Weekly Actions: Week 8

General Information

• Do you know the symptoms of Trump-Induced Anxiety Disorder?  Or the cure?  See this video for instant relief:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXUlhT3-r0c&feature=youtu.be
• Petition – don’t dismantle online privacy – tell companies they cannot sell your data without your permission:
  • https://action.aclu.org/secure/FCC-privacy
• He still hasn’t released his tax returns – let’s not allow that to happen again – sign this petition:
  • https://act.credoaction.com/sign/wyden_trump_taxes
• Contact your senators to oppose the REINS Act, the Regulatory Accountability Act and the Midnight Rules Relief Act using this handy website:
  • https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=00000000.app304b
• Petition – oppose Trump’s anti-science budget which will hurt our health and our communities:
  • https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=00000000.app30103a

Vashon-Activism (get local – join a team)

• Indivisible Chapter of the Backbone Campaign:
  • The Indivisible Chapter now has four active teams that you can join for camaraderie and to make a difference.  Help us initiate team actions to Resist Trump!  To join the chapter, sign up here:
    • http://www.backbonecampaign.org/indivisible_backbone_signup
• Legislative Action Team of the Indivisible Chapter:
  • This group visits our elected Members of Congress at their offices and at town hall meetings.  Join this group for periodic meetings to exchange the latest political information, discuss opportunities for engagement with Members of Congress and their staffers and arrange meetings between Members of Congress and Vashon / Maury Island citizens.
  • Contacts:
    • Juniper Rogneby at juniperkb@gmail.com
    • Merrilee Runyan at merrileerunyan@gmail.com
    • Jennifer Zeisig at catrix2007@aol.com
• Immigrant / Refugee team of the Indivisible Chapter:
  • Join the Immigration/Refugee Group meeting to begin planning strategy and additional actions both on and off island to protect our immigrant population.
  • Contact:  Susie Murphy at susiemurf@gmail.com
• Fossil Fuel Free Puget Sound Energy
  • Brought to you by the Vashon Climate Action Group
  • Join the team to develop alternatives to a Puget Sound Energy natural gas power plant
    • And prepare material to inform the community
  • Join the community outreach team to spread the word about this “once in a lifetime opportunity” to replace PSE coal plants with renewable energy and conservation
  • Contact Kevin Jones: kevinjonvash@gmail.com
• Earth Day Vashon (well, the day AFTER the official earth day)
  • Brought to you by the Vashon Climate Action Group
  • Join the team who is imagining, defining and recruiting talent for this Vashon High School event
  • Join the team here:
    • https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJ2ePsvox6WKpNxMOe8gShzfGPSMrQemS-hlQQcApBXOGkbA/viewform?c=0&w=1
• Become a Vashon School District Green Team supporter!
  • Brought to you by the Vashon Climate Action Group (I sense a trend here…)
  • Provide support for Green Team events and activities
  • Encourage Green Team advisors for all school grade levels
  • Are you a VSD student or parent that seeks a meaningful, vibrant and growing Green Team? Join us!
  • Contact Kevin Jones: kevinjonvash@gmail.com
• Write to Resist – Every Thursday, 3 – 5PM, Snapdragon
  • Marie Browne organizes this group
  • Drop in – contribute stamps – enjoy the discussion
  • Please join the Facebook page and RSVP to the group
  • https://www.facebook.com/events/1417973131588388/

• Thank Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley for holding the deputy attorney general’s confirmation vote as collateral until the FBI director briefs his panel about investigations into alleged ties between the Trump administration and Russian officials.
  • Senator Chuck Grassley:  202-224-3744 (WDC), 515-288-1145 (Des Moines, IA)
  • Source:  http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-judiciary-chairman-no-deputy-ag-vote-until-we-get-an-fbi-briefing-on-russia/ar-AAomsJ2?li=AA5a8k&ocid=spartanntp

View this weeks events!

Electoral College Repeal

• No actions this week

Instant Runoff  Voting

• No actions this week

Preserving Democracy & Justice

• No actions this week

Return US House and Senate to Democratic control

• This is important!  If you can spare some time for an important cause – returning the Washington State Senate to Democratic control, then sign up to support Manka Dhingra for the 45th Legislative District Senate seat:
  • https://act.myngp.com/Forms/4938852225107102208
• Sign up as a signature gatherer for I-902, a Wa State Automatic Voter Registration Initiative:
  • There is Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) initiative that has been filed with the Secretary of State. The group Take the Initiative has filed and been assigned I-902, “Providing Automatic Voter Registration at Qualified Voter Registration Agencies.” Here is their announcement:  http://taketheinitiative.us/i-902-announcement/. They are recruiting signature gatherers now which could be a great way to get involved if you haven’t collected signatures before. The leadership team will be reaching out to Take The Initiative to see more on the bill and how we can help.

The Environment

• Petitions – Tell your Members of Congress to protect the EPA:
  • http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/
  • http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/
• Petition – stop the attacks on the Endangered Species act:
  • https://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/stop-the-attack-on-the-endangered-species-act
• Petition – Congress is debating two bills that would prevent the FDA, USDA, and EPA from carrying out their missions. These bills would undo vital safeguards for bees, agriculture and the environment. And they would make it harder to enact new protections!  Tell your senators – Stand up for our food system:
  • http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/
• Call your senators to oppose legislation that would allow killing animals on national wildlife refuges:
  • http://act.alaskawild.org/call/babyanimals_senate/

Climate Change

• Petitions – Don’t Roll Back Car Emission Limits:
  • http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/953/790/328/?z00m=28928420&redirectID=2350679226
  • http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=21382
  • https://sierra.secure.force.com/actions/National?actionId=AR0072960&id=70131000001yCHTAA2&data=dc72923a3c82c667c11387c9177bd15faf065a177f0a33e817b0b401f3db6ebcc65e966f124a39bdbd56975e3f5e21cb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sierraclub&utm_campaign=greentransportation
  • https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=00000000.app330b?cmd=display&id=2925&page=UserAction&autologin=true&utm_source=EDF%20action%20network&utm_campaign=edf_clean-car-standards_upd_mem&utm_medium=email-52170&utm_id=1489526816&NONCE_TOKEN=6EF10B6AB9F01C9721A65F81F2BEC25F
• Call Scott Pruitt’s EPA office – tell him to protect American’s from climate change:
  • Scott Pruitt:  202-564-4700
  • Talking points script here:  https://act.climatetruth.org/call/EPA-calls-scott-pruitt/?t=1&akid=6365.322736.KpnDJv

Anti-Hate Actions

• No actions this week

Criminal Justice Reform

• No actions this week

Immigrations/Citizenship

• Petition – block funding for two key pieces of Trump’s hateful plan: his wall and his massive deportation force:
  • https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Block_Trump_Wall

Racial Justice & Black Lives Matter

• No actions this week

Women’s Rights

• Call your senators – ask them to support Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley’s bill to oppose withdrawal of US foreign aid to global health care organizations who provide maternity and child care, family planning guidance, birth control, and even malaria treatment to their patients.
• Petition – Tell senators to protect access to reproductive health care:
  • https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/petitions/tell-senate-democrats-stop-trumps-anti-woman-regime-3

LGBTQ Rights

• No actions this week

• The White House is collecting Obamacare Disaster Stories.  Log on and tell them how Obamacare has helped you and millions of other citizens just like you:
  • https://www.whitehouse.gov/obamacare-share-your-story
• You can borrow my story if you like:
  • Obamacare has been a tremendous improvement in health care for our country.  Tens of millions of Americans who had no health care coverage are now covered.  This is a tremendous step forward!
  • In addition, Medicaid coverage has expanded for millions of Americans.  This is a step in the right direction!
  • Exchanging Obamacare for tax benefits is the wrong way to go.  Americans that have the income levels to take advantage of a tax benefit can also afford insurance.  We need to provide insurance for all, which you promised during your campaign.  This means coverage, not access.  There has never been an “access” problem – it only takes money.  Now that we have Obamacare, it takes a lot less money for coverage, particularly for those who have severe health problems.
  • So, let’s improve Obamacare, move to a single payer system, scrap the tax benefit idea and join the rest of the world!
• And sign this petition while you’re at it:
  • https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-reject-the-american-health-care-act
• Petition – Remove health care subsidies for members of Congress and their families:  May as well fight fire with fire…
  • https://www.change.org/p/remove-health-care-subsidies-for-members-of-congress-and-their-families
• Call these seven GOP senators who are currently expressing reservations about the American Health Care Act (aka:  Trumpcare) and tell them you too are concerned about loss of medical coverage under the AHCA, thank them for expressing their concerns over the act and ask them to oppose it:
  • Cory Gardner:  202-224-5941 (WDC), 303-391-5777 (Denver)
  • Shelley Moore Capito:  202-224-6472 (WDC), 304-347-5372 (Charleston)
  • Rob Portman:  202-224-3353 (WDC), 216-522-7095 (Cleveland)
  • Lisa Murkowski:  202-224-6665 (WDC), 907-271-3735 (Anchorage)
  • Dean Heller:  202-224-6244 (WDC), 775-686-5770 (Reno)
  • Bill Cassidy:  202-224-5824 (WDC), 225-929-7711 (Baton Rouge)
  • Susan Collins:  202-224-2523 (WDC), 207-622-8414 (Augusta)
  • Source:  http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/msn/opinion-trumpism-is-now-getting-exposed-as-a-monumental-fraud/ar-AAo1BZF

Economy/Income Inequality

• Submit a public comment, deadline March 17:  Retain Obama administration requirement that financial advisors must comply with fiduciary requirements – meaning investment recommendations they make are in the best interest of the client, not an investment that makes money for the seller.
  • https://act.credoaction.com/sign/trump_fiduciary_labor

Get Big Money Out of Politics

• No actions this week

• Petition – we need enhanced background checks for assault weapons:
  • http://action.wagunresponsibility.org/page/s/Assault-Weapons-JA

• No actions this week

• Petition – Oppose the President’s budget, which includes a $54B increase in military spending:
  • http://www.thepetitionsite.com/605/074/029/

• No actions this week