IEB NEWSLETTER

I have often marched down this street before
But I never had to distance by six feet before
All at once am I
Acting super shy
Hiding out in this house where I live!

Are you singing the COVID-19 activist blues? We’ve got the cure: actions you can take on the street where you live – and you can forward them, with no contact, to all your friends. With a little bit of luck, we’ll be together again soon – but until then, stay safe and stay active!

Small biz needs $
Vote by Mail needs the USPS
Oakland needs to be counted

Action #1: Tell Congress: Fund small businesses

Deadline: NOW – As soon as money to help small businesses from the last COVID stimulus bill was available, banks were overwhelmed with loan applications in a first-come-first-served stampede. Less than a week later the Treasury Dept. is reportedly preparing to ask Congress for another $200 billion. Congress needs to do better now than it did last time, including proper oversight. Our article has a call script, contact info for our MoCs, and a letter from an IEB member with a personal story. Small businesses are the backbone of our country, and the East Bay is a place where neighborhood businesses matter to all of us – please speak up! 

Action #2: Save the USPS, save our right to vote!

Deadline: Right away! – It’s reported that without an infusion of $$, the US Postal Service may have to close by June. That would mean little chance of vote by mail being widely available before November’s elections. VBM has its problems, but without it during a pandemic you’ve got the Wisconsin primary, where voting literally meant risking your life. The Vote-Suppresser-in-Chief doesn’t like the USPS and doesn’t like VBM … Tell your MoCs they must make sure the next stimulus bill includes necessary funding for USPS, and to cosponsor the Resilient Elections bills (H.R. 6202 and S. 3440). You’ll find everything you need to send them the message in our article.

Action #3: Help Oakland get counted in the Census

Deadlines: Send out postcards on April 28 & May 13 – Help ensure a complete 2020 Census count by writing informational postcards to historically under-counted neighborhoods in Oakland now through mid-May. Join Women’s March Oakland, United Way Bay Area and Alameda County Complete Count Committee by signing up at this link, they’ll get you everything you need to reach out to 10 households: postcards, stamps, addresses & instructions, all delivered to your home/inbox. And if you haven’t yet filled out your census form, do that NOW! See our article.

IEB’s meeting with Rep. Lee’s staff

On April 6, IEB members Zoomed with Rep. Barbara Lee’s legislative director, Gregory Adams. We highlighted our priorities, generally and on COVID response. Adams spoke of Rep. Lee’s priorities, including advocating for increased unemployment aid, SNAP benefits, and funding for local governments and non-profits during the crisis. He said a major block is securing more funding for the response – we’re planning a meeting in coming weeks to discuss the next relief package. Join us! Contact: info@indivisibleeb.org or on Slack at #moc_team_ca13.

Visit the (online) library, see the world

Public libraries are closed and you’re staying home, but your library card is the key to a whole universe of free ebooks, newspapers, entertainment, reference & educational materials, and much more! Our article tells you how to get a library card if you don’t have one and all the goodies you can get once you’ve got one. Check it out! (sorry not sorry).

What We’ve Been Doing

Our first virtual All Members Meeting on March 29 was a huge success, with over 50 members joining in! We were thrilled to have Indivisible co-founders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin join us LIVE! You can see their presentation at this link. And click here to see Richard “Doc” Gooding, from Field Team 6, talk about Arizona elections news. RSVP here to join the April 26 AMM!

Your donations to IEB support our actions against the Evil Empire but do not go to candidate-related events.

Activities & Events!

2020 Voter Outreach Events

No in-person events for now. Please fill out this form, we’ll let you know about the virtual & remote options we’re offering. And our article has a list of great groups we partner with, they’ve got many other virtual options. 

Phone &Text Bank/Postcard & Letter:

• Phone Bank to Arizona 4/14
• Phone Bank to Arizona 4/19
• Text Bank to Win in 2020 4/25
• Want to write postcards from home? Email us for complete instructions, scripts & addresses.
• Check out our article with a great list of remote phone & text banks, and much more, hosted by IEB’s partners in flipping 2020 blue.

Other Activities & Events

• April 26, 1-3 PM: Virtual IEB All Members Meeting. See our article Come Zoom With Us about how to join us online or by phone, using the Zoom call app. RSVP here.

IEB doesn’t necessarily endorse the groups, events, or candidates below. Submit calendar events to newsletter@indivisibleeb.org

• April 10, 1 PM: Public Health Q&A with Asm. Buffy Wicks & Professor John Swartzberg. Tune in on Facebook Live. 

And Now For Something Completely Different

Before we all had to stay home, we asked you to help the Schools & Communities First campaign get signatures to qualify their initiative for the November 2020 ballot, so we could vote to make big companies pay their fair share of property taxes and fund public education in CA. The initiative, which IEB strongly supports, closes a Prop 13 loophole 13. We’re so thrilled – the campaign submitted over 1.7 million signatures – the most ever for a CA initiative! But it’s not law yet, and it still needs your help. You can write letters to the editor on why SCF is important to you & your community, here’s how. And here’s more info on SCF, with more ways you can help.

Want to do more? Contact Us!

• Volunteer with IEB or find out how we work: andrea@indivisibleeb.org
• Questions/comments about IEB: info@indivisibleeb.org 
• Don’t miss an issue: subscribe to this newsletter!
• Questions/comments on the newsletter: newsletter@indivisibleeb.org
• Join us on the chat platform Slack to talk about important issues, plan events, & more! Ask for an invite at info@indivisibleeb.org
• Donate – keep the momentum going!