Weekly Call To Action - June 25, 2023

​Quote of the Week:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” -- Nelson Mandela

---

Olympia Indivisible:

Vote to Endorse

Completed Endorsement Team Presentation (Evaluation of Candidates
The Endorsement Team presented their evaluations about candidates running for Port of Olympia and Thurston County Board of Commissioners to OI members on June 24 (aka yesterday!). The Endorsement team rates candidates on their values, qualifications to hold office, and the viability of their campaigns.  Here is a link to the video of that presentation as well as their slide show. Go take a look if you missed the presentation–it’s short, succinct, and informative.

Olympia Indivisible Votes for Endorsements
This weekend, all OI members received an email with an invitation to vote for possible OI endorsement for these candidates. You have until June 28 to cast your votes. So check your email (and your Spam!) to make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to weigh in. Your vote is your voice! 

---

​Local Actions:

Volunteer to Help Olympia’s Pride Festival,
Saturday, July 1st

LGBTQIA/transgender communities are under attack across the nation, including right here in Thurston County. 

Some of you may have even seen a notice about right-wing media “parental rights” darling Brandi Kruse holding a coffee klatch in Lacey at Cutter’s Point Coffee (owned by one of her fans, ultra-conservative evangelical pastor Rhyan Smith) this past weekend to gin up hate and conspiracy theories about H.B. 5559…and furnish petitions to get a referendum on the ballot about this new law regarding child runaways which expands protections for those who end up in Washington youth shelters in pursuit of abortions, reproductive medicine, and gender-affirming care. 

Spoiler Alert: 5559 does NOT eliminate requirements to notify parents, and it is specifically intended to reunify children with their families. 

So here’s a meaningful way to show some love to our LGBTQIA/transgender family, friends and neighbors: volunteer to help at the upcoming Capital City Pride Festival, which takes place at Percival Landing and Port Plaza on Saturday, July 1st, from 11:30am to 6:30pm. It’s easy to sign up!

Action: Sign up to volunteer to help at Capital City Pride.
And while you’re there, come to the Pride Welcome booth to say hello to members of Olympia Indivisible’s GOTV Field Team, who will be registering voters all day long!

---

​Federal Actions:

Stop Louis DeJoy’s Damaging Changes

Background: 
Judge Denounces USPS Changes as Effort to Sabotage Election and Orders Reversal 

During his keynote address at the 2023 National Postal Forum, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy spoke about his effort to implement “dramatic changes” and increase the pace of an already devastating 10-year privatization plan.

While DeJoy is keeping most of the specific details a secret, we do know a little about his proposed “dramatic changes”. He’s already announced the consolidation of hundreds of postal processing centers across the country, which makes the facilities involved in the Sorting & Delivery Center consolidation significantly more vulnerable to a future shutdown. 

These cuts across the USPS delivery network could have especially devastating consequences for remote areas, rural, and Indigenous communities who rely on USPS to receive medications, social security checks and vote-by-mail.

Action: Send an email to the Office of the Inspector General: tell them to step in to allow public feedback on Louis DeJoy’s “dramatic changes.” 

Option A: Take this action with one click in Take Action Network (TAN) Stop DeJoy’s Damaging Changes

Option B: Send the email yourself to the Inspector General [email protected] and to the Postal Regulatory Commission at [email protected]. Tell them to step in to allow public feedback on Louis DeJoy’s “dramatic changes.” 

Script: 
As a concerned US citizen, I want to call on your agency to immediately allow public feedback on “dramatic changes” announced by US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. During his keynote address at the 2023 National Postal Forum, DeJoy spoke about his effort to implement “dramatic changes” and increase the pace of an already devastating 10-year privatization plan. While DeJoy is not being forthcoming about the details of the plan, he has already announced the consolidation of hundreds of postal processing centers across the country, which makes the facilities involved in the Sorting & Delivery Center consolidation significantly more vulnerable to a future shutdown.

DeJoy wants to keep the details hidden and the public out of the review process until it’s too late to stop him and the USPS is irrevocably damaged. I am calling on you to use your authority to allow for immediate public feedback on DeJoy’s proposed changes.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME, CITY, ZIP CODE]

---

​Have You Scheduled This Event?

Action Cafe 2023,
Every Monday at Noon

Chef Lisa and the Action Cafe crew are back! The Cafe is a weekly Monday Zoom noon-hour gathering where 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." 

---

​You Might Also Like to Attend:

Housing Affordability Roundtable

Join Representative Beth Doglio, Representative Jessica Bateman, and Senator Sam Hunt for an open discussion on housing affordability-related issues facing your community. The goal for this event is for your legislators to hear from YOU, their constituents, on housing affordability-related concerns directly impacting the Lacey/Olympia/Tumwater area.

Who: Sen. Sam Hunt, Rep. Jessica Bateman, and Rep. Beth Doglio
What: 22nd Legislative District Roundtable on Housing Affordability
When: Tuesday, June 27, 6-7:30PM
Where: Lacey Timberland Library (500 College St SE, Lacey, WA 98503)

---

Oly Pride Parade

​What: Pride 2023
When: Saturday, July 1st. 
Schedule:

• 9:00 am: Gather at the Tivoli Fountain in Olympia, 1225 Capitol Way S, Olympia, WA 98501
• 10:30 am: Begin the march through Capitol Way S.
• 11:30 am: Arrive at the designated endpoint Port Plaza Tower, where the Pride Festival & Show begins!

---