The day of reckoning is now 79 days away. As Trump pulls out all the stops in his efforts to undermine the 2020 election and suppress the vote, counteraction requires nothing short of a groundswell of support for voter rights and a Democratic victory up and down the ballot. Now that the top of the ticket is in place, we can and must pull together all our efforts in this final stretch.
“I know we are going to bring our country closer to realizing its great promise. But to do it, we’ll need to work, organize, and vote like never before, because we need more than a victory on November 3rd. We need a mandate that proves that the past few years do not represent who we are or who we aspire to be.”
— Kamala Harris, August 12
Save the Post Office Rally Ventura Facebook event page and more information here
This is a Nationwide event! We will show up at our local post offices across the country to save the post office from Trump and declare that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy must resign!
Bring your signs, American flags, your masks, your enthusiasm and your friends!
Join us, the NAACP, SEIU, MoveON, Working Families Party, The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights and INDIVISIBLE National in a nationwide day of support for the USPS!
After your calls to action – events and resources!
Your Calls to Action:
This is what you can do to help save the USPS and our election. (more info)
“The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people.“ – 39 U.S. Code § 101(a)
Our representatives are heading back to D.C. – Here’s how you can help:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the House to return into session later this week to vote on Saturday on Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s “Delivering for America Act“, (text here) which prohibits changes to Postal Service operations in place on Jan. 1, 2020. This would reverse the dangerous changes the Trump administration’s newest Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump supporter and owner of financial stakes in USPS’ competitors, has made to the Postal Service, alterations Democrats say will cause a slowing of the flow of mail and potentially jeopardize the November election. The investigative hearing regarding DeJoy’s actions has been moved up to next Monday (Aug. 24.) One thing is clear. Trump is happy to risk your life and commit a federal crime to stay in power.
Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want to see Rep. [___]’s name as a cosponsor of “Delivering for America Act!” I also agree with the congresspersons who are urging the FBI to investigate DeJoy and all others who may committed a federal crime by hindering the passage of our mail.
Call Rep. Julia Brownley: email, (CA-26): DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-177
or Rep. Salud Carbajal: email.(CA-24): DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
Look up friends’ and family’s reps to share: https://whoismyrepresentative.com
Sign some petitions to Congress
- Sign the petition here. As of right this minute, 1,418,430 people have signed this Change.Org petition This needs to be MILLIONS! Share and share again.
- Sign this petition from Common Cause to the US Congress
- Sign this petition from MoveON to Trump, McConnell and the US Congres
While they’re voting, we go live! This Saturday, Aug. 22 (11am) we are joining Americans across the country at our local post offices!
Facebook event page and more information here
Join us, the NAACP, SEIU, MoveON, Working Families Party, The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights and INDIVISIBLE National in a nationwide day of support for the USPS!
We will be at the Post Office on 41 S. Wake Forest Ave., Ventura, which has a busy street frontage on Telegraph Road.. Masks are required and we’re enforcing the 6′ rule.
Allow the USPS Board of Governors to be nameless, faceless enablers no more. WE SEE YOU!
Send emails: These are the email addresses of the USPS Board of Governors. They have the power to fire DeJoy. Rachel Maddow observed that when citizens “make noise” sometimes we can change things for the better. Noisy citizens have already halted the removal of mail boxes. Let’s make some noise, people! America needs a fully functioning post office, now more than ever. Thanks, and PLEASE SHARE.
- Robert Duncan: mduncan@inezdepositbank.com
- John Barger: barger.jm@gmail.com
- Ron Bloom: ron.bloom@brookfield.com
- Roman Martinez: roman@rmiv.com
- Donald Moak: lee.moak@moakgroup.com
- Wiliam Zollers: directoraccessmailbox@cigna.com
Send a petition to these guys.
Sign a petition to the USPS Board of Governors: here. Today is has over 876,000 signatures.
Send them letters or postcards too!
Their job should be to protect us and the USPS, not just be another business lunch deduction. Here’s a number of template letters you can start with (15 per person) with mailing addresses as well, courtesy of one very pissed-off, yet eloquent Andy Posner. Buy stamps! It’s a win-win for the Post Office! Don’t forget to mention some of these issues:
- The Law: Are you aware that “Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.” How would you define what’s happening now, right before a presidential election?
- “Intended consequences”: How will removing high-speed sorting equipment affect this election, USPS workers, and mail service in general? Why did this happen now? Who paid for the dismantling? What did it cost? What is replacing this capacity?
- “Unintended consequences”: How do the procedural changes affect this election, workers, and mail service in general? How are you going to fix the “unintended consequences” right now?
- The knee on the neck – 1: What are you doing to advocate for the removal of the pre-funding requirement on the US Post Office?
- Don’t look away: Are you investigating Postmaster General DeJoy’s corrupt machinations with Amazon stock? How are you keeping track of his divestment.
Support The Banking for All Act
- Minimal script for ALL representatives: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep. [___] to support Sen. Sherrod Brown’s S.3571 – “Banking for All Act, “which would allow post offices to help unbanked consumers during this pandemic.
- This bill would let consumers set up free “FedAccounts” at local banks and POST OFFICES to access stimulus payments for coronavirus relief immediately and without payday lender fees. Account holders would receive debit cards, online account access, automatic bill pay, mobile banking and ATM access.
- The House already passed in February HR 2382 – “USPS Fairness Act,” which would REPEAL the part of the GOP’s insane 2006 law that requires the Postal Service to pre-pay 75 years of future post-retirement health care costs.)
- Minimal script for ALL senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and want to know why Senator [___] is on vacation instead of back in D.C. working to pass the HEROES Act to get the funding required by both our nation’s elections offices and our own US Postal service to survive this pandemic. The Senate gave billions of dollars to corporations and huge tax breaks to the wealthy. Now we are demanding that you fund what we citizens need right now.
- (The HEROES ACT includes at least $3.6 billion dollars of funding for our elections and 25 billion for the Postal Service.)
- Additional script for GOP senators: In 2006, the GOP placed an insupportable burden on the post office, one that no real business would have to do. I want you to fix that betrayal of our trust in you by supporting S.2965 – “USPS Fairness Act and advocate for the cash grants and loans the United State Postal Service needs right now. Lastly, support Sen. Sherrod Brown’s S.3571 – “Banking for All Act, “which would allow post offices to help unbanked consumers during this pandemic.” We are watching to see if you do everything you can to help your constituents.
Rep. Julia Brownley: email, (CA-26): DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-177
or Rep. Salud Carbajal: email.(CA-24): DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
Senator Feinstein: email, DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
and Senator Harris: email, DC (202) 224-3553, LA (213) 894-5000, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 355-9041, SD (619) 239-3884
Look up friends’ and family’s reps to share: https://whoismyrepresentative.com
Text USPS to 50409
This one-word text will automatically send a letter to your local representatives using Resistbot and urge them to take action. Do this over and over. However, remember, the less effort it took you to take an action, the less effect it has on the receiver. Make sure you also make calls and sent letters and emails.
Tell your mail carriers you’re fighting for them
Top 13 things you should know about our postal service! It is the leading employer of minorities (39%) and women (40%), and for three years in a row they were in Hispanic Business magazine’s annual “Diversity Elite 60” list of best companies for Hispanics, the only federal agency on the list. The USPS is also one of the largest employers of veterans, with more than 97,000.
📫 Tie a DARK BLUE RIBBON around your mailbox (or on your mail slot) to show solidarity and support to our postal carriers.
📫 Put a sign up in your yard or window that says #USPSForever.
📫 Call your representative and both senators and tell them not to pass any relief package that doesn’t contain funding for the USPS.
📫 And tell everyone who wants the Postal Service to survive to do the same.
Learn how to return your ballot in Ventura County without impacting the USPS.
First, make sure any voting information you read is correct for YOUR county. There’s a lot of information on the internet that is not accurate for us. Ventura County does NOT have voting centers that are open 10 or more days before the election, for example. Make sure you canvass your neighbors and friends to see if anyone needs help to return their ballot.
- Read this well-researched “What to expect in Nov. 2020 election” from our local League of Women Voters. If you aren’t from this county, look at your own county’s LWV and at your Elections Division office for SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR YOU! Then watch this video from this NON-PARTISAN group, who explain how voting will work in our county for the Nov. 3rd election. Please share this with those who are anxious or suspicious of the process. (BTW – The League is an awesome group that anyone can support and/or join, even the non-women out there.) Link to share here.
- SIGN THE BACK OF YOUR BALLOT! (It will NOT BE COUNTED otherwise)
- Yes, you can help others who can’t leave their home safely return their ballots : Fill out the upper section on the back of the envelope and put it in a box or take it to an election center within 3 days of receiving it.
- Return Ventura Co. ballots early to an election division box. “There will be 33 secure ballot drop boxes located throughout the County for the November 3rd election. The Ballot Drop Boxes are available every day beginning 28 days before Election Day (October 6, 2020). Ballots are picked up by a team of two Ventura County Elections Staff and taken directly back to the Elections Division. Return your ballot at any of the following locations before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2020. You can also drop off your ballot at any of the 47 In-Person Voting Locations beginning October 31, 2020.” Below is a list of permant locations (It’s missing the Fillmore Library.) Temporary box locations to be released soon.
- Return Ventura Co. ballots early to an in-person voting location. There are NO neighborhood polling places for this election. “Vote By Mail ballots may be returned at any of the 47 In-Person Voting Locations during the following times (locations to be published soon):
- Oct. 31 (Saturday): 10 am – 6:00 pm
- Nov. 1 (Sunday): 10 am – 6:00 pm
- Nov. 1 (Monday): 10 am – 6:00 pm
- Nov. 2 (Tues): 7 am – 8:00 pm
- Sign up to track your ballot after you get it and help others without computer capabilities to do this too. Sign up online for WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov
- Do not use a private delivery service, like UPS, FedEx or others. The GOP wants to stampede us into destroying our own postal service by self-privatizing. Don’t do it.
- Return your census! Not only funding, the census determines the number of representatives we get.
- Help the county out! Get a paying temporary job to be an “Elections Voting Assistant” here. If you aren’t in Ventura Co., go here.
- Watch out for voting bullies. Know your rights! The ACLU has put together this great guide, including these interesting points:
- Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote.
- Falsely representing oneself as an elections official.
- Displaying false or misleading signs about voter fraud and related criminal penalties.
- Other forms of harassment, particularly harassment targeting non-English speakers and voters of color.
- Spreading false information about voter requirements.
- You do not need to speak English to vote, in any state.
- You do not need to pass a test to vote, in any state.
- Some states do not require voters to present photo identification.
Events (if you are going and interested in carpooling, email us and we’ll do our best to hook you up):
August 22– Save the Post Office Rally Ventura
GET YOUR POSTCARDS IN THE MAIL AND WRITE THEM OUT AT HOME Third Thursday – pizza, camaraderie, and postcards! Can’t make it? Help fund this event
August 25– Online: The Root Institute – Week 4: Social Impact
August 27 – Online: ACLU Power Lunch Series – (11:30am every other Thursday)
August 27-28 – Online: 2020 Virtual March on Washington
August 28 – The Black National Convention – Movement for Black Lives
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August 30 – Free IMMIGRATION LEGAL AID Fair – Volunteers Needed!Everylast Sunday of the month we assist residents, alongside immigration lawyers, in filling out paperwork for citizenship, DACA (click here for up-to-date DACA info) and green card renewals. Can’t make it? Help fund this event
EVENTS ARE HAPPENING CRAZY FAST!!! – Our most up-to-date “calendar” of antiracist actions has temporarily been moved to HERE.
You can now DONATE to the cause!
Indivisible Ventura is completely volunteer run and your donation will support the direct costs of organizing in Ventura — things like meeting room rental, posters, art supplies, stamps, transportation, and more! Every part of our country is under threat by this President and Congress. The only way to win is by standing together, indivisible. Indivisible Ventura is one of 6,000 grassroots Indivisible groups across the country.
Contribute today to Indivisible Ventura. Together, we will win.
Resources:
Indivisible Ventura: Tips for Calling Congress For People who hate to Call Anybody, Let Alone Congress, or If You’re New to This Calling Thing…
Indivisible Ventura: How to make your calls faster
Indivisible Ventura: Why do I need to call? My representatives are all Democrats
Archdioceses of Los Angeles: Preparing your Family for Immigration Enforcement (bilingual)
Indivisible Ventura: Are You a Policy Wonk? Here’s How to Track a Bill
Floor Procedure In The U.S. House Of Representatives
What Good Does it do to Write Letters to the Editor?: With contact information, podcast tutorial, and guidelines
Indivisible Ventura: Ten Things to Respectfully Ask a Conservative about Healthcare
Our mailing address is:
Indivisible Ventura
PO Box 6367
Ventura, Ca 93006