Chop Wood, Carry Water 2/11

We have the voters.

art by Ruchita Bait from @amplifierart

Hi, all and happy Friday!

I apologize for running late this morning— I gave an Activism 101 workshop to a lovely group of folks on the East Coast at 9AM and it’s pushed everything else back a bit.

Speaking of Activism 101, ‘tis the season for it again! 🎉

For those who haven’t taken it, Activism 101 is a one-hour workshop I put together before the 2020 elections. It’s designed to give newer-to-activism folks easy ways to help us win races. It’s part survey course, part training, part pep talk, (and part therapy session 😂); at the end I give participants a link to a google doc—one I’ll be updating all year—with places to postcard, write letters, phonebank, canvass, register voters, and give money strategically.

I did over 50 of these free workshops in 2020, and I expect to do even more this year. I’ll present one for any group of 6 or more, pretty much at any agreed-upon time. I just want the information out there!

Why? Because WE CAN WIN IN NOVEMBER! We have the voters, we have the policies, we have the demographics, we have the good candidates, we have the field game. And more!

We just need to do the work to turn those voters out. That’s what Activism 101 is all about.

So write me back if you want to set one up—I’ll do it for your friends, your book club, your fishing pals…you name it.

OK, all. Let’s get to work making our calls, sending our letters, and generally showing our patriotism through our democracy-loving actions.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. A brand new online publication, Bolts, launched this week. I’m VERY excited. Covering the “nuts and bolts of power and political change, from the local up,” it’s well worth subscribing to. REMEMBER STEVE BANNON!! Also? It has a fantastic resource doc called “Who Runs Our Elections?” that everyone should check out. (Bannon already has. 🤨)

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

First, I want the Senator to vote yes on S. 1720, the Postal Service Reform Act, when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote. And also please ask the Senator to demand that Louis DeJoy stop the purchase of 160,000 gas-powered trucks for the USPS and go with electric vehicles instead. We’re in a climate emergency.

Also, I’m glad to hear that the Violence Against Women Act could soon pass, but dismayed to learn that Republicans are insisting on excluding a provision that would close the “boyfriend loophole.” Women are as likely to be killed by dating partners as by spouses. Use the Violence Against Women Act to close the boyfriend loophole now please. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here)

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

I want the Congressmember to do everything in his/her power to pass legislation that bans members of Congress from buying or selling individual stocks while they’re in office. This is a bipartisan issue that the majority of Americans support—and s/he should too. Thanks. [H/T]

Extra Credit ✅

Post this on social please.

Want to stop #LouisDeJoy from sabotaging our climate progress by buying 165K new gas-powered trucks for the #USPS? Here’s a toolkit with a few *really* easy actions. We need to #electrifyeverything—not buy a new fleet of gas guzzlers!

https://tinyurl.com/electrifyuspstrucks

Also? #FireDeJoy!

Get Smart! 📚

Join Indivisible South Peninsula this Sunday, February 13th, 1:00 PM PST, for a one-hour webinar, “Understanding the Threats to the 2022 and 2024 Elections and What We Can Do,” featuring Alexandra Chandler from Protect Democracy.

Chandler will outline the core threats to U.S. election integrity and how they will change the playing field compared to 2020, and she will speak to how ordinary citizens and civil society groups can form alliances, take action to reduce the risk of an election crisis, and join the fight to preserve democracy itself. This talk will be moderated by Bruce Hahne, and co-sponsored by Indivisible San Jose, Silicon Valley Courageous Resistance, Orchard City Indivisible and Indivisible Sonoma County.

Sign up for the event here.

Win Races! 🗳

Are you wondering how you can help Democrats win in 2022? Where you should focus for the biggest impact? Whether what you're doing is enough? You have another chance to hear David Pepper—this time at one of his new zoom “pep rallies!”

Pepper, former Ohio Democratic Party Chair and author of Laboratories of Autocracy, will hold pep talk/strategy sessions on Tuesday, February 15 and Thursday, February 17). These are really supposed to be great. I for sure will be attending.

Sign up here and he will email registration information to you.

Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)

[to all 3 reps] [H/T]

On everything from combating the opioid epidemic to strengthening our schools to improving veterans’ health care, it’s critical that Congress pass an omnibus appropriations bill by February 18th with updated funding to ensure our families and communities are receiving the support they need from the federal government.

Since 2010, 68% of programs of importance to people with low and moderate incomes have seen their funding cut, taking inflation into account.

I urge you to take immediate action to increase investments in education, housing, child welfare services, job training, nutrition, home heating and cooling for people with low incomes, and more.

A failure to do so is directly hurting our communities. Thank you.

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OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk Monday.

Jess