Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/28
Hi, all, and happy Thursday!
I’m about to hop onto a call with the White House—Anita Dunn specifically—to get an update on the shutdown and I don’t want to multitask while that’s going on. So my “pep talk,” such as it is, is simply to quote one of my favorites, Marcus Aurelius:
“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.”
That’s what we’re trying to do here. But I’d add that the third rule is:
“Then, if you can, do something about it.”
And we can! So let’s get to work.
P.S. —Ooh the call started and I just found out there’s a brand new webpage whitehouse.gov/extremerepublicanshutdown with all kinds of info on the impacts of a shutdown. Please share!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling to say there must not be a government shutdown. Republicans can’t hold our entire government hostage to get extreme cuts and policies that most Americans don’t want. That isn’t democracy and it isn’t leadership. Americans are counting on Congress—especially Republicans, as they have the majority—to pass a Continuing Resolution that keeps spending levels at the amounts President Biden and Kevin McCarthy agreed on in May. No poison pills. No cuts in funding to Ukraine or disaster assistance. No cuts to WIC or SNAP! Keep the government open! Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to say there must not be a government shutdown. Republicans can’t hold our entire government hostage to get extreme cuts and policies that most Americans don’t want. That isn’t democracy and it isn’t leadership. Americans are counting on Congress—especially Republicans, as they have the majority—to pass a Continuing Resolution that keeps spending levels at the amounts President Biden and Kevin McCarthy agreed on in May. No poison pills. No cuts in funding to Ukraine or disaster assistance. No cuts to WIC or SNAP! Keep the government open! Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
[H/T SURJ]
Ta'Kiya Young was a pregnant, black single mother of two who was murdered on August 24 by Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb in the parking lot of a grocery store. Blendon Township is a small police department with 15 officers, located in three small "islands" in the cities of Columbus and its bordering suburb of Westerville, Ohio. This PD is governed by a board of 3 trustees with the power to fire any of their officers. Let’s send them an email at:
JHEICHEL@BLENDONTWP.ORG, JIM.WELCH@BLENDONTWP.ORG, CSHINABERRY@BLENDONTWP.ORG
Say something like:
To the Blendon Township Board of Trustees,
You have the power to hold Connor Grubb accountable for the murder of Ta'Kiya Young. Alleged petty theft does not justify murder as she attempted to flee. Grubb shouldn’t be on paid leave while Young’s children are mourning the loss of their mother. Ta'Kiya Young deserved due process, safety, and life. She now deserves justice for her murder.
Please fire and charge officer Connor Grubb for the murder of Ta'Kiya Young. Thanks.
[Name]
[City, State]
Get Smart! 📚
You’ll think I’m nuts for bringing up Amazon again this week, but I can’t help myself! The below piece by Matt Stoller (of the incredible
) is really worth a read if you want to understand what the case is against Amazon, why it’s strong, how Amazon has been actually forcing prices higher to subsidize Prime, and why this all matters so much.I’d even go so far as to say that if your Attorney General isn’t one of the 17 who’ve joined this lawsuit it would be good to contact them and ask them to get on board. (The states involved in the case so far are CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NH, NM, NV, NY, OK, OR, PA, RI, and WI.)
Finally, for my friends who rely on Amazon deliveries: even should Amazon lose this lawsuit, its delivery services won’t change. Amazon will just be stopped from crushing third party sellers. It will be a win win, I swear!
Chop Wood, Save the Planet! 🔥
This is a good, short video from More Perfect Union explaining what the American Climate Corps is. After you watch the video, you might feel inspired to sign up yourself -- or send to tell someone you know about it so they can sign up.
You can learn more about how you can join the American Climate Corps, and sign up if you’re interested, by clicking here.
Give 💰!
Y’all, one of my subscribers—one of YOU, in other words—is running in Penn-Delco (in Pennsylvania) for a school board seat! Her name is Sarah Kurpel and her website is kurpel.com.
According to her “It's a wacky SB election cycle in a red but starting to emerge purple district.”
I know I’ve been posting a lot of donation opportunities here recently, but if you happen to have anything to spare let’s support one of our own who’s stepped up to run for one of these all-important seats! Or if you live in the area please consider signing up to volunteer! We need to encourage this kind of thing every way we can!
Win Races! 🗳
Today I’ll be at two phonebanks—why? Because EVERYTHING is on the line!
I’m attending a Sister Distric phonebank into VA at 1:00PM PT / 4PM ET. Can you join me? They’ll train you! Sign up here.
If not, I’ll also be at a phonebank into Kentucky at 3 PM PT. (I can only stay for the first hour.) These SURJ phonebanks are incredible. We’re calling to help re-elect Andy Beshear, but it’s a more deep-canvassing approach than normal, and I find it really powerful. They will train you, of course. Sign up here.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[to all 3 reps] [Text SIGN PFVLFS to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER] [H/T]
As your constituent, I am urging you to prioritize both WIC and child care in the upcoming continuing resolution -- and keep the government running.
In a few days, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that helped to stabilize the child care industry will expire, which could leave 3.2 million children without child care. This will have a disproportionate impact on families in rural communities, families with low-incomes, families headed by single parents, and BIPOC families.
In addition, the WIC program needs more funding to ensure states, faced with funding uncertainty and increased demand, don’t start to turn eligible new parents and young children away or place them on waiting lists. Congress must pass a clean CR ASAP and include additional funding for WIC and child care in their CR package.
President Biden has already requested additional funding for WIC to address funding shortfalls for the full fiscal year. You must fulfill his request and provide an additional $16 billion per year in emergency child care funding.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Love that and thank you!
It is very important that we support Sarah Kurpel in her race for School Board in Pennsylvania. To understand why go to this webpage where Run For Something outlines their 2024 plan to focus on school board races in all 50 states in 2024 and beyond, to counteract Republican’s attempts to control all school boards, and thus all education in the US. Critically important!!!
https://runforsomething.net/50stateschoolboard/