December 12, 2016
Every day brings one more horrifying announcement – it’s like a game of whack-a-mole. Via Judd Legum:
– Trump’s EPA Secretary opposes environmental protection
– Trump’s Education Secretary wants to dismantle public education
– Trump’s Attorney General opposes the Voting Rights Act
– Trump’s HUD Secretary opposes the Fair Housing Act
– Trump’s HHS Secretary wants to dismantle Medicare
– Trump’s Labor Secretary opposes raising the minimum wage and wants to replace workers with robots
– Trump’s Treasury Secretary helped cause the financial crisis and then profited from it.
So where to begin… buckle up as this is a long one in order to take action before the holiday breaks. If you live in Los Angeles, and are interested in making calls and going through this whole list together, there is a group of us getting together on Tuesday morning, Dec. 13 from 8 – 10 AM before work to make calls, send emails, and, well, commiserate together. Email us and we can get you information.
Electoral College Votes in SEVEN Days!
What can be done? On Friday, news broke that Russia was interfering in the election and trying to win Trump the White House. McConnell and other GOP legislators first heard of this in September but debunked it as lacking evidence. We just saw a report that McConnell and Congress knew of Russian interference. This not only threatens us as a democracy but also is a matter of great consequence in terms of the Russian threat. This not a partisan issue. The full article: Washington Post Article
Chuck Schumer is also calling for a Congressional investigation. Support him – (202) 224-6542 – as well as others who are supportive of this investigation including John McCain and Lindsey Graham:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/12/08/republicans-ready-to-launch-wide-ranging-probe-of-russia-despite-trumps-stance/?utm_term=.879fa16baa3f
John McCain (202) 224-2236
Lindsey Graham (202) 224-5972
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/12/08/republicans-ready-to-launch-wide-ranging-probe-of-russia-despite-trumps-stance/?utm_term=.879fa16baa3f
John McCain (202) 224-2236
Lindsey Graham (202) 224-5972
And a reminder to continue calling your own representatives to tell them to support postponing the Electoral College until these investigations are complete and also to support Chuck Schumer, Lindsey Graham and John McCain in this investigation. A handy number to use – call 202-224-3121, enter your zip code and it will direct you to your Senators and Congress people’s offices.
Continue to remind Electoral College voters of their role in our democracy. They have to take these facts seriously. A resource:
Directelection.org – makes writing all of the Electors EASY. DO IT!
Another resource: https://electoralcollegepetition.com/stop-trump-now/#gs.93oJ5lI
Action Items
Election Investigation
Studying this election and what happened will help with making sure we have faith in our system in future elections.
The Department of Justice is tallying phone calls regarding those who want the 2016 vote audited. Call 202-514-2000, choose option 4, and leave a message for the Attorney General’s office. State your full name, that you are a US Citizen, where you live, and that you would like to add your voice to all of those calling for an audit of the 2016 Presidential election.
Conflicts of Interest:
– If you want to support Senator Warren’s request to audit President-Elect Trump’s finances for conflicts of interest, the woman who answered the phone at the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office said the most effective way to be sure my support counted was to email two administrators, Katherine Siggerud and Timothy Minnelli. Their email addresses are siggerudk@gao.gov, minellit@gao.gov. There is a third email, congrel@gao.gov, through which they are tracking people who were urging support for an audit.
Subject line: Re: Audit for President-Elect Trump’s financial concerns
Dear Ms. Siggerud and Mr. Minnelli,
I’m writing in support of Senator Elizabeth Warren’s request for an audit of our incoming President-Elect Trump’s finances, to prohibit conflicts of interest that would prevent him from carrying out the responsibilities of the office without corrupt influence.
Sincerely,
X
– Senator Cardin has introduced a resolution in the Foreign Relations Committee that urges Trump to comply with requests to eliminate conflicts of interest. How you can help:
– Call your Senators and ask them to support Cardin’s resolution. Alert people you know in Kentucky, Tennessee, Idaho, Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Wyoming who’d be willing to call their Republican Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee. The list is here: www.foreign.senate.gov/about/committee-membership
Script: “My name is X and I am calling to let the Senate Foreign Relations Committee know that I support Senator Cardin’s resolution to ensure that our president-elect’s foreign dealings do not violate the US Constitution. Trump’s financial dealings could pose a threat to our national security.”
– Reps. Clark and Nadler have co-sponsored House Bill 6340 to require Trump to address his conflicts of interest, and the bill is currently being considered by the House Judiciary Committee. If you have not already done so, contact your representative (not your Senator) and ask them to support this bill.
– Script: “Hi, my name is X and I’m your contituent at ADDRESS. I’m calling to express my strong concern about President-Elect Trump’s many conflicts of interest. House Bill 6340 would require him to address these conflicts of interest. I strongly urge you to support this bill. Thank you.”
– This bill is still in committee, so if your Rep isn’t on the judiciary committee you will be asking for their future support.
– You can also call the House Judiciary Committee at 202-225-3951 and use the same script. Members of the committee to call directly are: House Judiciary Committee
– Call the House Oversight Committee (202-225-5074) and tell the that you support a bipartisan review of Trump’s financials and conflicts of interest. “Hello, I want to let the House Oversight Committee know that I support the call for a bipartisan review of Trump’s financials and conflicts of interest.”
– Also call Jason Chaffetz’s office to push the investigation of Donald Trump’s taxes and Russian connections.
202-225-7751
202-225-7751
Climate Change
US Representative Lamar Smith, Chair of House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology – and climate change denier – has a one question survey on his website about congressional priorities for the year.
Go to his website: Lamar Smith
Click on the e-survey
Fill in the form
When you get to the last question, “What should be Congress’ priority for the new year?”
Please select Other and write in “Climate Change Mitigation”.
Go to his website: Lamar Smith
Click on the e-survey
Fill in the form
When you get to the last question, “What should be Congress’ priority for the new year?”
Please select Other and write in “Climate Change Mitigation”.
Email the GSA to terminate Trump’s lease:
The new hotel opened by the President Elect in Washington, D.C., is leased to him by the federal government, an illegal conflict of interest. There’s a clause in the lease that says no elected official can have an interest in the hotel.
Email the GSA—General Services Administration—and urge them to terminate this lease before the inauguration.
Email: media@gsa.gov
Subject: Trump Hotel lease violation
My message: Hello,
I’m writing today to ask the GSA to immediately terminate the lease for the Trump Hotel, at the former post office, in Washington, D.C. The President Elect is in clear violation of the terms of the lease, which state that no elected official may have any interest in the leased property. Thank you for your time.
Show support for companies who are removing their advertising from Breitbart as well as other companies attacked by the site:
Weather Channel
Breitbart trolls are out in force, against of all things, THE WEATHER CHANNEL. Take two minutes and CALL THE WEATHER CHANNEL at 770-226-0000. Press 2 at the first menu, 3 at the second menu.They’ll schpiel at you for 30 seconds, then leave a message expressing your support, thanks, and continued viewership.This is the one news channel centered around science and scientists and education. Make the call, and ask others to make it, too.
Petitions
Postpone the Electoral College Vote and Inauguration, Pending Investigation
Demand a new vote:
Sign this petition to support other companies taking their ad dollars from Breitbart.
http://www.thepetitionsite. com/takeaction/953/831/865/
Stop racist websites by stopping their ad dollars! Breitbart’s content has been widely viewed as racist, white nationalist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBT. Kellogg’s, Allstate, and Warby Parker have recently decided to stop advertising on the site. We want to ask other companies to recognize the type of content their ads are being placed next to and decide for themselves what to do next.
Stop racist websites by stopping their ad dollars! Breitbart’s content has been widely viewed as racist, white nationalist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBT. Kellogg’s, Allstate, and Warby Parker have recently decided to stop advertising on the site. We want to ask other companies to recognize the type of content their ads are being placed next to and decide for themselves what to do next.
Declassify all information related to possible Russian or foreign-state interference in the 2016 Presidential election
Petition to Block Trump’s Cabinet:
https://blocktrumpscabinet. com/?source=fb-share
https://blocktrumpscabinet. com/?source=fb-share
Sign Media Matters’ Petition to NBC to protest Trump’s continued services on “The Apprentice”
Impeach McConnell for holding back information that could have affected the election:
Ban Trump’s Twitter Account.
Last we heard, Twitter wasn’t supposed to be used for bullying and spreading false information. And in fact it says in its rules that “you may not incite or engage in the targeted abuse or harassment of others”.
Resources and Tools
In addition to flippable and wall-of-us (shared in previous newsletters), two more action resources:
Apps to help you boycott Trump and hit him where it hurts – his wallet: Boycott Trump
More information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/boycott-app-trumps-businesses_us_5835c0a0e4b000af95ed70dd
More Ways to Donate During the Holiday Season
Good shop Give (linked to Goodsearch) https://www.goodsearch.com/give is a way to buy almost anything online with a portion of your purchase going to the charity of your choice.
You set up a free account and whenever you online shop, go through goodshop and they automatically send some of what you spent to your cause.
The ACLU has raised a bunch of money this way: https://www.goodsearch.com/nonprofit/american-civil-liberties-union-foundation-aclu-new-york.aspx
Also, various Planned Parenthood chapters.
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Your dose of Hamilton inspiration: “I may not live to see our glory, but I will gladly join the fight. And when our children tell our story, they’ll tell the story of tonight.”
A reminder to send any suggestions to mindsatwork18@gmail.com and visit old newsletters and action items at www.mindsatworkblog.wordpress.com
Share ideas, take action, have hope.
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