Your brilliant ideas for IMV action in 2023

What an Inspiring IMV Meeting: So.Many.Ideas

Thank you to everyone who came to our IMV Zoom meeting on Tuesday evening and participated in breakout sessions.  You generated wonderful ideas about how to approach messaging and political action while we have MAGA Republican Members of Congress and a Republican controlled House in 2023.  We missed you if you were not able to attend. There's always an opportunity to catch up at a CAFE Friday in the next few weeks--every Friday morning at 9:30 am on Zoom.

Thanks also to Sarah Reeske, who took a few minutes away from her birthday night celebration(!) with her family to provide an overview of the brand new Indivisible's 2023 Guide.  Please take some time in the next few weeks to read and consider what actions IMV should take when it comes to our Members of Congress in 2023.  In just 20 minutes or so, we generated creative ideas for actions, messaging, and strategies in relation to Brandon Williams and Elise Stefanik. 

No matter what he says about his independence, Williams will be a compliant pawn of the Stefanik MAGA Republican House, and our job will be to lift the veil and make sure that our neighbors in central New York see what he's doing, why he's doing it, and how it hurts people who live in the Mohawk Valley.  He's an out of touch millionaire who barely showed up in the district before he ran for office He doesn't know us, hasn't spent time in our towns and cities, and has no interest in what our families need. Cardboard cutouts, empty chairs, humor, letters to the editor: we plan to do it all.  We will tie him to the extremists whose agendas are going to dominate the House, and we're going to have fun doing it!  

Register for the NY22 Summit

We also talked in the meeting about how will collaborate with our allies across NY22 and NY21 to accomplish our goals in 2023. We're having an in person NY22 Summit!  Herkimer County folks--you are welcome to attend!  You have ideas (and THE WORST MOC) and we can work together.  

Please register NOW for the Summit.  We are inviting a wide range of progressive political groups and allies. It's going to be an amazing day!  The event is scheduled in person for Saturday, Feb. 4th, 10am-4pm at the Hampton Inn in Cazenovia.  Register HERE.  

IMV Endorsed Invest in Our New York 2023: Learn More on Monday

Invest in Our New York's (IONY) 2023 agenda will tax New York's millionaires & billionaires to fund public programs that benefit working-class families, Black and Latinx communities, youth, and many others. The IONY Campaign is calling on Governor Hochul and the Senate & Assembly to pass a budget in April that puts our communities first by funding public education, childcare, increased access to housing and health, solutions to the climate crisis, and more.  If you want to see the legislative talking points for the campaign so far, click here. 

IMV signed on to the campaign just before it launched with press conferences across the state. There's a role for everyone to get involved.  To learn more, please join the Invest In Our NY coalition for a 2023 campaign Teach-In. At this virtual forum, organized by Empire State Indivisible, the IONY team will be sharing the critical background and political context for our campaign priorities and ensure you have the necessary information to participate in a winning campaign. The forum is on Monday, Dec. 12 at 7 pm.  Register Here.
 

IMV’s Climate Crisis Working Group: Two calls for Climate

Tell the Governor and Senator Kavanaugh that burning carpets is a terrible idea; it's bad for the planet and bad for our bodies.  In June, the state legislature passed an extended producer responsibility program for carpet, (Senate bill 5027C/Assembly bill A09279A) sponsored by Senator Brian Kavanagh and Assemblymember Steve Englebright. As it was passed, the bill included a strong clause that prohibits burning carpet from counting as "recycling."

Now, six months later, Governor Hochul's office has just proposed a chapter amendment to the legislation to remove the words "pyrolysis, gasification and solvolysis" -- all false solutions to the plastic pollution crisis that are backed by the plastics and petrochemical industry. These technologies boil down to using high heat or chemicals to burn or break down plastics and are highly polluting, speed climate change, threaten environmental justice, expensive, and energy-intensive. Instead of precluding these false solutions, Governor Hochul is requesting that the legislation be amended to allow the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation to decide whether carpets can be burned. And her office is threatening to veto the bill unless she gets her way.

Please call Senator Kavanagh now to urge him to stand his ground and reject her demand - click here for the number and a simple script.  Once you make that call, scroll down on the page and make a call to the Governor.  
Time is of the essence -- please call now.
 

Request from Rebuilding the Village

You may remember that one of IMV's community projects in 2020 was the Cornhill community and youth program led by Freddie Hamilton, Rebuilding the Village.  Many individuals in IMV were generous in the past with donations of funds as well as other items needed for the summer youth program.   We have received a request for the top item on the Rebuilding the Village wish list, and it's a pool table.   The group is requesting the donation of a pool table OR funds to purchase a foldable pool table. This will allow them to fold and move it as needed to maximize space use for youth and for meetings.  If you can contribute, please click here.  There's a spot below the donate link where you can send a message.  You may wish to make your donation in memory of Patrick Johnson who mentored so many youth in Cornhill, or in honor of Freddie Hamilton who has been such a transformative community and political leader.

Herkimer County Democrats Holiday Party

Everyone is invited to join the Herkimer County Democrats for their Holiday Potluck Party on Wednesday, December 21, at 6:00 pm The event will be held at the German Flatts Community Center, 555 RT-5S in Mohawk (across the driveway from the Fort Herkimer Church, on Route 5S  between Mohawk/Herkimer and Little Falls on the north side of 5S).  Enjoy some good food, fun, a little bit of politics, the making of new friends and seeing old friends. Bring your favorite dish to pass and a food item for a collection for Feed Out Vets.  
 

What 2023 Looks Like Now

As we discussed at the IMV meeting this past week, there are things that President Biden and the Democratic Senate can accomplish in 2023, and we can press on those priorities, especially with our strong relationship with Sen. Schumer (AKA Reeske's Bestie).  But the ambitious legislative agenda of 2021 is a thing of the past since Republicans will now control the House, and block everything.  Be sure to check out Indivisible's 2023 Guide for the strategy map we'll follow to make sure our community knows that the Republicans in Congress care only about grievances, vendettas, and lining their own pockets--not our freedoms, not our families, and not our future.  

Of course, educating the public about our MAGA MoCs is only a small piece of what we'll be doing in 2023.  We have key local races--think electing or re-electing town and city legislators and executives and helping school board candidates. Beyond that, we will focus this year on legislative and budget issues especially during the first six months, when we'll be pushing on state legislators to1) raise $40 Billion in public funds we need in New Yorkand 2) Invest $40B in public funds to transform our state and its future.  The Invest in Our New York campaign continues to be connected to a sustainable climate future and equity for all who live in our state. 

IMV works on a lot of fronts: federal, state, and local. We work on both electoral and legislative campaigns. We take many actions: rallies and letters to the editor, press releases and lobby visits, door knocking and phone banking, educational forums and regular group community building. As we near the end of the year it's a good time to reflect on all we have accomplished together, and also to think about the vision that we have for the future. What are your political goals for 2023 and beyond?  What do you want to do to make those goals reality?  

Rest and enjoy these dark and snowy days full of, family and friends, food, and holiday cheer. Then get ready to power up for political action in 2023.  Remember to check out the calendar below, and stop by CAFE Friday anytime you can!

Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.