Quote of the Week:“While we cannot rely on Republicans to defeat themselves, we should be realistic in assessing the relative challenges faced by both candidates. Does Joe Biden face challenges? Sure! But any objective observer would rather be supporting Joe Biden than Donald Trump. We are not entitled to a stress-free election in 2024, but we should try to keep our anxiety in check by taking a step back to consider the challenges faced by each candidate. If we do that, we have plenty of reason for optimism heading into 2024.” – Robert Hubbell, Today’s Edition Newsletter, Dec. 29, 2023 Resolve to Help Save Democracy! Join Us on January 15  Photo credit: Marc Sterling It’s New Year’s Eve already!! 2024 is upon us, and in honor of the occasion, Olympia Indivisible invites you to make a resolution: Help Save Democracy! Here's a really easy way to start: Show up for Olympia Indivisible's Jan.15 MLK Day event, 2024: Mobilize for Democracy! Better yet, show up and bring a friend! Find out how together we can:
We'll be launching and recruiting for our new electoral teams for 2024. If you are concerned about the future of democracy in our nation, you are qualified to help make a difference. See the website for team descriptions starting with the Endorsement Team in the Election Engagement section. What: 2024: Mobilize for Democracy! This meeting is free and open to all OI members AND to the public. When: Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 (MLK Jr. Day), 1-3pm (doors open at 12:30, please come early) Where: St. John's Episcopal Church 114, 20th Ave. SE Olympia 98501 Let us know you are coming: Register here. Local Actions: Stop Destroying Our Legacy Forests Photo credit: Paul Summers on Unsplash Action requested by Friends of Trees For two years, Thurston County residents and Commissioners have asked the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to protect its legacy forests. In a rejection of our efforts, the DNR is putting two of Thurston’s Capitol Forest parcels up for auction. Parcels called “Carrot” and “Cabbage Patch” will be up for a vote to auction at the January 3, 2024 DNR Board meeting! All 73 acres of Carrots are considered to be legacy forest and Cabbage Patch’s 197 acres include trees going back 100 years. See Timber Sales Proposals for January 2024 Please take one or all of the suggested actions: Action 1: Call DNR at 360-902-1004 ex 4 and leave this message: Don’t cut Carrots or Cabbage Patch – remove them from the January Docket! Action 2: Testify in person or by Zoom. Register HERE to sign up for testimony on Wed Jan 3rd. Read the instructions on how and when to register. You need to register per the instructions whether you plan to comment in person or remotely by 8:45am. Action 3: Email DNR board members by taking this TAN action: Stop Destroying Our Legacy Forests! Talking Points:
Script: I am asking you to vote no on sending Carrots and Cabbage Patch to auction at the January 3, 2024 DNR Board Meeting. For two years, Thurston County residents and County Commissioners have been asking the DNR to protect its legacy forests. Don’t vote over the objections of the Thurston County Commissioners. WA State Actions: Get Ready to Take Action in 2024 with Take Action Network! The Washington Legislative Session starts on January 8th and you have an opportunity to influence the outcome of consequential legislation. In under 5 minutes a day you can support/oppose bills, track changes, and send pre-written emails to your senator and representatives. Indivisible’s Take Action Network (TAN) puts the power in your hands by making it easy to engage. Did you never sign up for Take Action Network (TAN) or have trouble using it and give up the habit? Get a quick start on making the Take Action Network (TAN) a mainstay for your daily or weekly activism. Indivisible TAN wizard Kevin Leja’s short seminars on Zoom will get you using TAN immediately. Action: Use these links to sign up with one of Kevin’s upcoming training sessions: We Need More Volunteers to Observe Ballot Initiative Petition Signature Count  Photo credit: William Wesen Appraiser on Wikimedia Commons Washington progressives need our help. For months, Washington’s wealthiest MAGA Republican donors have bankrolled signature gathering for six “Backwards Washington” initiatives, which, if successful, will repeal programs that help our kids and their schools, working families trying to afford childcare, seniors who benefit from long-term care, and clean energy solutions that tackle the growing climate crisis. These initiatives are intended to up-end Washington laws that progressive legislators put years, sometimes decades, into passing. The petitions have now been submitted to the Secretary of State and now we need progressives to step forward to get trained to be signature counting observers. Tens of thousands of petitions must be verified and we need signature counting observers to ensure that the signatures are in fact valid. All you need to do to qualify to be a ballot count observer is to take a 30-minute in-person training in Tumwater hosted by the Washington Secretary of State from 4:30-5pm. Please note that the training is 30 minutes and it is in-person. The address is 243 Israel Road SE Tumwater, WA 98501. The training is on the third floor, in room TC304. You must register to attend (see the Action for details). Here are the dates and times to train as a ballot count observer:
Action: Send an email to Washington Secretary of State Elections trainer Kristine Marshall at [email protected] and tell her you want to sign up for training. Please also cc your email to Kurt Fritts at [email protected] and Alexa Brenner at [email protected]. Kurt and Alexa are coordinating the scheduling of shifts for opponents to the ballot initiatives (that’s us). Federal Actions: Better Regulation of Medicare Advantage Companies  Photo credit: Jacek Halicki, Wikimedia Commons Background: Indivisible's Medicare Action from Indivisible National Over time, Medicare Advantage companies have committed widespread fraud, put patients’ care and lives in peril by denying their claims, and threatened the solvency of Medicare. It’s time for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to step up and stop the swindling. The federal government is considering an important rule change that would allow CMS to better regulate these companies and is soliciting the public to leave formal comments about this proposed change by Friday, January 5, 2024. Action: Leave a public comment on the Federal Register. See below for help and talking points! The process to leave a public comment might seem intimidating, but we are ready to walk you through it! Here's how:
Save the United States Postal Service Photo credit: Philipp Michel Reichold, Wikimedia Commons Since Trump handed him the United States Postal Service, Louis DeJoy has worked tirelessly to degrade service, raise prices, and prepare the USPS to be sold off to private corporations. The one year extension of Trump appointees Donald Moak and Williams Zollars came to an end on December 8th. With Trump’s appointees out of the way, Biden can finally have a pro-postal majority who will stand up to DeJoy’s sabotage! Lawrence and Anderson have the support of postal workers unions and a progressive postal advocacy coalition. This is the last step―we can finally save the USPS from Louis DeJoy! Action: Call on Pres. Biden to appoint Rep. Brenda Lawrence and Sarah Anderson to the USPS Board of Governors! Script: I support the nomination of Rep. Brenda Lawrence and Sarah Anderson to the USPS Board of governors. I’m aware that the Save the Post Office Coalition, a network of over 300 public interest groups, has called on you to nominate Rep. Brenda Lawrence and Sarah Anderson to the USPS Board of Governors. I urge you to nominate these two excellent candidates. Congresswoman Lawrence and Ms. Anderson are public servants who would bring needed perspectives and expertise to the USPS Board of Governors, at a time when the nation is looking to the board to start asking the tough questions of Louis DeJoy. USPS and the nation need governors who understand that the USPS has always been and should remain a cherished public service. The postal board urgently needs a majority of governors who will push the USPS to look at its long-term financial health, invest in its workforce, and build a union-built electric postal fleet that will be better for the planet, for mail carriers, and for frontline communities. Sincerely, [Your Name] Have You Scheduled This Event? Action Cafe 2023, Every Monday at Noon
OI members meet, make new friends, and take actions together. Every Cafe comes with a side order of live music and a heapin’ helpin’ of good cheer! Cafe patrons receive an email on Sunday with a sneak-peek at what we'll do at the cafe the next day. On Monday morning, Chef Lisa will send you a pdf "Menu" which has links to the actions we'll take together at the Cafe. Action: Register HERE. We will send you a Zoom link and tomorrow morning, Chef Lisa will send your "menu." |
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