Hi, all, and happy Thursday.
I went to an utterly inspiring webinar with Eric Holder yesterday. If you haven’t yet signed up with his organization All on the Line I beg you to do so now. Their whole mission is to stop partisan gerrymandering, or, as the webpage says, “to restore fairness to our democracy and ensure every American has an equal say in our government.” A noble goal, indeed. If only more of our elected officials shared it. 😑
I learned a lot at the meeting—too much to summarize here—but one small, critical takeaway I thought I’d share with you is that when talking about gerrymandering and fair maps the word “redistricting” is to be avoided. When people hear it their minds immediately shut. This makes it very hard to get them to pay attention to or participate in anything having to do with it. We are supposed to use the phrase “community districting” instead. Read more about why here. It’s a bit in the weeds, but messaging is EVERYTHING, and paying attention to it can only help us further our critically important goals.
Speaking of which, if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive on this subject email me and let me know. I can’t post links to these events here, as they’re supposed to be for movement leaders only, but I can get interested parties in after ensuring they’re not spies. 😉
OK. It’s a busy week. Let’s get to work.
P.S.— One more thing. If you are a veteran I know the news coming out of Kabul today must be extremely devastating and hard to process. I hope you’ll be extra gentle with yourself today. Please know that we are holding you and your fellow servicemembers in our hearts and thoughts.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, please tell the Senator that I oppose Rahm Emmanuel’s nomination as Ambassador to Japan. His poor track record on racial justice and past efforts to undermine the party's progressive wing make him a bad choice.
Second, I want the Senator to vocally support David Chipman for ATF Director. The fact that this agency has had no official leadership for years while the US has had a raging gun violence epidemic is unacceptable. He must be confirmed immediately. And please ask the Senator to put pressure on any colleagues blocking this confirmation, like Angus King and Joe Manchin. Thanks.
One last thing: please ask the Senator to vote in support of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act. Protecting our freedom to vote needs to be their top priority. Thanks. [If Dem add:] I 100% support abolishing or reforming the filibuster to get this done, and so should they.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I'm calling to urge the Congressmember to support H.R. 3824, the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act. Updating SSI's payment amounts and eligibility requirements will provide a lifeline to millions of older adults and people with disabilities while eliminating outdated SSI rules that perpetuate cycles of poverty and increase administrative costs. Thanks. [H/T]
Extra Credit
Remember our Shut Down Berks calls from last week? (If not, watch this under-a-minute explainer.) Lots of us couldn’t leave a voicemail for Angela Kelly because she hadn’t set one up yet (I have a sneaking suspicion that was actually her cell number). Fortunately I got an email address for her!
You can personalize and send a pre-written email to her by simply clicking here.
Important reminders:
1) You have to finish the sentence "I’m someone who cares deeply about the fair treatment of aspiring Americans because_____.” Please do not forget to do this!
2) If you click on this link using your phone you’ll have to get rid of line breaks that look like this <BR> by erasing them & making them into actual line breaks.
And if you’re new to CWCW and haven’t made the other calls yet please do! Here’s all the info.
Text Out the Vote! 💻
Activate America has kindly added texting to its offerings for fighting the CA recall. They do it Tuesdays and Fridays. Personally, I find phone banking easier, but if you prefer to not talk to people voice to voice, here’s your chance. They have to reach two million voters.
Sign up here. Yes, they’ll train you. 🥰
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)
[To your DEMOCRATIC reps] [H/T]
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass big, bold legislation through reconciliation to create a fair and inclusive economy, and I expect Congress to ensure the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share in that bill.
Any effort to water down President Biden’s tax proposals undermines the priorities that Democrats are united behind - investments in climate action, health care, child care, paid leave, and more. And Biden’s tax proposals should be considered the floor, not the ceiling. You should be fighting as hard as possible to make sure that we don’t waste this chance to enact truly progressive tax legislation and support our communities. That means:
Raising taxes on the wealthiest individuals,
Making sure that multinational corporations can’t hide their income oversees or use loopholes to pay less in taxes than even their own workers,
Taxing wealth like work so Wall Street investors and the 1% pay their fair share,
Actually enforcing tax laws so the super rich and corporations stop cheating the public by dodging taxes,
Closing the stepped-up basis loophole that allows the wealthy to avoid paying taxes on investment gains for their entire lives,
Going further than Biden’s proposals to include things like a wealth tax, a financial transactions tax, or other progressive ideas to address the crisis of wealth inequality we are facing.
I want you to be pushing for more ambitious plans, cracking down on wealthy tax cheats, and making sure that those at the top are paying into the system. An inclusive recovery depends on it. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess