Chop Wood, Carry Water 10/5
Hi, all, and happy Thursday!
I’m on a call so I’ll keep this brief.
Every time I think we’ve lived through the most chaotic period possible we get another doozy of a week; we’re definitely having one now. This doesn’t seem likely to change as we contemplate two potential House Speakers—Steve “David Duke without the baggage” Scalise, and Jim “Gym” Jordan—who are sure to bring more of the same or worse, should either even be able to be confirmed.
Add to this the dire predictions from every side that our democracy is near extinction and the steady drumbeat of frightening climate news and it’s understandable that we’d all be feeling stressed right now. So please, take care of yourselves, remember to eat, to drink water, to take breaks, to hug your loved ones.
Also remember that while everyone has an opinion right now, no one really knows what’s next. That’s why our practice here is to do what we can do in the day at hand. So let’s take our actions, make our calls, send our Resistbot letters, and help our candidates win (this one especially!) knowing that by “working the program, not the problem” we will come out right in the end.
Remember, my friends, a smooth sea never made a good sailor. The sea legs we have developed over these many years of strife are not to be underestimated. They will carry us through not just this crisis, but every subsequent one to come. We are up to this. We can do it.
And we must. So let’s get to work one more time.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I know that Sherrod Brown has introduced a bipartisan bill to bring Social Security numbers in line with modern realities, raising the asset limits to qualify to $10,000 and $20,000 respectively. It’s called the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act (S.2767).
This bill is important because the Supplemental Security Income program has long been burdened by outdated rules that don’t adjust for inflation. It forces recipients to live in poverty to continue qualifying. Right now, the asset limit to qualify is just $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for couples. Senator Brown’s bill is an important move to make these funds available to those who desperately need them. Will the Senator co-sponsor it? [H/T
]Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I know the House can’t vote on bills right now, but assuming they get a Speaker soon and can begin to function again, I’d like the Congressmember to support HR 4756, the Community News and Small Business Support Act, to support local newspapers and media. With fascistic attacks on fair media as a foundational tactic to erode democracy we absolutely must support those fighting back. Will the Congressmember co-sponsor this bill? [H/T subscriber Dorie L., via the Media and Democracy Project.]
Also, I support funding Ukraine and want the Congressmember to as well. Thanks.
Extra Credit—Cliimate ✅
Stop the Money Pipeline has launched a new campaign called Costco: Clean Up Your Credit Card!
Please sign the petition asking Costco to drop dirty Citibank as its credit card partner (especially if you are a Costco member, although everyone is encouraged to sign!) Once you sign, register to come to the launch call on Oct 18th at 5pm PT / 8pm ET where SMP will be giving you the tools to put pressure on Costco.
Extra Credit—Justice ⚖️
On Oct. 3, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry blocked people on death row from having their cases reviewed for commutation, putting Innocence Project’s client Jimmie “Chris” Duncan and other innocent people at risk of execution. Let’s all call on Gov. John Bel Edwards to direct the board of pardons to review clemency hearings before innocent people are executed.
Call 504-608-3330 or use their call tool here (I just used it. Works great, and I left a voicemail.)
Suggested script (I shortened it):
Dear Gov. Edwards,
Please direct the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole to hold substantive clemency hearings for death row clemency applicants beginning 10/13.
You have the power to prevent innocent people from being executed on death row like Innocence Project client Jimmy "Chris" Duncan. Please do so. Thanks.
Spread the Word! 📣
One of my readers forwarded me this great piece on how best to message the war in Ukraine to skeptics. I found it helpful—-you may, too!
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥!
September broke heat records in a frightening way. The climate crisis is real, and it’s upon us. If we’re going to transition off of fossil fuels—and we must, swiftly—we must also tackle our addiction to plastic.
This article about the shocking amount of plastic currently being used for our personal hygiene products—and containing ways we can start phasing it out—is short and, I think, worth the read. With one or two exceptions my family no longer buys toiletries in plastic packaging, so I’m living proof that it can be done. And it feels great to know that we’re not adding (much) to plastic pollution!
Speaking of going plastic-free, Dropps, the excellent company from whom I purchase my plastic-free laundry and dishwasher detergent pods, just sent me a special offer. It’s a referral link that gets anyone who uses it 40% off of their first purchase. Full disclosure: I will get a discount off of my next purchase if you use the link. But I don’t care either way—I just thought 40% off seemed like a great deal for you. And for whatever it’s worth I do love their products.
Win Races! 🗳
Reminder: If you have friends who want to help us win elections I have created a few easy resource docs for you to share:
All the postcarding campaigns I know of are here,
All the Virginia-related volunteer opportunities I know of are here,
All of the Ohio-related volunteer opportunities I know of (for the pro-choice ballot measure) are here.
I’ve made it easy for folks to help—please ask them to!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[to all 3 reps] [H/T][Text SIGN PMVARO to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
As your constituent, I am urging you to stand up to the special interests, reject any and all legislation that seeks to handicap the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and take a strong and public stance in favor of protecting this crucial agency.
For over a decade now, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has protected U.S. consumers from financial abuse after unscrupulous Wall Street banks drove millions of Americans down the road to financial ruin in the Great Recession. They’ve put more than $17.5 BILLION back into the pockets of American consumers – which is likely why the CFPB enjoys such broad levels of public support across party lines.
Subjecting the CFPB’s funding to the fluctuations of Congress is a horrible idea that will turn consumer protection into a political football, and undermine the reliability and credibility of the only federal agency dedicated to protecting regular Americans – your constituents – against the predatory practices of the financial industry.
I urge you to think of the millions of Americans who have found resolution from predatory practices, reject any legislation that would undermine this critical agency, and come out publicly with a strong statement in support of the CFPB. Thanks!
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Thank you for the article on Ukraine. We really need to articulate this one. I ran across a comment the other day in one of the blogs I follow that was down on aid to Ukraine. Almost nobody likes war. Most people prefer to live in a mostly peaceful society. But you cannot turn a blind eye to bullies bent on taking over countries to serve their own ambitions. Timothy Snyder has an excellent breakdown of the cost of aid to Ukraine relative to the rest of the military budget. It is very small. Rhetorical question: if these Republican voters are so distrustful of politicians, why in the world do they continue to elect and support some of the most corrupt and incompetent ones in Washington?
This is the graph I have waited on the Democrats to create. Why have they not?
Brilliant Jessica.