Hi everyone!
Lots of stuff to do today and to choose between for viewing tonight.
LOCAL ISSUES:
If you live in Camarillo, help stop the Camarillo recall:
If you live in Camarillo, you’ve probably heard about the petition to recall the Vice Mayor, Shawn Mulchay or Councilwoman Susan Santangelo. Extremists have made inaccurate claims about “defunding the police” in Camarillo in order to recall these councilmembers at a cost of $250,000 to Camarillo taxpayers. According to this fact sheet (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/604ee27a6c8eba3fe771ad40/t/604f0efd6f5a175d9f24077b/1615793917871/Camarillo+Recall+Fact+Sheet.pdf) , they’re using deceitful tactics, libelous statements, and out-of-town partisan volunteers to fuel their efforts. Learn more about this here (https://www.camarillorecall.com/) and sign the online “Affirmation of Council Members Santangelo and Mulchay.”
If you live in Ojai, work in Ojai, eat, drink or shop in Ojai, join in this action from SURJ:
Ongoing: Email in support of demands for the Ojai police services contract with VCSO: Template for letter to Ojai City Council and Board of Supervisors here. (https://indivisibleventura.org/ongoing-email-in-support-of-demands-for-the-ojai-police-services-contract-with-vcso/)
The “digital divide” in broadband coverage is a form of racial injustice. The FCC is asking for help to find the blind spots. Share!
We’ve all seen the photos of kids sitting in parking lots outside coffee shops, doing their homework, because their home doesn’t have internet access. (GRI) “Just less than half of households with annual family incomes less than $20,000 have home-internet access. Further, 83% of Asians and 81% of Whites have home-internet access, compared to 72% of American Indian/Alaska Natives, 70% of Hispanics, 68% of Blacks. Largely a product of America’s overall racial wealth gap, the “digital divide” is a term that has come to describe the racial and economic disparities seen in internet access for Americans.”
Articles:Global Resilience Institute – https://globalresilience.northeastern.edu/us-digital-divide-how-internet-access-disparities-affect-resilience/The Hill – https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/443336-race-and-the-digital-divide-why-broadband-access-is-more-thanThe Verve – https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/22/22345533/fcc-broadband-data-collection-program-fix-the-internet
(the Verve)“…The form the FCC is using for your responses (https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360001440131) is decidedly rudimentary; it looks like a general complaint form, and doesn’t ask any specific questions about broadband at all (the only reference is in the header). But the FCC says it’s a stopgap on the path to a more detailed and specific reporting tool. For now, perhaps you can take a look at the FCC’s current crappy maps at your address, and tell the FCC whether you actually have the kinds of choices that the ISPs claim you have.
TIME-CERTAIN EVENTS
Wednesday 03/24/21 – ONLINE – “360 take-Out: Discussion of the Derek Chauvin Murder Trial” (5:00 – 6:00 pm)
Facebook link here. (https://www.facebook.com/events/476687020030465) Join via Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/360-Collective-110502340695786/?ref=page_internal) Interactive discussion of current events with a focus on race, justice & equality. As we create knowledge, wisdom and understanding together, viewers are invited to comment or participate directly in the conversation. With 360 Collective.
Wednesday 03/24/21 – ONLINE – “Frontline Defenders Skills Trainings (5:00 – 6:00 pm) (3/31, 4/14, 4/28)
Register here (https://www.mobilize.us/thefrontline/event/367916/)
The Spring Congressional Recess is a major opportunity for our communities to mobilize the public at scale and in their home districts around a broad-based Care & Relief agenda.
Our call will focus on distributed actions which you can do no matter where you are. This is a great way to show that our movement has power in all corners of this country. We will also review the tactics we learned in our two previous calls so you can feel confident about all the tools in your toolbox.
With millions of Americans relying on the government to deliver robust recovery policies that offer a pathway out of the pandemic crisis, the Frontline, the Working Families Party, the Green New Deal Network and other partners, are committed to generating as much energy and support over the recess to win critical legislative victories. The more wins we rack up now, the bigger and bolder our work becomes.
The Frontline, Movement for Black Lives, the Working Families Party, and United We Dream invite you to “On the Frontline” Mass Call and Training Series. This series will include virtual town halls and skill-based trainings, where you will hear updates and analysis from movement leaders, engage in political education, and learn concrete skills to take meaningful action.
Sign up for all the dates – here’s a schedule of what we are discussing for each call on Wednesdays at 5pm:
March 24: On The Frontline: Action Everywhere
March 31: On the Frontline: Racial Justice
April 14: On the Frontline: Climate Justice
April 28: On the Frontline: Democracy Reform
Wednesday 03/24/21 – ONLINE – “United Farm Workers Foundation Zoom Panel” (7:00 pm)
Facebook link here. (https://www.facebook.com/events/435528504201204/) Hear from the United Farm Workers Foundation about issues facing our farmworker community.
This event is hosted by the Greater Oxnard Org. of Democrats in partnership with the Democratic Club of Camarillo.The United Farm Workers Foundation (UFW Foundation) is a dynamic nonprofit organization created in 1974, by the late labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, and relaunched in 2006. The mission of the UFW Foundation is to empower communities to ensure human dignity. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ocuqhrj8tGtP5a2owt3PnZVKH-XJKSktW
Wednesday 03/24/21 – ONLINE – “Behind the Mask 2: Mental Health Crisis Response” (7:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
On January 2, 2021, Vincent Bryant, a Black, unhoused man was shot in the face at point blank range by the Berkeley Police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Thankfully, he survived, but this police response is outrageous.Berkeley Copwatch invites you, the Berkeley community, to analyze footage of this incident and try to understand what went wrong.We will be joined by mental health experts and activists:- Asantewaa Boykin, Co-Founder – Mental Health First & APTP
– Maria Moore, sister of Kayla Moore who died at the hands of Berkeley police
– Gigi Crowder, Executive Director – National Alliance on Mental Health, Contra Costa
– Dr. Lisa Warhuus, Director of Health, Housing & Community Services, City of BerkeleyWe will examine how mental health emergency response currently happens and the rising opportunity for alternative crisis response in Berkeley. We will also look at other communities already doing this work.In Berkeley, we have an opportunity to create structural change: this summer the City Council approved an initiative for a Specialized Care Unit that would respond to mental health crises without police involvement. Now is the time to pressure the City of Berkeley to follow through on their commitment:- The SCU must be well funded, so that it can actually be effective
– The SCU must be dispatched without police
– Since the police will not be responding to these incidents, funding must come directly from the police budget
– There must be options for long-term care in addition to crisis intervention*Content Warning: This event will discuss and show video of police violence against Black people and people with mental health conditions.*Join the Zoom event:
Date: Wednesday, March 24 at 7pm
Zoom link: bit.ly/behindthemask2Meeting ID: 874 2284 2921
Passcode: copwatch
Dial in: +1 669 900 6833 US
Meeting ID: 874 2284 2921
Passcode: 54672099
*The event is free to attend, and everyone is welcome.
ACTIONS/ACTIVITIES
H.R. 8 – Bipartisan Backgrounds Checks Act and H.R. 1446 – Enhanced Background Checks Act have both passed the HOUSE.
Be sure your senators know that passing these bills is the LEAST they can do!
https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/09/tues-3-9-21-h-r-8-and-h-r-1446-gun-background-check-bills-vote-possible-tomorrow-yes-on-both-call-your-legislators/
The filibuster is unconstitutional. Pass it on.
An op-ed by Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and Burt Neuborne, Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties at New York University School of Law has reignited the debate over the constitutionality of the filibuster, which just like in its heyday during the Jim Crow era and the civil rights struggles of the 1950’s, is being used again to strangle meaningful democratic reform. As Senate leader in the 116th Congress, Mitch McConnell blocked almost 400 bills. Common Cause’s Aaron Scherb stated “It’s a Senate that’s not reflecting the will of the American people. It’s despite that many reforms that have 60, 70, 80 percent support among the public, whether its anti-gun-violence prevention measures or climate change legislation or voting rights bills to provide additional election funding to ensure every eligible American can vote, the Senate fails to take action on any of these reforms.” Even though he’s no longer the Senate leader, McConnell can still block any progress with the filibuster. Call Vice-President Harris, and both your senators, and let’s get this fixed. https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/23/the-filibuster-is-unconstitutional-pass-it-on/
D.C. statehood is in the HOUSE! Pile on! YES on H.R.51/S.51!
Lots of moaning from GOP legislators that the DC statehood issue is a “power grab.” Zero concern about the second class citizenship of DC residents.
So, business as usual… Meanwhile, pile on the calls, emails and postcards, no matter what party your senator belongs to. https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/22/d-c-statehood-is-in-the-house-pile-on-yes-on-h-r-51-s-51/
Email during the weekend/call during the week: “Filibuster Friday” is directed at Sen. Feinstein and others who’d waste this opportunity to get fundamental bills passed.
Our own Senator Feinstein likes the filibuster for all the wrong reasons. But she has turned 180° in the face of serious constituent pressure before. So pile on and let’s make this happen. Also included is a petition and an opportunity to join Arizona Indivisible’s phone bank targeting a similarly reluctant Sen. Sinema. https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/19/3-19-its-filibuster-friday-and-theres-lots-to-do/
ANYTIME – ONLINE PHONEBANK – Flip the West “Phone Bank into Arizona to Urge Sen. Sinema to Change the Filibuster with Indivisible Arizona”
The For the People Act may be the most important piece of legislation of the past decade. During a time when Republican state legislators are lobbying for the most restrictive voting regulations since Jim Crow, we need to urge key Senators to pass the For the People Act. Join in by signing up here. https://www.mobilize.us/flipthewest/event/379308/But as long as Mitch McConnell can veto popular legislation through the filibuster, that won’t happen. So, we are reaching out with Indivisible Arizona to progressive, solid Democrats in Arizona and urging them to ask Senator Sinema to modify the filibuster. It’s not enough to just elect progressive candidates; we need to pass progressive policy. THIS IS NOT A ZOOM CALL – YOU MAY CALL INTO ARIZONA ANY DAY BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 9:00 PM PACIFIC. Click on the “INSTRUCTIONS” button for the link to the phone bank and the script. (Wait a few seconds until you see the Google document.)
Email your senators in DC about S.1 – For the People Act, join in the phonebank, textbank outreach campaign.
SAYING AGAIN – WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES CALLING LEGISLATORS! From another Indivisible group member: “Just called Senator Padilla’s office at 202-224-3553. I got a staffer, who told me the office is getting lots of CON HR1 calls from the “Fox News brigade” (her words) after Fox personalities asked viewers to contact their MoCs to oppose especially HR1”.
EMAIL your senators with scripts from here to get it done: (https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/10/wed-3-10-21-the-h-r-1-s-1-for-the-people-act-is-now-in-the-senate-call-your-senators-and-join-in-the-outreach-campaigns/)
Senator Feinstein, Please Vote to End this Filibuster! – Sign Petition
Wanted: Postcard writers! D.C. statehood and keeping immigrant families together.
Postcard campaign #1: H.R.51 – The Washington DC Admissions Act is getting a hearing in front of the House Oversight Committee on Monday, 3/22. Make sure legislators across the country know how important this is. Postcard campaign #2: What’s Next’s new campaign in their immigration series is foundational – keeping families together.Please join in to one or both these efforts!
https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/18/thurs-3-18-wanted-postcard-writers-d-c-statehood-and-keeping-immigrant-families-together/
Actions from”Black Voters Matters” – Call GA-based corporations and tell them to divest all donations from sponsors and supporters of HB531 and SB241.
- Share BVM Direct Action pageon social media. (https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/stand-with-georgia/)
- Call sheet here with instructions and phone numbers. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrlkZvb8Eg0qPAhhQ0JY_PS0nabvctcJXvgzPsukyjZc9aXQ/viewform)
- Share this on social media. (https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/BVM_Flyer-1.png)
- Sign up for a Texting shift with BVM here. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJh_bkIA9aUEBaaq7h-g5NbAxkXpVStc0rntwjlwgJLSLsRA/viewform)
Sign-on petition- “Black Lives Matter – Pass Medicare for All”
Sign Petition here. (https://blacklivesmatter.com/sign-the-petition-pass-medicare-for-all/)
Let’s be clear — passing Medicare for All is a racial justice issue.
Black people are impacted the most by health care inadequacies in the United States. Whether you’re looking at the mortality and morbidity rates of Black mothers, the high rates of Black people dying from COVID-19, and the disproportionately Black population in American prisons — where access to adequate health care is a huge issue — the time has never been more urgent to pass Medicare For All and take bold action to create the conditions for Black people to thrive.
Every single institution that currently exists that is led by local, state, and national government is predicated upon anti-Black racism in particular — and it’s the same reason why these exact institutions are profit-driven.
Profit-driven health care systems have no place in society, and they have never existed to serve Black people — only to exploit us.
The current health care system has not prioritized Black bodies, but has exploited them. But not any longer. Please sign the petition demanding Congress pass Medicare for All.
Sign-on petition- “Speak up against anti-Asian hate. Ask Congress to take action and pass two resolutions.”
Send a email to your officials here. (https://www.adl.org/Anti-Asian-Hate) Hate crimes, anti-immigrant bias and discriminatory acts against Asians and Asian Americans have significantly increased in the U.S. since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress can take action by passing two resolutions that condemn this rising tide of hatred and aim to curb the damaging effects of hate, bias and violence to society.Members of the House of Representatives have introduced H. Res. 151, led by Representative Grace Meng and H. Res. 153, led by Representative Michelle Steel, condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment related to COVID-19. ADL urges Congress to speak out against bias and hate and support Asian and Asian-American communities by adopting these
Send a letter to Rep. Brownley/Carbajal and Senator Dianne Feinstein to support the Build Green Act
Use your own words, use a provided letter template or mix and match here. https://act.350.org/letter/buildgreenact/
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andy Levin introduced the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development and Generating Renewable Energy to Electrify the Nation’s (BUILD GREEN) Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
The BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act is a new plan to address the climate crisis and our crumbling infrastructure by providing $500 billion in grant funding for roads, bridges, and rail, while electrifying our public transportation systems (including school buses!) over the next ten years.
Adriene
Co-Director
Indivisible Ventura
indivisibleventura@gmail.com
