Volume I, Issue 9 The Newsletter of Minuteman Indivisible Lexington May 4, 2017
Muster (verb) – assemble, especially for inspection or preparation for battle
MI HAPPENINGS
TrumpCare Vote Today
There's not much time left before the vote, so here are three ways to assert that constituent power:
Show up, in person, at your Representative’s district office. Bring friends. Tell your story.
Call your Representative. If you can't get through, call again. We need every single phone in the Capitol ringing off the hook until this bill is dead.
Post to Facebook and social media. We need to get MORE people calling and visiting ASAP. Tell your friends and family that now is the moment to make their voices heard. The vast majority of Americans oppose this bill—we have to speak out and make sure they know it.
If you need more info, check out the IndivisibleGuide updated TrumpCare page. Now is the moment to stand up, fight back, and kill this bill for good.
Jay Kaufman's "Democracy Demands Engagement" Series Starts Tonight
Jay Kaufman is hosting the first of a four part series "Democracy Demands Engagement". Tonight's topic “Challenging Times/Building Community,” will invite us to identify what moves/concerns us and how to unite around these concerns. Join us: 7PM - 9PM at Temple Isaiah, 55 Lincoln Street in Lexington.
Archie Parnell Wins SC 5th Primary for US House Seat
South Carolina's 5th district held its primary on Tuesday for the house seat to replace Mike Mulvaney. Archie Parnell won the democratic spot on the ticket with over 70% of the democratic vote. The republicans face a run-off election in two weeks. The final election is scheduled for June 20th. Support Archie Parnell now, while he has a two week head start on the republican challenger.
UPCOMING MI MEETINGS
Healthcare Team Meeting Thursday, May 4th,
7:15pm-9:00pm
Lexington Community Center, Room 232
39 Marrett Road, Lexington
Climate and Environment Team Meeting Monday, May 8th,
7:30pm-9:00pm
Cary Library, Learning Center
Team Leaders Meeting Thursday, May 11th,
7:15pm-9:00pm
Lexington Community Center, Arts & Crafts Room
39 Marrett Road, Lexington
Elections Team Meeting Tuesday, May 16th
7:15-9PM Location TBD
MORNING COFFEE ACTIONS
(Actions you can do while enjoying your morning cup!)
Tell Your MoCs to Leave Trumpcare in the Garbage where it Belongs!
Breaking news reports indicate that the house intends to vote on TrumpCare redux this afternoon. This is still an unacceptable piece of legislation. Please put down your coffee and dial up your MoCs now. Tell them that any reduction to the ACA is unacceptable. We need to fix it, not strip it. Even better, call your friends and relatives in red districts and ask them to do the same. Your MoC contact details are here. For more on the specifics of the legislation the NY Times provides a summary.
Demand the Deputy Attorney General appoint a Special Prosecutor
Russiagate has not gone away, and Flynn's apparent violations of the law are only indicative that we need more independent coverage of this topic. AG Jeff Sessions has recused himself on this topic, and Rod J. Rosenstein was just confirmed by the senate as the new deputy attorney general who, in his confirmation hearings committed to appointing a special prosecutor "if one was required". Call the attorney general's office to express the need for a special prosecutor. 5Calls has the contact information and a script.
No Tax Legislation without Tax Transparency!
The Trump administration released its vision for "tax reform": providing massive tax cuts in the corporate rate and the estate tax while effectively increasing the tax burden for tax payers in blue states by eliminating the deduction for state and local taxes. All these proposed changes will no doubt benefit the net worth of #45, but we have no idea by how much, as he has not released his taxes. Democrats in congress are doing what we’ve asked – they have pledged to obstruct any and all tax "reform" efforts until Trump releases his tax returns. And Republicans in congress are starting to come around. Republican representatives in IA, SC, NC, FL, NJ, and MI have said that Trump should release his taxes. If you have any friends in these states, send them an email asking them to call the representatives listed below to thank them and urge them to push harder.
The following Republican representatives have said that Trump should release his tax returns:
IA: Sen. Joni Ernst, Rep. David Young
FL: Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Ted Yoho
NC: Rep. Walter B. Jones
NJ: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen
MI: Rep. Justin Amash
SC: Rep. Mark Sanford
MASS ACTION: Urge Mass House Reps to Fund Environmental Protections
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is currently considering amendments to the 2018 proposed budget. State agencies need adequate funding to prevent and address pollution, ensure clean water and make the Commonwealth more resilient to climate change. Please urge your State Representative to co-sponsor the Green Budget amendments today! The Amendments are #1196, 839, 898, 1073, 830. The House takes up the budget next week, so please call and/or email asap. For those of you in Jay Kaufman's district his contact details are here. Otherwise, you can find your rep. here.
EVENTS CALENDAR
JAY KAUFMAN FOUR PART WORKSHOP "DEMOCRACY DEMANDS ENGAGEMENT" 5/4, 5/18, 5/25, 6/15
7PM - 9PM
Temple Isaiah, 55 Lincoln St., Lexington.
State Rep Jay Kaufman is hosting a four part public workshop as part of his Open House series of public policy forums.
The 1st session, “Challenging Times/Building Community,” will invite the public to identify what moves/concerns them and how to unite around these concerns. The second session on May 18, “Identifying and Overcoming Divisions,” will allow attendees to look behind today’s challenges to identify the systemic roots of divisions and those who exploit them for political gain. On May 25, the forum will reflect on what it means to take “Values-Based/Moral Action.” In the final session on June 15, members of the community will look ahead to “What Now? Stand Up, Stand Tall, Stand Together.” Join Jay and other members of our community as we engage in these very important discussions.
March for Truth June 3rd, 12pm to 3pm
Parkman Bandstand 50 Chestnut St, Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Demonstration to call for an impartial investigation into Russian interference in the US election and ties to Donald Trump, his administration and his associates.
Additional information is available here: https://www.marchfortruth.info/take-action/
WORTH WATCHING: Protecting our planet series
In honor of Earth Day and the Climate march this week we recommend the following videos...
"Before the Flood"
(You can now stream it here free of charge!) Join Leonardo DiCaprio as he explores the topic of climate change, and discovers what must be done today to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet.
How to Talk to a Conservative about Climate Change and Renewable Energy
Tea Party founder and, yes, environmental activist Deborah Dooley offers this fascinating perspective about the change in language needed to build consensus around environmental protections. It will change the way you talk about this issue with your conservative uncle who has dismissed the idea of global warming.
Health and Cost Impact of Proposed Carbon Pricing Legislation
Learn more about the potential health benefits and the corresponding medical cost savings projected from the reduction in carbon emissions from the proposed Massachusetts carbon pricing legislation.
HELP WANTED
In addition to team members we are also looking for people for the following positions:
Are you new to Minuteman Indivisible? Join one or more of our issues and actions teams! (See our website for more information on the teams.) If you haven't had a chance to sign up for a team and would like to get more involved, just fill out this form:
Submit any news, events or action items you would like to highlight muster@minutemanindivisible.org
Items should be no longer than 100 words, and are subject to editing. You may include links to pages with more details.
Our Mission:
We the peopleof 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.
