Daily Yopp! 3.1.17 - Demand Investigation of Russian Interference

I'm in the middle of watching Senator Dianne Feinstein's conversation from last Friday with the Public Policy Institute of California. Worth watching/listening to. Feinstein talks a fair bit about the Russia issue.

I gotta say, the fact that there is so little uproar about the Russia connections from the GOP speaks to something deeply deeply wrong with the degree to which partisan politics has overtaken our government.

Here's a quick Yopp! you can make to all three of your MoCs that comes from our friends at The 65.

CALL YOUR MOCS ABOUT RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

Friday, news broke that the Trump White House communicated with the FBI and senior lawmakers on intel committees, asking them to counter Russia stories in the press. We can't allow partisan politics to stand in the way of full transparency. Ask your legislators for an independent, bipartisan commission! 

Script: 

Hi, I'm [NAME], a constituent. I'm extremely concerned about the extent of Russia's interference in the 2016 election and Presidential transition. 

I'm calling to ask [Senator/Representative NAME] to publicly and legislatively support the creation of an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the matter. I don't want partisan politics or the Trump Administration's influence to bias the investigation, so I think it should be modeled after the 9/11 commission, which was more open to the public than a committee investigation. Please let [Senator/Representative NAME] know that this is a high-priority issue for me and I'll be paying close attention. Thank you!

For more detailed analysis, read this Mother Jones article about the Trump-Russia scandal.

Daily Yopp! 2.28.17 - Keep the Pressure on with Two Easy Yopps!

Five weeks. That's all it's been so far. As we wage this battle, please keep in mind that the GOP is banking on us giving up. We need to stay focused and maintain our resistance. Make that call every day. Both sides have heard our first message: We Are Here! Now they need to hear the second part: And We're NOT Giving Up!

Today's Yopp! is fairly easy. Call your Senators about their vote on the Wilbur Ross confirmation that had bipartisan support yesterday and call on your Representative to oppose HR 610.

SENATE CTA - Wilbur Ross Confirmation

Step 1: Check here to see how your senator voted on the confirmation of billionaire and Russian crony Wilbur Ross.

If your senator voted Nay, then email or call and say:

I saw that Senator ___________ voted against the confirmation of Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary. Please thank the senator for me. I'm glad that she/he is taking a stand against corporate cronyism and cabinet ties to Russia.

If your senator voted Yea, then call and say:

I am concerned that Senator ___________ voted to confirm Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary. His ties to banking and to Russia are of great concern to me and should be to the senator as well. When will the senator be making a statement regarding this vote?

HOUSE CTA - Vote NO on HR 610

This one has been making the rounds. The gist of it is that you need to call your representative in the House and ask them to vote NO on HR 610.

Parents with kids in public schools, teachers, and anyone else who believes in school equality, healthy lunches and the public school system will want to read this new bill. The destruction of our public schools has officially begun: 

HR 610 INTRODUCED TO ELIMINATE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS ACT. 

Please call your US House Representative - and those in other states where you have any sort of connection (have lived there, admire their public education, have family members there with kids in public schools) - now, and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 610. HR 610 was introduced in the Education & Workforce Committee by three Republican House Reps: Lead is Andy Harris-MD (202) 225-5311, with Franks-AZ (202) 225-4576 and Olson-TX (202) 225-5951. 

This bill will effectively start the nationwide school voucher system to be used by children ages 5-17, and start the defunding process of public schools, in hand with eliminating all student rights and programs that address poverty, etc. Please read on. 

The bill will eliminate the Elementary and Education Act of 1965, which is the nation's educational law and provides equal opportunity in education. ESSA is a large comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, AP classes, ESL programs, programs for students of color including Native Americans, as well as Rural Education, Education for Students who are Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance and Federal Accountability for these and other Programs. The House 610 Bill also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards and funding to states for in-school breakfast and lunch.
Some things ESSA does for Children with Disabilities: 

- Ensures access to the general education curriculum 

- Ensures access to needed accommodations (e.g. larger print, additional time) on assessments 

- Ensures use of principles of "Universal Design for Learning" in materials and instruction so that all have curriculum access and ability to learn 

- Includes provisions that require school districts to use research-based instruction and curriculum in schools, especially with students who represent groups that have been consistently “underperforming" or underachieving. 

- ESSA also requires that states write Title I (ESSA granted federal funds to assist students and schools in poverty) plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including: reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, reducing overuse of punitive discipline practices and reducing the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion). 

All of this goes away if ESSA does. We can safely say that IDEA will be next.

 Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 2.27.17 Report from Meeting with Senator Feinstein's Staff

Hey all! As I mentioned earlier, I was part of a group that met with Senator Dianne Feinstein's staff last Thursday in San Francisco. Here's the report of that meeting from one of Solidarity Sunday's founders Kate Schatz:

Report back from DiFI meeting: 

As many folks have seen, a group of SolSun folks had a meeting with Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Chief of Staff last Thursday (it was supposed to be with the Sen herself, but she cancelled all Thurs appointments due to a medical issue with her knee replacement). We met with Sean, the COS, and Abby, the East Bay field rep, for about an hour and a half. It was a positive, informative, and really engaging meeting. So much was discussed, but wanted to report back some key takeaways. Would’ve done it sooner, but, well, LIFE. Please note that the following DO NOT reflect our opinions, and we are not representing or defending DiFi’s stances on anything—we’re just offering takeaways from the meeting. 

-First: We have zero reason to believe that the meeting was cancelled to avoid us or give us the slip. We didn’t ask for the meeting—the invite came from the Senator, and we were not the only people who were cancelled on. We’re not bitter, and don’t feel burned. Moving on.

-We presented the staff with several copies of a packet that @Mer Rainwater and I put together, that included research and question formulation done by @Lyndsey Schlax, Mer, @Pamela Harris, @Leslie Van Every, @Jennye Garibaldi, @Sahar Azi, and @Fyza Parviz. In it we addressed the Senator, and laid out 5 well-researched Priority Questions: 1) Trump/Russia/Conflicts of Interest; 2) Immigration/Deportations/ ICE/Muslim Ban; 3) Gorsuch + SCOTUS; 4) Sessions/DOJ/Civil Rights/Diverse Staffing in Field Offices; 5) How SolSun can be most effective in mobilizing for the resistance AND in supporting DiFi on PROGRESSIVE policies that we support. We also included almost all of the questions that people emailed us (excluded some that we duplicates of the 5 questions). We asked that we receive answers from DiFi herself on the questions, but wanted to hear from him as well. 

-Much of the meeting was spent going over these questions with staff. On Russia we discussed bipartisan efforts, and GOP Senators that DiFi is ‘working on’ (Grassley’s name came up numerous times, as did Graham, McCain, Sasse, and Horner). DiFi is esp concerned about the China trademark situation as it pertains to the Emoluments Clause, and is working on something related to that which is supposed to be announced this week. He did share info that he asked us not to publicize yet, so we'll follow up when that is made public. 

-IMHO the most powerful moment of the meeting was when SolSun steering comm member Sahar Azi and Cupertino host Fyza Parviz addressed immigration. Sahar spoke of her experience as an Iranian immigrant whose parents are currently in Iran; she focused, though, on the economic impact of immigrants on California’s economy, specifically agriculture and food production. Fyza followed up with her own experience as an immigrant from Pakistan who came on a Visa to study engineering in Silicon Valley, and who now works in tech and is deep in the process of citizenship. She cited statistics (at one point Sean asked her to stop and repeat stats, and wrote them down furiously in his notebook). Then, we presented a stack of over 100 handwritten letters from the middle school students of Oakland host Kris Bradburn, who teaches at a public school in San Lorenzo, CA. These heartbreaking letters come from mostly Latino and Black students, and directly address the fears of deportation, police brutality, ICE, and more. We all had tears in our eyes. Staff was VERY moved by the letters; they will be redacting the names and scanning the letters for DiFi. Sean stated that personal accounts like these are very valuable for DiFi, as she can use them on the Floor, and in communications with GOP members. 

-Gorsuch: DiFi will not say if she will filibuster or not. Per Sean, and per her entire political history: This is NOT an indication that she is undecided, but how she strategizes. She does not want to show her hand too soon, because she is working closely with GOP Senators. [Again, we are relaying info here, please don’t attack if you disagree!] Gorsuch hearing is set for March 20th. DiFi has a team of 12 attorneys vetting Gorsuch extensively. **Sean notes: If any attorneys or legal experts want to aid in this effort and offer their insight on his record and past cases, the office is very open to hearing from you.** We discussed pros + cons of filibuster, how it would set precedent, and what would happen if (GODDESS FORBID) something happened to RBG, etc. 

-Sessions/DOJ: Discussed how DiFi and the Sen. Jud. Comm. can help protect civil rights. Sean reiterated DiFi’s distrust + Disapproval of Sessions, said she is focused on doing all she can to ensure civil rights. Discussed status of DOJ investigations into police depts that were ongoing under AG Lynch, as well as reports that came out on Chicago PD, Ferguson PD, etc. DiFi “committed” to ensuring that those all play out/are followed up on. Inquired about/discussed lack of diverse staffing in DiFi’s office, let them know we see this as a priority. Were assured this is “important”, just hired new Latino Chief of Staff, etc. Followed up on this point via email afterwards, too. 

-Other takeaways: Keep an eye on Trump’s budget, which is coming soon 

-Personal stories MATTER. Whether it’s ACA, immigration, business owners OR workers talking about how 45’s economic policies are actually bad for business—personal stories have BIG impact. 

-Noted that the office is available for any Californians who need help/suport navigating federal agencies, urged constituents to contact the office for that. 

-Noted recent progress that HAS been made, citing the recent 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upholding Maryland’s assault weapons ban as a small but notable victory. 

-Note that we did NOT talk about 2018, or DiFi's future runs—there are strict rules about not talking about campaigns or campaigning in Senate offices. This was a question many of you had, but not one that can be discussed in-office 

-Finally, we talked for a while about how Indivisible Guide and the resistance is impacting the office. Sean shared that his job has basically changed completely—he used to spend 80% of his time outside the office, traveling across CA. Now he is inside, meeting with people like us, many IG groups, etc. (As we noted in a pervious post, Sean was supposed to be on a helicopter tour of the Oroville Dam w/ Sen. Kamala Harris, but cancelled to fill in for DiFi at Thursday's meetings). Sees this as a good thing, very impactful. Assures us that, for THEIR OFFICES, all communications matter–emails “count” as much as phonecalls, etc. He reiterated that this DIFFERS based on your MoC. This is their policy only, he cannot speak for all offices. Most calls/emails they got were around DeVos--says they were SWAMPED. Close 2nd was Sessions. Again, this DOES matter and has big impact on how she presents issues in DC. 

When asked how DiFi herself feels about it all, he says she is heartened and pleased—but also says “Let’s see where they’re at in July.” SO: LET’S MAKE SURE WE ARE ALL HERE IN JULY, OK?! 

Others who were in the meeting, please weigh in! We talked about so much and I'm sure I'm forgetting things—thanks!

My personal takeaway is that the folks in DC definitely are paying attention to the noise we are making. While the busy signals, seemingly indifferent shrugs, and avoidance of constituents might feel infuriating, take heart. The response you are seeing is evidence that what we are doing is working.

As always, there is a lot to Yopp! about in your daily calls. My personal latest is the confirmation of Wilbur Ross as Commerce Secretary...for which Feinstein voted Yea. But given the above, I'm going to put out another more general Yopp!

Here ya go:

1. Wrap your mind around the idea that this will be a long battle. Perseverance is key.

2. Start thinking about ways to reach across the divide to Tr*mp voters. We're going to need them eventually and continuing to give into the divisions plays right into the hand of the GOP.

3. Keep up the daily pressure, but pace yourself with how much energy you put into various CTAs. We need to hold the front line and strategically attack.

I'll send out an easy Yopp! for tomorrow that will just be a simple call in.

Daily Yopp! 2.24.17 - How to Best Leverage Your Activist Hour

Yesterday, I was part of a group that met with three of Senator Dianne Feinstein's aides for about an hour and a half to discuss some of the key issues facing our nation at the time and ways that those of us on the ground can best use our time and resources to have an impact.

In response to one of my Yopps!, a friend of mind used the term "my activist hour" which I take to mean the time she sets aside each day to engage in calling, emailing, writing, or whatever that day's Whac-a-Mole politics brings up. I usually spend about 30 minutes every morning and another 30-90 minutes each night engaged in my own Activist Hour stuff. But how can each of us maximize the impact that our time will have?

Here are some ideas/insights I got from the meeting with Feinstein's staff.

For those of you with a supportive MoC:

1. Find out how their office prefers to tally constituent concerns and use that whenever possible. For example, both Senator Feinstein and Representative Barbara Lee (my representative in the House) prefer email. They both indicated that emails to their offices are ranked at the same level as phone calls or letters. Bear in mind that you won't get a response (or at least it will take awhile), but that doesn't mean your email is being ignored. They watch those tallies very carefully. 

2. If you have a personal story that is relevant to a particular issue facing Congress, write a letter and mail it or hand deliver it to the congressperson's office. In our meeting, we passed on a stack of about two hundred letters written by students from my school. The aides were very excited and referred to that pile multiple times. I suggest a hand written or printed letter over email because this gives your MoC something physical that they can use as a prop. 

3. If you have a problem with a federal agency that needs intervention, contact your MoCs for assistance. This not only might bring you the help you need, but will give them valuable data showing that our federal agencies aren't working. For example, perhaps you have major water/flood damage from the recent storms. Is FEMA there to help you out? 

4. When your MoC does something good, let people know via social media. Just like the negative impression we want to develop around the non-supportive MoCs, we also need to build up image of the other side.

For those of you whose MoC is not supportive:

1. Call their offices and babble on. Basically waste their staff's time listening to your nonsense.  

2. Demand that your MoC hold a town hall and hound them when they don't meet with the public. Attend public events if you are able. 

3. Follow them in the news (Google Alerts is a great tool for this) and complain about their mistakes on social media. 

4. Send them your personal stories as well, but make a copy and send it to friendly MoCs so they know what your representative is ignoring.

The above ideas are mostly my impressions/analysis of what I heard at the meeting. Feinstein's aides only recommended the first four ideas. They had no comments about how to deal with non-supportive MoCs. You might find that your MoC is more open to some of your progressive ideas than you assumed. In order to survive the next four years, we're going to need some of the Senators and Representatives to break party lines. If your MoC is someone like John McCain, you might consider appealing to his patriotism and sense of duty to the country.

Hope that gives you some ideas! Yours in solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 2.23.17 - Defend Transgender/Queer Youth

This Yopp! is from a post by Kate Schatz of Solidarity Sundays, BUT I can personally attest to the legitimacy and importance of this issue because I was one of nine representatives of Solidarity Sundays who met with Senator Dianne Feinstein's staff in her San Francisco office today. Senator Feinstein was originally scheduled to be at this meeting, but her knee replacement went out and she was on doctor's orders to rest it. Very disappointing for our group initially, but we made the best of it and ended up talking with her staff about twice as long as we might have otherwise.

So...more on that meeting later after the SolSun group has a chance to debrief, but for now here's a fully vetted Yopp! Sorry (not sorry) for Kate's quasi-cursing and fierce tone.

The news about 45's administration rescinding the Obama rules on transgender students and bathroom use is...just...f*&%ing...Ok, it's not SURPRISING because DUH they are EVIL, but also...really?! THIS is your priority?! Also, to be clear: this is an attack on the queer + trans community, and it's NOT just about bathrooms. It's not about "safety". They can't just "make trans people illegal" so this is a way to chip away at trans rights (and it does so in an intimate, invasive, personal way). This is not unlike the anti-abortion TRAP laws—they can't overturn Roe v Wade (yet), so they'll just figure out all kinds of shitty ways to restrict and limit access. 

#ACTION: Please call your MoCs and let them know how you feel. 

"I'm calling because of Trump's decision to rescind the rules about transgender students and the restrooms they use. This is transphobic, unnecessary, and dangerous for our gender nonconforming youth who already face bullying, assault, and high suicide rates. This does NOT make our young people safer, and should NOT be a priority of the administration."

#ACTION: Contact your school district and inquire about THEIR policies around this—how will this announcement impact their existing policies? What policies do they have in place to protect and support trans students? LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU SUPPORT TRANS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. 

#ACTION: Want to add some $$$ to it? Donate to the Transgender Law Center and/or The Sylvia Rivera Law Project 

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ 

https://srlp.org/ 

http://www.npr.org/…/trump-administration-rescinds-obama-ru… 

For those of you who need a primer on transgender issues, here's something from the Human Rights Campaign.

That's it for now. There will be additional follow up from this meeting in the near future.

Daily Yopp! 2.22.17 - Final Stand with Standing Rock

This is a bit of a rush Yopp! as I have a BIG meeting to prepare for tomorrow. More on that later. At any rate, as per Michael Moore's suggestion that we each call our MoCs every day, here's something to Yopp! about.

So back in December, the protesters against the the Dakota Access Pipeline project (aka Standing Rock, NoDAPL) scored a victory when the work on the pipeline was halted due. Even then, many of us felt like it would come back into play later on, and as expected, here we are again.

Today is the official eviction day for the "water protectors" and you can expect it to be all the terrible things that our government can do. In 1973, Lakota/Sioux activists staged an occupation of a town near Wounded Knee in a famous standoff whose impact is still felt today. I believe that Standing Rock is this generation's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."

Direct Action is scheduled for today. Essentially, today is a battle day for this ongoing conflict.

What can you do?

Call your MoCs and let them know that you Stand with Standing Rock. Ask them to make a statement of solidarity with the protesters and demand that Trump's ongoing conflicts of interest as they relate to this project be investigated.

SCRIPT: Hello, I am a constituent of [Senator/Representative __________] and I am calling to say that I am in support of the protesters at Standing Rock. I would like my representative to make a public statement about his/her position on this issue so the voters know where she/he stands. I also am deeply concerned about President Trump's possible investments in this project which may have influenced his actions. The United States has broken nearly every treaty it has ever made with the indigenous people of this land. We need to end this history of violence.

For more information, check these links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcpwejiJr6U

https://news.vice.com/story/inside-the-last-days-of-the-standing-rock-protest
https://theintercept.com/2017/02/21/video-last-stand-at-standing-rock-as-police-prepare-to-evict-pipeline-opponents/

http://everydayofaction.org/

http://www.nodapl.life/

Daily Yopp! 2.21.17 - Protect State Retirement Plans

Call Your MoCs and Demand They Protect State Retirement Plans

This is the sort of legislation that sneaks through while our attention is directed elsewhere. Be sure your representative in the House knows you are paying attention to his/her votes, and let your Senator know that you want a No vote when it hits the Senate.

Check on how your Representative voted. If she/he voted YES, then let him/her know that you are disappointed. If NO, then thank him/her for the vote. If you want to put the staffer on the spot, you could ask the staffer if they know how the Rep voted and then work from there.

Here's how that could work:

Caller: Good morning/afternoon! Can you let me know how the Congressperson voted on H.J.Res. 66, the Congressional Review Act resolution that would rescind the Labor Department’s rule on state retirement plans?

OPTION 1: STAFFER DOESN'T KNOW

Caller: I'm disappointed to hear that you haven't been informed. According to the House website, she/he voted [YES/NO]

Move on to YES or NO script indicated below. You'll have to adjust it a bit since the vote has occurred.

Next, call your Senators and use the script provided by the folks at the Invisible Guide.

Republicans in Congress are ramming through fast-tracked legislation (H.J. Res. 66) that would block states like California, Oregon, Maryland, Illinois, and Connecticut from helping their citizens save money for retirement. The Department of Labor issued a legal ruling last year giving states the OK to provide a new savings option to workers who are not offered a 401(k) or other retirement plan at their job. Given how unprepared most Americans are for retirement, this made perfect sense -- workers should have more opportunities to save and retire with dignity, not fewer. But Republicans disagree -- in order to keep their Wall Street benefactors fat, happy, and shielded from competition, they are pushing legislation that would rescind the Labor Department regulation. The legislation has passed the House and will likely be considered in the Senate shortly. 

SAMPLE DIALOG 

Caller: Good morning/afternoon! Can you let me know the Senator's position on H.J.Res. 66, the Congressional Review Act resolution that would rescind the Labor Department’s rule on state retirement plans? 

OPTION 1: OPPOSES THE RESOLUTION [MEANING THEY SUPPORT THE STATE RETIREMENT PLANS]

Staffer: Thank you for calling! Senator/Representative Bob opposes the resolution.

Caller: That’s great! I’m calling to say that if Senator ____________ truly believes, as I do, that there is a retirement savings crisis, then [he/she] should do everything [he/she] can to stop Congress and the Trump Administration from blocking state retirement plans. This means making public statements standing with the millions of Americans poised to benefit from these state programs and calling out the Wall Street special interests that are trying to shield themselves from competition.

I’m happy to hear the Senator opposes H.J.Res. 66. Will [he/she] commit to voting against this resolution if it comes up for a vote?
 
OPTION 2: SUPPORTS THE RESOLUTION [MEANING THEY OPPOSE THE STATE RETIREMENT PLANS]

Staffer: Thank you for calling! Senator ___________ supports the resolution.

Caller: That’s terrible. What that means is Senator ___________ is choosing to enrich Wall Street special interests over [his/her] hard-working constituents trying to save for retirement. States should have the right to help their OWN citizens save their OWN money for retirement. The alternative is more seniors living in poverty and relying on public assistance. There is a retirement crisis in America: nearly one-half of all private sector workers are not offered a retirement plan at work. We need to make sure that anyone who wants to save for his or her retirement can do so. These state programs would expand access to retirement plans so that the millions of hard-working Americans currently left behind can start saving. Why would Senator __________ want to block these state plans?

Staffer: But the Labor Department rule exempts state retirement plans from important consumer protections and would create an unworkable patchwork system, with each state having their own plan.

Caller: That’s wrong. The rule simply clarifies that employers who enroll their workers in the state’s retirement plan will not face any administrative or legal burden. The state itself is taking on those responsibilities since small business owners should be able to focus exclusively on running their business without sacrificing their workers’ retirement security. Each state has the right to set up its own plan if it so chooses. Would Senator _________ prefer that the federal government block states from making their own decisions, leaving millions of Americans left without a way to save for retirement?
 
OPTION 3: DODGES / HAS NO POSITION

Staffer: Thank you for calling! I don’t know about state retirement plans or H.J.Res. 66, but I’m happy to take down your concerns.

Caller: That’s disappointing to hear--this is a very important issue for millions of Americans, myself included. By trying to block state retirement plans, Congress is choosing to enrich Wall Street special interests over Senator _________'s hard-working constituents trying to save for retirement. States should have the right to help their OWN citizens save their OWN money for retirement. The alternative is more seniors living in poverty and relying on public assistance. There is a retirement crisis in America. Did you know that nearly one-half of all private sector workers are not offered a retirement plan at work?

Staffer: I didn’t know that but I’m happy to take down your concerns.

Caller: Here’s my concern: We need to make sure that anyone who wants to save for his or her retirement can do so. These state programs would expand access to retirement plans so that the millions of hard-working Americans currently left behind can start saving. I expect [Senator/Representative] Bob will represent [his/her] constituents, like me, and not Wall Street. I expect [Senator/Representative] Bob to oppose H.J.Res. 66.

Will Senator _________ vote against this attempt to block state retirement plans?

Staffer: I will certainly pass on your concerns to the Senator/Representative.

Caller: Please do, and please take down my contact information to let me know when the Senator has made up his mind. I’m eager to hear what [he/she] decides.

For more details, here is the text and other details about the bill. It was sponsored by Tim Walberg of Michigan.

So again, today's Yopp! is for you to call your MoCs about HR Res 66.

Daily Yopp! 2.20.17 - Attend Your MoC's Town Hall

February 20-24 is set aside for members of Congress (MoCs) to return to their states/districts and do work. As I type this, I am watching my own representative, the incomparable Barbara Lee, lead a town hall focused on the Affordable Care Act. Fortunately for Representative Lee, she is receiving a very well-deserved enthusiastic reception at this standing room only event. Not all our MoCs have earned these accolades.

Please take a moment to check your MoCs' websites and see when and where they will be speaking. Here's a link to spreadsheet with website and other contact information for your MoCs.

Here are some of the events planned by California's representatives. Unfortunately quite a few have not planned/announced any public events. If your representative has not stepped up to meet with their constituents, please give them a call and let them know that you fully expect them to do so. You can also show up at their local office and hound them. Remember, the GOP expects us to give up. Their entire plan is predicated on our failure to sustain this movement. (Literally, as I typed that last sentence, Barbara Lee was encouraging us to keep up the letters and calls and resistance.)

The Indivisible Guide folks have put out a PDF specifically about how to pressure Missing Members of Congress who are failing to meet their constituents.

I know this Yopp! is hard for some of you. Signing petitions, emailing, making calls, marching, and all that is great. Face to face with your MoC is hands down the most powerful way to get yourself heard. This is at the heart of the Indivisible Guide. This first designated state work period is one of several. If you can't do it next week, take a look at the Congressional schedule for 2017 and set aside some time. Since I'm on an academic schedule, I'm planning to go pedal to the metal over spring break and the summer. (I've also got something BIG cooking that I can't talk about right now, but I'll just dangle that teaser out there. Be sure to check the Daily Yopp! later this week.)

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 2.19.17 - Whac-a-Mole Activism Pt. 5

Namaste.

My caring, compassionate friends seem to be of two minds these days. Either they are completely involved in the Resistance to the point of exhaustion or they are sticking their heads in the sand and declaring that they are no longer engaging in social media. Or they are vacillating between the two extremes.

I get it. I really do. It all feels incredibly important and overwhelmingly hopeless.

Lately I'm hearing rumblings of a third option: Engaged Buddhism.

The nifty thing about Buddhism is that you don't really need to be a Buddhist to practice its teachings. It is quite possible to deeply religious or atheist and also follow Buddhism. In Japan, many people are committed to the ancient animistic faith of Shinto while also studying Buddhism. And then there are people who end up as Buddhist nuns, monks, and priests. It's all good.

We can learn a lot from the ideas of Engaged Buddhism. The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism is a great guide for how to be serene while still fighting the good fight.

For more specific ideas on how to apply these teachings to what's going on these days, read these articles:

Huffington Post: A Zen Master's Advice on Coping with Trump

Buddhist Door: Engaged Buddhism, Donald Trump, and the Way of Compassion

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 2.18.17 Whac-a-Mole Activism Pt. 4

Those of you who have been reading the Daily Yopp! for awhile might remember my previous blog posts on Whac-a-Mole activism. For those that haven't, here's a quick review:

Whac-a-Mole Activism Pt. 1 - How to manage all the Calls to Action (CTAs) that are streaming into your social feed

Whac-a-Mole Activism Pt. 2 - Look past the distractions of the Executive Orders and other White House activity to see the real agenda

Whac-a-Mole Activism Pt. 3 - Find your One Good Thing and do that to the best of your ability

Today and tomorrow, we're going to revisit the idea of how we individually can best use our limited energy and resources to mount a strong collective Resistance that is sustainable and effective. So here you go:

Whac-a-Mole Activism Pt. 4 - Focus On Just a Few Topics

I was an avid reader as a young child and interested in just about everything. A trip to the library was a treat, and books and educational toys were at the top of my Christmas list. At one point, I professed my goal to "know everything about everything!"

Suffice to say that at age 50, my childhood aspiration of being the ultimate omniscient being has not come to pass (though I admit I am pretty good at trivia games). One thing that I have learned is that if one is to be effective, it helps to specialize.

That's a big lead-in for a simple idea. I'm sure that, just like me, your email box is overflowing with CTAs and information from groups and your Facebook and Twitter feeds are swamped with articles. I'm also sure that you are a caring compassionate person who is concerned about many of the issues that are affected by legislative, executive, and judicial actions. At my Solidarity Sunday meeting, we try to give some air time to the various issues that we all care about, but that list is very long:

• Standing Rock
• Cabinet appointments
• Medicaid/ObamaCare
• Election reform
• Voter suppression
• Trump Industries conflict of interest
• Protection of Muslims
• Immigration rights
• Climate change
• Opposition to 100 Days Agenda
• LGBT rights
• Racial justice
• Reproductive rights
• Criminal justice reform
• Flint, Michigan
• Environmental issues
• Women’s rights
• Equal pay
• Oligarchy / Capitalistic control of gov’t
• Designation of sanctuary cities
• Black Lives Matter
• Midterm elections
• Supporting our current members of Congress
• Non-violence training / Self-Defense
• Gun Control? / 2nd Amendment
• Public education
• College costs
• Employment / Working class 
• Freedom of Press / Misrepresentation in news
• Healing divisions in our nation
• Better understanding of Trump voters

And that's just a brainstorming list. There are so many things to care about that it's very easy to get overwhelmed. And there you are playing Whac-a-Mole once again.

If you spread yourself thin by trying to be knowledgeable about everything, your knowledge will be a mile wide and an inch deep. Most if not all of the issues in play right now are complex and require us to use our critical thinking skills. Memes and clickbait news articles are essentially intellectual junk food, and you need a healthy balanced diet of information.

So what do you do?

Quite simply, you need to focus on two or three topics and dive deeply into those. While you might truly care about public education and rising college costs, it's okay to invest your energy into learning about sanctuary cities and immigrant rights. The continuing water crisis in Flint, Michigan may bother you deeply, but it's okay if you are more called to criminal justice reform.

So next time you see an interesting article come your way, decide how much time you want to invest in reading it. If it's related to one of your chosen topics, then go deep and do what we teachers call close reading. If it's outside your focus area, then it's fine to skim/scan the article (or even skip it all together).

The key thing from here is to be self-aware as to the depth of your knowledge before spouting off your opinions on a particular topic. For example, someone suggesting that people in Flint, Michigan just need to move to another city clearly doesn't have a good understanding about what is happening there. Don't be that person.

There are a lot of people in this Resistance movement. None of us can know everything about everything. Become a font of knowledge in a couple areas that call you, be sure to diversify your network so you're connected to experts in the other areas you care about, and trust that we are all pulling in roughly the same direction.

That's all I got for you today.

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 2.17.17 - Easiest Yopp! Ever

Here's one for those of you who want a really easy one. I can't verify if the Senate Committee on Homeland Security is actually counting calls, but I can say that the phone number works and it literally took under 30 seconds.

CALL NOW PLEASE! (I just made the call and left my message at 8:00 pm.CST on 2/16. Easiest 15 seconds of activism I've ever participated in!) 

Minimal effort = potentially HUGE impact if we all get on board! 

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security is inviting comment and COUNTING CALLS before it decides whether to approve Steve Bannon's appointment to the National Security Council. 

Call 202-224-4751. (You don't have to talk to anyone.) 

Just say: 

"Hi my name is ______. I am from ____ [give your state] and am an American citizen. I oppose Steve Bannon being confirmed to sit on our National Security Council." 

THAT'S IT!

I also found this article about the calling campaign from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Daily Yopp! 2.16.17 - What to Do About That Whole Russia Thing

Content for this is similar to the Yopp! from a couple days ago, but we really need to go full court press on this issue. This Yopp! comes from the folks at The Sixty Five.

BREAKING NEWS! National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, has resigned! However, serious questions about the President's involvement in this scandal remain, so let's keep the pressure on!  

CALL TO ACTION: Call all three of your MoCs (Members of Congress) with this script. If the call fails, then email them.

Hi, I'm [NAME], a constituent. 

I'm calling to urge the [Senator/Representative's NAME] to demand full transparency about Michael Flynn's communication with Russia in the months prior to Donald Trump's inauguration. Although Flynn has resigned, there are still serious unanswered questions about the extent of the President's involvement. The American people deserve to know what President Trump knew and when he knew it. Tell the [Senator/Representative's NAME] that I want them to condemn Flynn's actions in the strongest possible terms, and continue to push for an exhaustive investigation into the entire administration's communications with Russia both during the election and in the months after.

Okay...so if you just want to do the Yopp! and be done with it, you can stop there. But if you'd like to get up in arms, then read this post from Michael Moore:

Stunning bombshell right now from the New York Times -- Trump campaign chair, campaign officials and Trump associates made repeated contacts and calls with Russian intelligence during the YEAR leading up to the election. 

It's what we all suspected. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on: TRUMP COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIANS TO THROW THE ELECTION TO HIM. 

So this is what I want done NOW: 

1. I and tens of millions of Americans demand that the weak and spineless Democrats bring Congress to a halt until investigative hearings are held and impeachment charges are filed. We don't want to hear you Dems huff and puff and grandstand and take symbolic actions. We demand that you halt all actions being taken by an illegitimately elected government until this matter is resolved. 

2. Attorney General J Beauregard Sessions must immediately appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate these potentially treasonous acts. 

3. So-Called President Trump could save the country a lot of time, money and pain by stepping down tonight. 

4. Somehow, our judicial system has to find a way to make restitution to this country. Pence can't be president as he, too, was elected under this same fraud. The court has to rule either that the President is the winner of the popular vote OR the election must be held over. The Republicans-- the beneficiaries of this treason --cannot be allowed to hold on to the power by default. If it turns out there's a traitor in the White House, the judicial branch must find a fair, peaceful way to un-do and then re-do the election of 2016. 

And there's this less verified post from a friend of a friend of a friend....(aka, viral cut and paste on Facebook):

People, I just had a VERY interesting conversation with the minority comment line for the House Intelligence Committee. It turns out that the minority (Democrat) members of the Committee have been QUIETLY investigating the connections between DJT and the Russians for the last month, since the Sally Yates notification and her subsequent firing.The woman I spoke to compared the firing of Yates to Archibald Cox's firing during Nixon. She said, "I'm a lot older than you, and trust me, there are more similarities here than you might realize." 

She URGED me, SEVERAL TIMES, to have everyone I know call the House Intelligence Committee Majority (Republican) comment line to tell Nunes and the Republicans 1) that you are outraged at Nunes' statement of support of Mike Flynn (see below) and 2) to open a formal investigation into Russia's influence over Trump et. al. 

The number for the majority House Intel line is 202-225-4121. 

I just called them. They picked up on the first ring. 

Finally...in the realm of God-I-Needed-To-Hear-That, there's this article that professes that the intelligence community is poised to take down Tr*mp. Could be total BS, but sometimes you need that sort of thing to keep you going.

So have cuppa and bask in the momentary bliss of two battles won (add in that Puzder pulled himself out of the nomination as Labor Secretary). Then get back in and make some calls.

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 2.15.17 - Protect Protestors, Protect our Rights

From Weekly Actions to Resist Trump. They like to also include a recommended donation, so feel free to use that as your Yopp! instead. Everything helps.

This Week's Action: #ProtectProtesters, Protect Our RightsFrom Ferguson to Standing Rock to our airports, Americans are fighting injustice by exercising our fundamental right to protest. Trump’s allies are responding with a wave of bills aimed at silencing us. It’s an attack on our constitutional values. It’s dangerous. And it’s scary as hell with a president who has demonized and encouraged violence against protesters. So we’re demanding our governors publicly commit to vetoing any legislation that threatens protesters and our rights. 

This Week's Donation: Stand With Native American Protest OrganizersThe Indigenous Environmental Network is a grassroots organization formed and led by Native Americans to fight for environmental and economic justice. They’ve played a leading role at Standing Rock in resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline. These attempts to scare off protest movements are most dangerous for the People of Color on the frontlines, making it all the more important we have their backs. Donate here.

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! 2.14.17 - Support Nadler's Resolution of Inquiry

Here's one from the good women at Solidarity Sundays.

#ACTION Call YOUR HOUSE REP and express your support for Congressman Nadler's Resolution of Inquiry. 

Background: Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, filed a Resolution of Inquiry on February 9th. A Resolution of Inquiry is a special legislative tool that has “privileged parliamentary status": it must be debated and voted on by the relevant Committee within 14 legislative days, or it can be brought in front of the entire House. Congressman Nadler's resolution requests information from the Justice Department on any and all “criminal or counterintelligence investigations” into Trump and his team, including those into national security advisor Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. If the resolution passes, the Justice Department must reveal its findings on Trump and his associates. 

"Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY, ZIP]. I'm calling to express my support for Congressman Nadler's Resolution of Inquiry. I don't believe that Michael Flynn is the only one guilty of wrongdoings, and think we need a full-scale investigation."

Yours in Solidarity!

Daily Yopp! - 2.13.17 Valentines for our Women Warriors

Some of you might have seen this one going around, but it's still worth posting:

"Sometimes music requires players or singers to hold a note longer than they actually can hold a note. In those cases, we were taught to mindfully stagger when we took a breath so the sound appeared uninterrupted. Everyone got to breathe, and the music stayed strong and vibrant. Yesterday, I read an article that suggested the administration's litany of bad executive orders (more expected on LGBTQ next week) is a way of giving us "protest fatigue" - we will literally lose our will to continue the fight in the face of the onslaught of negative action. Let's remember MUSIC. Take a breath. The rest of the chorus will sing. The rest of the band will play. Rejoin so others can breathe. Together, we can sustain a very long, beautiful song for a very, very long time. You don’t have to do it all, but you must add your voice to the song. With special love to all the musicians and music teachers in my life."

I heard it attributed to Madonna, but I can't verify that. I can verify that in choir I was taught exactly what it says, so the information is legit.

Today's Yopp! is a blend of two CTAs from Solidarity Sundays, a national network of activist groups. The group I facilitate, Justice Scouts of Maxwell Park, is affiliated with SolSun. We met yesterday and did this action (and had some great discussions). It's a fun one, so get some nice stationary and get ready.

VALENTINES FOR OUR WOMEN WARRIORS!

With all the yuck that's been happening in DC, there are quite a few badass women out there on the front lines slugging it out. Let's send them some Valentine's Day cards and postcards to show how much we appreciate their efforts.

The cards won't arrive by Valentine's Day, so for the MoCs, send them to their regional offices since Congress is on recess. Better yet, hand deliver the cards if you can!

NOTE: Unverified rumor has it that cards in envelopes are taking longer to get to the MoCs than postcards. Factor that in whenever you are writing something that is time-sensitive.

Here's some options for your "love notes":

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) for PERSISTING, and for bringing the words of Coretta Scott King into the Senate in opposition of Jeff Sessions. Let her know that WE WILL PERSIST TOO!

Sen Elizabeth Warren

2400 JFK Federal Building

15 New Sudbury Street

Boston, MA 02203

• Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL)  for introducing H.R. 804, the Protecting the National Security Council from Political Interference Act of 2017, which would restructure the NSC and remove Steve Bannon. Murphy is a newly-elected Rep, and the first Vietnamese-American woman elected to Congress, so extra thanks for taking such bold action so early in her Congressional career

Rep Stephanie Murphy

225 E Robinson, Suite 525

Orlando, FL 32801

• Rep. Beth Fukumoto for standing up for justice regardless of her party affiliation, and for refusing to endorse the racist, misogynist rhetoric of the DT Administration. Up until recently Fukumoto was the Republican Minority Leader in the Hawaiian State House of Representatives—that is, until the 33-year old “moderate conservative” gave a speech at the Women’s March in Hawaii, where she decried the racism and sexism of DT’s campaign. Her colleagues ousted her the next day, prompting her to issue a letter stating that she is considering leaving the GOP.

Rep. Beth Fukumoto

415 S. Beretania St., Room 333

Honolulu, HI 96813

• Judge Ann Donnelly for being the Federal Judge in Brooklyn, NY, who granted an emergency stay of part of President Donald Trump’s immigration ban on January 28th. Donnelly was the first of many judges to rule on this issue, and her ruling was an enormous victory.

The Honorable Judge Ann Donnelly

225 Cadman Plaza East

Courtroom 4GN

Brooklyn, New York 11201

• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) for being the only Senate Dem who said “No” to all of DT’s Cabinet nominees (w/ the exception of Nikki Haley)

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

780 Third Avenue Suite 2601

New York, New York 10017

• Rep. Maxine Waters (CA) for being a consistently loud, strong, unwavering voice of opposition to DT, and for introducing legislation aimed at furthering investigations into DT’s ties Russia and election Cyberattacks

Rep. Maxine Waters

10124 South Broadway, Suite 1

Los Angeles, CA 90003

• Rep. Nancy Pelosi for publicly calling Steve Bannon a ‘White supremacist” in an interview with CNN.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi

90 7th Street Suite 2-800

San Francisco, CA 94103

• Rep. Barbara Lee for being one of the fiercest and most consistent progressive voices in Congress, and for speaking out against DT and for speaking UP for women, for Black Americans, for refugees and Muslims at all times.

Rep. Barbara Lee

1301 Clay Street, Ste. 1000-N

Oakland, CA 94612

And for those who didn't get enough to read with all the above, here's an op-ed about the long-term impact of Rule 19 being invoked against Elizabeth Warren.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Yours in Solidarity!