Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/11
Candles of hope 🕯️
Hi, all, and happy Friday,
Hope you’re all doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.
I want to thank every one of you who responded to my question yesterday about where, at this moment of great difficulty, you’re finding hope. If you haven’t had a chance to read the amazing comments that ensued I urge you to go back to yesterday’s post and do so. How inspiring, moving, and eloquent you all were!
With inhumanity everywhere, it is critical that we support and uplift each other right now. The “hopeful” comment thread turned out to be one easy way to do this. Let’s look for more!
I found yesterday’s experiment so helpful, in fact, that I will now send a similar call out every Thursday. Because it turns out that, when we look for them, there are tiny spots of hope everywhere—like candles lit in a moonless night. Each flame alone feels inconsequential, but when we light them all at once they shed enough light to carry us a bit farther down this perilous road we’re traveling.
And I thought I’d try something different but also fun today: book recommendations! I am about 50 pages away from being done with “The Powerbroker,” which, if you don’t know it, is an absolute must-read. Some of you may recall that I spent much of last year devouring Robert Caro’s Lyndon Johnson books—he is my absolute favorite author—but this one, about Robert Moses? It may be even better. It’s not only a page turner, and completely fascinating if you’ve ever lived in New York, but it contains deep insights into the kind of people who become addicted to power for power’s sake. I dare say it taught me more about politics than any other single book I’ve read. Yes, it’s huge, but oh my goodness is it divine!
So what are YOU all reading right now? What’s giving you inspiration, or teaching you something you didn’t know, or simply distracting you this summer? I’ll be leaving for my yearly Nova Scotia trip soon, and I’d love to have a couple of your recommendations to bring along!
One last thing! I’ll be doing a Substack Live with NJ gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill today at 12:15 PM PT/3:15 PM ET! Mikie and I talked during the primaries but now that she’s won I thought it was important to have her back on. I know some New Jersey readers backed different candidates for the primaries—I tried to have them all on at some point—but now that we have our pick I hope we’ll all get behind her so we can hold this seat for Team Blue!
To join us just hop on the Substack app at 12:15 PM PT/3:15 PM ET today and you’ll see the Live pop up.
OK, all. Let’s get to work!
This Week on the Practivist Pod
After a tragic week of news, Steve and I talk about devastating floods in Texas and in New Mexico, why the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” needs a new name, and how Republicans want to make Medicaid recipients work in the fields. Then Steve has a conversation about how we can reach voters in red and purple states—and also why he voted against impeachment!— with CA Congressman, Ro Khanna. Here is a link to listen now.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I know the Senate is going to be voting on Trump’s rescissions package soon. I urge the Senator to vote no. The cuts the Trump administration has already made are devastating our country. The USAID cuts, furthermore, are killing people. We cannot keep slashing at our funding this way. Absolutely vote no on this package.
I also want the Senator to vote no on Emil Bove’s nomination to be a federal judge. He is dangerous and unfit; the more we learn about him the more clear this becomes. Vote no. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I understand that the Trump administration wants to gut funding for the Government Accountability Office. This is a horrible idea. The GAO plays a vital role in providing independent oversight and accountability for the federal government. Gutting its budget would undermine Congress's ability to identify waste, fraud, and inefficiencies. I urge the Congressmember to reject proposals undermining this vital watchdog and instead leverage its expertise to enhance accountability and defend the public purse. Thank you!
Get Smart on Making Donations! 💸
On Monday, July 14 at 5:30 pm Pacific, Swing Left San Gabriel Valley will once again host me as I talk to all of you about making strategic political donations, how to get the biggest bang for our buck and common mistakes left-leaning donors make. Please join us, and invite a friend or two as well.
Get Smart—TEXAS! 📚
I’m sure you’ve all heard about Gov. Abbott’s sneaky redistricting plan in Texas. All on the Line is holding a “Rapid Response Texas: All On The Line Redistricting Training” next Thursday from 8-9PM CT. Please consider attending if you’re in Texas.
If you’re not please share with anyone you know who may be interested.
Give 💰!
This was a comment from yesterday and I’m posting it here. I thought it would be nice if we could help this reader’s new Indivisible group out!
In very RED Brevard County, FL, I started an Indivisible chapter in February which garnered 12 first-meeting attendees. Today we have a list of over 300 members. And yesterday, we received a much-needed $100 donation to support our efforts! If anyone wants to fan the flames of our fledgling pro-democracy group, please donate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indivisiblepb1323187942
Get in the Streets! 🪧
The John Lewis day of action, “Good Trouble Lives On,” is coming! Have you figured out where you’re going to be yet? If not go here to do so!
Win Races! 🗳
You guys! My friend and fellow activist Erin Miller started a new postcarding project called Cartoons For Democracy and it is BRILLIANT! Please read the post about it and consider writing some postcards with them! This is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking we need!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T
] [Text SIGN PJJGCJ to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram](Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
The Government Accountability Office plays a vital role in providing independent oversight and accountability for the federal government. Gutting the Government Accountability Office's budget would undermine Congress's ability to identify waste, fraud, and inefficiencies across the federal government. As your nonpartisan watchdog, GAO has consistently delivered immense returns by rooting out overspending and ineffective programs. In 2024 alone, GAO identified $67.5 billion in potential savings and efficiencies – a staggering $76 return for every $1 invested in the agency.
Some key examples of GAO's impact include saving $13.4 billion by prompting HHS to update data used for Medicaid demonstration projects, halting a $12 billion nuclear waste facility to avoid $6 billion in further costs, preventing $4.8 billion in improper Defense payments, eliminating $3.8 billion in duplicative missile tracking systems, and blocking $2.1 billion in fraudulent pandemic business loans. Overall, agencies implementing GAO's recommendations from 2011-2025 have yielded $725 billion in savings for taxpayers.
GAO's annual reviews pinpointing fragmentation, overlap, and duplication provide a blueprint to streamline spending across IT systems, weapon programs, construction projects and more – with potential savings over $100 billion. Implementing outstanding proposals could eliminate wasteful expenditures and redirect funds to more effective services.
At a time of soaring deficits and record debt levels, preserving this independent oversight is crucial to reining in overspending and upholding fiscal responsibility. Degrading GAO's resources would be counterproductive, shielding government inefficiency from scrutiny while burdening taxpayers.
I urge you to reject proposals undermining this vital watchdog and instead leverage its expertise to enhance accountability and defend the public purse.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I lost all my books in the Palisades Fire. It's been a struggle for me to read. My child and I were at Target the other day and I found Mary Oliver's book called "Devotions" which is a collection of her poems. I read several a night. It brings me back to nature, back to the the parts of my soul that I need.
I'm reading (well on last pages) The Serviceberry, Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. While it IS about serviceberry trees, it's much more about a good way to live, a social system based on a gift economy...like the serviceberry tree, we use what we need, and give (not sell at a profit) the rest to others and in one way or another it all comes back to us. One of the comments she makes about serviceberries is "part of my delight comes from their unexpected presence". Many of us are making an unexpected presence both for our neighbors, for folks we don't know and beside other protestors as we march. I imagine people in communities under attack by ICE are delighted and surprised by our presence, even if it is only monetary. Let's all continue to work to be the delight of an unexpected presence for others!