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Good morning!
This week has been yet another mess, so there’s a lot to do. Here’s your shortlist of actions and events!
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1. Federal Action:
Fight the Creep of Authoritarianism
We are now in the longest government shutdown in history, thanks in part to Senator McConnell keeping funding bills off the floor, and Trump considering this shutdown to be “leverage.” He has also toyed with the idea of declaring a national emergency on his imagined border crisis. The GOP has refused to do anything about this, with Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey Graham welcoming a declaration of a 'national emergency'.
At the same time, as back-to-back bombshells about Trump’s collusion with Russia emerged, Trump’s Attorney General pick, and known crony, William Barr is about to begin the nomination process. If confirmed, he could use AG authority to shield Trump from Mueller’s investigation.
Finally, the Trump administration continues to cozy up to Saudi Arabia, supporting its war in Yemen without Congressional authorization and refusing to do anything about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
These three situations constitute a creeping acceptance of authoritarianism in the executive branch of our government — allowing Trump to act unilaterally to harm Americans and journalists, while shielding him from the rule of law. It is up to us to protect democracy and fight the creep of authoritarianism — and we have ways for you to do it!
Calls to Action:
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2. State Action:
Speak out on upcoming state legislation!
With a Democratic Governor and supermajorities in both state houses, our hard-won state trifecta is now in action! Our State representatives Ting, Chiu and Wiener are wasting no time in introducing new laws and reintroducing some old ones from last session - and they want to hear from YOU!
This is your opportunity to affect what laws come before our State legislature this year - and first and foremost, we have a chance to go from a reckless, destructive PG&E to a public energy utility.
Calls to Action:
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3. Bonus Actions:
Call your Supervisor to ask them to end cruel homeless encampment sweeps.
And leave a public comment on the following executive branch proposals:
- Deadline Jan 18: Oppose the Census Bureau’s proposal to share sensitive citizenship data from the 2020 Census with state and local officials. Comment link and sample comment here.
- Deadline Jan. 19: Oppose EPA’s plan to allow use of an antibiotic as a pesticide on food crops. Comment link and sample comment here.
- Deadline Jan. 22: Oppose renewal of expired mineral leases in Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters. Comment link and sample comment here.
- Deadline Jan. 28: Oppose rollback of Title IX protections for victims of sexual assault in schools. Comment link and sample comment here.
Indivisible SF is electing our next Steering Committee! Our 10-person Steering Committee sets strategy, oversees Indivisible SF's operations, creates new programs, and makes sure the members of ISF are set up for success. Members serve for a 6 month term. Learn more about the SC and read the candidates' statements here. Vote here.
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Join the ISF Editorial Team! We are looking for a dedicated editor who can help us write newsletters and keep the website up to date. We devote a few hours every Monday night starting around 6pm to this process. No prior experience necessary. We are a fun and friendly team and would love to meet you! Please send an email to info@indivisiblesf.com if you would like to join us.
We are also looking for a graphic designer who can help us out from time to time.
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Saturday, January 19, 11:30am - 1:30pm: Women’s March San Francisco. Join the Indivisible SF contingent! We’ll meet in front of the Asian Art Museum (200 Larkin St, San Francisco) at 11:30am for the rally and will march up Market street at 1:30pm. Be sure to bring a sign, dress for the weather, and your walking shoes. Immediately following the march, we will join the clean-up crew at the Embarcadero to help pick up signs, flyers, and trash left on the street.
Monday, January 21, 10:45am: Martin Luther King Day March. Join the Indivisible SF contingent for San Francisco’s annual racial-justice freedom march honoring Dr. King on MLK day. We will gather on Townsend St @ 4th St. on the sidewalk outside Walgreens, across the street from the Caltrain station. Bring a banner or flag, and wear an ISF T-shirt!
The march to Yerba Buena park (1.5 miles away) will begin at 11:30 a.m. and conclude with a rally and festival. This event used to be called the "Freedom Train" because a train brought marchers up from San Jose. We will update you with more details as the event approaches.
Tuesday, January 22, 3:30pm-5pm: ISF meeting with Speaker Pelosi’s Staff at the Federal Building at 7th Street and Mission. We have a meeting scheduled with Dan Bernal in Pelosi's office on Jan 22. Please join #pelosi_breakout on Slack to sign up to attend and add agenda items.
We want 1-2 Indivisible SF members who could focus on the topic they are most passionate about (e.g., Green New Deal, Investigations, etc) to develop that topic for the agenda. Democrats in the House are setting the agenda this year, and it's important we discuss with the Speaker’s staff the issues that are a priority for us. Some of our asks will eventually make their way into the language of new legislation. Even if they are only “show bills” for now, such bills put both Democrats and Republicans on record and set an example for future Congresses. Please join #pelosi_breakout on Slack if you’re interested.
Wednesday, January 23, 2:00pm-3:30pm: ISF meeting with Sen. Feinstein’s Staff at 1 Post Street. We have a meeting with Jim Lazarus (State Director for Sen Feinstein) on January 23 2019 at 2pm. We will likely host a general meeting breakout closer to the meeting date to go over the agenda together as a group. Please sign up to attend and join the discussion in our #feinstein_breakout on Slack.
Thursday, January 24, 12:15am-2:00pm: ISF meeting with Sen. Harris’s Staff at the Illy Cafe at 220 Montgomery St. We will present our wishes and questions for Sen. Harris to her staff. You can help! Our pre-meeting is at the Illy coffee shop before we head over as a group to the Senator's office. Sign up, add agenda items and join the discussions on the #harris_breakout channel in Slack. RSVP is required to this event.
Friday, January 25, 6pm-8pm: Central Valley 2020 Forum - How we won in 21 at Berkeley City College. Join us for a lively and informative discussion of what happened in California’s 21st Congressional district (Fresno, now represented by Rep. TJ Cox) and lessons that can be drawn for 2020 and the Census. Speakers will report on what went on before election day and as the vote count stretched on, afterwards. They’ll also talk about how data and metrics can help us understand what worked and didn’t. RSVP here.
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Why and how Trump can be indicted. As more information from Mueller’s investigation is revealed, it’s becoming a strong possibility that Trump will be charged with a crime. His cronies will likely argue that Trump, as a sitting President, cannot be indicted. Our own Steve Rapport wrote this article in Medium outlining why and how Trump can be indicted.
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Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team
If you'd like to support our all-volunteer team:
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Join the Indivisible SF team using the invite code 101-202-303
- Cheer someone on and/or take an action
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