The Power of Many - Minnesota

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Wednesday 12/13 Call to Action

Wednesday
If you missed it, this happened last night. Doug Jones declared victor in Alabama race for Senate
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/26e36b56-deb7-11e7-8679-a9…
I am just going to pause for a moment so you can savor it a bit…….

Let’s not forget that this win did not happen without legions of good people dedicating countless hours towards a common goal. Get a hint of what went on from this tweet about the Mobile County NAACP here: https://twitter.com/algiordano/status/940657094050615297
Do you want this for Minnesota? I sure do. To achieve that goal, we need to be doing the hard work that it takes to get voters to the polls in November 2018 (and February 2018, SD54!) Commit yourself today to being the positive change you want for the future. Yippee!

1. Tax Bill
Jones’ win will change the dynamic of the Senate and may lead to more (some, any) bipartisan compromise in upcoming legislation. If only he could take his seat before the vote on the tax bill. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will not seat Jones until at least December 26th after the Senate’s December 22nd recess.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mitch-mcconnell…/…/2643267
That means the GOP will be hellbent to pass this tax legislation in the next week or so. Are you feeling feisty? Call your members of Congress and tell them Alabamians deserve to have their elected official represent. No vote on the tax bill until Jones is seated.
https://www.vox.com/…/12/12/16761…/doug-jones-win-tax-reform
Our own GOP legislators are surely feeling some pressure as a result of last night’s upset victory. Take this opportunity to push against this terrible tax legislation. Remind them that November 2018 will be here soon.
Not sure what to say to your MoC when you call?

Here are some ideas from Indivisible: https://www.indivisible.org/resou…/tax-scam-bad-environment/

Wharton School of Business (didn’t Trump go there?) does not have an optimistic outlook for this bill. http://thehill.com/…/364415-wharton-study-gop-tax-bill-does…

Do you like to look at and share nifty graphs? Here you go.https://www.cnbc.com/…/gop-plan-would-stick-millions-with-b…

2. DACA
The deadline to vote on DREAM act is coming soon. If you haven’t called about this in a while, today is a good day to do it. Congress needs to pass “clean” legislation, meaning no border wall or increased threats to other immigrants attached to the bill.
http://www.phillyvoice.com/tell-congress-pass-dream-act-ph…/

Wants some calling scripts? Here you go: https://www.dreamerpledge.org/call-script/

Or from Americans of Conscience Action Checklist
Script: Hi. I’m from [ZIP] and am calling about the Dream Act. We need to ensure that Dreamers can go to school, work, and serve in the military—but not in exchange for a border wall or increased threat to other immigrants. Can you tell me what [name] is doing to support this?

3. Council on Environmental Quality
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices on the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives. Wouldn’t you know, Trump has nominated Kathlee Hartnett White, a climate science denier for the position.
Hartnett White has criticized wind and solar energy as a “false hope” and repeatedly said carbon dioxide is not a harmful pollutant. She’s in favor of increasing the use of fossil fuels and an opponent of the Endangered Species Act.
The Senate is due to vote on her confirmation soon. More than 300 scientists have written to the Senate asking for her to be rejected in the name of scientific integrity. Let’s add our voices to theirs and contact our senators to let them know we want them to oppose White and demand a nominee who understands the challenges we face from climate change. (H/t Jessica Craven)
https://insideclimatenews.org/…/kathleen-harnett-white-sena…

Klobuchar-202-224-3244
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/

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Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Wednesday 12/12 Call to Action

Tuesday
Starting with the Senate vote in Alabama today, this is going to be a nail biting few weeks.

1. Net Neutrality
Despite that fact that a large number of the public comments on the FCC site were fake, Ajit Pai still plans to go ahead with the vote to remove Net Neutrality, Thursday, December 14th.
Today, there will be a nationwide protest against the vote. Here’s how you can get involved.

A) Voice your opinion on the FCC comment page
gofccyourself.com
*Click on the “17-108” option which is labeled “Restoring Internet Freedom”,
*Click on “Express” (vs. New Filing) on the left
*Enter name and info and in the comment section add “I strongly support net neutrality backed by Title 2 oversight of ISPs” and then can add other comments too
*Then continue to the review screen and review
*Hit “submit”

B) FCC Commissioners contact information *Note: I have tried multiple times to call but the phone numbers don’t work for me. Try the emails and Twitter handles instead.

*Ajit Pai: 202-518-7399 email: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC
*Michael O'Rielly: 301-657-9092 email: mike.o’rielly@fcc.gov Twitter @mikeofcc
*Brendan Carr: 202-719-7305 email: Brendan.Carr@fcc.gov Twitter: @BrendanCarrFCC

C) Join multiple prominent websites in an online protest today. Go to https://www.battleforthenet.com/breaktheinternet/ and follow their suggestions or get creative. The goal is to get people to call their members of Congress and raise the public’s awareness that this is happening.

D) Use this tool to write a letter to Congress:https://www.battleforthenet.com/ or Resistbot https://resist.bot/

E) Tell your members of Congress to support HR 4585,To prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from relying on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the matter of restoring internet freedom to adopt, amend, revoke, or otherwise modify any rule of the Commission.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4585

What the heck does this bill do? Read more here: http://hudsonvalleynewsnetwork.com/…/legislation-introduce…/

Or here: https://seanmaloney.house.gov/…/maloney-introduces-legislat…

Commit to doing something today, tomorrow, and Thursday.

2, H.R. 2396 – Privacy Notification Technical Clarification Act
This bill is being voted on in the House this week. This bill would change the requirements of financial institutions when it comes to disclosing policies about customers’ private personal information. Want to learn more about it?
Check it out here:
https://www.countable.us/…/hr2396-115-privacy-notification-…

Or here: https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr2396

Call your member of Congress if it makes your heart go aflutter!

3) Do you want to help create some positive change? Consider volunteering for Karla Bigham’s state Senate District 54 campaign. The special election is happening on February 12, so time is limited. Check out here website:http://www.karlabigham.com/
Here fist door knocking opportunity is Saturday, December 16th.
Get to know her better on December 19th or 21st. file:///C:/Users/pete0/Downloads/bigham-invite.afton%20(1).pdf

Jimmy Kimmel Returns with Baby Billy After Heart Surgery

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Sunday, December 10, 2017

Monday 12/11 Call to Action

Monday 12/11

I'm not sure the tax thing is a done deal, but I'm not sure what we can do either. If you have friends in Maine, get them to call Susan Collins; she may be wavering.

1. Net Neutrality (From Rogan's list)
With less than a week to go until the FCC's vote on net neutrality, Pai is attempting to garner support, while Democrats and various organizations push for a delay on the vote http://politi.co/2iA2hSb Let's keep calling and e-mailing, asking the FCC Chairman and Commissioners to oppose any repeal to net neutrality, or at the very least, to delay the vote until an investigation can be completed regarding the numerous fake comments on the FCC's website FCC main phone: 1-888-225-5322, FCC main fax: 1-866-418-0232 Ajit Pai, hairman Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner Mignon.Clyburn@fcc.gov Michael O'Rielly, Commissioner Mike.O'Rielly@fcc.gov Brendan Carr, Commissioner Brendan.Carr@fcc.gov, and Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner
Jessica.Rosenworcel@fcc.gov

2. Keep an eye on taxes. I'm not sure how serious Collins is. Here's a thread from Andy Slavitt.
From Andy Slavitt:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/939918905744723969

3. Right-wing media is doing everything it can to discredit the Mueller investigation.

https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2017/12/08/Fox-News-is-practically-begging-Trump-to-fire-Mueller/218781

Let's be ready to show up and speak up if Mueller is fired.

https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/

Franken -202-224-5641
Klobuchar-202-224-3244
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/

Friday, December 8, 2017

Friday 12/8 Call to Action

Friday

Today I feel weary and defeated. I know that’s not very inspiring but that’s where I am at and I suspect others are feeling the same.

I was all ready to do a regular call to action today but then I read this article: What if Mueller catches Trump — and it isn’t enough?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/8c55de94-db81-11e7-b1a8-62…

This article articulates a fear that has been hunkered down inside of me. The idea that the rule of law doesn’t matter anymore.

Already you can see the narrative changing. Members of the GOP are weaving threads of doubt over the veracity of Mueller’s endeavor. Of course they are incorrect, but the idea is starting to take hold and the Democrats are letting it happen. What do we do when the majority of our Congress decides they don’t want to play by the rules anymore?

“The Trump presidency poses a challenge beyond politics or policy. Wrongheaded trickle-down tax policy is a matter of arithmetic; it can be corrected by moving numbers around a spreadsheet. But once corruption has become established, it takes herculean effort to root it out; once respect for the rule of law is lost, it takes generations to restore.”

What are we going to do?

There are plenty of things that qualify for calls to action today but I am going to switch it up. I need a pep talk. How about you?

1. Civil Resistance and the 3.5% Rule
Have you seen this Ted Talk by Erica Chenoweth? Chenoweth argues that non-violent protest is twice as likely to be successful as violent protest. There are a variety of ways to successfully protest and they all don’t involve getting out into the streets. The exciting part is this: just 3.5% of a population can elicit substantial change. Think about that. Watch the video here:https://rationalinsurgent.com/…/my-talk-at-tedxboulder-civ…/

2. The Resistance Need to Harness the Power of Narrative
Read the article here.
https://rationalinsurgent.com/…/how-can-we-know-when-popul…/

We are living in a time of alternative facts. How do we compete when our opponents play by their own rules? This article argues the following:

“If we want to defeat Trump and build momentum to address the systemic crises of our time, progressives need to confront one of Trump’s most effective strategies: harnessing the power of narrative. But what does that mean, and how do we do it? “

Facts alone are not enough to win. We need to change the narrative. We need to connect with people emotionally.

“Too often progressives think that just because a story is factually true, it will be meaningful to our audiences, and therefore, build our power. But the reality is just the opposite: If a story is meaningful to people, they will believe that it is true. The currency of narrative is not truth but rather meaning. In other words, there is no inherent connection between the power of a story and whether or not the content is objectively true. After all, if having the facts on your side was enough to win, we would live in a very different world.”

We have the facts on our side. The challenge now is how to present them in a way that resonates with our audience. The resistance needs more storytellers.

3. How Can We Know When Popular Movements Are Winning? Look to These Four Trends
https://rationalinsurgent.com/…/how-can-we-know-when-popul…/
For a movement to succeed it needs to do four things:
1. Be large, diverse, and united.
2. Be committed to non-violence
3. Be flexible and try new techniques when others fails
4. Persuade support from media, businesses, and public officials.

How can we adjust our own resistance movements to achieve this?

4. The 11 Biggest Victories against Trump by The Resistance
https://www.theguardian.com/…/biggest-victories-trump-resis…

What am I trying to say today? Don’t give up. This is not the end. It may just be time to regroup and try some new techniques. We can do this. We WILL do this.

Christine and the Queens - Tilted (Official Video)

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Thursday, December 7, 2017

Thursday 12/7 Call To Action

I”m not one to reinvent the wheel, and since we have so much great information in previous posts I”m reposting some of that information for today’s call.

1. Net Neutrality (Thanks KMP!)

The FCC plans to vote on this on December 14th!!

Want an easy explanation of net neutrality to share with your friends? Here you go.` https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AcnOaRmMg4

It appears that the comment section at the FCC was infiltrated with Russian hackers or at the very least, non humans.https://www.bloomberg.com/…/fake-views-444-938-russian-emai…

This is a good reason alone to table the vote on Net Neutrality until clearer heads can prevail. A number of Senators are trying to do just that. http://thehill.com/…/363110-group-of-senators-calls-on-fcc-…

Unfortunately, Ajit Pai is not listening to reason and will go ahead with the vote on December 14th. http://www.siliconbeat.com/…/senators-urge-fcc-to-delay-ne…/

What can we do?

Here is a voicemail for the Chariman of the FCC: 1-202-418-1000. State your name, city, and state and that you oppose the repeal of net neutrality.

Protests are planned outside of Verizon stores this Thursday. Learn more here: https://www.battleforthenet.com/

A) Ajit Pai: 202-518-7399 / Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov / @AjitPaiFCC,

B) -Michael O'Rielly: 301-657-9092 / mike.o'rielly@fcc.gov / @mikeofcc,

C) -Brendan Carr: 202-719-7305 / Brendan.Carr@fcc.gov / @BrendanCarrFCC \

Let’s keep calling and writing!

Heroes come in many forms. Who’s The Boss teen heartthrob, Alyssa Milano is make some noise about net neutrality. Check out this thread:

https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/935963607115767813

2. Tax Bill (From yesterday’s post, thanks C.G. and KMP!)

Here’s a quick side by side comparison of the Senate and House versions of the bill (thanks C. G.!) https://govtrackinsider.com/h-r-1-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-fbd…

This tax bill is proving to be a tricky, unpopular bill. Even though the House voted to go to conference, there is a vast array of disagreement among its members.

Republican Congresspeople from California are facing backlash from their constituents because the repeal of state and local taxes (SALT) and mortgage interest deductions will have an immediate negative effect on taxpayer’s pocketbooks. Will it be enough to keep them from voting yes on the final bill? We shall see. https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/e25c3000-d9fa-11e7-b1a8-62…

Senator Susan Collins voted for the Senate version of the tax bill based on three assurances.

1. A reinsurance pool would be established to cover the cost of the very sick, to prevent insurance premiums form going up.

2. Support for the Alexander-Murray bill that would continue to make payments to insurance companies for the next two years to keep costs low.

3. No cuts to Medicare as a result of this bill.

Whoopsie! It appears that Speaker Ryan is not so keen on keeping those promises to Senator Collins. Will it be enough for her to vote no? We shall see. http://www.pressherald.com/…/house-republicans-say-they-di…/

Senator Jeff Flake agreed to vote yes on the tax bill if “dreamers” received protection (think DACA). Hmm. That doesn’t seem to be a popular idea in the House. Will it be enough to make Sen. Flake say, “No thank you?” We shall see. https://www.salon.com/…/republicans-are-ready-to-break-the…/

3. American Legislative Exchange Council

We are going to stick a pin in this as 2018 and 2020 elections are just around the corner. Most of us in this group are well aware that voter fraud is not a widespread issue and studies have shown that. Gerrymandering benefits the outcome for one political party and we’ve seen the results from that in many districts and states.

“ALEC has been a very anti-democratic organization since its founding. It brings corporate lobbyists and state legislators behind closed doors to trade these so-called model bills,” Riestenberg said. “They’re kind of opposed to the very idea of representative democracy, and so when they have panels about voting and what they call voter fraud or voter integrity, it kind of raises red flags given their history on the issue and their kind of anti-democratic structure.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alec-voting-panel_us_5a282e2de4b044d16726ef78?16w

Klobuchar-202-224-3244

House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121

MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators

Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/

Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Wednesday 12/6 Call to Action

Wednesday

1. Tax Bill
Here’s a quick side by side comparison of the Senate and House versions of the bill (thanks C. G.!) https://govtrackinsider.com/h-r-1-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-fbd…

This tax bill is proving to be a tricky, unpopular bill. Even though the House voted to go to conference, there is a vast array of disagreement among its members.
Republican Congresspeople from California are facing backlash from their constituents because the repeal of state and local taxes (SALT) and mortgage interest deductions will have an immediate negative effect on taxpayer’s pocketbooks. Will it be enough to keep them from voting yes on the final bill? We shall see. https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/e25c3000-d9fa-11e7-b1a8-62…

Senator Susan Collins voted for the Senate version of the tax bill based on three assurances.
1. A reinsurance pool would be established to cover the cost of the very sick, to prevent insurance premiums form going up.
2. Support for the Alexander-Murray bill that would continue to make payments to insurance companies for the next two years to keep costs low.
3. No cuts to Medicare as a result of this bill.
Whoopsie! It appears that Speaker Ryan is not so keen on keeping those promises to Senator Collins. Will it be enough for her to vote no? We shall see. http://www.pressherald.com/…/house-republicans-say-they-di…/

Are you a product of the public school system? Do you have children in public schools? The tax bill wants to give tax breaks for private school tuition and homeschooling. Once again, public schools are being left behind. I am not sure how much more our public educations system can take. Here is a small action you can take:
https://actionnetwork.org/…/tell-congress-no-tax-deals-to-f…

If you are like me, this whole process is overwhelming. Here is a handy overview that can give you a better idea of what’s going on in Congress right now. It also has some actions you can take today. Check it out:http://itstimetofight.weebly.com/tax-bill.html

Or check out Indivisible: https://www.indivisible.org/res…/tax-scam-passed-senate-now/

2. Questions for Pruitt
EPA administrator, Scoot Pruitt will be testifying in front to the House Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee tomorrow, December 7th. No one from Minnesota is on this committee but it may be worth it to you to propose a question for Pruitt.

Call your members of Congress or check out this list of committee members.https://energycommerce.house.gov/subcommittee/environment/

Here’s a link that will help you send an email to your congressperson.http://p2a.co/P6ZjJ5z

3. Resisting is great, but let’s be clear; the only way we can really stop this madness is to vote for honest, progressive candidates in 2018. Now is the time to get involved in your local elections. Change starts from the bottom up! That means state house and senate seats count. Don’t believe me? Check out this article from MinnPost: Minnesota officials forecast a $188 million budget deficit! https://www.minnpost.com/…/minnesota-officials-forecast-188…

Here are some events you may want to attend. Please add more in the comments!

December 8th CD5 is hosting a gubernatorial candidate forum. Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/events/287147888438398/

December 18th CD2 Candidate Forum 6 pm
Apple Valley Senior Center
14601 Hayes Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124

Want to make a difference right now? Karla Bigham is running to fill the state senate seat once occupied by Dan Schoen (SD54). The special election takes place on February 12th! She needs your support ASAP. Check out her website and see how you can help.
http://www.karlabigham.com/

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