Weekly Call To Action - August 7, 2022

Quote of the Week:

​“If Democrats lose the House and/or the Senate in November, it doesn’t matter who runs for president in 2024 because we will all no longer be living in a representative democracy. Yet, if Democrats do retain the House and can increase our majority by at least two responsible Senators, Democrats will pass laws that the vast majority of Americans support.” –Yvonne Brandon, Indivisible Eastside

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Get Involved:

​The midterms of 2022 will be the most consequential election of your lifetime and possibly this generation. Democracy is NOT a spectator sport. It is NOT enough to vote. You need to actively contribute–whatever you have: time, energy, resources. If you’re already doing this, thank you. If not, it’s time to take a pledge to get involved. 

Olympia Indivisible is here to support your engagement, give you the skills you need, and provide an activism community where we work together and make it fun. 

Action 1: Take a second to send this message: “I’m ready to do my part” to this LINK and our Candidate Interface Team will get in touch with you to help you find a way to make a difference. 

Action 2: And let’s picnic! Seriously, save the date (Sat., Aug. 27 from 11am-1pm), pack a lunch, and come to the Olympia Indivisible All-Member outdoor picnic under the shady awning of the Olympia Regional Learning Academy picnic shed (2400 15th Avenue SE). We’ll celebrate five years of pro-democracy activism (think “cake”!) and share news about how to help Keep it Blue in 2022. 

Save the date and RSVP for the picnic! olyindipicnic2022@gmail.com 

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Local Actions:

Meet City and County Planning Staff
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2nd Comprehensive Plan Session

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​Help Create a Long-Term Plan for Thurston County
If you have ever wanted to help shape your community’s future, now is the time to get involved. Thurston County's “Comprehensive Plan” update will result in a long-term plan that describes the vision for growth, infrastructure, and services for that jurisdiction. 

Second Session Live
The League of Women Voters of Thurston County (LWVTC) and Thurston Climate Action Team will co-host the second session “Comprehensive Plan Introduction with City and County Planning Staff” which will be held in person on Wednesday August 17 6:30 to 7:30 pm, at the Rose Garden Shelter, Squaxin Park (formerly Priest Point Park).
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Christina Chaput, Thurston County Community Planning Manager, will share plans for community participation in the 2023-24 Thurston County Comprehensive Plan Update process. Following that introduction which applies to all residents, participants will participate in one of 4 sessions to learn the plans for Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey or elsewhere in the county. 
There will be plenty of time for asking questions of the county and city staff. The outdoor session is scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, rain or shine. Fine to wear a mask.

Three General Information Sessions
The Local Good Governance Coalition (LGGC) has planned for three general information sessions this year to help you and the rest of our community be involved in shaping our future, with a focus on climate change and affordable housing. We want equitable policies enacted and enforced.

If you missed the first Comprehensive Plan 101 session July 14 check out the video Comprehensive Planning 101 Webinar - July 14th, 2022.

Action: Register for the second session here.

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Take the Olympia Strong Survey

​What is Olympia Strong? The city is engaged in a planning effort to help the community, including residents and businesses, “weather challenging times and thrive”. This effort follows the recent county-wide initiative, Thurston Strong, with a focus on Olympia. 
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Getting input from area residents (not just those who reside in Olympia) is an important first step. Learn more about this effort, and also the impact that Thurston Strong is already having, at this City of Olympia webpage and fill out the Olympia Strong survey by August 15. The survey is relatively short, about 15 minutes, and provides an opportunity to sign up for further information.

Action: Take the survey and also sign up to stay informed about this effort.

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Federal Actions:

Protect Mature and Old Growth Forests

On Earth Day, President Biden issued an executive order calling on the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to conserve mature and old-growth forests as a climate solution. This was an important step, but it’s up to us to ensure that this turns into real and lasting changes in how federal agencies manage — and protect — older forests.

The official public comment period is only till August 15. It's critical that we demonstrate widespread, overwhelming public support from every corner of the country for urgent action to permanently protect mature & old growth forests and trees across all federal lands The Forest Service and BLM continue to log these forests and trees, badly damaging their ability to store climate pollution and to preserve biodiversity–and setting a terrible precedent internationally. There are limited chances for the public to weigh in, so we need to take advantage of every opportunity.

Action: Complete this form. Your comment can help achieve lasting protections for the public forests that are most important in the fight against the climate and biodiversity crises. Your voice matters in this process! For true change to happen, public demand must be overwhelming. Many thanks!

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Get the Postal Service to Deliver on Climate Action

​Recently, USPS announced its commitment to purchasing at least 40% electric vehicles for its new fleet of mail trucks. That's up from the 10% it pledged just a few months ago! And it's in no small part thanks to the nearly 15,000 messages climate advocates like you sent. This is proof that together, we can make a difference. 

But our work isn't done yet. 40% electric means 60% gas-guzzling, carbon-emitting, and air-polluting vehicles. As planned, the new USPS fleet will still include thousands of vehicles that will lock in huge carbon emissions and drive climate change for years to come. 

We know that pollution from fossil-fueled transportation is the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States - and transportation pollution is also making us sick. In fact, exhaust from cars is responsible for up to 4 million new cases of pediatric asthma each year globally.

It's also an issue of justice. Another study by the Union of Concerned Scientists showed that Black and Latino residents are exposed to roughly 40% more air pollution from vehicles than white people in California.
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Plus, the newly introduced Inflation Reduction Act provides $3 billion in funding to electrify the USPS. There is no excuse to not go all in on electrification.

We demanded change and the USPS listened. We can do it again.

Action: Complete this form. Tell USPS to keep dangerous pollutants out of the air and commit to a majority electric fleet.

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Have You Scheduled These Events?

Action Cafe, Monday, August 8 at noon
Please come to tomorrow's Action Cafe! This weekly Zoom lunch hour gathering is a place to meet, eat, build fellowship and take actions together.
Register HERE. We will send you a Zoom link and tomorrow morning, we'll send you our "menu" with live links for the actions we'll take together. 

Olympia Indivisible All-Member Picnic, Saturday, August 27, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Save the date, pack a lunch, and join other OI members under the shady awning of the Olympia Regional Learning Academy picnic shed (2400 15th Avenue SE). We’ll celebrate five years of pro-democracy activism (think “cake”!) and share news about how to help Keep it Blue in 2022.
Save the date and RSVP for the picnic! olyindipicnic2022@gmail.com 

Voter Registration Events
The GOTV Field Team is back in action doing in-person voter registration! They tabled at LoveOly Fest this past Saturday and will be tabling again at the Sustainable Steps Eco-Tour & Expo on August 13th. They may also send out roving registrars to the August 20th LoveOly Fest.​

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You Might Also Like to Attend or Join:

ACLU State Strategy for Reproductive Rights: Part II
Tuesday, August 9 at 5pm PT
This summer, we expect several state legislatures to enter a special legislative session in order to pass abortion bans, and the ACL is already gearing up to fight back. Join this session to learn how you can fight for abortion access at the state level, no matter where you live. Register HERE for this Zoom training.

Text for Arizona
Join us each Saturday throughout the month of August to text in support of 

• Senator Mark Kelly, 
• Gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs, and 
• Democrats up-and-down the ballot in Arizona! 

Text banks will be at 12 PM time. 
Note: After registration, it only lists August 20 at 12PM. If you are able to join, click here to register for August Texting with Mission for Arizona! 

Julianne Gale Garden Birthday Party 

• When: Sun. 8/14, 3-5 pm 
• Where: Harstine Island RSVP to 360-229-1984 or peacenik24@gmail.com 
• What: Birthday fundraiser for LD35 candidate Julianne Gale
• Contribute to zero-waste by bringing your own reusable dish, cup, and utensils. BYO chair, if you can. $35 suggested donation per family. No one turned away. Hosted by Vikki Voss. Sponsored by Neighbors for Julienne Gale (D), PO Box 1203, Shelton, WA 98584
• If you cannot attend but would like to donate a sweet or savory food item to be picked up from your home Sunday morning on August 14, contact Sarah Leon at cm.juliannegale@gmail.com. 
• If you cannot attend, but would like to help Julianne, make a donation to her campaign or sign up to volunteer with her. 

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