Hello Ventura Indivisians,

Thanks to everyone who made it to Plaza Park last Saturday, to support either or both the Diversity Collective’s amazing AIDS Walk or the later Planned Parenthood march! It was peaceful and ferocious at the same time, just as it should have been.

ACTIONS

Finally, as promised! The Indivisible Ventura Voting Guide.
 Still waiting for some endorsements to come through, but here’s a good start on our ridiculously long and constantly updated mix of research and snark for an election that will decide major issues for our future (“YES” on Measure A & B, our DA, sheriff, and more!) Democratic norms are under fire. Fight back with your ballot! https://indivisibleventura.org/2022/05/18/indivisible-venturas-voting-guide-for-the-2022-primary-election/

The Rally is over. Now what?
The rally on Saturday was great! In fact, nobody wanted to go home! But eventually, we’re all back in our living rooms, and wondering what the heck to do next. We have some suggestions…
https://indivisibleventura.org/2022/05/15/the-rally-is-over-now-what/

Join in the action against Medicare profiteering! (more info)

While we’re distracted with abortion rights, the GOP and their Wall Street donors are busy trying ruin something else that we value. It’s time to get rid of this corrupt proposal from the Trump administration.

Action #1: On May 23, learn more about how corporate vultures plan to privatize Medicare and how to stop them. Share this in your social circles!
If you agree that profiteering has no place in Medicare, please join them and thousands of other advocates on Monday, May 23 (1:00-1:45 p.m. ET) as they kick-off their expanded national “Turning Up the Heat on Direct Contracting and REACH” campaign. Physicians and seniors will speak about the dangers of private equity in Medicare, while Congressional leaders will explain what we should do to protect seniors, the disabled, and the future of public Medicare. This event is free, but you must register in advance. 

• REGISTER NOW:  https://pnhp.salsalabs.org/REACHlaunchwebinar/index.html
• Graphics you can share on your social media: https://protectmedicare.net/social-media/

Action #2: Sign a petition to Joe to stop this nonsense before more vulnerable people are hurt.
Sign the petition from National Single Payer urging President Biden to issue an executive order ending Direct Contracting and REACH. Sign here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-president-biden-to-stop-the-privatization-of-medicare-end-aco-reach-now

Action #3: Make a call to Joe to “executive action” this away. Action #4: Call your representative to fight against Trump’s corrupt leftovers.

• Switchboard:  202-456-1414
• Email: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

If you are NOT on Medicare, use this script:

I am calling today to ask the President to issue an executive order to protect the ability of seniors and people with disabilities to manage their own care in traditional Medicare by quickly eliminating the DCE/ACO-REACH pilot program.

Direct Contracting, now called ACO-REACH, was developed by the Trump administration to hand a beloved and trusted public program, traditional Medicare, to Wall Street investors. President Biden, you can stop this attempt to privatize Medicare by issuing an executive order ending ACO-REACH.

The future of seniors and people with disabilities is in your hands. Use the full authority of your office to protect seniors and people with disabilities.

Only you can stop DCE/ACO-REACH with a stroke of a pen.

Save Medicare from Wall Street. Stop DCE/ACO-REACH today!

Thank you.

If you ARE on Traditional Medicare, use this script:

I am a senior on traditional Medicare and I do not want to be assigned to, aligned with, or enrolled in an ACO/ REACH program. My doctor and I can manage my care without intrusion from a third party with financial interests that will deplete our Medicare Trust Fund. Keep the Medicare dollar for health care and don’t use it for investor overhead and profit. 

I want President Biden to preserve my choice of traditional Medicare and stop this privatization that was started by Trump and his cronies. End the ACO/REACH program with an executive order.

Action #4: Call your representative to  fight against Trump’s corrupt leftovers.

I’m calling from [zip code) and as a person [who is on Medicare now/who hopes a robust Medicare program is still there when I need it], I want Representative [___] to urge HHS Sec. Becerra and the administration to stop ACO REACH and any other programs that privatize Medicare. I also want [him/her] to support and push through H.R.3 – Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would protect Medicare enrollee from excessive costs and unfair prices. 

(Who’s already a cosponsor of H.R.3 here. Brownley STILL has NOT signed (03/01), Carbajal has.)

CONTACT INFO.

Get your friends and family in RED states to call theirs as well! 

• Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26): email, DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779
• or Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24): email. DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
• Who is my rep./ senator?: https://whoismyrepresentative.com

EVENTS

Thursday – 05/19/2022 – ONLINE EVENT– “Disinformation and the January 6th Insurrection” (5:30pm PT)

Truth Brigade Illinois – Combatting Disinformation About the Jan 6, 2021 Insurrection with Nick Knudsen of Demcast

Register for the Zoom link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lduirqj4uE9ylHF5dmzBobgNjZOE2K_tp

Nick Knudsen the Executive Director of DemCast USA will join us to discuss DemCast’s grassroots media and addressing disinformation around the January 6th Capitol attack and the House select committee public hearings which are scheduled to be held in June.

Thursday – 05/19/2022 – ONLINE EVENT– “Public Safety and Local Police Reform” (7:00 pm PT)

• Reports from the Public Safety Racial Equity Advisory Group, Law Enforcement, and Community Groups with 
• Phin Xaypangna, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, County Executive Office, County of Ventura
• Claudia Bautista, Ventura County Public Defender and
• Public Safety Racial Equity Advisory Group (PSREAG) Co-Chair
• Bill Ayub, Sheriff of Ventura County
  and
• Vanessa Valdez, Latinx Bar Association President 

Moderated by: Cynthia Salas, Latino Town Hall President

Topics to include…

• PSREAG formation, goals, progress, future plans
• Police reform efforts in Ventura County
• Community perception
• Future needs

In 2020, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. What actions have taken place since to enhance public safety and racial equity? Meet VC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. Learn about the Public Safety Racial Equity Advisory Group’s (PSREAG) formation and progress. Hear from our VC Sheriff about local police reforms and from community voices on what more might be needed. 

• Please register for the forum in advance here: https://bit.ly/PublicSafetyandLocalPoliceReform
• Spanish interpretation will be available. 
• Spanish registration link here/Por favor, regístrese para el foro por ademantado aqui: 
• https://bit.ly/SeguridadPúblicayReformaPoliciaLocal

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/4939078099544378/

Be a source of information for people struggling over how to vote on Measures A & B. (“YES.” The answer is YES.)
From our email box on “YES” on Measures A & B – copy/paste at will:
“Dear 350 Activists, Some of us are canvasing, knocking on the doors of voters who are likely to vote YES on A & B, but who may well be confused. Here is what we are experiencing. Some people are all in and worried and want to volunteer or put up a sign. Some seem stressed about how to vote. They do not have time or wherewithal to source trustworthy information.

Many we visit are shaken to discover that they could have made a mistake by believing the ads and voting NO. A few appear to feel sick as it gradually sinks in how profoundly they were misled.

Here are answers to questions neighbors in North Ventura Avenue have been asking. We don’t need to know all these facts. But if we can reply with any one of these important counterpoints to the NO campaign lies, it begins to build trust and appreciation:

– There are 5,253 wells like the ones at the end of some of our streets and along the Ventura Bike Trail that were done on antiquated permits with no expiration date. The oil companies can drill new wells next to those old wells, and go deeper, and use more extreme extraction methods by applying to the county for a simple over-the-counter $330 permit, similar to a permit to hang a new business sign. If NO wins, then the current freedom to expand drilling on an old permit will be set in stone with no chance of an environmental review for any new drilling on antiquated permits.
– There are 1,653 wells drilled on modern permits that HAVE had an environmental review. This shows you that environmental review does NOT stop oil drilling. It slows down the application process if the producer wants to expand on a very, very old permit and may curtail some expansion activities for important health and safety reasons.
– The less than 1,000 oil industry employees still have LOTS of work to maintain the total of 8,500 wells in the county. There is also a HUGE amount of new work to properly close abandoned wells. AND requirement for environmental review adds even more really good jobs. Demand for skilled oil production workers has to keep going up as part of a responsible phase-out of oil.
– County revenues are not affected, since existing production is totally unaffected by the ordinance adopted by county supervisors in Nov. Note, the reason there is an A and a B on the ballot is that there are two ordinances required to achieve the health and safety review of new oil drilling, one for the coastal zone and one for the non-coastal zone.
– For those puzzling about the connection to gas prices, this question is easy. First, oil produced in Ventura County is in most cases too thick and low-grade to make gasoline. Oil spokespeople can’t say how much goes to gasoline versus products like asphalt. However, it’s a drop in the bucket of global oil production for gasoline. Some backup estimates: If the overall total is 440,000 barrels daily oil produced in the county and say generously that half (220K barrels) can be used to make gasoline and generously estimate that a third of that could slow down waiting for environmental review before expanding the drilling on an existing antiquated permit. That would be around 75,000 barrels daily that MIGHT go into gasoline that MIGHT experience a slow-down or decrease in production due to environmental review. Global production is 97 MILLION barrels of oil globally per day of oil generally more likely to go into gasoline refineries that Ventura County oil. That amount of slowdown locally will affect maybe around .08% of the global gasoline supply.
– The permitting of new wells on old permits is for protection of those of us who live and work around old wells, and our community that depends increasingly on the protection of the aquifers that they are drilling through.

ACTIONS:

• Attend the next Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting at Government Center, on Tuesday, May 24, to speak for 1-3 minutes in Open Comment about why the ordinances they adopted are significant and what you are doing to help defend them. Connect with friends to carpool on the Facebook Event Page –https://www.facebook.com/events/404417964921583/
• Sign up HERE for VC-SAFE canvassing events: https://vcsafe.org/canvassing 
• Reminder that Fillmore & Port Hueneme have a chance to join Clean Power Alliance–they must officially decide by the end of June 
• Please talk with or write your Council members in those cities, and also Santa Paula that will have an information meeting at its June 1 council meeting. They have to vote by end of June to spend $10K for a feasibility study. 
• Let the 350 VC Climate Hub Policy Team know if you want to work with others in your city to coordinate lobbying your city councils. Email jdietrick9@gmail.com.”

JOIN OUR POSTCARD BRIGADE!!

You Can Make a Difference! Do you want to help Democrats win in the 2022 elections?  You can write Get Out The Vote (GOTV) postcards to help get Democratic voters to the polls!  Studies have shown that receiving a colorful postcard with a short punchy message is the most effective way to persuade a voter to get to the polls.

Indivisible Ventura is working with Postcards to Swing States (PSS) to coordinate GOTV postcarding focused on Senate races in swing states.  PSS identifies the campaigns, writes the message, and provides the voter names and addresses. We will provide the cards and, if needed, the stamps.

If you want to participate, please send an email to ivpostcards@gmail.com.  We will add you our writer roster and email you a description of the campaigns we are currently running.  You decide which campaigns you want to join and specify the number of cards you want.  If you live locally, you may collect your supplies from my address in Ventura.  We can also will snail mail your packet to you. Resist every damn day! 

– Debby Millais, Postcard Coordinator