Roses are Red, Violets are Blue
NY22 Summit: Together We Knocked it Out of the Park
Over 130 people attended the NY22 Summit in Cazenovia last Saturday, and it was an energizing and exciting event. Thanks to all who braved the cold, and for those who were unable to be there, we will share some highlights at IMV’s February meeting on Zoom. Even if you could not attend, you’ll have the chance to get involved in one of the teams that formed around critical action areas. We were really inspired by messages from Ezra Levin, Sen. Schumer, and Lt. Gov. Delgado among others. And we experienced mass donating in the ballroom as Mo Brown introduced us to Upstate Progressive PAC (UP PAC)!
INCYMI: Our NY22 Summit was featured in the Feb. 6th national Indivisible email with photos from a tweet from Dustin Czarny (Onondaga County Board of Elections Commissioner) as THE IndivisiWin of the Week. The caption read: "The NY22 Summit this weekend saw over 100 Indivisibles join to collaborate on the future of the movement despite -25 degree windchill.” Let’s hope that our Indivisible colleagues from around the country were suitably impressed by our dedication!
Working with colleagues from Dem committees, other progressive activists, and labor groups and sharing ideas with folks from all Oneida, Onondaga, Madison, Oswego Counties and beyond, we generated thousands of notecards with ideas about how to support candidates, connect to voters, and win 2023 local elections as well as how to build energy and strength for the 2024 congressional race. The Summit was a huge success, and kudos to the Planning team that worked for months to make it happen!
State of the Union Address: Another Home Run this Week
Hopefully you were also inspired and energized this week by President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. You may have had some good laughs at the Republican response from Trump's former staffer Sarah Huckabee Sanders. But the Working Family Party response will blow you away; Rep Delia Ramirez from Illinois nails it. Check out her strong start with perfect Race Class Narrative framing, and the ways she stays on that message through her response. Well worth your time to watch it.
Another helpful follow up to the SOTU came from the Rural Freedom Network, which supports everyone who is trying to connect to Democratic leaning voters and counter the heavy Republican messaging that dominates rural communities. We like their recent email message:
"[The essence of the President’s] speech was promoting all of the successes that his policies (our policies) have had for the middle class of America:
Two strongest years of job growth in history with millions and millions of new jobs
Hundreds of thousands of new manufacturing jobs
Huge increase in small business applications
Lowest unemployment in over 50 years
Record decrease in that deficit
Gas price decline; inflation coming down
Infrastructure funding for new water systems, roads and bridges, high-speed Internet in EVERY County.
New CHIPS manufacturing plants bringing thousands of jobs
It’s important because sooo many people don’t believe it or feel it in their area. One of our main jobs is having a media presence to promote these successes also. In essence, surrogates for the President. How:
Local Projects ARP/CHIPS/IRA funded:
Show up at all projects that are ARP funded with signs saying: “Thanks Joe” at groundbreakings or meetings where they are discussed (if you don’t want to take a sign to a meeting, at least getting up and speaking),
LTE’s highlighting these successes, and of course,
press releases, press releases press releases about your presence/the funding for the project. We can help with press releases and LTE’s. (If you don’t have this project information, we are starting a project to get that information if you will use it).
Joining events:
Appearing at local events the town/village sponsors: march in Parades, go to fairs, etc: have a booth, have signs thanking JOE.
Creating events:
Events that are peripheral to electoral politics - Dem-sponsored, community focused:
A recognition event celebrating local public employees - a teacher, public safety person, DPW worker. Just a thank you for unsung local heroes.
Depending on your community, some policy focused events on issues that affect your town: justice, education, climate. Or current national issues: online privacy, gender issues, abortion.
More action-oriented events:
Maybe a trash pickup for Earth Day, Sat, Apr 22.
Maybe a food drive for local food banks.
You could have a series of activities:
Voter registration drive for young voters.
Voter registration drive for new residents. Compare voter lists with local census lists to find folks who are “new.” You’ll also find some prospects lurking in Dem households - the parent who recently moved in with their kid - or the kid who is back home for a bit.
Invite non-Dems to join the party! Pull from VoteBuilder a list of unenrolled voters who vote Dem consistently. Reach out, starting with those who active folks know.
As is true for all these suggestions, start slow, set a goal, and organize a few activities over the year. Then have a big event to welcome and celebrate. Above all: HAVE FUN DOING IT."
How's that for turning your SOTU inspiration into action? If anyone is interested in pursuing any of these actions and wants help doing it, email: IndivisibleMV@gmail.com.
IMV's Feb. 21 Meeting: John Zogby Will Join Our Zoom
We are very excited for our February IMV Meeting! Please make sure that our IMV February 2023 Meeting is on your calendar for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7-8:30 pm on Zoom. Our featured speaker is international pollster and local resident, John Zogby, of John Zogby Strategies. He pioneered the use of polling to understand local campaigns and elections decades ago, and he has a lot of insight into what has been happening in recent years as well as the landscape we’ll be navigating in central New York for years to come.
We'll also hear from our local candidates and ask them how we can help and support them in their challenging 2023 races, and for Black History Month, catch up with the activities of the NACCP locally. Finally we'll talk about our takeaways from the NY22 Summit and much more. Here's the Zoom link for your calendar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85484125928
Volunteer Request: Celeste Friend for Utica
Celeste Friend is still looking for Volunteers to join her Team to collect petitions in March. Her Team will train you and support you and you will have a Ward Captain to report to. Just drop Celeste a line at celestefriend@gmail.com, and let her know that you are ready to help her get onto the ballot.
IMV’s Climate Crisis Working Group
“Our budget is more than a tally of revenues and expenditures, it’s also a statement of our values. The fossil fuel industry is using our atmosphere as a free open sewer, their lobbyists and deception campaigns funded by our sky-high bills are bamboozling us and our government, their piped poison is sickening us, and burning cash to burn their products is stealing our children’s future. The science is clear, the technology is ready, the economics are favorable; all New York needs is for its leaders to muster the courage to kick fossil fuels out of its politics and buildings now.” said Anshul Gupta of the Climate Reality Project.
Take the Two One Minute Actions Below to Tell Your Legislators To Take Action for Climate
1. Let the Energy and Environmental Conservation Committees Know That We Want Them To Support Climate Justice
One of the most important moments of the legislative season is here: budget hearings. As committees convene to decide what elements will be included in their budget, it’s critical we demonstrate that New Yorkers want climate justice. The Energy and Environmental Conservation Committees are having their budget hearing this upcoming Tuesday, February 14th.
Can you use this one-click tool to send a letter to committee chairs and members? We're calling on them to include the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package in the 2023-24 NYS budget.
2. Let the Governor and all Democratic Legislators Know that Funds Need to go to The Climate and Community Protection Fund (CCPF)
The Governor recently announced a cap and invest system to raise revenue for the Climate Law and reduce carbon emissions in New York. This proposed system will need a spending plan; luckily, NY Renews coalition members spent serious time putting one together. This one-click letter will allow you to ask Governor Hochul to direct funds from a justly implemented cap and invest system into our NY Renews' proposed Climate and Community Protection Fund for community-first solutions to the climate crisis. Send a letter today!
SAVE THE DATE: MASS ACTION IN ALBANY FOR CLIMATE, JOBS, and JUSTICE March 28th!!
NY Renews is planning a mass mobilization for Climate, Jobs, and Justice on March 28th 2023! This will be the culmination of a campaign to include Climate, Jobs, and Justice in the 2023 New York State budget! We will bring together coalition members from across the state, to show legislators that New Yorkers are demanding an equitable clean energy future, free of pollution. To arrange carpools, email margaret_reilly@mac.com or jgeiger777@gmail.com.
And While You're Saving Dates....
On Wednesday, Feb. 22nd at 11:45 am, Join Citizen Action of New York in calling on our New York State electeds to push for Our Justice Agenda for the 2023 NY Legislative Session! Sign up HERE for this local press event and visit with state legislators at the Utica State Office Building to urge them to push our budget and legislative agenda forward to secure real wins that impact our neighbors and communities.
And remember to save Tuesday, Feb 21st at 7:00 pm for our February 2023 IMV meeting. We have an exciting and packed agenda, and you won't want to miss a minute of it!
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85484125928
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.
