Fri 12/14: “Once upon a time, there were bears as white as ice…” – Deadline to stop arctic drilling, Dec. 17th.

(While our attention is elsewhere… (Trump: orange or striped jumpsuit? Texas judge screws the ACA, Butina is going to testify? Mulvaney is chief of staff? )
…the dark business of deconstructing our protections continues unabated as corporate-friendly and extremist-backed rule-change proposals roll off the assembly line every day.)

Today, we’re asking you to write comments against drilling for oil in the federal waters off Alaska.

Trump tells us lots of fairy tales…Let’s tell one of our own. A future fairy tale…
Once upon a time, when there were bears as white as ice, high priests worshipped a dark power that dwelt below the earth, a power made of the very essence of what had ruled the earth before the history of man. The priests searched for help in their endless quest for this dark power, which, when restored to the surface, and harnessed to man’s desires, brought them great wealth. An alliance was made with those who ruled the upper lands, those who were the most venal and uncaring of the true nature of that the priests controlled. That alliance begat a ruler, who begat a beast of rules and laws, named for the insatiable dark power it craved.

And as this beast grew, it demanded sacrifice. Sacrifice of the animals of old. Sacrifice of the land. Sacrifice of the water. Sacrifice of the air. Sacrifice of the oldest, the youngest, and the weakest of mankind’s children. Sacrifice until all the dark power had returned, resting on the ground, floating in the oceans, flying with the winds, where it would change the very nature of the earth below and the heavens above. Sacrifice until even the richest and most powerful, gripping hard the dead magic of their wealth, were swept away. And the dark power returned to rule the upper lands, in a time again free of man.

And no one could say “The End”. Continue reading “Fri 12/14: “Once upon a time, there were bears as white as ice…” – Deadline to stop arctic drilling, Dec. 17th.” →

Wed. – 12/12: “The World Has Had Enough” – Fight/write against the EPA’s methane rollback. Deadline Dec. 17th.

(attribution – Tea Pain, #BondTrumpBond)

(While our attention is elsewhere… (Trump: orange or striped jumpsuit? Which Dems are missing from the net neutrality petition? 3 years for Cohen…)
…the dark business of deconstructing our protections continues unabated as corporate-friendly and extremist-backed rule-change proposals roll off the assembly line every day.)

Action – Oppose EPA’s Methane Rollback – Deadline Monday, December 17. 11:59 EST

A surprising number of the James Bond movie plots center around the threat of environmental disaster, with the fate of mankind held ransom for money, fame or political power.

Today, with the issuance of alarming government reports at how close we are already to world-wide catastrophe (2018 Arctic Report Card, Fourth National Climate Assessment) one can only wonder if we are inside a real-life James Bond movie. Trump, with his clownishly long ties, the sartorial tic required for any great Bondian villain, is single-mindedly intent on removing all Obama-era protections – including this one which eliminates the requirement that oil and gas companies check for methane leaks from capped wells on public and tribal lands. If he succeeds, hundreds of thousands of tons of methane will be released, polluting our atmosphere while costing us millions in potential royalty revenue. In return, like the proper villain he is, he’ll continue to profit from huge contributions from extractive industries such as gas, oil and mining.

So be your favorite Bond, be it Connery, Moore, Lazenby, Dalton, Brosnan, or Craig, or even better, Miss Moneypenny, and wield your “Q”-enhanced keyboard against this rule. Continue reading “Wed. – 12/12: “The World Has Had Enough” – Fight/write against the EPA’s methane rollback. Deadline Dec. 17th.” →

Tues 12/11: No compromise. No deals. No fear. No wall.

“This would be the only wall on earth that would split a continent.”

– Jennifer Miller, co-author and senior scientist at Defenders of Wildlife

Remind your legislators that this is a non-negotiable issue.

For those legislators who don’t care about the the lives of people or the environment, remind them that they can be replaced. (See “last election”) Call them.
For those legislators who do, remind them that they speak for us. Give them your backing to do the right thing. Give them your courage to stand up to the opposition and possibly to their friends. Call them.

Minimal Script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep./Sen. [____] to stand firm against any legislation that funds an immoral, ineffective and environmentally devastating border wall.

More script if you need it: Not only is this a waste of money, but it also destroys our national wildlife refuges, as well as the eco-tourism that thrives because of them.

Contact

Continue reading “Tues 12/11: No compromise. No deals. No fear. No wall.” →

Help us make more citizens!

One concrete way to help green card holders become safe in Trump-America is to help those who qualify (green card for 5 years, or if married to a US citizen, 3 years) take the next steps to become citizens as quickly as possible.

Every last Sunday of the month, local immigration lawyers and volunteers from Indivisible (Ventura, Conejo, Ojai, Grassroots Ventura), Ventura County Legal Aid, El Concilio Family Services, CLUE, SEIU, Buen Vecino, DSA and amazing community members, come together under tents at the Oxnard Community Marketplace at Oxnard College to provide free assistance to those needing to complete applications for citizenship, DACA and green card extensions, selective service and voter registration forms.

What we need:
#1 – Volunteers at the Legal Aid clinic itself: those who can speak Spanish are especially helpful, but all volunteers who are patient, attentive to detail and able to sit comfortably for the couple of hours an application can take are welcome. Come to a training at 8:30 to learn how to fill out a citizenship form from one of our amazing volunteer lawyers.

#2 – Volunteers who will print out and post our informational posters.

Continue reading “Help us make more citizens!” →

Mon – 12/10: Warm up your keyboard! Last day to do battle on the “Public Charge” disaster. Deadline tonight 11:59 EST.

Despite what Netflix and Hallmark would have you believe, this holiday season is actually about a Jewish family who, after the birth of their son, fled their homeland to save his life. That baby, whose family became refugees in Egypt and then displaced persons in Nazareth of Galilee, grew up to be a man who asked all who believed in him to “welcome the stranger”, as he himself was.

Action – Deadline TONIGHT on “public charge” rule that hurts kids. DEADLINE Dec. 10th, 11:59 EST

Today, religious or not, we ask you, on the last day of this devastating “public charge” rule’s open comment period, to take two minutes and write a sentence to defend the lives and health of the immigrants who live amongst us. This proposed rule severely limits eligibility for entry to the U.S.. It will also deny visas and green cards to immigrants already in the U.S. legally as well as to non-citizen family members of U.S. citizens. Currently, non-citizens seeking U.S. entry and those applying for green cards must pass a “public charge test” if they need cash assistance. The new rule, which disproportionately targets families, the poor, and people with disabilities, would target non-cash benefits such as health care, food, and housing assistance. The Department of Homeland Security will use a list of “negative factors” against those who are the “wrong” age, poor or disabled, even if they’ve never used any government services. These factors include:

Household size of 3 or more
No private health insurance coverage
No high school diploma
Earning less than 125% of the federal poverty level ($31,375 for a family of four)
A disability or chronic health condition.
Limited English language
Under age 18 or over age 61

These rules will affect over 1 million people green card applicants a year, as well as 10 million seeking non-immigrant temporary visas, and about 500,000 non-immigrants seeking extensions of stay or changes of non-immigrant status. This includes up to half of all marriage green card applicants a year.

If you have more time…write paragraphs and/or attach your college thesis on the economic benefits of immigrants. Our keyboards can literally save lives.

You can post a comment directly to the government site here.

Use your name or post anonymously. Post as many times as you can. The longer and more involved the comment, the better, but even a single-sentence comment is important. Every unique comment counts! Identical comments will be culled. See what other people are writing here.

Comment examples to get you started…

Continue reading “Mon – 12/10: Warm up your keyboard! Last day to do battle on the “Public Charge” disaster. Deadline tonight 11:59 EST.” →

Fri – 12/7: Update: Protect Net Neutrality – Some Dems haven’t signed. If they’re yours, contact them now. Deadline this Monday – 12/10

(We’re updating this post to add contact information for the constituents of Democratic Reps who haven’t signed the discharge petition.)

Continue reading →

Fri – 12/7: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Rally plus 4 Actions!

(Original video has been removed. This link includes excerpts of the video.)

Yep, it’s true. Ammon Bundy, leader of the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and who recently claimed that his Mormon church had been infiltrated by socialists, globalists and environmentalists, is standing up for immigrants at the border. Following the tenets of his faith, he has become their outspoken defender, forcing him to leave behind his shocked militia movement and other “patriot” groups.” His father, Clive Bundy, supports his views, as do a surprising number of others across the political divide.

This holiday season is about a family of Jewish refugees, who left behind their homeland to save their son’s life. This Sunday, CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) is reaching out to people of faith and others to embrace their religious foundational traditions of welcoming and supporting the “strangers” in our midst.

It’s time to reach out, even to the most unlikely of allies, and stand indivisible in support of these asylum seekers.

Action #1 – Sunday, Dec. 9th – SOS! Sunday of Solidarity with Refugee Families. (Correction – not a rally…more of a vigil.)

Continue reading “Fri – 12/7: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Rally plus 4 Actions!” →