doingsomethingaboutit

[doingsomethingaboutit]

What have I been up to? Well, you may see someone you recognize at the 0:50 mark in the video above ... :)

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Format for Calling Your Reps

[Copy+Pasted]

Helpful advice for anyone making calls to Senators, from a person who used to work on Capitol Hill as the person in charge of all the incoming phone calls to my Senator's office. I have some insider tips to make calling your reps easier and quicker.

1. Give your name, city, and zip code, and say "I don't need a response." That way, they can quickly confirm you are a constituent, and that they can tally you down without taking the time to input you into a response database.

2. PLEASE ONLY CALL YOUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES! Your tally will not be marked down unless you can rattle off a city and zip from the state, or are calling from an in-state area code. I know you really want to give Mitch McConnell a piece of your mind, but your call will be ignored unless you can provide a zip from Kentucky. And don't try to make this up; I could often tell who was lying before I even picked up the phone from the caller ID. Exceptions to this are things like Paul Ryan's ACA poll.

3. State the issue, state your position. "I am opposed to a ban on Muslims entering the US." "I am in favor of stricter gun control legislation including background checks." "I am in favor of the Affordable Care Act." That's it. That's all we write down so we can get a tally of who is in favor, who is against. It doesn't matter WHY you hold that opinion. The more people calling, the less detail they write down. Help them out by being simple and direct.

4. Please be nice! The people answering the phones on Capitol Hill already had the hardest job in DC and some of the lowest pay as well, and for a month now their jobs have become absolute murder, with nonstop calls for 9 hours every day. Thank them for their hard work answering the phones, because without them our Senators could not represent us.

What does this sound like?

"Hi, my name is Mark, I'm a constituent from Seattle, zip code 98***, I don't need a response. I am opposed to any ban on Muslims entering the United States and I encourage the Senator to please oppose implementation of any such ban. Thanks for your hard work answering the phones!"

This is how I wish every caller had phrased their message. It makes it easier for the people answering the phones and takes less time and emotion than a long script. I know that you want to say why, but keeping it short and sweet helps the office answer more calls per hour, meaning more people get heard. The bigger the tally, the more powerful our voice.

Also, when you're reading off the same script as 100 other callers that day... well...they can tell.

Pick one issue each day, use this format (I am in favor of _____ or I oppose ______), and call your 2 Senators and 1 Representative on their DC and State Office lines, and you'll be on your way to being heard."

[doingsomethingaboutit]

Words of Wisdom for the Newbie Activist

Feeling a little overwhelmed with all the different terrible political things happening this week. The hose has now become a geyser. Two friends reached out with some words of wisdom that made me feel better and helped me figure out a better, more sane game plan. 

One friend, whose whole career has revolved around legislation, said:

The strategy is one of shock and awe. The goal is to overwhelm any opposition and render in ineffective, demoralized, disenchanted, and disengaged. 

The Republican Party set this process in place in 1968, with Nixon's Southern Strategy as a reaction to the Civil Rights movement and the Great Society. It was honed in the 1980s and 1990s under the guise of the "Moral Majority" and "Christian Coalition" that got people who would favor their policies in school boards and city councils, state legislatures, governor's offices, Congress, the courts and eventually, the president. This has been a long time coming, and we are naturally reacting as if in crisis. And it is a crisis in many ways. 

However, the only way to fight it from the ground up. Pick a fight, and fight hard. You are supposed to feel out of control. Exercising influence will empower you and give you more opportunities to make positive change. 

Sounds like you are mentally and physically overwhelmed. Try disconnecting for a couple hours or the evening, and do something physical like take a walk or a run. Being outside helps. Figure out how to process all the information at your own pace. I am totally serious. Make that time for yourself and take care of yourself.

Another friend, who has been a political activist for years, told me:

This is where we will need to divide and conquer. This overwhelm/distract approach is meant to shut down the opposition because it feels impossible to focus. For me, I know that I've got to settle into a couple of "lanes" of focus and try to work in a strategic way, rather than chasing every issue. It's so hard to resist, though.

Part 1: Here's my reasoning: This is where we will have to divide and conquer while staying under the bigger umbrella of civil and human rights. No one person can even follow, much less fight for, every single right that Trump is attacking. And attempting to do so, follow EVERYTHING, will exhaust the movement before it can get going. So, speaking for myself, I'm going to pick 3 (maybe go up to 5) issues that I want to focus on, the issues that I will keep up with, the subjects I'm going to engage on a daily/regular basis in some form of activism. For the rest, I'm going to list organizations that support those causes and select one from each main category to support with regular donations. If there are emergency calls to action in their areas, I'll respond, but I'll let them take the lead on those. 

Part 2: I've joined several national/international organizations, and I'm in several private activism-focused groups. From these I've decided the ones that I want to check on a daily basis, weekly, periodically, etc. From among them, I'll look for opportunities related to my top 3-5 issues. So, today there were numerous in-person protests and coordinated phone campaigns on two subjects: Trump's cabinet and ACA/Medicare changes. Since ACA is one of my top issues, as soon as I identified what my action item would be regarding ACA today, I quit looking at the rest. until this evening, when I wanted to see what the response would be. I'm still working out my own process, but if we each pick our top 3, work on those topics in a focused way, and stay woke to other areas, then the work will get done. And when there are opportunities for all of us to turn out in force, like the Women's March, or a specific call to action at a critical time, then we will all have the energy to show up and stand up.

Part 3: (lied about being 2 parts): my reptile brain is triggered by all this storm of activity--it feels like every stroke of Trump's pen is, as someone in this thread said, is a physical stab. This part of my brain is driving me to be alert to danger, be primed to act. But that part of the brain is meant for the immediacy of fight or flight, meaning, a burst of energy in the moment. We've got to balance this with our rational brain. This is a marathon, and we've got to quiet the panic and use the highest and best parts of our mind and spirit to maintain strategic, purposeful work over the long haul.

I did not make it, but I saw pictures of the turnout at [Senator] Perdue's office. About 150. Also, same number at Tom Price's office. I didn't make it because I was physically exhausted. I woke up this morning and looked like I had two black eyes, I was so wrung out. So, I took my own advice and calmed my lizard brain, took a walk, got a wheat grass shot, and got off social for the afternoon. I'm going to have to keep myself on a short leash.

Routinize your activism, build it into your schedule. Then, you can focus on it at a scheduled time, and let your focus go to other mission critical activities for the rest of the day, like working, eating, sleeping (all things I've been neglecting since Nov 9).

Just realized the perfect analogy--it's what you do in martial arts. I'm sure you've done this training--you have to get calm before engaging the fight. You have to move back and forth from an open focus state, observing everything going on with your opponent, and a laser focused state, where you move and attack precisely and effectively.

[doingsomethingaboutit]

Tips on Visiting a Member of Congress’s Office

Copy&Pasted from the Indivisible-GA 6th District site: Indivisible GA-7 visited Rep. Rob Woodall’s office today. I thought I’d share the experience and some lessons.We delivered a message that we support improving the ACA, ethics, equality and fiscal responsibility.

Lessons learned:

First thing they ask for is a list of names/signatures. Consider finding a way to deliver a written message and a list of names. (Google forms may be a good way to collect names on an issue.)

Our Rep. voted to repeal ACA 60 times and his chief of staff was dismissive of the ACA when talking to us. Ask for a district poll to gauge actual sentiment on specific issues. Ask for an ACA town hall during the Feb congressional recess. Discuss in the realm of facts and data, not opinions.

Press notices work. We had a reporter from the Gwinnett Daily Post with us. Have a written statement for them about what your group stands for and what you want from your Rep.4. It’s clear EDUCATION of the citizens on issues is needed. We are going to publish fact sheets, how it will affect people in every walk of life with ACA repeal. We’ll do our best to recruit more people on this issue.

What we accomplished:

It felt GREAT for 16 of us to go talk to our Rep’s staff. It’s cathartic. Really beats yelling at the TV.2. Our Indivisible GA-7 group are 211 people that don’t know one another well yet. Every get-together is a chance to make new meaningful friendships.

Live and learn. We learned a lot from interacting with our Rep’s chief of staff today. He used our own words against us and was argumentative a bit in how he steered the conversations. Staying on message is a learned skill and we’ll get better every time.

We did Facebook Live Video from the meeting so the 16 in attendance could share the feeling with the 211 online. It was great! Try it, if only for a few minutes.

Hope these tips are helpful for everyone.

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Will getting involved with the Democratic Party in GA do anything? Apparently, yes.

Last Tuesday, I got to attend the GA North Fulton Democratic Party meeting. As expected, the turnout was huge and the leaders mentioned that they are not used to so many people showing up, so that was very encouraging! At the meeting, I got to meet fellow liberals and progressives in my district and even some potential candidates vying for Tom Price’s seat if he is confirmed on Trump’s team.

Here are my notes on some things I learned at the meeting:

The 2016 elections showed that Georgia is not as solidly Republican as it seems. Cobb flipped, with the majority of its votes going to Hillary. I grew up in Cobb so naturally, I whipped my head around and exclaimed, “Wait, what?!” Growing up in Cobb was exactly why I never got politically involved. I was in a sea of conservatives and always wondered, “What’s the point?” I asked what led to this change and they attributed it to the consistent attendance, growth, organization, phonebanking, canvassing, and fundraising that the Cobb Democratic Party

Asian and Hispanic voters increased by 10% and voted Democratic (they have voted Republican in the past)

Tom Price’s confirmation would bring two interesting opportunities to flip. If he is confirmed, this will be the first “clean slate” election in the 6th district for that seat in a long time. It’s obviously a chance to get a Democrat in there, but there is a 2nd opportunity. On the Republican side, a potential candidate is Judson Hill, a State Senator. If he wins that office, Democrats have a chance to fill that State Senate seat as well.

Some legislation in GA coming up in 2017: allowing casino gambling under the condition that it funds HOPE and legalizing medical marijuana (the sponsor for this is actually Republican!)

There are 15 cities in Fulton and Democrats desperately need people to run for city council in these areas

Democrats are piloting 5 community schools in lieu of the failure of Opportunity School Districts

On Saturday, February 25, the DNC is selecting its chairman and this year, it’s hosted in Atlanta!

My takeaway is that it is absolutely worth attending your local Dem Party events. North Fulton Democratic Party was the group I went to, but just google “[Your County] County Democratic Party” and you should be able to find it! Sign up and show up. Additional Reading:

Clinton won Cobb in state loss. So how'd your neighbors vote?

It’s official: Gwinnett County turns purple

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I feel like such a dork for getting so excited about this but:

1. I got to meet State Senator David Dreyer last year and he mentioned that he is fighting for voter rights. I told him about how it's been hell for me to register to vote in Fulton even though I've lived here 4 years (I always have to drive to Cobb to vote). He is currently personally helping me along the process and trying to get to the bottom of this to try to find if it's difficult to register for anyone else in my area (my area just happens to be full of minorities and immigrants too)

2. I saw this video of an innovative locking mechanism on FB designed to protect against school shooters from barging into classrooms. Looked up the biggest opposer of the Campus Carry bill who happens to be State Senator Elena Parent and emailed her the video/link ... she said she had never heard of this and was interested in doing further research to see if it would be helpful in the issue.

Whoooahhh doin' stuff :O This is pretty awesome ... o_o Dunno if it will amount to anything but I'm happy to be getting responses!

[doingsomethingaboutit]

What I Learned This Week About Local Politics

This week has been so inspiring. I went to a grassroots political activism group called Activate! and the guest speaker was William Perry of Georgia Ethics Watchdog. I learned a ton and wanted to put them together for others who want to get involved in local politics but perhaps wonder, “What’s the point?”

Things I learned this week about local-level politics: 

To spark a state legislator’s interest in an issue, they need to hear from a grand total of ... *drumroll* ... two people. Yup, that’s it. State-level politics gets so little attention that the bar is set extremely low. If they hear from EIGHT people, it’s a “crisis”

When it comes to state-level politics, this how the different methods of correspondence rank:

Handwritten letters

Emails (?!)

Phone calls

I was shocked to hear that phone calls were last! But it turns out that letters and emails are effective because they are quantifiable and the legislator can actually see it. Of course, phone calls are great because they are quick and you can get feedback immediately ... but it was good to know that emails also work well (again, keep in mind this is state-level, not federal-level!)

Of course, William made it crystal clear that while hearing from constituents is important, these legislators are also subject to huge pressure from lobbyists. However, it’s the constituents that ensure that legislator’s job, so even if you don’t sway that legislator on an issue, do not be discouraged!

Phone calls should be concise. Don’t expect to debate anyone, just voice your support and opposition, your reason or experience, and then ask that legislator to take some action. You don’t have to come up with a solution. Sometimes, bringing up your personal experiences can give the legislator something to think about that had never occurred to them. This is so important especially as citizens of color and different religious backgrounds to inform our legislators of our experiences. 

Call to express support too! Your legislators also need to know what they are doing right so that they will stand strong behind their decisions. In William’s experience, he describes that 1% of the local politicians are corrupt, 1% are principled and completely ethical, and then you have the 98% “go along, get along crowd” who will make decisions to further their career. That 98% is the people we need to keep in touch with and continue to push.

When expressing support, you can not only encourage them to keep fighting but also:

Urge them to fight for this in their caucuses

Talk to the moderate Republicans and try to convince them on these issues

Make a public statement

Talk to news media and journalists about these issues

It’s best to reach out to your district’s State Senator and State Rep but it can also be helpful to call outside the district. Even though you’re not a constituent, that state senator may one day try to run for governor so it’s worth having your voice be heard

If you are in Atlanta, check out Activate and join us on Feb 9!

I also went to the Legislative Kick-Off Event by the Georgia Democrat Party. It was my first time at a Party event and I had an amazing time. Everyone was so nice, I got to meet several state senators and state house reps and it was enlightening learning about current bills that they are working on in Georgia. Also, I so appreciated everyone being so helpful answering my "stupid questions" and being so welcoming. 

I had never really gotten involved to this degree because I felt so futile in such a solidly red state. But at the kick-off meeting, I also learned a lot, particularly from State Senator Roger Bruce and State Rep David Dreyer.

Notes from the Georgia Democratic Party Meeting:

Douglas County’s elections in 2016 proves that flipping Georgia is possible. For the first time in decades, Democrats won all contested races, included top roles in law enforcement and governmental positions.

Some bills and legislation that are currently being discussed in both state chambers:

Juvenile Justice: apparently, some adult criminals have been recruiting minors to commit crimes knowing that the minors will not serve jail or prison time?! Had no idea that was such a big problem in the state. There is a bill that will sentence these adults with the jail/prison time the minor would have served

Voter Rights: There is also a bill that will automatically registered to vote when you go to the DMV and get your licensed renewed or changed. Democratic State Senators also want to set it up so that voters will be able to vote at any precinct in their district. These hurdles make voting difficult for citizens who end up moving often ... which just so happens to be young and/or poor people who would vote for progressive measures

 There are also bills to expand medical marijuana, end gerrymandering, and though Nathan Deal veto’d the Campus Carry bill, there was interest in attempting to introduce another similar bill 

If Tom Price is confirmed into the Trump cabinet, Georgia’s 6th Congressional District will see its first “brand new” election in decades, meaning there is no incumbent. If this were to happen, the election would be held in late spring. 

Also got to talk to a legislator on the education board and he said he has seen policies get created and destroyed just from seeing 20 parents show up at a school board meeting. Again, the bar is so low that all you have to do is show up and be reasonable. Being reasonable will lend you great credibility .. these poor people often have conspiracy nuts show up at these meetings 

I have loved diving in, meeting other passionate people committed to changing things, and seeing how we can make a difference. It’s encouraging to also hear this type of feedback from people who have been deeply involved in local politics and have seen change happen before their eyes. I’ll keep collecting my notes and sharing them with the hopes that it will motivate people to do something. 

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List of Moderate Republicans regarding ACA

ACTION ALERT: Overnight, the Senate voted down party lines to begin the repeal of the life-saving Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The vote was to move forward with repeal under a budget reconciliation process -- a move aimed at foreclosing any Democratic filibuster. Democrats valiantly opposed the move on the Senate floor --- look up their speeches on CSPAN to watch how they defended this important law.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? The vote was on a party line vote, so there is NO NEED to call Democratic Senators -- they're already with us on this. Over the next couple of weeks, we need to pressure moderate Republicans who have publicly expressed concern about repealing the law without a viable replacement. We need just three votes to stop attempts to repeal the law without a viable replacement. Based on public statements, these are the Republican "pressure point" Senators who have expressed concern about repeal without a replacement:

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) (202) 224-4944 Twitter: @SenAlexader Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) (202) 224-3344 Twitter: @SenBobCorker Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) (202) 224-2353 Twitter: @SenTomCotton Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) (202) 224-3353 Twitter: @RobPortman U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) (202) 224-2523 Twitter: @SenatorCollins Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) (202) 224-5824 Twitter: @BillCassidy Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (202)-224-6665 Twitter: @lisamurkowski

CALL SCRIPT: "My name is X and I am deeply disappointed in Senator X's vote to rush through the repeal of the Affordable Care Act yesterday. The law has saved lives across this country, and repealing it for the sake of scoring political points is shameful. I hope Senator X understands how irresponsible it would be to vote to repeal the law without a viable alternative that ensures affordable health care coverage and life-saving access to care for all. I hope they will be a NO VOTE if the Senate tries to repeal the law without a responsible replacement. Thank you."

Tip: If they ask if you are a constituent and you're not, just say "I am not a constituent but the Senator's vote directly affects me and my family, and I will make sure to let voters in his/her state know whether they made the right decision on this issue. Thank you."

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Call to Action: Call your senator to vote against repealing ACA

Today’s Flippable email was so informative that I just had to copypasta this here. :

Call Republican senators and urge them to vote against repealing Obamacare in upcoming votes.

why this is important

Last night the Senate voted for the first of three votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  This is the first of three votes over the next month, and preventing its repeal will take a sustained effort.

The GOP has rallied behind an agenda to "repeal and replace" Obamacare.  The current effort to "repeal and delay" would gut the ACA without replacing it with a viable plan. Some Republican senators have signaled their opposition to this hasty, irresponsible plan. We are targeting these undecided Republican senators.

how this relates to state politics

Last week, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced his effort to expand Medicaid in his state. This effort could provide health care to more than 500,000 people in North Carolina. While Obamacare is a federal act, state governments decide whether to accept federal funding to expand healthcare access. Since 2013, 31 governors have expanded Medicaid, providing healthcare to millions of Americans.

But a number of Republican governors have refused to accept this funding, prioritizing partisan politics over the lives of their constituents. This map shows the change in uninsured rates from 2012 to 2015 by state, as well as which states have accepted the Medicaid expansion. Click on the map to see changes in insurance rates by state.

This is yet another example of why state governments matter. State legislators and governors implement federal laws, and, as such, they have the power to weaken or strengthen initiatives like Obamacare. We need to elect more progressive leaders like Governor Roy Cooper -- and we need to do everything in our power to protect Obamacare right now.

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Easy way to subscribe to what your reps are up to.

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This is a much prettier web version of the Tea Party Google Doc that was floating around. This was written by former congressional staffers who shared insights into what the Tea Party did and how they were able to become such a powerful and effective grassroots movement. 

Some key things I learned for the TL;DR crowd:

1. Groups do not have to be large. The Tea Party congregated into highly localized groups of approximately 10 people. That’s it! These people would stay on top of current events and call, write, and even drop into some of these offices to talk to staff

2. The Tea Party was largely defensive, not focused on policy development. This is important because policy development takes up a LOT of time, energy, and research and may not even be used in the end. Tea Partiers were very vocal about wanting their Members of Congress to fight and oppose Obama, no matter what. This doesn’t have t be a negative thing. Remember what you are defending against: racism, homophobia, sexism, and corruption. 

3. Your group of 10 should be known as “Constituents of Congressman ___.” Have a very focused target.  

4. Take note of everyone’s top 3 issues and see that it aligns with the group’s goals. This is necessary just to make sure everyone is on the same page and that you’ve got an army behind your causes.

If you have time, def try to read the whole thing. It’s FULL of great tips and tactics. Happy organizing!

[doingsomethingaboutit]

2017

Now that the holidays are over, I’m able to return “back to real life” again. I’ve decided that 2017 will be a year of community service, whether that’s through political activism or charity work. I find that I’ve been able to accomplish a lot for myself over the past few years: was able to get my career going and create financial stability, built solid habits around nutrition and fitness, produced some incredible, impactful creative work, and nurtured some really intimate and fulfilling relationships with the people around me.

But I haven’t really done enough for my community and for the causes that I purport to care so much about. It doesn’t matter how much my heart aches or how indignant I feel about current events. I’ve got to do something. Or at least try. It’s certainly been challenging to learn how to do it all. Even calling shelters to figure out where I can donate some toiletries has been a challenge. Fortunately, I’ve gotten into the habit of making financial donations to various causes. It’s a modest amount but I’m happy to be helping in some tiny way. 

This week, I called a couple of congressional offices to express my opposition to the plan to eliminate the Office of Congressional Ethics and also helped organize the Activate! calendar with some events coming up. Read the Indivisible political action guide too, which I will post more on later.  If you live in Atlanta, definitely join the Activate! event this week on Wednesday or the Fulton Country Democratic Party’s Legislative Kickoff on Thursday! 

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What We Can Learn From the Tea Party and How to Use Those Lessons to Stop Trump

Former congressional staffers wrote a practical how-to guide for getting your members of Congress to resist Trump using the tactics that worked for the Tea Party during the Obama administration. 

http://bit.ly/2hv5ofd

That link includes a document that includes:

Chapter 1:  How grassroots advocacy worked to stop Obama. We examine lessons from the Tea Party’s rise and recommend two key strategic components

Chapter 2: How your MoC thinks, and how to use that to save democracy. Reelection, reelection, reelection. MoCs want their constituents to think well of them and they want good, local press. They hate surprises, wasted time, and most of all, bad press that makes them look weak, unlikable, and vulnerable. You will use these interests to make them listen and act.

Chapter 3: Identify or organize your local group. Is there an existing local group or network you can join? Or do you need to start your own? We suggest steps to help mobilize your fellow constituents locally and start organizing for action.

Chapter 4: Four local advocacy tactics that actually work. Most of you have 3 MoCs--two Senators and one Representative. Whether you like it or not, they are your voice in Washington. Your job is to make sure they are, in fact, speaking for you. We’ve identified four key opportunity areas to pressure MoCs that just a handful of local constituents can use to great effect.

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GA’s mayoral election is November 7, 2017 .. hmmm! :) 

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Just made my contribution!