What Brandon Williams is Doing Wrong
What Joe Biden is Doing Right and Brandon Williams is Doing Wrong
You may have seen the coverage of Citizen Action’s More Williams Wednesday event on local tv news and in print media. Of course, it was especially fun for the media because the planned Citizen Action protest was counterprotested by MAGAs. Yes, it was a throwback to the old #OneTermTenney days where we stood outside the district office of our member of Congress, and the Trumpy MAGAs showed up once in a blue moon. In case you missed it: No More Williams Wednesday Protest on WKTV. The Daily Sentinel's article contained some really good quotes from Citizen Action and IMV attendees as well.
Through monthly protests, Citizen Action plans to keep calling attention to Brandon Williams' failure to represent all the people in the district and his prioritization of the MAGA agenda over the investments we should be making in families, workers, affordable housing, communities that have been under-resourced, public health and education, and climate justice. So every month we need to show up as much as possible to support that message. Dates to come--but let's make sure that next time it's not 10 of us standing opposite 25 Trumpers. Thank you to everyone who showed up to educate voters in public on how Brandon Williams and the Republican House are hurting people who work hard every day. Regular people deserve the respect and protections that the MAGAs want to send only to the millionaires and corporations.
But even bigger than the local media coverage of the No More Williams Wednesday was IMV Steering Committee member Dawn Laguerre's starring role in national ABC News coverage of President Biden's Medicare Prescription Drug negotiation the same day. Through Sarah Reeske and Indivisible National, Dawn was able to tell her story about unaffordable prescription drug prices, a story not uncommon among Medicare participants across the country. Here's that powerful personal story that Dawn shared courageously, speaking for millions of Americans who have been struggling with high prescription drug prices that President Biden's new initiative will address.
Dawn has a longtime professional history in media and publicity but it's still pretty impressive that on a regular Wednesday she became the spokesperson for millions of Americans who need lower prescription drug prices and at the same time the Biden administration's most effective surrogate on Medicare policy.
Kudos, Dawn, and everyone who is talking to voters at the doors, writing letters to the editor, and showing up for events to call attention to the success of the Biden administration's economic, health, and climate investments and shedding light on the failures of the MAGA Republicans who want government to fail so that people will lose trust, hope, and belief in democracy.
This newsletter is filled with opportunities that you can make a difference--not just complain and comment, but really make a difference in turning the tide in the elections ahead. Please take heart, and join in the work!
Postcard Party Update
More than 15 volunteers came out to the New Hartford Public Library yesterday afternoon to write postcards to voters in Oneida County Legislative District 10 for Crystal Faria. Thank you for this great turnout! We have four more of these Thursday postcard parties on the calendar. If we keep this up we will be able to to complete the 5000 postcards we bought to reach women voters in key local elections. If you can write postcards but can't make it to the events at the New Hartford library, please email IndivisibleMV@gmail.com so we can coordinate getting you the cards and the script.
Thursday, September 7th, 3:00- 5:30 pm
Thursday, September 14th, 3:00-5:30 pm
Thursday, September 21st 4:00-5:30 pm (please note the later start)
Thursday, September 28th 3:00- 5:30 pm
Thank you to everyone who has been donating stamps and money to buy stamps. If you still want to send a contribution, mail to: Indivisible Mohawk Valley c/o Deborah Wilson-Allam, 2 Laurelwood Drive, New Hartford, NY 13413.
More Celeste Friend for Utica Mayor Events Starting Today
Hopefully everyone had fun at last weekend's ice cream social and the newly resumed Thursday Purple Posse dinners at Celeste's house following canvassing. Not a canvasser? Celeste Friend's Utica for All campaign for mayor is hosting an envelope addressing gathering TODAY, Friday, Sept. 1 from 10-12 at The Other Side, 2011 Genesee St., Utica. If you can help, stop by with a pen! Questions? Text Deborah at 315-790-4484.
Cornhill Campaign Pop Up and Canvass
Saturday, September 2nd ⋅ 11:00am – 2:00pm
1601 Seymour Ave
Calling all Canvassers... come help talk to voters in this very supportive neighborhood. They love Celeste here and definitely helped her win the primary.
Calling all OTHER volunteers... come help register voters, distribute school supplies, serve food, and create a great little party.
Kennedy Plaza Campaign Pop Up and Canvass
Saturday, September 9th ⋅ 11:00am – 2:00pm
Location TBD
Calling all Canvassers... come help talk to voters
Calling all OTHER volunteers... come help register voters, distribute groceries, and create another little party.
We encourage everyone to sign up today for a canvassing orientation Thursday, Sept. 7th. 5:15-7:30 pm if you have not been able to attend one yet. Click this link to RSVP: https://forms.gle/hfurKbDPFT4dRirX6
NYS Indivisible Letter to Sen. Schumer and Minority Leader Jeffries
With a looming government funding deadline approaching in just one month and Republicans threatening a government shutdown to get their way on harmful cuts, Sen. Schumer and Minority Leader Jeffries need to hear from us so they dig in their heels and don't negotiate with bad faith Republicans. Along with many other NYS Indivisible groups, IMV signed on to this letter this week so that it can be sent over bright and early Tuesday, Sept. 5 when these leaders return from August recess.
This is our first time including Minority Leader Jeffries (NY08) on a statewide letter. Why do that now? First, Sen. Schumer will be working very closely with him, and we'll have a chance at a better outcome if they both know where we side on this issue. Second, Jeffries has a vested interest in becoming Speaker and knows that the pathway to do that runs through NYS. We want him to know that working with Indivisibles across the state is going to be key to make that happen. So while Indivisible Brooklyn (formally INBK) are his constituents, this letter shows him that we are all together on a larger team and he should want to work with us.
Buy Tickets Now for NYS Dem Women Event--IN UTICA
The NYS Federation of Democratic Women is holding its 2nd annual awards dinner and annual meeting on Saturday, September 30th in Utica, NY. This is the kind of event that is usually held in Albany or perhaps NYC. Kudos to the Democratic Women's Club of Oneida County, for stepping up to co-host and bring this major statewide political event to Oneida County. The schedule of events will include:
a luncheon with speakers, sponsored by SEIU 1199;
a panel of experts who will talk about building a culture of respect for women veterans;
a campaign training;
a business meeting with the election of new officers;
an awards dinner recognizing New York's Democratic women of distinction.
Cost per person:
$75 dinner only (5 pm to 8 pm)
$125 full day, including lunch, panel, campaign training, and dinner (12 pm to 8 pm)
Purchase tickets online at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/awards2023
or send a check with your contact information, including email address, street address and phone number, to: New York State Federation of Democratic Women, PO Box 665, Johnson City, NY 13790
What We See From Here
This is an exciting time to be politically active in the Mohawk Valley when it comes to progressive values:
Celeste Friend is running the most participatory local campaign anyone can remember--a model for any city anywhere. "Utica for All," and everyone is welcome to get involved.
NYS Democrats are coming to Utica for a statewide gathering thanks to the activism of the Oneida County Democratic Women's Club, and Dawn Laguerre, who is involved in many political organizations locally was featured on national news highlighting President Biden's effective policies.
IMV and our allies hosted a NY22 candidate forum that led the way in introducing the congressional candidates to the district and highlighting the importance of local races.
Rural Democrats in red and purple areas are reaching out to their communities, holding events designed to help people connect the dots on democracy, local politics, and shared values. Examples (from the calendar below) include Sept 9th with the Trenton Democrats holding an ice cream social on the Holland Patent Village Green, Young Democrats in Herkimer County (!!!) hosting a cool cocktail fundraiser on Sept, 20th, and the Kirkland Dems holding their annual gathering on the village green with music and food on Sept. 23rd.
We hope that you have a chance to rest on Labor Day (worker rights and labor power brought to you by our progressive political forebearers!). Then make a plan for what you can do to help:
our candidates win on November 7th,
our values spread across the Mohawk Valley and central New York, and
our community of progressive political activism grow.
We look forward to seeing you at the events below, and many more to come.
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.
