It's (Early Voting) GOTV Time!
Early Voting GOTV: We Have Only 9 Days
Yesterday NY Times On Politics editor Trip Gabriel published a piece about the irony of the Republican candidate for Virginia Governor encouraging supporters to vote early (in spite of his Trumpian echo that early and mail in voting is one of countless voter frauds that invalidate results). The article explains that, "An early vote, cast in person or by mail, means a campaign doesn’t have to pursue that voter with phone calls and door knocks in the final frenzied weeks."
That's why early voting GOTV this weekend is so critical. Please sign up to phonebank with Thru Dialer this evening in support of Anthony and early voting by Democrats. It takes just two hours, and it can make a huge difference in the next ten days. The more Democrats who vote early, the fewer we need to worry about on election day. In fact, sign up for as many Brindisi GOTV events as you can. Every effort you do for him will help our other candidates, especially Karen Stanislaus. There are opportunities to do lit drops and door to door canvassing as well as phone banking.
Then, make sure you show up on Sunday, Oct. 24 3-5 pm to canvass with IMV for Karen Stanislaus for Oneida County Family Court Judge. We meet at 601 Varick Street (Adirondack Distillery) and will head out Utica area turfs from there. Karen is a well qualified, well respected, and experienced attorney, a long time Oneida County resident, and will always put the interests of children first. If elected, she will be the first Black candidate ever elected to county wide office in Oneida County, let alone the first Black Woman!
IMV will let you know about additional GOTV activities as we hear of them and organize them. We only have nine days of early voting, and we need to give it all we've got!
Climate Crisis Update (Hint: everybody make calls!)
Climate Crisis Workgroup is NOT meeting on Oct. 25th, but instead will participate in a critical NY Renews Mass Call on Nov. 4. Please register to participate in this call here. Then join us on Nov. 13th for a rally in Albany in support of CLCPA implementation and CCIA passage. Details are in the calendar.
This week we're again asking that you call President Biden, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Congresswoman Tenney because the votes for the Infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better bill (containing the largest and strongest climate provisions) are being negotiated now.
The message of the recent UN Climate report is that we have reached "Code Red for humanity". The Climate Crisis Working Group is asking our activist membership to commit to a weekly (or daily) calling effort to demand that both our elected federal representatives and our elected state officials stand up and respond without delay to the urgency of the crisis. Some possible messages and phone numbers are below! We also need you to call Governor Hochul to ask her to make sure the most important commitments of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) are honored when the draft scoping plan is released this week. The passage of the CLCPA was a major victory-we can’t let the provisions be watered down by industry interests.
Message for President Biden: I am calling/writing to say that you use your executive power to stop issuing any further oil and gas leases on our public lands. Further, please demand that your Build Back Better bill be passed with all of the strong climate provisions intact. The recent UN Climate Change report warned, the state of the climate crisis is "Code Red for humanity". You have the power to do these things and I am counting on you to act without delay on these climate and climate justice issues.
202-456-1111 (Tues.-Thurs. 11-3); email comment form whitehouse.gov
Message for Senator Schumer: I am calling to thank you for all of your hard work and to tell you that I expect Senate Democrats to pass the Build Back Better plan with all of the plans' strong climate provisions intact; including a fully funded Civilian Climate Corps, an end to fossil fuel subsidies, a robust Clean Electricity Payment Program, a Polluters Pay Action Fund, and at least 40% of investments to frontline communities. I am counting on Democrats to act together to finally take meaningful action on the climate crisis and to do what's right for our children and our country.
202-224-6542 or 315-423-5471
Message for Senator Gillibrand: Please work in every way possible to help bring Democrats together in support of rapid passage of the Build Back Better plan with all of its robust climate provisions intact. We need every climate tool at our disposal to begin to take meaningful climate action and I am looking to you to be a climate champion for all of us.
202-224-4452, 315-448-0470
Message for Governor Hochul: Please make sure that the key provisions of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) are not negotiated in this month’s draft scoping plan from the CAC (Climate Action Council). First, the Climate Action Council must direct a minimum of 40% of climate and clean energy investments to disadvantaged communities. It is also crucial that you enforce a timeline for greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutant reductions by industry. And, there must be a permitting ban on new fossil fuel sites, including power plants and pipelines. It is important that these are not replaced with false solutions like waste-to-energy, biofuels, biomass, or so-called “renewable natural gas” and “green hydrogen.” Thank you! I support full implementation of the CLCPA in this month’s draft scoping plan to rapidly and equitably transition to a renewable energy economy. 518-474-8390
Congresswoman Tenney: I am calling to ask that you respond to the climate crisis and the wishes of your constituents by voting for both the Infrastructure bill, and more importantly for the Build Back Better social infrastructure bill which contains large, meaningful climate provisions. New Yorkers want climate action in the form of an end to fossil fuel subsidies, a fully funded Civilian Climate Corps, a Clean Energy Payment Program, and a Polluters Pay Action Fund and the Build Back Better plan will accomplish them all. Taking bold action on climate change is a non-partisan issue that I ask you to make it your top priority every day.
202-225-3665, 315-732-0713
This week the Climate Crisis Workgroup is also asking that you take two minutes to sign a petition to the NYS DEC asking them to deny renewing the permit for the Seneca Lake power plant which is being used for cryptocurrency. The huge amount of pollution emitted harms all NYers for the benefit of cryptocurrency companies. The comment to the DEC is prewritten so that all you have to do is sign the petition. Click here to submit a comment to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) telling them to deny this permit renewal now.
3500 Postcards in 10 Days, Plus Fundraising (Whew!)
Way to go, IMV!!! We had an outstanding turnout at our Postcard Party on Sunday, with more than 40 volunteers in attendance. Thanks for all who wrote postcards at home in the previous week, and all those who came out to finish the job can get them labeled and stamped. Our rural postcards went to 1000 rural Democrats in Oneida and Herkimer Counties to urge them to vote for Democrats in this local election. 2500 postcards featuring our two judicial candidates (Karen Stanislaus and Anthony Brindisi) went to targeted Dem voters in Oneida County to make sure they also turn out.
Many of you contributed stamps and money to help pay for this project (a postcard stamp now costs 40 cents. THANK YOU! If you haven't contributed yet, please consider doing so. Donations can be made to IMV and mailed to 2 Laurelwood Rd, New Hartford, NY 13413 or Venmo @Deborah-Wilson-Allam with note "IMV donation."
We are nearing the end of our October match from Indivisible, and we have not yet come close to the $500 goal. Those funds can't be spent on postcard stamps, but we need the money to rent the JCC for our meetings and to do other activities that help us strengthen IMV and grow our grassroots membership like our post election party and door knocking gear (our NY22 Votes t shirts may need a big update!) for the 2022 election cycle. Please donate to our IMV Act Blue account by the end of October, and get your donation matched:
YES On ALL FIVE (How to Vote on the Ballot Propositions)
IMV agrees with the official endorsement and explanations of the Kirkland Town Democrats: 1, 3 and 4 are about strengthening democracy:
YES on 1 means districts that put New Yorkers before politicians; YES on 3 means no more voter registration deadlines; YES on 4 means you can vote absentee, no excuse needed
YES on 2 is endorsed with enthusiasm by IMV's Climate Crisis Workgroup and would protect the right of New Yorkers to clean air and water and a healthful environment.
YES on 5: This is an NYC issue, but the intent is to improve the functioning of the court system, and the prop is universally endorsed by all the NYS legislators regardless of party.
Please turn your ballot over when you vote and vote YES on ALL FIVE ballot proposals:
Proposition 1:
This proposed constitutional amendment would freeze the number of state senators at 63, amend the process for the counting of the state’s population, delete certain provisions that violate the United States Constitution, repeal and amend certain requirements for the appointment of the co-executive directors of the redistricting commission and amend the manner of drawing district lines for congressional and state legislative offices. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?
Proposition 2:
The proposed amendment to Article I of the New York Constitution would establish the right of each person to clean air and water and a healthful environment. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?
Proposition 3:
The proposed amendment would delete the current requirement in Article II, § 5 that a citizen be registered to vote at least ten days before an election and would allow the Legislature to enact laws permitting a citizen to register to vote less than ten days before the election. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?
Proposition 4:
The proposed amendment would delete from the current provision on absentee ballots the requirement that an absentee voter must be unable to appear at the polls by reason of absence from the county or illness or physical disability. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?
Proposition 5:
The proposed amendment would increase the New York City Civil Court’s jurisdiction by allowing it to hear and decide claims for up to $50,000 instead of the current jurisdictional limit of $25,000. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?
Please tell your friends and family: Vote YES on ALL FIVE.
Everything Hangs in the Balance in Washington
If you are keeping up with the news in Washington, you know that President Biden and Sen. Schumer face a massive challenge: getting two major funding packages and voting rights through a divided Senate and two intransigent Democratic senators, Manchin and Sinema. It's been a long slog and it's not over. Meanwhile, we keep hearing that unless the voting rights act passes, Democrats may lose elections unjustly for generations, and the layers of catastrophe and consequences for not funding childcare, climate care, and human and physical infrastructure investments will mean strife and destruction for people and communities, not to mention, the failure to deliver on promises will lead to electoral losses in 2022 and 2024.
Freaked out yet? Well, there is good news. First, we know that the fight is not over yet, and second, we know from experience that the best response to overwhelming political anxiety is to TAKE ACTION!
Please follow the guidance from Sarah Reeske, our intrepid and knowledgeable NY State Indivisible organizer and make a call to Sen. Schumer right now. Sarah says just pick your favorite message and make your call:
(315) 423-5471 or
(202) 224-6542
*Thank you for supporting the Civilian Climate Corps, and I also want Sen. Schumer to support President Biden’s climate agenda which means including the Clean Electricity Performance Program in the reconciliation bill."
*Thank you for supporting lowering drug prices, and we need to deliver a healthcare win for the people in 2021. Do everything you can to get all 50 Democrats on board with this.
*Thank you for supporting NYCHA and public housing, and fighting for $150 billion in the reconciliation bill. I also want to see the Majority Leader support a Green New Deal for public housing."
*Thank you for keeping the campaign finance part in the Freedom to Vote Act, and now we have to pass it. I support changing the rules to get this done."
Finally, THANK YOU for hanging in there on this long message. We are in the last 10 days of GOTV for our local elections, and there are critical issues at stake for voting rights and democracy as well as our climate future at both the state and national level. So it's #AllTheThings coming #AllAtOnce. We will work now, and celebrate later, at our Fall Fiesta on Nov. 7th (mark your calendar).
***Take action, make calls, and show up. Democracy is NOT a spectator sport!***
Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.
