Medicare Monday Rally to Protect Healthcare
Medicare Monday Rally March 10th, 5-6 pm
Join IMV to rally in support of protecting Medicaid! This is the first big fight to save public services from the Trump-Republican Tax Scam.
Medicare Monday Honk 'n Wave Rally in Utica
Monday, March 10th, 5:00-6:00 pm
on Burrstone Road near the intersection with Champlin Ave
We'll line up safely on the sidewalk.
There are large parking lots at Utica University along the area where we will stand.
Why? Republicans are on the record in supporting $2 trillion in cuts to programs that everyday Americans need to survive so they can give $4.5 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires. Programs that are on the chopping block include Medicaid, which pays for the majority of births, nursing home residents, and healthcare for low income New Yorkers. Our local nursing homes and rural hospitals depend on Medicaid to keep their doors open. If the Republicans in Congress get their way, people will suffer or even die. Co-hosted by labor union 1199 SEIU-- front line healthcare workers caring for people and saving lives every day.
Bring signs:
Protect Medicaid; Healthcare is on the line; Save healthcare jobs
Cut vegetables, not Medicaid; Mohawk Valley for Medicaid; This will affect all of us
Babies need Medicaid; We all deserve healthcare; Protect nursing homes
Register HERE and share with friends! Let's make this action HUGE!
Note: If you can't attend this rally, please write a Letter to the Editor of The Daily Sentinel or a local newspaper you read about the devestating effects of the planned cuts to Medicaid. Here are some resources, but your own personal story is always best!
Data Resource #1: https://democrats-budget.house.gov/leg.../republican-rip-off
Data Resource #2: American Progress Tool for Looking up Impact by Congressional District
Welcome to IMV Message from a Longtime Member
To all new members, WELCOME to Indivisible Mohawk Valley (IMV), a community of caring, inspiring, kind, brave, and loving individuals standing up together to the evil oppression and injustice of the current fascist administration.
Indivisible is a progressive grassroots movement of millions of social activists working to build an inclusive democracy…of, by, and for the people. The IMV community works tirelessly together on issues for which we are passionate; sharing common values; standing up for those who can’t and those we don’t know, on issues that may never affect us personally. All to improve the lives of others for the common good.
Many have heard me say that IMV and the friendships we have formed are a true silver lining of the 2016 election. It is this bond that anchors us; giving us the energy to forge ahead in these most challenging and unprecedented times. It is our actions that give us hope. Never forget John Lewis’ inspiring words:
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Together IMV will continue to work toward PEACE and JUSTICE for ALL. Together we will continue to RESIST and TOGETHER we will RISE!!!
--Maggie Reilly, Co-chair of IMV's Climate Crisis Working Group
Climate Crisis Action
The Climate Crisis Working Group (CCWG) is a long lasting sub-group of IMV. We work on issues that help combat climate change along with supporting solutions to environmental challenges. This work is essential for the future of our children, grandchildren and all inhabitants of this planet Earth we call home. If you would like to join the CCWG contact Maggie Reilly at margaret_reilly@mac.com.
The next lobby day in Albany planned by Renewable Heat Now is March 19th. If you are interested in attending please email Maggie Reilly margaret_reilly@mac.com or Jennifer Geiger jgeiger777@gmail.com There will be a bus from Utica and potential car pooling available.
Save May 7th for Beyond Plastics Lobby Day in Albany.
Good News: NYS Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee voted to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. It will need to pass in both the Assembly and Senate. The Senate passed it in 2024. It was stalled in the Assembly. Sometimes organized constituent proessure works.
Rally in Support of Ukraine, Clinton Village Green
Please join the Kirkland Town Democrats and Indivisible Mohawk Valley for a rally in support of Ukraine on Friday, March 14, 4-5pm. There are public parking lots surrounding the Village Green. We encourage no more than 25 people to stand along the Village Green, and others to line up on the sidewalk across from the Green on East Park Row. If we have enough people we can spread out further. Parking: There are public parking lots at both ends of the Village Green. Bring signs or flags in support of Ukraine! Ukrainians are our allies. Like us, they are on the front lines against anti-democracy authoritarianism, but for them it is life or death after three years of invasion and war. Let's be visible in our support of Ukraine on March 14.
NY21 "Empty Chair" Town Hall in Rome, March 19th
NY21 Empty Chair Town Hall in Rome: Elise Stefanik is Voting Against Her Constituents AGAIN
Wednesday, March 19th
6:00-7:30 pm
Copper City Community Collection
305 E. Locust Street, Rome
Speaker Mike Johnson has instructed his Republican caucus members--including Rep. Stefanik-- NOT to hold or attend town halls during the March recess; he does not want them to face their angry voters. Meanwhile, Elise voted for a budget that will slash Medicaid, SNAP, and children's health insurance, and she has been complict in the mass layoffs at the VA, and the firing of thousands of veterans at federal agencies across the government without cause. Billions of dollars will be sucked out of our local Mohawk Valley economy over the coming years because of these Republican cuts, and put directly into the pockets of Billionaires like Elon Musk. And Stefanik is cheering it all the way. Show up and speak out about how you and your community are being affected already or will be impacted by what's going on in Washington. Share your stories. Ask the questions to the empty chair that you would ask of her if she had the courage to face her constiuents.
We hope for media coverage and need a good crowd and NY21 constituents (Rome and surrounding communities) who express their disgust at the failure of Republcians in Congress to do their jobs as an independent branch of government and represent their districts and constituents. This event will be on the Indivisible Map (Mobilize) soon. For now, save the date and tell your friends!
IMV Monthly Meeting Updates
So you probably attended our meeting last Sunday at the New Hartford Library--or heard about it. We had 198 people sign in at the meeting, at least 100 of them first time attendees! Parking filled up, and people parked many blocks away and had to walk. The line to sign in stretched out the door. People could not fit in the room even with extra chairs, standing in every empty spot, and people in the front sitting on the floor! Thank you to all who attended. You will never forget that you were in the room when it happened.
Together, we are the proud Americans who are going to do the work to stop this wannabe authoritarian oligarchy dictatorship from destroying our country. And we're doing it one meeting at a time, one rally at a time, and one election at a time. Throughout history, people have come together to defeat dictators and fascists, to expand political and economic participation to those who have been exclued, and to build a better world for their childre and grandchildren. If they did it, so can we. Yes. We. Can.
On March 23rd we meet up again, but we've got a venue that can handle hundreds of people and there's unlimited parking in plowed parking lots. So come back, come for the first time, or bring your friends and family.
IMV March 2025 Meeting
Sunday, March 23, 1:30-3:30 pm
Mohawk Valley Community College Utica Campus
1101 Sherman Drive, Utica
Alumni College Center Commons
Parking behind the Academic Building (A1), or in the Jorgenson/ Payne Hall lot on Sherman Drive
Please register HERE to let us know you're coming
We will cover entirely new strategies and topics, but continue giving everyone the tools you need to take effective action as individuals and collectively--whether that is how to talk to people in your life about why what's happening is not normal or how to contact your representatives in Congress, your state legislators, or your county and local legislators. It's up to us to hold them accountable to:
protect government services and functions, from public education and cancer research to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security
respect the civil rights of the people Trump is scapegoating and attacking
preserve and protect the rule of law while the Republicans in power are determined to undermine and overthrow it.
We are blown away by your commitment to saving democracy from fascist tech billionaires and their co-conspirators in Congress. Keep up the work. As they say in the anynomous rooms, "It works if you work it." Or in the words of Stacey Abrams, "When we fight, we WIN."
Your Next Action Steps
1) Until we meet again, please sign up and show up at the Monday rally to protect Medicaid.
2) Plan to join us for the Empty Chair Town Hall in Rome on Wednesday, March 19th to call attention to the failure or Republicans in Congress to protect us from the billionaires and the Trump-Musk Coup. For a strong, almost daily, video speaking against the impact of the cruelty and chaos on Central New Yorkers, follow "John Mannion for NY" on Facebook. Let's work as hard as we can to make sure that the person who wins the NY21 special election is more like NY22 Rep. Mannion than current NY21 Rep. Stefanik.
3) Keep calling your representatives. Use the5 Calls app, Or make calls from the Indivisible resource page.
4) Check out the Calendar, filled with opportunities to get involved, whether you like to grab the kids and walk in the St. Patrick's Day parade, prefer to donate to candidates who will fight the Trump agenda, or just need some like-minded community in the midst of all this cruelty and chaos ( Sign into our weekly CAFE Friday zoom!).
If you are ready to make a direct impact starting next week, join the Flip NY21 phonebanks with Indivisible on Tuesday evenings. You'll meet Indivisibles from across NY State. Newbies are welcome and will be trained! Phonebanking is a skill that is absolutely critical for reaching voters and moving the electorate away from the current balance of power.
We know in these times it's easy to become hopeless, exhausted, and overwhelmed.
That's what they want.
We won't give them what they want.
We are going to stay focused on our goals. We're going to execute our strategies following the New Indivisible Guide, as we have followed previous versions for many years. We're going to use smart effective, tactics, and do it together.
"The one thing we need more than hope is ACTION. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere." -Greta Thunberg
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
Breathe, then PUSH.
No One Let Go of Anyone's Hand
Follow us on Bluesky: @Indivisiblemv.bsky.social, on Instagram's Threads.net/@indivisiblemohawkvalley, on X (Twitter) using @indivisiblemv and of course on our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.
