How to fight the #TexasTaliban (& injustice anywhere)

September 3, 2021 Alan Cole

Fired Up, Ready to GO!

We're kicking off our IMV local election action! There will be something for everyone in terms of work that helps our awesome local candidates. Postcards writing is just a couple weeks ahead--so block off some time now, postcard writers!

However, the most exciting news is that Team IMV is ready to canvass! We are kicking off our team effort in Rome on Sunday, Sept. 12th, 3-5 pm (location TBA). Perrine Wasser, Anthony's campaign manager, will provide the turfs, and we will knock Democratic doors in Democratic leaning areas with the goal of making more voters aware of the election in November. We won't need to talk about issues, just encourage voters to turn out for Anthony and Karen Stanislaus in the judicial race. It will be easy door knocking, and lots of fun to do it together. Stay tuned for our meet up location in Rome. Then over the coming weeks we'll be in Utica, New Hartford, and other key locations to knock doors for the candidates we support.

Right now the Brindisi campaign needs volunteers to drop lawn signs to voters who have requested them. As we near the election we will be doing more literature drops, especially to turn out Democrats who vote regularly in the even years but don't show up for local elections unless prompted.

But the core of our work ahead is canvassing for those who can do it, and postcards for everyone to work on in the evenings and when canvassing isn't happening. Remember that local elections are where our volunteer hours have the biggest impact, because even a few votes can make the difference in a local election. Let's do the work and win!

Save The Dates for IMV Sept. & Oct. Meetings

Given the surge in positive covid tests, earlier sunsets, and more likely cold weather, we are moving back to Zoom for our upcoming monthly meetings. Candidates like Celeste Friend for 3rd Ward Utica Common Council engage many IMVers in weekly canvassing on Tuesday evenings, and IMV is committed to canvassing on Sundays, so our monthly meetings for September and October have been moved to the third Mondays of the month. We will meet on Zoom 7-8:30 pm on Monday, Sept. 20, and Monday, Oct. 18. Please mark your calendar.

Anthony Brindisi Fundraiser Sept. 9th

It's not too late to sign up for Anthony Brindisi for Supreme Court's fundraiser at Piggy Pat Smokehouse Outdoor pavilion in New Hartford. The event is Thursday, Sept. 9, 5-7 pm. This is sure to be a fun reunion of Anthony's many supporters, and a great way to kick off the next two months of campaigning and volunteering for his campaign. See you there!

Fundraiser for Broome County Brindisi Alum Harris Weiss

IMV member Joelle Taylor invites us all to a virtual fundraiser to support her former Binghamton Rep. Brindisi office colleague Harris Weiss who is running for Broome County Clerk. The event features special guests Ellen Foster, Jon Lipe, and Claudia Stankiewicz--some of our most favorite NY22 people! Join that awesome crew on Wednesday, September 29th at 6 pm. Supporter levels include: Alumni: $25, Organizer: $40, Director: $75, and Sponsor: $125.

You can pay either via Act Blue: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ny22weiss or by mailing a check to "Weiss for Broome, PO Box 298, Binghamton, NY 13903. The Zoom link will be emailed out prior to the event.

The Morrow Warming Center: What You Can Do

The Morrow Warming Center at Cornerstone Church in Oneida Square, Utica, is still serving meals and providing warm, safe beds every night to homeless men and women who are at most risk on the street. The Center continues to face active harassment from organizations and businesses around them who want to see their doors close. What can we do?

1) Join The Morrow Warming Center Facebook group and invite your friends to join. That way you'll know right away when a need arises, whether it is for pans of lasagna, sandwiches, pillows, or soap.

2) Write a letter expressing your support for the work that the Morrow Warming Center is doing to Charles Greco, The Mayor’s Chief of Staff, cgreco@cityofutica.com, and Tracey Mills, the Mayor’s Administrative Assistant, tamills@cityofutica.com.

3) Ask your local faith community or other community group to write a letter of support for the work that the Morrow Center is doing as well.

Cathy Marsh, who runs the Center says, "Some of our guests do have issues with addictions and many have mental health issues that are exacerbated by living on the street. A lot of our guests are simply poor and unable to afford housing or find their way through a complicated system. Over the last few months, the negative comments, misinformation, anger, lies, and hatred towards us and our guests have been a constant source of discouragement in the already difficult work we are doing here. The voices have been so loud that they drown out all the wonderful people who support us. It is a truth of life that people who are unhappy tend to be louder than those that are not."

What if the voices of those of us who want to help and support the most poor and marginalized rose up louder than those who want to exclude and ignore them? Please write your letter and send your letter today.

Use Sarah Reeske's #FilibusterFriday Toolkit to
#PassS1 and Stop the #TexasTaliban

It's been a week of catastrophe, and Democrats in Congress can't do anything to save us until they #EndTheFilibuster. Every week Sarah Reeske sends out her #FilibusterFriday toolkit to thousands of Indivisibles across the country. More of us need to join Sarah's Twitter tribe to spread the word and pressure our elected leaders to take action. Women's and girls' lives, freedom, and bodies are at stake in Texas. Democracy is at stake. Majority rule is teetering on the edge of a cliff. The very least we can do is tweet. Join in the fun! #FilibusterFriday toolkit: Click right here to get started.

Indivisible National Top Five Actions

Make a call right now to your representative to support an inclusive recovery. The House needs to feel pressure from all of us this month to ensure they don't give up on passing the recovery package -- and the investments in climate, childcare, Medicare, housing, and MORE that it would provide. Use our form to call your representative first, and then click here to complete your call to your senators as well so they are ready to pass it as soon as the House holds its vote.
Join Together Louisiana's Hurricane Ida Response Phone Bank Friday at 11 am Central Time. Together Louisiana is reaching out on a mass scale to people in the most disaster-affected areas to help assess their needs. If you can help, please register now and share the link to let others know about this opportunity, or consider contributing to mutual aid efforts being organized across the state.
Join us on Thursday, September 9 at 8pm for a special Recovery Action Workshop! Our policy experts Andrew O’Neill and Julia Santos will walk us through our key policy priorities and give tailored strategies and talking points to lobby every Member of Congress: moderates, progressives, key committee members, and everyone in between. We’ll end with an action workshop to contact our MoCs and let them know we want an inclusive recovery now!
RSVP for the next BIG TRUTHS Call next Thursday, September 9 -- with special guests Judd Legum and Common Cause! We're featuring Judd Legum, founder of Popular Information and famous for his unfiltered and accurate daily political reporting, and Common Cause as we learn together to disrupt the right's fight to rig our election maps through gerrymandering and voter suppression. Invite your friends to this one! And if you’re not yet part of the Truth Brigade, click here to sign up.
Take part in the Finish the Job Nationwide Day of Action on Saturday September 17. To ensure our Senators Finish the Job in getting the bill passed and signed into law, the Declaration for American Democracy coalition is hosting a Nationwide Day of Action on September 17 to demonstrate the deep and widespread support for getting this bill passed now. To succeed, we'll need your help. If you're interested, sign up now to learn more and to receive tips on how you can host an event in your community.

In addition, Indivisibles in Washington state have put together an amazing event on activist burn out. They've lined up some wise and experienced mental health and social justice activists and invited all Indivisibles to join. The Addressing Activist Burnout Panel Discussion is on Tuesday, Sept. 7th, 4 PM Eastern Time. You can sign up here.

After Labor Day, We Labor for Election Wins!

Enjoy Labor Day weekend, support organized labor (#UnionStrong), and then get ready to be all in on supporting local candidates. IMV can make a difference, and if we work together, we will make a difference. See you for canvassing, postcards, and lit drops after Labor Day!