Fri – 1/11: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Quote by Margaret Mead.

Action – No more messing around.

Our own goverment has put out an alarming report that climate change will shrink the US economy and kill thousands of Americans.
Last October, the UN urged urged all governments to take “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” to avoid disaster from climate change. They estimate we have about 12 years to solve this.
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more deadly, and more expensive. Instead of an average of 6 events per year, 2017 had 16 all-time record climate disasters and cost $300 BILLION dollars in direct damages. 2018’s costs haven’t been quantified yet.
However, many who haven’t yet been blown out, flooded out or burned out of their homes have trouble believing that climate change is a real issue…for them.
So does our “Yeah, but I won’t be here” president and his administration of fossil-fuel lobbyists who remain hell-bent on removing every molecule of oil, gas and coal in a mad rush to claim “Energy dominance” and personal profit over a simmering planet.

Young people have a right to be angry, wondering why their country isn’t making the necessary changes necessary to protect the world they must live in long after the current crop of senior citizens in Congress are dead.

Continue reading “Fri – 1/11: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”” →

Thur – 1/10: You are cordially invited to the 50th anniversary of the environmental tragedy that started “Earth Day”.

The Center for Biological Diversity would like to cordially invite you to their “big, bold, badass protest” they are organizing on January 28th, the 50th anniversary of the Santa Barbara oil spill disaster.

From the Center for Biological Diversity…

“On January 28th, 1969, a massive offshore oil spill erupted in the Santa Barbara Channel, blanketing the California coast, including Chumash ancestral homeland, in over 3 million gallons of oil. The sight of the 800 square-mile oil slick inspired then-Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin to organize what came to be known as “Earth Day“, when he succeeded in amassing some 20 million people to the cause of educating people on issues related to the environment on April 20, 1970, with the help of U.S. Rep. Pete McCloskey of California.

In the 50 years since Santa Barbara’s disaster, other devastating oil spills – from Exxon Valdez in ‘89, to the BP Disaster in 2010, to the Plains Refugio spill in 2015 – have proven that offshore drilling remains dirty and dangerous.

But Trump and his swamp cabinet are moving forward with a proposal to dramatically expand offshore drilling in all our oceans – including off the California coast for the first time in more than 30 years – while simultaneously rolling back protections that prevent catastrophic oil spills. Continue reading “Thur – 1/10: You are cordially invited to the 50th anniversary of the environmental tragedy that started “Earth Day”.” →

Thurs – 1/10: The art of distraction…The administration is using the shutdown as cover for drilling in our national parks.

Photo: oil rigs in Texas wildlife refuge

Is the Trump Administration using the suffering of government employees and contractors to hide oil company shenanigans? Why yes… yes they are!

Action #1 – Call your legislators and the House Natural Resource Committee to shut this down.

Minimum script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep./Committee [___] to demand that ALL drilling permit processing, drilling rig setup and operations subject to BLM inspection, public meetings and regulatory comment pages be halted until the shutdown is completely lifted.

Contact
House Natural Resource Committee: If you don’t have a legislator on this committee (check here), contact # to be confirmed with their staff…in the meantime, use nrdems@mail.house.gov
Rep. Julia Brownley: email, (CA-26): DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779
or Rep. Salud Carbajal: email. (CA-24): DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
Who is my representative/senator?: hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com

They are using the shutdown as cover.

From Jim Hines, of the Los Padres Sierra Club: “I just got off the phone with several of the executive staff at the U.S. Dept of the Interior which oversees the National Park Service and other federal land management agencies. They tell me that the White House wants to keep America’s national parks closed and not staffed for as long as possible. The reason is that this will allow mining and oil drilling companies to set up their operations in our national parks without any national park service personnel oversight. How sad is this, using America’s national parks as a political game to get what the extraction industry both domestic and foreign companies to get what they want. @POTUS open and staff America’s national parks.” Continue reading “Thurs – 1/10: The art of distraction…The administration is using the shutdown as cover for drilling in our national parks.” →

Thurs -1/10: Tired of hearing about our corrupt president? Some positive things to do instead…

Action #1- Today, Thurs 1/10, sign up for a volunteer information webinar for 12 noon.

This webinar describes what is happening now and how to volunteer at the U.S.-Mexico border to help protect asylum seekers’ rights. With Al Lado Otro border organizers and 2 lawyers who have volunteered in Tijuana. Login at 12noon on Thursday here.

Other volunteer and donation opportunities here and here.

Action #2 – Knowledge is power. This Sunday, 1/13, come listen to Professor-Activist Ruth Capelle speak on immigration from Central America.

Continue reading “Thurs -1/10: Tired of hearing about our corrupt president? Some positive things to do instead…” →

Wed – 1/9: On the 8th day of hope, on the 8th anniversary of tragedy, the House introduces H.R.8 – The Universal Background Checks Act.

Action – Thank our legislators for supporting H.R. 8.

Yesterday (1/8), on the eighth anniversary of the shooting that killed 6 and injured 12 people, including former Rep. Gabby Gifford, House Democrats introduced H.R. 8 – The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019.

This bill would require all gun sellers, including private vendors, to conduct background checks on potential buyers. 11 states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington and the District of Columbia already require universal background checks for all sales and transfers of any kind of firearm. Continue reading “Wed – 1/9: On the 8th day of hope, on the 8th anniversary of tragedy, the House introduces H.R.8 – The Universal Background Checks Act.” →

Wed – 1/9: Yeah, we matter. Update from Indivisible and one action to thank our Senators.

Take a minute and watch this…

This is what this looked like nearer to home…Indivisible Conejo, Indivisible Ventura, Indivisible Ojai, Democratic clubs and others gathered together with Julia Brownley’s chief of staff, Lenny Young, to remind her what’s important to us and what we expect her to fight for: veterans’ care, universal healthcare, immigration reform, gun violence, and environmental protections, including pollution and climate change. Continue reading “Wed – 1/9: Yeah, we matter. Update from Indivisible and one action to thank our Senators.” →

Tues 1/8: Can you sing? Can you clap and cheer? Here are some much better things to do tonight than watching an angry man lie on TV.

Action #1 – Can you sing? First rehearsal for the MLK Celebration Choir starts tonight!

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” – This is one of the songs that will be performed…

Singers from the tri-counties (Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo) are welcome to join in the MLK Celebration Choir to perform at the amazing MLK Day celebration on Monday, Jan 21st!

There are three rehearsals, at the Bethel AME Church at 855 South “F” Street, Oxnard.

Tuesday (TONIGHT), 1/8, at 7 pm.
Saturday 1/12, at 11:00 am
Saturday, 1/19th at 11:00 am

Can’t hold a note but you still want to be inspired, to cheer, to sing, to clap?
Contribute to this historic, tightly choreographed and cool-as-hell 33-year-old multi-city event. (Facebook link here) Send the MLK Committee a donation, old school, any size with this form or directly to P.O. Box 294, Oxnard, CA, 93032. Make the check out to the “Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Ventura County“.

Then go buy a ticket online here for $8.13 or $7 at the door.

Freedom March – Starts at 8 am at Plaza Park at Fifth and “C” Streets with speeches by our legislators!. Transport provided for those who can’t march.
Can’t get up that early? The Celebration Program starts at 9:00 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.

Action #2 – Go to the Oxnard City Council tonight and cheer them on!

Continue reading “Tues 1/8: Can you sing? Can you clap and cheer? Here are some much better things to do tonight than watching an angry man lie on TV.” →

Tues 1/8 – Priorities, people! Oppose all legislation in the Senate until the government is re-opened.

Entire letter here.

Action – Demand a Clean Government Funding Bill before anything else happens!

What may have started as a mnemonic device to help “candidate Trump” remember immigration, has morphed into President Trump’s obsessive and racist demands for a real but useless wall, while our country struggles through the third week of a government shutdown. Meanwhile, statistics prove that our greatest threat is not at our southern border, but from dangerous people entering the US through Canada and through our own airports, now staffed with fewer TSA agents, thanks to Trump. The shutdown is hurting our national security in other ways, endangering flight safety, cyber security, and critical weather information. This may be a very, very, very bad time to fly. Continue reading “Tues 1/8 – Priorities, people! Oppose all legislation in the Senate until the government is re-opened.” →

Tues – 1/8: Broadcasters – make this happen!

Action #1 – Email/call the major broadcasters and tell them to back out of any deals to broadcast Trump’s speech tonight.

It wouldn’t be the first time that broadcasters refused to air a Presidential speech. It comes as no surprise that it was President Obama’s 2014 speech on immigration that was considered too partisan to air. Although NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and PBS all said on Monday that they had agreed to the White House’s request for air time, let’s tell them to reconsider. Even “allowing” Democrats equal time will not fix the damage his lies will cause. If the press aren’t actually the “enemies of the people” as Trump keeps stating, then they must act as agents for the protection of truth, even at risk of ratings and profits to themselves. That’s what heroes do.