"Rep. Williams Puts Rome at Risk" Rally on Monday

As you know, our country is facing a MAGA Republican government shutdown because of reckless Republican extremists.  It's not just the fault of "arsonists" like Matt Gaetz.  The entire shutdown could be avoided if Brandon Williams and five of the other 17 "Unrepresentatives" (Republican reps in districts Biden won in 2020) would simply sign a discharge petition to allow Democrats to bring a bipartisan bill to the floor.  

But...instead of signing the petition so that the government can function and pay its workers, Williams is doing nothing to help federal employees who do the work of the people every day and need to pay their bills just like anyone else.  Instead, Brandon Williams told a reporter on national TV that he will accept his pay, even while lower paid workers who are furloughed or have to show up for work are NOT paid, adding that government workers shouldn't expect "a huge amount of sympathy." He wears his cruelty and disregard for the lives of the people in NY22 on his sleeve. 

To make a long story short, MAGAs are driving us off a cliff and Brandon Williams is at the wheel.  That's why, if the government shuts down Sept. 30, we will stand in solidarity of our neighbors who are federal workers going without the pay needed for rent, mortgage, food, and utilities, and make sure the public knows who is to blame.  Please join us for this critical action: 

Rep. Williams Puts Rome at Risk  (Continent Rally if the MAGAs cause a government shutdown)
Monday, Oct. 2 at 3:30-5:00 pm
Griffiss Tech Park
Hill Road
Rome, NY 13440
Please register here:  https://act.indivisible.org/event/local-actions/170129

If Rep. Brandon Williams and his MAGA Republicans in the House cause the government to shutdown after Sept 30th, Indivisible Mohawk Valley will host a rally on Hill Road at Griffiss Technology Park in Rome. Our friends, family, and neighbors working at Rome Labs and DFAS, among many others, will be negatively affected by the shutdown.  

Park near Spresso's at 160 Brooks Road and walk over to the sidewalk to the east side of Hill Road. Bring a sign and we'll have extras. Sign ideas: 

Rep Williams is shutting down paychecks. 
Shutdown will put the local economy at risk
How are people going to pay rent and mortgage? 
Rep Williams is messing with local jobs. This is not a game! 
Rep Williams is hurting people in his district. 
Rep. Williams can afford to miss a paycheck. We can’t!
Reopen DFAS & Rome Lab
We support DFAS & Rome Lab workers
Protect DFAS & Rome Lab jobs

Note 1: Many people at Rome Labs live in other areas of Oneida County, and the impact of a shutdown will be wide and deep in the economy. 

Note 2: Thanks to Carole Gehrig for her excellent LTE in the Daily Sentinel yesterday that called on Rep. Williams to protect the national defense by paying the people who do that work. 

Note 3: IMV released a statement to the media following Rep. Williams expression of no sympathy for the workers and families who will have to survive without a paycheck starting Monday.  Please read it HERE.  

We look forward to seeing you all at the (contingent) rally in Rome on Monday.
 

"No More Williams Wednesday" at Noon Oct. 4th

And let's keep the spotlight on Rep. Williams and the harm that he is causing in our community, with the second rally of the week:

No More Williams Wednesday Rally. 
Wed. Oct 4th, 12 pm-12:30 pm
Brandon Williams' district office at 421 Broad Street, Utica.
Hosted by Citizen Action of CNY
Please sign up HERE if you can attend
 

"Freedom to Learn and Love Event" in Clinton on Oct. 7

The third rally we are asking you to attend this week is a celebration of diversity and inclusion and a rejection of the book-banning, anti-LGBTQ group, Moms for Liberty, and their MAGA supporters.

They are holding a Mom's for Liberty event at the Alexander Hamilton Institute in Clinton on Saturday, Oct. 7th. 

We'll be on the Village Green in Clinton from 12:30-2:00 pm for our IMV Freedom to Learn and Love Rally. 

We’re going to be showing up for what we’re for:  freedom to learn, reading books, and loving our LGBTQ+ community.  People can participate in multiple ways: donate to the Kirkland Town Library or their local one; show up to the event; read a banned book at the event, and/or come to the rally in your pride gear and spread joy.   Bring signs!  Let your rainbow fly! Dress up as your favorite book character or bring banned books and read from them.  

Sign ideas:
Burn marshmallows, not books
Books are for reading, not banning
Love is Love
Books and people deserve love
Freedom to learn
Get out of town, Moms for Liberty
Clinton is a LGBTQ+ friendly town
Hey hey, ho ho, Moms for Liberty has got to go
Support kids reading 
Books help kids dream big
Support our schools, libraries, and LGBTQ+ youth
No book bans
Support our public schools
Support our teachers
Support our librarians
 

Bombshell Article on Rep. Williams' MAGA Extreme Rightwing Staff, Ideology

The Syracuse Post-Standard published a long article this past week about NY22 Rep. Williams titled "Rep. Brandon Williams moves toward far right with new staff rooted in Trump's MAGA campaign."   The article, which provided critical NY voter information, was hidden behind a paywall within a day, but we have copied and pasted it into a Google doc so anyone can see it HERE.  Please read and share!  But if you don't have time to read the long, long report on just how MAGA Williams is (and what a terrible job he is doing staffing his office and representing his constituents), here are the highlights:

“U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams has used a string of staff firings and departures to remake his office on Capitol Hill into one with stronger ties to the far right and former President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
…
After taking more of a bipartisan approach in his initial months in office, Williams has shifted some of his legislative priorities and rhetoric to align with positions pushed by the far-right House Freedom Caucus.
…
Williams now has among the highest rates of staff turnover of any member of the House.
…
Williams and his new staff are more focused, in both messaging and priorities, on conservative ideology.
…
Williams backtracked on a campaign promise that he would not support a national abortion ban or vote for any bill in Congress that would attempt to set national abortion policies.”

It's up to us to remind everyone we know that Williams is not a normal politician or a moderate Republican. He is a Christian nationalist and MAGA extremist.  Back in 2017 and 2018 we called attention, consistently, and relentlessly, to all the ways Rep. Tenney was hurting her constituents and failing in her job.  We flipped the district as a result!  Let's do the same thing now.  Show up for both rallies this week vs. Rep. Williams.
 

IMV Canvass to Elect Crystal Faria (Oneida County Leg District 10)

After our very successful (canvassers had 50-65% contact rate at the doors!) first canvass last week for Caroline Reale for County in New Hartford, IMV's second fall canvass will be on Sunday, Oct. 1st, 3:00-5:30 pm.  We'll be out talking with voters about Crystal Faria, a Clark Mills resident running for Oneida County Board of Leg.   Crystal is up against longtime Republican legislator George Joseph, who rarely gets out to talk to his own constituents.  She has been knocking doors in Clark Mills, Westmoreland, and parts of New Hartford along Route 5 for many months, and has been met with enthusiastic response by voters who share her values and appreciate her outreach and listening.  But she needs help to get to more doors before the Nov. 7th election.  

Please join us!  We'll get some talking points from Crystal, take a photo, and then pair up to knock doors.  Rural areas will need a driver and a knocker, so there is a role for everyone.  (If you can't help talk with voters, please help Crystal with a small donation for her campaign.)

Date: Sunday, Oct. 1st. 3:00-5:30 pm
Meet up location: 8411 Seneca Tpke, Crossroads Plaza Mall parking lot in front of Dr. Clark’s MVHS office (near Morehouse Appliances).    
Email jgeiger777@gmail.com that you plan to attend so we can cut enough turfs.  
 

Zoom Party with The Win NY22 Messaging Group

The Messaging Group (one of the groups that came out of last winter's NY22 Summit), continues to work on building capacity for effective communication ahead of the 2024 election.  If you are interested in messaging and disinformation, this one is for you.  It's a Zoom Party on handling misinformation!  Wednesday, Oct. 4th, 7:00-8:30 pm.
Register in advance for the Zoom here:  https://forms.gle/vU443Sh8iYFyKBkTA

"Handling Misinformation -- What Do You Say to All the Lies?"

If you've ever been frustrated or even stopped in your tracks by misinformation and lies, this workshop is for you. What do you do when you're talking to a potential voter and they tell you that Democrats want to let all the dangerous people out of jail or that Joe Biden is losing his mind or any other Fox News talking point? You don't want to go down their rabbit hole, you don't want to let the misinformation stand, and you still want to get your point across. Well there's an easy-to-learn formula for how to do that. Come join our workshop and find out how to deal with the lies and effectively tell your story.

Julie Gederos for Utica Common Council At-Large Fundraiser

If you are not knocking doors for a candidate this Sunday, we recommend that you check out, "Voting is Hot: A Fundraiser for Council At-Large Candidate Julie Gederos" on Sunday, Oct. 1st, 1-3 pm, Tickets are $35 and the event is at The Beer Hub in Utica.  Check this out:

Hot Sauce Contest – All attendees are encouraged to participate in a hot sauce contest. The winner will go home with a wireless turntable! Contestants must arrive by 1:15 p.m. to compete.
Raffle Baskets – All attendees will receive one complimentary raffle ticket. 
Cash Bar – Enjoy the wonderful selection of beverages offered at The Beer Hub.
Free Beer – Bring a non-perishable, kid’s snack to donate to the Utica Food Pantry and get your first tap beer for free.

Buy tickets here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/votingishot.
If you can't attend, please consider a donation to Julie's campaign: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/julieforutica
 

And Another Fundraiser...for County Legislator Caroline Reale

Please don't forget:
The Committee to Elect Caroline Reale is hosting a campaign event on October 5th. We hope to see you there! RSVP here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/carolineforcounty
 

Three More Postcard Parties Added

Thanks to everyone who has been writing postcards on your own or at the Thursday parties, and those who have been donating stamps and sending money for stamps. We are making progress on our 5000 cards! We still have cards to write for Shelly Gardner (Rome Common Council) and candidates in Utica.  So we are adding three new postcard parties to the calendar  It's fun and makes an impact!  

The postcard parties are at the New Hartford Town Library, 2 Library Lane:

Thursday, Oct. 5, 3:00-5:30 pm
Thursday, Oct. 12, 3:00-5:30 pm
Thursday, Oct. 19, 4:00-5:30 pm  (Please note the later time on this date). 

You can pick up and drop off postcards at the parties or if you want to arrange to pick up postcards at another time, email Carole Gehrig (cgehrig_1@yahoo.com).  She can have a bunch ready for you in her box in Whitesboro. 
 

Whew!  Thanks for Making it to the End!

We know that there is a lot going on!  It's that time when we need to press hard on our horrible Member of Congress, Brandon Williams, so voters see why they should vote him out in 2024, and at the same time, we are actively supporting our local candidates who will be on the ballot Nov. 7, 2023. 
Here's this week again (and check the calendar). 

Sunday, Oct. 1st, IMV Canvass for Crystal Faria (New Hartford)
Monday, Oct. 2nd, Rep. Williams Puts Rome at Risk contingent rally (Rome)
Wednesday, Oct. 4th, No More Williams Wednesday  (Utica)
Thursday, Oct. 5th IMV Postcard Party (New Hartford) ...and Caroline Reale fundraiser
Saturday, Oct. 7th, Freedom to Learn and Love Event, Clinton

And of course, there is no shortage of Purple Posse events for Celeste Friend for Utica Mayor, and everyone is always welcome to join CAFE Fridays on Zoom if you want to connect or have questions.  

Please SHOW UP!  Democracy is not a spectator sport.

 Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.