Daily Yopp! 6.27.17 Who Stands to Benefit Most from the AHCA?

We won! We won!

By now you may have heard that the Senate has decided to delay the vote on the AHCA until after the July recess. So that means our efforts to secure fifty-one No votes were successful, right?

Not so fast there. This is more like a stay of execution. The prisoner is still on death row and there will still be a battle when they return. As I see it, McConnell is betting that We the People will get busy with our summer vacation plans and have our guard down when they get back to DC.

So what should we do? In a nutshell, we need to make sure they get the message loud and clear that this bill cannot pass. It's not about partisan loyalty. This one vote even more than most others will tell the voters where your representatives stand. If they support this bill, they don't give a rat's *ss about half our nation's population and think 44% are selfish idiots who don't understand math and will sell their souls for less than $600.

Former Labor Secretary and current UC Berkeley professor Robert Reich explained just how bad Trumpcare is in his most recent Resistance Report. If you have 30 minutes to spare, I highly recommend listening to it. Better yet, subscribe to his podcast. You can also read his thoughts in this post from his website.

The key takeaway for me is this: Trumpcare/AHCA is primarily a tax cut for people making $200,000 or more per year ($250,000 for couples). People making under $55K will suffer tremendously. Those of us making over $55K per year will break about even.

Let that sink in. Then chew on it for a bit. And then wrestle with your soul for a moment. 'Cause here's some more numbers. The average household income in the United States is about $75,000. Knowing that, you might look at that chart and think that it's not that bad...that in fact some people making UNDER the average salary will benefit from the AHCA. Many of us might realize that we personally will be fine under the AHCA.

But let's give you some more math. Because the average or mean does not tell you how many fall under that $75,000 figure. The MEDIAN household salary for the United States in 2013 was $51,939 and the median personal income in 2008 was $29,964. Median means that half of the population makes LESS than that figure. The mean or average is very skewed because of the ridiculous imbalance of wealth that exists right now. (Apologies that I don't have more up to date figures. I'll work on that.)

For more clarity, here's how the Census Bureau explains it: Median income is the amount which divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half having income above that amount, and half having income below that amount. Mean income (average) is the amount obtained by dividing the total aggregate income of a group by the number of units in that group. 

According to Robert Reich, "If enacted, [the AHCA] would be the largest single transfer of wealth to the rich from the middle class and poor in American history."

Let's look at more numbers. What percentage of the population will fall into the red zone of the chart below? Turns out that just over 50% of the US population will see a negative financial impact to the 2022 taxes if Trumpcare is enacted. On the other hand, less than 6% of the population will see significant positive impacts. Somewhere around 44% will see very small gains between $60 to $600. That last group is those whose annual income is between $55K and $200K annual.

Let's get real a second for just a millisecond. I know who my readers are. Most of you are in that last group. So I want you to chew on this:

Are you willing to let more than half the US population suffer financially and suffer serious impacts to their health AND allow the top 6% of the population to enjoy significant gains for less than $600 per year?

That's what Trumpcare is about. The poor will suffer, the rich will get richer, and those of us in the middle will sell our souls for less than six hundred bucks.

You decide.

Daily Yopp! 6.26.17 Send Letters to Your Senators

I just got off the phone with staffers from both my senators' offices (Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris). Both of them are doing everything they can to fight the AHCA, so besides offering a thumbs up, there was little for me to say on that front. I asked if there was anything We the People could do to support their efforts. I was told:

1. Keep calling. Your senators get a daily tally of constituent calls, so it's crucial that you call EVERY SINGLE DAY.

2. Send letters with personal stories about how you will be affected by the AHCA to your Senator's DC office. Feinstein's office tells me that letters sent to the DC office by post (ie, old school written or typed in an envelope with a stamp) are the most helpful thing to do right now. Perhaps you could even add a note on the front that says, "Contains personal story re: AHCA).

That's it. Just a quick Yopp! today. Let your skill with the quill do your talking.

Daily Yopp! 6.22.17 From Democracy to Plutocracy

Let's start with a basic Yopp! that gives us some sense that we have control over what's going on.

Please continue to call your senators about healthcare. That needs to be at the forefront. The Russia scandal is important, but there's not much we can do about it right now. Don't let that be a distraction from keeping the pressure on the Senate about the AHCA. Democratic senators need to do everything they can to stop the bill from passing. Republican senators need to be constantly reminded that passing this bill is wrong for the people and it's wrong for the legislative process, so call them out if they are supporting it.

Most importantly, there are 10 key states with Republican senators that might join the 48 Democrats that are voting No. These states must be targeted, so if you live in any of the states below, PLEASE get on the phone or get yourself to your senator's local office. If your state isn't listed among the Trumpcare Ten, please forward this Yopp! to anyone you know who lives in one.

The 10 key states are: Alaska (Murkowski, Sullivan), West Virginia (Capito), Maine (Collins), Nevada (Heller), Arizona (Flake), Colorado (Gardner), Ohio (Portman), Pennsylvania (Toomey), Louisiana (Cassidy), and Arkansas (Cotton).

This is really important. Senator Chuck Schumer believes that there are two GOP senators who are probably voting NO, so all we need is one to get the 51/49 majority. Over the past week, he's been on several talk shows begging citizens to step up and start making a fuss.

Fight Fight Fight!!

UPDATE: Breaking news just in. Four GOP senators who are not listed above have announced they do not support the current bill. The senators are Rand Paul (Kentucky), Ron Johnson (Wisconsin), Ted Cruz (Texas), and Mike Lee (Utah). They issued a joint statement that essentially says that they can't support the bill because it does not repeal Obamacare nor lower health care costs. Sounds good, but I'm withholding judgment for now since I've never trusted any of them.

********************************

That said, what I'm thinking about lately is the real story of what's going on, and it's not pretty or even vaguely hopeful.

As we spin our wheels with water cooler talk about the latest Russia-gate story on Rachel Maddow or send faxes via ResistBot about the AHCA or yell at our MoCs Whac-A-Mole style about the relentless myriad of Calls to Action, most of us are missing the real story and it's obvious.

This is a power/money grab by the wealthy elite that has nothing to do with national boundaries. They want to see this world turned upside down and returned to feudal times. But instead of kings and lords, we're looking at CEOs and boards of directors. This alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence is only collusion if you assume that Trump and Putin have loyalty to America and Russia respectively. They don't care about their countries of origin. They are loyal only to themselves, global corporatization, and to other plutocrats. Destroying Obamacare has EVERYTHING to do with tax cuts for the wealthy. Gutting the EPA is all about helping billionaires make more money. Everything that Trump and Putin and Tillerson and Ryan and McConnell and [insert name of plutocrat] are doing is to further the imbalance of wealth and power in the world and to further enrich themselves.

Other folks have been thinking about this too, and it goes back further than Trump. Here's a few articles:

The Daily Beast: Joy-Ann Reid opinion piece "Soak the Poor"

The Washington Post: Brace Yourself, Taxpayers. Trump's Plutocracy Doesn't Come Cheap

2011 Newsweek article: Donald Trump and the Rise of the Plutocracy

The Daily Dot: What is a Plutocracy

2015 Salon Article: 5 Signs America is Devolving into a Plutocracy

Mic: Jimmy Carter Tells Oprah that America Is No Longer a Democracy. Is Now an Oligarchy.

2010 Robert Reich: The Perfect Storm

Ralph Nader: How Plutocratic Forces Have Crippled Democracy, And Why It's Up to Us to Fight Back


So yeah...I guess today's second Yopp! is to step back from the Whac-A-Mole game and see the big picture. Honestly, I don't know what we can do about it. I'm quite disturbed and not a little scared for the future. But if We the People (and I don't just mean American people) are to fight against what's going on, we need to wake up first.

Daily Yopp! 6.19.17 Health Care Battle Intensifies

We really need to get back on the phones and call our senators about the AHCA (American Health Care Act or the "Repeal Obamacare Act").

The Senate is pretty much split along party lines with support for Trumpcare. The key to stopping this terrible bill (which has about 17% support from the public) is to get a few Republicans to jump ship and vote no. We'd also like the Democrats to mount a strong defense against the bill. I know the recent shooting in DC has politicians and pundits on both sides calling for an end to the negative rhetoric, but please don't let the politicization of this incident sway you from your resolve. Calling your senator and demanding that they do everything they can to resist unvetted legislation that will likely harm millions of Americans is not negative rhetoric. It's patriotism and compassion wrapped together.

So the action for this week (and in perpetuity until this terrible bill goes away) is to call your senators. We gotta go! Gotta get the job done!

If you are calling a GOP senator, use this sample call script for Republican senators from Indivisible.org.

If you are calling a Democatic senator, use this sample call script for Democratic senators (also from Indivisible.org). The main goal here is to encourage the Democrats to use all means available to block this legislation -- notably to withhold consent for any procedural shortcuts and to filibuster by amendment, which means to essentially jam up the legislative process.

Check the links above for more details. And remember that Trump and the GOP are counting on We the People to fall into summer laziness and not call. Rumor has it that call volume has decreased. It's critical that they know we are still here and still care.

Additional actions for Californians from Enact Universal Healthcare for California. If you are in California, there's a push for Senate Bill 562.

6/19-6/23 Hey Californians, it's time to call & write! We need your help to get SB562 amended with the funding plan and through the Assembly with 2/3rds majority. Call everyone, call early, call often. Links and targets below. 

What to say: 

When you call & write, tell them to support SB562 with the funding recommendations in the UMass-Amherst fiscal study.  

https://www.peri.umass.edu/…/996-economic-analysis-of-the-h…Text of SB-562: 

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/fac…/billNavClient.xhtml… 

Who to call: 

1) Call & write your local Assembly member 

* Dial 855-271-8515 from your phone to be automatically connected to your state assemblymember* Fill out this form and it'll call you: https://go.ourrevolution.com/page/content/sb562-assembly/…* Use the Legislature's form to find your Assemblymember's phone and email information:http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ 

2) Call Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon(916) 319-2063 Sacramento(562) 529-3250 South Gate 

3) Call Assemblymember Jim Wood - Health Committee Chairperson(916) 319-2002 Sacramento(707) 445-7014 Eureka(707) 463-5770 Mendocino(707) 576-2526 Sonoma 

4) Call the rest of the Assembly Health Committeehttp://ahea.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff 

5) Call & write Governor Jerry Brown. Land his support *now*, or legislators will use his non-support as an excuse! Call (916) 445-2841Email https://govnews.gov.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php 

BONUS ** The 4 Democratic hold-outs from the Senate vote:Sen. Steve Glazer (voted NO) - (916) 651-4007 - (925) 258-1176 - (925) 754-1461Sen. Ben Hueso (Didn't vote) - (916) 651-4040 - (619) 409-7690 - (760) 335-3442Sen. Richard Pan (Didn't vote) - (916) 651-4006 - (916) 262-2904 Sen. Richard Roth (Didn't vote) - (916) 651-4031 - (951) 680-6750 (951) 443-4078

Daily Yopp! 6.11.17 Defend Universal Health Care

While we've been glued to our TVs watching Rachel Maddow connect the dots with regards to the Russia-Trump scandal, Senator Mitch McConnell has been quietly working in the shadows and pushing the Senate's version of the AHCA through.

According to the LA Times, "On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., invoked Senate Rule 14, which allows a bill to bypass committee consideration and be brought to the floor for a vote. That means no hearings and no debate, and improves the prospect of a vote before the Senate leaves Washington for its August recess."

No one really knows how the parties get to yes or the pieces that are sacrificed in every game of chess. But this is exactly what is going on while we are distracted by the Comey hearings. We cannot let this sneak by.

Here's your Yopp!

Back to the phones to call your MoCs:

• Call your Senators and demand that they block the AHCA.
• Call your Representative and demand that they vote NO on and revisions of the AHCA that come to the House for approval.

But that likely won't be enough. We also need to approach this from a state level. There are a few things brewing in this arena, notably bills going through the California and New York legislatures that would establish single-payer health care plans at the state level as well as a handful of interstate compacts designed to preserve aspects of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare):

The Atlantic: How Treaties Between States Could Keep Obamacare Alive

San Jose Mercury News: California Senate Passes Single-Payer Health Care Plan

Think Progress: New York lawmakers are voting to create a state-level single-payer system

There's a fair bit of push back and the usual claims that single-payer would be too costly. I can't claim to be an expert in this area, but at least I already know that health care is complicated. Here's a couple of articles discussing the issue:

Newsweek: Why Single-Payer Health Care Won't Work

World Net Daily: US Will Have Single-Payer Health Care Within Seven Years

So your second Yopp! is to call your state representatives and demand that they support some form of single-payer health care at the state level. Californians represent 12% of the US population and New Yorkers represent 6%. Given what is happening in DC, it's critical that the states begin to take the lead on critical issues like health care. Those of us who live in blue states that are larger should definitely push our state governments to do what the federal government refuses to do right now. Health care is a good start.

Daily Yopp! 6.9.17 Hope is a Good Thing

Hello and welcome back to the Resistance! Apologies for my LONG absence. Without getting into too much of my personal stuff, the main reason was that I was in the middle of a pretty terrible work situation and was spending most of my energy just surviving and some of it plotting my escape. The good news is that I did survive, found a way out, and have things lined up for next year. And today is that glorious day that teachers like me relish -- the first day of summer vacation!

Can we get back to politics? (Please!)

The second reason I took a pause from Yopping is that I really couldn't get a grip on what's been going on and what we average citizens could do about it. Scandal has been normalized. Former Director of National Intelligence says that Watergate pales in comparison to the Trump investigation. Bill Moyer's website gives a detailed timeline of key events connecting President Trump to Russia. But still, the Republican-controlled Congress seems tepid at best in its utilization of its Constitutional powers of checks and balances. Racism and other acts of hate are on the rise across America, even in blue areas of Northern California like my hometown of Los Gatos. The new Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale feels more like a prescient warning of what's coming than a dystopian fantasy. And among Trump voters, even the most unenthusiastic supporters are standing by their man.

Perhaps some of you have felt similarly. I know have not been making my usual calls to my MoCs except occasionally. I've certainly been watching the news, but more as a stunned spectator than as an emboldened activist.

It's been hard to feel hopeful, but hope is critical right now. To quote Andy Dufresne from my favorite film The Shawshank Redemption, "Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."

Today's Yopp! is about rekindling hope and taking a big picture look at what's happening. This comes from writer Rebecca Solnit (with thanks to Solidarity Sundays co-founder Kate Schatz for posting it):

You know, it's a truly frenzied roller-coaster of a time, and I understand that it is making a lot of people dizzy and sick and the change fell out of a lot of peoples' pockets. But it's also pretty amazing.

• This morning the president got nailed as a liar and obstructor of justice while the whole world watched.
• A bunch of Mormon women are actively working on behalf of undocumented immigrants (and some have changed party affiliation).
• Indivisible's 6000+ chapters are building the foundation for big change in the midterms.
• The world is uniting to move forward on climate change without the US federal government; inside the USA, states and cities, 279 cities representing almost 60 million people at last count, are also going along with the Paris accords.
• France elected a climate-conscious guy.
• The United Kingdom is rejecting the Tories [update: Corbyn called on May to resign].
• The judiciary system keeps rejecting the Muslim ban and a number of Republican voter-suppression and gerrymandering schemes have been overturned.
• A lot of government employees are quietly acting on principle.
• Rachel Maddow is the queen of Cable TV, beating out a declining Fox, because people are hungry for what she has to tell them.
• Kamala Harris, the second black woman ever in the Senate, is laying the groundwork for going after Jeff Sessions, who's caught in his lies, as is Jared Kushner.
• Whatever you think of the Democratic Party as a whole, a bunch of them are doing good work right now.
• Nevada sent the first Latina senator ever to the pallid senate, and Catherine Cortez Masto is standing up for everything from reproductive rights to public land.
• Maxine Waters isn't a queen; she's an empress right now, speaking so much fierce truth to so much corrupt power (and nudging giant white boys outta her way with panache).
• Elizabeth Warren--well, she persists with strength.
• There are some real heroes out there. People who are in the limelight and everyday people doing their work quietly. People who see the old suffering that was already there--my amazing cousin in her nineties just wrote me about bringing kits of kindness to kids in the L.A. foster care system. People who are trying to ameliorate and eliminate the new suffering.
• And it's turning out to be not as much fun to be right wing as they thought it would be. They haven't yet destroyed the ACA and they're finding out just how unpopular trying to do that is (and people need to ramp up telling their reps to defend it).
• Franken says Republicans are scared, caught in a lot of dilemmas, and with today's extraordinary hearings, they may be more so, not sure how to align themselves with a crumbling administration.
• Jared Kushner is in hot water.
• There are about seven investigations into this Russian/collusion business, and we don't have to waste time on people who think it's imaginary any more.
• Creepy congressman Jason Chaffetz saw the writing on the wall and quit, and a bunch of Republicans are on the lam from their constituents, afraid of being held accountable, afraid of democracy.
• Meanwhile in right-wing media, Bill O'Reilly was forced out.
• Hannity lost a ton of his advertisers when his bullshit about 
• Seth Rich fell on his own head (that's what it's like on rollercoasters).
• Roger Ailes died in disgrace after being forced out by a bunch of women supporting each other in testifying that he was a grotesque monster and Fox was a gulag-brothel.
• Breitbart has lost 90% of its ad revenue thanks to brilliant activism.
• Trump and his son got caught siphoning off money meant for children with cancer this epic week.

What the Republicans once managed to at least hide under drapery is out in all its squalid nakedness now: the lies are naked, the cruelty is naked, and the destructiveness is naked. That's helpful; we're done having to make the case that they serve the 1% and don't give a damn about the planet, or the poor, or most of us. It's all clear in this moment. This is a historic moment. 

I keep hearing people predict the future, often glumly, with the false certainty that is pernicious to any real engagement. Here's what you have to remember. The future is not written; it's ours to make, but if we do nothing we will get nothing or worse than nothing. In this moment of utter turmoil, civil society must be the counter to a rogue administration. A crisis, says one dictionary, is “the point in the progress of a disease when a change takes place which is decisive of recovery or death; also, any marked or sudden change of symptoms, etc.” 

Together we have the power to shape the future; together we are more than a counterweight to the crumbling power of the Trump administration that fails to understand the nature of power. I see a lot of beauty in the principle and the passion of the people around me and beyond right now; I see a citizenry (and that means everyone who lives here whatever their status) rising up. I don't see the future, but I see extraordinary possibilities.

Key idea to take away, folks: The future is not written; it's ours to make.

Take some time today to ponder that and refocus your intentions if you (like me) have fallen off the daily resistance wagon. Tomorrow we ride!

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 5.17.17 In Your Guts, You Know He's Nuts

Please excuse me for missing a Yopp! yesterday. I've been a little busy reading and watching the latest news updates. Good lord!! Try not to crack under the stress. We're breaking down like fractions.

I'm gonna defer to my friend Kate Schatz of Solidarity Sundays who came up with a pithy action post on Tuesday. You remember Tuesday, right? We were so young and naive back then...

"Last night I had a nightmare that my home was being invaded on all sides. The front porch was covered with mean-looking men who were peeking in the windows and trying to open the door. I kept locking the locks and they just laughed. I ran to the back door and found the stairwell and backyard filled with drunk frat boys—they weren't fun-drunk, though. They were malicious and reckless and zombie-like, and also intent on coming in the house, stumbling and vomiting as they went. I tried everything I could to make them go away—I yelled, I locked doors, I screamed, I called the police, I tried to push them away. Nothing worked. I managed to escape, ran through some yards, hopped over a wall, and found myself in an unfamiliar neighborhood. I walked and walked but couldn't find my block, my address. None of the homes looked familiar. When I finally managed to find my house—it had burned. The men had set a fire. Everything was destroyed. 

I woke up from this dream at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep. My mind was racing—I knew exactly what it was about. No dream-interpretation book needed, no Jungian Google search. My house was America, and it was being destroyed. I laid awake in the dark, my 4-year old son sleeping sweetly next to me, and reckoned with how truly freaked out I really am.

HOW IS THIS MAN STILL PRESIDENT, AND WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET HIM OUT?"

#ACTION This is what *I'm* sending to my MoCs today. I'm also going to send it as a letter to the editor of several local papers. If you're in a similarly freaked out placed, I encourage you to also communicate your raw emotions. There are, of course, good polite scripts, like this one: 

"Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from _______.I'm calling to express my serious concerns about Trump discussing highly classified intelligence with the Russians, jeopardizing our national security and relationship with crucial allies. Congress must step up now to protect the safety of our nation and immediately establish an independent investigation into Trump's ties to Russia." 

and this one: 

"Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from ____.I'm calling to express my serious concerns about Trump's recent actions interfering in the Russian investigation and the constitutional crisis we are now facing. These problems must be immediately addressed, and I urge Senator ______ to withhold unanimous consent and hold no votes or confirmations on the Senate floor until an independent investigation is established." 

But today, I am freaked out and anxious and repulsed by the complicit politicians who are "troubled" (it's the new "thoughts and prayers") by this unbelievable onslaught of incompetence (at best) and malicious criminal corruption. It is all SO EXHAUSTING AND MIND-BOGGLING but we CANNOT LET THAT STOP US FROM MAKING NOISE.

PLEASE! KEEP! MAKING! NOISE!

Ok. Gonna send my angry dream emails, take some deep breaths, and take my kid to the park. Wearing my 'Not My President' shirt, of course. 

 #RESIST!

So big picture with this Yopp! KEEP MAKING NOISE! I call/email my MoCs every day and encourage them to keep resisting. If your MoCs are idiots still supporting Trump, then be sure to call and remind them that they are on the wrong side of history.

If that wasn't fun enough, check out What the F*ck Just Happened Today?! It's basically an ongoing log of the latest craziness coming from the White House.

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 5.15.17 Remind Senators to Vote NO on ACA Repeal

This is a very quick one with not a lot of background to read through because you already know it.

The second attempt by the GOP to repeal the ACA heads to the Senate today. I'm sure you've already called your senators to let them know that you are against this. Be sure to call, email, or Resistbot them today.

If your senators are Democrats, let them know that they must hold the line and outlast their opposition. If your senators are Republicans, make it clear that it is political suicide for them to vote yes on this bill or any kind of revision. Make it impossible to justify the cost of the fight.

To the phones (or computers).

Daily Yopp! 5.12.17 - Write an Impeachment Memorial

The Impeachment process begins in the House of Representatives with a formal resolution initiated by a member of the House. As such, there is little we average citizens can do to get the process going.

Or is there?

According to the folks at Impeach for Peace, there may be a way for We the People to have some sway in this matter:

"The rules of the House of Representatives empower individual citizens to initiate the process. The relevant part of the rules is a section called the Jefferson's Manual. It is the section that speaks to the ways impeachment can be initiated. It has been ratified by each congress (including the current one), and has been updated continuously through the history of our democracy. The section covering impeachment lists the acceptable ways for bringing impeachment motions to the floor of the House. 

Before the House Judiciary Committee can put together the Articles of Impeachment (a set of charges against a public official), someone must initiate the impeachment process. Most often, this occurs when members of the House pass a resolution. Another method outlined in the manual, however, is for individual citizens to submit a memorial/petition for impeachment."

Today's Yopp! is to write a Memorial for Impeachment and send it to Congress.

To be frank, this is a longshot. But even as a longshot, this gives a little more legitimacy to our epistolary protests. Technically, the Memorial is a formal document that the member of the House are obligated to respond to per the official rules of the House of Representatives. That doesn't mean that they have to initiate the Articles of Impeachment, but it does mean that they can't just toss the letter in the trash. Also, the letter can be sent to ANY member of the House, including (and especially) the Speaker of the House (see rules below).

Step 1: Copy and paste the text of the sample letter below into the word processor of your choice. Add your name and make other changes as you see fit, and then print as many copies as you plan to send out. (see below)

Step 2: Send signed copies the letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and your own representative.

Step 3: Share this Yopp! The more that send a Memorial, the better.

Extra Credit Steps: Send signed copies to as many other representatives as your time and budget allow. Hand deliver copies to their local offices or directly to DC if you can. Send copies of your letter to your local newspaper editor.


SAMPLE LETTER

To the House of Representatives of the United States: 

The petition of [Your Name], a citizen of [Your State], and of the United States, respectfully showeth that in accordance with Jefferson's Manual section LIII, 603; impeachment may be set in motion by charges submitted by a memorial, which is usually referred to a committee for examination. This memorial sets forth that, Donald J. Trump has abused his power as President of the United States of America by:

• Committing an act of war without first getting congressional approval. Trump ordered the bombing of a Syrian airbase on April 6, 2017 without first following his constitutional duty to get approval from congress. 

• Obstructing justice by removing Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations James Comey from office in order to prevent further investigations into matters pertaining to the 2016 presidential election campaign and possible collusion with agents of a foreign nation.

• Signing an executive order on January 31, 2017 that imposes a selective ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries as well as establishing preferential treatment for refugees seeking asylum who are identified with "minority religions" in their country of origin (these would tend to be Christians). According to the Supreme Court, "the clearest command of the Establishment Clause is that one religious denomination cannot be officially preferred over another." Trump told Christian Broadcast News that his executive order was intended to give priority to "Christians" seeking asylum over "Muslims," thus violating the Establishment Clause. We also have clear evidence as to his intent prior to signing the executive order, as Trump has made numerous statements indicating his intent including his stated desire to implement a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslim immigration.

• Failing to divest himself of financial conflicts-of-interest before taking office, as evidenced by his children (as opposed to a blind trust) being in control of his businesses. As a result, Trump's businesses are profiting from his position as president, in violation of the Emoluments Clause of Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution.

Having thus submitted to your honorable body the aforementioned offence(s), observe that it appears that one or both of the following charges to be true:

• That the said Donald J. Trump has, in their capacity as President of the United States of America, been guilty of usurping a power which the laws of the land did not give them.
• That said Donald J. Trump has exercised their power, usurped or legitimate, to the detriment of every citizen of the United States.

Wherefore, and inasmuch as the said Donald J. Trump has violated the most sacred and undoubted rights of the inhabitants of these United States, your petitioner asks that the conduct and proceedings in this behalf, of said Donald J. Trump, may be inquired into by your honorable body, and such decision made thereon as to your wisdom and justice shall seem proper. Such consideration to include the appointment of managers to conduct the impeachment trial in the Senate, and to inform the Senate of these facts by resolution (Manual Sec. 607; Deschler Ch 14 Sec. 9) for trial and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States;

I have the honor to be your obedient servant.

Your Name

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW REGARDING IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES

"The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors."

RULES ABOUT PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

Petitions, memorials, and other papers addressed to the House may be presented by the Speaker as well as by a Member [of Congress] (IV, 3312). Petitions from the country at large are presented by the Speaker in the manner prescribed by the rule (III, 2030; IV, 3318; VII, 1025). A Member [of Congress] may present a petition from the people of a State other than his own (IV, 3315, 3316). The House itself may refer one portion of a petition to one committee and another portion to another committee (IV, 3359, 3360), but ordinarily the reference of a petition does not come before the House itself. A committee may receive a petition only through the House (IV, 4557).

Daily Yopp! 5.11.17 Ask Your City to Impeach Trump

I was eight years old when the Watergate scandal erupted, and I have very distinct memories of that time...albeit from a child's perspective. Things got particularly crazy in the summer of 1974. I have two distinct memories from that summer. First, my mom was so obsessed with the Congressional hearings that she'd taken over the TV and I couldn't watch my afternoon cartoons. (Boo, Nixon!!) Second, we spent a lot of time with our friends at their pool while our moms would slather themselves with Ban de Soleil, bake in the hot sun, and listen to the hearing on their transistor radio. We kids would be splashing in the pool, and every so often one of us would cannonball into the pool while yelling, "Impeach Nixon!" It being the glorious 70s, we were all wearing our super cool stars and stripes Speedo swimsuits a la Mark Spitz. Good times!

On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon resigned and I was able to resume my media diet of Bugs Bunny cartoons and Green Acres reruns.

Representative Karen Bass recently tweeted, "To the young people wondering what it was like under Nixon -- This is it. You're living it." Well, I was only eight, but I can assure you that it definitely feels similar. I can almost see the headlines.

According to the U.S. Constitution: "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors."

There's not a lot in the Constitution about that process, but in the four times that the Articles of Impeachment have been brought against an acting President, they have been initiated by the House of Representatives (charges) and investigated by the Senate (trial). Only two presidents have actually been fully impeached by the House and both were acquitted by the Senate (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton). Suffice to say, our nation does not have a lot of experience with these matters, and given that both house of Congress are controlled by the GOP, it's unlikely that they will be rushing to start this process.

But there is a movement afoot to put some pressure on the House. Several cities have passed resolutions demanding that impeachment proceedings start. Here are some articles with details.

Common Dreams article about Cambridge, MA and several other cities

Article about Richmond, CA resolution

Newsweek article about possible impeachment over Comey scandal

Common Dreams article

Thoughtco article about the impeachment process

Today's Yopp! Send an email or letter to your city council asking them to draft a resolution demanding that the House initiate the impeachment process. For extra credit, write a letter to the editor asking the same.

As cities join this movement, there will be more and more pressure on the House to take action. We'll talk more about this impeachment thing later. For now, contact your local city council member.

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 5.10.17 - URGENT: Call for a Special Prosecutor

Hey y'all! HUGE HUGE HUGE news about FBI Director Comey. And it is critical that we make our voices heard.

In case you haven't heard, out of the blue and just before Comey was set to testify to a Senate subcommittee about the Michael Flynn investigation, Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. The White House claims that he was fired due to his handling of the Hillary Clinton email server scandal.

Yeah, right...

Senator Chuck Schumer (NY-D) joins many other members of Congress in calling for an independent investigation. "If [Deputy Attorney General Rod] Rosenstein does not appoint an independent special prosecutor, every American will rightly suspect that the decision to fire Comey was part of a cover up.”

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/politics-government/article149605184.html#storylink=cpy

We're talking scandal at or beyond the level of Watergate. In the meantime, staffers at all the Congressional offices that I've called are telling me that the call volume has reduced. Look, y'all...when you got skin in the game, you stay in the game. But you don't get a win unless you play in the game.

We need to get back on the phones and make some noise. If you haven't called recently, you need to make sure your voice is heard.

Please call all three of your members of Congress and tell them that you expect both the House and the Senate to conduct hearings on the Flynn/Russia scandal as well as Trump's firing of Comey.

Then sign this ACLU petition demanding that Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente appoint a special prosecutor to investigate possible perjury by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and potential Russian interference in the 2016 race. No one is above the law in America, no matter their political connections.

Washington DC is in an uproar about this, but We the People need to make sure they know we are very much paying attention.

*********************

Here's what Dan Rather has to say about the Comey scandal:

Future generations may mark today as one of the truly dark days in American history, a history that may soon take an even more ominous turn. 

President Trump's sudden firing of FBI Director James Comey is a matter that should deeply concern every American, regardless of party, partisan politics or ideological leanings. 

The independence of our law enforcement is at the bedrock of our democracy. That independance, already grievously shaken under the brief tenure of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is now shattered by uncertainty. 

The firing of an FBI Director is always a very serious matter in normal times. But these times aren't normal. Far from it. The Bureau is engaged in one of the most important and perilous investigations of this or any other presidency—the investigation of connections between the Trump election campaign and the Russian government. 

The questions mount and the shadow grows darker. What were those connections? What did Mr. Trump know about them and when did he know it? How can the President explain the serious allegations against his former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn? And what is President Trump hiding in this regard? It’s imperative that the nation—We The People—get answers to those questions. It will take time, but the process must start now. 

A politicized FBI is the last thing we need as we struggle through the maze of lies, concealment and ever-deepening mysteries. The last time a President fired prosecutors who were investigating him was Richard Nixon during the widespread criminal conspiracy known for short as “Watergate.” We all know how that turned out. In real ways, this potential scandal and cover up are much graver. We are talking about the very security of the United States and the sanctity of our republic. 

Thomas Paine famously wrote in 1776: "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." 

I see this as having the potential for a similar reflection point in our American story. If there is a cover up, if our nation is at the risk that has certainly been more than suggested, it is incumbent upon everyone who claims to love this nation to demand answers. 

We need a special prosecutor. We need an independent investigation. There is, obviously, much we don’t know about what has just happened, why it happened and why now. Just as obviously there is much more, so much more that we need know. We need to damn the lies and expose the truth.

Here's the text of the letter that Trump had delivered to Comey just as he was about to speak to FBI agents in Los Angeles prior to a recruiting event:

THE WHITE HOUSE 

Washington 

May 9, 2017 

Dear Director Comey, 

I have received the attached letters from the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States recommending your dismissal as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I have accepted their recommendation and you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately. 

While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau. 

It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission. 

I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, 

Donald J. Trump