We need environmental protections

When Democrats, Republicans, and independents rushed to the polls to elect President Obama in 2008, part of the hope and change we were endorsing was a commitment to environmental protection. We voted for a good government that would protect public health from the greed of heavy industry. The Obama-Biden Administration instituted hundreds of environmental safeguards to be followed by nearly every governmental agency to do just that.

Trump was proud of rewarding his billionaire donors by tossing out as many of those Obama-Biden regulations as he could. We saw the fruits of his labor on February 3, in the giant explosion of a Norfolk Southern Railway train in East Palestine, Ohio. As soon as footage of the explosion hit the airwaves, Fox News and Republican leaders jumped up to accuse Secretary Buttigieg and President Biden of negligence. Republican Governor DeWine refused federal help and directed the crew to release the vinyl chloride into a trough to be burned off, assuring the public that the accident wasn’t as bad as they thought, even though the National Cancer Institute has linked vinyl chloride gas to liver, brain, and lung cancer. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the accident. Deregulating the rail industry is one part of Trump’s legacy.

We have called upon President Biden to de-Trumpify our government in a series of essays urging the ouster of Trump-era personnel embedded in government agencies. This time, we want to support President Biden’s efforts to keep up the more complex de-Trumpification required to reverse Trump-era deregulation and rollback of environmental protections. You may wish to join us in thanking the President for reversing over seventy of Trump’s rollbacks so far and in supporting that crucial ongoing work.

Tell President Biden: Keep working on restoring much-needed environmental protections!

Public comment to end penalties on SSI beneficiaries receiving food aid

Currently, around 5 million people who are impoverished, disabled, or seniors rely on the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) administered by the Social Security Administration. This income amounts to $914 a month, but can be reduced by about a third if a beneficiary is receiving food aid. This is because food aid is considered “in-kind support and maintenance” (ISM).

The Social Security Administration is proposing a rule change that would remove food from ISM, so that SSI beneficiaries are not penalized for getting help with food. It’s important to support this rule change via a public comment.

Submit a Public Comment Directly at the Federal Register. Comments are due by April 17, 2023.

Lawyer and advocate Matthew Cortland made a blog post on Patreon explaining the details of this rule change and how to most effectively comment on it. Remember, comments written in your own words are the most effective.

Public comment on privacy rights in California

As required by the California Privacy Rights Act passed in 2020, California will implement and enforce regulations on businesses and organizations regarding the use of consumers’ personal information. Areas of regulation include cybersecurity audits, assessing the risk to consumers’ privacy, potential for algorithmic discrimination, and more. You can participate in the process of regulation by submitting your ideas in a public comment.

The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) has issued an invitation for public comment and a description of the areas on which the public is asked to weigh in.

Comments are accepted by mail or email through 5 PM on Monday, March 27, 2023. See the CPPA website for details.

If you’re interested in participating in activities like drafting letters to our Members of Congress and developing our strategy for influencing them, the Indivisible SF Federal Working Group is where it happens.

Indivisible SF Federal Working Group: Thursday, March 9, 7:30–9 PM. Planning meeting where we discuss strategy to influence our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to enact a progressive agenda. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30 PM. All are welcome. Register here!

Swing Left East Bay Virtual Letter Writing Parties for Wisconsin: Saturday, March 4, 2023, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM. Vote Forward is launching its letter writing campaign for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election the week of February 20, so we’ll be springing into action. Join Swing Left for a letter writing party, where we’ll be writing letters using this award-winning, proven tactic to reach potential voters. RSVP on Mobilize.