in a series of Moving Forward articles outlining the plans of pro-Democracy groups around the country to respond to possible post-election-day scenarios in which Trump refuses to concede after losing the election. The first two articles covered Choose Democracy’s “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup” (Daniel Hunter, 9/2020) and the Transition Integrity Project.
Protect the Results
Protect the Results is a plan for mass grassroots mobilization and protest organized by Indivisible National (IN), Stand Up America, and a broad coalition of partners. If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was “stolen,” tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the integrity of the election or the peaceful transition of power, mass mobilization will occur. It’s quite possible that one or more of these triggers will occur immediately on/after November 3, and that the first mobilization will be called for Wednesday, November 4.
Here are the basics:
Commitment to nonviolence: We commit to a nonviolent strategy for several reasons. First, we want to prioritize keeping people safe, especially those most at risk from rising threats of right-wing violence. Second, we want to win. Rigorous study of social movements has shown that nonviolent civil resistance is more effective than violence at resisting oppression and making change.
We expect all participants to act lawfully at all times and to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with us. We expect all participants to respect one another and look out for one another.
Sustained mobilization: The first week following the election is extremely critical. If Trump challenges the integrity of the election or is otherwise sowing chaos, we will repond with sustained protests (see “Plan for local actions” below).
Increasing pressure: If the crisis lasts longer than that first critical week post-election, we will need to be ready to ramp up our pressure. The strategy(ies) chosen will depend on the scenario at the time.
Attention to risk and safety: Trump’s attempts to create chaos and his encouragement of state-sponsored and right-wing violence, combined with polarizing media, misinformation, and accusations of fraud, all increase the risk of post-election violence. We will learn and promote deescalation strategies, and seek to minimize the risk of violence in planning our response events.
Plan for local actions and communications:
ICG leadership will communicate plans for rallies/other actions in Hood River and/or The Dalles as developments unfold. Communication will be via ICG’s Facebook page and by “emergency alert” newsletter. Any gatherings will include social distancing and masks, and safety will be part of the planning.
10/6/20
Making it happen: Week 4
Volunteer letter writers Christian Danielsen, Linda Shively, Heather Nielsen, Mimi Maduro, and Sartah Bellinson & friends completed 750 more SwingLeft voter engagement letters! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
The postcard-writing group is up to 50 member sand almost 3000 postcards to voters in swing states and critical Senate races. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
ICG Endorsements
By vote of the membership, ICG endorses the following local candidates and state ballot measures:
America’s 2020 Election Nightmare, Part 2
This is the second in a series of Moving Forward articles outlining the plans of pro-Democracy groups around the country to respond to possible post-election-day scenarios in which Trump refuses to concede after losing the election. Last week’s article covered Choose Democracy’s “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup” (Daniel Hunter, 9/2020).
Next week’s will cover Protect the Results (Indivisible National and Stand Up America).
The Transition Integrity Project
The Transition Integrity Project (TIP) was launched in December 2019 to identify and mitigate possible threats to democracy and federal administrative continuity in the period following election day in November 2020. It consists of a bipartisan group of over 100 current and former senior government and campaign leaders, academics, journalists, polling experts and former federal and state government officials concerned about potential disruptions to the 2020 U.S. presidential election and transition that might be attempted by Trump, his GOP supporters, and the Republican National Committee.
The point of TIP’s work has been to determine how can we ensure there will be a peaceful transition after the November election. To answer this question, they engaged in a “wargaming” exercise, a roleplaying “game” where participants were assigned roles and then thrown into specific scenarios in order to suss out how real-life world events might unfurl in the post-election period.
The seventy or so participants were assigned to play one of seven different roles: The Trump campaign team, the Biden campaign team, Democratic elected officials, Republican elected officials, federal bureaucrats in the national security apparatus, the press, and the public.
Assigned to faithfully play their role, these groups were then led into four different scenarios: a close Biden win, a Biden blowout, a Trump win, and an uncertain result. Here are a few (of many) takeaway points from the report of the scenario exercises:
Readiness: Please join ICG’s “Phone-Tree”
A tactic used by the Trump faction in one scenario involved intentional disruption of the internet. Because of the crippling effect that would have on grassroots organizing and response, Indivisible and the 80 groups comprising Stand Up America are urging their members to enroll their text-able phone numbers with their organization to enable a local “phone-tree.” ICG members: Please send your name and cell # by email to ICG. It will be kept secure, and will not be shared with other individuals or organizations. If the internet is disrupted, the phone-tree will be our means of communicating and organizing.
9/29/20
Making it happen: Week 5
Volunteer letter writers Nancy Clement, Kathy Pickering, Jana Castanares & friends, and Mimi Maduro & friends completed 775 more SwingLeft voter engagement letters! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
The postcarding team now numbers 43! We'll name them all here when the project is complete. We are approaching 2700 postcards written and sent since late August, in support of targeted state GOTV campaigns and several close senate races across the country. Gold star on collars!
Many thanks to Claire Culbertson, Beth Foster, Kathy Pickering, Cheryl Hollatz, and Carrie Fuentes for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
America’s 2020 Election Nightmare
Our collective nightmare? Trump refusing to concede after losing re-election. He has been saying for months that he’ll do it. He is trying his best to steal the election - Russian interference, disabling the USPS, violence and threats of more violence, multiple methods of voter suppression. But it still may not be enough - Biden may (will) win. Trump has therefore stated preemptively that if he loses, it will be because of fraudulent voting and/or other underhanded Dem plots.
We’re not the only ones worrying about Trump refusing to concede after losing the election. “What’s a Coup? And What to Do?,” below, is the first in a series of Moving Forward articles outlining the plans of pro-Democracy groups around the country to respond to possible post-election-day scenarios in which Trump might attempt a power grab if (when) the election does not go his way. The weekly articles will cover
What’s a Coup? And What to Do?
Choose Democracy is a national effort to prep Americans for the possibility of a coup, while keeping people focused on a strong, robust election process. In “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup,” author Daniel Hunter presents Choose Democracy’s10 guidelines for recognizing and responding to a coup. The guidelines were developed from experiences of the many countries that have had coups since World War II. These excerpts give some of the basics:
It will be a coup if the government:
We need to be ready for a coup, and if it happens, we need to call it that and respond quickly. …
Coups work only if the public honors them. When the public refuses to accept the coup as legitimate, coups fall apart. Refusal looks like millions of people using nonviolent tools to delegitimize the coup by demonstrating, resisting orders, and shutting down the country until democracy prevails. …
Mass resistance to coups wins by using walk-outs and strikes, refusing orders, and shutting down civil society until the rightful democratically elected leader is installed. For mass movements to succeed against coups, they should refuse to do violence to the other side. …
A group of DC insiders called the Transition Integrity Project ran multiple simulations on Trump attempting to hold onto power no matter what. In every simulation they concluded that a “show of numbers in the streets may be decisive.” Regular people make the difference. …
Another way to prepare is to get people into the mindset of taking action so they don’t “freeze.” The classic formulation of this is the “if-this-then-that” model, where people prepare themselves for an action by saying “If it comes to this bad thing, then I’ll act.” By signing a pledge before the crunch moment, you get wider buy-in.
In that spirit, Choose Democracy has created a pledge:
ICG encourages you to sign the pledge to choose democracy and join with folks across the political spectrum! These public commitments ahead of time increase the political cost of attempting a coup — because the best way to stop a coup is to deter it.
Oh, THOSE income taxes…
Laurence Tribe (Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard), via Twitter -
9/27: One thing not to overlook in the blockbuster NYT report on Trump’s taxes is his $410M in personal debt. That represents some pretty massive leverage by people or governments with interests that aren’t necessarily ours as Americans. Kompromat, anyone?
9/28: Trump’s worse than broke. He’s in hock to foreign powers who wish us ill. His desperation and indebtedness endanger every one of us. He must be swept from office by a tidal wave of patriotic voters. Rise up and VOTE.
9/28: A lot of Americans want to know: Will Chris Wallace ask Trump on Tuesday night: “Mr. Trump, to whom do you owe that $410M?
Bloomberg.com -
9/28: Trump's taxes show he’s a national security threat. What trade-offs would a president with this level of indebtedness be willing to make to save face?
Heather C. Richardson, PhD (Professor of Political History) via her daily blog -
9/28: For ordinary Americans, even small debt can prevent obtaining a security clearance because it makes a person vulnerable to blackmail or other pressure.
9/22/20
Making it happen: Week 6
Volunteer letter writers Amy Nowatzki, Elise Tickner, Christian Danielsen, Kelly Bradway Parrett, Rachel and Caroline and Colette Hyde, Pennie Burns, Buck Parker, Nancy Clement, and Sarah Bellinson & friends cranked out 950 SwingLeft voter engagement leters! This is part of a goal of 10 million such letter across the country. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Our volunteer postcard writers now number almost 40, and they have mailed over 2000 postcards to targeted voters in the last month, giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast. Welcome new writers! More gold stars; write on!
Many thanks to Tina Castañares, Suzanne Warren, Mary Taylor, and Kelly Brown for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Packing the Court…and then?
The loss of RBG is a great one. She was, and still is, and icon for women’s place in society and the workforce, and for women’s reproductive rights (also known as human rights). The fact that it came at this time, before the end of Trump’s term in January, is really no surprise, considering the nature of her medical diagnosis. The fact that she lasted this long, and with continuing wit and grace and mental powers, is a blessing.
There’s a great deal of angst and effort to persuade Republicans not to fill the position - but Dems have essentially no card to play in this game beyond exhortations. A couple of interesting observations and ideas have been floated and are worth noting, given that a Repub appointment to the court is likely -
The ages of the current justices range from 82 to 53. Breyer is 82; Thomas is 72; Alito is 70; Sotomayor is 66; Roberts is 65; Kagan is 60; Kavanaugh is 55; Gorsuch is 53. Those of older ages have statistically more limited shelf lives. For others - who knows? Life has surprises. And expiration of shelf life is not the only possibility - retirements are possible, too. The point is, obviously, that even intentional court-packing is not a sure bet for controlling the future.
Another idea recently floated by liberals to regain power after a conservative packing of the Court is to add more seats to the Court that could be filled by a Dem president. The Constitution actually doesn’t specify the number of seats on the Court. In fact, it has changed a few times - but not since 1869.
In order for this to happen, Dems would need to win the House, the Senate, and the presidency in November. It could happen (inshallah). Then they’d probably need to eliminate the filibuster’s use in the Senate. It could happen (inshallah).
Some expansion advocates feel expansion of the Court is justified because the strong conservative majority has been gained by illegitimate means, and point to recent decisions (eg the rollback of the Voting Rights Act and the Supremes’ failure to act on partisan gerrymandering) that show that the court already reflects rampant partisanship rather than judicial prudence. Some argue that voters could go all-in for Dems in November, so the conservative Court would then be subverting the will of the people. Of course, that’s the whole point of packing the court.
A number of writers have delved into what they see as pros and cons of expansion:
PROS:
The Repub appointment to the Supreme Court will probably sail right along. Then what? Well, like so many things in our political world these days, we’ll just have to see.
9/15/20
Making it happen: Week 7
The last packet of SwingLeft letters went out to a writer this week! When all of the packets currently out to writers are returned, we will have completed 11,290 letters! Tremendous job, all of you volunteers!
This week, Amy Nowatzki, Arden Reid, Bob Danko, Fran Finney, Lani Roberts, Linda Chamberlain, Polly Wood, Phoebe Wood, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed a smashing 625 SwingLeft voter engagement letters! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Our postcarding team, led by Lara Dunn and Laurie Macdonald, is now over 30 strong and have mailed over 1400 handwritten postcards since August 21. This volume of friendly notes to voters will really make a difference in November. Write on!
Many thanks to Linda Chamberlain, Karin Tauscher, Christian and Alix Danielsen, Mary Ellen Barilotti, Jana Castanares, and Lousie Johnson for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
YES, we’re working to get a New & Improved president (and Senate)
OR Wildfires and Climate Change
We are witnessing and mourning unbelievable destruction and calamity in our state, and in CA and WA. So many people have been displaced, either temporarily or permanently, and many have been killed by the wildfires raging in the West. The fires are more numerous and more intense than in the past, and many have occurred in places that have not typically had wildfires in the past. This incredible catastrophe is due in large part to climate change.
Let us be clear on the words, as they do matter. The displaced and the dead are CLIMATE REFUGEES and CLIMATE FATALITIES. And yes, Trump can fairly be called a “climate arsonist.”
This is a good time to be intentional about how we think of the wildfires and the losses, how we speak of them, and how we write about them. Climate change should have been front and center as a political and social issue for the last 20 years. Making it so right now, at election time, is an opportunity not to be missed.
9/8/20
Making it happen: Week 8
We’re closing in on our goal of 11,300 SwingLeft voter engagement letters! This week, volunteers Heather Nielsen, Linda Shively, Pennie Burns, Nancy Clement, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed another 325. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
We now have 28 active Postcards to Voters writers who have completed and mailed over 1000 fun, friendly handwritten notes to engage progressive voters in Florida. Write on!
Many thanks to Pat Evenson-Brady, Patrick Cornelius, Steve Rudman, Heather Staten, Heather Nielsen, Melody Shapiro, Mary Claire Collins, and Cindy Allen for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. And an extra THANK YOU to Pat E-B for her work since February to create all of our letter packets - a huge job. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
Fight Election-Related Disinformation with Indivisible!
People believe sources they trust. Join Indivisible National’s Truth Brigade to share and amplify unified, factual messages to those who trust YOU. Check out the Truth Brigade action kit here. And the Public Resources, Countering Disinformation Best Practices, and the FAQs. And the latest action campaign here.
Join the Truth Brigade and share the crafted factual messages with your friends and with your social media friends/followers.
Covid: the Numbers, the Response
Over 185,000 Americans have died in the last 6 months due to Covid-19. That number is equivalent to a 9-11 attack every day for two months. It’s equivalent to flying a full 737 airplane into a mountain every single day for more than two years.
Trump says, “It is what it is.” That the US is singular in its failure is alternately played down and denied. That each death is the loss of a daughter, a mother, a father, a son, is lost on this mentally and emotionally stunted president.
What’s Timber Unity (and why should I care)?
The short answer on why you should care is that they’re funding the opposition in many OR legislative races and creating attack ads, aiming to capture control of the OR legislature to serve their own corporate interests. One of their generously funded candidates is Jeff Helfrich, running again against Rep. Anna Williams.
Timber Unity was started in 2019 by several log truck drivers who opposed climate legislation because of their concern it would increase fuel prices. The group was quickly hijacked by Andrew Miller, CEO of Portland-based Stimson Lumber Co., and Julie Parish, a GOP state representative who lost her seat in 2018. Miller and Parish took the name Timber Unity and formed the Timber Unity PAC (TUPAC) and two corporations - and, incidentally, threatened the log truck drivers with legal action if they continued to independently use the name.
In addition to Miller, major PAC donors include log trucking companies, agricultural and mining companies, right-wing militias, and Rob Freres, owner of Freres Lumber and the link between Timber Unity and Trump. Both Miller and Freres have been major contributors to Republican candidates and campaigns over the years, donating well over $3 million between the two of them.
While fronting itself as a grassroots movement, and supporting “working families,” Timber Unity is strictly a pro-corporate entity supporting Republican conservative, reactionary candidates in rural legislative races, with the intent of creating an OR legislature friendly to (i.e. willing to serve) corporate interests. TU is particularly targeting the Secretary of State race because of the threat redistricting poses to GOP seats.
In their opposition to climate change legislation, Miller’s and Timber Unity PAC’s interests are aligned with Wall Street real estate investors who own at least 40% of private forest lands in western Oregon, and with corporations such as Koch Industries, owner of Georgia-Pacific and its Oregon paper mills.
TU corporate tactics have included threatening OR wage-earners with job layoffs if climate legislation was enacted. Georgia-Pacific, for example, threatened to close its Wauna Paper Mill. Wauna employees joined Timber Unity believing that if climate legislation passed, they would lose their jobs.
Timber Unity was key in funding and implementing walkouts by GOP legislators during the 2019 and 2020 sessions, which prevented voting on climate legislation and other essential legislation. You might recall (and still be seeing) I-Support-Chuck-Thomsen yard signs referring [obliquely] to “working families” - presumably those same working families that lost out on program initiatives and funding for mental health care, homeless shelters, wildfire management, and other needed services due to the GOP walkouts. The interests of working families are most definitely NOT central to Timber Unity.
[content credit to OST-PDX]
9/1/20
Making it happen: Week 9
Our extraordinary letter-writers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamerlain, Ruth Tsu, and Sarah Bellinson & friends cranked out an amazing 685 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Marie Borucki, Gary Regalbuto, Mary Harmon, Holly Coccoli, and Pat Case for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. And a big thank-you, too, to graphic artist Maureen Lauran who created a beautiful Biden-Harris poster that we’ve been selling for yard signs, funding stamps for our letter and postcard projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
Stoking Violence as Election Strategy
Trump is stoking violence around the country, including in Portland. In his recent press conference, in which he addressed ongoing unrest in the city, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called out Trump for being a provocateur, noting, “It’s you who have created the hate and the division” that are fueling violent clashes in Portland and elsewhere.
Political historian Dr. Heather Richardson says the reason is clear - “Stoking violence is a key tool in the authoritarian’s toolkit.” The intended pathway is that, as violence increases, people turn to a leader who offers protection - eg, the “LAW & ORDER” promise/platform that Trump keeps pushing when talking about protests.
Trump and his administration continue to paint Black people as lawless and dangerous, allegedly endangering suburban white Americans. They (Trump et al.) refuse to condemn violence, and have lionized the 17-year-old murderer (and Trump supporter) in Kenosha last week. They blame Dems/liberals for violent protests, ignoring that most of the injuries have been caused by police or by rightwing “militia members”/gangsters.
It is important to continue to make it clear to the American people what is happening - that Trump is inciting violence to further create an atmosphere of fear, hoping people will grasp for his LAW & ORDER promise. Dem leaders are now calling out Trump for “willfully fanning the flames of this violence,” in the words of Rep. Adam Schiff. In Wisconsin, where police shot Jacob Blake in the back, the Lt. Governor and the Governor have both excoriated Trump for sowing hatred and violence, and asked him not to come to their state as he had planned. As individuals, we can help by being clear in our conversations, LTEs, and social media posts that Trump is intentionally provoking and supporting the violence, as a desperate attempt to drive fearful voters to his camp.
8/25/20
Making it happen: Week 10
Volunteer letter-writers Pennie Burns, Kathy Pickering, Marilyn Smith, and Sarah Bellinson & friends added 500 more completed SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Susan Lannack, John & Carolyn Stevens, Jace Castello, Bonnie Withers, Maria Cook, Anya Dassel, Karin Tauscher, and one unidentified angel for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
600 Lawyers…
would normally sound like...well... maybe too much of a good thing.
This is an exception: “Biden Campaign Deploys 600 Lawyers So Trump Can’t ‘Steal This Election’”, recent article in Forbes magazine.
Speaking of Stealing the Election…
From Indivisible National:
Postboxes removed from street corners. Sorting machines taken from local post offices. Hours cut and routes lengthened. In a year when people are rightly anxious about the safety of voting in person, Trump’s increasing attacks on the Postal Service are just more proof he’s laying the groundwork to contest or outright steal the election.
And it’s not just the post office -- last week the Washington Post reported on the RNC’s literal plans to contest the results of the election. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both spoke out about their fears for November. Trump straight up admitted he’s planning to interfere. And just two days ago, Trump said he’d seek an (unconstitutional) third term.
Luckily, many experts saw this coming, and we’re already working on a plan to fight back. It’s called Protect the Results -- a joint effort between 40 (and counting!) partner organizations to prepare for a mass mobilization if Trump loses the election and refuses to leave office.
We’ve got three steps to get ready for a potential Trump-manufactured constitutional crisis:
NORCOR: A Dose of Great News (we need to keep in practice)
Last week the board of the Northern Oregon Correctional Facility in The Dalles voted unanimously to end its contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is a huge win for immigrant justice, and it could not have happened without the courage of the immigrants and refugees detained at NORCOR, who organized two hunger strikes to protest conditions inside the jail. Neither could it have happened without the members of the Gorge ICE Resistance coalition and other activists in and beyond the Gorge, who held years of daily vigils outside NORCOR and kept up the pressure in community meetings and in court. Congratulations to all who worked so hard to achieve this victory.
Content credit to CGWAN.
Biden-Harris Poster/Yard Sign - $5
This is the trifecta of win-win-win offers! Your $5 donation supports the BLUE WAVE by
Email ICG to get yours now!
8/17/20
Making it happen: Week 11
Volunteer letter-writers Pennie Burns, Peter Cornelison, Anne Gehrig, Amy Nowatzki, Arden Reid, Marilyn Smith, and Irene Zimmerman, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed 425 more SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Claire Culbertson for her generous contribution to fund stamps for our letter-writing. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
By now the entire country is aware that Trump, past hoping for an electoral win with the conventional get-folks-to-vote-for-me approach, is focused on stealing the election by voter suppression and foreign interference. The latest and most far-reaching form of voter suppression is his destruction of the USPS. First it was starving it of funds, disingenuously stating it should become self-sustaining - of course we don’t expect this of the military or most other government functions. Now it is breaking and discarding expensive mail-sorting equipment, taking mailboxes off the streets, and reducing services at local post offices. This has been accomplished by installing a Trump loyalist, Louis DeJoy, as Postmaster General, and then dictating the destruction plan. So far, the USPS Board of Governors, 6 wealthy old white men, most of whom are also Trump appointees, has had nothing to say about this, despite the fact that they have both the power and the duty to stop DeJoy.
Legal and legislative responses are developing. Speaker Pelosi has ordered House members back from vacation to vote on a bill to halt the destruction of the Post Office. DeJoy has been called to testify before Congress. State attorneys general are filing suits because of interference in their voting processes, and state Secretaries of State are implementing alternative voting processes.
A grassroots effort to flush out the sleeping USPS Board of Governors has taken off around the country. They will NOT be happy to find their email boxes and phone messages full, but will also not be willing to have their reputations tarnished and business lives disrupted by this fiasco. You are invited and encouraged to participate. Call & email each of the 6 of them, and tell them :
There is a problem locally too, since many people mail in their ballots, especially now that it is postage-paid. We can drop off ballots by hand in a ballot box, but there’s only ONE ballot box available for the entire Hood River valley, the one on State Street in downtown HR. There are none in Parkdale or Odell. This has in the past been an inconvenience for residents there, and now is a critical problem with Trump’s intentional slowdown of USPS delivery. There’s time to add boxes (and there are some State resources available), but the decision rests with HR County Commissioners and the director of HRC’s Election Division, Brian Beebe. Mr. Beebe has responded tersely last week that he’s not planning on pursuing this. Both he and the County Commissioners seem to need more urging from concerned residents to add ballot boxes in Odell and Parkdale:
County Commissioners - mike.oates@co.hood-river.or.us; Karen.joplin@co.hood-river.or.us; rmcbride@co.hood-river.or.us; bob.benton@co.hood-river.or.us; les.perkins@co.hood-river.or.us
Director Beebe - brian.beebe@co.hood-river.or.us
8/11/20
Making it happen: Week 12
Marilyn Smith and Irene Zimmerman completed another 50 SwingLeft voter engagement letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Beth Foster for her very generous contribution to fund stamps for our letter-writing. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki as “acts of naked racism”
On Memorial Day of 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis. This was blatant police brutality and blatant racism.
On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9, the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb, this time on Nagasaki. 282,000 human beings were killed.
We have heard and read much about these horrific bombings in the years since. What has not been said or written about is their racial underpinnings - and it this that links the bombings to the George Floyd murder. “Worlds apart in time, space, and scale, the two events share three key features. Each was an act of state violence. Each was an act carried out against a defenseless opponent. Each was an act of naked racism.”
The story is told in an article published last week, the 75 anniversary of the atomic bombings, entitled “Memorial Days: the racial underpinnings of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.”
8/4/20
Making it happen: Week 13
Our letter-writing heroes this week added 250 voter engagement letters to our goal of 10,000 letter goal! Many thanks to Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Fran Finney, Buck Parker, Lani Roberts, Phoebe and Polly Wood, and Irene Zimmerman for making it happen. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Text & Phone Your Way to a New President
Indivisible National is looking for thousands of volunteers to join its robust texting and phonebanking programs to advance candidates and engage voters in “SuperStates” where the difference will be made in November.
Yet More on Protect the Results
There continue to be lots of causes for concern over Trump’s undermining of the November election. He’s floated the idea of postponing the election, made false claims that absentee ballots will result in voter fraud, and refused to say whether or not he will accept the legitimate results of the election. Now his new head of the USPS, a staunch Trump loyalist, has created new “regulations” that are slowing delivery of letters (and ballots) to over 2 weeks. Trump’s focus now is clearly not on winning the election by popular vote, but on cheating his way to victory.
NPR recently interviewed Rosa Brooks, a law professor at Georgetown University, about the bipartisan group of experts she gathered to game out what a contested November election might look like. Among the possibilities considered were Trump campaign and loyalists
A crisis of some sort is likely. Our Constitution does not anticipate or regulate such rogue misuses of power, so previous presidential transitions have relied on tradition and concern for the greater good. These are NOT Trump’s way. We all need to be ready to take action to protect the results and ensure a peaceful transition of power. Our democracy depends on it. Indivisible National and its many progressive partners will plan and coordinate actions as needed, and member groups like ICG will communicate and coordinate locally.
Click here to support Indivisible National's "Protect the Results" work.
7/27/20
Making it happen: Week 14
This week, letter-writing volunteers Pennie Burns, Nancy Clement, Amy Nowatzki, and Kathy Pickering added 150 voter engagement letters to our GROWING pile that will be sent out in late October. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Thank you to Claire Culbertson for her generous donation to purchase stamps for the letter-writing project. We could use more donations just like hers. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
More on Protect the Results
You’ll recall we noted in this section several weeks ago the undercurrent of anxiety in the country about the possibility that Donald Trump will dispute the outcome of the 2020 if/when he loses. Responses are being planned already - at the grassroots level by Indivisible National and other pro-democracy groups, and at the national level by the Transition Integrity Project and [hopefully/probably] others.
A recent article in Atlantic Monthly talks about the Transition Integrity Project: “an informal bipartisan group…that is looking to ensure the election and potential transition go smoothly. More than 60 people are involved, including former governors and Cabinet secretaries. They’re planning to meet on Zoom in the next few weeks and hold “tabletop” exercises meant to think through various scenarios.”
Our electoral tradition depends on the two candidates involved cooperating in the case of a contested election, i.e. one candidate being willing to fold in order to preserve the integrity of the system and avoid national chaos. This would be a move based on goodwill and interest in the greater good, neither of which have burdened Mr. Trump’s actions so far. Al Gore did just this is 2000, when the Supreme court failed to uphold a needed recount in Florida, and George Bush narrowly “won” the presidential election.
Author and professor Lawrence Douglas has just published Will He Go?, a book that lays out possible outcomes from a contested election, including courts being unable to resolve the dispute. He notes that “in 2020, we have no Al Gore to save us from a complete electoral meltdown and the unrest and violence it could unleash.”
The threat and possible consequences of a disputed national election are very real and very frightening. But having informed minds working together four months in advance allows for putting together an intelligent gameplan.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the many frightening things happening in current U.S. politics. A more satisfying and grounded approach is to keep our heads down and WORK at the things on the plate in front of us (see Call to Action above, and ICG’s 2020 Action Menu). And read what Mr. Rogers has to say (below). Often.
QUOTES
When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people is this world.
– Fred Rogers
7/20/2020
Making it happen: Week 15
Letter-writing volunteers Linda Chamberlain, Marilyn Smith, Ruth Tsu, and Sarah Bellinson & friends cranked out 340 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Daera Dobbs, Debbie Kelly, Carol Reed and Laurie Macdonald had a socially-distanced get-together last week to write 60 SwingLeft letters to potential voters in the upcoming Florida primary, as part of a beta-test of two different mailing time strategies. (Want to join in? More participants are needed, fyi, to get out another 10,000 letters for this test.) Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Thank you to Debby Chenoweth for her generous donation to keep the letter-writing to SuperStates voters going strong. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
ICG’s 2020 ENDORSEMENTS
At ICG’s general meeting last week, members voted to endorse the following 2020 federal- and state-level candidates:
VP Joe Biden (D) - US President
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) - US Senate
Ellen Rosenblum (D) - OR Attorney General
Tobias Read (D) - OR State Treasurer
Shemia Fagan (D) - OR Secretary of State
Rep. Anna Williams (D) - State Representative HD52
Each of them embodies our progressive values, and brings demonstrated dedication, intelligence, and ethical behavior.
Stormtroopers as Election Gambit? Election Prep?
Trump appears to have a new, three-pronged election approach. First, he is protecting us from “violent anarchists” by deploying rogue federal jackboots in our cities, starting with Portland, Oregon. Second, we no longer need to pay attention to the administration’s failure to protect us from coronavirus because the “violent anarchists” in our cities are more compelling, immediate, and tangible. And third, he expects to have similar troops in cities across the country as the election approaches (assignment unspecified).
Of course, attempting to overshadow the increasingly alarming news about the coronavirus is somewhat disingenuous, by any means. It is hard to overlook that hospitals across the South are literally overflowing with Covid patients of all ages, ICUs are filled to overflowing, medical equipment is scarce, and the number of deaths from Covid in the U.S. has skyrocketed to 145,000.
The claim of violent anarchy is also a bit disingenuous, given that the Department of Homeland Security lists the violent actions in Portland as graffiti, torn down fences, and fireworks. Portland officials feel quite capable of handling this level of “violence,” and have asked, along with both Oregon senators and Governor Brown, for the federal troops to be withdrawn. The administration refuses.
The legal basis for this [mis]use of federal forces has not been explained, and legal scholars question whether either AG Barr or the Acting Secretary of DHS even has the authority to deploy these federal forces in this way.
And how about the rest of us? The WE, THE PEOPLE? The Portlanders, the Oregonians, the people looking on in horror all around the country? We are fearful. We see intimidation and brutality. We see our democracy threatened. We see free speech and the right to peaceful protest being thrown under the bus. We see the deployment of unidentified secret stormtroopers as reminiscence of fascist dictatorships of the past. We have great concern that Trump’s vision is apparently that Portland is just the beginning.
But we have power - to show up, to speak up, to be bold and courageous, to vote, to last. And the arc, both of history and of the moral universe, is in our favor.
QUOTES
“Mr. President, the American people are tired and they cannot and will not take it anymore. They have a right to organize the unorganized. They have a right to protest in a peaceful, orderly, nonviolent fashion. You cannot stop the people with all of the forces that you may have at your command. You cannot stop people when they say ‘no.’”
- The late Rep. John Lewis
7/13/20
Making it happen: Week 16
The SwingLeft letter-writing continues! Thanks to volunteers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, and Sarah Bellinson & friends, who completed another 315 voter engagement letters to Texans in need of encouragement to get out and VOTE in November. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Protect the Results
Many of us are anxious about the possibility, even likelihood, of a move by an increasingly desperate Trump to reject the outcome of the November elections and refuse to leave the White House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned Dems in Congress of the same.
Indivisible National is partnering with Stand Up America to create and implement a country-wide response. Learn more about the planhere, and read Indivisible’s press release for Protect the Results here.
“We will stand together to ensure that if Trump loses the 2020 presidential election he will not throw our country into a constitutional crisis. We will demand that every vote be counted, even if it takes days or weeks to get an accurate count from critical states, especially given the expansion of mail-in and absentee voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will organize to ensure that the loser concedes, and that Congress, the Electoral College, and state officials honor the accurate, final vote count.” (- Indivisible National)
Biden: Build Back Better (and level the field)
“Biden’s economic plan for the country is, according to his campaign, the “largest mobilization of public investments in procurement, infrastructure, and R&D since World War II.” Called “Build Back Better,” the plan calls for investment in infrastructure and R&D to revitalize high-paying American industries and bring critical American supply chains back home. He calls for a revival of trade unions—gutted after 1981—and higher wages, as well as higher taxes on corporations (although not to the levels they were at before Trump’s tax cuts).
“The document is a strong one politically, undercutting both Trump’s “America First” language and promising concrete policies for voters suffering in the Republican economy. But it is interesting as well for how clearly it marks a return to a vision of a government that stops privileging an elite few, and instead works to level the economic playing field among all Americans.”
- H.C. Richardson, PhD, political historian
7/7/20
Making it happen: Week 17
Another solid week of SwingLeft letter-writing success! Pennie Burns, Nancy Clement, and Sarah Bellinson & friends added 280 letters to our GROWING pile of voter engagement letters due to go out in Late October. These volunteers are fueling the blue wave on November 3. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Thanks, too, to Pat Evenson-Brady for yet another huge delivery of letter packets to give out to volunteers. Woohoo! Another gold star on collar!
Join the discussion: Policing Review in the Gorge
At our virtual quarterly meeting on Tuesday, July 14 we will have a discussion of policing in the Gorge. Hear updates on related discussions at Hood River City Council and the Hood River County School District. The role, practices, and accountability of law enforcement agencies around the country have claimed national attention in the wake of numerous recent episodes of police oppression and violence. Come and take part in the conversation and response here in the Gorge.
The meeting will be 6-7:30pm, by Zoom. Register here to get the Zoom link.
ICG 2020 Endorsement Proposals
Seeking your input, please.
Rep. Anna Williams
ICG interviewed and endorsed Anna Williams in 2018 in her initial election bid to represent HD52 as our State Representative. She has worked hard for two years upholding progressive values, communicating with her constituents frequently, collaborating with both Dem and Republican colleagues in Salem. She’s been a strong leader for this district, helping to pass historic victories to fund education, expand healthcare, and strengthen worker protections.
Rep. Williams is running for re-election in November, and ICG’s Steering Committee recommends that ICG endorse her. Rep. Williams will speak, and her endorsement will be discussed and voted on, at our upcoming [virtual] quarterly meeting on July 14 (6-7:30pm; Register here to get the Zoom link).
We invite you to contact us at ICGO@ICGOregon.org by July 14 with your comments about the Steering Committee’s endorsement proposal for Rep. Anna Williams.
Biden, Merkley, Fagan, Rosenblum, Read
ICG is a member of Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network (COIN), a coalition of Indivisible groups in Oregon that support each other and work collaboratively to advance progressive federal and state legislation. COIN has endorsed the following five candidates in the November election:
Given the extraordinarily high stakes in the upcoming election, ICG’s Steering Committee recommends that ICG (as an individual Indivisible group) also endorse these candidates. What this will mean is that we (ICG) will add our logo to the COIN logo in amplifying these endorsements. We will also give these campaigns permission to use our name and logo in publicizing these endorsements. We will encourage our membership to support these candidates. Be assured that we will not share our membership lists with these campaigns.
We invite you to contact us at ICGO@ICGOregon.org by July 14 with your comments about the Steering Committee’s endorsement proposals for Biden, Merkley, Fagan, Rosenblum, and Read. These proposals will also be presented and voted on at our upcoming [virtual] quarterly meeting on July 14 (6-7:30pm; Register here to get the Zoom link).
ICYMI
Trump’s campaign blusterfest at Mt. Rushmore last week gave a “pretty huge rewriting of why there is a Mt. Rushmore in the first place. Mt. Rushmore was conceived in 1923 in a desperate attempt to draw tourist dollars to a state that had been rushed into the Union to protect Republican political dominance and could not manage to achieve economic stability” (H.C. Richardson, PhD, political historian). The story is fascinating.
6/30/20
Making it happen: Week 18
ICG volunteers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Tom Hons, Mary Peters, and Kathy Pickering wrote and funded or stamped 200 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
To keep making it happen, WE NEED HELP on funding for stamps. The cost for our 10,000 letter project is $6500, including printing, envelopes, and (the big one!) stamps. Please DONATE if you can.
APPLY NOW: ICG Steering Committee
ICG is looking to add to our leadership team. Interested to learn more about what the Steering Committee does? Get in touch and we can discuss it. Interested in applying? Apply to ICGO@ICGOregon.org, and please tell us:
Policing: the road to reform
Protests continue around the country against police brutality and the white supremacy that underpins it. As if the murder of unarmed blacks were not bad enough, police in many cities have attacked protesters with tear gas, pepper spray, flash-bangs, rubber bullets, clubs, and so on. Americans are demanding police reform.
Last week the House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, essentially along party lines. Greg Walden voted against it. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Mitch McConnell has already promised its demise.
Republicans in the Senate instead proposed a Police Reform Bill that, among other things,
Sen. Ron Wyden delivered a powerful floor speech against the Republican bill.
And how about in Hood River? Fortunately we are not in the news for egregious police brutality, but many citizens have expressed an interest in learning more about what our police do, what their policies and procedures are, and how citizens feel about their personal safety and about the police. In their last two meetings, City Council has discussed the need for a review of these areas, including outreach to hear from citizens, and is making a plan to move forward with a review.
ICG’s upcoming quarterly meeting, to be held by Zoom on July 14 (see calendar above) will be a forum to discuss ideas, interests, and concerns regarding policing in both Hood River city and county, and in the wider Gorge area, and to determine how we might participate in the review and any needed changes. Please join us for this important topic!
Inconceivable & Treasonous
Last Thursday the NYT and WSJ wrote that Russian operatives had offered bounties on US soldiers during the Afghanistan peace talks, and that the administration had been briefed on this development back in March and had chosen not to respond to the information. The Trump administration denied that Trump had been briefed. Ned Price, a national security expert who worked at the CIA for eleven years and who left rather than work for Trump, was asked if it’s possible that intelligence officials knew that Russia was paying militants to target US and allied troops and they chose not to tell the president, vice president, or acting Director of National Intelligence. His answer: “That’s virtually inconceivable.” Also virtually treasonous.
It turns out that Trump got a written briefing in February, and the topic was discussed by the White House’s National Security Council at an interagency meeting in late March. The AP now reports that “top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans.” The Trump administration spent this entire period cozying up to Russia, willfully ignoring the situation.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, distressed, angry, !#@wtf?!%?!*!, that is understandable. More will unfold.
6/23/20
Making it happen: Week 19
Many thanks to Linda Chamberlain, Claire Culbertson, Lara Dunn, and Susan Bellinson & friends for completing 395 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week! We are inching closer to our goal of 10,000 letters by the last week of October. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Huge thanks, too, to Pat Evenson-Brady, who continues to do the admin work of creating packets for our volunteers - 31 new packets (775 letters and envelopes) this week! Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
To keep making it happen, WE NEED HELP on funding for stamps (10,000 stamps = $5,400). Please DONATE if you can.
APPLY NOW: ICG Steering Committee
This is a critical time in U.S. politics, and ICG is working to make critical change. Are you ready to step up and join our leadership team, and help lead effort? Apply to ICGO@ICGOregon.org, and please tell us:
Time to Step Up for Biden
PolitiFact, part of the nonprofit Poynter Institute, provides this analysis of Joe Biden’s progress toward a truly progressive platform:
“There is a plausible case for Biden as the most progressive Democratic nominee in history.
Political scientists note that the Democratic Party as a whole has moved to the left in recent years. This is partly because of rising polarization between the parties…
On many issues during the 2020 primaries, such as gun policy, Biden’s positions were largely indistinguishable from those of his rivals. And on the issues where he did offer a more moderate vision than his Democratic primary opponents, such as health care and climate change, he still went further than Obama had during his presidency. On some issues, including health care, climate change and criminal justice reform, Biden has moved beyond Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Biden backs some policies that few previous Democratic nominees would have considered backing. These include a $15 minimum wage, a study of reparations for slavery, two years free public college, ending new oil and gas leases on federal land and offshore, creation of a national firearm registry, and scrapping past marijuana convictions.”
Joe Biden needs our help. Please go to joebiden.com and send money, volunteer, buy a bumper sticker or a t-shirt.
QUOTE
Biden “should have to report our costs [for the rally] to the [Federal Election Commission] as a contribution to his campaign.”
- a Trump campaign staffer, to White House reporter Andrew Feinberg, just after Trump’s 6/20 rally in Tulsa
6/16/20
Making it happen: Week 20
We’re so proud of letter-writers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Claire Culbertson, Daera Dobbs, Amy Nowatzki, Lani Roberts, and Susan Bellinson & friends! They cranked out an astonishing 645 SwingLeft letters this week.
Woohoo! So many gold stars on collars!
Thanks to Daera Dobbs, Claire Culbertson, and Nancy Clement for their donations this week. We’re also extremely grateful for $1400 raised so far in response to our plea for funds for stamps, from friends, family, and ICG members!
Woohoo! More gold stars on collars!
Make it happen by doing your part
The people who will receive the letters we’re writing have been chosen by SwingLeft’s demopgraphers to be likely Dem voters, but unlikely to vote. Research shows that encouraging targeted voters with engagement letters like this is effective in raising voter participation by up to 5%. That’s HUGE in an election, and can tip the outcome.
WE AIM TO TIP THE OUTCOME! Please join in to
The recent back to back instances of police violence against Blacks have made us set our sights on dismantling the systems that keep Black Americans oppressed. To truly develop into an ally, we each need to broaden our understanding of white power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity. Here are some resources to help with that important work:
21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge, from America & Moore
Best Practices in Allyship, from Indivisible National
Anti-Racism Resources for White People
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
Qualified Immunity: Explained
6/9/20
Making it happen: Week 21
Volunteers Pennie Burns, Dave Mason, Krista Thie, and Susan Bellinson & friends completed another 355 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. We have now far exceeded our initial goal of 6500 letters, and are pressing on. You’ve maybe heard that SwingLeft’s national goal is 10 million letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Much-appreciated donations from from Bob Danko and letter-writers Pennie Burns, Jan Muir, and Lani Roberts kept the action going this week. Woohoo! More gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
What can you do to make sure our goals of DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE are realized? So glad you asked! We absolutely need each person to find their niche and pitch in.
#DefundthePolice
Republicans are trying to spin the current citizens’ cry to “defund the police” as a threat to public safety, implying that defunding means getting rid of the police, or disempowering them. But that’s not at all what’s meant by those calling for reform. Defunding the police means taking money out of police department budgets, many of which are allocated millions or even billions of dollars a year, to fund services and programs that provide for people’s basic needs -- things like food assistance, housing assistance, clean water, mental health services, and school funding.
For years, public needs like healthcare and education have had their budgets slashed (defunded) at federal and state levels. Defunding the police means re-allocating funds to transform communities by ensuring that more people have access to what they need to be safe and well, giving way to new services that are better equipped to support and protect citizens.
Veep Vote
Indivisible National recently surveyed Indivisibles across the country to find out who they feel Biden should choose for his running mate. With 41% of the vote, Senator Elizabeth Warren was the top choice among Indivisibles, including those in the key battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Second choice was Kamala Harris (21%), Stacy Abrams was third (18%).
Sign the IP57 Petition
We had a call-to-action a couple of weeks ago to “Sign IP 57 Petition to End Gerrymandering in OR.” You may now have received a mailer from People Not Politicians about Initiative Petition 57, also encouraging the signing of the petition to get this change to the redistricting process on the November ballot.
There is significant time pressure - signed petitions must be mailed by June 26. Distancing for Covid-19 presents a HUGE barrier to getting signatures for any petition initiative. 200,000 signatures are needed. Please download, sign, and mail the petition form in now.
Here’s the explanation from our original call-to-action (5/25/2020) -
“Oregon will be redrawing its district boundary maps (“redistricting”) when the 2020 census is completed, a process that recurs every 10 years. We expect to gain a sixth U.S. Congressional seat this time, based on population gains. Nationwide, a huge concern with redistricting is gerrymandering, a practice intended to establish an unfair political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries.
“Under current law, Oregon politicians draw the boundaries for their own state and congressional districts, which of course represents an inherent conflict of interest. It allows them to draw districts to serve their interests, not those of our communities - like a fox in charge of a henhouse. We see this in places like Clackamas, Salem and Eugene where gerrymandering has divided each up into multiple oddly shaped districts to protect incumbent legislators.
“The OR League of Women Voters and People Not Politicians have launched a statewide signature gathering campaign for IP 57, a ballot measure to create an impartial and fully transparent redistricting process. It will replace the legislator “foxes” managing redistricting with an independent, citizen-led redistricting commission. The commission would be made up of 12 citizens: 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, and 4 people who are not affiliated with either party.”
QUOTES
“You'll be happy to know that in the midst of all the chaos, there's a solid group of activists working their asses off to oust Trump and the entire GOP in November.” (hey, that would be us!)
- Nick Knudsen, on Twitter 6/4
6/1/20
Making it happen: Week 22
Volunteer letter-writers outdid themselves once again! Many thanks to Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Fran Finney, Tom Hons, Dave Mason, Kathy Pickering, Liz von Ruden and Sarah Bellinson & friends, who together completed 375 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks, too, to our generous donors who are supporting the letter-writing, and to Pat Evenson-Brady for keeping the pipeline of prepared letter packets full. More gold stars on more collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
It’s chaos out there, but we’ve got our eyes on the prize - DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE. Please join in and do your part to make this happen. It’s gonna take a full-court press.
If it wasn’t quite enough dealing with the ongoing pandemic and 104,000+ deaths and an incompetent and cognitively impaired president, this week brought the murder of George Floyd, subsequent protests becoming riots, Trump himself inciting violence, Trump accusing China of numerous misdeeds, worse Flynn info, and Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO.
This is an impressive array of damage and destabilization for one week, even by Trumpian standards. What do we make of all this, and all at once? In her Friday (5/29) blog, Prof. Mary Cox Richardson, political historian, says, “This chaotic onslaught of news is designed to divide Americans and make us fall back into old animosities in order either to get us to accept a strong leader [Trump the autocrat] or to exhaust us until we quit caring what happens. … The leaders creating it are doing so precisely because they know they are not in control.”
This is where we Indivisibles come in. The Indivisible movement has grown to fight this threat to our democracy, together, for the long haul.
We will not be divided. We are INDIVISIBLE.
We will not accept Trump the autocrat. We will RESIST.
We will not be exhausted to the point of not caring. We will RESIST until we have our government back.
And we’ll do it together.
Empathy Like It’s 1850
The murder of George Floyd is a national tragedy, and worse, is just the latest in a consistent string of fatal racist events in this country. There are protests and words and exhortations to do better, to turn the corner, to finally bury our racist heritage. But will this time be different? What will it take to turn that corner, to achieve lasting cultural change on racism?
Here, again from H.C. Richardson, is a unique perspective on our current response to racial marginalization:
“Crucially, white Americans are finally paying attention to the violence against the black community. I suspect the reason for this attention is that the current leadership of the Republican Party has gone so far toward consolidating power in favor of an oligarchy that ordinary white Americans are identifying with marginalized people. This is precisely what happened in the 1850s, when even desperately racist white Americans pushed back against the elite slave owners taking control of the American government because they recognized that they, too, could be sacrificed if leaders thought they stood in the way of the economic system that enriched a few.”
Our thinking on overcoming racial marginalization usually revolves around empathy and equity and justice. The scenario noted above, where it becomes easier to identify with the nail you’ve been hammering on when something starts hammering on you, seems a bit more self-serving in nature. But if it helps, so be it. We need help where we can find it.
QUOTES
“Everyone is a vector. Choose what you spread.”
- Francis Weller, therapist and author.
“Unspeakably stupid and self-defeating.”
- Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, on Trump withdrawing US from WHO in midst of pandemic. (Could have said the same about Trump himself, but she kept to the topic.)
5/26/20
Making it happen: Week 23
Yep, did it again. ICG volunteers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Dave Mason, Amy Nowatzki, Lani Roberts, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed another 520 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week! These letters are being stockpiled for mailing the last week of October, to encourage recipients to VOTE. The campaign we’re working on targets traditionally under-represented registered voters in Texas who SwingLeft believes are unlikely to move soon, and unlikely to vote. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
We’re grateful for donations to fund our letter-writing campaign from Amy Nowatzki, Ruth Tsu, Lani Roberts, Pennie Burns, and Claire Culbertson, and for the enthusiastic recruitment efforts of Pat Evenson-Brady and Krista Thie. Woohoo! More gold stars on more collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE will only come from big efforts on our parts! How do you want to do your part?
Trumpocracy, Trumpocalypse: More than Linguistic Change
Before 2018 we had not used or even heard the words “Trumpocracy” or “Trumpocalypse.” Before November 2016 we had not even imagined them. Things have changed.
In his 2018 book Trumpocracy, David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, argued that Trump and his Republican accomplices were forging a new U.S. regime type, one that challenged long-established political norms and mixed government, family and business “in the style of authoritarian Third World kleptocrat.” Now Frum has published a sequel, Trumpocalypse, in which he notes how Trump played down the threat of the coronavirus, squandered critical time during the early days of the crisis and, typically, deflected accountability.
Book reviewer Carlos Lozado sums up the reality of these expansions of our political lexicon: “If the first book described a system of governance, the second surveys the outcome of that system after nearly a full presidential term. One is prediction, the other, assessment.”
There is an emphasis on hope, however - the full title of the new book is TRUMPOCALYPSE: Restoring American Democracy. Frum envisions “feasible small reforms” such as ensuring that presidential candidates make their tax returns and financial assets public, finally killing off the Senate filibuster, providing statehood for D.C., adopting a modern Voting Rights Act, and depoliticizing federal law enforcement. Also a comprehensive carbon tax, an immigration overhaul, a reorganization of defense spending, and a long-term, reconciling change of heart and mind both within the U.S. and in the wider world. A BIG vision, to be sure, but the alternatives aren’t good.
[Content credit to WaPo book critic Carlos Lozado.]
“An Incalculable Loss”
The cover of last Sunday’s New York Times lists the names of 1000 Americans, dead of Covid-19, just 1% of the current count of covid deaths in the U. S. The headline reads, “AN INCALCULABLE LOSS. They Were Not Simply Names on a List, They Were Us.”
For the list, NYT scoured more than 1,000 obituaries and death notices honoring those who died. Some of the entries -
"emergency room doctor who died in husband's arms"
"volunteer youth football coach"
"first in her family to graduate college"
"liked his bacon and hash browns crispy"
"saved 56 Jewish families from the Gestapo"
Prof. Heather Cox Richardson, current national truth-sayer of historical perspective, points out that the dramatic cover is about more than just numbers. It’s a rejection of the toxic selfishness of the anti-mask crowd and the “reopening” terrorists, and “reminds us that we are all in this together… or should be. At least, this has been our principle in our better moments, and some people have taken it quite seriously indeed. On Monday, Memorial Day, we will honor those young men and women who did not believe that being an American meant refusing to inconvenience themselves to help their neighbors.”
Quotes
“Just think, a year from now, we might be enjoying a Memorial Day weekend, vaccinated against COVID-19, with President Biden in charge of our country, and Democrats in control of the senate.”
- Maggie, a mom in Idaho. On Twitter 5/23.
“A perversity of today’s political culture is that those with the most time and inclination for full-time self-promotion, such as U.S. senators, eclipse those, such as governors, who are preoccupied with serious responsibilities.”
- In a WaPo article on Gina Raimondo, governor of Rhode Island, as a good VP possibility 5/24.
5/19/20
Making it happen: Week 24
The THANK YOUs are in Arabic this week (shukran) -
Letter-writing volunteers Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Ruth Tsu and Susan Bellinson & friends did an amazing 495 SwingLeft letters this week. Shukran! And shukran to Buck Parker for generously supporting our SwingLeft letter-writing. This project take a village, and the village is definitely stepping up. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars.
Make it happen: Choose your action!
To reiterate (every day), here’s the plan: do what you can to help DUMP TRUMP and FLIP THE SENATE. What can you do? LOTS -
Beyond Shukran
In her blog yesterday, Prof. Heather Cox Richardson wrote,
“The story broke today that Steven Linick, the State Department Inspector General Trump has announced he is removing, was not simply looking into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan had used staff members for personal errands.
“Linick was finishing up an investigation of Pompeo’s decision last year to approve billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia against the wishes of a bipartisan majority in Congress. State Department officials were recently briefed on the inspector general’s conclusions.”
Prof. Richardson reviews the recent history (she is a historian, after all) of Jamal Kashoggi’s murder, Trump’s refusal to acknowledge crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s role in it, Jared Kushner and Rick Perry sharing (selling?) U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, and Pompeo approving the sale of $8.1 billion of arms to primarily Saudi Arabia despite congressional disapproval.
Shall we go out on a limb again and guess that the Trump administration was hoping to keep the whole story of the Saudi arms sales out of the public eye by getting rid of that pesky, inquisitive Inspector General? Maybe we’ll hear more about this.
Quotes
“It doesn’t matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick …Our society and democracy only works when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other.”
- Barack Obama, in his national graduation speech 5/2020
“This is the first U.S. presidential election in which "Vote Him Out Before He Kills You and Your Family" is a wholly reasonable slogan for the challenger.”
- @SethAbramson, on Twitter
“By the way, you never needed to learn the name of Dr. Fauci during the Ebola Crisis because @BarackObama just f***ing took his advice.”
- @BradleyWhitford, on Twitter
5/12/20
Making it happen: Week 25
OK, lots of folks here for the THANK YOU (takk in Norwegian) roundup!
TAKK to letter-writers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Dave Mason, and Susan Bellinson & friends, who together completed 375 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. An ongoing TAKK to our admin-meister Pat Evenson-Brady who keeps the perfect letter packets for our writers coming. And TAKK to Carolyn Crystal for her very generous donation to support the letter-writing campaign. Woohoo! Gold stars on all those collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
There are plenty of ways to advance our mission to DUMP TRUMP and FLIP THE SENATE - check out our 2020 Action Menu for some ideas. And as you can see from the above, joining the letter-writing project is a big one.
A fourth package of much-needed federal covid aid funding is in the works, but the works are anything but smooth.
Trump and McConnell insist that increased federal funding to help states recover from coronavirus is unfair to Republicans, “because all the states that need help — they’re run by Democrats in every case”, and that these states “have been mismanaged over a long period of time.”
This point of view is not uniformly endorsed by Republicans. Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association, calls that idea “complete nonsense,” and says “there are just as many Republicans as Democrats that strongly support this [funding to states].”
Both Dem and Repub governors have reiterated the need for federal aid, pointing out that states’ revenue shortfalls are likely to mean cuts to social services for the poor and elderly, and to essential services like police, fire departments and schools.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) noted that some of the same states Trump is accusing of fiscal mismanagement in reality contribute more annually to federal coffers, in the form of tax revenue, than any other states. The top five donor states to the federal Treasury are New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and California.
Last Tuesday Trump went even a step further, suggesting that any federal coronavirus aid to states should be conditioned on those cities and states adopting policies that more closely mirror Trump’s political priorities - specifically re: sanctuary cities, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes, lawsuit indemnification, and tax breaks for restaurants and entertainment. (Not that any of those have personal relevance for Trump.)
The good news is there are signs that the debate over state funding won’t break along traditional party lines. Stay tuned.
- Content credit to CNBC.
FUN FACTS
Help for Our Second-World Conflict Zone
“A previously undisclosed report from the White House shows that numbers of coronavirus infections around the country are rising, not falling, as Trump has said. The coronavirus situation is so bad in the Navajo Nation in the U.S. Southwest that Doctors Without Borders, the international organization best known for sending medical professionals into third-world countries and international conflict zones, had dispatched a team to the U.S.”
- Prof. Heather Cox Richardson
From the We-All-Have-Our-Priorities Department
Trump has ordered that the border wall be painted black. Estimates from federal contractors give costs ranging from $500 million for acrylic paint to over $3 billion for powder coating.
5/5/2020
Making it happen: Week 26
We had another bang-up week for SwingLeft letter-writing, pushing us closer to DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE. Yay for us! Dave Mason, Lani Roberts, Linda Chamberlain, Pennie Burns, and Kathy Pickering completed an outstanding 365 letters this week, bringing our total to almost 5000. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Pat Evenson-Brady continues to make this project happen by creating all the letter packets, from return addressing thousands of envelopes to counting out letter forms to putting them all together in nice packages ready for our volunteer letter-writers. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
As you can see, this project is a dynamite display of activism, dedication, and teamwork. Again, YAY for us!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
There’s definitely something for everyone in our 2020 Action Menu. You can jump in to do a little or a lot, all on your own schedule and in the comfort of your own favorite chair in your own favorite home.
Don’t Want No FDR Stuff
Historian Heather Cox Richardson, who writes a daily blog about our current political crisis, opined on May 4,
"[I’m wondering] if what is really driving this mad push, funded as we know it is by right-wing political groups, is a frantic determination to make sure the country does not turn again now, in the midst of this pandemic, to a government that regulates business and provides a basic social safety net, a government like the one we created during the Great Depression."
This scholar’s "wondering" is very much worth the read.
All Workers Deserve Covid Protections
It is a mark of callousness and grievous policy failure that our country’s front-line low-income workers have not been afforded the workplace protections that they need and deserve. Low income employees work in essential jobs like retail, transportation and food production and are disproportionately exposed to coronavirus in their work settings. Unlike white collar workers, they can’t work from home, nor can they afford to simply stay home to stay safe. Many are working in unsafe conditions without proper physical distancing, sufficient protective equipment, or sick leave.
Approximately 4,000 COVID-19 related complaints have been filed by workers for unsafe working conditions. OSHA hasn’t issued a single citation or fine. Compliance with CDC coronavirus guidelines by businesses is currently voluntary.
Trump continues to push for businesses to reopen regardless of risk to employees, and even issued an executive order requiring meat packing plants to remain open, regardless of infection hazards. Neither health or safety requirements were included in the order. Some governors have ruled that workers who refuse to return to unsafe workplaces will be considered a “voluntary quit” and ineligible to receive unemployment benefits.
Since Trump is unwilling to take an interest in protecting low-income workers, Congress must step up. Congress must ensure that people are not forced to continue to work in conditions unsafe for them and their families. HR 6559, the Every Worker Protection Act, was recently introduced in the House to establish workplace coronavirus safeguards for all workers. Every US Senator and Congressperson should support it and work to ensure its prompt passage. (To weigh in with our representatives, see Calls-to-Action above.)
Indivisible Endorses Joe Biden
Indivisibles across the country voted overwhelmingly last week to endorse Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign for President. 95% of Indivisibles who responded and 94% of Group Leaders support endorsing Biden.
American democracy cannot survive another Trump term, but this isn’t just about beating him. It’s about paving the way for a new vision for the future. It’s about defending democracy, protecting the right to vote, reforming our healthcare system, tackling climate change, and ensuring equity and justice for the most marginalized among us. Vice President Biden is the only candidate today who will make that vital work possible.
4/28/20
Making it happen: Week 27
Another week of outstanding SwingLeft letter-writing by ICG volunteers! Thanks to all of them. Linda Chamberlain, Pennie Burns, Pam Zachary-Morneault, and Marilyn Smith wrote an amazing 250 letters this week, helping to DUMP TRUMP, Flip the Senate, and support the USPS all at once. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
Get in on the fun, productivity, and civic duty. There’s something for everyone in our 2020 Action Menu.
Easy and high-impact picks right now are:
Protect Oregon’s Progress (Indivisible group in The Dalles) worked with Wasco County Democrats to ask the Democratic challengers for Greg Walden’s CD2 seat seven specific questions and have them record their answers. You can watch the videos here.
Local Candidate Forum, Virtual Edition
Thrive Hood River and Livable Hood River partnered to produce a written forum asking livability and land use questions of candidates in local races. See the results here. Those candidates/measures included:
One year ago today, the Indivisible movement, including ICG and all the major Dem presidential candidates, endorsed the Indivisible Pledge, which was a commitment to make the Democratic primary constructive, to rally behind the winner, and do the work to beat Trump in the general election.
We now have our Democratic candidate, Vice President Joe Biden. Biden may not have been your top choice, but the primary is now over and he will be the Democratic nominee. It’s now time to demonstrate our commitment through a national Indivisible endorsement, to be voted on by Indivisibles (members, not groups) across the network.
The upcoming election is about a lot more than just defeating Donald Trump - it’s about paving the way to a transformative vision for the future of our country, including defending our democracy, safeguarding our voting rights, enacting vital reforms to our health care system, taking on the crisis of climate change, and ensuring equity and justice for the most marginalized members of our communities.
Under a Biden administration, we know that we will be able to advance progressive priorities. We Indivisibles can organize to win progressive change next year, but only if we first organize to elect Vice President Joe Biden this year.
Indivisible is a people-powered movement, and a national endorsement will only happen with the support of the movement. Indivisible group leaders have been asked to vote this week. Everyone in the network who is on Indivisible National’s email list will get an email from Indivisible National inviting them to vote this coming week.
The registration deadline for National’s email list was Monday, April 27. Voting will close on Sunday, May 3rd at 11:59pm ET.
Indivisible will endorse Biden if at least 60% of the votes cast are in favor of endorsing, and if the majority of votes cast from group leaders are in favor of endorsing.
For more information about the process, you can check out this document.
Big Step on OR Campaign Finance Reform (CFR)
In 2006, Oregon voters adopted Measure 47, which capped donations at $500 for statewide office and $100 for legislative races. However, a long, convoluted legal path has held that initiative in suspended animation for 14 years. This week the Oregon Supreme Court determined that limiting campaign contributions is legal in Oregon, and does not violate the state constitution’s free speech provisions.
This has been long awaited by CFR advocates in Oregon, and transforms Oregon from one of the nation’s most permissive campaign finance states into one of its strictest. Way to go, OR Supremes (and all of the tireless CFR advocates)!
4/22/20
Making it happen: Week 28
Pat Evenson-Brady, admin extraordinaire, has ben at it again. She packaged 1300+ letter forms for our SwingLeft letter-writing volunteers. Thank you, again, Pat. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
Our letter-writing volunteers knocked out 375 letters this week! THANKS to Kathy Pickering, Suzi Conklin, Mark Cherniack, Colleen Ballinger, Linda Chamberlain, and Marilyn Smith. Junie the dog-doorbell continues her announcement protocol with dedication. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
The headlines every day remind us of Covid, Covid, Covid. But the subtext continues to be, every day, the need to get rid of Trump and his enablers in the Senate. Our actual lives now depend on it. The bungling of this public health crisis, the co-opting of covid rescue funds for millionaires and large corporations, and the threatening of states to “reopen” against expert medical advice are all signposts pointing to DUMP TRUMP, FLIP the SENATE. Every day, update on the news of course, then ACT is if our lives depend on it:
Thomsen Recall: “Text RECALL to 474747”
Yard signs for the Recall Chuck Thomsen campaign have landed! The message: “Text RECALL to 474747.” We really need to direct would-be signers to the petition online.
Do you have a yard location that has good drive-by exposure? Please contact recall coordinator Kate Bennett to get a sign!! She delivers (at a social distance with gloves and mask).
Upcoming Elections
You’ve likely noticed BIG changes in Columbia Area Transit (CAT), our regional transportation service, over the past year or so - including hugely expanded routes and schedules, multiple daily trips to/from Portland, daily ski bus up the mountain in winter, and the pink trolley on summer weekends. This is largely due to an experienced new director, Patty Fink, and a dynamic and engaged Board.
The CAT board has currently has openings to be filled. Applications are being accepted now. Positions will be open until filled.
Board members provide oversight and direction to the public transit district's operations, policies, plans, and budget.
Board meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, from 3-5pm (currently virtual, of course).
For questions about CAT or the CAT Board: Contact executive director Patty Fink.
To apply: Contact Marbe Cook or Mark Reynolds.
4/14/20
Making it happen: Week 29
Pat Evenson-Brady prepared 1000 (yes,1000!) envelopes for our SwingLeft letter-writing project, stamping each with the return address, and packaging them in groups of 25 for our letter-writers. THANK YOU, PAT, for your dedication and admin mastery! Hard to make this project work without the envelopes. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
Volunteer letter-writers completed 225 letters this week, via the front porch pick-up and drop-off system. THANKS to Marilyn Smith, Lani Roberts, Kathy Pickering, Linda Chamberlain, and several of Linda’s buddies. The steady flow of volunteers is keeping the resident dog in fine vocal practice, and maybe making neighbors wonder if Bonnie is working a side hustle (maybe dealing Chloroquine?). Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
A mystery participant gets the Pillsbury Good Taste award for dropping off some dynamite cookies in the letter-writing box on the porch. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
Make it happen: Choose your action
To ensure CHANGE happens in 2020, figure out how you want to do your part. Check out our social-distance-friendly 2020 Action Menu, and earn one of those coveted virtual gold stars on your virtual collar. May we suggest:
Write SwingLeft letters ANYTIME at home:
Thomsen Recall
Here's a great way to take back some power this week: fight to hold Chuck Thomsen accountable for walking off his job and obstructing legislation aimed at strengthening healthcare, funding education, supporting small businesses and protecting our environment. If it's Chuck's job to go to Salem and represent his constituents, then it's our job to hold our elected officials to a higher standard. That's what it will take for our democracy to thrive. We need your support now more than ever - join the community and download and sign the petition today! Our democracy cannot wait!
Covid Rescue Funding
Indivisible National is leading the push for a “People’s Bailout,” prioritizing the following -
Primary Elections - May 19
Here are the many COUNTY, STATE, and FEDERAL races and ballot measures that will appear on the May 19 ballot in Hood River County. Thanks to Fran Finney for researching this list.
Note that if you’re not registered as a member of a major party, your primary ballot will only include nonpartisan offices and measures, and won’t include the candidates for contested races. That means you won’t have the opportunity to help pick the candidates who will appear on the November ballot.
You have until April 28 to change your registration to declare a party (or to register to vote if you haven’t done so). Ballots will drop at the end of April.
From the Excellent News Dept.
Last week’s outrageous elections in Wisconsin, intended to disenfranchise voters and hurt state Dem candidates, delivered a heartening Democratic victory: liberal challenger Jill Karofsky threw out Daniel Kelly, a Trump-endorsed conservative judge running for reelection, and by a significant margin of 11 points. Wisconsin Republicans played a key role in forcing that state’s primary to go forward last week with in-person voting despite the pandemic. Democrats credibly accused Republicans of wanting low turnout so Kelly would win and keep his seat.
Deep thanks (and fingers crossed for their health) to the many thousands of engaged, dedicated voters who showed up, stood in lines for many hours, and made it happen.
4/7
Making it happen: Week 30
Our SwingLeft letter-writing project is alive and well, and staging out of Bonnie’s front porch. Kudos to all those who’ve come by to get letter-writing packets to do on their own at home. 225 letters were completed this week, bringing our total to nearly 3000 (of the goal of 6500). Linda Chamberlain & friends get the SwingLeft overachievement award this week - keeping the USPS in business, and MAKING IT HAPPEN for November 2020. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Action Menu - Covid Version
Our Action Menu has changed to accommodate our current Covid lifestyle. Check out the changes, and jump right in. Covid-19 is front-and-center in our collective mind, but we’ve got to keep our eyes and efforts on the prize: dump Trump and flip the Senate in November.
Merkley on National Vote-by-Mail
In a conference call with constituents today, Sen. Jeff Merkley said the following about getting vote-by-mail in place nationally in time for the November elections:
Dems in Congress are working hard to get vote-by-mail implemented nationally, and quickly so that states have time to put effective processes in place. Republicans oppose such a maneuver because it would upend the various voter suppression schemes that they long have relied on. Mitch McConnell laid down the law and now NO Republicans in Congress will support the effort. Jeff said the approach most likely to produce results is for a loud public demand at the state level to force the governors of states that do not already have vote-by-mail to order it. Currently only 5 states conduct all elections with vote-by-mail: CO, HI, OR, WA, UT. Several other states allow [some] counties the option. Many other states have vote-by-mail options under very limited circumstances.
Our strategy should be to continue to urge our US Senators and Rep to work for national vote-by-mail in the face of the covid crisis, and to encourage all of our friends and acquaintances (and other Indivisible groups) in the other 45 states to raise their voices to their governors.
Primary Elections Coming up May 19
In Oregon, primaries serve two main purposes -
QUOTE
Trump, on national TV (Fox & Friends) on March 30:
“You’d never have a Republican elected in this country again” if voting access is expanded.
3/31
Making it happen: Week 31
We had our first virtual SwingLeft letter-writing party on Saturday, March 28. Intentionally small to accommodate troubleshooting, we had 6 participants and wrote 110 letters. It was wonderful to see friends and chat - virtual, but wonderful. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to our volunteer admin assistants this week - Grace and Hanna Clute printed off 1300+ SwingLeft letter forms, and Randy Helm shuffled them into packets to give out. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Kudos to those who’ve come by to get letter-writing packets to do on their own at home - Daera Dobbs, Suzanne Warren, and Claire Culbertson. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 31 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Thomsen Recall
The recall is still in sign-at-home full-swing. Have you signed the recall petition? Sign it if you haven’t already, and make sure all your friends sign it too.
It seems the November elections are falling to the side of the radar screen now with virus concerns front and center, but we’ve got to keep our eyes on that goal. Trump and his toadies in the Senate needed to be replaced with real leaders before Covid, and they’ve proven themselves no better since.
Our work, along with allies all over the country, continues. Focus. Gear up. Energy up. We’ve got work to keep doing, and (fortunately) much of it can be done from home.
Write SwingLeft Letters ANYTIME at Home
3/25
Making it happen: Week 32
We didn’t have our usual letter-writing parties this week, as you can imagine - and we missed them! But we’re planning to have our first VIRTUAL SwingLeft letter-writing party this Saturday, March 28, 10-11:30am. Should be fun! Also easy to fit into your schedule, since your schedule has probably…um…loosened up a bit lately. See Mar 28 in the calendar (Meet & Act page) for details and instructions.
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 32 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Coronavirus vs. Thomsen Recall
Have you signed the recall petition for Chuck Thomsen? If yes, YAY for you! If not, please do it right now. Then tell all your friends, by whatever means possible!
· Print petition here & sign.
· No printer? Email us.
· Mail to: Recall Chuck Thomsen ; PO Box 1596; Hood River, OR 97031
Covid is threatening the recall because our usual signature-gathering methods (door-to-door, walking around town, etc.) are kaput. We are working with WORD OF MOUTH - so, please, use yours!
Coronavirus vs. Workplace Safety
Is your boss not taking covid seriously enough? What you can do.
Protecting the 2020 Elections
The coronavirus pandemic threatens to massively disrupt the 2020 presidential elections, now just over 5 months away. There is no way to know what the state of the pandemic will be in November, and whether it will be safe for anyone, voters and poll workers alike, to be out waiting in lines and crowding into polling places.
Past crises have not stopped elections. Americans voted even during wars. It can and most certainly should be done this time too. The Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, proposed by Senators Wyden and Klobuchar, would allow this to happen safely and dependably by
It is likely that this obvious and sensible strategy will meet with firm opposition from factions that invite foreign interference and/or have traditionally relied on voter suppression to win elections. It’s up to all of us to urge our federal representatives to support the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, with the improvements noted above.
It is easily conceivable that Trump will try to postpone or cancel the November elections. We (ICG) and the entire Indivisible network are in discussions to make sure that doesn’t happen. Stay tuned.
3/17
Making it happen: Week 33
Jana Castanares hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 3/11. 19 activists attended and wrote 500 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 33 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Thomsen Recall: Save the Recall from Covid-19
Coronavirus and the need for social distancing are impacting the Thomsen recall. However, WE CAN DO THIS with the “Sign at Home” option of downloading, signing, and mailing in the form.
We need your help broadcasting this info as widely as possible, and by all means possible - text, email, social media (and maybe you can think of others?) - and encouraging all your contacts/groups/followers to do the same.
1. Sign the petition at home! (SD26 residents only)
2. Volunteer to help with the recall
Public Safety Measure on May Ballot
There’s an important Public Safety measure coming up for us in Hood River County on the May ballot. This measure deserves our careful consideration and support.
Hood River County is in significant financial distress, has already depleted its financial reserves and made significant funding cuts to county services, and can not maintain current levels of county services without additional revenue. The ballot measure to address this funding crisis that was introduced last year was rejected.
This upcoming ballot measure is for a five-year public safety levy of $.78/$1,000 assessed property value. This is an $0.11/$1000 decrease in the amount put forth in the ballot measure last May, and is time-limited (5 years).
The currently proposed levy will provide funding for the following:
This measure deserves our support and advocacy. Please
3/10
Making it happen: Week 34
Sarah Bellinson and Gigi Pomerantz hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at Dog River on 3/4. 19 activists attended and wrote 380 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Lara Dunn hosted a postcard-writing event at Pine Street Bakery on 3/6. 8 activists attended and wrote 74 postcards to our elected reps and to Florida voters. Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 34 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Thomsen Recall: On a mission, and in a hurry!
A petition for recall was filed with the Secretary of State on Wednesday, 3/4. The petitioner is Lara Dunn from Hood River. Lara is on our ICG Steering Committee, on the CAT transportation board, and on the leadership team of HR County Dems.
This is a grassroots effort based on Thomsen’s failure to effectively represent his district, failure to uphold his oath of office, and hurting our SD26 communities by refusing to do his job. He has walked away from the job he was elected to do 5 times in the last 10 months, while collecting his taxpayer-funded salary and daily stipend.
As the petitioner said, “He must be recalled and replaced by someone who will show up and fight for our jobs, our schools, our healthcare and our future."
Signature gatherers are already out in our community, and a website will soon be live with a link to a downloadable, single sheet petition for individuals to sign and mail in. Follow us to find the link and sign the petition.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: We need to very quickly gather over 10,000 signatures on the recall petition, and we need to submit a lot of LTEs (letters to the editor) to the HR News to create awareness of and support for the recall. Can you help, please? Sign up here.
Willing to write or co-write an LTE, but you’d like some help? Let us know, and we’ll work with you!
Share this link with friends who want to help with the recall: https://tinyurl.com/recallChuck .
Hot News: Climate Leadership from Gov. Kate
In spite of the Repub children’s temper tantrum, the state of Oregon, and the majority of Oregonians, realize we need to move quickly on climate action. This from OEC this morning:
2020 is officially the year of bold action on climate! Governor Kate Brown just signed an executive order to combat climate change. Governor Brown joins governors from many states, like North Carolina, Maine, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, in moving forward with bold climate action plans through executive action.
Today, Oregon moves from plans to action. This action solidifies Oregon’s commitment to fight climate change, expand clean energy technologies, and invest in the protection of youth and frontline communities.
It comes after years of work from OEC and other environmental groups, public demand for bold climate action, years of public hearings and input, and years of rallies across the state. Together, it was our advocacy, votes, investments of time and resources that made it all possible.
This remarkable executive order updates and strengthens successful climate action already in our laws, as well as breaks new ground. It will make Oregon’s forests, coast, and rural lands more resilient against the ravages of climate change and move us toward a sustainable and prosperous future.
Here are a few highlights of Oregon’s new climate action:
Clean Fuels. Extend and strengthen Oregon’s successful Clean Fuels Program, which has been creating jobs and working for four years to lower pollution from fuels by making cleaner options available. OEC championed and defended this program and we are thrilled to see it expanded.
Clean Buildings. Strengthen requirements for new buildings so that by 2030 they’ll produce as much clean energy as they use, and maximize energy efficiency. There will be huge savings on energy bills as homes and buildings “sip” energy and waste less -- using technologies we already use today.
Clean Economy. Require large corporate polluters to reduce pollution over time. While Oregon has targets for reducing climate pollution already in our law, they’re not being enforced. This new change updates the targets and makes lowering pollution mandatory for large emitters under penalty of law.
Healthy Communities. Governor Brown’s executive order will direct Oregon Health Authority to report on the public health impacts for communities most vulnerable to climate impacts, help establish new low-income utility programs, and put in motion programs and standards that will protect workers from wildfire smoke and extreme heat.
3/3
Making it happen: Week 35
Anne Saxby hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 2/27. 13 activists attended and wrote 450 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Bonnie New hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 3/2. 19 activists attended and wrote 475 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Saving our Democracy [Again] - part 2
Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, political historian, author, and professor, writes (and posts on Facebook) an extraordinary blog analyzing our ongoing political situation. From her Feb 20 blog:
“Changing the national narrative is crucially important, but it is not enough to change our government. To do that, we need to complain constantly to our elected officials, even those who ignore us (because they do keep a record), and to support politicians who are advancing democracy. While everyone is currently focused on the presidential race, even more important are the Senate races, and the House. If Democrats take the Senate, Trump will be hamstrung even if he is reelected. And the House needs to be Democratic to check him in the first place. So support a presidential candidate, sure, but pick a Senate race and a House race, and work for that candidate, too.
This election is one of the most important in our nation’s history, maybe THE most important. And just as in the 1850s, the 1890s, and the 1920s, the people in power would not be working so hard to silence those of us who care deeply about American democracy if they thought our actions didn’t matter.”
2/25
Making it happen: Week 36
Heather Nielsen, Jeff Horacek, and Randy Helm prepared and packaged 2000 SwingLeft envelopes at Bonnie’s house on Friday, 2/21. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Yes, We Can Take Democracy Back [Again]
Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, political historian, author, and professor, writes (and posts on Facebook) an extraordinary blog analyzing our ongoing political situation. From her Feb 20 blog:
“A lot of folks have been asking me lately if America has ever been in such a crisis before and, if so, what people in the past did to save democracy.
“The answer to the first question is yes, it has, three times, although only once was this bad. In the 1850s, the 1890s, and the 1920s, oligarchs took over the nation’s government, controlling the White House, Congress, and the courts. … [She details the history of each of these times.]…
“In each era, it seemed like American democracy had been conquered by an oligarchy that was sucking wealth upward and had no interest in serving the needs of regular Americans. …
“But in each era, just when democracy seemed lost, regular Americans took it back. They started simply by complaining. … They wrote letters to congressmen and to newspapers, and they protested in the streets, pointing out that the southern slaveholders, or the industrialists, or the businessmen, were gaming the system to destroy democracy. Pretty soon like-minded people began to gather together to talk about what they could do to take America back.
“They started to run for local offices, and state offices, and even for seats in Congress. And when elections came, they turned out voters by reminding them just how important it was for them to show up. And in elections, the people in power cheated and the game was rigged… but the people defending American democracy still won.
… “Speaking up to identify lies and to celebrate real American values is a crucial step toward changing the national narrative. If it weren’t, no one would be paying bots and trolls to shut us up.”
We can do this. We are doing this. We need to keep doing this.
Yep, Discouraged. Then What?
Of course we’re discouraged! Who wouldn’t be? In just the last couple of weeks, Trump’s ongoing assault on our democracy and rule of law has included
The Trump camp would like to see us give up in despair and frustration. Don’t do it. Give yourself a restorative break when needed, then come back and do what you can do. Sort in your mind what outrage you can’t do anything about today, and then do what you can do. Write voter engagements letters and postcards. Donate money to SwingLeft candidate campaigns. Join SwingLeft canvasses in the 12 SuperStates. Check ICG’s 2020 Action Menu for useful things you can do!
2/18
Making it happen: Week 37
Sarah Bellinson and Gigi Pomerantz hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at Dog River on 2/12. 19 activists attended and wrote 300 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Pat Evenson-Brady helped prepare zillions of letter packets and envelopes at Bonnie’s house on Valentine’s Day, 2/14. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
Bonnie New hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 2/15. 19 activists attended and wrote 525 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Beyond the Symptom (Trump)
Indivisible National: “It’s time to throw Donald Trump out of office, retake the Senate, and save democracy. We engage in this task fully aware that our problems didn’t start with Trump. Trump is a symptom, not the cause of what ails America. A healthy democracy, one that values the lives and voices of all its people, would have rejected Trump the same way that a healthy body rejects a virus. That didn’t happen in 2016. And that’s why it’s not enough just to beat Donald Trump in 2020. We have to beat him — and then we have to fix our democracy."
2/11
Be Ready: Unite Behind the Nominee
Regardless of what happens in the primaries, we’re not taking our ball and going home in 2020. We and Indivisibles around the country will work our butts off to support whichever candidate wins the nomination. Indivisible National launched the Indivisible Pledge last year — to get this commitment from Democratic Presidential candidates and grassroots activists. It’s an agreement to unite behind the nominee and to do everything possible to elect that nominee president. All major presidential candidates have signed the pledge, and Indivisible groups across the country, including ICG, have too.
If your very favorite, love-this-person, best-ever candidate does NOT get the nomination, BE READY! We will unite behind the nominee.
Making it happen: Week 38
Sarah Kellems hosted a postcard-writing event at Pine Street Bakery on 2/7. 7 activists attended and wrote over 50 postcards. Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 38 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
DONATE HERE to Support the Letter-Writing Project
Our projected cost is over $4000 for postage, supplies, and printing. Many of our writers and hosts are making donations, but not all can. Please help out if you’re able.
Quote
“I just saw someone say something online that really resonated with me: that with a flick of her wrist [tearing up her copy of Trump’s SoU speech] Pelosi may well have—in the view of history—overshadowed Trump's whole speech. There's a sense in which there's huge power and courage in that — how an act of resistance resonates.” - Seth Abramson (lawyer, author, professor)
2/4
Making it happen: Week 39
Sarah Bellinson and Gigi Pomerantz hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at Dog River on 1/29. 10 activists attended and wrote 160 letters. They hosted another party at the White Salmon library on 2/3. 12 attended and wrote 160 letters. Woohoo!!
10 volunteers, including two charming teens, assembled 500 voter registration packets at Bonnie’s house on Superbowl Sunday, 2/2.
Daera Dobbs hosted a huge SwingLeft letter-writing house party with a wonderful brunch on 2/3. 24 people wrote 500 letters to Floridians, with voter registration packets enclosed.
Make it happen: Choose your action
We Indivisibles are working hard for change! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
DONATE HERE to Support the Letter-Writing Project
At $0.65 per letter for postage, supplies, and printing, it will cost $4225 to send out 6500 letters, our goal between now and the end of October. In addition to doing the letter-writing, many of our writers and hosts are making donations. Please help out if you can (and earn - yes! - another virtual gold star, as well as our sincere thanks).
Any amount we raise over the amount used for letters will be donated to SwingLeft's direct campaign support of strong Dem candidates in the 12 "Super States."
(Note: ICG is not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible. As such, GoFundMe requires an individual to be the host/receiver of funds - Bonnie in our case. Trust us on this, please.)
Quotes
“[Trump] will not be acquitted. You cannot be acquitted if you don’t have a trial. And you can’t have a trial if you don’t have witnesses and documentation.”
- Nancy Pelosi
After the Senate vote opposing witnesses and documents: "America is not f*cking dead. #RIPAmerica? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, & get to work. There are 277 days until the election. We have to overwhelm the polls. That was the case before the vote, & it will be the case until Nov 4th. Turn your anger into action."
- Nick Knudsen on Twitter
1/28
COMMIT to ACT: 2020 Action Menu
We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to one or more actions from the Menu this week:
Calls to Action
Call/email your state/federal reps for accountability and for policy advocacy. ICG publishes CTAs on our Facebook page and in our newsletter. Each CTA includes a message and contact info for your reps.
LTE Circle
Join this ICG group to take turns submitting LTEs (letters to the editor). Use our messaging, or create your own. Connect with Rhonda for more info and to volunteer.
Postcards to Voters
Join ICG for coffee and postcarding with friends, the first Friday of every month. Write to legislators on state & federal issues, and to voters in key districts across the country.
Connect with Lara for more info. Next event is Feb 7.
SwingLeft letter-writing: Attend a party! Connect with Sarah B for more info. Next event is Jan 29.
SwingLeft letter-writing: Host a house party for your friends!
Really leverage your efforts! Invite your peeps (friends, family, neighbors, book club, …) for letter-writing at your house. An ICG partner can come to lead the letter-writing. Connect with Bonnie for more info and to schedule.
DONATE HERE to support our SwingLeft letter-writing project.
At $0.55 per letter for postage, supplies, and printing, ICG must raise $3575 to send out 6500 letters. Any amount we raise over the amount used for letters will be donated to SwingLeft's direct campaign support of strong Dem candidates in the 12 "Super States."
(Note: ICG is not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible. As such, GoFundMe requires an individual to be the host/receiver of funds - Bonnie in our case. Trust us on this, please.)
Host a SwingLeft letter-writing!
ICG has joined thousands of resistance groups around the country for a BIG PUSH for the 2020 elections - now only 40 weeks away! Our 2020 “Swing Left” project is part of a very focused national program to defeat Trump, flip the Senate, and win key state races critical to redistricting. Along with activists all over the country, ICG will be (among other things) writing letters to register and engage voters in 12 “Super States,” where these key fights will be won or lost.
Want to help make CHANGE happen, but don’t have much time? We want to have MANY SwingLeft letter-writing house parties between now and the election, to get out at least 6500 letters to underrepresented SuperStates voters. Hosts and their invitees will be able to contribute in a meaningful way to 2020 election success with a single time-limited action.
Would you be willing to host a letter-writing party? An ICG rep will partner with you to help with planning, and will attend the party to lead the letter-writing. The beauty of this is not only that you’ll be making a very valuable contribution toward success in 2020, AND you’ll be leveraging your efforts by engaging your friends, but it will only take about 3 hours of your time, start to finish! Party details like location, size, and co-hosts are negotiable.
Ready to find out more? Email us to get the details, ask questions, and help make CHANGE happen in 2020!!
1/21
Our 2020 Gameplan
ICG’s gameplan for 2020 is to focus on state-level issues and advocacy during Oregon’s upcoming short legislative session (Feb. 3 - March 6), and in the 41 weeks till the election to focus on these 3 federal-level goals -
For federal-level action, we’ll “write” thousands of SwingLeft letters (actually just adding personal notes to prepared letters) and Postcards to Voters (scripts and supplies provided) to register and engage voters in “Super States” where the key fights of 2020 will be won or lost.
COMMIT to ACT
Ensuring CHANGE happens in 2020 is definitely not a spectator sport!
We all WANT change.
We all have to WORK for it.
EVERYONE is needed.
Each of us has to COMMIT to doing our part.
Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 41 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to one or more actions from the menu below this week. Together we’ll MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN!
ICG’s 2020 Action Menu
1. Calls to Action
Call/email your state/federal reps for accountability and for policy advocacy. ICG publishes CTAs on our Facebook page and in our newsletter. Each CTA includes a message and contact info for your reps.
2. LTE Circle
Join this ICG group to take turns submitting LTEs (letters to the editor). Use our messaging, or create your own. Connect with Rhonda for more info and to volunteer.
3. Postcards to Voters
Join ICG for coffee and postcarding with friends, the first Friday of every month. Connect with Lara for more info. Next event is Feb 7.
4. SwingLeft letter-writing: Attend a party! Connect with Sarah B for more info. Next event is Jan 29.
5. SwingLeft letter-writing: Host a house party for your friends!
Really leverage your efforts! Invite your peeps (friends, family, neighbors, book club, …) for letter-writing at your house. An ICG partner can come to lead the letter-writing. Connect with Bonnie for more info and to schedule.
6. Donate here to support our SwingLeft letter-writing project.
At $0.55 per letter for postage, supplies, and printing, ICG must raise $3575 to send out 6500 letters. Any amount we raise over the amount used for letters will be donated to SwingLeft's direct campaign support of strong Dem candidates in the 12 "Super States."
(Note: ICG is not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible. Also note ICG’s GoFundMe has Bonnie’s name as the host. Trust us on this, please.)
1/14
No War With Iran Rally
Last Thursday, Jan. 9, was a National Day of Action to amplify the call for No War With Iran, and condemn Trump’s rogue assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. ICG hastily organized a rally at the “fish fountain” (Overlook Memorial Plaza at Second and State Streets in HR). THANKS to all who came out in the cold and dark!
25-30 stalwart activists from both sides of the river enthusiastically delivered the NO WAR WITH IRAN message with a rally in Hood River. Lots of sign waving, chanting, "rush hour" honking and thumbs-upping, and general patriotic hubbub. Thanks to all who came out in the cold, and to all the passers-by and drivers-by who shared this concern for our country. And thanks to HR News, which ran a photo and summary on the front page.
Another display of Gorge resistance and engagement in the books. Nice work, activists! And for those who couldn’t make it - we’re confident (unfortunately) that there will be more opportunities. See you then!
Setting Our Course
Our next ICG meeting is this Tuesday, Jan. 14, and it’s an important one! Please come and be part of the hive mind. We’ll be discussing our direction and strategies for this critical election year, and planning specific actions to get us to desired goals on both federal and state levels, ESPECIALLY defeating Trump (YES!) and flipping the Senate (YES!). Our planning needs YOU, and our plans will need YOU. We have been living three years of evidence of the need for change, with new assaults and outrages every day. 2020 is our opportunity, and we’re going to give it the full court press. We need EVERYONE’s engagement to make sure CHANGE happens!
1/7
Jumping into 2020 (with ICG)
The holidays were hardly behind us before the bad news got worse. Climate-related wildfires are ravaging Australia, with truly unbelievable consequences. And on the home front, Trump has brought us to the brink of war with Iran by assassinating Gen. Qassim Suleimani, needlessly, without any game plan, and without consultation of Congress, foreign policy experts, or the Pentagon.
All of this is enough to bring you to your knees in helplessness and fear, or, better yet, to energize you to go all-in for change in 2020. Not just to want it, but to work for it. Relentlessly. We can do this together.
Come to our meeting next week (Jan. 14). We’ll be discussing an overall strategy to guide our work in 2020, at both the state and national level. You might be interested in reading about Swing Left’s “Super States” approach. Swing Left is a national group that has curated a suite of effective actions help Democrats defeat Trump and the GOP in 2020, based on the “Super States” approach.
Best Political Analysis Going
Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of American history who writes daily about politics, which of course is about Trump, impeachment, warmongering, etc. It is the best current political analysis I’ve come across. She posts each blog on Facebook and on her blog site. You can also subscribe and get her daily analysis by email.
At the end of her post today: “What I do know cold, though, is the nature of the American presidency and political power. Trump upped the ante of authoritarianism today, announcing he can launch a war without notifying Congress and that he can commit war crimes with impunity.”
Support Merkley in Re-Election Campaign
Senator Jeff Merkley is a stalwart of progressive politics. He’s dedicated, indefatigable, and he consistently fights for our values. This is a re-election year for Merkley, so let’s give him some serious support -
QUOTE
“Fun Fact: The people telling me [Trump] will never be removed are the same people who told me he’d never be impeached.”
- tweet by Scott Dworkin (Co-Founder @TheDemCoalition. #DworkinReport podcast host. Investigator who helped expose #TrumpRussia. Obama alum.)
Jamie McLeod-Skinner on Bridging the Divide
During a recent call organized by COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network), Jamie McLeod-Skinner gave an inspired presentation on how we Oregonians can work to bridge the divide between Republicans and Democrats in our state. After losing her primary bid for Secretary of State last spring, she began working with rural candidates for the state House and Senate, and in the process started mapping out what we can do to find common ground.
Jamie shared her insights into how we can reach out to others who don’t share our views. With bracing conviction and practical tips, she made it clear that the work begins with each of us individually—identifying our biases, emotional triggers, and stereotypes. Facing them honestly is the first step. Then, we need to learn to communicate in a way that involves both listening and mindfully avoiding the trigger words of others. The goal is to find a single point on which everyone can agree.
Jamie is developing a tool box that she will share with groups, candidates, and campaign workers in the coming months. In the meantime, she recommends being prepared for a long haul. This isn’t a project that will be completed quickly or within a single election cycle.
Keep your eyes on Jamie’s work on her website and Facebook page.
[content credit to OST-PDX]
Quotes
“The best leaders trust their followers with the truth, and you know what happens as a result? Their followers trust them back.” - George Schultz, former secretary of state, now 100, in a WaPo OpEd.
“America under Trump became less free, less equal, more divided, more alone, deeper in debt, swampier, dirtier, meaner, sicker, and deader. It also became more delusional.” - George Packer, A Political Obituary for Donald Trump, in The Atlantic.
12/9
Overview of OR 2020 Election
Oregon remains blue, with Dems ruling the top of the State ballot (Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer), but we didn’t make gains in down-ballot races. The margins of Dem wins in the state (including Rep. Anna Williams) were smaller than in the past. We didn’t secure a quorum-proof SuperMajority in the state legislature, so we can’t prevent walk-outs by GOP legislators. However, there were some bright spots - for example, in Bend House races. Timber Unity candidates, mostly rural, won consistently, and will be a force in our future.
Overall, the Republicans put themselves where they wanted to be in the state legislature and with a governor that is both a lame-duck and unpopular in rural areas. Our work as progressives is cut out for us in 2022, our next election cycle
Going forward, OR Dems need to focus on recruiting, promoting, and funding rural candidates, and on creating a broad message that will unify and benefit candidates.
[content credit to COIN, Coonsolidated OOregon Indivisible Network]
Speaking of recruiting and promoting rural candidates…
Have you ever thought of running for office? Not just state positions, but city, county, and special district? Or do you know someone you think would be great in an elected position?
Two things to know:
- even “obvious” and highly qualified people, especially women, need to be asked. ASK THEM.
- Emerge Oregon is our state chapter of the national Emerge organization. It trains and supports OR Dem women to run for all levels of office. Emerge had over three dozen women win state and local positions on Nov. 3. The 2021 training class is full. The 2022 training class is now taking applications.
Indivisible National’s core advocacy issues for 2021:
Democracy reform (top priority), economic justice, climate, health care and immigration, with a connecting thread of racial justice through all of them.
Read about them here.
Pebble mine: Environmentalists, take note. Activists, take heart.
The Pebble mine project, to extract rich copper, gold, and molybdenum mineral deposits, has been stealthily advancing for more than 20 years now. It would be an environmental disaster in the rich and sensitive Bristol Bay area of SW Alaska, devastating salmon fisheries and indigenous land and cultures.
It should have had a nail put in its coffin long ago. The current permit denial (by the Army Corps, no less!) is the strongest nail yet, and is 101% due to sustained, vocal fighting back by environmental activists and environmental advocacy groups.
This denial is not final, though - the project owners are planning to appeal (of course). A more comprehensive and long-term shut-down would come from an EPA denial based on the Clean Water Act.
If you have weighed in as an activist on this project in the past, YAY for you! And if you ever wonder if your efforts matter, take heart.
Quote
“Competence is the new cool.” - Dan Rather, on Twitter.
11/23
Anna Williams Wins!
Anna was originally called the winner on Nov. 3, but A LOT of votes from conservative Clackamas County had not yet been counted (a counting machine there broke down). When those votes were counted, her lead decreased to double digits and booth sides had 4 days to contact voters with rejected ballots (signature problems) to “cure” their rejections. Anna won by about 90 votes, just enough to avoid a recount, and was announced the winner last week.
Anna thanked ICG's many devoted activists who helped make the win happen, doing postcards, phonebanking, yard signs, sign-waving, fundraising, and vote "curing.” Soooo proud of our team, and so proud to have Anna Williams as our State Rep. Well done, all!
GA Runoffs: Build/Support the Infrastructure
You might want to consider supporting and/or working with these local organizations working on voter enfranchisement in Georgia, all of which will continue their work beyond the January Senate election.
Fair Fight – Founded by Stacy Abrams. The group is working on getting Warnock and Ossoff elected while fighting voter suppression through mobilizing voters and legal action. They are running a texting effort for GOTV.
New Georgia Project - Founded by Stacy Abrams. CEO is Nse Ufot. Nonpartisan effort to register and civically engage Georgians, particularly people of color and young people. Fights voting obstacles, like precinct closures and attempts to reduce the time period for early voting. Their strategy is on meeting people where they are, including faith-based institutions, college campuses, and neighborhoods. They have a texting program focused on young voters to GOTV.
Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda - Black-founded and -led. Mission includes voter empowerment, education, criminal justice, and environmental justice reform.
NAACP Georgia is partnering with Lyft to get voters to the polls.
Voter Participation Center - Using site-based (as in tables in front of grocery stores), on-the-ground volunteers to get people to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot and register to vote until the December 7 cut-off.
[content credit to OST-PDX]
A Time to Renew, Reflect, Reconfirm
In this time of transition, we are savoring what we’ve accomplished over the past four years, and thinking ahead to upcoming challenges and opportunities. Join us in renewing and reflecting, and in reconfirming our commitment to progressive activism.
Do you have thoughts on or suggestions for ICG’s work in the coming year? Are you interested in getting more involved, or in a particular topic? Please reach out, and let’s talk!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
11/16
TIME to FIX: Timber corporations hurting OR rural communities by avoiding taxes
Recent articles (1, 2) have shown that Oregon's timber corporations don't pay their fair share of taxes. For decades these corporations have worked to incrementally reduce their tax liability, and, as a result, rural communities have suffered.
Concerned Oregonians are exploring ways to reinstate fair timber taxes to fill the hole left in Oregon's rural county budgets created by the elimination of the tax that helped to pay for county services. State legislative counsel is drafting the citizen legislative concept to reinstate a severance timber tax to 1990 levels and redirect that funding to local communities and support watershed restoration, water and emergency preparedness infrastructure. It would also provide a tax reduction to those companies that switch to more environmentally-sound forestry practices.
Interested? Learn more at this presentation/discussion hosted by Tax Fairness Oregon
- "Timber Tax Fairness: for Counties, Water and Forests”
- Mon, 11/23, 6-7:30pm, by Zoom.
- Register here for zoom link.
REMINDER: Stay alert. Stay tuned.
We’re not out of the woods yet in terms of difficulties related to Trump and his minions. ICG leadership will alert our members pronto if there is any need/plan for grassroots resistance.
If a rally or other event is called, remember our basics: nonviolence, personal safety, de-escalate conflict, mutual respect, take care of each other, use covid precautions (masks and distancing).
Do not be baited. Proud Boys and others Trumpers are rallying in major cities, often instigating confrontations and violence. Similar could happen here. Don’t play ball. Stay away. Ignore. Don’t engage. We don’t want to give Trump or his terrorists any foothold for actions in our community.
ICG will communicate about protests/actions in two ways:
1. Posts on ICG’s Facebook page, and
2. Emergency action email to all our newsletter subscribers.
Quote
President Trump’s first and final contribution to the nation’s civic health will be [has been] to have motivated a voter turnout rate not seen for more than a century. - George Will (Washington Post 10/29/2020).
11/14 Congrats! Thanks! STAY TUNED.
We wrote letters. We wrote postcards. We textbanked and phonebanked. We wrote letters to the editor. We donated. We registered voters. We delivered yard signs. We had elementary age kids putting stamps on letters, bigger kids making up letter packets, young and older adults hosting friends and neighbors for candidate support activities, and younger teens registering their older schoolmates to vote. And we voted.
YAY for us!!! Congrats to all of us, and many thanks to our hundreds of activist-volunteers for jobs well-done.
And now, here we are post-voting. (Not yet post-election, since the vote counting continues.) As expected, as more and more mail-in ballots are counted, it's becoming more clear that Biden & Harris are on track to win this election.
Overall we aren’t seeing a massive push from the GOP to discount the results, although Trump has demanded a recount in Wisconsin and is ranting as usual on Twitter. So…so far, nothing illegal, and vote counting is continuing as it should.
Therefore, AT THIS TIME nationwide protests have not been activated. But things are in flux, so STAY ALERT for communications from ICG about local rallies/responses.
We will communicate about protests/actions in two ways:
1. Posts on ICG’s Facebook page, and
2. Emergency action email to all our newsletter subscribers.
Stay tuned, friends - and in the meantime, be kind to yourselves and each other.
10/29
Our gratitude (and we’re not finished yet!)
ICG leaders are so very thankful for all our MANY volunteers for their commitment to the 2020 Election. Today, we want to take a moment to say “thank you!”
We’ve rallied, written letters and postcards, done phonebanking and texting, but we’re not quite finished yet...and we still need you! With Election Day less than one week away, there’s not a moment to waste. We are in this together. Can you rise to the challenge?
We’re joining Indivisible Oregon over the next five days to phonebank like crazy to swing states. There are phonebanking trainings and events every day leading up to Nov.3 - take your pick!
ICG Endorsements - Local, State, & Federal
HR CITY
Mayor - Kate McBride; City Council (3) - Gladys Rivera, Megan Saunders, Mark Zanmiller
YES on ballot measure: Measure 14-70 Revision of Hood River County Home Rule Charter
STATE
Attorney General - Ellen Rosenblum; Secretary of State - Shemia Fagan; State Treasurer - Tobias Reed; State Representative (HD52) - Anna Williams
YES on all state ballot measures: Measure 107 Campaign Finance Limits; Measure 108 Tobacco & E-Cig Tax Increase for Health Programs; Measure 109 Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program; Measure 110 Drug Decriminalization & Addiction Treatment
FEDERAL
President/VP - Joe Biden/Kamala Harris; US Senator - Jeff Merkley; US Representative (CD2) - Alex Spenser
Resistance Actions During/After Elections
If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was “stolen,” tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the integrity of the election or the peaceful transition of power, mass grassroots mobilization will occur around the country. It’s quite possible that one or more of these triggers will occur immediately on/after November 3, and that the first mobilization will be called for Wednesday, November 4.
We are committed to nonviolence and to personal safety. We expect all participants to act nonviolently and lawfully at all times and to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with us. We expect all participants to respect one another and look out for one another.
Stay tuned in, and be ready to act:
ICG leadership will communicate plans for rallies/other actions in Hood River and/or The Dalles as developments unfold. Communication will be via ICG’s Facebook page and by “emergency alert” newsletter. Any gatherings will include social distancing and masks, and safety will be part of the planning.
10/20
Making it happen: Week 2
Our letter-writing (11,000+!) and postcard-writing (3000+!) campaigns have now come to a close. We and our fellow activists around the country are turning our full attention to phonebanking for the last 2 weeks.
Even if you’ve resisted phonebanking in the past, give it a try. THIS IS THE TIME. Choose one of these well-polished resources, and give it all you’ve got -
ICG Endorsements - Local, State, & Federal
HR CITY
Mayor - Kate McBride
City Council (3) - Gladys Rivera, Megan Saunders, Mark Zanmiller (incumbent)
YES on ballot measure: Measure 14-70 Revision of Hood River County Home Rule Charter
STATE
Attorney General - Ellen Rosenblum
Secretary of State - Shemia Fagan
State Treasurer - Tobias Reed
State Representative (HD52) - Anna Williams
YES on all state ballot measures:
· Measure 107 Campaign Finance Limits Amendment
· Measure 108 Tobacco and E-Cigarette Tax Increase for Health Programs Measure
· Measure 109 Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program Initiative
· Measure 110 Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative
FEDERAL
President/VP - Joe Biden/Kamala Harris
US Senator - Jeff Merkley
US Representative (CD2) - Alex Spenser
Editorial Opinion: Engagement with Civility
We, the BIG we, are in desperate need of a change in attitude in this country. I know it can’t happen under Trump, as he purposefully sows divisiveness and fans the flames of hatred among us. But I am hoping and expecting it can start under Biden-Harris. They at least recognize and are speaking of the need for unity and civility.
The negative, confrontational attitude on display daily in the U.S. has been building for a long time. We see it in our growing distrust of institutions - governmental, educational, commercial - and each other. We see it in our promotion and celebration of American “individualism” and individual rights, which can also convey “f*** you, society, I’ll do what I want.” Not only is the overall feel one of hostility, we seem to have lost the inclination to respect and work for the common good - actually subjugate our individual judgment / “rights” / preferences for the collective benefit of all.
The idea of achieving a greater sense of unity and respect for others is not just a utopian dream. It can happen - in fact, it must, if we are to flourish. We do not have to roll over and play dead to avoid conflict. We do not have to give up working for the issues and values we hold dear. We do need to make a real effort, though, to do it with civility, even tolerance, even acceptance. People are different. There will always be different points of view. But the common good calls.
Resistance Actions During/After Elections
If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was “stolen,” tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the integrity of the election or the peaceful transition of power, mass grassroots mobilization will occur around the country. It’s quite possible that one or more of these triggers will occur immediately on/after November 3, and that the first mobilization will be called for Wednesday, November 4.
The thinking on and planning for grassroots response has been detailed in our last 3 newsletters -
- 9/29/2020 - Choose Democracy’s “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup” and
- 10/6/2020 - the Transition Integrity Project
- 10/14/2020 - Indivisible National’s Protect the Results
Please reread these basics, in case resistance actions are called for:
Commitment to nonviolence: We commit to a nonviolent strategy for several reasons. First, we want to prioritize keeping people safe, especially those most at risk from rising threats of right-wing violence. Second, we want to win. Rigorous study of social movements has shown that nonviolent civil resistance is more effective than violence at resisting oppression and making change.
Lawfulness, de-escalation, mutual respect and caretaking: We expect all participants to act lawfully at all times and to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with us. We expect all participants to respect one another and look out for one another.
Sustained mobilization: The first week following the election is extremely critical. If Trump challenges the integrity of the election or is otherwise sowing chaos, we will repond with sustained protests.
Increasing pressure: If the crisis lasts longer than that first critical week post-election, we will need to be ready to ramp up our pressure. The strategy(ies) chosen will depend on the scenario at the time.
Attention to risk and safety: Trump’s attempts to create chaos and his encouragement of state-sponsored and right-wing violence, combined with polarizing media, misinformation, and accusations of fraud, all increase the risk of post-election violence. We will promote deescalation strategies, and seek to minimize the risk of violence in planning our response events.
Local actions and communications: ICG leadership will communicate plans for rallies/other actions in Hood River and/or The Dalles as developments unfold. Communication will be via ICG’s Facebook page and by “emergency alert” newsletter. Any gatherings will include social distancing and masks, and safety will be part of the planning.
10/14/20
Making it happen: Week 3
Our SwingLeft letter writing campaign, which started in mid-February, has finally wrapped up! Volunteers Lani Roberts, Nancy Clement, Irene Zimmerman, Pennie Burns, Marilyn Smith, Elise Tickner, and Claire Culbertson did the final honors by checking addresses and adding stamps to our 11,000+ voter turnout letters. They’re off now for THE BIG SEND - our contribution to 15 million letters written by activists all over the country. Yay for us!
ICG Endorsements - Local, State, & Federal
HR CITY
Mayor - Kate McBride
City Council (3) - Gladys Rivera, Megan Saunders, Mark Zanmiller (incumbent)
STATE
Attorney General - Ellen Rosenblum
Secretary of State - Shemia Fagan
State Treasurer - Tobias Reed
State Representative (HD52) - Anna Williams
YES on all state ballot measures:
· Measure 107 Campaign Finance Limits Amendment
· Measure 108 Tobacco and E-Cigarette Tax Increase for Health Programs Measure
· Measure 109 Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program Initiative
· Measure 110 Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative
FEDERAL
President/VP - Joe Biden/Kamala Harris
US Senator - Jeff Merkley
US Representative (CD2) - Alex Spenser
America’s 2020 Election Nightmare, Part 3
This is the third in a series of Moving Forward articles outlining the plans of pro-Democracy groups around the country to respond to possible post-election-day scenarios in which Trump refuses to concede after losing the election. The first two articles covered Choose Democracy’s “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup” (Daniel Hunter, 9/2020) and the Transition Integrity Project.
Protect the Results
Protect the Results is a plan for mass grassroots mobilization and protest organized by Indivisible National (IN), Stand Up America, and a broad coalition of partners. If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was “stolen,” tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the integrity of the election or the peaceful transition of power, mass mobilization will occur. It’s quite possible that one or more of these triggers will occur immediately on/after November 3, and that the first mobilization will be called for Wednesday, November 4.
Here are the basics:
Commitment to nonviolence: We commit to a nonviolent strategy for several reasons. First, we want to prioritize keeping people safe, especially those most at risk from rising threats of right-wing violence. Second, we want to win. Rigorous study of social movements has shown that nonviolent civil resistance is more effective than violence at resisting oppression and making change.
We expect all participants to act lawfully at all times and to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with us. We expect all participants to respect one another and look out for one another.
Sustained mobilization: The first week following the election is extremely critical. If Trump challenges the integrity of the election or is otherwise sowing chaos, we will repond with sustained protests (see “Plan for local actions” below).
Increasing pressure: If the crisis lasts longer than that first critical week post-election, we will need to be ready to ramp up our pressure. The strategy(ies) chosen will depend on the scenario at the time.
Attention to risk and safety: Trump’s attempts to create chaos and his encouragement of state-sponsored and right-wing violence, combined with polarizing media, misinformation, and accusations of fraud, all increase the risk of post-election violence. We will learn and promote deescalation strategies, and seek to minimize the risk of violence in planning our response events.
Plan for local actions and communications:
ICG leadership will communicate plans for rallies/other actions in Hood River and/or The Dalles as developments unfold. Communication will be via ICG’s Facebook page and by “emergency alert” newsletter. Any gatherings will include social distancing and masks, and safety will be part of the planning.
10/6/20
Making it happen: Week 4
Volunteer letter writers Christian Danielsen, Linda Shively, Heather Nielsen, Mimi Maduro, and Sartah Bellinson & friends completed 750 more SwingLeft voter engagement letters! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
The postcard-writing group is up to 50 member sand almost 3000 postcards to voters in swing states and critical Senate races. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
ICG Endorsements
By vote of the membership, ICG endorses the following local candidates and state ballot measures:
- Mayor - Kate McBride (incumbent)
- City Council 1 - Gladys Rivera (incumbent)
- City Council 2 - Megan Saunders (incumbent)
- City Council 3 - Mark Zanmiller (incumbent)
- Measure 107 Campaign Finance Limits Amendment
- Measure 108 Tobacco and E-Cigarette Tax Increase for Health Programs Measure
- Measure 109 Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program Initiative
- Measure 110 Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative
America’s 2020 Election Nightmare, Part 2
This is the second in a series of Moving Forward articles outlining the plans of pro-Democracy groups around the country to respond to possible post-election-day scenarios in which Trump refuses to concede after losing the election. Last week’s article covered Choose Democracy’s “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup” (Daniel Hunter, 9/2020).
Next week’s will cover Protect the Results (Indivisible National and Stand Up America).
The Transition Integrity Project
The Transition Integrity Project (TIP) was launched in December 2019 to identify and mitigate possible threats to democracy and federal administrative continuity in the period following election day in November 2020. It consists of a bipartisan group of over 100 current and former senior government and campaign leaders, academics, journalists, polling experts and former federal and state government officials concerned about potential disruptions to the 2020 U.S. presidential election and transition that might be attempted by Trump, his GOP supporters, and the Republican National Committee.
The point of TIP’s work has been to determine how can we ensure there will be a peaceful transition after the November election. To answer this question, they engaged in a “wargaming” exercise, a roleplaying “game” where participants were assigned roles and then thrown into specific scenarios in order to suss out how real-life world events might unfurl in the post-election period.
The seventy or so participants were assigned to play one of seven different roles: The Trump campaign team, the Biden campaign team, Democratic elected officials, Republican elected officials, federal bureaucrats in the national security apparatus, the press, and the public.
Assigned to faithfully play their role, these groups were then led into four different scenarios: a close Biden win, a Biden blowout, a Trump win, and an uncertain result. Here are a few (of many) takeaway points from the report of the scenario exercises:
- Trump will likely attempt to cling to power if he loses. He has all but proclaimed he intends to contest the results, and as an incumbent President, Trump has quite a few tools at his disposal.
- We likely won’t know who won until days or weeks after Election Day. The country will see an unprecedented level of vote-by-mail in November and it’s going to take states time to process them all. In the absence of an absolutely historic landslide for Biden, it will likely take several days if not longer to determine the vote-winner in key states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Trump is likely to claim victory on election night regardless of the results, and he’ll label mail-in ballots as a fraud. If the public believes we should know the results on Election Day, they are more likely to believe Trump’s claims of fraud after Election Day. To avoid that, we must normalize the understanding that mail-in ballots take time to count, and that the election is not decided until all the ballots are counted.
- The outcome of the crisis may not be decided by the courts, but by “a show of numbers in the streets.” There is enough grey area in the law, and the GOP has done enough to stack the courts, that we cannot rely on the judicial branch to rein in Trump. The ultimate success of transition may very well come down to us mobilizing a grassroots insistence to respect the results.
Readiness: Please join ICG’s “Phone-Tree”
A tactic used by the Trump faction in one scenario involved intentional disruption of the internet. Because of the crippling effect that would have on grassroots organizing and response, Indivisible and the 80 groups comprising Stand Up America are urging their members to enroll their text-able phone numbers with their organization to enable a local “phone-tree.” ICG members: Please send your name and cell # by email to ICG. It will be kept secure, and will not be shared with other individuals or organizations. If the internet is disrupted, the phone-tree will be our means of communicating and organizing.
9/29/20
Making it happen: Week 5
Volunteer letter writers Nancy Clement, Kathy Pickering, Jana Castanares & friends, and Mimi Maduro & friends completed 775 more SwingLeft voter engagement letters! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
The postcarding team now numbers 43! We'll name them all here when the project is complete. We are approaching 2700 postcards written and sent since late August, in support of targeted state GOTV campaigns and several close senate races across the country. Gold star on collars!
Many thanks to Claire Culbertson, Beth Foster, Kathy Pickering, Cheryl Hollatz, and Carrie Fuentes for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
America’s 2020 Election Nightmare
Our collective nightmare? Trump refusing to concede after losing re-election. He has been saying for months that he’ll do it. He is trying his best to steal the election - Russian interference, disabling the USPS, violence and threats of more violence, multiple methods of voter suppression. But it still may not be enough - Biden may (will) win. Trump has therefore stated preemptively that if he loses, it will be because of fraudulent voting and/or other underhanded Dem plots.
We’re not the only ones worrying about Trump refusing to concede after losing the election. “What’s a Coup? And What to Do?,” below, is the first in a series of Moving Forward articles outlining the plans of pro-Democracy groups around the country to respond to possible post-election-day scenarios in which Trump might attempt a power grab if (when) the election does not go his way. The weekly articles will cover
- Choose Democracy’s “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup” (Daniel Hunter, 9/2020)
- “Preventing a Disrupted Presidential Election and Transition” (The Transition Integrity Project, 8/2020)
- Protect the Results (Indivisible National and Stand Up America)
What’s a Coup? And What to Do?
Choose Democracy is a national effort to prep Americans for the possibility of a coup, while keeping people focused on a strong, robust election process. In “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup,” author Daniel Hunter presents Choose Democracy’s10 guidelines for recognizing and responding to a coup. The guidelines were developed from experiences of the many countries that have had coups since World War II. These excerpts give some of the basics:
It will be a coup if the government:
- Stops counting votes;
- Declares someone a winner who didn’t get the most votes; or
- Allows Trump to stay in power if he doesn’t win the election.
We need to be ready for a coup, and if it happens, we need to call it that and respond quickly. …
Coups work only if the public honors them. When the public refuses to accept the coup as legitimate, coups fall apart. Refusal looks like millions of people using nonviolent tools to delegitimize the coup by demonstrating, resisting orders, and shutting down the country until democracy prevails. …
Mass resistance to coups wins by using walk-outs and strikes, refusing orders, and shutting down civil society until the rightful democratically elected leader is installed. For mass movements to succeed against coups, they should refuse to do violence to the other side. …
A group of DC insiders called the Transition Integrity Project ran multiple simulations on Trump attempting to hold onto power no matter what. In every simulation they concluded that a “show of numbers in the streets may be decisive.” Regular people make the difference. …
Another way to prepare is to get people into the mindset of taking action so they don’t “freeze.” The classic formulation of this is the “if-this-then-that” model, where people prepare themselves for an action by saying “If it comes to this bad thing, then I’ll act.” By signing a pledge before the crunch moment, you get wider buy-in.
In that spirit, Choose Democracy has created a pledge:
- We will vote.
- We will refuse to accept election results until all the votes are counted.
- We will nonviolently take to the streets if a coup is attempted.
- If we need to, we will shut down this country to protect the integrity of the democratic process.
ICG encourages you to sign the pledge to choose democracy and join with folks across the political spectrum! These public commitments ahead of time increase the political cost of attempting a coup — because the best way to stop a coup is to deter it.
Oh, THOSE income taxes…
Laurence Tribe (Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard), via Twitter -
9/27: One thing not to overlook in the blockbuster NYT report on Trump’s taxes is his $410M in personal debt. That represents some pretty massive leverage by people or governments with interests that aren’t necessarily ours as Americans. Kompromat, anyone?
9/28: Trump’s worse than broke. He’s in hock to foreign powers who wish us ill. His desperation and indebtedness endanger every one of us. He must be swept from office by a tidal wave of patriotic voters. Rise up and VOTE.
9/28: A lot of Americans want to know: Will Chris Wallace ask Trump on Tuesday night: “Mr. Trump, to whom do you owe that $410M?
Bloomberg.com -
9/28: Trump's taxes show he’s a national security threat. What trade-offs would a president with this level of indebtedness be willing to make to save face?
Heather C. Richardson, PhD (Professor of Political History) via her daily blog -
9/28: For ordinary Americans, even small debt can prevent obtaining a security clearance because it makes a person vulnerable to blackmail or other pressure.
9/22/20
Making it happen: Week 6
Volunteer letter writers Amy Nowatzki, Elise Tickner, Christian Danielsen, Kelly Bradway Parrett, Rachel and Caroline and Colette Hyde, Pennie Burns, Buck Parker, Nancy Clement, and Sarah Bellinson & friends cranked out 950 SwingLeft voter engagement leters! This is part of a goal of 10 million such letter across the country. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Our volunteer postcard writers now number almost 40, and they have mailed over 2000 postcards to targeted voters in the last month, giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast. Welcome new writers! More gold stars; write on!
Many thanks to Tina Castañares, Suzanne Warren, Mary Taylor, and Kelly Brown for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Packing the Court…and then?
The loss of RBG is a great one. She was, and still is, and icon for women’s place in society and the workforce, and for women’s reproductive rights (also known as human rights). The fact that it came at this time, before the end of Trump’s term in January, is really no surprise, considering the nature of her medical diagnosis. The fact that she lasted this long, and with continuing wit and grace and mental powers, is a blessing.
There’s a great deal of angst and effort to persuade Republicans not to fill the position - but Dems have essentially no card to play in this game beyond exhortations. A couple of interesting observations and ideas have been floated and are worth noting, given that a Repub appointment to the court is likely -
The ages of the current justices range from 82 to 53. Breyer is 82; Thomas is 72; Alito is 70; Sotomayor is 66; Roberts is 65; Kagan is 60; Kavanaugh is 55; Gorsuch is 53. Those of older ages have statistically more limited shelf lives. For others - who knows? Life has surprises. And expiration of shelf life is not the only possibility - retirements are possible, too. The point is, obviously, that even intentional court-packing is not a sure bet for controlling the future.
Another idea recently floated by liberals to regain power after a conservative packing of the Court is to add more seats to the Court that could be filled by a Dem president. The Constitution actually doesn’t specify the number of seats on the Court. In fact, it has changed a few times - but not since 1869.
In order for this to happen, Dems would need to win the House, the Senate, and the presidency in November. It could happen (inshallah). Then they’d probably need to eliminate the filibuster’s use in the Senate. It could happen (inshallah).
Some expansion advocates feel expansion of the Court is justified because the strong conservative majority has been gained by illegitimate means, and point to recent decisions (eg the rollback of the Voting Rights Act and the Supremes’ failure to act on partisan gerrymandering) that show that the court already reflects rampant partisanship rather than judicial prudence. Some argue that voters could go all-in for Dems in November, so the conservative Court would then be subverting the will of the people. Of course, that’s the whole point of packing the court.
A number of writers have delved into what they see as pros and cons of expansion:
PROS:
- Republican maneuvering has undermined the legitimacy of the court (Jamelle Bouie, New York Times)
- Without expanding the court, a popular progressive agenda would be blocked (Jay Willis, GQ)
- History shows the court remains independent after the number of justices changes (Tim Burns, New Republic)
- Congress is obligated to act when the court is standing in the way of democracy (Pack the Courts founder Aaron Belkin, Slate)
- Growing the court might lead to more moderate decisions from current judges (Ed Kilgore, New York)
- Democrats discuss court packing only because they’ve failed in the current system (Bruce Fein, American Conservative)
- Republicans would just add their own justices when they got back in power (Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post)
- Adding justices to the court would be a death blow to an independent judiciary (Dan McLaughlin, National Review)
- Expanding the court would only make partisanship on the court worse (Peter Verniero, NJ.com)
- It would be an unnecessary escalation in response to Republican underhandedness (Ilya Somin, Reason)
The Repub appointment to the Supreme Court will probably sail right along. Then what? Well, like so many things in our political world these days, we’ll just have to see.
9/15/20
Making it happen: Week 7
The last packet of SwingLeft letters went out to a writer this week! When all of the packets currently out to writers are returned, we will have completed 11,290 letters! Tremendous job, all of you volunteers!
This week, Amy Nowatzki, Arden Reid, Bob Danko, Fran Finney, Lani Roberts, Linda Chamberlain, Polly Wood, Phoebe Wood, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed a smashing 625 SwingLeft voter engagement letters! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Our postcarding team, led by Lara Dunn and Laurie Macdonald, is now over 30 strong and have mailed over 1400 handwritten postcards since August 21. This volume of friendly notes to voters will really make a difference in November. Write on!
Many thanks to Linda Chamberlain, Karin Tauscher, Christian and Alix Danielsen, Mary Ellen Barilotti, Jana Castanares, and Lousie Johnson for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
YES, we’re working to get a New & Improved president (and Senate)
- Texting with Indivisible National: Check the training schedule to find a date that works for you, then join any of Indivisible’s texting event dates on the texting schedule.
- ICG Postcarding using Postcards-to-Voters: Send postcards to voters promoting various Dem candidates around the country. See instructions here to get started, and to pay for your postcards and stamps. Then email Laurie to get your packet(s) of 20 spiffy “vote from home” postcards delivered to your door!
- Help distribute Anna Williams yard signs, starting with your friends and neighbors! Email ICG to get the signs.
- Email ICG to get your Biden-Harris yard sign now - $5 each. Funds our letter and postcard projects.
- And see other options under CALENDAR, above.
OR Wildfires and Climate Change
We are witnessing and mourning unbelievable destruction and calamity in our state, and in CA and WA. So many people have been displaced, either temporarily or permanently, and many have been killed by the wildfires raging in the West. The fires are more numerous and more intense than in the past, and many have occurred in places that have not typically had wildfires in the past. This incredible catastrophe is due in large part to climate change.
Let us be clear on the words, as they do matter. The displaced and the dead are CLIMATE REFUGEES and CLIMATE FATALITIES. And yes, Trump can fairly be called a “climate arsonist.”
This is a good time to be intentional about how we think of the wildfires and the losses, how we speak of them, and how we write about them. Climate change should have been front and center as a political and social issue for the last 20 years. Making it so right now, at election time, is an opportunity not to be missed.
9/8/20
Making it happen: Week 8
We’re closing in on our goal of 11,300 SwingLeft voter engagement letters! This week, volunteers Heather Nielsen, Linda Shively, Pennie Burns, Nancy Clement, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed another 325. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
We now have 28 active Postcards to Voters writers who have completed and mailed over 1000 fun, friendly handwritten notes to engage progressive voters in Florida. Write on!
Many thanks to Pat Evenson-Brady, Patrick Cornelius, Steve Rudman, Heather Staten, Heather Nielsen, Melody Shapiro, Mary Claire Collins, and Cindy Allen for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. And an extra THANK YOU to Pat E-B for her work since February to create all of our letter packets - a huge job. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
- SwingLeft letter-writing: We’ll get you set up with a packet of 25 letters to write, contributing to our goal of 11,300 letters by October! Contact us to request a packet.
- Texting with Indivisible National: Check the training schedule to find a date that works for you, then join any of Indivisible’s texting event dates on the texting schedule.
- ICG Postcarding using Postcards-to-Voters: Send postcards to voters in targeted districts in Florida to promote Vote-By-Mail enrollment. See instructions here to get started, and to pay for your postcards and stamps. Then email Laurie to get your packet(s) of 20 spiffy “vote from home” postcards delivered to your door!
- Help distribute Anna Williams yard signs, starting with your friends and neighbors! Email us for signs.
- Email ICG to get your Biden-Harris yard sign now. $5 each. Funds our letter and postcard projects.
- And see other options under CALENDAR (Meet & Act page).
Fight Election-Related Disinformation with Indivisible!
People believe sources they trust. Join Indivisible National’s Truth Brigade to share and amplify unified, factual messages to those who trust YOU. Check out the Truth Brigade action kit here. And the Public Resources, Countering Disinformation Best Practices, and the FAQs. And the latest action campaign here.
Join the Truth Brigade and share the crafted factual messages with your friends and with your social media friends/followers.
Covid: the Numbers, the Response
Over 185,000 Americans have died in the last 6 months due to Covid-19. That number is equivalent to a 9-11 attack every day for two months. It’s equivalent to flying a full 737 airplane into a mountain every single day for more than two years.
Trump says, “It is what it is.” That the US is singular in its failure is alternately played down and denied. That each death is the loss of a daughter, a mother, a father, a son, is lost on this mentally and emotionally stunted president.
What’s Timber Unity (and why should I care)?
The short answer on why you should care is that they’re funding the opposition in many OR legislative races and creating attack ads, aiming to capture control of the OR legislature to serve their own corporate interests. One of their generously funded candidates is Jeff Helfrich, running again against Rep. Anna Williams.
Timber Unity was started in 2019 by several log truck drivers who opposed climate legislation because of their concern it would increase fuel prices. The group was quickly hijacked by Andrew Miller, CEO of Portland-based Stimson Lumber Co., and Julie Parish, a GOP state representative who lost her seat in 2018. Miller and Parish took the name Timber Unity and formed the Timber Unity PAC (TUPAC) and two corporations - and, incidentally, threatened the log truck drivers with legal action if they continued to independently use the name.
In addition to Miller, major PAC donors include log trucking companies, agricultural and mining companies, right-wing militias, and Rob Freres, owner of Freres Lumber and the link between Timber Unity and Trump. Both Miller and Freres have been major contributors to Republican candidates and campaigns over the years, donating well over $3 million between the two of them.
While fronting itself as a grassroots movement, and supporting “working families,” Timber Unity is strictly a pro-corporate entity supporting Republican conservative, reactionary candidates in rural legislative races, with the intent of creating an OR legislature friendly to (i.e. willing to serve) corporate interests. TU is particularly targeting the Secretary of State race because of the threat redistricting poses to GOP seats.
In their opposition to climate change legislation, Miller’s and Timber Unity PAC’s interests are aligned with Wall Street real estate investors who own at least 40% of private forest lands in western Oregon, and with corporations such as Koch Industries, owner of Georgia-Pacific and its Oregon paper mills.
TU corporate tactics have included threatening OR wage-earners with job layoffs if climate legislation was enacted. Georgia-Pacific, for example, threatened to close its Wauna Paper Mill. Wauna employees joined Timber Unity believing that if climate legislation passed, they would lose their jobs.
Timber Unity was key in funding and implementing walkouts by GOP legislators during the 2019 and 2020 sessions, which prevented voting on climate legislation and other essential legislation. You might recall (and still be seeing) I-Support-Chuck-Thomsen yard signs referring [obliquely] to “working families” - presumably those same working families that lost out on program initiatives and funding for mental health care, homeless shelters, wildfire management, and other needed services due to the GOP walkouts. The interests of working families are most definitely NOT central to Timber Unity.
[content credit to OST-PDX]
9/1/20
Making it happen: Week 9
Our extraordinary letter-writers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamerlain, Ruth Tsu, and Sarah Bellinson & friends cranked out an amazing 685 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Marie Borucki, Gary Regalbuto, Mary Harmon, Holly Coccoli, and Pat Case for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. And a big thank-you, too, to graphic artist Maureen Lauran who created a beautiful Biden-Harris poster that we’ve been selling for yard signs, funding stamps for our letter and postcard projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
- SwingLeft letter-writing: We’ll get you set up with a packet of 25 letters to write, contributing to our goal of 11,300 letters by October! Contact us to request a packet.
- Texting with Indivisible National: Check the training schedule to find a date that works for you, then join any of Indivisible’s texting event dates on the texting schedule.
- ICG Postcarding using Postcards-to-Voters: Send postcards to voters in targeted districts in Florida to promote Vote-By-Mail enrollment. See instructions here to get started, and to pay for your postcards and stamps. Then email Laurie to get your packet(s) of 20 spiffy “vote from home” postcards delivered to your door!
- Help distribute Anna Williams yard signs, starting with your friends and neighbors!Email ICG to get your Biden-Harris yard sign now. $5 each. Funds our letter and postcard projects.
- And see other options under CALENDAR, above!
Stoking Violence as Election Strategy
Trump is stoking violence around the country, including in Portland. In his recent press conference, in which he addressed ongoing unrest in the city, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called out Trump for being a provocateur, noting, “It’s you who have created the hate and the division” that are fueling violent clashes in Portland and elsewhere.
Political historian Dr. Heather Richardson says the reason is clear - “Stoking violence is a key tool in the authoritarian’s toolkit.” The intended pathway is that, as violence increases, people turn to a leader who offers protection - eg, the “LAW & ORDER” promise/platform that Trump keeps pushing when talking about protests.
Trump and his administration continue to paint Black people as lawless and dangerous, allegedly endangering suburban white Americans. They (Trump et al.) refuse to condemn violence, and have lionized the 17-year-old murderer (and Trump supporter) in Kenosha last week. They blame Dems/liberals for violent protests, ignoring that most of the injuries have been caused by police or by rightwing “militia members”/gangsters.
It is important to continue to make it clear to the American people what is happening - that Trump is inciting violence to further create an atmosphere of fear, hoping people will grasp for his LAW & ORDER promise. Dem leaders are now calling out Trump for “willfully fanning the flames of this violence,” in the words of Rep. Adam Schiff. In Wisconsin, where police shot Jacob Blake in the back, the Lt. Governor and the Governor have both excoriated Trump for sowing hatred and violence, and asked him not to come to their state as he had planned. As individuals, we can help by being clear in our conversations, LTEs, and social media posts that Trump is intentionally provoking and supporting the violence, as a desperate attempt to drive fearful voters to his camp.
8/25/20
Making it happen: Week 10
Volunteer letter-writers Pennie Burns, Kathy Pickering, Marilyn Smith, and Sarah Bellinson & friends added 500 more completed SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Susan Lannack, John & Carolyn Stevens, Jace Castello, Bonnie Withers, Maria Cook, Anya Dassel, Karin Tauscher, and one unidentified angel for their generous contributions to fund stamps for our letter/postcard writing projects. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
- SwingLeft letter-writing: We’ll get you set up with a packet of 25 letters to write, contributing to our goal of 10,000 letters by October! Contact us to request a packet.
- Texting with Indivisible National: Check the training schedule to find a date that works for you, then join any of Indivisible’s texting event dates on the texting schedule.
- ICG Postcarding using Postcards-to-Voters: Send postcards to voters in targeted districts in Florida to promote Vote-By-Mail enrollment. See instructions here to get started, and to pay for your postcards and stamps. Then email Lara to get your packet(s) of 20 spiffy “vote from home” postcards delivered to your door!
- And see other options under CALENDAR (Meet & Act).
600 Lawyers…
would normally sound like...well... maybe too much of a good thing.
This is an exception: “Biden Campaign Deploys 600 Lawyers So Trump Can’t ‘Steal This Election’”, recent article in Forbes magazine.
Speaking of Stealing the Election…
From Indivisible National:
Postboxes removed from street corners. Sorting machines taken from local post offices. Hours cut and routes lengthened. In a year when people are rightly anxious about the safety of voting in person, Trump’s increasing attacks on the Postal Service are just more proof he’s laying the groundwork to contest or outright steal the election.
And it’s not just the post office -- last week the Washington Post reported on the RNC’s literal plans to contest the results of the election. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both spoke out about their fears for November. Trump straight up admitted he’s planning to interfere. And just two days ago, Trump said he’d seek an (unconstitutional) third term.
Luckily, many experts saw this coming, and we’re already working on a plan to fight back. It’s called Protect the Results -- a joint effort between 40 (and counting!) partner organizations to prepare for a mass mobilization if Trump loses the election and refuses to leave office.
We’ve got three steps to get ready for a potential Trump-manufactured constitutional crisis:
- Develop mobilization strategies -- using the possible scenarios gamed out by experts, we’re planning for what our response needs to look like to protect our democracy.
- Recruit for grassroots turnout -- with ads, media coverage, digital organizing, and more, we’re getting the word out to the people (that’s you!) to sign up at ProtectTheResults.com so we’re ready to act the moment we need to.
- Prepare for events nationwide -- working with experts, our coalition, and grassroots leaders, we’re planning for the mobilizations and informed mass action we’ll need if Trump refuses to accept the election results.
NORCOR: A Dose of Great News (we need to keep in practice)
Last week the board of the Northern Oregon Correctional Facility in The Dalles voted unanimously to end its contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is a huge win for immigrant justice, and it could not have happened without the courage of the immigrants and refugees detained at NORCOR, who organized two hunger strikes to protest conditions inside the jail. Neither could it have happened without the members of the Gorge ICE Resistance coalition and other activists in and beyond the Gorge, who held years of daily vigils outside NORCOR and kept up the pressure in community meetings and in court. Congratulations to all who worked so hard to achieve this victory.
Content credit to CGWAN.
Biden-Harris Poster/Yard Sign - $5
This is the trifecta of win-win-win offers! Your $5 donation supports the BLUE WAVE by
- Buying stamps for ICG’s voter engagement letter and postcard projects
- Helping support the Post Office until we can get a real President
- Showing your support for Biden/Harris
Email ICG to get yours now!
8/17/20
Making it happen: Week 11
Volunteer letter-writers Pennie Burns, Peter Cornelison, Anne Gehrig, Amy Nowatzki, Arden Reid, Marilyn Smith, and Irene Zimmerman, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed 425 more SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Claire Culbertson for her generous contribution to fund stamps for our letter-writing. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
- SwingLeft letter-writing: We’ll get you set up with a packet of 25 letters to write, contributing to our goal of 10,000 letters by October! Contact us to request a packet.
- Texting with Indivisible National: Check the training schedule to find a date that works for you, then join any of Indivisible’s texting event dates on the texting schedule.
- Phonebanking with Indivisible National: Check out this super helpful video on how to phonebank using Hubdialer, then join any of Indivisible’s many phonebank dates on the phonebank schedule.
- ICG Postcarding using Postcards-to-Voters: Send postcards to voters in targeted districts in Florida to promote Vote-By-Mail enrollment. See instructions here to get started, and to pay for your postcards and stamps. Then email Lara to get your packet(s) of 20 spiffy “vote from home” postcards delivered to your door!
By now the entire country is aware that Trump, past hoping for an electoral win with the conventional get-folks-to-vote-for-me approach, is focused on stealing the election by voter suppression and foreign interference. The latest and most far-reaching form of voter suppression is his destruction of the USPS. First it was starving it of funds, disingenuously stating it should become self-sustaining - of course we don’t expect this of the military or most other government functions. Now it is breaking and discarding expensive mail-sorting equipment, taking mailboxes off the streets, and reducing services at local post offices. This has been accomplished by installing a Trump loyalist, Louis DeJoy, as Postmaster General, and then dictating the destruction plan. So far, the USPS Board of Governors, 6 wealthy old white men, most of whom are also Trump appointees, has had nothing to say about this, despite the fact that they have both the power and the duty to stop DeJoy.
Legal and legislative responses are developing. Speaker Pelosi has ordered House members back from vacation to vote on a bill to halt the destruction of the Post Office. DeJoy has been called to testify before Congress. State attorneys general are filing suits because of interference in their voting processes, and state Secretaries of State are implementing alternative voting processes.
A grassroots effort to flush out the sleeping USPS Board of Governors has taken off around the country. They will NOT be happy to find their email boxes and phone messages full, but will also not be willing to have their reputations tarnished and business lives disrupted by this fiasco. You are invited and encouraged to participate. Call & email each of the 6 of them, and tell them :
- who & what you are (a retiree? Veteran?),
- what you & family rely on the USPS for in this pandemic,
- how DeJoy’s changes are disrupting your needs & causing stress, and
- your worry about Vote-by-Mail in the upcoming election.
There is a problem locally too, since many people mail in their ballots, especially now that it is postage-paid. We can drop off ballots by hand in a ballot box, but there’s only ONE ballot box available for the entire Hood River valley, the one on State Street in downtown HR. There are none in Parkdale or Odell. This has in the past been an inconvenience for residents there, and now is a critical problem with Trump’s intentional slowdown of USPS delivery. There’s time to add boxes (and there are some State resources available), but the decision rests with HR County Commissioners and the director of HRC’s Election Division, Brian Beebe. Mr. Beebe has responded tersely last week that he’s not planning on pursuing this. Both he and the County Commissioners seem to need more urging from concerned residents to add ballot boxes in Odell and Parkdale:
County Commissioners - mike.oates@co.hood-river.or.us; Karen.joplin@co.hood-river.or.us; rmcbride@co.hood-river.or.us; bob.benton@co.hood-river.or.us; les.perkins@co.hood-river.or.us
Director Beebe - brian.beebe@co.hood-river.or.us
8/11/20
Making it happen: Week 12
Marilyn Smith and Irene Zimmerman completed another 50 SwingLeft voter engagement letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to Beth Foster for her very generous contribution to fund stamps for our letter-writing. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
Many New & Improved ways to get a New & Improved president
- SwingLeft letter-writing: We’ll get you set up with a packet of 25 letters to write, contributing to our goal of 10,000 letters by October! Contact us to request a packet.
- Texting with Indivisible National: Join the next texting training on August 4th, or check the training schedule, then join any of Indivisible’s texting event dates on the texting schedule.
- Phonebanking with Indivisible National: Check out this super helpful video on how to phonebank using Hubdialer, then join any of Indivisible’s many phonebank dates on the phonebank schedule.
- Postcarding with Postcards-to-Voters: Follow the simple instructions on the website.
Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki as “acts of naked racism”
On Memorial Day of 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis. This was blatant police brutality and blatant racism.
On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9, the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb, this time on Nagasaki. 282,000 human beings were killed.
We have heard and read much about these horrific bombings in the years since. What has not been said or written about is their racial underpinnings - and it this that links the bombings to the George Floyd murder. “Worlds apart in time, space, and scale, the two events share three key features. Each was an act of state violence. Each was an act carried out against a defenseless opponent. Each was an act of naked racism.”
The story is told in an article published last week, the 75 anniversary of the atomic bombings, entitled “Memorial Days: the racial underpinnings of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.”
8/4/20
Making it happen: Week 13
Our letter-writing heroes this week added 250 voter engagement letters to our goal of 10,000 letter goal! Many thanks to Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Fran Finney, Buck Parker, Lani Roberts, Phoebe and Polly Wood, and Irene Zimmerman for making it happen. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Text & Phone Your Way to a New President
Indivisible National is looking for thousands of volunteers to join its robust texting and phonebanking programs to advance candidates and engage voters in “SuperStates” where the difference will be made in November.
- To do texting: Join the next texting training on August 4th, or check the training schedule, then join any of Indivisible’s texting event dates on the texting schedule.
- To do phonebanking: Check out this super helpful video on how to phonebank using Hubdialer, then join any of Indivisible’s many phonebank dates on the phonebank schedule.
Yet More on Protect the Results
There continue to be lots of causes for concern over Trump’s undermining of the November election. He’s floated the idea of postponing the election, made false claims that absentee ballots will result in voter fraud, and refused to say whether or not he will accept the legitimate results of the election. Now his new head of the USPS, a staunch Trump loyalist, has created new “regulations” that are slowing delivery of letters (and ballots) to over 2 weeks. Trump’s focus now is clearly not on winning the election by popular vote, but on cheating his way to victory.
NPR recently interviewed Rosa Brooks, a law professor at Georgetown University, about the bipartisan group of experts she gathered to game out what a contested November election might look like. Among the possibilities considered were Trump campaign and loyalists
- trying to stop the counting of mail-in ballots,
- asserting ballots were fraudulent,
- closing the post office to prevent additional ballots from reaching the ballot counters,
- seizing and trying to sequester ballots to prevent additional counting,
- attempting to persuade legislators, state-level legislators and governors sympathetic to Trump to send rival slates of electors to Congress,
- attempting to mobilize street protesters,
- calling on governors to delay the election,
- mounting a disinformation campaign to keep people from turning out and voting (eg, announcing the day before that the election is cancelled; or broadcasting on election day that the polls are closed, so people should bother to go to vote), and
- trying to convince justices, secretaries of state, or other elected officials to overturn the results.
A crisis of some sort is likely. Our Constitution does not anticipate or regulate such rogue misuses of power, so previous presidential transitions have relied on tradition and concern for the greater good. These are NOT Trump’s way. We all need to be ready to take action to protect the results and ensure a peaceful transition of power. Our democracy depends on it. Indivisible National and its many progressive partners will plan and coordinate actions as needed, and member groups like ICG will communicate and coordinate locally.
Click here to support Indivisible National's "Protect the Results" work.
7/27/20
Making it happen: Week 14
This week, letter-writing volunteers Pennie Burns, Nancy Clement, Amy Nowatzki, and Kathy Pickering added 150 voter engagement letters to our GROWING pile that will be sent out in late October. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Thank you to Claire Culbertson for her generous donation to purchase stamps for the letter-writing project. We could use more donations just like hers. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
More on Protect the Results
You’ll recall we noted in this section several weeks ago the undercurrent of anxiety in the country about the possibility that Donald Trump will dispute the outcome of the 2020 if/when he loses. Responses are being planned already - at the grassroots level by Indivisible National and other pro-democracy groups, and at the national level by the Transition Integrity Project and [hopefully/probably] others.
A recent article in Atlantic Monthly talks about the Transition Integrity Project: “an informal bipartisan group…that is looking to ensure the election and potential transition go smoothly. More than 60 people are involved, including former governors and Cabinet secretaries. They’re planning to meet on Zoom in the next few weeks and hold “tabletop” exercises meant to think through various scenarios.”
Our electoral tradition depends on the two candidates involved cooperating in the case of a contested election, i.e. one candidate being willing to fold in order to preserve the integrity of the system and avoid national chaos. This would be a move based on goodwill and interest in the greater good, neither of which have burdened Mr. Trump’s actions so far. Al Gore did just this is 2000, when the Supreme court failed to uphold a needed recount in Florida, and George Bush narrowly “won” the presidential election.
Author and professor Lawrence Douglas has just published Will He Go?, a book that lays out possible outcomes from a contested election, including courts being unable to resolve the dispute. He notes that “in 2020, we have no Al Gore to save us from a complete electoral meltdown and the unrest and violence it could unleash.”
The threat and possible consequences of a disputed national election are very real and very frightening. But having informed minds working together four months in advance allows for putting together an intelligent gameplan.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the many frightening things happening in current U.S. politics. A more satisfying and grounded approach is to keep our heads down and WORK at the things on the plate in front of us (see Call to Action above, and ICG’s 2020 Action Menu). And read what Mr. Rogers has to say (below). Often.
QUOTES
When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people is this world.
– Fred Rogers
7/20/2020
Making it happen: Week 15
Letter-writing volunteers Linda Chamberlain, Marilyn Smith, Ruth Tsu, and Sarah Bellinson & friends cranked out 340 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week! Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Daera Dobbs, Debbie Kelly, Carol Reed and Laurie Macdonald had a socially-distanced get-together last week to write 60 SwingLeft letters to potential voters in the upcoming Florida primary, as part of a beta-test of two different mailing time strategies. (Want to join in? More participants are needed, fyi, to get out another 10,000 letters for this test.) Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Thank you to Debby Chenoweth for her generous donation to keep the letter-writing to SuperStates voters going strong. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
ICG’s 2020 ENDORSEMENTS
At ICG’s general meeting last week, members voted to endorse the following 2020 federal- and state-level candidates:
VP Joe Biden (D) - US President
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) - US Senate
Ellen Rosenblum (D) - OR Attorney General
Tobias Read (D) - OR State Treasurer
Shemia Fagan (D) - OR Secretary of State
Rep. Anna Williams (D) - State Representative HD52
Each of them embodies our progressive values, and brings demonstrated dedication, intelligence, and ethical behavior.
Stormtroopers as Election Gambit? Election Prep?
Trump appears to have a new, three-pronged election approach. First, he is protecting us from “violent anarchists” by deploying rogue federal jackboots in our cities, starting with Portland, Oregon. Second, we no longer need to pay attention to the administration’s failure to protect us from coronavirus because the “violent anarchists” in our cities are more compelling, immediate, and tangible. And third, he expects to have similar troops in cities across the country as the election approaches (assignment unspecified).
Of course, attempting to overshadow the increasingly alarming news about the coronavirus is somewhat disingenuous, by any means. It is hard to overlook that hospitals across the South are literally overflowing with Covid patients of all ages, ICUs are filled to overflowing, medical equipment is scarce, and the number of deaths from Covid in the U.S. has skyrocketed to 145,000.
The claim of violent anarchy is also a bit disingenuous, given that the Department of Homeland Security lists the violent actions in Portland as graffiti, torn down fences, and fireworks. Portland officials feel quite capable of handling this level of “violence,” and have asked, along with both Oregon senators and Governor Brown, for the federal troops to be withdrawn. The administration refuses.
The legal basis for this [mis]use of federal forces has not been explained, and legal scholars question whether either AG Barr or the Acting Secretary of DHS even has the authority to deploy these federal forces in this way.
And how about the rest of us? The WE, THE PEOPLE? The Portlanders, the Oregonians, the people looking on in horror all around the country? We are fearful. We see intimidation and brutality. We see our democracy threatened. We see free speech and the right to peaceful protest being thrown under the bus. We see the deployment of unidentified secret stormtroopers as reminiscence of fascist dictatorships of the past. We have great concern that Trump’s vision is apparently that Portland is just the beginning.
But we have power - to show up, to speak up, to be bold and courageous, to vote, to last. And the arc, both of history and of the moral universe, is in our favor.
QUOTES
“Mr. President, the American people are tired and they cannot and will not take it anymore. They have a right to organize the unorganized. They have a right to protest in a peaceful, orderly, nonviolent fashion. You cannot stop the people with all of the forces that you may have at your command. You cannot stop people when they say ‘no.’”
- The late Rep. John Lewis
7/13/20
Making it happen: Week 16
The SwingLeft letter-writing continues! Thanks to volunteers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, and Sarah Bellinson & friends, who completed another 315 voter engagement letters to Texans in need of encouragement to get out and VOTE in November. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Protect the Results
Many of us are anxious about the possibility, even likelihood, of a move by an increasingly desperate Trump to reject the outcome of the November elections and refuse to leave the White House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned Dems in Congress of the same.
Indivisible National is partnering with Stand Up America to create and implement a country-wide response. Learn more about the planhere, and read Indivisible’s press release for Protect the Results here.
“We will stand together to ensure that if Trump loses the 2020 presidential election he will not throw our country into a constitutional crisis. We will demand that every vote be counted, even if it takes days or weeks to get an accurate count from critical states, especially given the expansion of mail-in and absentee voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will organize to ensure that the loser concedes, and that Congress, the Electoral College, and state officials honor the accurate, final vote count.” (- Indivisible National)
Biden: Build Back Better (and level the field)
“Biden’s economic plan for the country is, according to his campaign, the “largest mobilization of public investments in procurement, infrastructure, and R&D since World War II.” Called “Build Back Better,” the plan calls for investment in infrastructure and R&D to revitalize high-paying American industries and bring critical American supply chains back home. He calls for a revival of trade unions—gutted after 1981—and higher wages, as well as higher taxes on corporations (although not to the levels they were at before Trump’s tax cuts).
“The document is a strong one politically, undercutting both Trump’s “America First” language and promising concrete policies for voters suffering in the Republican economy. But it is interesting as well for how clearly it marks a return to a vision of a government that stops privileging an elite few, and instead works to level the economic playing field among all Americans.”
- H.C. Richardson, PhD, political historian
7/7/20
Making it happen: Week 17
Another solid week of SwingLeft letter-writing success! Pennie Burns, Nancy Clement, and Sarah Bellinson & friends added 280 letters to our GROWING pile of voter engagement letters due to go out in Late October. These volunteers are fueling the blue wave on November 3. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Thanks, too, to Pat Evenson-Brady for yet another huge delivery of letter packets to give out to volunteers. Woohoo! Another gold star on collar!
Join the discussion: Policing Review in the Gorge
At our virtual quarterly meeting on Tuesday, July 14 we will have a discussion of policing in the Gorge. Hear updates on related discussions at Hood River City Council and the Hood River County School District. The role, practices, and accountability of law enforcement agencies around the country have claimed national attention in the wake of numerous recent episodes of police oppression and violence. Come and take part in the conversation and response here in the Gorge.
The meeting will be 6-7:30pm, by Zoom. Register here to get the Zoom link.
ICG 2020 Endorsement Proposals
Seeking your input, please.
Rep. Anna Williams
ICG interviewed and endorsed Anna Williams in 2018 in her initial election bid to represent HD52 as our State Representative. She has worked hard for two years upholding progressive values, communicating with her constituents frequently, collaborating with both Dem and Republican colleagues in Salem. She’s been a strong leader for this district, helping to pass historic victories to fund education, expand healthcare, and strengthen worker protections.
Rep. Williams is running for re-election in November, and ICG’s Steering Committee recommends that ICG endorse her. Rep. Williams will speak, and her endorsement will be discussed and voted on, at our upcoming [virtual] quarterly meeting on July 14 (6-7:30pm; Register here to get the Zoom link).
We invite you to contact us at ICGO@ICGOregon.org by July 14 with your comments about the Steering Committee’s endorsement proposal for Rep. Anna Williams.
Biden, Merkley, Fagan, Rosenblum, Read
ICG is a member of Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network (COIN), a coalition of Indivisible groups in Oregon that support each other and work collaboratively to advance progressive federal and state legislation. COIN has endorsed the following five candidates in the November election:
- Joe Biden, President
- Jeff Merkley, Senator
- Shemia Fagan, Secretary of State
- Ellen Rosenblum, Attorney General
- Tobias Read, State Treasurer
Given the extraordinarily high stakes in the upcoming election, ICG’s Steering Committee recommends that ICG (as an individual Indivisible group) also endorse these candidates. What this will mean is that we (ICG) will add our logo to the COIN logo in amplifying these endorsements. We will also give these campaigns permission to use our name and logo in publicizing these endorsements. We will encourage our membership to support these candidates. Be assured that we will not share our membership lists with these campaigns.
We invite you to contact us at ICGO@ICGOregon.org by July 14 with your comments about the Steering Committee’s endorsement proposals for Biden, Merkley, Fagan, Rosenblum, and Read. These proposals will also be presented and voted on at our upcoming [virtual] quarterly meeting on July 14 (6-7:30pm; Register here to get the Zoom link).
ICYMI
Trump’s campaign blusterfest at Mt. Rushmore last week gave a “pretty huge rewriting of why there is a Mt. Rushmore in the first place. Mt. Rushmore was conceived in 1923 in a desperate attempt to draw tourist dollars to a state that had been rushed into the Union to protect Republican political dominance and could not manage to achieve economic stability” (H.C. Richardson, PhD, political historian). The story is fascinating.
6/30/20
Making it happen: Week 18
ICG volunteers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Tom Hons, Mary Peters, and Kathy Pickering wrote and funded or stamped 200 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
To keep making it happen, WE NEED HELP on funding for stamps. The cost for our 10,000 letter project is $6500, including printing, envelopes, and (the big one!) stamps. Please DONATE if you can.
APPLY NOW: ICG Steering Committee
ICG is looking to add to our leadership team. Interested to learn more about what the Steering Committee does? Get in touch and we can discuss it. Interested in applying? Apply to ICGO@ICGOregon.org, and please tell us:
- What would you like to see our Indivisible group focus on this year?
- What issues or [types of] actions would you like to champion?
- What resistance/advocacy actions you’ve taken in the last year have been most meaningful to you?
Policing: the road to reform
Protests continue around the country against police brutality and the white supremacy that underpins it. As if the murder of unarmed blacks were not bad enough, police in many cities have attacked protesters with tear gas, pepper spray, flash-bangs, rubber bullets, clubs, and so on. Americans are demanding police reform.
Last week the House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, essentially along party lines. Greg Walden voted against it. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Mitch McConnell has already promised its demise.
Republicans in the Senate instead proposed a Police Reform Bill that, among other things,
- doesn’t ban police chokeholds,
- doesn’t create accountability for police misconduct, and
- does contribute to the extreme militarization of our police forces.
Sen. Ron Wyden delivered a powerful floor speech against the Republican bill.
And how about in Hood River? Fortunately we are not in the news for egregious police brutality, but many citizens have expressed an interest in learning more about what our police do, what their policies and procedures are, and how citizens feel about their personal safety and about the police. In their last two meetings, City Council has discussed the need for a review of these areas, including outreach to hear from citizens, and is making a plan to move forward with a review.
ICG’s upcoming quarterly meeting, to be held by Zoom on July 14 (see calendar above) will be a forum to discuss ideas, interests, and concerns regarding policing in both Hood River city and county, and in the wider Gorge area, and to determine how we might participate in the review and any needed changes. Please join us for this important topic!
Inconceivable & Treasonous
Last Thursday the NYT and WSJ wrote that Russian operatives had offered bounties on US soldiers during the Afghanistan peace talks, and that the administration had been briefed on this development back in March and had chosen not to respond to the information. The Trump administration denied that Trump had been briefed. Ned Price, a national security expert who worked at the CIA for eleven years and who left rather than work for Trump, was asked if it’s possible that intelligence officials knew that Russia was paying militants to target US and allied troops and they chose not to tell the president, vice president, or acting Director of National Intelligence. His answer: “That’s virtually inconceivable.” Also virtually treasonous.
It turns out that Trump got a written briefing in February, and the topic was discussed by the White House’s National Security Council at an interagency meeting in late March. The AP now reports that “top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans.” The Trump administration spent this entire period cozying up to Russia, willfully ignoring the situation.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, distressed, angry, !#@wtf?!%?!*!, that is understandable. More will unfold.
6/23/20
Making it happen: Week 19
Many thanks to Linda Chamberlain, Claire Culbertson, Lara Dunn, and Susan Bellinson & friends for completing 395 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week! We are inching closer to our goal of 10,000 letters by the last week of October. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Huge thanks, too, to Pat Evenson-Brady, who continues to do the admin work of creating packets for our volunteers - 31 new packets (775 letters and envelopes) this week! Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
To keep making it happen, WE NEED HELP on funding for stamps (10,000 stamps = $5,400). Please DONATE if you can.
APPLY NOW: ICG Steering Committee
This is a critical time in U.S. politics, and ICG is working to make critical change. Are you ready to step up and join our leadership team, and help lead effort? Apply to ICGO@ICGOregon.org, and please tell us:
- What would you like to see our Indivisible group focus on this year?
- What issues or [types of] actions would you like to champion?
- What resistance/advocacy actions you’ve taken in the last year have been most meaningful to you?
Time to Step Up for Biden
PolitiFact, part of the nonprofit Poynter Institute, provides this analysis of Joe Biden’s progress toward a truly progressive platform:
“There is a plausible case for Biden as the most progressive Democratic nominee in history.
Political scientists note that the Democratic Party as a whole has moved to the left in recent years. This is partly because of rising polarization between the parties…
On many issues during the 2020 primaries, such as gun policy, Biden’s positions were largely indistinguishable from those of his rivals. And on the issues where he did offer a more moderate vision than his Democratic primary opponents, such as health care and climate change, he still went further than Obama had during his presidency. On some issues, including health care, climate change and criminal justice reform, Biden has moved beyond Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Biden backs some policies that few previous Democratic nominees would have considered backing. These include a $15 minimum wage, a study of reparations for slavery, two years free public college, ending new oil and gas leases on federal land and offshore, creation of a national firearm registry, and scrapping past marijuana convictions.”
Joe Biden needs our help. Please go to joebiden.com and send money, volunteer, buy a bumper sticker or a t-shirt.
QUOTE
Biden “should have to report our costs [for the rally] to the [Federal Election Commission] as a contribution to his campaign.”
- a Trump campaign staffer, to White House reporter Andrew Feinberg, just after Trump’s 6/20 rally in Tulsa
6/16/20
Making it happen: Week 20
We’re so proud of letter-writers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Claire Culbertson, Daera Dobbs, Amy Nowatzki, Lani Roberts, and Susan Bellinson & friends! They cranked out an astonishing 645 SwingLeft letters this week.
Woohoo! So many gold stars on collars!
Thanks to Daera Dobbs, Claire Culbertson, and Nancy Clement for their donations this week. We’re also extremely grateful for $1400 raised so far in response to our plea for funds for stamps, from friends, family, and ICG members!
Woohoo! More gold stars on collars!
Make it happen by doing your part
The people who will receive the letters we’re writing have been chosen by SwingLeft’s demopgraphers to be likely Dem voters, but unlikely to vote. Research shows that encouraging targeted voters with engagement letters like this is effective in raising voter participation by up to 5%. That’s HUGE in an election, and can tip the outcome.
WE AIM TO TIP THE OUTCOME! Please join in to
- Write SwingLeft letters with us! Click here to request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes.
- Donate to buy stamps for the letters.
The recent back to back instances of police violence against Blacks have made us set our sights on dismantling the systems that keep Black Americans oppressed. To truly develop into an ally, we each need to broaden our understanding of white power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity. Here are some resources to help with that important work:
21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge, from America & Moore
- For 21 days, do one action a day to further your understanding of white power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity. The plan includes suggestions for readings, podcasts, videos, observations, and ways to form and deepen community connections.
Best Practices in Allyship, from Indivisible National
- Maps out how we can best show up to support Black and brown communities under attack.
Anti-Racism Resources for White People
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
Qualified Immunity: Explained
6/9/20
Making it happen: Week 21
Volunteers Pennie Burns, Dave Mason, Krista Thie, and Susan Bellinson & friends completed another 355 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. We have now far exceeded our initial goal of 6500 letters, and are pressing on. You’ve maybe heard that SwingLeft’s national goal is 10 million letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Much-appreciated donations from from Bob Danko and letter-writers Pennie Burns, Jan Muir, and Lani Roberts kept the action going this week. Woohoo! More gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
What can you do to make sure our goals of DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE are realized? So glad you asked! We absolutely need each person to find their niche and pitch in.
- Act on the 3 calls-to-action above.
- Write some SwingLeft letters with us. Click here to request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes.
- Donate, please! We’re going to need another $3500 to buy postage for the letters our dynamite volunteers have written.
#DefundthePolice
Republicans are trying to spin the current citizens’ cry to “defund the police” as a threat to public safety, implying that defunding means getting rid of the police, or disempowering them. But that’s not at all what’s meant by those calling for reform. Defunding the police means taking money out of police department budgets, many of which are allocated millions or even billions of dollars a year, to fund services and programs that provide for people’s basic needs -- things like food assistance, housing assistance, clean water, mental health services, and school funding.
For years, public needs like healthcare and education have had their budgets slashed (defunded) at federal and state levels. Defunding the police means re-allocating funds to transform communities by ensuring that more people have access to what they need to be safe and well, giving way to new services that are better equipped to support and protect citizens.
Veep Vote
Indivisible National recently surveyed Indivisibles across the country to find out who they feel Biden should choose for his running mate. With 41% of the vote, Senator Elizabeth Warren was the top choice among Indivisibles, including those in the key battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Second choice was Kamala Harris (21%), Stacy Abrams was third (18%).
Sign the IP57 Petition
We had a call-to-action a couple of weeks ago to “Sign IP 57 Petition to End Gerrymandering in OR.” You may now have received a mailer from People Not Politicians about Initiative Petition 57, also encouraging the signing of the petition to get this change to the redistricting process on the November ballot.
There is significant time pressure - signed petitions must be mailed by June 26. Distancing for Covid-19 presents a HUGE barrier to getting signatures for any petition initiative. 200,000 signatures are needed. Please download, sign, and mail the petition form in now.
Here’s the explanation from our original call-to-action (5/25/2020) -
“Oregon will be redrawing its district boundary maps (“redistricting”) when the 2020 census is completed, a process that recurs every 10 years. We expect to gain a sixth U.S. Congressional seat this time, based on population gains. Nationwide, a huge concern with redistricting is gerrymandering, a practice intended to establish an unfair political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries.
“Under current law, Oregon politicians draw the boundaries for their own state and congressional districts, which of course represents an inherent conflict of interest. It allows them to draw districts to serve their interests, not those of our communities - like a fox in charge of a henhouse. We see this in places like Clackamas, Salem and Eugene where gerrymandering has divided each up into multiple oddly shaped districts to protect incumbent legislators.
“The OR League of Women Voters and People Not Politicians have launched a statewide signature gathering campaign for IP 57, a ballot measure to create an impartial and fully transparent redistricting process. It will replace the legislator “foxes” managing redistricting with an independent, citizen-led redistricting commission. The commission would be made up of 12 citizens: 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, and 4 people who are not affiliated with either party.”
QUOTES
“You'll be happy to know that in the midst of all the chaos, there's a solid group of activists working their asses off to oust Trump and the entire GOP in November.” (hey, that would be us!)
- Nick Knudsen, on Twitter 6/4
6/1/20
Making it happen: Week 22
Volunteer letter-writers outdid themselves once again! Many thanks to Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Fran Finney, Tom Hons, Dave Mason, Kathy Pickering, Liz von Ruden and Sarah Bellinson & friends, who together completed 375 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks, too, to our generous donors who are supporting the letter-writing, and to Pat Evenson-Brady for keeping the pipeline of prepared letter packets full. More gold stars on more collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
It’s chaos out there, but we’ve got our eyes on the prize - DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE. Please join in and do your part to make this happen. It’s gonna take a full-court press.
- Act on the calls-to-action above.
- Do some SwingLeft letter-writing with us. Click here to request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes.
- Donate to help our work go forward. We’ve done 7200 (yes!) letters - they’ll require $3888 in postage (yes!).
If it wasn’t quite enough dealing with the ongoing pandemic and 104,000+ deaths and an incompetent and cognitively impaired president, this week brought the murder of George Floyd, subsequent protests becoming riots, Trump himself inciting violence, Trump accusing China of numerous misdeeds, worse Flynn info, and Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO.
This is an impressive array of damage and destabilization for one week, even by Trumpian standards. What do we make of all this, and all at once? In her Friday (5/29) blog, Prof. Mary Cox Richardson, political historian, says, “This chaotic onslaught of news is designed to divide Americans and make us fall back into old animosities in order either to get us to accept a strong leader [Trump the autocrat] or to exhaust us until we quit caring what happens. … The leaders creating it are doing so precisely because they know they are not in control.”
This is where we Indivisibles come in. The Indivisible movement has grown to fight this threat to our democracy, together, for the long haul.
We will not be divided. We are INDIVISIBLE.
We will not accept Trump the autocrat. We will RESIST.
We will not be exhausted to the point of not caring. We will RESIST until we have our government back.
And we’ll do it together.
Empathy Like It’s 1850
The murder of George Floyd is a national tragedy, and worse, is just the latest in a consistent string of fatal racist events in this country. There are protests and words and exhortations to do better, to turn the corner, to finally bury our racist heritage. But will this time be different? What will it take to turn that corner, to achieve lasting cultural change on racism?
Here, again from H.C. Richardson, is a unique perspective on our current response to racial marginalization:
“Crucially, white Americans are finally paying attention to the violence against the black community. I suspect the reason for this attention is that the current leadership of the Republican Party has gone so far toward consolidating power in favor of an oligarchy that ordinary white Americans are identifying with marginalized people. This is precisely what happened in the 1850s, when even desperately racist white Americans pushed back against the elite slave owners taking control of the American government because they recognized that they, too, could be sacrificed if leaders thought they stood in the way of the economic system that enriched a few.”
Our thinking on overcoming racial marginalization usually revolves around empathy and equity and justice. The scenario noted above, where it becomes easier to identify with the nail you’ve been hammering on when something starts hammering on you, seems a bit more self-serving in nature. But if it helps, so be it. We need help where we can find it.
QUOTES
“Everyone is a vector. Choose what you spread.”
- Francis Weller, therapist and author.
“Unspeakably stupid and self-defeating.”
- Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, on Trump withdrawing US from WHO in midst of pandemic. (Could have said the same about Trump himself, but she kept to the topic.)
5/26/20
Making it happen: Week 23
Yep, did it again. ICG volunteers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Dave Mason, Amy Nowatzki, Lani Roberts, and Sarah Bellinson & friends completed another 520 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week! These letters are being stockpiled for mailing the last week of October, to encourage recipients to VOTE. The campaign we’re working on targets traditionally under-represented registered voters in Texas who SwingLeft believes are unlikely to move soon, and unlikely to vote. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
We’re grateful for donations to fund our letter-writing campaign from Amy Nowatzki, Ruth Tsu, Lani Roberts, Pennie Burns, and Claire Culbertson, and for the enthusiastic recruitment efforts of Pat Evenson-Brady and Krista Thie. Woohoo! More gold stars on more collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE will only come from big efforts on our parts! How do you want to do your part?
- Act on the two calls-to-action for this week.
- Get in on our SwingLeft voter engagement letter campaign. Click here to request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes.
- Not a letter-writer? OK… Can you donate to support others’ letter-writing efforts?
Trumpocracy, Trumpocalypse: More than Linguistic Change
Before 2018 we had not used or even heard the words “Trumpocracy” or “Trumpocalypse.” Before November 2016 we had not even imagined them. Things have changed.
In his 2018 book Trumpocracy, David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, argued that Trump and his Republican accomplices were forging a new U.S. regime type, one that challenged long-established political norms and mixed government, family and business “in the style of authoritarian Third World kleptocrat.” Now Frum has published a sequel, Trumpocalypse, in which he notes how Trump played down the threat of the coronavirus, squandered critical time during the early days of the crisis and, typically, deflected accountability.
Book reviewer Carlos Lozado sums up the reality of these expansions of our political lexicon: “If the first book described a system of governance, the second surveys the outcome of that system after nearly a full presidential term. One is prediction, the other, assessment.”
There is an emphasis on hope, however - the full title of the new book is TRUMPOCALYPSE: Restoring American Democracy. Frum envisions “feasible small reforms” such as ensuring that presidential candidates make their tax returns and financial assets public, finally killing off the Senate filibuster, providing statehood for D.C., adopting a modern Voting Rights Act, and depoliticizing federal law enforcement. Also a comprehensive carbon tax, an immigration overhaul, a reorganization of defense spending, and a long-term, reconciling change of heart and mind both within the U.S. and in the wider world. A BIG vision, to be sure, but the alternatives aren’t good.
[Content credit to WaPo book critic Carlos Lozado.]
“An Incalculable Loss”
The cover of last Sunday’s New York Times lists the names of 1000 Americans, dead of Covid-19, just 1% of the current count of covid deaths in the U. S. The headline reads, “AN INCALCULABLE LOSS. They Were Not Simply Names on a List, They Were Us.”
For the list, NYT scoured more than 1,000 obituaries and death notices honoring those who died. Some of the entries -
"emergency room doctor who died in husband's arms"
"volunteer youth football coach"
"first in her family to graduate college"
"liked his bacon and hash browns crispy"
"saved 56 Jewish families from the Gestapo"
Prof. Heather Cox Richardson, current national truth-sayer of historical perspective, points out that the dramatic cover is about more than just numbers. It’s a rejection of the toxic selfishness of the anti-mask crowd and the “reopening” terrorists, and “reminds us that we are all in this together… or should be. At least, this has been our principle in our better moments, and some people have taken it quite seriously indeed. On Monday, Memorial Day, we will honor those young men and women who did not believe that being an American meant refusing to inconvenience themselves to help their neighbors.”
Quotes
“Just think, a year from now, we might be enjoying a Memorial Day weekend, vaccinated against COVID-19, with President Biden in charge of our country, and Democrats in control of the senate.”
- Maggie, a mom in Idaho. On Twitter 5/23.
“A perversity of today’s political culture is that those with the most time and inclination for full-time self-promotion, such as U.S. senators, eclipse those, such as governors, who are preoccupied with serious responsibilities.”
- In a WaPo article on Gina Raimondo, governor of Rhode Island, as a good VP possibility 5/24.
5/19/20
Making it happen: Week 24
The THANK YOUs are in Arabic this week (shukran) -
Letter-writing volunteers Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Ruth Tsu and Susan Bellinson & friends did an amazing 495 SwingLeft letters this week. Shukran! And shukran to Buck Parker for generously supporting our SwingLeft letter-writing. This project take a village, and the village is definitely stepping up. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars.
Make it happen: Choose your action!
To reiterate (every day), here’s the plan: do what you can to help DUMP TRUMP and FLIP THE SENATE. What can you do? LOTS -
- Write SwingLeft voter engagement letters. Click here to request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes.
- Donate to help cover costs of printing, envelopes, and stamps.
- Check our 2020 Action Menu for other possibilities.
Beyond Shukran
In her blog yesterday, Prof. Heather Cox Richardson wrote,
“The story broke today that Steven Linick, the State Department Inspector General Trump has announced he is removing, was not simply looking into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan had used staff members for personal errands.
“Linick was finishing up an investigation of Pompeo’s decision last year to approve billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia against the wishes of a bipartisan majority in Congress. State Department officials were recently briefed on the inspector general’s conclusions.”
Prof. Richardson reviews the recent history (she is a historian, after all) of Jamal Kashoggi’s murder, Trump’s refusal to acknowledge crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s role in it, Jared Kushner and Rick Perry sharing (selling?) U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, and Pompeo approving the sale of $8.1 billion of arms to primarily Saudi Arabia despite congressional disapproval.
Shall we go out on a limb again and guess that the Trump administration was hoping to keep the whole story of the Saudi arms sales out of the public eye by getting rid of that pesky, inquisitive Inspector General? Maybe we’ll hear more about this.
Quotes
“It doesn’t matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick …Our society and democracy only works when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other.”
- Barack Obama, in his national graduation speech 5/2020
“This is the first U.S. presidential election in which "Vote Him Out Before He Kills You and Your Family" is a wholly reasonable slogan for the challenger.”
- @SethAbramson, on Twitter
“By the way, you never needed to learn the name of Dr. Fauci during the Ebola Crisis because @BarackObama just f***ing took his advice.”
- @BradleyWhitford, on Twitter
5/12/20
Making it happen: Week 25
OK, lots of folks here for the THANK YOU (takk in Norwegian) roundup!
TAKK to letter-writers Pennie Burns, Linda Chamberlain, Nancy Clement, Dave Mason, and Susan Bellinson & friends, who together completed 375 SwingLeft voter engagement letters this week. An ongoing TAKK to our admin-meister Pat Evenson-Brady who keeps the perfect letter packets for our writers coming. And TAKK to Carolyn Crystal for her very generous donation to support the letter-writing campaign. Woohoo! Gold stars on all those collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
There are plenty of ways to advance our mission to DUMP TRUMP and FLIP THE SENATE - check out our 2020 Action Menu for some ideas. And as you can see from the above, joining the letter-writing project is a big one.
- We can definitely use more writers - click here to request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes.
- Or if you want to support the project but not write letters, we’d LOVE to have you donate to help cover costs of printing, envelopes, and stamps.
A fourth package of much-needed federal covid aid funding is in the works, but the works are anything but smooth.
Trump and McConnell insist that increased federal funding to help states recover from coronavirus is unfair to Republicans, “because all the states that need help — they’re run by Democrats in every case”, and that these states “have been mismanaged over a long period of time.”
This point of view is not uniformly endorsed by Republicans. Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association, calls that idea “complete nonsense,” and says “there are just as many Republicans as Democrats that strongly support this [funding to states].”
Both Dem and Repub governors have reiterated the need for federal aid, pointing out that states’ revenue shortfalls are likely to mean cuts to social services for the poor and elderly, and to essential services like police, fire departments and schools.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) noted that some of the same states Trump is accusing of fiscal mismanagement in reality contribute more annually to federal coffers, in the form of tax revenue, than any other states. The top five donor states to the federal Treasury are New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and California.
Last Tuesday Trump went even a step further, suggesting that any federal coronavirus aid to states should be conditioned on those cities and states adopting policies that more closely mirror Trump’s political priorities - specifically re: sanctuary cities, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes, lawsuit indemnification, and tax breaks for restaurants and entertainment. (Not that any of those have personal relevance for Trump.)
The good news is there are signs that the debate over state funding won’t break along traditional party lines. Stay tuned.
- Content credit to CNBC.
FUN FACTS
Help for Our Second-World Conflict Zone
“A previously undisclosed report from the White House shows that numbers of coronavirus infections around the country are rising, not falling, as Trump has said. The coronavirus situation is so bad in the Navajo Nation in the U.S. Southwest that Doctors Without Borders, the international organization best known for sending medical professionals into third-world countries and international conflict zones, had dispatched a team to the U.S.”
- Prof. Heather Cox Richardson
From the We-All-Have-Our-Priorities Department
Trump has ordered that the border wall be painted black. Estimates from federal contractors give costs ranging from $500 million for acrylic paint to over $3 billion for powder coating.
5/5/2020
Making it happen: Week 26
We had another bang-up week for SwingLeft letter-writing, pushing us closer to DUMPING TRUMP and FLIPPING THE SENATE. Yay for us! Dave Mason, Lani Roberts, Linda Chamberlain, Pennie Burns, and Kathy Pickering completed an outstanding 365 letters this week, bringing our total to almost 5000. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Pat Evenson-Brady continues to make this project happen by creating all the letter packets, from return addressing thousands of envelopes to counting out letter forms to putting them all together in nice packages ready for our volunteer letter-writers. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
As you can see, this project is a dynamite display of activism, dedication, and teamwork. Again, YAY for us!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
There’s definitely something for everyone in our 2020 Action Menu. You can jump in to do a little or a lot, all on your own schedule and in the comfort of your own favorite chair in your own favorite home.
- You could get in on our letter-writing -
- Or you could just help with a much-needed donation -
Don’t Want No FDR Stuff
Historian Heather Cox Richardson, who writes a daily blog about our current political crisis, opined on May 4,
"[I’m wondering] if what is really driving this mad push, funded as we know it is by right-wing political groups, is a frantic determination to make sure the country does not turn again now, in the midst of this pandemic, to a government that regulates business and provides a basic social safety net, a government like the one we created during the Great Depression."
This scholar’s "wondering" is very much worth the read.
All Workers Deserve Covid Protections
It is a mark of callousness and grievous policy failure that our country’s front-line low-income workers have not been afforded the workplace protections that they need and deserve. Low income employees work in essential jobs like retail, transportation and food production and are disproportionately exposed to coronavirus in their work settings. Unlike white collar workers, they can’t work from home, nor can they afford to simply stay home to stay safe. Many are working in unsafe conditions without proper physical distancing, sufficient protective equipment, or sick leave.
Approximately 4,000 COVID-19 related complaints have been filed by workers for unsafe working conditions. OSHA hasn’t issued a single citation or fine. Compliance with CDC coronavirus guidelines by businesses is currently voluntary.
Trump continues to push for businesses to reopen regardless of risk to employees, and even issued an executive order requiring meat packing plants to remain open, regardless of infection hazards. Neither health or safety requirements were included in the order. Some governors have ruled that workers who refuse to return to unsafe workplaces will be considered a “voluntary quit” and ineligible to receive unemployment benefits.
Since Trump is unwilling to take an interest in protecting low-income workers, Congress must step up. Congress must ensure that people are not forced to continue to work in conditions unsafe for them and their families. HR 6559, the Every Worker Protection Act, was recently introduced in the House to establish workplace coronavirus safeguards for all workers. Every US Senator and Congressperson should support it and work to ensure its prompt passage. (To weigh in with our representatives, see Calls-to-Action above.)
Indivisible Endorses Joe Biden
Indivisibles across the country voted overwhelmingly last week to endorse Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign for President. 95% of Indivisibles who responded and 94% of Group Leaders support endorsing Biden.
American democracy cannot survive another Trump term, but this isn’t just about beating him. It’s about paving the way for a new vision for the future. It’s about defending democracy, protecting the right to vote, reforming our healthcare system, tackling climate change, and ensuring equity and justice for the most marginalized among us. Vice President Biden is the only candidate today who will make that vital work possible.
4/28/20
Making it happen: Week 27
Another week of outstanding SwingLeft letter-writing by ICG volunteers! Thanks to all of them. Linda Chamberlain, Pennie Burns, Pam Zachary-Morneault, and Marilyn Smith wrote an amazing 250 letters this week, helping to DUMP TRUMP, Flip the Senate, and support the USPS all at once. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
Get in on the fun, productivity, and civic duty. There’s something for everyone in our 2020 Action Menu.
Easy and high-impact picks right now are:
- Write our SwingLeft letters from home
- Request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes.
- Help us cover costs of our letter-writing campaign
- $25 covers printing and envelopes for 208 letters.
- $50 puts stamps on 93 letters.
- $100 completely funds 6 packets of 25 letters each.
Protect Oregon’s Progress (Indivisible group in The Dalles) worked with Wasco County Democrats to ask the Democratic challengers for Greg Walden’s CD2 seat seven specific questions and have them record their answers. You can watch the videos here.
Local Candidate Forum, Virtual Edition
Thrive Hood River and Livable Hood River partnered to produce a written forum asking livability and land use questions of candidates in local races. See the results here. Those candidates/measures included:
- Board of Commissioners - Commission Chair - Mike Oates
- Commissioner District 2 - Arthur Babitz, Paul Henke
- Commissioner District 4 - Les Perkins
- District Attorney - Carrie Rasmussen, Sean Kallery
- Statements on Ballot Measure 14-69
One year ago today, the Indivisible movement, including ICG and all the major Dem presidential candidates, endorsed the Indivisible Pledge, which was a commitment to make the Democratic primary constructive, to rally behind the winner, and do the work to beat Trump in the general election.
We now have our Democratic candidate, Vice President Joe Biden. Biden may not have been your top choice, but the primary is now over and he will be the Democratic nominee. It’s now time to demonstrate our commitment through a national Indivisible endorsement, to be voted on by Indivisibles (members, not groups) across the network.
The upcoming election is about a lot more than just defeating Donald Trump - it’s about paving the way to a transformative vision for the future of our country, including defending our democracy, safeguarding our voting rights, enacting vital reforms to our health care system, taking on the crisis of climate change, and ensuring equity and justice for the most marginalized members of our communities.
Under a Biden administration, we know that we will be able to advance progressive priorities. We Indivisibles can organize to win progressive change next year, but only if we first organize to elect Vice President Joe Biden this year.
Indivisible is a people-powered movement, and a national endorsement will only happen with the support of the movement. Indivisible group leaders have been asked to vote this week. Everyone in the network who is on Indivisible National’s email list will get an email from Indivisible National inviting them to vote this coming week.
The registration deadline for National’s email list was Monday, April 27. Voting will close on Sunday, May 3rd at 11:59pm ET.
Indivisible will endorse Biden if at least 60% of the votes cast are in favor of endorsing, and if the majority of votes cast from group leaders are in favor of endorsing.
For more information about the process, you can check out this document.
Big Step on OR Campaign Finance Reform (CFR)
In 2006, Oregon voters adopted Measure 47, which capped donations at $500 for statewide office and $100 for legislative races. However, a long, convoluted legal path has held that initiative in suspended animation for 14 years. This week the Oregon Supreme Court determined that limiting campaign contributions is legal in Oregon, and does not violate the state constitution’s free speech provisions.
This has been long awaited by CFR advocates in Oregon, and transforms Oregon from one of the nation’s most permissive campaign finance states into one of its strictest. Way to go, OR Supremes (and all of the tireless CFR advocates)!
4/22/20
Making it happen: Week 28
Pat Evenson-Brady, admin extraordinaire, has ben at it again. She packaged 1300+ letter forms for our SwingLeft letter-writing volunteers. Thank you, again, Pat. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
Our letter-writing volunteers knocked out 375 letters this week! THANKS to Kathy Pickering, Suzi Conklin, Mark Cherniack, Colleen Ballinger, Linda Chamberlain, and Marilyn Smith. Junie the dog-doorbell continues her announcement protocol with dedication. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action!
The headlines every day remind us of Covid, Covid, Covid. But the subtext continues to be, every day, the need to get rid of Trump and his enablers in the Senate. Our actual lives now depend on it. The bungling of this public health crisis, the co-opting of covid rescue funds for millionaires and large corporations, and the threatening of states to “reopen” against expert medical advice are all signposts pointing to DUMP TRUMP, FLIP the SENATE. Every day, update on the news of course, then ACT is if our lives depend on it:
- Choose your action from our social distance-friendly 2020 Action Menu.
- Write our SwingLeft letters from home:
- Fund a Letter-Writer:
- We have individual volunteers writing HUNDREDS of letters each. Can you support their great work by helping to cover their costs ($16.25 per packet of 25 letters, for printing, envelopes, postage). We need contributions to keep this work going!
Thomsen Recall: “Text RECALL to 474747”
Yard signs for the Recall Chuck Thomsen campaign have landed! The message: “Text RECALL to 474747.” We really need to direct would-be signers to the petition online.
Do you have a yard location that has good drive-by exposure? Please contact recall coordinator Kate Bennett to get a sign!! She delivers (at a social distance with gloves and mask).
Upcoming Elections
- Thanks to a new state law, OR voters will now receive pre-stamped ballot return envelopes. We in HR County can also still drop our ballots in the mail slot at the County admin building at 611 State Street. Research shows providing stamped envelopes for ballot return increases voter participation approximately 9-10%.
- Voter’s Guide and ballots will be mailed out at on April 29. Be ready!
- Here are COUNTY, STATE, and FEDERAL races and ballot measures that will appear on the May 19 ballot.
- At our recent general meeting, ICG voted to endorse:
- Arthur Babitz (County Commission District 2 - see map; see better detail)
- Carrie Rasmussen (District Attorney),
- HR County Public Safety Measure (ballot measure 14-69; explained well here)
- One-stop shopping on Bonnie’s front porch (Babitz, Rasmussen, Public Safety Ballot Measure, Thomsen Recall). Request her address if you don’t know it.
- Request individual yard sign be delivered to you: Babitz, Rasmussen, Public Safety Ballot Measure, Thomsen Recall.
You’ve likely noticed BIG changes in Columbia Area Transit (CAT), our regional transportation service, over the past year or so - including hugely expanded routes and schedules, multiple daily trips to/from Portland, daily ski bus up the mountain in winter, and the pink trolley on summer weekends. This is largely due to an experienced new director, Patty Fink, and a dynamic and engaged Board.
The CAT board has currently has openings to be filled. Applications are being accepted now. Positions will be open until filled.
Board members provide oversight and direction to the public transit district's operations, policies, plans, and budget.
Board meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, from 3-5pm (currently virtual, of course).
For questions about CAT or the CAT Board: Contact executive director Patty Fink.
To apply: Contact Marbe Cook or Mark Reynolds.
4/14/20
Making it happen: Week 29
Pat Evenson-Brady prepared 1000 (yes,1000!) envelopes for our SwingLeft letter-writing project, stamping each with the return address, and packaging them in groups of 25 for our letter-writers. THANK YOU, PAT, for your dedication and admin mastery! Hard to make this project work without the envelopes. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
Volunteer letter-writers completed 225 letters this week, via the front porch pick-up and drop-off system. THANKS to Marilyn Smith, Lani Roberts, Kathy Pickering, Linda Chamberlain, and several of Linda’s buddies. The steady flow of volunteers is keeping the resident dog in fine vocal practice, and maybe making neighbors wonder if Bonnie is working a side hustle (maybe dealing Chloroquine?). Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
A mystery participant gets the Pillsbury Good Taste award for dropping off some dynamite cookies in the letter-writing box on the porch. Woohoo! Gold stars on collar!
Make it happen: Choose your action
To ensure CHANGE happens in 2020, figure out how you want to do your part. Check out our social-distance-friendly 2020 Action Menu, and earn one of those coveted virtual gold stars on your virtual collar. May we suggest:
Write SwingLeft letters ANYTIME at home:
- Request and pick up a prepared packet of letters and envelopes, or download and print your own.
- $16.25 donation requested to cover packet ($2.75) & postage ($13.50).
- Many volunteers are doing the heavy lifting of writing our thousands of letters, but not all can also cover their packet costs. We need contributions to keep this work going. Can you help, please? $25? $50? $100?
Thomsen Recall
Here's a great way to take back some power this week: fight to hold Chuck Thomsen accountable for walking off his job and obstructing legislation aimed at strengthening healthcare, funding education, supporting small businesses and protecting our environment. If it's Chuck's job to go to Salem and represent his constituents, then it's our job to hold our elected officials to a higher standard. That's what it will take for our democracy to thrive. We need your support now more than ever - join the community and download and sign the petition today! Our democracy cannot wait!
Covid Rescue Funding
Indivisible National is leading the push for a “People’s Bailout,” prioritizing the following -
- Protect our democratic processes while protecting each other.
- Make health the top priority, for all people, with no exceptions.
- Provide economic relief directly to the people.
- Rescue workers and communities, not corporate executives.
- Make a down payment on a regenerative economy, while preventing future crises.
- States must expand vote by mail, extend voting deadlines, increase early voting days, and communicate extensively with voters about date changes, polling closures, or other critical election information
- States must expand online and/or automatic voter registration
- The federal government can assist by funding election infrastructure, requiring no-excuse absentee voting in federal elections, and provide additional drop-boxes for ballots in federal buildings and post offices
- All in-person voting locations must be provided with sanitization equipment and guidelines for keeping voters at a safe distance from each other and poll workers
- Congress must approve at least $4 billion in funding to implement these changes
- Take action now to ensure that the November election can happen safely as planned and without disenfranchising any voter, even under pandemic conditions.
Primary Elections - May 19
Here are the many COUNTY, STATE, and FEDERAL races and ballot measures that will appear on the May 19 ballot in Hood River County. Thanks to Fran Finney for researching this list.
Note that if you’re not registered as a member of a major party, your primary ballot will only include nonpartisan offices and measures, and won’t include the candidates for contested races. That means you won’t have the opportunity to help pick the candidates who will appear on the November ballot.
You have until April 28 to change your registration to declare a party (or to register to vote if you haven’t done so). Ballots will drop at the end of April.
From the Excellent News Dept.
Last week’s outrageous elections in Wisconsin, intended to disenfranchise voters and hurt state Dem candidates, delivered a heartening Democratic victory: liberal challenger Jill Karofsky threw out Daniel Kelly, a Trump-endorsed conservative judge running for reelection, and by a significant margin of 11 points. Wisconsin Republicans played a key role in forcing that state’s primary to go forward last week with in-person voting despite the pandemic. Democrats credibly accused Republicans of wanting low turnout so Kelly would win and keep his seat.
Deep thanks (and fingers crossed for their health) to the many thousands of engaged, dedicated voters who showed up, stood in lines for many hours, and made it happen.
4/7
Making it happen: Week 30
Our SwingLeft letter-writing project is alive and well, and staging out of Bonnie’s front porch. Kudos to all those who’ve come by to get letter-writing packets to do on their own at home. 225 letters were completed this week, bringing our total to nearly 3000 (of the goal of 6500). Linda Chamberlain & friends get the SwingLeft overachievement award this week - keeping the USPS in business, and MAKING IT HAPPEN for November 2020. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Action Menu - Covid Version
Our Action Menu has changed to accommodate our current Covid lifestyle. Check out the changes, and jump right in. Covid-19 is front-and-center in our collective mind, but we’ve got to keep our eyes and efforts on the prize: dump Trump and flip the Senate in November.
Merkley on National Vote-by-Mail
In a conference call with constituents today, Sen. Jeff Merkley said the following about getting vote-by-mail in place nationally in time for the November elections:
Dems in Congress are working hard to get vote-by-mail implemented nationally, and quickly so that states have time to put effective processes in place. Republicans oppose such a maneuver because it would upend the various voter suppression schemes that they long have relied on. Mitch McConnell laid down the law and now NO Republicans in Congress will support the effort. Jeff said the approach most likely to produce results is for a loud public demand at the state level to force the governors of states that do not already have vote-by-mail to order it. Currently only 5 states conduct all elections with vote-by-mail: CO, HI, OR, WA, UT. Several other states allow [some] counties the option. Many other states have vote-by-mail options under very limited circumstances.
Our strategy should be to continue to urge our US Senators and Rep to work for national vote-by-mail in the face of the covid crisis, and to encourage all of our friends and acquaintances (and other Indivisible groups) in the other 45 states to raise their voices to their governors.
Primary Elections Coming up May 19
In Oregon, primaries serve two main purposes -
- so all voters can cast ballots for candidates for nonpartisan offices like judges and some county and other local offices.
- so voters registered with a major political party can select their nominees for partisan office at both the state and national level.
QUOTE
Trump, on national TV (Fox & Friends) on March 30:
“You’d never have a Republican elected in this country again” if voting access is expanded.
3/31
Making it happen: Week 31
We had our first virtual SwingLeft letter-writing party on Saturday, March 28. Intentionally small to accommodate troubleshooting, we had 6 participants and wrote 110 letters. It was wonderful to see friends and chat - virtual, but wonderful. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Many thanks to our volunteer admin assistants this week - Grace and Hanna Clute printed off 1300+ SwingLeft letter forms, and Randy Helm shuffled them into packets to give out. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Kudos to those who’ve come by to get letter-writing packets to do on their own at home - Daera Dobbs, Suzanne Warren, and Claire Culbertson. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 31 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Thomsen Recall
The recall is still in sign-at-home full-swing. Have you signed the recall petition? Sign it if you haven’t already, and make sure all your friends sign it too.
- Print petition & sign.
- No printer? Email us.
- Mail to: Recall Chuck Thomsen ; PO Box 1596; Hood River, OR 97031
It seems the November elections are falling to the side of the radar screen now with virus concerns front and center, but we’ve got to keep our eyes on that goal. Trump and his toadies in the Senate needed to be replaced with real leaders before Covid, and they’ve proven themselves no better since.
Our work, along with allies all over the country, continues. Focus. Gear up. Energy up. We’ve got work to keep doing, and (fortunately) much of it can be done from home.
- Click over to Speak Out / Calls to Action, and do them.
- Click over to Meet & Act / Calendar and register for the Zoom calls.
- Get out your pen and write some SwingLeft letters with your favorite adult beverage handy.
- DONATE HERE to support our letter-writing project.
Write SwingLeft Letters ANYTIME at Home
- Request and pick up a prepared packet of 20 letters and envelopes ($13 donation requested to cover costs of packet + postage), or
- Download and print your own.
3/25
Making it happen: Week 32
We didn’t have our usual letter-writing parties this week, as you can imagine - and we missed them! But we’re planning to have our first VIRTUAL SwingLeft letter-writing party this Saturday, March 28, 10-11:30am. Should be fun! Also easy to fit into your schedule, since your schedule has probably…um…loosened up a bit lately. See Mar 28 in the calendar (Meet & Act page) for details and instructions.
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 32 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Coronavirus vs. Thomsen Recall
Have you signed the recall petition for Chuck Thomsen? If yes, YAY for you! If not, please do it right now. Then tell all your friends, by whatever means possible!
· Print petition here & sign.
· No printer? Email us.
· Mail to: Recall Chuck Thomsen ; PO Box 1596; Hood River, OR 97031
Covid is threatening the recall because our usual signature-gathering methods (door-to-door, walking around town, etc.) are kaput. We are working with WORD OF MOUTH - so, please, use yours!
Coronavirus vs. Workplace Safety
Is your boss not taking covid seriously enough? What you can do.
Protecting the 2020 Elections
The coronavirus pandemic threatens to massively disrupt the 2020 presidential elections, now just over 5 months away. There is no way to know what the state of the pandemic will be in November, and whether it will be safe for anyone, voters and poll workers alike, to be out waiting in lines and crowding into polling places.
Past crises have not stopped elections. Americans voted even during wars. It can and most certainly should be done this time too. The Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, proposed by Senators Wyden and Klobuchar, would allow this to happen safely and dependably by
- Expanding vote-by-mail (VBM) to all states,
- Allowing for no-excuse absentee voting for anyone requesting an absentee ballot, and
- Lengthening early voting perhaps by 20 days to reduce crowding.
It is likely that this obvious and sensible strategy will meet with firm opposition from factions that invite foreign interference and/or have traditionally relied on voter suppression to win elections. It’s up to all of us to urge our federal representatives to support the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, with the improvements noted above.
It is easily conceivable that Trump will try to postpone or cancel the November elections. We (ICG) and the entire Indivisible network are in discussions to make sure that doesn’t happen. Stay tuned.
3/17
Making it happen: Week 33
Jana Castanares hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 3/11. 19 activists attended and wrote 500 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 33 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Thomsen Recall: Save the Recall from Covid-19
Coronavirus and the need for social distancing are impacting the Thomsen recall. However, WE CAN DO THIS with the “Sign at Home” option of downloading, signing, and mailing in the form.
We need your help broadcasting this info as widely as possible, and by all means possible - text, email, social media (and maybe you can think of others?) - and encouraging all your contacts/groups/followers to do the same.
1. Sign the petition at home! (SD26 residents only)
- Print here & sign.
- No printer? Email us.
- Mail to: Recall Chuck Thomsen ; PO Box 1596; Hood River, OR 97031 (not to the chief petitioner address found on the form)
2. Volunteer to help with the recall
- To write an LTE (letter to the editor)
- To put up a yard sign
- Other ways to help
Public Safety Measure on May Ballot
There’s an important Public Safety measure coming up for us in Hood River County on the May ballot. This measure deserves our careful consideration and support.
Hood River County is in significant financial distress, has already depleted its financial reserves and made significant funding cuts to county services, and can not maintain current levels of county services without additional revenue. The ballot measure to address this funding crisis that was introduced last year was rejected.
This upcoming ballot measure is for a five-year public safety levy of $.78/$1,000 assessed property value. This is an $0.11/$1000 decrease in the amount put forth in the ballot measure last May, and is time-limited (5 years).
The currently proposed levy will provide funding for the following:
- 24/7 law enforcement patrol
- Criminal investigations, including child abuse and domestic violence
- Criminal prosecution
- Emergency management
- Courthouse security
This measure deserves our support and advocacy. Please
- DONATE to the effort.
- Sign on as an endorser.
- Request a yard sign.
- Vote YES in May (of course).
3/10
Making it happen: Week 34
Sarah Bellinson and Gigi Pomerantz hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at Dog River on 3/4. 19 activists attended and wrote 380 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Lara Dunn hosted a postcard-writing event at Pine Street Bakery on 3/6. 8 activists attended and wrote 74 postcards to our elected reps and to Florida voters. Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 34 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Thomsen Recall: On a mission, and in a hurry!
A petition for recall was filed with the Secretary of State on Wednesday, 3/4. The petitioner is Lara Dunn from Hood River. Lara is on our ICG Steering Committee, on the CAT transportation board, and on the leadership team of HR County Dems.
This is a grassroots effort based on Thomsen’s failure to effectively represent his district, failure to uphold his oath of office, and hurting our SD26 communities by refusing to do his job. He has walked away from the job he was elected to do 5 times in the last 10 months, while collecting his taxpayer-funded salary and daily stipend.
As the petitioner said, “He must be recalled and replaced by someone who will show up and fight for our jobs, our schools, our healthcare and our future."
Signature gatherers are already out in our community, and a website will soon be live with a link to a downloadable, single sheet petition for individuals to sign and mail in. Follow us to find the link and sign the petition.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: We need to very quickly gather over 10,000 signatures on the recall petition, and we need to submit a lot of LTEs (letters to the editor) to the HR News to create awareness of and support for the recall. Can you help, please? Sign up here.
Willing to write or co-write an LTE, but you’d like some help? Let us know, and we’ll work with you!
Share this link with friends who want to help with the recall: https://tinyurl.com/recallChuck .
Hot News: Climate Leadership from Gov. Kate
In spite of the Repub children’s temper tantrum, the state of Oregon, and the majority of Oregonians, realize we need to move quickly on climate action. This from OEC this morning:
2020 is officially the year of bold action on climate! Governor Kate Brown just signed an executive order to combat climate change. Governor Brown joins governors from many states, like North Carolina, Maine, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, in moving forward with bold climate action plans through executive action.
Today, Oregon moves from plans to action. This action solidifies Oregon’s commitment to fight climate change, expand clean energy technologies, and invest in the protection of youth and frontline communities.
It comes after years of work from OEC and other environmental groups, public demand for bold climate action, years of public hearings and input, and years of rallies across the state. Together, it was our advocacy, votes, investments of time and resources that made it all possible.
This remarkable executive order updates and strengthens successful climate action already in our laws, as well as breaks new ground. It will make Oregon’s forests, coast, and rural lands more resilient against the ravages of climate change and move us toward a sustainable and prosperous future.
Here are a few highlights of Oregon’s new climate action:
Clean Fuels. Extend and strengthen Oregon’s successful Clean Fuels Program, which has been creating jobs and working for four years to lower pollution from fuels by making cleaner options available. OEC championed and defended this program and we are thrilled to see it expanded.
Clean Buildings. Strengthen requirements for new buildings so that by 2030 they’ll produce as much clean energy as they use, and maximize energy efficiency. There will be huge savings on energy bills as homes and buildings “sip” energy and waste less -- using technologies we already use today.
Clean Economy. Require large corporate polluters to reduce pollution over time. While Oregon has targets for reducing climate pollution already in our law, they’re not being enforced. This new change updates the targets and makes lowering pollution mandatory for large emitters under penalty of law.
Healthy Communities. Governor Brown’s executive order will direct Oregon Health Authority to report on the public health impacts for communities most vulnerable to climate impacts, help establish new low-income utility programs, and put in motion programs and standards that will protect workers from wildfire smoke and extreme heat.
3/3
Making it happen: Week 35
Anne Saxby hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 2/27. 13 activists attended and wrote 450 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Bonnie New hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 3/2. 19 activists attended and wrote 475 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Saving our Democracy [Again] - part 2
Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, political historian, author, and professor, writes (and posts on Facebook) an extraordinary blog analyzing our ongoing political situation. From her Feb 20 blog:
“Changing the national narrative is crucially important, but it is not enough to change our government. To do that, we need to complain constantly to our elected officials, even those who ignore us (because they do keep a record), and to support politicians who are advancing democracy. While everyone is currently focused on the presidential race, even more important are the Senate races, and the House. If Democrats take the Senate, Trump will be hamstrung even if he is reelected. And the House needs to be Democratic to check him in the first place. So support a presidential candidate, sure, but pick a Senate race and a House race, and work for that candidate, too.
This election is one of the most important in our nation’s history, maybe THE most important. And just as in the 1850s, the 1890s, and the 1920s, the people in power would not be working so hard to silence those of us who care deeply about American democracy if they thought our actions didn’t matter.”
2/25
Making it happen: Week 36
Heather Nielsen, Jeff Horacek, and Randy Helm prepared and packaged 2000 SwingLeft envelopes at Bonnie’s house on Friday, 2/21. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Yes, We Can Take Democracy Back [Again]
Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, political historian, author, and professor, writes (and posts on Facebook) an extraordinary blog analyzing our ongoing political situation. From her Feb 20 blog:
“A lot of folks have been asking me lately if America has ever been in such a crisis before and, if so, what people in the past did to save democracy.
“The answer to the first question is yes, it has, three times, although only once was this bad. In the 1850s, the 1890s, and the 1920s, oligarchs took over the nation’s government, controlling the White House, Congress, and the courts. … [She details the history of each of these times.]…
“In each era, it seemed like American democracy had been conquered by an oligarchy that was sucking wealth upward and had no interest in serving the needs of regular Americans. …
“But in each era, just when democracy seemed lost, regular Americans took it back. They started simply by complaining. … They wrote letters to congressmen and to newspapers, and they protested in the streets, pointing out that the southern slaveholders, or the industrialists, or the businessmen, were gaming the system to destroy democracy. Pretty soon like-minded people began to gather together to talk about what they could do to take America back.
“They started to run for local offices, and state offices, and even for seats in Congress. And when elections came, they turned out voters by reminding them just how important it was for them to show up. And in elections, the people in power cheated and the game was rigged… but the people defending American democracy still won.
… “Speaking up to identify lies and to celebrate real American values is a crucial step toward changing the national narrative. If it weren’t, no one would be paying bots and trolls to shut us up.”
We can do this. We are doing this. We need to keep doing this.
Yep, Discouraged. Then What?
Of course we’re discouraged! Who wouldn’t be? In just the last couple of weeks, Trump’s ongoing assault on our democracy and rule of law has included
- punishing impeachment trial witnesses
- publicly interfering in Roger Stone’s criminal sentencing
- demanding Barr “clean house” at DOJ, claiming a “seditious conspiracy” by a “criminal gang” at FBI and DOJ
- falsely declaring himself America’s “chief law enforcement officer”
- granting executive clemency to rich, corrupt, undeserving, white-collar felons whose crimes mirror his own.
The Trump camp would like to see us give up in despair and frustration. Don’t do it. Give yourself a restorative break when needed, then come back and do what you can do. Sort in your mind what outrage you can’t do anything about today, and then do what you can do. Write voter engagements letters and postcards. Donate money to SwingLeft candidate campaigns. Join SwingLeft canvasses in the 12 SuperStates. Check ICG’s 2020 Action Menu for useful things you can do!
2/18
Making it happen: Week 37
Sarah Bellinson and Gigi Pomerantz hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at Dog River on 2/12. 19 activists attended and wrote 300 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Pat Evenson-Brady helped prepare zillions of letter packets and envelopes at Bonnie’s house on Valentine’s Day, 2/14. Woohoo! Gold star on collar!
Bonnie New hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at her home on 2/15. 19 activists attended and wrote 525 letters. Woohoo! Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
Beyond the Symptom (Trump)
Indivisible National: “It’s time to throw Donald Trump out of office, retake the Senate, and save democracy. We engage in this task fully aware that our problems didn’t start with Trump. Trump is a symptom, not the cause of what ails America. A healthy democracy, one that values the lives and voices of all its people, would have rejected Trump the same way that a healthy body rejects a virus. That didn’t happen in 2016. And that’s why it’s not enough just to beat Donald Trump in 2020. We have to beat him — and then we have to fix our democracy."
2/11
Be Ready: Unite Behind the Nominee
Regardless of what happens in the primaries, we’re not taking our ball and going home in 2020. We and Indivisibles around the country will work our butts off to support whichever candidate wins the nomination. Indivisible National launched the Indivisible Pledge last year — to get this commitment from Democratic Presidential candidates and grassroots activists. It’s an agreement to unite behind the nominee and to do everything possible to elect that nominee president. All major presidential candidates have signed the pledge, and Indivisible groups across the country, including ICG, have too.
If your very favorite, love-this-person, best-ever candidate does NOT get the nomination, BE READY! We will unite behind the nominee.
Making it happen: Week 38
Sarah Kellems hosted a postcard-writing event at Pine Street Bakery on 2/7. 7 activists attended and wrote over 50 postcards. Gold stars on collars!
Make it happen: Choose your action
ALL hands are needed on deck to ensure CHANGE in 2020! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 38 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
DONATE HERE to Support the Letter-Writing Project
Our projected cost is over $4000 for postage, supplies, and printing. Many of our writers and hosts are making donations, but not all can. Please help out if you’re able.
Quote
“I just saw someone say something online that really resonated with me: that with a flick of her wrist [tearing up her copy of Trump’s SoU speech] Pelosi may well have—in the view of history—overshadowed Trump's whole speech. There's a sense in which there's huge power and courage in that — how an act of resistance resonates.” - Seth Abramson (lawyer, author, professor)
2/4
Making it happen: Week 39
Sarah Bellinson and Gigi Pomerantz hosted a SwingLeft letter-writing party at Dog River on 1/29. 10 activists attended and wrote 160 letters. They hosted another party at the White Salmon library on 2/3. 12 attended and wrote 160 letters. Woohoo!!
10 volunteers, including two charming teens, assembled 500 voter registration packets at Bonnie’s house on Superbowl Sunday, 2/2.
Daera Dobbs hosted a huge SwingLeft letter-writing house party with a wonderful brunch on 2/3. 24 people wrote 500 letters to Floridians, with voter registration packets enclosed.
Make it happen: Choose your action
We Indivisibles are working hard for change! Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 39 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to at least one action from ICG’s 2020 Action Menu each week. Let us know what you did, for a virtual gold star on your virtual collar.
DONATE HERE to Support the Letter-Writing Project
At $0.65 per letter for postage, supplies, and printing, it will cost $4225 to send out 6500 letters, our goal between now and the end of October. In addition to doing the letter-writing, many of our writers and hosts are making donations. Please help out if you can (and earn - yes! - another virtual gold star, as well as our sincere thanks).
Any amount we raise over the amount used for letters will be donated to SwingLeft's direct campaign support of strong Dem candidates in the 12 "Super States."
(Note: ICG is not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible. As such, GoFundMe requires an individual to be the host/receiver of funds - Bonnie in our case. Trust us on this, please.)
Quotes
“[Trump] will not be acquitted. You cannot be acquitted if you don’t have a trial. And you can’t have a trial if you don’t have witnesses and documentation.”
- Nancy Pelosi
After the Senate vote opposing witnesses and documents: "America is not f*cking dead. #RIPAmerica? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, & get to work. There are 277 days until the election. We have to overwhelm the polls. That was the case before the vote, & it will be the case until Nov 4th. Turn your anger into action."
- Nick Knudsen on Twitter
1/28
COMMIT to ACT: 2020 Action Menu
We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to one or more actions from the Menu this week:
Calls to Action
Call/email your state/federal reps for accountability and for policy advocacy. ICG publishes CTAs on our Facebook page and in our newsletter. Each CTA includes a message and contact info for your reps.
LTE Circle
Join this ICG group to take turns submitting LTEs (letters to the editor). Use our messaging, or create your own. Connect with Rhonda for more info and to volunteer.
Postcards to Voters
Join ICG for coffee and postcarding with friends, the first Friday of every month. Write to legislators on state & federal issues, and to voters in key districts across the country.
Connect with Lara for more info. Next event is Feb 7.
SwingLeft letter-writing: Attend a party! Connect with Sarah B for more info. Next event is Jan 29.
SwingLeft letter-writing: Host a house party for your friends!
Really leverage your efforts! Invite your peeps (friends, family, neighbors, book club, …) for letter-writing at your house. An ICG partner can come to lead the letter-writing. Connect with Bonnie for more info and to schedule.
DONATE HERE to support our SwingLeft letter-writing project.
At $0.55 per letter for postage, supplies, and printing, ICG must raise $3575 to send out 6500 letters. Any amount we raise over the amount used for letters will be donated to SwingLeft's direct campaign support of strong Dem candidates in the 12 "Super States."
(Note: ICG is not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible. As such, GoFundMe requires an individual to be the host/receiver of funds - Bonnie in our case. Trust us on this, please.)
Host a SwingLeft letter-writing!
ICG has joined thousands of resistance groups around the country for a BIG PUSH for the 2020 elections - now only 40 weeks away! Our 2020 “Swing Left” project is part of a very focused national program to defeat Trump, flip the Senate, and win key state races critical to redistricting. Along with activists all over the country, ICG will be (among other things) writing letters to register and engage voters in 12 “Super States,” where these key fights will be won or lost.
Want to help make CHANGE happen, but don’t have much time? We want to have MANY SwingLeft letter-writing house parties between now and the election, to get out at least 6500 letters to underrepresented SuperStates voters. Hosts and their invitees will be able to contribute in a meaningful way to 2020 election success with a single time-limited action.
Would you be willing to host a letter-writing party? An ICG rep will partner with you to help with planning, and will attend the party to lead the letter-writing. The beauty of this is not only that you’ll be making a very valuable contribution toward success in 2020, AND you’ll be leveraging your efforts by engaging your friends, but it will only take about 3 hours of your time, start to finish! Party details like location, size, and co-hosts are negotiable.
Ready to find out more? Email us to get the details, ask questions, and help make CHANGE happen in 2020!!
1/21
Our 2020 Gameplan
ICG’s gameplan for 2020 is to focus on state-level issues and advocacy during Oregon’s upcoming short legislative session (Feb. 3 - March 6), and in the 41 weeks till the election to focus on these 3 federal-level goals -
- Defeating Trump
- Flipping the Senate (with or without defeating Trump, we’re seeing in this hyperpartisan era how essential this is)
- Winning key state races critical to redistricting (to roll back Repub gerrymandering).
For federal-level action, we’ll “write” thousands of SwingLeft letters (actually just adding personal notes to prepared letters) and Postcards to Voters (scripts and supplies provided) to register and engage voters in “Super States” where the key fights of 2020 will be won or lost.
COMMIT to ACT
Ensuring CHANGE happens in 2020 is definitely not a spectator sport!
We all WANT change.
We all have to WORK for it.
EVERYONE is needed.
Each of us has to COMMIT to doing our part.
Partner with ICG to do your part for the next 41 weeks. We ask each of our followers and subscribers to commit to one or more actions from the menu below this week. Together we’ll MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN!
ICG’s 2020 Action Menu
1. Calls to Action
Call/email your state/federal reps for accountability and for policy advocacy. ICG publishes CTAs on our Facebook page and in our newsletter. Each CTA includes a message and contact info for your reps.
2. LTE Circle
Join this ICG group to take turns submitting LTEs (letters to the editor). Use our messaging, or create your own. Connect with Rhonda for more info and to volunteer.
3. Postcards to Voters
Join ICG for coffee and postcarding with friends, the first Friday of every month. Connect with Lara for more info. Next event is Feb 7.
4. SwingLeft letter-writing: Attend a party! Connect with Sarah B for more info. Next event is Jan 29.
5. SwingLeft letter-writing: Host a house party for your friends!
Really leverage your efforts! Invite your peeps (friends, family, neighbors, book club, …) for letter-writing at your house. An ICG partner can come to lead the letter-writing. Connect with Bonnie for more info and to schedule.
6. Donate here to support our SwingLeft letter-writing project.
At $0.55 per letter for postage, supplies, and printing, ICG must raise $3575 to send out 6500 letters. Any amount we raise over the amount used for letters will be donated to SwingLeft's direct campaign support of strong Dem candidates in the 12 "Super States."
(Note: ICG is not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible. Also note ICG’s GoFundMe has Bonnie’s name as the host. Trust us on this, please.)
1/14
No War With Iran Rally
Last Thursday, Jan. 9, was a National Day of Action to amplify the call for No War With Iran, and condemn Trump’s rogue assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. ICG hastily organized a rally at the “fish fountain” (Overlook Memorial Plaza at Second and State Streets in HR). THANKS to all who came out in the cold and dark!
25-30 stalwart activists from both sides of the river enthusiastically delivered the NO WAR WITH IRAN message with a rally in Hood River. Lots of sign waving, chanting, "rush hour" honking and thumbs-upping, and general patriotic hubbub. Thanks to all who came out in the cold, and to all the passers-by and drivers-by who shared this concern for our country. And thanks to HR News, which ran a photo and summary on the front page.
Another display of Gorge resistance and engagement in the books. Nice work, activists! And for those who couldn’t make it - we’re confident (unfortunately) that there will be more opportunities. See you then!
Setting Our Course
Our next ICG meeting is this Tuesday, Jan. 14, and it’s an important one! Please come and be part of the hive mind. We’ll be discussing our direction and strategies for this critical election year, and planning specific actions to get us to desired goals on both federal and state levels, ESPECIALLY defeating Trump (YES!) and flipping the Senate (YES!). Our planning needs YOU, and our plans will need YOU. We have been living three years of evidence of the need for change, with new assaults and outrages every day. 2020 is our opportunity, and we’re going to give it the full court press. We need EVERYONE’s engagement to make sure CHANGE happens!
1/7
Jumping into 2020 (with ICG)
The holidays were hardly behind us before the bad news got worse. Climate-related wildfires are ravaging Australia, with truly unbelievable consequences. And on the home front, Trump has brought us to the brink of war with Iran by assassinating Gen. Qassim Suleimani, needlessly, without any game plan, and without consultation of Congress, foreign policy experts, or the Pentagon.
All of this is enough to bring you to your knees in helplessness and fear, or, better yet, to energize you to go all-in for change in 2020. Not just to want it, but to work for it. Relentlessly. We can do this together.
Come to our meeting next week (Jan. 14). We’ll be discussing an overall strategy to guide our work in 2020, at both the state and national level. You might be interested in reading about Swing Left’s “Super States” approach. Swing Left is a national group that has curated a suite of effective actions help Democrats defeat Trump and the GOP in 2020, based on the “Super States” approach.
Best Political Analysis Going
Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of American history who writes daily about politics, which of course is about Trump, impeachment, warmongering, etc. It is the best current political analysis I’ve come across. She posts each blog on Facebook and on her blog site. You can also subscribe and get her daily analysis by email.
At the end of her post today: “What I do know cold, though, is the nature of the American presidency and political power. Trump upped the ante of authoritarianism today, announcing he can launch a war without notifying Congress and that he can commit war crimes with impunity.”
Support Merkley in Re-Election Campaign
Senator Jeff Merkley is a stalwart of progressive politics. He’s dedicated, indefatigable, and he consistently fights for our values. This is a re-election year for Merkley, so let’s give him some serious support -
- let him know (via calls, emails, LTEs, town halls) how much we appreciate his work with immigrant families at the border and his stand on Trump’s impeachment
- attend his town halls. Check here for times and locations.
- Donate to Jeff Merkley for Oregon
QUOTE
“Fun Fact: The people telling me [Trump] will never be removed are the same people who told me he’d never be impeached.”
- tweet by Scott Dworkin (Co-Founder @TheDemCoalition. #DworkinReport podcast host. Investigator who helped expose #TrumpRussia. Obama alum.)
2019
12/31 Happy 2020!
As we wave goodbye to 2019, a year of political tumult and great accomplishment, THANKS and CONGRATS are due to each and every one of you who, over the last three years, have marched, called and emailed our Reps, donated, written postcards and letters, submitted LTEs (letters to the editor), and stood strong in resistance to the Trump agenda.
Yay for us! Together we have unquestionably MADE A DIFFERENCE -
Those are definitely worth a toast at midnight (or maybe midnight in NYC). So let’s CELEBRATE, then line up some New Year’s resolutions to sustain ourselves and our work!
First, resolve to take care of yourself.
We have 11 months of work to do and we’ll need strength and stamina to make this work not just effective but fun. Take a look at the NY Times’ list of eight ways to be kinder to yourself in 2020:
Second, make some resistance resolutions you can keep.
Happy New Year to all of you! And thanks for all you do.
12/24
Impeachment Rally Success
Thank you to all who came out last week for our rally in The Dalles on the eve of the House’s historic vote to impeach Donald Trump. 150 resisters from all over the Gorge, and as far away as Wamic and Goldendale, came together in front of The Dalles Post Office. There was a steady stream of cars at “rush hour,” with lots of thumbs-upping and honking. Debi Ferrer of POP read a supportive and inspiring message from Sen. Jeff Merkley.
For a compilation of short video clips from the Impeachment Eve event in The Dalles, check this swell video made by Mike McKeag of Mosier.
2020 Dem Candidate Scorecard
The Indivisible 2020 Candidate Scorecard is here! After months of research, outreach, and close work with group leaders across the country, Indivisible National released its scorecard on December 11. The scorecard grades candidates on their policy platform, day-1 democracy agenda, and engagement with grassroots progressives. On these criteria, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s campaign scored the highest, followed closely by Senator Sanders and Secretary Castro. Senator Klobuchar and Vice President Biden came in at the bottom of the Democratic field, scoring below 50%. President Trump received a 0% score.
Check out the scorecard, and check back periodically. It will be updated as candidates modify/expand on their positions.
See here for Indivisible’s press release, which gives some background info on how the scorecard was developed, and the weighting of issues considered.
12/17
Debates about this Debate
The Dem candidate debate planned for this Thursday night, Dec. 19, is to be at Loyola Marymount University in LA, hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico. Here’s who’s in: Warren, Sanders, Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Steyer, and Yang.
The debate is already controversial because of who’s out - all of the candidates (and former candidates) of color. In addition, there’s now a labor dispute at the host University. Unite Here Local 11, a union representing food service employees, is in negotiation with the university’s food service providers. All of the debate-qualified presidential candidates (starting with Senator Warren) have committed not to attend the debate if it requires them to cross the picket line.
Good News Department
Things are changing in the Trump arena. The pot is heating up. We are no longer stuck in reverse with a full Congress assigned to rubberstamping this frightful president, thanks to the 2018 Blue Wave. There are fires here and there.
And unexpected things happen. Happens all the time. We think we know what’s happening, think we can predict what will happen next. We can predict, but we’re often wrong. This is not comforting news for those who long for certainty. But it’s good for those longing for change.
There are a lot of balls in the air right now, politically. Maybe something unexpected will happen (and it will be from the Good News Department).
12/11
Just Released: Indivisible’s Candidate Scorecard!
Indivisible National has just released (within the movement) a Scorecard on the Dem Presidential Candidates to help us learn about candidate positions and plans, and to encourage us to press our favorite candidates on the issues we care about most.
Scorecard: A Tool for Learning
The scorecard was developed for the educational benefit of us members, to show how the Dem presidential candidates align at this point in time with what Indivisibles around the country care about.
Indivisible National extensively surveyed Indivisible groups and members, then engaged in a months-long process evaluating and interviewing the candidates. Candidates first had to take the We Are Indivisible 2020 Pledge. Those who did were provided a questionnaire of more than 80 questions about policy, priorities, and strategy, which had been created with input from Indivisible group leaders and national partners. Candidates who completed the questionnaire were then invited to participate in a live interview last month. The resulting information is presented for our education and use in the Scorecard.
Scorecard: A Tool for Pressing the Candidates
The scorecard is not an endorsement and it’s not static: it’s living and evolving. Each candidate is graded based on their current alignment with the movements’ values. Scores will likely change over time, hopefully improving, as candidates clarify or adjust their priorities.
We Indivisibles can and should press the candidates to take stronger positions on the issues we care about, so use this scorecard as a tool in your activism. If your pick has a low score on an issue you care about, push them on it. That’s how we’ll get the strongest candidate possible who will beat Trump.
Read the Scorecard >>
Let's Be Clear ...
… that we’re ALL IN for whoever wins the primary!
Remember the We Are Indivisible 2020 Pledge from earlier this year? The point was to commit our movement, each and every person, to rally around whoever wins, because all of us need to be ALL IN to save our democracy. As you’ll recall, this was a bit of a problem in 2016, contributing to a bit of a f***ing disaster in the election. Not this time.
12/3
Lame Duck, BUT …
Greg Walden stated a month ago he’s not running for re-election. OK. Good. But really, what should we expect from him for the next 13 months? Not what can we expect, but what should we expect. We are his constituents, and essentially his employer. He is still on the job, still has responsibilities, still is legislating on issues critical to this country and to our well-being. And he will be until his replacement takes office January 3, 2021.
Yes, Walden is a “lame duck.” A lame duck is an elected official whose successor has already been elected or will be soon. The “lame” refers to likely diminished credibility and/or power, and less influence over his legislative peers. Conversely, a lame duck may feel more free to make decisions within his powers with little fear of consequence.
It is tempting for us as constituents to want to give up or sign off on a lame duck such as Walden. BUT he’s still in office for another 13 months. BUT even if his stature in Congress is diminished by not running for re-election, he is still a VOTE. Just this month, he will vote on the budget. On funding for DHS and ICE. On drug price controls. On protection of public lands. Important votes, and more each month.
We can no longer hold Walden accountable by working to vote him out. BUT we can hold him accountable in real time over the next 13 months by tracking and calling out his votes, and especially by continuing to call out his silence and disengagement with Congressional oversight of this dangerous and corrupt President.
Walden owes us involvement right up to Jan. 3, 2021, and we should expect it. And he owes us making good on his oath of office to uphold our Constitution and the rule of law. He’d love it if we did, BUT we are not signing off.
Next Dem Debate (Dec. 19) - Who’s in, who’s out
Former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock have recently dropped out of the Dem presidential candidate field. Sen. Elizabeth Warren just picked up another grassroots endorsement, from New Florida Majority, as well as an endorsement from Chicago-area Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
December 12 is the deadline to qualify for the next debate. So far, six candidates have met the qualification threshold - Biden, Buttigieg, Harris, Klobuchar, Sanders, and Warren. Still fighting to reach the stage again are Booker, Gabbard, Steyer, and Yang. Recent entrants Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick hope to qualify for future debates, but are unlikely to qualify for December.
11/26 Thankful for YOU and Your Resistance Actions
We at ICG are MOST thankful for the many, many acts of resisters like you, like us, starting in Jan 2017 and continuing to this day. In the face of three years of relentless assaults on our democracy, environment, and wellbeing, your persistence and dedication are carrying the day.
Without you there would have been no calling out of abuses and criminal acts. No calling out, no Blue Wave in 2018. No Blue Wave, no Congressional oversight of this terrible Administration. No Congressional oversight, no impeachment proceedings. The many damaging and illegal acts coming out now (and sinking this presidency) would still be being swept under the rug.
So thank you. Thanks to all of you for your commitment and your actions. Thanks for this lifeline back to integrity and stability in this country. You’re making it happen.
11/19 One Thing is Certain
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has progressively tightened the entry criteria for the Dem Primary debates, by both donor requirements and polling requirements. This effectively narrows the field of candidates invited onstage for the upcoming debates.
While that is a contracting force, late enterers/threateners Deval Patrick and Michael Bloomberg are an expanding force. Have you entered yet? Your loved ones? Your dog?
Candidates currently qualifying for the Nov. 20 debate on MSNBC are Biden, Warren, Sanders, Buttigieg, Harris, Yang, Klobuchar, Booker, Gabbard, and Steyer (in order of national polling average).
Those currently qualifying for Dec. 19 debate on PBS are Biden, Warren, Sanders, Buttigieg, Harris, and Klobuchar.
Beyond those, the DNC has sanctioned the following debates:
Check here for updates on start times, moderators, candidates, live stream links, and for links to full videos of completed debates.
Lots of candidates, lots of uncertainty. One thing is certain, though - any one of these candidates would be an incalculable improvement over what we’ve got now.
Quote of the week
Always do right. This will gratify some and astonish the rest. - Mark Twain
11/4 CD2 Candidate: Check out Democrat Raz Mason
Raz Mason (Democrat) is a candidate for Oregon's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House.
Walden's retirement highlights Unique Democratic Candidate
The primary election is on May 19, 2020. The general election is on November 3, 2020.
https://ballotpedia.org/Raz_Mason, https://www.mason4congress.com/
10/30 Who will replace Walden?
Greg Walden announced Monday that he won’t seek a 12th term in Congress representing Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. Jamie McCleod-Skinner, his 2018 Democratic challenger, responded with these words: His announcement shows the power of voters demanding accountability. We helped bring about this moment. Congratulations, Indivisibles!
Walden’s retirement is important, because it could open the way for a Democratic candidate to win the House seat for the first time in almost 40 years. Although the district is still considered “reliably red”, Democrats and independents have been gaining a foothold in our here. Walden’s November 2018 election win over Democrat McLeod-Skinner was the smallest margin of victory in his congressional career.
In 2018 we endorsed Jamie McCleod Skinner's candidacy, but in August of this year, she announced 2020 plans to run for Oregon Secretary of State, rather than launching another House run. In response to Walden's announcement, she has not signaled a change of plans, though she acknowledged on Facebook that a lot of voters want to know what she will do, and she is listening.
To let her know your opinion, contact her: https://jamiefororegon.com/contact-us/, or on Facebook
10/22 The Shell is Cracking
The hard shell of protection around Trump is cracking. Growing numbers of Republican MoCs are speaking out, disagreeing with Trump, criticizing his actions and the damage his daily “decisions” are creating. The Washington Post published articles this week entitled “Growing number of Republicans struggle to defend Trump on G-7 choice, Ukraine and Syria” and “Trump’s Fifth Avenue theory is showing some cracks.” This is excellent news. This is what we’ve been waiting for - no, actually, this is what we’ve been WORKING for. For almost three years now, the Resistance has relentlessly called out Trump and his enablers, voted in new members of Congress, kept up the heat. As a result, we are seeing a robust and wide-ranging investigation, which is uncovering a lot of dangerous dirt that would otherwise have been swept under the rug. The shell is cracking. Keep the heat ON.
Quote
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government. - Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)
10/15 Thank the Resistance Movement
The impeachment ball is rolling, and its path is becoming wider as more Trump-centered malfeasance comes to light. We are not sure how this is all going to sort out, and there are many armchair QBs who are enumerating the ways in which the impeachment process might hurt the Dems. But one thing is abundantly clear: there would be no ball rolling whatsoever if not for the Resistance movement.
The movement hastily came together in late 2016 - early 2017 in response to Trump’s election, and by November, 2018 the Dems were newly in control of Congress. This is no coincidence, of course. It was hard work, lots of it, all over the country, by folks like us - RESISTERS - attending rallies, holding our MoCs accountable, writing letters to the editor, making noise, stepping up to be candidates, working campaigns, doorknocking, donating.
It was that tremendous electoral success that’s brought us to this point of impeachment inquiry. Republican legislators and administration officials are slowly starting to peel away from the Trumpster. They are defying his “orders” not to testify. They are criticizing him for the Ukraine call and for abandoning Syria. They are coming forward, they are speaking up. It is happening. It’s slow, but the ball is rolling. Without the Dem majority the Resistance movement put in the House, we would not be at this point.
THANK YOU, RESISTERS! Yep, that’s us. Onward.
10/3 Our Pattern of Resilience
Lying, treason, impeachment, obstruction, the lack of specificity and teeth in our system of government, and on and on. It’s enough to make you pull the covers over your head and hide. We are in despair. Even children are fearful and anxious. But there are reasons for hope. Here’s Robert Reich’s -
“As bad as it looks right now —as despairing as you can sometimes feel – the great strength of this country is our resilience. We bounce back. We will again.
Even now, it's not as bleak as it sometimes seems. In 2018 a record number of women, people of color, and LGBTQ representatives were elected to Congress, including the first Muslim women. Wind and solar sources of energy are rapidly becoming cheaper than fossil fuels. Eighteen states raised their minimum wages.
The arc of American history reveals an unmistakable pattern. Whenever privilege and power conspire to pull us backward, we eventually rally and move forward.”
We will rally, and we will move forward. Stay on board. We’ll make it together.
10/1
IMPEACHMENT: The word from Indivisible National
Leaders of the national Indivisible “mothership” (www.indivisible.org) spoke last week on a leadership conference call about the rollercoaster ride around impeachment. “We want to pressure the House to move quickly on an impeachment vote, and for the Senate to hold a fair and transparent trial. That’s why we need to push forward while momentum is on our side -- and before any possible interference in next year’s elections. Check out our updated impeachment resource, and our new campaign site impeachnow.org.”
Yes, We Can!
Discouraged? Worn out? Not sure we can make any difference? History says YES, WE CAN, as noted in this article, “The 3.5% Rule: How a Small Minority Can Change the World.”
The author, Dr. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, analyzed hundreds of protest campaigns occurring over the last century and found that
Chenoweth says, “Ordinary people, all the time, are engaging in pretty heroic activities that are actually changing the world.”
OK, that would be us. Onward, activists!
9/20
$$ for Election Security. Gracias, Moscow Mitch!
Thanks in large part to those nasty liberals (hey - that’s us!) who flooded the news and social media with the taunt “Moscow Mitch,” Sen. Mitch McConnell co-sponsored a bill approving $250 million for voting protections. It’s far from perfect as it fails to require basic improvements like election audits, paper ballots, social media disclosures, and mandatory reporting of contact with foreign officials. But it’s a start, and a welcome crack in a previously slammed-shut door. Senate negotiators will now work to reconcile their bill with the House’s version, which provides a more generous $600 million and much stricter conditions. Take a bow, activists!
2020 Budget: CR till November, then Back to the Mosh Pit
Last week, the House passed a short-term funding bill (also known as a “continuing resolution,” or CR) that would keep the government open through November 21. The CR would largely maintain the status quo, which includes rejecting the White House’s request for additional funding for Trump’s deportation machine. This is due in part to the pressure applied by us and Indivisibles around the country in our Defund Hate campaign. Chalk up another one for activism!
This means in November we’ll make the same “asks” to our MoCs:
Today was LWV National Voter Registration Day! ICG and CGWAN fielded many volunteers to staff multiple registration venues in Hood River County and in White Salmon. Fran Finney coordinated the effort for ICG, and volunteers Martha Sedgwick, Susan Bellinson, Lucy Hill, Beth Hartwell, Kym Zanmiller, Beth Flake, Barbara Menard, Fran Finney, Cindy Allen, and Kate Kelly did registration at sites from downtown HR up to Parkdale. Lots of our neighbors were educated on voting requirements and process, and many new voters were registered. Way to go team!
IMPEACHMENT!
Last but definitely not least, the big news today: Nancy Pelosi announced the Dems are starting an impeachment inquiry on Trump. A few progressives gushed about how Trump is on his way out now, he’ll be gone soon, etc. This is wishful thinking, but not probable. It’s more likely to be a long, arduous, ugly, damaging process. We in the resistance movement are in it for the long haul. This country has spirit and resilience that go far beyond Donald Trump.
Quote of the week:
“Of course we need hope. But the one thing we need more than hope is ACTION. Because once we start to act, hope is everywhere.”
- Greta Thunberg, speaking about climate action.
9/17
Creating ICG’s Path for 2019-2020
At our general meeting last week we put our heads together to identify the issues of greatest concern to members. Our list of issues was long, as you’d expect:
We also discussed where/how each of us would like to use our various skills to support ICG’s work - research, writing, events support, rallies, public speaking, social media, etc. etc. There’s something for everyone, and we NEED everyone! Be thinking how you can pitch in. Got some ideas? Let’s talk!
Election Security: Yes, PLEASE!
The House passed a sweeping election reform package, the “SAFE” act, in June. Although election security should definitely NOT be a partisan issue, only one Republican Congressman supported the Act. No surprise — it wasn’t Greg Walden.
The SAFE (Securing American Federal Elections) Act includes:
Clearly voting security should not be left up to a patchwork of state systems that are limited by resources and politics – especially now, when outside actors are attacking these systems. Mitch McConnell has refused to bring ANY election security bills to the floor, paving the way for Russia and other hostile actors to meddle in our elections.
If we can’t trust that our elections are secure and their results are accurate, then we won’t have a representative democracy. Let’s keep on Moscow Mitch to make good on election security! What can we do?
9/3
September meeting
Our first meeting of the Fall will be next Tues, Sept 10. Come and bring a friend - or two! We’ll be at our new meeting spot, the Hood River library, from 6-7pm (the meeting room downstairs). We'll share news on upcoming special Fall events, and discuss our (and ICG’s) roles in the year ahead.
And potluck snacks and drinks, as always!
Indivisible’s “Defund Hate” Campaign
Congress has increased funding for ICE by over a billion dollars since the start of the Trump administration, increasing its capacity to carry out Trump’s cruel immigration policies. Here’ s the plan to “defund the hate.”
September Funding Fight
Congress’ job in September is to create the 2020 budget. They have two options for funding DHS by the September 30th deadline: either pass an appropriations bill that would set new funding levels, or pass a continuing resolution (CR) which would fund DHS at its FY19 levels. Regardless of which path Congress takes, we are urging our MoCs to use their power to rein in the administration’s lawless and inhumane policies at the Southern border and throughout the country, and protect immigrant children and families from abuses.
So far, the House Appropriations Committee has approved a funding bill for DHS that ends ICE’s ability to steal from other agencies; cuts funding for ICE detention beds to FY16 levels; doesn’t include any funding for border wall expansion; and adds guardrails for how people can be treated in ICE detention facilities.
Our “Ask”
If Congress chooses to pass an appropriations bill, our “ask” is:
Yes, our work is valuable!
Elizabeth Warren recently told an Indivisible group founder: "I'm so grateful for Indivisible. You guys kept th elights on when we all thought they were going out." When you feel discouraged and disgusted, when you despair of where our country is, when you wonder if anything we do makes a hill of beans’ worth of difference - take heart. Remember what we do does matter. Resisting is crucial.
“Action is the antidote to despair.” ―Joan Baez
8/27
Oregon Driver’s License Victory Threatened
It was a tremendous victory this summer when the Oregon Legislature passed and Governor Brown signed HB 2015, the Drivers Licenses for All bill, giving the right to driver’s licenses for all Oregonians regardless of documentation status. Now all of that effort and progress is being threatened by the misleadingly named Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR). OFIR has filed a petition for a ballot measure to take away our victory, exactly as they did in 2013 after the driver’s card bill passed then. They managed to gather enough signatures to put driver’s cards on the 2014 ballot (Measure 88), and successfully overturned the law.
Not having a driver’s license is a huge barrier to full participation in our communities, especially in rural and small-town Oregon where a vehicle is often a necessary part of life. And the lack of a license exposes immigrants to jailing, abuse, and deportation by ICE. These are exactly the effects OFIR is trying (again) to achieve.
Here’s how you can help:
Keep on resisting. It matters.
"Part of our strength as a nation is that, in our darkest moments, we fight for the best of who we are. We are facing one of those moments right now — and fight we will. Register people to vote. Attend a rally. Knock on doors. Make phone calls. It matters." - Kamala Harris
8/20
Cultivating hope. Together.
Just after Trump was elected in 2016, the Rev. Rob Hardies of All Saints UU church in D.C. gave a sermon in answer to people’s questions about how, with Trump as president, they could find hope. Regardless of how or whether you worship, its simple advice on cultivating hope is solid, and still very relevant today: Take action steadily, one step at a time; enlarge your perspective through regular spiritual practice, whether that means going to synagogue or taking a walk in the woods; and whatever you do, don't make this journey alone.
We're in this together, as fellow activists, as Gorge residents, and as people who still see the enormous potential of our country.
[content credit to Michelle Nijhuis]
Fight against Voter Suppression
Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who narrowly lost her bid to become the nation’s first black female governor due to voter suppression, is not running for office this year as many had hoped. She is instead building a robust initiative to fight voter suppression across the country - including fixing inaccurate voter rolls, addressing shortages of voting machines and provisional ballots, and formalizing the rules around counting absentee ballots.
The initiative is called Fair Fight 2020, and is expected to cost $4-$5 million. It’s targeting 20 states, most of them battlegrounds in the Midwest and Southeast, and three states with gubernatorial elections this year: Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.
This effort to ensure that all eligible voters are actually able to vote has the potential to be a huge game-changer for Dems in 2020 elections and beyond!
Let’s support Fair Fight 2020 as generously as we can! Click to donate - https://fairfight.com/fair-fight-2020/
8/7
ICG is In on Impeachment!
ICG’s recent impeachment survey asked one question: Do you favor starting impeachment hearings now? In contrast with a vote of our members several months ago, where YES and NO votes were almost equal in number, the recent vote showed 67% in favor, and 24% opposed. In recognition of that sentiment, ICG’s official position is now in favor of impeachment hearings. You will see and hear that reflected in ICG writings, calls to action, etc. Of course, we fully expect that each individual ICG member will feel free to express her/his own opinion and personalize calls to action, etc. to reflect that.
Campaign to “Defund Hate”
As on the calendar above, September 13 is a National Day of Action to Defund Hate. Rallies will be held across the country to fight any increase for ICE and CBP funding in the federal budget for the next fiscal year.
When our MoCs return to Capitol Hill after the August recess, they’ll begin working on the 2020 federal budget, deciding how much funding agencies will receive for the year — including ICE and CBP, the agencies primarily responsible for carrying out Trump’s attacks on families.
Indivisible and allies around the country want to turn up the pressure on the House to demand that the next funding bill contain cuts to ICE and CBP, and strict guardrails to ensure that money isn’t misused.
But can Congress really protect any funds from Trump? It appears Trump just raids, or can raid, $$ by executive order to do whatever he wants. Indivisible National answers that question:
“We are asking for new guardrails that aren't part of current law. The executive branch does have authority to move money around with certain justifications, but Trump is abusing this power. We want Congress to explicitly prohibit certain types of transfers because while his actions do constitute overreach in our opinion, some of what he is doing is not explicitly prohibited under current law and that needs to change. And while he may choose to ignore those guardrails either way, this provides us with a stronger case in court to stop him.”
So we shall see...
Where’s Walden? August version.
It’s August recess – that time when most members of Congress hold town halls and travel around the state meeting with their constituents. There’s nothing on Walden’s website calendar about such things in August, which pretty much says it all about his interest in hearing from his constituents.
But no problem. Grab a cool beverage and your phone, and make your calls (see above Calls to Action). Walden needs to take a stronger stand on Trump’s racist tweets, on the Mueller report and its findings, and on the treatment of immigrant families at the border. You might also ask him if he has plans to retire anytime soon. Last week Politico put him on their watchlist for possible GOP retirements. OK with us, right?
7/30 Let's Help "Moscow Mitch" to Move on Election Security
Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has continued to block all election security legislation from coming to the floor of the Senate. Dems’ demands for action on election security only increased after Robert Mueller’s recent warning about continuing Russian interference.
This past week Dems began calling McConnell “Moscow Mitch,” and the hashtags #MoscowMitch and #MitchIsARussianAsset are trending on Twitter. McConnell, who usually ignores such name-calling, huffed and fumed and whined on the Senate floor, “I was called unpatriotic, un-American and essentially treasonous!” This week he has shown the SLIGHTEST increase in willingness to consider the topic.
Let’s help move Mitch along with his willingness to protect our elections from further Russian interference.
Twitter: Do you tweet? Tweet to or about @Senatemajldr . Include the hashtags #MoscowMitch and #MitchIsARussianAsset.
Facebook: Share one of the following MoscowMitch articles from major news sources, and refer to Sen. Mitch McConnell (full name) in your post
More on the Border and the Budget
The humanitarian crisis at the border - the concentration camps, the raids, the terrorizing of immigrant families, the abuse of children - continues to happen because Congress continues to fund it. What we can do is this – demand that Congress cut funding to the agencies responsible, and speak out in our community.
Congress is currently in the final stages of the appropriations process, where it decides how much funding federal agencies will receive for the year -- including ICE and CBP (border patrol). The draft appropriations bill will move to the full House, which has to act by September 30. We will have Calls-to-Action to press our MoCs HARD to cut funding to DHS, ICE, and CBP, and use that money instead for humanitarian programs and alternatives to detention.
Lights for Liberty vigils were held across the nation recently to bring attention to the plight of immigrant detainees, and to demand closure of Trump’s child and family detention camps. The one in the Gorge was in The Dalles and was very well attended. Yay us! Let’s keep it up.
Stay Tuned for Mueller Testimony Wednesday
Robert Mueller is expected to testify in Congress this Wednesday, and has said he will not speak outside the bounds of his report. CNN has a searchable version of the full (redacted) report here—you can use it to read up in preparation for Wednesday, or to search out further details on topics that come up during testimony. Most libraries have audio versions of the report available, and a new podcast called The Report provides short, engaging segments of the report for more of an overview approach.
Dem Candidate Debates 2.0: Come Watch with Us!
A field of 20 Dem candidates will debate for the second time, on July 30 and 31. One of our members will host debate-watching gatherings at her home near downtown HR both nights. Email to RSVP and to get directions. Feel free to bring interested friends, as well as some snacks and drinks.
7/16 Climate Action in OR – the ongoing story
After Oregon’s Republican state Senators fled from their jobs at in late June to avoid voting on HP 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs bill, Gov. Kate Brown said she’s willing to use executive power if necessary to address climate change in Oregon. ClimateWire reports the story in the context of other Democratic Governors’ taking similar bold approaches to force climate action in their states.
Gov. Kate is holding strong in her bid to create climate legislation, but significant opposition on the part of industry continues. Yesterday, the OR GOP announced a recall campaign against her.
Would you sign this petition to let Kate and her climate team hear from us that we stand behind their continuing efforts on climate change?
7/9
Where We Are on Impeachment
Here’s an update from Indivisible National (7/4/19):
“Last month, we asked you about impeachment. The results were pretty darn striking. Fully 80% of Indivisible respondents are affirmatively in favor of impeachment. 12% are Maybe. And about 8% are No. These are pretty striking results -- and they made a splash. You might have seen coverage all over the news -- e.g., Morning Joeand The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.
But impeachment isn’t happening yet. And we learned this past month that Speaker Pelosi is actively preventing House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler from beginning proceedings. Pelosi is good at counting votes. She’s not going to back impeachment until enough House Democrats demand it. So the path to impeachment is simple: we need more House members publicly calling for it. The number has been inching up every few days -- and so far we’re at just over 80. But nearly 90 House Democrats haven’t gone on the record one way or another! Get a majority of the House Democratic Caucus on the record -- about 40 more -- and we could start to see some movement.”
Well, our House rep Greg Walden, is clearly not going to be one of them. But Indivisibles (and other resisters) around the country who have Dem House members will be pressuring those Reps to declare themselves in support of impeachment.
Action on Gerrymandering
The Supreme court recently refused to act against partisan gerrymandering. They ruled 5-4 in Rucho v. League of Women Voters of North Carolina that no fair test exists for courts to determine when partisan gerrymandering has gone too far.
S. 949, the For the People Act, would create fair redistricting standards for the entire country as well as modernizing our election system, restoring the Voting Rights Act, and improving transparency in our elections. LWV (league of Women Voters) is working hard to get this bill through the Senate. Sens. Merkley and Wyden are co-sponsors.
Border Crisis & the Upcoming Budget
Last month the GOP-led Senate voted down a House bill providing human humanitarian aid at the border. Then Congress (sadly, Senate AND House) passed an emergency funding bill which gifts $4.6 billion to the Trump administration for use at the border, but without the necessary constraints to ensure humane treatment of the immigrants.
Most of the Oregon delegation (Reps. Blumenauer, Bonamici, and Defazio, along with Sens. Wyden and Merkley) against this bill. Rep. Walden voted in favor of it.
Budget talks and investigation are coming up in Congress. We will have numerous Calls-to-Action demanding our MoCs work for a budget that contains no additional money to DHS and that provides humanitarian aid for those suffering at the hands of ICE/CBP at the border.
Reminder – please take our 1-question Survey: Do you favor impeachment now?
Nationally, support for impeachment of Trump has ticked up to 41%, from 37% several months ago. As you’d expect, support for impeachment among Indivisible groups around the country is much higher, resulting in the national Indivisible organization adopting that as it’s official stance.
We’d like to take the pulse for impeachment among ICG members in order to target our calls-to-action and support materials appropriately. Please take this one-question surveyfrom ICG - Do you personally favor starting impeachment hearings now?
7/3
The Dem Debates
Last Thursday and Friday, ICG hosted debate-watching gatherings at Crush Cider Café, one of hundreds of Indivisible-hosted debate gatherings around the country. Indivisible National conducted a national poll afterwards on assess impressions of the candidates garnering 18,500 responses. The following results were published today (note these are poll results, not an endorsement of any candidate by Indivisible National):
Survey: Do you favor impeachment now?
Nationally, support for impeachment of Trump has ticked up to 41%, from 37% several months ago. As you’d expect, support for impeachment among Indivisible groups around the country is much higher, resulting in the national Indivisible organization adopting that as it’s official stance.
We’d like to take the pulse for impeachment among ICG members in order to target our calls-to-action and support materials appropriately. Please answer this one-question survey from ICG - Do you personally favor starting impeachment hearings now? Or feel free to send your Yes/No answer by REPLY email.
Salem: The Good, The Bad, The Response
The Good –
First, this @#$%! legislative session is over. Second, MANY important, positive pieces of legislation passed this session, including:
The Bad -
The Response -
Both walkouts were deplorable (but successful) efforts to subvert the democratic process at the state level. We Indivisibles will be working HARD in 2020 to relieve Sen. Chuck Thomsen, who participated in both walkouts, of his unmet responsibilities to represent us. In the meantime, political consultants are helping explore the possibility of a recall petition against him. Stay tuned.
6/25 Senate Republicans’ Walk-Out
As you’ve heard, all 11 Republican State Senators have fled the state and are refusing to show up to work, to avoid passage of HB 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs bill, by ensuring quorum is not met. In addition to HB 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs bill, the Senators’ stunt has put other important bills in jeopardy:
Yes, they’re still gone. Yes, they’re still collecting their paychecks.
6/18
From the Good News Dept.
HB2020: The Oregon House passed the Clean Energy Jobs bill yesterday! Now on to the Senate – and OUR HELP IS NEEDED! Call, write, send smoke signals to your State Senator. Every day.
Election [In]security
We’ve had Russian interference in US elections in 2016 and 2018, and our intelligence agencies warn attacks are likely to be worse in 2020. And not just by Russia, but by other hostile foreign powers as well. Trump stated recently, in an open invitation to any interested malicious agents, that if he was offered foreign election “help” again, he would take it.
Election security bills have been introduced that address vulnerable computer systems, disinformation campaigns and accepting foreign assistance. Mitch McConnell has declared that he will allow none to be considered by the Senate. It may simply be the idiocy of being a Trump loyalist. Or Mitch may have his own reasons for not wanting to confront the Russians – likely to involve $$. Either way (or both), he’s clearly a danger to us.
The Trump-McConnell alliance promotes corruption and the abuse of power. By permitting foreign intervention in our elections, they are undermining the very basis of Democracy and advancing Trump’s increasing authoritarianism.
Unless Congress steps up with determination and backbone to overcome McConnell’s obstruction, nothing will be done to safeguard our elections. We need to encourage our Senators (Wyden and Merkley) to block anything McConnell tries to accomplish anyway they can, using every trick in the Senate book, and inventing new ones if needed. McConnell is every bit as dangerous as Trump, and is far beyond honor.
Our institutions used to operate on the honor system, which requires honorable people. We are discovering the hard way that the honor system is no longer in effect. When the people in power put their own interest above those of We The People, honor becomes conspicuously absent.
6/04
The problem with declassifying intelligence info
Last week Trump issued an order giving Attorney General (AG) it over to Barr strips US intelligence agencies of their most critical power (choosing which secrets to share and which to keep hidden) and their most valuable secrets (the identities of sources).
The declassification order is seen as Trump’s counterpunch to the Mueller investigation. Since the Mueller report was released, Trump has been “deflecting” with accusations that F.B.I. and our intelligence agencies spied on his campaign.
Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, states the release of highly sensitive classified information would put our national security at risk. It can “dry up” sources and inhibit our ability to gather intelligence, compromise agents, and threaten lives of both agents and informants. And internationally, it will raise questions among our allies and partners about whether to share sensitive intelligence with us.
In addition to threatening national security, Trump’s promise to declassify a very broad swath of documents suggests that Mr. Barr’s mandate is more extensive than investigating any single source. An AG who serves as Trump’s personal attorney could well cherry pick and deploy intelligence against whoever Trump sees as his enemy or who stand in his way, like the FBI and the intelligence community, a presidential challenger, members of Congress, and the press. Then there’s the long list of people Trump has stated he thinks have committed treason punishable by death, including Comey, McCabe, Page, and on and on.
This politicization of intelligence puts our country at great risk and should be immediately stopped by our members of Congress, whose Constitutional duty is oversight of the Executive branch.
[content credit to J. Barnes, D. Sanger, NYT]
From the Good News Dept.
NPV Progresses: The Oregon House Rules Committee has sent the National Popular Vote bill to the House floor with a recommendation that the House pass the bill. The bill has already passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote. If the House passes the bill, it will go to Governor Kate Brown, who is a long-time supporter of the bill.
Beyond Congressional oversight? Beyond the reach of the law?
Look beyond Robert Mueller’s report and the evidence showing Trump’s obstructions of justice. Trump’s more destructive impeachable offense is his rejection of any law, court order or demand by Congress that doesn’t suit him.
The Founding Fathers designed a government with three branches and gave each the power to act as a check on the others. Trump, though, shows little respect for the law or the Constitution. Now, his treacherous behavior is infecting further through Executive branch. The Treasury Department has simply rejected Congress’ lawful demand for Trump’s tax returns, and the Department of Justice has refused to follow a court order requiring it to release material related to the Michael Flynn investigation.
Trump is attacking the heart of the Constitution – the oversight function of Congress and the principle that no one is above the law. If he is beyond Congressional oversight and the reach of the law, he will become the equivalent of America’s first emperor.
[content credit to ORD2 Indivisible]
5/28
Tell us what you think! (one-minute survey)
We want to hear from you, dear readers, whether our “Call to Action” posts are useful to you. Would you please take this very short (1 minute) survey?
From the Good News Dept.
OR EPA: The Oregon Environmental Protection Act (HB 2250) has passed both chambers of the Oregon Legislature and has been signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. Passage of this bill means that Oregon's standards for clean air and clean water will remain strong even as the Trump Administration continues to roll back environmental laws at the federal level.
Clean Fuels Standard: On May 13, the US Supreme Court declined to hear a 2015 lawsuit challenging Oregon’s authority to clean up its polluting fuels, like gasoline and diesel, by encouraging the use of better sources like electricity, sustainable biofuels and renewable diesel. By requiring the oil industry to use cleaner fuels, the Clean Fuels Standard has already reduced more than 2.73 million tons of climate pollution. The oil industry brought the suit, and Earthjustice represented Oregon Environmental Council and Climate Solutions to intervene and defend the law.
HB2013 GUN VOTE - Good news: IT PASSED. Bad news: Chuck Thomsen…
The OR Senate passed the Domestic Violence Relinquishment Bill, HB 2013A. It will protect domestic violence victims by giving state and local law enforcement officers tools to enforce existing laws forbidding those convicted of domestic violence and stalkers from purchasing or possessing guns.
There were only 3 "NO" votes. One was Sen. Chuck Thomsen. (If you have an opinion on this, please feel free to share it with him: 503-986-1726 ; sen.chuckthomsen@state.or.us)
Can you help with our A-V tech needs on July 9?
We’re streaming a movie at the HR Library on July 9 (see calendar above). Should be easy – Laptop, Netflix account, projector, speakers. And it will be easy if everything works just fine. But we really need someone capable on hand to work through any kinks, should they come up. Please let Bonnie know if you can help out? Thanks!
5/22/19
Impeachment Discussion
We had a robust discussion of the pros and cons of impeachment last night at our general meeting! A vote at the end of the meeting showed an almost even split among those favoring starting impeachment hearings immediately and those favoring hearings, investigations, and new legislation. Indivisible National’s impeachment survey is now closed, but of course the topic will remain hot.
Fyi, the background material on pros and cons from our previous e-mailings can be found at https://www.icgoregon.org/blog.html . And a new home-grown summary of the CON position is posted here.
Dem Candidates (20, 21, 22, 23, …)
Attending a candidate event? We should be pressing all 2020 Dem candidates on these three priority items:
And speaking of candidates, you saw the calendar event above for Dem candidate debate-watching parties in HR on June 26 and 27? See you there, then (when we pin down the location, time)!
5/7/19 The Impeachment Question
The question really is not about the seriousness of Trump’s many offenses, or even if they are grounds for impeachment. The question is about weighing the pros and cons, what might be gained, what might be lost, and other options for achieving the “gains.” The options include holding impeachment hearings now, or holding investigations into Trump’s many offenses and his low-life cronies (which does not preclude impeachment proceedings later.
Here’s an inclusive, balanced analysis of history, options, pros, and cons, courtesy of Indivisible Oregon, a Portland Indivisible group: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15QwUOJjU7NT8sL0H2HlI7HJX8IQma_C2/view?usp=sharing
And here are relevant articles pro and con:
PRO
Many Indivisible groups are calling for impeachment. Many are calling for full Congressional investigations but no impeachment (at this time).
Indivisible National has not made an official statement in favor of or against impeachment yet. They are asking each individual Indivisible member (not each group) to take this survey. You might want to wait till after our May 21 meeting, though - we’ll be discussing impeachment and it’s likely to be lively and informative!
4/30/19
*** VOTING ALERT ***
Ballots for the May 26 election will begin arriving in mailboxes this Friday! Plant to attend the May 8 election forum in Hood River (see Calendar above) to hear from candidates for HR County Parks & Rec and Port Commission; and to get info on County tax measures
ICG needs you!
November 2020 will be here before you know it, and we hope that we have strong teams in place before we get to the home stretch. We would love to find people interested in being part of teams devoted to such activities as:
And as always, thanks for all you do!
(content credit to ORD2)
Take the Indivisible 2020 Pledge! https://pledge.indivisible.org/
National Indivisible is launching a massive grassroots campaign to get you, every Democratic presidential hopeful, and every activist to sign onto a simple promise: that no matter our differences in the primary, once Democrats have a nominee, we’ll do everything in our power to get the nominee elected. Here are the 3 main principles:
From the Good News Department
In their wisdom (and thanks to constituent pressure!), the OR House passed these two pro-environment bills, and now on they go on to the OR Senate for their vote:
Yippee! Keep the pressure on! Encourage your State Senator to vote YES on both of these bills –
4/16/2019
From the Good News Department
YES, this continues to be a time of frequent, often daily, disappointments and outrages on the political front (!@!#$?!). But there is GOOD NEWS for progressive values on both the federal and state front, thanks in large part to our ongoing advocacy efforts - the calls, the emails, the LTEs, the showing up at rallies, and so on.
On the state level
The legislature passed, and the Guv signed, SB256, which wards off oil and gas exploration off the Oregon coast. The state has long had a moratorium on oil and gas activities in the water it controls. The bill made that moratorium permanent, and ensured state-controlled areas won’t be used to assist drilling further out. WOOHOO #1!
The Guv also signed SB608, making Oregon the first in the nation with statewide rent control. It caps how much landlords can raise the rent, and makes it harder for them to evict tenants without a reason. WOOHOO #2!
SB870, a bill to join the National Popular Vote compact, passed in the Senate. It’s expected to be approved by the House and signed by the Guv. When states accounting for at least 270 electoral votes join the compact, the electoral college process will be bypassed and the votes of all US voters will count equally. Many more states are in the process, just like us. WOOHOO #3!
On the federal level
We don’t expect much in the way of legislative advances before 2020. Though the Dems control Congress and are passing bills that advance progressive values, the Republican-dominated Senate and our sorry President will effectively scuttle those bills.
HOWEVER, Rep. Walden is sporting only a 59% concurrence rate between his votes in Congress since January and Trump’s positions (www.fivethirtyeight.com ). This compares with a 99% concurrence rate last year.
This past week, Walden voted to reauthorize VAWA (Violence Against Women Act), despite pressure from the NRA. They even warned him it might hurt his A+ NRA rating. WOOHOO #4!
Last month he voted against Trump’s declaration of a national emergency, and voted for release of the full Mueller report to Congress. WOOHOOs #5 & #6!
This change, of course, did not happen by accident. This is because of our birddogging Walden, leaning on him, holding him accountable, writing, calling, and generally being … activists.
We’re still going to work hard to get ourselves a better Rep in 2020, but this is who we’ve got now and we’re helping him serve our interests better. So YAY for us on all counts. Enjoy the GOOD NEWS you’ve helped create!
Barr’s History of Lying in Summary & Redaction
Brace yourself, we're expecting a heavily redacted version of the Mueller report to be released to Congress through Attorney General William Barr this week.
But how much and what will be hidden from view by the redaction? Barr has a history of summarizing and redacting important documents until they fit his narrative. See this eerily similar example in 1989 when Barr "summarized" a legal opinion that led to the FBI abducting Panama’s leader, Gen. Manuel Noriega.
Later, only after the legal opinion was subpoenaed by Congress - a move that this Congress will likely have to take as well, it was revealed that Barr's summary "...had failed to fully disclose the opinion’s principal conclusions." Uh oh.
It's hugely important that we pay attention to the report released to Congress this week and demand that Congressional leaders - and perhaps the public - get to see the report without the selective redaction that Barr will put on it.
[content credit to “5Calls”]
4/2/2109 Mueller Report: The Next Inning
There’s been a lot of confusion and discouragement since Mueller sent his final report to Attorney General William Barr. So far Barr has offered only a four-page summary, and gratuitously opined that there was no obstruction of justice. Trump’s spin, no surprise, was that the report showed “total exoneration.”
Led by media hype, many people were hoping for a cataclysmic conclusion to the Trump nightmare, and now are disappointed and even despairing that the game is over. Not so! Lawyers connected with the investigation said even before the report was finalized that this is pretty much what they expected. They did not expect Mueller to go so far as to indict a sitting president. They did expect for Mueller to lay out information for state attorneys general (eg, NY) to use for future investigations/prosecutions, and for Congress to use in its investigations. This is indeed what is happening.
The report WILL become public. Activists like us are demonstrating around the country on Thursday, Congress has unanimously called for report to be made public, House Dems are preparing to subpoena the report. So, the game is not over by any means! We are in a new inning. Stretch your legs, get your hot dogs and beer (and pens and protest signs), and get pumped for a new inning. PLAY BALL.
3/19/2019 About that Mueller Report
At some point in the not-too-distant future,At some point in the not too distant future, Special Counsel Robert Mueller will be ready to submit his findings to Attorney General Barr, or at least to file a current summary of findings. We anticipate having to fight to make sure the public gets to see Mueller’s findings in full - just a guess, of course.
If the Mueller investigation releases findings showing significant wrongdoing by Trump, or if Congress or the administration blocks the public from seeing Mueller's findings, the national network of Indivisibles and other resistance groups will be ready to respond. As we’ve done before, ICG members will be notified of any “emergency” protest via our Facebook page, and by an emailed “emergency protest” version of this newsletter.
Mueller's orders are to compile his findings and submit them to the attorney general. Since the AG is no longer recused from the investigation, this would go to Trump's hand-picked AG, William Barr. Barr never liked the Mueller investigation and is arguably in that position so that he can suppress the findings.
If some or all of Mueller’s findings are not made public, our demand would be that Congress do everything in its power to make the report public. If findings are released and show Trump wrongdoing, our demand would be that Congress do everything in its power to hold Trump accountable. House Dems would take legal steps immediately—subpoenaing, etc. They could call Mueller to testify. There could be another, later report on more of the questions, or the Southern District of New York investigation could really pop off. And of course, the daily assaults and outrages from Trump and his administration will continue.
Stay tuned.
3/5/2019 NPV!
The National Popular Vote (NPV) bill, which would guarantee the U.S. presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, was introduced recently in the Oregon Senate. In total, SB 870 has 40 sponsors in the Oregon Senate and House. An identical bill is pending in the House.
Oregon Indivisibles and lots of other want to make a full-court press to pass this bill. (For more info, see “Background” below.) Your help is needed! Call/write your state Senator today:
MESSAGE:
I’m a constituent and am calling to express my strong support for the National Popular Vote bill. We have GOT to change the way we elect the President of the United States to be by popular vote so that every citizen’s vote counts equally. I urge the Senator to support this bill and do whatever s/he can to make sure Senate Bill 870 has a vote on the floor. This bill has passed the House four times already, the people want it, and it’s past time to have a vote in the Senate.
Background on NPV:
The NPV interstate compact will go into effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes – 270 out of 538 – necessary to elect a president. In December, when electors meet to cast their ballots for president and vice-president following a presidential election, the 270 or more electoral votes of all the compacting states would be awarded in a package to the candidate who receives the most popular votes nationwide.
This will ensure that the citizens of the U.S. actually elect the president, not the electoral college. Every voter in every state will be politically relevant in every presidential election, not just those in the twelve so-called ‘battleground’ states.
The compact tally is currently at 172 electoral votes, and 22 states have active bills pending. OR neighbors CA and WA are already in.
For more info: www.NationalPopularVote.com
Also of interest: The Electoral College Is the Greatest Threat to Our Democracy
2/18/2019 Big Push for Climate Progress: Clean Energy Jobs bill (HR 2020)
There was incredible energy for protecting the climate to Salem last week. More than 700 citizen lobbyists came from every Senate district in Oregon, all 30 of them, for the largest climate lobby day in state history, for the Clean Energy Jobs bill!
The Governor revved up the crowd with a speech in the morning. Former Vice-President Al Gore recorded a video message for us. Citizen lobbyists met with 86 of 90 legislative offices urging them to strengthen the Clean Energy Jobs bill and pass it in 2019.
Can you pitch in now, please, and add your voice?
2/18/2019 This Presidents Day: Threats to Our Democracy
Not to take all the fun out of celebrating our illustrious presidents, at least 44 out of 45 of them, but let’s do highlight three current threats to democratic institutions that we will be responding to over the next few weeks:
As one expert on authoritarianism said, “Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. (Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale, and author of the NYT and WaPo bestseller On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons for the Twentieth Century)
Stay tuned for more Calls to Action on defending democratic institutions and the checks and balances established by the Constitution, demanding that Congress:
1/15/2019 Dems' opening salvo: HR1, a "messaging" bill
HR1 is a sweeping opening salvo from the Democratic House leadership. It seeks to address dangers to our democracy that have gone too long unchecked:
So, we just need to get HR1 passed, right? Well, uh … Dems control the House and can create bills. Unfortunately, because the Senate is controlled by Republicans and the president is hopeless, those bills are not likely to go anywhere.
BUT strong “messaging” bills like HR1 have power!
So what’s a messaging bill? Indivisible On Offense, Indivisible National’s new “2.0” guide, explains:
A messaging bill is one proposed by an MoC that has a minimal chance of being signed into law soon but indicates that the issue in question is a top priority for that Member of Congress — or even for the whole party.
What power can a messaging bill have?
As we wave goodbye to 2019, a year of political tumult and great accomplishment, THANKS and CONGRATS are due to each and every one of you who, over the last three years, have marched, called and emailed our Reps, donated, written postcards and letters, submitted LTEs (letters to the editor), and stood strong in resistance to the Trump agenda.
Yay for us! Together we have unquestionably MADE A DIFFERENCE -
- The Blue Wave of 2018 took back the House of Representatives.
- Because we took back the House, presidential oversight was revived, resulting in impeachment of Donald Trump.
- Our focus on Greg Walden for accountability helped him decide not to run again in 2020.
Those are definitely worth a toast at midnight (or maybe midnight in NYC). So let’s CELEBRATE, then line up some New Year’s resolutions to sustain ourselves and our work!
First, resolve to take care of yourself.
We have 11 months of work to do and we’ll need strength and stamina to make this work not just effective but fun. Take a look at the NY Times’ list of eight ways to be kinder to yourself in 2020:
- Take more time for yourself. (Alone time for recharging and reflecting.)
- Take time to do nothing at all. (Stepping back from busyness can help with stress, anxiety, and burnout.)
- Cultivate more casual, low-stakes friendships. (Befriending the barista, the mail carrier, or other dog walkers can increase your sense of belonging in the community and sense of well-being.)
- Learn to enjoy things when they’re good. (And not ruminate on the all the bad things that could possibly happen in the future.)
- Lean into your ‘guilty’ pleasures. (like TV or trashy books. Give yourself a mental break.)
- Learn to accept a compliment - even if it’s from yourself. (You and your accomplishments deserve to be celebrated!)
- Embrace the unexpected joy of repeat experiences. (You’ll find different aspects of an experience to enjoy the second or third time you do it.)
- Turn your regrets into self-improvement. (Acknowledge what happened, and pull a lesson for the future from it.)
Second, make some resistance resolutions you can keep.
- Pick one (or more!) days every week to call your members of Congress, and make it stick. See ICG’s calls-to-action on Facebook and in our weekly newsletter.
- Show up for an event on the ICG calendar -- one of our quarterly meetings, a rally, a postcarding party, or a town hall.
- Help on an ICG team. Whatever your skill or passion, there’s a place for you. Let’s find it!
- Write or co-write an LTE (letter to the editor). Help’s available if you want.
- Send Walden one postcard a week about an issue important to you - he’s still our Representative for another full year.
- Encourage a friend to resist with you. Trust us - it’s more fun that way!
Happy New Year to all of you! And thanks for all you do.
12/24
Impeachment Rally Success
Thank you to all who came out last week for our rally in The Dalles on the eve of the House’s historic vote to impeach Donald Trump. 150 resisters from all over the Gorge, and as far away as Wamic and Goldendale, came together in front of The Dalles Post Office. There was a steady stream of cars at “rush hour,” with lots of thumbs-upping and honking. Debi Ferrer of POP read a supportive and inspiring message from Sen. Jeff Merkley.
For a compilation of short video clips from the Impeachment Eve event in The Dalles, check this swell video made by Mike McKeag of Mosier.
2020 Dem Candidate Scorecard
The Indivisible 2020 Candidate Scorecard is here! After months of research, outreach, and close work with group leaders across the country, Indivisible National released its scorecard on December 11. The scorecard grades candidates on their policy platform, day-1 democracy agenda, and engagement with grassroots progressives. On these criteria, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s campaign scored the highest, followed closely by Senator Sanders and Secretary Castro. Senator Klobuchar and Vice President Biden came in at the bottom of the Democratic field, scoring below 50%. President Trump received a 0% score.
Check out the scorecard, and check back periodically. It will be updated as candidates modify/expand on their positions.
See here for Indivisible’s press release, which gives some background info on how the scorecard was developed, and the weighting of issues considered.
12/17
Debates about this Debate
The Dem candidate debate planned for this Thursday night, Dec. 19, is to be at Loyola Marymount University in LA, hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico. Here’s who’s in: Warren, Sanders, Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Steyer, and Yang.
The debate is already controversial because of who’s out - all of the candidates (and former candidates) of color. In addition, there’s now a labor dispute at the host University. Unite Here Local 11, a union representing food service employees, is in negotiation with the university’s food service providers. All of the debate-qualified presidential candidates (starting with Senator Warren) have committed not to attend the debate if it requires them to cross the picket line.
Good News Department
Things are changing in the Trump arena. The pot is heating up. We are no longer stuck in reverse with a full Congress assigned to rubberstamping this frightful president, thanks to the 2018 Blue Wave. There are fires here and there.
And unexpected things happen. Happens all the time. We think we know what’s happening, think we can predict what will happen next. We can predict, but we’re often wrong. This is not comforting news for those who long for certainty. But it’s good for those longing for change.
There are a lot of balls in the air right now, politically. Maybe something unexpected will happen (and it will be from the Good News Department).
12/11
Just Released: Indivisible’s Candidate Scorecard!
Indivisible National has just released (within the movement) a Scorecard on the Dem Presidential Candidates to help us learn about candidate positions and plans, and to encourage us to press our favorite candidates on the issues we care about most.
Scorecard: A Tool for Learning
The scorecard was developed for the educational benefit of us members, to show how the Dem presidential candidates align at this point in time with what Indivisibles around the country care about.
Indivisible National extensively surveyed Indivisible groups and members, then engaged in a months-long process evaluating and interviewing the candidates. Candidates first had to take the We Are Indivisible 2020 Pledge. Those who did were provided a questionnaire of more than 80 questions about policy, priorities, and strategy, which had been created with input from Indivisible group leaders and national partners. Candidates who completed the questionnaire were then invited to participate in a live interview last month. The resulting information is presented for our education and use in the Scorecard.
Scorecard: A Tool for Pressing the Candidates
The scorecard is not an endorsement and it’s not static: it’s living and evolving. Each candidate is graded based on their current alignment with the movements’ values. Scores will likely change over time, hopefully improving, as candidates clarify or adjust their priorities.
We Indivisibles can and should press the candidates to take stronger positions on the issues we care about, so use this scorecard as a tool in your activism. If your pick has a low score on an issue you care about, push them on it. That’s how we’ll get the strongest candidate possible who will beat Trump.
Read the Scorecard >>
Let's Be Clear ...
… that we’re ALL IN for whoever wins the primary!
Remember the We Are Indivisible 2020 Pledge from earlier this year? The point was to commit our movement, each and every person, to rally around whoever wins, because all of us need to be ALL IN to save our democracy. As you’ll recall, this was a bit of a problem in 2016, contributing to a bit of a f***ing disaster in the election. Not this time.
12/3
Lame Duck, BUT …
Greg Walden stated a month ago he’s not running for re-election. OK. Good. But really, what should we expect from him for the next 13 months? Not what can we expect, but what should we expect. We are his constituents, and essentially his employer. He is still on the job, still has responsibilities, still is legislating on issues critical to this country and to our well-being. And he will be until his replacement takes office January 3, 2021.
Yes, Walden is a “lame duck.” A lame duck is an elected official whose successor has already been elected or will be soon. The “lame” refers to likely diminished credibility and/or power, and less influence over his legislative peers. Conversely, a lame duck may feel more free to make decisions within his powers with little fear of consequence.
It is tempting for us as constituents to want to give up or sign off on a lame duck such as Walden. BUT he’s still in office for another 13 months. BUT even if his stature in Congress is diminished by not running for re-election, he is still a VOTE. Just this month, he will vote on the budget. On funding for DHS and ICE. On drug price controls. On protection of public lands. Important votes, and more each month.
We can no longer hold Walden accountable by working to vote him out. BUT we can hold him accountable in real time over the next 13 months by tracking and calling out his votes, and especially by continuing to call out his silence and disengagement with Congressional oversight of this dangerous and corrupt President.
Walden owes us involvement right up to Jan. 3, 2021, and we should expect it. And he owes us making good on his oath of office to uphold our Constitution and the rule of law. He’d love it if we did, BUT we are not signing off.
Next Dem Debate (Dec. 19) - Who’s in, who’s out
Former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock have recently dropped out of the Dem presidential candidate field. Sen. Elizabeth Warren just picked up another grassroots endorsement, from New Florida Majority, as well as an endorsement from Chicago-area Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
December 12 is the deadline to qualify for the next debate. So far, six candidates have met the qualification threshold - Biden, Buttigieg, Harris, Klobuchar, Sanders, and Warren. Still fighting to reach the stage again are Booker, Gabbard, Steyer, and Yang. Recent entrants Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick hope to qualify for future debates, but are unlikely to qualify for December.
11/26 Thankful for YOU and Your Resistance Actions
We at ICG are MOST thankful for the many, many acts of resisters like you, like us, starting in Jan 2017 and continuing to this day. In the face of three years of relentless assaults on our democracy, environment, and wellbeing, your persistence and dedication are carrying the day.
Without you there would have been no calling out of abuses and criminal acts. No calling out, no Blue Wave in 2018. No Blue Wave, no Congressional oversight of this terrible Administration. No Congressional oversight, no impeachment proceedings. The many damaging and illegal acts coming out now (and sinking this presidency) would still be being swept under the rug.
So thank you. Thanks to all of you for your commitment and your actions. Thanks for this lifeline back to integrity and stability in this country. You’re making it happen.
11/19 One Thing is Certain
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has progressively tightened the entry criteria for the Dem Primary debates, by both donor requirements and polling requirements. This effectively narrows the field of candidates invited onstage for the upcoming debates.
While that is a contracting force, late enterers/threateners Deval Patrick and Michael Bloomberg are an expanding force. Have you entered yet? Your loved ones? Your dog?
Candidates currently qualifying for the Nov. 20 debate on MSNBC are Biden, Warren, Sanders, Buttigieg, Harris, Yang, Klobuchar, Booker, Gabbard, and Steyer (in order of national polling average).
Those currently qualifying for Dec. 19 debate on PBS are Biden, Warren, Sanders, Buttigieg, Harris, and Klobuchar.
Beyond those, the DNC has sanctioned the following debates:
- Jan. 2020 - details TBA (7th Debate)
- Jan./Feb. 2020 - details TBA (8th Debate)
- Feb. 2020 - details TBA (9th Debate)
- Feb. 2020 - details TBA (10th Debate)
- Mar. 2020 - details TBA (11th Debate)
- Apr. 2020 - details TBA (12th Debate)
Check here for updates on start times, moderators, candidates, live stream links, and for links to full videos of completed debates.
Lots of candidates, lots of uncertainty. One thing is certain, though - any one of these candidates would be an incalculable improvement over what we’ve got now.
Quote of the week
Always do right. This will gratify some and astonish the rest. - Mark Twain
11/4 CD2 Candidate: Check out Democrat Raz Mason
Raz Mason (Democrat) is a candidate for Oregon's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House.
Walden's retirement highlights Unique Democratic Candidate
The primary election is on May 19, 2020. The general election is on November 3, 2020.
https://ballotpedia.org/Raz_Mason, https://www.mason4congress.com/
10/30 Who will replace Walden?
Greg Walden announced Monday that he won’t seek a 12th term in Congress representing Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. Jamie McCleod-Skinner, his 2018 Democratic challenger, responded with these words: His announcement shows the power of voters demanding accountability. We helped bring about this moment. Congratulations, Indivisibles!
Walden’s retirement is important, because it could open the way for a Democratic candidate to win the House seat for the first time in almost 40 years. Although the district is still considered “reliably red”, Democrats and independents have been gaining a foothold in our here. Walden’s November 2018 election win over Democrat McLeod-Skinner was the smallest margin of victory in his congressional career.
In 2018 we endorsed Jamie McCleod Skinner's candidacy, but in August of this year, she announced 2020 plans to run for Oregon Secretary of State, rather than launching another House run. In response to Walden's announcement, she has not signaled a change of plans, though she acknowledged on Facebook that a lot of voters want to know what she will do, and she is listening.
To let her know your opinion, contact her: https://jamiefororegon.com/contact-us/, or on Facebook
10/22 The Shell is Cracking
The hard shell of protection around Trump is cracking. Growing numbers of Republican MoCs are speaking out, disagreeing with Trump, criticizing his actions and the damage his daily “decisions” are creating. The Washington Post published articles this week entitled “Growing number of Republicans struggle to defend Trump on G-7 choice, Ukraine and Syria” and “Trump’s Fifth Avenue theory is showing some cracks.” This is excellent news. This is what we’ve been waiting for - no, actually, this is what we’ve been WORKING for. For almost three years now, the Resistance has relentlessly called out Trump and his enablers, voted in new members of Congress, kept up the heat. As a result, we are seeing a robust and wide-ranging investigation, which is uncovering a lot of dangerous dirt that would otherwise have been swept under the rug. The shell is cracking. Keep the heat ON.
Quote
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government. - Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)
10/15 Thank the Resistance Movement
The impeachment ball is rolling, and its path is becoming wider as more Trump-centered malfeasance comes to light. We are not sure how this is all going to sort out, and there are many armchair QBs who are enumerating the ways in which the impeachment process might hurt the Dems. But one thing is abundantly clear: there would be no ball rolling whatsoever if not for the Resistance movement.
The movement hastily came together in late 2016 - early 2017 in response to Trump’s election, and by November, 2018 the Dems were newly in control of Congress. This is no coincidence, of course. It was hard work, lots of it, all over the country, by folks like us - RESISTERS - attending rallies, holding our MoCs accountable, writing letters to the editor, making noise, stepping up to be candidates, working campaigns, doorknocking, donating.
It was that tremendous electoral success that’s brought us to this point of impeachment inquiry. Republican legislators and administration officials are slowly starting to peel away from the Trumpster. They are defying his “orders” not to testify. They are criticizing him for the Ukraine call and for abandoning Syria. They are coming forward, they are speaking up. It is happening. It’s slow, but the ball is rolling. Without the Dem majority the Resistance movement put in the House, we would not be at this point.
THANK YOU, RESISTERS! Yep, that’s us. Onward.
10/3 Our Pattern of Resilience
Lying, treason, impeachment, obstruction, the lack of specificity and teeth in our system of government, and on and on. It’s enough to make you pull the covers over your head and hide. We are in despair. Even children are fearful and anxious. But there are reasons for hope. Here’s Robert Reich’s -
“As bad as it looks right now —as despairing as you can sometimes feel – the great strength of this country is our resilience. We bounce back. We will again.
Even now, it's not as bleak as it sometimes seems. In 2018 a record number of women, people of color, and LGBTQ representatives were elected to Congress, including the first Muslim women. Wind and solar sources of energy are rapidly becoming cheaper than fossil fuels. Eighteen states raised their minimum wages.
The arc of American history reveals an unmistakable pattern. Whenever privilege and power conspire to pull us backward, we eventually rally and move forward.”
We will rally, and we will move forward. Stay on board. We’ll make it together.
10/1
IMPEACHMENT: The word from Indivisible National
Leaders of the national Indivisible “mothership” (www.indivisible.org) spoke last week on a leadership conference call about the rollercoaster ride around impeachment. “We want to pressure the House to move quickly on an impeachment vote, and for the Senate to hold a fair and transparent trial. That’s why we need to push forward while momentum is on our side -- and before any possible interference in next year’s elections. Check out our updated impeachment resource, and our new campaign site impeachnow.org.”
Yes, We Can!
Discouraged? Worn out? Not sure we can make any difference? History says YES, WE CAN, as noted in this article, “The 3.5% Rule: How a Small Minority Can Change the World.”
The author, Dr. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, analyzed hundreds of protest campaigns occurring over the last century and found that
- nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns, and
- it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change.
Chenoweth says, “Ordinary people, all the time, are engaging in pretty heroic activities that are actually changing the world.”
OK, that would be us. Onward, activists!
9/20
$$ for Election Security. Gracias, Moscow Mitch!
Thanks in large part to those nasty liberals (hey - that’s us!) who flooded the news and social media with the taunt “Moscow Mitch,” Sen. Mitch McConnell co-sponsored a bill approving $250 million for voting protections. It’s far from perfect as it fails to require basic improvements like election audits, paper ballots, social media disclosures, and mandatory reporting of contact with foreign officials. But it’s a start, and a welcome crack in a previously slammed-shut door. Senate negotiators will now work to reconcile their bill with the House’s version, which provides a more generous $600 million and much stricter conditions. Take a bow, activists!
2020 Budget: CR till November, then Back to the Mosh Pit
Last week, the House passed a short-term funding bill (also known as a “continuing resolution,” or CR) that would keep the government open through November 21. The CR would largely maintain the status quo, which includes rejecting the White House’s request for additional funding for Trump’s deportation machine. This is due in part to the pressure applied by us and Indivisibles around the country in our Defund Hate campaign. Chalk up another one for activism!
This means in November we’ll make the same “asks” to our MoCs:
- Cut overall funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- Get rid of the slush fund for ICE that gives Trump a blank check for deportation and detention, and
- Prevent ICE from stealing money from other agencies by keeping the current House draft bill language the same.
Today was LWV National Voter Registration Day! ICG and CGWAN fielded many volunteers to staff multiple registration venues in Hood River County and in White Salmon. Fran Finney coordinated the effort for ICG, and volunteers Martha Sedgwick, Susan Bellinson, Lucy Hill, Beth Hartwell, Kym Zanmiller, Beth Flake, Barbara Menard, Fran Finney, Cindy Allen, and Kate Kelly did registration at sites from downtown HR up to Parkdale. Lots of our neighbors were educated on voting requirements and process, and many new voters were registered. Way to go team!
IMPEACHMENT!
Last but definitely not least, the big news today: Nancy Pelosi announced the Dems are starting an impeachment inquiry on Trump. A few progressives gushed about how Trump is on his way out now, he’ll be gone soon, etc. This is wishful thinking, but not probable. It’s more likely to be a long, arduous, ugly, damaging process. We in the resistance movement are in it for the long haul. This country has spirit and resilience that go far beyond Donald Trump.
Quote of the week:
“Of course we need hope. But the one thing we need more than hope is ACTION. Because once we start to act, hope is everywhere.”
- Greta Thunberg, speaking about climate action.
9/17
Creating ICG’s Path for 2019-2020
At our general meeting last week we put our heads together to identify the issues of greatest concern to members. Our list of issues was long, as you’d expect:
- Immigration
- Education
- Climate change
- Voting rights/access/GOTV
- Election security & health of our democracy
- Free press
- Gun control
- Income inequality & affordable housing
- Reproductive rights
- Civil discourse, finding common ground
- Immigration
- Climate change
- Voting rights/access, and GOTV
- Election integrity (machines, paper trail, no hacking) & health of our democracy
We also discussed where/how each of us would like to use our various skills to support ICG’s work - research, writing, events support, rallies, public speaking, social media, etc. etc. There’s something for everyone, and we NEED everyone! Be thinking how you can pitch in. Got some ideas? Let’s talk!
Election Security: Yes, PLEASE!
The House passed a sweeping election reform package, the “SAFE” act, in June. Although election security should definitely NOT be a partisan issue, only one Republican Congressman supported the Act. No surprise — it wasn’t Greg Walden.
The SAFE (Securing American Federal Elections) Act includes:
- paper ballots that leave a permanent, verifiable record
- voting machines that aren’t Internet-connected
- risk-limiting audits that check machine records against a final count.
- requires hand-marked paper ballots and audits of election results
- bans internet connections for voting machines
- allows for minimum cybersecurity standards for voter registration databases and electronic “check in” poll books
- provides fund for state and local governments for new secure voting machines.
Clearly voting security should not be left up to a patchwork of state systems that are limited by resources and politics – especially now, when outside actors are attacking these systems. Mitch McConnell has refused to bring ANY election security bills to the floor, paving the way for Russia and other hostile actors to meddle in our elections.
If we can’t trust that our elections are secure and their results are accurate, then we won’t have a representative democracy. Let’s keep on Moscow Mitch to make good on election security! What can we do?
- Work through our Senators (see Call to Action script above)
- LTEs to HR News, TD Chronicle, and the Oregonian (use full name, Sen. Mitch McConnell)
- Criticize/urge via all social media outlets
- Contribute to the campaign of McConnell’s challenger Amy McGrath, US Naval Academy grad, fighter pilot, retired US Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, parent, and native Kentuckian.
9/3
September meeting
Our first meeting of the Fall will be next Tues, Sept 10. Come and bring a friend - or two! We’ll be at our new meeting spot, the Hood River library, from 6-7pm (the meeting room downstairs). We'll share news on upcoming special Fall events, and discuss our (and ICG’s) roles in the year ahead.
And potluck snacks and drinks, as always!
Indivisible’s “Defund Hate” Campaign
Congress has increased funding for ICE by over a billion dollars since the start of the Trump administration, increasing its capacity to carry out Trump’s cruel immigration policies. Here’ s the plan to “defund the hate.”
September Funding Fight
Congress’ job in September is to create the 2020 budget. They have two options for funding DHS by the September 30th deadline: either pass an appropriations bill that would set new funding levels, or pass a continuing resolution (CR) which would fund DHS at its FY19 levels. Regardless of which path Congress takes, we are urging our MoCs to use their power to rein in the administration’s lawless and inhumane policies at the Southern border and throughout the country, and protect immigrant children and families from abuses.
So far, the House Appropriations Committee has approved a funding bill for DHS that ends ICE’s ability to steal from other agencies; cuts funding for ICE detention beds to FY16 levels; doesn’t include any funding for border wall expansion; and adds guardrails for how people can be treated in ICE detention facilities.
Our “Ask”
If Congress chooses to pass an appropriations bill, our “ask” is:
- Cut overall funding for ICE and CBP
- Remove the slush fund for ICE in sections 228(b)(1)-(5) that effectively grants Trump a blank check for deportation and detention
- Keep language barring ICE from stealing money from other agencies
- No extra money for ICE beds, border agents, or the wall
- Prohibit overspending for enforcement
- Adopt guardrails for CBP and HHS from the House supplemental funding bill
Yes, our work is valuable!
Elizabeth Warren recently told an Indivisible group founder: "I'm so grateful for Indivisible. You guys kept th elights on when we all thought they were going out." When you feel discouraged and disgusted, when you despair of where our country is, when you wonder if anything we do makes a hill of beans’ worth of difference - take heart. Remember what we do does matter. Resisting is crucial.
“Action is the antidote to despair.” ―Joan Baez
8/27
Oregon Driver’s License Victory Threatened
It was a tremendous victory this summer when the Oregon Legislature passed and Governor Brown signed HB 2015, the Drivers Licenses for All bill, giving the right to driver’s licenses for all Oregonians regardless of documentation status. Now all of that effort and progress is being threatened by the misleadingly named Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR). OFIR has filed a petition for a ballot measure to take away our victory, exactly as they did in 2013 after the driver’s card bill passed then. They managed to gather enough signatures to put driver’s cards on the 2014 ballot (Measure 88), and successfully overturned the law.
Not having a driver’s license is a huge barrier to full participation in our communities, especially in rural and small-town Oregon where a vehicle is often a necessary part of life. And the lack of a license exposes immigrants to jailing, abuse, and deportation by ICE. These are exactly the effects OFIR is trying (again) to achieve.
Here’s how you can help:
- Decline to sign any petition on the subject, regardless of the signature gatherers’ message that sending the issue to the voters is “democratic.”
- Put the word out to your friends and neighbors, and share on social media.
Keep on resisting. It matters.
"Part of our strength as a nation is that, in our darkest moments, we fight for the best of who we are. We are facing one of those moments right now — and fight we will. Register people to vote. Attend a rally. Knock on doors. Make phone calls. It matters." - Kamala Harris
8/20
Cultivating hope. Together.
Just after Trump was elected in 2016, the Rev. Rob Hardies of All Saints UU church in D.C. gave a sermon in answer to people’s questions about how, with Trump as president, they could find hope. Regardless of how or whether you worship, its simple advice on cultivating hope is solid, and still very relevant today: Take action steadily, one step at a time; enlarge your perspective through regular spiritual practice, whether that means going to synagogue or taking a walk in the woods; and whatever you do, don't make this journey alone.
We're in this together, as fellow activists, as Gorge residents, and as people who still see the enormous potential of our country.
[content credit to Michelle Nijhuis]
Fight against Voter Suppression
Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who narrowly lost her bid to become the nation’s first black female governor due to voter suppression, is not running for office this year as many had hoped. She is instead building a robust initiative to fight voter suppression across the country - including fixing inaccurate voter rolls, addressing shortages of voting machines and provisional ballots, and formalizing the rules around counting absentee ballots.
The initiative is called Fair Fight 2020, and is expected to cost $4-$5 million. It’s targeting 20 states, most of them battlegrounds in the Midwest and Southeast, and three states with gubernatorial elections this year: Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.
This effort to ensure that all eligible voters are actually able to vote has the potential to be a huge game-changer for Dems in 2020 elections and beyond!
Let’s support Fair Fight 2020 as generously as we can! Click to donate - https://fairfight.com/fair-fight-2020/
8/7
ICG is In on Impeachment!
ICG’s recent impeachment survey asked one question: Do you favor starting impeachment hearings now? In contrast with a vote of our members several months ago, where YES and NO votes were almost equal in number, the recent vote showed 67% in favor, and 24% opposed. In recognition of that sentiment, ICG’s official position is now in favor of impeachment hearings. You will see and hear that reflected in ICG writings, calls to action, etc. Of course, we fully expect that each individual ICG member will feel free to express her/his own opinion and personalize calls to action, etc. to reflect that.
Campaign to “Defund Hate”
As on the calendar above, September 13 is a National Day of Action to Defund Hate. Rallies will be held across the country to fight any increase for ICE and CBP funding in the federal budget for the next fiscal year.
When our MoCs return to Capitol Hill after the August recess, they’ll begin working on the 2020 federal budget, deciding how much funding agencies will receive for the year — including ICE and CBP, the agencies primarily responsible for carrying out Trump’s attacks on families.
Indivisible and allies around the country want to turn up the pressure on the House to demand that the next funding bill contain cuts to ICE and CBP, and strict guardrails to ensure that money isn’t misused.
But can Congress really protect any funds from Trump? It appears Trump just raids, or can raid, $$ by executive order to do whatever he wants. Indivisible National answers that question:
“We are asking for new guardrails that aren't part of current law. The executive branch does have authority to move money around with certain justifications, but Trump is abusing this power. We want Congress to explicitly prohibit certain types of transfers because while his actions do constitute overreach in our opinion, some of what he is doing is not explicitly prohibited under current law and that needs to change. And while he may choose to ignore those guardrails either way, this provides us with a stronger case in court to stop him.”
So we shall see...
Where’s Walden? August version.
It’s August recess – that time when most members of Congress hold town halls and travel around the state meeting with their constituents. There’s nothing on Walden’s website calendar about such things in August, which pretty much says it all about his interest in hearing from his constituents.
But no problem. Grab a cool beverage and your phone, and make your calls (see above Calls to Action). Walden needs to take a stronger stand on Trump’s racist tweets, on the Mueller report and its findings, and on the treatment of immigrant families at the border. You might also ask him if he has plans to retire anytime soon. Last week Politico put him on their watchlist for possible GOP retirements. OK with us, right?
7/30 Let's Help "Moscow Mitch" to Move on Election Security
Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has continued to block all election security legislation from coming to the floor of the Senate. Dems’ demands for action on election security only increased after Robert Mueller’s recent warning about continuing Russian interference.
This past week Dems began calling McConnell “Moscow Mitch,” and the hashtags #MoscowMitch and #MitchIsARussianAsset are trending on Twitter. McConnell, who usually ignores such name-calling, huffed and fumed and whined on the Senate floor, “I was called unpatriotic, un-American and essentially treasonous!” This week he has shown the SLIGHTEST increase in willingness to consider the topic.
Let’s help move Mitch along with his willingness to protect our elections from further Russian interference.
Twitter: Do you tweet? Tweet to or about @Senatemajldr . Include the hashtags #MoscowMitch and #MitchIsARussianAsset.
Facebook: Share one of the following MoscowMitch articles from major news sources, and refer to Sen. Mitch McConnell (full name) in your post
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mitch-mcconnell-russia-election-security_n_5d3f4edbe4b0db8affaca5fa?fbclid=IwAR12qBWCC_DZfUyajVi68FC9H_bI8_QfvQJj99EPgR3JBxFTdqAir4n16Is
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitch-mcconnell-is-a-russian-asset/2019/07/26/02cf3510-afbc-11e9-a0c9-6d2d7818f3da_story.html?utm_term=.c254e15b88fe
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/us/politics/moscow-mitch-mcconnell.html
More on the Border and the Budget
The humanitarian crisis at the border - the concentration camps, the raids, the terrorizing of immigrant families, the abuse of children - continues to happen because Congress continues to fund it. What we can do is this – demand that Congress cut funding to the agencies responsible, and speak out in our community.
Congress is currently in the final stages of the appropriations process, where it decides how much funding federal agencies will receive for the year -- including ICE and CBP (border patrol). The draft appropriations bill will move to the full House, which has to act by September 30. We will have Calls-to-Action to press our MoCs HARD to cut funding to DHS, ICE, and CBP, and use that money instead for humanitarian programs and alternatives to detention.
Lights for Liberty vigils were held across the nation recently to bring attention to the plight of immigrant detainees, and to demand closure of Trump’s child and family detention camps. The one in the Gorge was in The Dalles and was very well attended. Yay us! Let’s keep it up.
Stay Tuned for Mueller Testimony Wednesday
Robert Mueller is expected to testify in Congress this Wednesday, and has said he will not speak outside the bounds of his report. CNN has a searchable version of the full (redacted) report here—you can use it to read up in preparation for Wednesday, or to search out further details on topics that come up during testimony. Most libraries have audio versions of the report available, and a new podcast called The Report provides short, engaging segments of the report for more of an overview approach.
Dem Candidate Debates 2.0: Come Watch with Us!
A field of 20 Dem candidates will debate for the second time, on July 30 and 31. One of our members will host debate-watching gatherings at her home near downtown HR both nights. Email to RSVP and to get directions. Feel free to bring interested friends, as well as some snacks and drinks.
7/16 Climate Action in OR – the ongoing story
After Oregon’s Republican state Senators fled from their jobs at in late June to avoid voting on HP 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs bill, Gov. Kate Brown said she’s willing to use executive power if necessary to address climate change in Oregon. ClimateWire reports the story in the context of other Democratic Governors’ taking similar bold approaches to force climate action in their states.
Gov. Kate is holding strong in her bid to create climate legislation, but significant opposition on the part of industry continues. Yesterday, the OR GOP announced a recall campaign against her.
Would you sign this petition to let Kate and her climate team hear from us that we stand behind their continuing efforts on climate change?
7/9
Where We Are on Impeachment
Here’s an update from Indivisible National (7/4/19):
“Last month, we asked you about impeachment. The results were pretty darn striking. Fully 80% of Indivisible respondents are affirmatively in favor of impeachment. 12% are Maybe. And about 8% are No. These are pretty striking results -- and they made a splash. You might have seen coverage all over the news -- e.g., Morning Joeand The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.
But impeachment isn’t happening yet. And we learned this past month that Speaker Pelosi is actively preventing House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler from beginning proceedings. Pelosi is good at counting votes. She’s not going to back impeachment until enough House Democrats demand it. So the path to impeachment is simple: we need more House members publicly calling for it. The number has been inching up every few days -- and so far we’re at just over 80. But nearly 90 House Democrats haven’t gone on the record one way or another! Get a majority of the House Democratic Caucus on the record -- about 40 more -- and we could start to see some movement.”
Well, our House rep Greg Walden, is clearly not going to be one of them. But Indivisibles (and other resisters) around the country who have Dem House members will be pressuring those Reps to declare themselves in support of impeachment.
Action on Gerrymandering
The Supreme court recently refused to act against partisan gerrymandering. They ruled 5-4 in Rucho v. League of Women Voters of North Carolina that no fair test exists for courts to determine when partisan gerrymandering has gone too far.
S. 949, the For the People Act, would create fair redistricting standards for the entire country as well as modernizing our election system, restoring the Voting Rights Act, and improving transparency in our elections. LWV (league of Women Voters) is working hard to get this bill through the Senate. Sens. Merkley and Wyden are co-sponsors.
Border Crisis & the Upcoming Budget
Last month the GOP-led Senate voted down a House bill providing human humanitarian aid at the border. Then Congress (sadly, Senate AND House) passed an emergency funding bill which gifts $4.6 billion to the Trump administration for use at the border, but without the necessary constraints to ensure humane treatment of the immigrants.
Most of the Oregon delegation (Reps. Blumenauer, Bonamici, and Defazio, along with Sens. Wyden and Merkley) against this bill. Rep. Walden voted in favor of it.
Budget talks and investigation are coming up in Congress. We will have numerous Calls-to-Action demanding our MoCs work for a budget that contains no additional money to DHS and that provides humanitarian aid for those suffering at the hands of ICE/CBP at the border.
Reminder – please take our 1-question Survey: Do you favor impeachment now?
Nationally, support for impeachment of Trump has ticked up to 41%, from 37% several months ago. As you’d expect, support for impeachment among Indivisible groups around the country is much higher, resulting in the national Indivisible organization adopting that as it’s official stance.
We’d like to take the pulse for impeachment among ICG members in order to target our calls-to-action and support materials appropriately. Please take this one-question surveyfrom ICG - Do you personally favor starting impeachment hearings now?
7/3
The Dem Debates
Last Thursday and Friday, ICG hosted debate-watching gatherings at Crush Cider Café, one of hundreds of Indivisible-hosted debate gatherings around the country. Indivisible National conducted a national poll afterwards on assess impressions of the candidates garnering 18,500 responses. The following results were published today (note these are poll results, not an endorsement of any candidate by Indivisible National):
- 86% of respondents said they were considering voting for Elizabet Warren and 83% for Kamala Harris.
- 35% of respondents said if the election were today, they’d vote for Warren, and 31% for Harris.
Survey: Do you favor impeachment now?
Nationally, support for impeachment of Trump has ticked up to 41%, from 37% several months ago. As you’d expect, support for impeachment among Indivisible groups around the country is much higher, resulting in the national Indivisible organization adopting that as it’s official stance.
We’d like to take the pulse for impeachment among ICG members in order to target our calls-to-action and support materials appropriately. Please answer this one-question survey from ICG - Do you personally favor starting impeachment hearings now? Or feel free to send your Yes/No answer by REPLY email.
Salem: The Good, The Bad, The Response
The Good –
First, this @#$%! legislative session is over. Second, MANY important, positive pieces of legislation passed this session, including:
- HB 2209 - Oregon Oil Train spill response bill – finally (3 years after the Mosier derailment). It requires railroad companies to have approved spill response plans and spill response trainings, and to prove ability to pay for any cleanups required.
- SJR 18 – refers proposition to voters on whether the state constitution should be changed to allow campaign finance limits. (Oregon is one of a handful of states that places no cap to the amount donated to political campaigns.)
- HB 3427 - the Student Success Act, creates a new $1 billion business tax for schools
- bills to bolster the housing supply and add renter protections in the state
- HB 2005 - creates a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program
- HB 2007 - regulates diesel-powered vehicles in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties (which have the worst air quality in the state). This bill requires the remaining $53 million from the Volkswagen settlement to help small businesses pay for upgrades and new equipment to meet the required emissions reductions.
- HB 2015 - Drivers’ license bill (Sen. Chuck Thomsen voted against it, after saying he would support it.)
- SB 1008 - reforms the sentencing of youth offenders in our state, keeping them out of the adult criminal justice system unless merited by the specific circumstances of their case.
- HB 2001 - requires cities >10,000 people to allow “missing middle” housing (like duplexes, triplexes, and cottage clusters) in single-family zoned neighborhoods;
- HB 2010 - funds Medicaid;
- HB 2509 - prohibits single-use plastic checkout bags
- SB 90 - makes plastic straws at restaurants and convenience stores available upon request;
- SB 770 - establishes a committee to explore the feasibility of statewide universal health care in Oregon.
The Bad -
- HB 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs bill, to slash greenhouse gas emissions by capping them and charging polluters, was derailed by the SECOND Republican walkout of the session.
- In caving to the toddler tantrum tactics of the FIRST Republican walkout, the Governor traded away a desperately-needed omnibus gun bill. Instead, we can have … more active shooter drills in schools?
The Response -
Both walkouts were deplorable (but successful) efforts to subvert the democratic process at the state level. We Indivisibles will be working HARD in 2020 to relieve Sen. Chuck Thomsen, who participated in both walkouts, of his unmet responsibilities to represent us. In the meantime, political consultants are helping explore the possibility of a recall petition against him. Stay tuned.
6/25 Senate Republicans’ Walk-Out
As you’ve heard, all 11 Republican State Senators have fled the state and are refusing to show up to work, to avoid passage of HB 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs bill, by ensuring quorum is not met. In addition to HB 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs bill, the Senators’ stunt has put other important bills in jeopardy:
- Paid Family and Medical Leave: To ensure that all working Oregonians can afford to take the time away from their jobs to welcome a new baby, heal from illness or care for a loved one.
- Drivers Licenses for All: Requiring all drivers, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, to pass a written safety exam and driver’s test and provide proof of identity and insurance makes Oregon roads and communities safer for everyone. In states with similar laws, traffic accidents have decreased and insured driver rates have increased significantly.
- Equal Access to Justice: Every Oregonian would have a constitutional right to a fair trial with adequate funding.
Yes, they’re still gone. Yes, they’re still collecting their paychecks.
6/18
From the Good News Dept.
HB2020: The Oregon House passed the Clean Energy Jobs bill yesterday! Now on to the Senate – and OUR HELP IS NEEDED! Call, write, send smoke signals to your State Senator. Every day.
Election [In]security
We’ve had Russian interference in US elections in 2016 and 2018, and our intelligence agencies warn attacks are likely to be worse in 2020. And not just by Russia, but by other hostile foreign powers as well. Trump stated recently, in an open invitation to any interested malicious agents, that if he was offered foreign election “help” again, he would take it.
Election security bills have been introduced that address vulnerable computer systems, disinformation campaigns and accepting foreign assistance. Mitch McConnell has declared that he will allow none to be considered by the Senate. It may simply be the idiocy of being a Trump loyalist. Or Mitch may have his own reasons for not wanting to confront the Russians – likely to involve $$. Either way (or both), he’s clearly a danger to us.
The Trump-McConnell alliance promotes corruption and the abuse of power. By permitting foreign intervention in our elections, they are undermining the very basis of Democracy and advancing Trump’s increasing authoritarianism.
Unless Congress steps up with determination and backbone to overcome McConnell’s obstruction, nothing will be done to safeguard our elections. We need to encourage our Senators (Wyden and Merkley) to block anything McConnell tries to accomplish anyway they can, using every trick in the Senate book, and inventing new ones if needed. McConnell is every bit as dangerous as Trump, and is far beyond honor.
Our institutions used to operate on the honor system, which requires honorable people. We are discovering the hard way that the honor system is no longer in effect. When the people in power put their own interest above those of We The People, honor becomes conspicuously absent.
6/04
The problem with declassifying intelligence info
Last week Trump issued an order giving Attorney General (AG) it over to Barr strips US intelligence agencies of their most critical power (choosing which secrets to share and which to keep hidden) and their most valuable secrets (the identities of sources).
The declassification order is seen as Trump’s counterpunch to the Mueller investigation. Since the Mueller report was released, Trump has been “deflecting” with accusations that F.B.I. and our intelligence agencies spied on his campaign.
Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, states the release of highly sensitive classified information would put our national security at risk. It can “dry up” sources and inhibit our ability to gather intelligence, compromise agents, and threaten lives of both agents and informants. And internationally, it will raise questions among our allies and partners about whether to share sensitive intelligence with us.
In addition to threatening national security, Trump’s promise to declassify a very broad swath of documents suggests that Mr. Barr’s mandate is more extensive than investigating any single source. An AG who serves as Trump’s personal attorney could well cherry pick and deploy intelligence against whoever Trump sees as his enemy or who stand in his way, like the FBI and the intelligence community, a presidential challenger, members of Congress, and the press. Then there’s the long list of people Trump has stated he thinks have committed treason punishable by death, including Comey, McCabe, Page, and on and on.
This politicization of intelligence puts our country at great risk and should be immediately stopped by our members of Congress, whose Constitutional duty is oversight of the Executive branch.
[content credit to J. Barnes, D. Sanger, NYT]
From the Good News Dept.
NPV Progresses: The Oregon House Rules Committee has sent the National Popular Vote bill to the House floor with a recommendation that the House pass the bill. The bill has already passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote. If the House passes the bill, it will go to Governor Kate Brown, who is a long-time supporter of the bill.
Beyond Congressional oversight? Beyond the reach of the law?
Look beyond Robert Mueller’s report and the evidence showing Trump’s obstructions of justice. Trump’s more destructive impeachable offense is his rejection of any law, court order or demand by Congress that doesn’t suit him.
The Founding Fathers designed a government with three branches and gave each the power to act as a check on the others. Trump, though, shows little respect for the law or the Constitution. Now, his treacherous behavior is infecting further through Executive branch. The Treasury Department has simply rejected Congress’ lawful demand for Trump’s tax returns, and the Department of Justice has refused to follow a court order requiring it to release material related to the Michael Flynn investigation.
Trump is attacking the heart of the Constitution – the oversight function of Congress and the principle that no one is above the law. If he is beyond Congressional oversight and the reach of the law, he will become the equivalent of America’s first emperor.
[content credit to ORD2 Indivisible]
5/28
Tell us what you think! (one-minute survey)
We want to hear from you, dear readers, whether our “Call to Action” posts are useful to you. Would you please take this very short (1 minute) survey?
From the Good News Dept.
OR EPA: The Oregon Environmental Protection Act (HB 2250) has passed both chambers of the Oregon Legislature and has been signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. Passage of this bill means that Oregon's standards for clean air and clean water will remain strong even as the Trump Administration continues to roll back environmental laws at the federal level.
Clean Fuels Standard: On May 13, the US Supreme Court declined to hear a 2015 lawsuit challenging Oregon’s authority to clean up its polluting fuels, like gasoline and diesel, by encouraging the use of better sources like electricity, sustainable biofuels and renewable diesel. By requiring the oil industry to use cleaner fuels, the Clean Fuels Standard has already reduced more than 2.73 million tons of climate pollution. The oil industry brought the suit, and Earthjustice represented Oregon Environmental Council and Climate Solutions to intervene and defend the law.
HB2013 GUN VOTE - Good news: IT PASSED. Bad news: Chuck Thomsen…
The OR Senate passed the Domestic Violence Relinquishment Bill, HB 2013A. It will protect domestic violence victims by giving state and local law enforcement officers tools to enforce existing laws forbidding those convicted of domestic violence and stalkers from purchasing or possessing guns.
There were only 3 "NO" votes. One was Sen. Chuck Thomsen. (If you have an opinion on this, please feel free to share it with him: 503-986-1726 ; sen.chuckthomsen@state.or.us)
Can you help with our A-V tech needs on July 9?
We’re streaming a movie at the HR Library on July 9 (see calendar above). Should be easy – Laptop, Netflix account, projector, speakers. And it will be easy if everything works just fine. But we really need someone capable on hand to work through any kinks, should they come up. Please let Bonnie know if you can help out? Thanks!
5/22/19
Impeachment Discussion
We had a robust discussion of the pros and cons of impeachment last night at our general meeting! A vote at the end of the meeting showed an almost even split among those favoring starting impeachment hearings immediately and those favoring hearings, investigations, and new legislation. Indivisible National’s impeachment survey is now closed, but of course the topic will remain hot.
Fyi, the background material on pros and cons from our previous e-mailings can be found at https://www.icgoregon.org/blog.html . And a new home-grown summary of the CON position is posted here.
Dem Candidates (20, 21, 22, 23, …)
Attending a candidate event? We should be pressing all 2020 Dem candidates on these three priority items:
- Have you signed the #WeAreIndivisible pledge, calling on candidates and grassroots leaders to commit to a constructive primary of ideas, rally behind the eventual nominee, and do the work to defeat Trump. So far 15 of the 23 Dem candidates have signed it.
- How will you deal with the issue of filibuster in 2021? We’ll have trouble creating policy in 2021 with the filibuster in place. How do you plan to handle that obstacle? What are you willing to do to get your priorities enacted?
- What are your specific plans to protect abortion rights? Abortion rights are threatened now more than ever, and our Dem candidates need to be assertively out in front of this issue in their campaigns.
And speaking of candidates, you saw the calendar event above for Dem candidate debate-watching parties in HR on June 26 and 27? See you there, then (when we pin down the location, time)!
5/7/19 The Impeachment Question
The question really is not about the seriousness of Trump’s many offenses, or even if they are grounds for impeachment. The question is about weighing the pros and cons, what might be gained, what might be lost, and other options for achieving the “gains.” The options include holding impeachment hearings now, or holding investigations into Trump’s many offenses and his low-life cronies (which does not preclude impeachment proceedings later.
Here’s an inclusive, balanced analysis of history, options, pros, and cons, courtesy of Indivisible Oregon, a Portland Indivisible group: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15QwUOJjU7NT8sL0H2HlI7HJX8IQma_C2/view?usp=sharing
And here are relevant articles pro and con:
PRO
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/house-leaders-should-lay-the-groundwork-for-impeachment/2019/04/22/f7fb9e42-653f-11e9-a1b6-b29b90efa879_story.html?utm_term=.ac8d21729ab5
- https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/impeachment-trump/580468/ (Interestingly, written before the Mueller report came out)
- Excellent presentation of CON side: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/04/28/pelosi-was-right-about-impeachment/?utm_term=.9c34e4d09999
- An analysis by OST, a Portland Indivisible, advocating for investigations but not impeachment: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12fej2I3WwbRo_j17YaUNq_mz97aCWjoY/view?usp=sharing
Many Indivisible groups are calling for impeachment. Many are calling for full Congressional investigations but no impeachment (at this time).
Indivisible National has not made an official statement in favor of or against impeachment yet. They are asking each individual Indivisible member (not each group) to take this survey. You might want to wait till after our May 21 meeting, though - we’ll be discussing impeachment and it’s likely to be lively and informative!
4/30/19
*** VOTING ALERT ***
Ballots for the May 26 election will begin arriving in mailboxes this Friday! Plant to attend the May 8 election forum in Hood River (see Calendar above) to hear from candidates for HR County Parks & Rec and Port Commission; and to get info on County tax measures
ICG needs you!
November 2020 will be here before you know it, and we hope that we have strong teams in place before we get to the home stretch. We would love to find people interested in being part of teams devoted to such activities as:
- Letters to the Editor (LTE) campaigns
- Call squads (teams of friends that call together)
- Event preparation and planning
- Tracking Walden
- Coalition-building (state and national Indivisible networks)
- “Bench-building” – identifying and recruiting good candidates for local and state positions
And as always, thanks for all you do!
(content credit to ORD2)
Take the Indivisible 2020 Pledge! https://pledge.indivisible.org/
National Indivisible is launching a massive grassroots campaign to get you, every Democratic presidential hopeful, and every activist to sign onto a simple promise: that no matter our differences in the primary, once Democrats have a nominee, we’ll do everything in our power to get the nominee elected. Here are the 3 main principles:
- Make the primary constructive. We'll make the primary election about our hopes for the future, and a robust debate of values, vision and the contest of ideas. We’ll remain grounded in our shared values, even if we support different candidates.
- Rally behind the winner. We'll support the ultimate Democratic nominee, whoever it is — period. No Monday morning quarterbacking. No third-party threats.
- Do the work to beat Trump.
From the Good News Department
In their wisdom (and thanks to constituent pressure!), the OR House passed these two pro-environment bills, and now on they go on to the OR Senate for their vote:
- HB 2509 Prohibits retail establishments from providing single-use checkout bags to customers, except in certain cases.
- HB 2883 Prohibits food vendor from using polystyrene container in selling, offering for sale, serving or dispensing prepared food to public.
Yippee! Keep the pressure on! Encourage your State Senator to vote YES on both of these bills –
- HR County: Sen. Thomsen, 503-986-1726 ; sen.chuckthomsen@state.or.us
- Western Wasco County: Sen. Bentz, 541-889-8866; Sen.CliffBentz@oregonlegislature.gov
4/16/2019
From the Good News Department
YES, this continues to be a time of frequent, often daily, disappointments and outrages on the political front (!@!#$?!). But there is GOOD NEWS for progressive values on both the federal and state front, thanks in large part to our ongoing advocacy efforts - the calls, the emails, the LTEs, the showing up at rallies, and so on.
On the state level
The legislature passed, and the Guv signed, SB256, which wards off oil and gas exploration off the Oregon coast. The state has long had a moratorium on oil and gas activities in the water it controls. The bill made that moratorium permanent, and ensured state-controlled areas won’t be used to assist drilling further out. WOOHOO #1!
The Guv also signed SB608, making Oregon the first in the nation with statewide rent control. It caps how much landlords can raise the rent, and makes it harder for them to evict tenants without a reason. WOOHOO #2!
SB870, a bill to join the National Popular Vote compact, passed in the Senate. It’s expected to be approved by the House and signed by the Guv. When states accounting for at least 270 electoral votes join the compact, the electoral college process will be bypassed and the votes of all US voters will count equally. Many more states are in the process, just like us. WOOHOO #3!
On the federal level
We don’t expect much in the way of legislative advances before 2020. Though the Dems control Congress and are passing bills that advance progressive values, the Republican-dominated Senate and our sorry President will effectively scuttle those bills.
HOWEVER, Rep. Walden is sporting only a 59% concurrence rate between his votes in Congress since January and Trump’s positions (www.fivethirtyeight.com ). This compares with a 99% concurrence rate last year.
This past week, Walden voted to reauthorize VAWA (Violence Against Women Act), despite pressure from the NRA. They even warned him it might hurt his A+ NRA rating. WOOHOO #4!
Last month he voted against Trump’s declaration of a national emergency, and voted for release of the full Mueller report to Congress. WOOHOOs #5 & #6!
This change, of course, did not happen by accident. This is because of our birddogging Walden, leaning on him, holding him accountable, writing, calling, and generally being … activists.
We’re still going to work hard to get ourselves a better Rep in 2020, but this is who we’ve got now and we’re helping him serve our interests better. So YAY for us on all counts. Enjoy the GOOD NEWS you’ve helped create!
Barr’s History of Lying in Summary & Redaction
Brace yourself, we're expecting a heavily redacted version of the Mueller report to be released to Congress through Attorney General William Barr this week.
But how much and what will be hidden from view by the redaction? Barr has a history of summarizing and redacting important documents until they fit his narrative. See this eerily similar example in 1989 when Barr "summarized" a legal opinion that led to the FBI abducting Panama’s leader, Gen. Manuel Noriega.
Later, only after the legal opinion was subpoenaed by Congress - a move that this Congress will likely have to take as well, it was revealed that Barr's summary "...had failed to fully disclose the opinion’s principal conclusions." Uh oh.
It's hugely important that we pay attention to the report released to Congress this week and demand that Congressional leaders - and perhaps the public - get to see the report without the selective redaction that Barr will put on it.
[content credit to “5Calls”]
4/2/2109 Mueller Report: The Next Inning
There’s been a lot of confusion and discouragement since Mueller sent his final report to Attorney General William Barr. So far Barr has offered only a four-page summary, and gratuitously opined that there was no obstruction of justice. Trump’s spin, no surprise, was that the report showed “total exoneration.”
Led by media hype, many people were hoping for a cataclysmic conclusion to the Trump nightmare, and now are disappointed and even despairing that the game is over. Not so! Lawyers connected with the investigation said even before the report was finalized that this is pretty much what they expected. They did not expect Mueller to go so far as to indict a sitting president. They did expect for Mueller to lay out information for state attorneys general (eg, NY) to use for future investigations/prosecutions, and for Congress to use in its investigations. This is indeed what is happening.
The report WILL become public. Activists like us are demonstrating around the country on Thursday, Congress has unanimously called for report to be made public, House Dems are preparing to subpoena the report. So, the game is not over by any means! We are in a new inning. Stretch your legs, get your hot dogs and beer (and pens and protest signs), and get pumped for a new inning. PLAY BALL.
3/19/2019 About that Mueller Report
At some point in the not-too-distant future,At some point in the not too distant future, Special Counsel Robert Mueller will be ready to submit his findings to Attorney General Barr, or at least to file a current summary of findings. We anticipate having to fight to make sure the public gets to see Mueller’s findings in full - just a guess, of course.
If the Mueller investigation releases findings showing significant wrongdoing by Trump, or if Congress or the administration blocks the public from seeing Mueller's findings, the national network of Indivisibles and other resistance groups will be ready to respond. As we’ve done before, ICG members will be notified of any “emergency” protest via our Facebook page, and by an emailed “emergency protest” version of this newsletter.
Mueller's orders are to compile his findings and submit them to the attorney general. Since the AG is no longer recused from the investigation, this would go to Trump's hand-picked AG, William Barr. Barr never liked the Mueller investigation and is arguably in that position so that he can suppress the findings.
If some or all of Mueller’s findings are not made public, our demand would be that Congress do everything in its power to make the report public. If findings are released and show Trump wrongdoing, our demand would be that Congress do everything in its power to hold Trump accountable. House Dems would take legal steps immediately—subpoenaing, etc. They could call Mueller to testify. There could be another, later report on more of the questions, or the Southern District of New York investigation could really pop off. And of course, the daily assaults and outrages from Trump and his administration will continue.
Stay tuned.
3/5/2019 NPV!
The National Popular Vote (NPV) bill, which would guarantee the U.S. presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, was introduced recently in the Oregon Senate. In total, SB 870 has 40 sponsors in the Oregon Senate and House. An identical bill is pending in the House.
Oregon Indivisibles and lots of other want to make a full-court press to pass this bill. (For more info, see “Background” below.) Your help is needed! Call/write your state Senator today:
- HR County: Sen. Chuck Thomsen, 503-986-1726 ; sen.chuckthomsen@state.or.us
- Western Wasco County: Sen. Cliff Bentz, 541-889-8866; Sen.CliffBentz@oregonlegislature.gov
MESSAGE:
I’m a constituent and am calling to express my strong support for the National Popular Vote bill. We have GOT to change the way we elect the President of the United States to be by popular vote so that every citizen’s vote counts equally. I urge the Senator to support this bill and do whatever s/he can to make sure Senate Bill 870 has a vote on the floor. This bill has passed the House four times already, the people want it, and it’s past time to have a vote in the Senate.
Background on NPV:
The NPV interstate compact will go into effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes – 270 out of 538 – necessary to elect a president. In December, when electors meet to cast their ballots for president and vice-president following a presidential election, the 270 or more electoral votes of all the compacting states would be awarded in a package to the candidate who receives the most popular votes nationwide.
This will ensure that the citizens of the U.S. actually elect the president, not the electoral college. Every voter in every state will be politically relevant in every presidential election, not just those in the twelve so-called ‘battleground’ states.
The compact tally is currently at 172 electoral votes, and 22 states have active bills pending. OR neighbors CA and WA are already in.
For more info: www.NationalPopularVote.com
Also of interest: The Electoral College Is the Greatest Threat to Our Democracy
2/18/2019 Big Push for Climate Progress: Clean Energy Jobs bill (HR 2020)
There was incredible energy for protecting the climate to Salem last week. More than 700 citizen lobbyists came from every Senate district in Oregon, all 30 of them, for the largest climate lobby day in state history, for the Clean Energy Jobs bill!
The Governor revved up the crowd with a speech in the morning. Former Vice-President Al Gore recorded a video message for us. Citizen lobbyists met with 86 of 90 legislative offices urging them to strengthen the Clean Energy Jobs bill and pass it in 2019.
Can you pitch in now, please, and add your voice?
- Write to your Representative and Senator today.
- Attend/speak at the public hearing for CEJ in The Dalles: March 1, 12-3pm, at TD Civic Auditorium (323 East 4th St.)
2/18/2019 This Presidents Day: Threats to Our Democracy
Not to take all the fun out of celebrating our illustrious presidents, at least 44 out of 45 of them, but let’s do highlight three current threats to democratic institutions that we will be responding to over the next few weeks:
- The end run around Congress’s power of the purse, in which Trump declares a fake national emergency after Congress made clear that it would not fund a wall
- The possibility that the new Attorney General may interpret Justice Department rules so narrowly that Mueller’s report is never released
- The threat that Senate Majority Leader will use the “nuclear option” to unilaterally shorten debate to only two hours for most Trump judicial nominees.
As one expert on authoritarianism said, “Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. (Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale, and author of the NYT and WaPo bestseller On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons for the Twentieth Century)
Stay tuned for more Calls to Action on defending democratic institutions and the checks and balances established by the Constitution, demanding that Congress:
- revoke the national emergency, and
- pass legislation to make the Mueller report public, and
- in the Senate, preserve the current rules about debate on Trump’s nominees.
1/15/2019 Dems' opening salvo: HR1, a "messaging" bill
HR1 is a sweeping opening salvo from the Democratic House leadership. It seeks to address dangers to our democracy that have gone too long unchecked:
- Campaign finance reform – public financing of campaigns with small donations, support to end Citizen United
- Ethics reform – release of tax returns by Presidential candidates, new ethics code for US Supreme Court
- Voting rights reform – national automatic voter registration, election day a national holiday, ending federal gerrymandering, increasing election security.
So, we just need to get HR1 passed, right? Well, uh … Dems control the House and can create bills. Unfortunately, because the Senate is controlled by Republicans and the president is hopeless, those bills are not likely to go anywhere.
BUT strong “messaging” bills like HR1 have power!
So what’s a messaging bill? Indivisible On Offense, Indivisible National’s new “2.0” guide, explains:
A messaging bill is one proposed by an MoC that has a minimal chance of being signed into law soon but indicates that the issue in question is a top priority for that Member of Congress — or even for the whole party.
What power can a messaging bill have?
- Present an alternative vision for the country. (It’s the job of Democrats to repudiate Trump’s agenda and show them what that alternative vision is.)
- Get Republicans on the record on key issues. (Getting Rs to vote against the interests of their own constituents, especially popular issues like health care, will help us get them out of office in the next election.)
- Lock MoCs into a position. (they’re more likely to vote for the same bill later when there is a real chance of getting it signed into law.)
- Settle policy debates and define the party’s agenda. (Once a party passes a messaging bill, it often becomes the party’s default policy proposal going forward.)
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