Chop Wood, Carry Water 10/7 🔥
Hi, all, and happy Friday!
See above for your weekend anthem! (Sorry for excluding you, male-identifying subscribers. But I still think you’ll enjoy it.) Thanks to the reader who sent it!
What an incredible week it’s been. There’s been awful news, as always, but honestly I’ve mostly been busy doing, not reading. When you’re at phonebanks, which I have been every day this week, or writing letters to voters, or attending webinars with incredible people, it’s a little hard to get discouraged.
Last night, for example, I got to sit in on (half of) Airlift’s incredible presentation about Worker Power in Arizona and Carolina Federation in North Carolina. Hearing about the work these organizations are doing fills me with awe. If you have any money at all to throw at them you can do so at the hyperlinks above. These folks are literally saving our country one canvass at a time. They deserve anything we can give.
I missed Robert Hubbell’s talk at the end of the event, alas, but I’m sure it was wonderful as always; again, I share his sentiment that being at meetings like this with so many kind and determined people is a real antidote to despair.
Fortunately, there are many more such opportunities in the days and weeks ahead. Tomorrow I’m driving to Palmdale to canvass for Christy Smith, and I expect to be inspired all over again by the number of people who show up. If you’re local won’t you join us?
Regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, I’m very, very grateful to see people everywhere working their hearts out to help us win.
We need to leave it all on the field, and that’s what we’re doing. Bravo!
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
In light of the Saudi decision to cut our oil supply I’d like to make two comments: first, it’s past time for us to stop treating this brutal dictatorship with kid gloves. The US should immediately suspend all US military weapons sales, assistance and regional intelligence with the Saudis. And the Senate should pass S 977, the NOPEC Act (the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act) during the lame duck session, as Senator Durbin just called for. This bill would empower the U.S. Department of Justice to file an antitrust lawsuit against OPEC for trying to control oil production or to affect crude prices. It’s long past overdue.
Finally, we should be doing everything in our power to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels—depending on them will not only destroy our futures, but will always force us to make unacceptable concessions to terrible governments. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
In light of the Saudi decision to cut our oil supply I’d like to make two comments: first, it’s past time for us to stop treating this brutal dictatorship with kid gloves. The US should immediately suspend all US military weapons sales, assistance and regional intelligence with the Saudis. And the House should pass HR 2393, the NOPEC Act (the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act) during the lame duck session. This bill would empower the U.S. Department of Justice to file an antitrust lawsuit against OPEC for trying to control oil production or to affect crude prices. It’s long past overdue.
Finally, we should be doing everything in our power to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels—depending on them will not only destroy our futures, but will always force us to make unacceptable concessions to terrible governments. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
I’m a big fan of Labor Lab. Their tagline is “Protecting and promoting the right to unionize,” and they’re working hard to illuminate politicians, corporations, and operatives working to stop workers from doing so.
They have asked me to sign this petition, and they never do that, so I am forwarding it on. It’s so in the weeds I don’t fully understand it but it sounds important.
They say:
If you think union-busting consultants shouldn’t be able to hide who is paying them, please sign our petition asking the Department of Labor to rescind the Form-21 Special Enforcement Policy. The Form-21 Special Enforcement Policy allows anti-union consultants and employers to hide their work from the public. That needs to change.
Spread the word! 📣
Republicans have apparently just introduced a bill to REPEAL the drug pricing decreases in the Inflation Reduction Act (!!! 🤯) We need to amplify it widely.
Please retweet this or share the article and caption on your preferred social media platform.
Get Smart! 📚
This sounds INCREDIBLE!
99% of what's on the ballot this year are local & state races. Tomorrow, Be The Ones is hosting Vote Local Day (free, virtual, nonpartisan) to share stories of progress at the local level and give YOU information and tools needed to vote in critical local races and make informed decisions that impact your community beyond the ballot box. Most of the discussions are through the lens of reproductive justice and voting access. It's FREE, virtual and the panels are ~20 minutes. Come and go as you are able/interested. See the powerful panels, learn more and sign up by clicking here. You can see more about the event on their Instagram.
TOMORROW (SATURDAY) October 8th. Starting at 11am EST.
Schedule and registration link is on their website.
Recruit Letter Writers!!
Y’all, every letter writing campaign I know of needs more writers desperately. To make it easier to recruit people to do this work I’ve listed every letter-writing campaign I know of in one document. Please feel free to share it with anyone you know who’s looking for an easy and effective way to help. These letters are so quick to do, and even signing up for 5 more from any of these campaigns will help move the needle.
The document is at: https://tinyurl.com/letters22.
Win Races! 🗳
Speaking of inspiration, I just got off another call with the Environmental Voter Project, and I have to say, again, that I think they are one of the most effective, smart, and incredible organizations out there. I am SO committed to helping them, as their approach is date-backed, brilliant, and strategic. I hope you will find a way to help them, too.
They are running LOADS of phonebanks (also canvasses and postcarding campaigns) into key states right now. These calls are all targeted at known environmentalists who don’t vote in midterm elections. The phonebanks are easy, and the script is a no-brainer. Mostly you’ll leave messages. Once you’re trained you can call on your own time ANY time!
Please find a phonebank and sign up. Your time could hardly be better spent. (EVP also needs and deserves donations. You can give here.)
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to President Biden] [H/T Save the Post Office Coalition] [Quick send: text SIGN PYTPQF to 50409]
It’s October! Less than two months away from the expiration of Donald “Lee” Moak and William Zollars’ terms on the USPS Board of Governors. There has been talk of your Administration reappointing Moak for an additional one year term, and I am writing to say NO WAY!
Lee Moak falls short of the high bar needed to save the United States Postal Service for three main reasons:
His support for Postmaster General (PMG) Louis DeJoy, who should be fired.
His ties to a dirty Trump White House ethics lawyer.
His complete lack of postal experience.
For months, concerned Americans have been calling for the nomination of public interest-minded candidates that have postal and/or labor experience, have the time to commit to serving in the best interests of the postal workforce and the nation, and represent the demographics of the postal service workers and the nation (the current majority white, majority male board composition falls short). Moak just doesn't fit the bill, and he needs to go. Full Stop.
Your Administration should take its pick from the experienced and committed experts ready and willing to serve the best interests of the postal workforce and the nation starting on day one. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk Monday. Have a great weekend!
Jess
It seems inflation and the economy are major issues in this campaign season. Here’s an idea:
The Dems should flood, absolutely flood, every media with the inflation numbers for countries around the world with message being that inflation is a worldwide issue for the integrated worldwide economy.
The US, and the President in particular, didn’t cause this worldwide inflation and can only do a little to help control it in the US. Biden has been doing what he can. The Dems in Congress have been doing what they can without help from the R’s which is being withheld.
It is sophistry to try to blame this on the Dems, but the Dems need to shout this out loud.
Does anyone know if you need to log in somewhere and mark Postcards For Swing States postcards “prepared” like you do for vote forward? Or do I just send on the day?