Volume I, Issue 6 The Newsletter of Minuteman Indivisible Lexington April 12, 2017
Muster (verb) assemble, especially for inspection or preparation for battle
Welcome to Minuteman Muster, the weekly e-newsletter of Minuteman Indivisible Lexington. Here you will find actions you can do that take as little as a few minutes, upcoming events and links to articles of interest and more...
REMINDER: All Member Meeting Tonight! First Parish, Lexington 7:30PM.
MI HAPPENINGS
Kansas 4th: the First Referendum
In November, Mike Pompeo won his seat by 31 points. The Kansas 4th went for Trump by 27 points. The KS 4th is deep, ruby red. So much so, that the Democratic Party refused to fulfill a tiny $20K request by the upstart democratic campaign of Jim Thompson. "Why throw that money away?" the thought was.
And yet, the campaign persisted and was aided by grass roots efforts. The results are in and though Republican Estes won, the win was in just single digits (53/45/2). That is a 23 point shift towards the democrats. If that trend continues in the other upcoming special elections, the South Carolina 5th, Georgia 6th and Montana will all shortly become blue districts... But we must all pitch in to make this a reality. Take a look at Morning Coffee Actions below for ideas on how you can help.
Jay Kaufman Open House Featuring Senator Ed Markey
Thursday April 13, 2017 6:30PM-8:00PM at Lexington High School
Tomorrow night (Thursday), Representative Jay Kaufman's public policy forum, "Open House" is hosting US Senator Ed Markey to discuss the state of our tumultuous political scene. Please come support and ask questions of both Senator Markey and Rep. Kaufman. The forum will take its shape largely from audience questions. You can also submit one in advance by emailing jay.kuafman@mahouse.gov or tweeting @repjaykaufman.
Patriots Day Parade March
Patriots Day is this Monday and MI will be marching in Lexington's Patriot's Day parade, proudly showing our dedication to preserving the pillars of our democracy in this birth place of democracy. Please join us! The more the merrier - and the better to display Lexington's commitment to the phrase "Liberty and Justice for All".
We will gather at the East Lexington Fire Station at 1:15 pm. From there we march down Mass. Ave past the Battle Green. Park at the Lexington High School and take the shuttle to the parade start. (You will end the route close to the high school.)
If you plan to join us please sign up here.
For more information on the parade route and parking details click here.
Please note that no additional signs are allowed in the parade, just our beautiful Minuteman Indivisible banner.
Minuteman Indivisible "Show Your Taxes" Tax Day Rally Tuesday April 18th, 4-6PM. Fletcher Park
We will have all just submitted our tax forms, now it seems only right that Trump present his returns to the taxpayers, demonstrating he is free from foreign financial influence. We demand tax financial transparency.
Bring your sign and join us!
All Member Meeting Wednesday April 12th,
7:30pm-9:30pm
First Parish, 7 Harrington Rd., Lexington Come hear what all the teams have been working on and what we've been working on with other area Indivisible groups. Come get inspired, join a team, and bring friend!
All are welcome.
Elections Meeting Thursday April 20th,
7:30pm-9:00pm
Lexington Community Center, Room 237
39 Marrett Road, Lexington Team meeting to discuss supporting the GA 6th, SC 5th and MT at large special elections and gearing up for 2018. Come with your out-of-the-box ideas for supporting elections in other districts. Also get an update re. the upcoming special election for Donnelly's MA senate seat.
Healthcare Team Meeting Thursday April 20th,
7:15pm-9:00pm
Lexington Community Center, Room 246
39 Marrett Road, Lexington
JOIN A TEAM If you haven't had had a chance to sign up for a team and would like to get involved, just fill out this form:
(Actions you can do while enjoying your morning cup!)
Local Action: Data Privacy Protection Legislation in Massachusetts
A group of six Republican lawmakers in Massachusetts just bucked the trend of their cohort in DC and proposed data privacy legislation that bars Massachusetts Internet Service Providers from using or selling their customers internet browsing histories and other sensitive personal data without getting the customers explicit permission. This runs counter to the repeal of similar legislation nationally. Call your state reps. to voice your support for this bill. For those of you in Jay Kaufman's district his contact details are here. Otherwise, you can find your rep. here.
Stop the Return of Trumpcare
Just ten days after of the demise of Trumpcare (AHCA), the New York Times reported that Trump has started negotiations with the hard-line House Freedom Caucus to develop a new Affordable Care Act replacement bill. Their input will likely make the updated bill even worse than the widely-disliked original. For example, the Freedom Caucus has proposed letting states opt out of two popular ACA policies: the requirement that all insurance plans cover essential health benefits, and the community rating provision, which requires insurers to charge everyone who is the same age the same price. These two changes would functionally remove protections for people with preexisting conditions by allowing insurers to charge sicker people astronomically higher premium rates. We must consistently voice opposition to any reductions in coverage. Please call all your MoCs to voice opposition. Here are the contacts. For more information and scripts click here.
Voice Opposition to a Costly and Deadly Border Wall
Trumps budget proposal for the 2017 Fiscal Year allocates over $2.6 billion to begin construction of "the wall" and hire 20 attorneys to assist in taking property from Americans who own land along the border. The wall is estimated to cost more than $21.6 billion. It is costly, it is unlikely to reduce illegal immigration and it's an environmental disaster - cutting off natural migration zones for wildlife. There is bipartisan opposition to the wall's construction, but we need voices to declare loud and clear that we do not want a wall. Rep. Clark sits on the appropriations committee. Let her know you oppose the wall. Her contact details are here.
Special Elections: Volunteer for Jon Ossoff and Rob Quist
Democrats almost took ruby red KS 4th -- GA 6th is well within range! Sign up here to phone bank for Jon Ossoff. Phone banking is easy. They provide the script and you are calling from democratic lists to remind people to vote. You just need a computer or tablet to do it. They provide the phone number, names and scripts. Early voting is going on now in Georgia so they need to reach as many registered democrats as possible. Rob Quist doesn't have phone banks set up yet, but you can still donate to his campaign. You can also contact the members of the DCCC and ask them pointedly to show more support for Quist's campaign than was shown for Thompson's. Here is an article with the list of the new DCCC members.
SC primaries are on May 2nd, with the general on June 20th. We'll let you know when we know the final candidates. Here is the calendar: 4/18 - Georgia 6th
5/25 - Montana At Large
6/20 - SC 5th
Outreach to Other States
Members of Congress (MoCs) are on recess until 4/23 and many are holding town hall meetings for their constituents. Friends in other states can find town halls for their MoCs from the Town Hall Project and resources for town hall questions from the Indivisible Team here. Encourage your family and friends who live in red and purple districts to go and express their voice at these town halls. It is acts like this that killed Trumpcare. We can not let up on this effort. Each and every recess...
EVENTS CALENDAR
Jay Kaufman Open House with Senator Markey Thursday, April 13, 2017 6:30PM to 8PM Lexington High School
Questions can be submitted in advance to jay.kuafman@mahouse.gov.
Tax Day Protest in Boston Saturday, April 15, 2017
1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Cambridge Common
Before the Flood Screening and Climate Change Workshop Saturday, April 15, 2017, 10AM - 12PM The Venue Theater
1794 Mass Ave, Lexington
This special event will begin with a screening of Before the Flood, the acclaimed and eye-opening film produced by Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. Immediately following the screening, hear how Massachusetts can show the way for other states in reducing carbon pollution. Learn about carbon pricing and fee rebates. Get the latest information on the April 29 Peoples March for Climate. Find out how you can join with others in taking actions that will make a difference.
Patriots Day Parade Monday, April 17, 2017 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Gather at the East Lexington Fire Station at 1:00.
For more information about parking, transport and parade details are available here.
To join us, sign up here.
Minuteman Indivisible Tax Day Rally Tuesday, April 18, 2017 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Fletcher Park, (Farmers Market location),
Corner of Mass. Ave and Woburn St. in Lexington
Minuteman Lexington rallies support for tax transparency in our president.
Reception: Support of Congresswoman Annie Kuster, NH 2nd Congressional District Thursday, April 20, 6:00 - 7:00 pm 325 Harvard Street, Cambridge, MA Host: $500+ | Sponsor: $250 | Supporter: $100 | Friend: $50 | Ticket: $25. To RSVP, please contact Meg Scribner at meg@kusterforcongress.com or (603) 225-3327
March for Science Saturday, April 22, 2017 1:00 - 4:00 PM Boston Common The March for Science champions publicly-funded and publicly-communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. We unite as a diverse, non-partisan group to call for science that upholds the common good, and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest. This group is inclusive of all individuals and types of science! To register and for information, click here.
People's Climate March Saturday, April 29, 2017 2:00 4:00 pm Washington, DC Or, Boston Sister March:
Boston Common, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
The Climate March in Washington DC is promising to be huge! A "sister" march in Boston is now planned on the Boston Common. For those that would like to march in Washington, there are buses available leaving from Alewife and other stops, leaving late Friday night April 28, going straight to the march, and then returning Saturday night to arrive back in the Boston area early Sunday Morning. Bus tickets are $110+ fee, sponsor tickets are $130.
Click here for more information about the march. For Bus Information click here.
HELP WANTED
In addition to team members we are also looking for people for the following positions:
Items should be no longer than 50 words, and are subject to editing. You may include links to pages with more details.
Items must be submitted to muster@minutemanindivisible.org
Submissions by Teams will be identified as such. Items may not be included at the discretion of Minuteman Indivisible Lexington.
All items are subject to the discretion of the editor.
Our Mission:
We the people of Minuteman Indivisible unite to uphold the rights and dignity of all people. Our mission is to exercise and defend our Constitutional rights and democratic institutions. Our principles are informed by our humanitarian values and respect for well-established scientific knowledge and governance expertise.
