Chop Wood, Carry Water 8/31 📕
Hi, all, and happy Thursday!
In the last 24 hours we’ve seen a bevy of breaking news headlines with different details but a single general theme: lawless MAGAs are being held accountable. Good! These victories won’t solve all of our problems, but they go a long way in providing justice and, one hopes, a small measure of deterrence to future would-be insurrectionists. That’s as it should be. I’ve said before that we have no control over how these various court cases go, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t applaud when they go as they should!
Our main job, though, is to keep chipping away at the problems we do have some control over, so let’s get to our calls and letters before the day gets away from us. Remember, to quote Nick Fury:
A man [or woman, or nonbinary person] can accomplish anything when he realizes he is a part of something bigger. A team of people who share that conviction can change the world.
You are a part of something bigger: the effort to save the planet and democracy, simultaneously. That’s a tall order.
But together we’re taller. Never forget it.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I want the Senator to vote to confirm President Biden’s nominee for the National Labor Relations Board, Gwynne Wilcox, without delay. [H/T and More Perfect Union petition]
Second, I just read that libraries across the country are seeing a sharp increase in bomb threats. Just this month it’s happened in Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, and California. These threats are, of course, connected to right-wing rhetoric around libraries and librarians. Each of them is a federal crime, and each of them is horrific. I want to know what Congress is going to do about this. Our libraries—and those who work in or use them—need to be protected. Those making these threats need to be stopped. This is a threat to our first amendment rights, to our children, and to everyday Americans who are simply trying to do their jobs. Please let me know how the Senator plans to address it. Thanks. [H/T and more info]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling because I just read that libraries across the country are seeing a sharp increase in bomb threats. Just this month it’s happened in Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, and California. These threats are, of course, connected to right-wing rhetoric around libraries and librarians. Each of them is a federal crime, and each of them is horrific. I want to know what Congress is going to do about this. Our libraries—and those who work in or use them—need to be protected. Those making these threats need to be stopped. This is a threat to our first amendment rights, to our children, and to everyday Americans who are simply trying to do their jobs. Please let me know how the Congressmember plans to address it. Thanks.[H/T and more info]
Extra Credit ✅
Excellent news for those of you who’ve been asking me for an action around the 14th amendment!
Resistbot has rolled out a new prompt for it—you can now text 14th to 50409 (or to @Resistbot on iMessage or Facebook messenger) and it will automatically send this letter to your state elections official demanding that they abide by the 14th amendment and keep Trump off of the ballot. And don’t worry if Resistbot tells you there is a “traffic jam—” it’ll text you back when it’s ready for you. It’s a popular feature. 😉
Get Smart! 📚
Robert Hubbell (of
) and I are co-hosting an event on September 7th to which I urge you to come. It’s a fundraiser and information session for SPAN, the State Party Advancement Network.SPAN’s goal is basically to help state Democratic parties be more effective. Those of us living in states with weak parties know what a handicap it is, while those of you living in states with well-run parties know it’s a game changer. SPAN aims to make more parties, well, great! They do this very effectively.
Ben Wikler, the chair of WisDems, will be speaking, as well as Lavora Barnes, Chair of the MI Dems, and Martha Laning, the founder of SPAN and the former chair of WisDems. Robert and I will both say a few words, too.
This is an event you won’t want to miss, and you don’t have to give any money unless you’re moved to. Register here, and bring a friend!
Give 💰 / Save the Planet! 🔥
The folks at Climate Action Now are holding a Go Fund Me to try to raise money to keep their app running and help spread the word about it. You know how much I love the work they do, so if you have any money at all to kick in it’s an excellent cause.
Please go to their GoFundMe page, learn how your dollars can make a difference, and donate if you can.
Win Races! 🗳
Election Day in Virginia is around the corner!
Virginians start voting on September 22nd, so Sister District wants to make sure that every “target voter” (as in already identified supporter) in their candidates’ districts makes a plan to vote. Phonebanks are pretty much every day between now and Election Day. I called yesterday—it was a blast! Can we all please sign up for a shift?
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PBJBHP to 50409]
Life expectancy in the United States is decreasing. So why are Republican politicians trying to increase the retirement age for young people?
Presidential candidates Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have all publicly said they want to make today’s young people retire later than their parents. And Donald Trump proposed cuts to Social Security in each budget that he released as president. Apparently some Republicans would rather people pay into Social Security their whole lives and then accept less than their parents in retirement. That’s unacceptable.
If millionaires and billionaires paid in to Social Security at the same rate that we do, we could afford to INCREASE benefits for current AND future retirees. Right now, American workers only pay into Social Security on their first $160,200 in wages. We need to scrap the payroll tax cap and make the folks with huge salaries pay their fair share into Social Security.
Americans already work longer than citizens of many other countries. We are the richest country in the world, at the richest point in its history. Now is not the time to ask a factory worker to sacrifice―it’s time to demand sacrifice from Wall Street CEOs. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I know you put this out on August 29th, but could you give the Environmental Voter Project’s fundraiser another plug? I think it’s tremendous that they provide postcards to everybody! Here’s the language from 8/29. Thanks!
Environmental Voter Project is holding their big annual fundraiser on September 12th at 8PM ET, and I encourage you to save the date and attend if you can. (No donation is necessary to do so.) I LOVE this organization and think the work they’re doing is critical.
At this event you’ll learn about EVP’s latest voter turnout work and hear from their special guest speaker: Indigenous climate activist and policy expert, Jade Begay.
Register here.
Also, you can donate here if you are unable to attend or would like to make an early contribution.
We need a little nuance and less demagogic language about Social Security in order to have a realistic solution for changes for a wonderful program started in the 1930s when half of us were dead by age 65. The nature of "work" has changed drastically, by and large far less physically demanding. Though Covid reduced life expectancy at birth by 1.9 years, it is currently 77.0 years. Our birth rate has fallen well below replacement of 2.1/1000 fertile females. The concept of "retirement" as disappearing and doing nothing has changed to working because we want to, often as volunteers and unpaid caregivers and part timers.
My bias: I worked to age 75 and was required to start receiving Social Security at age 65 as taxable income. Now the law provides for 1. early social security payments at a lower amount and 2 delayed payments at a higher amount, which is as it should be; payments indexed to CPI inflation. The time at which if is easiest to take less money OUT of the Social Security Fund is to delay starting to receive it. Who notices a one month delay? And that is when the fund has the biggest benefit. Delaying benefits by one month each year would be imperceptible individually and enormous benefit collectively, Also removing the cap on wages taxed would make the Social Security System sound even with a smaller work force and a larger number of retiree/recipients. Old folks are remaining healthier and productive longer and contributing greatly to society.
It cost far more to raise and educate and civilize us from birth to 30 than to care for us from 70 to death. This is a desirable goal for civilization. We should have a program for a sound and reliable Social Security that young people can rely on as well as seniors rather than treating it as a political 'third rail". Thankfully we have put to bed the talk of "privatize" social security.