IMV friends, you know already that 2024 is the election that will either end in the last gasp of a body politic weakened from the daily assaults of the disease of MAGA extremism or democracy will get the medicine it needs to recover and begin to heal. We will all need to focus our attention fully on making sure that this patient---our functional democracy--survives the year. You are a critical part of democracy's "medical team." Plan your goals now for carrying petitions (Feb 27-March 28), phone banking and texting voters, reaching out to friends and family to get them involved, writing letters to the editor, and much more. Elections aren't won by magic. Democracy is not a spectator sport!

According to a piece by the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), a first amendment protection organization, NY22's Representative, Brandon Williams, recently participated in a Christian nationalist event at The Bible Museum in DC FFRF reported on the event last week, calling it a "regressive circus."

Let's make sure NY22 knows that Brandon Williams decided to spend his time as our elected representative paid by tax dollars, attending a Christian Nationalist, anti-LGTB, Bible Museum regressive circus in DC. The religious values that Williams chooses to live by in his personal life are his business. But we should not have to live by Brandon Williams's religious rules.

Thanks to all those who came to our January meeting at Schuyler Commons on Sunday! If you were not able to attend, know that we missed you. We all got a chance to practice how to thread together our core values with the key 2024 election themes through storytelling about the people in our lives who matter to us.

It was a full agenda and a packed two hours, but we were especially glad to welcome some first timers including just-announced Democratic candidate for NY State Senate 53, James Meyers. The seat is currently held by Joe Griffo, who has been unchallenged on the ballot for 14 years! You can read more about his announcement--and his endorsement from County Legislator Caroline Reale-- in this Utica Phoenix article.

We look forward to seeing everyone at our January 2024 IMV meeting this Sunday (January 28th) at 2:00 pm. We are meeting at Schuyler Commons at 1776 Independence Square (North Utica). There is plenty of accessible parking.

We will be tracking weather, so if it looks like it's going to cause significant challenges for driving, we will send out an email Saturday and switch to Zoom.

We have a fun, engaging activity planned that will help us come up with great messaging to share with voters in 2024--and even practice it so we keep building our messaging skills. We can't wait to see you on Sunday!

You're invited to our first IMV meeting of 2024 on Sunday, Jan. 28th, 2-4 pm at Schuyler Commons at 1776 Independence Square (North Utica). There is plenty of accessible parking. We will be tracking weather, so if it looks like it's going to cause challenges for driving, we will send out an email in advance and switch to Zoom. But based on your feedback at our December meeting, in-person meetings were the preference.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event we held last Saturday, Jan. 6th in front of the Utica Police Department. We had about 40 people in attendance and good media coverage including an interview that our own Kathy Wojo did on camera with WKTV.

Most people don't pay attention to any aspect of politics or government, so our goal was to remind people in our own community how terrible it was to see our Capitol building violently attacked at the command of the previous guy.

Brandon Williams says he didn't pay any attention when our capitol was violently attacked even though he had taken an oath in the military to protect our country.

Our goal is to remind NY22 voters just how terrible MAGA Republicans are for our health, our community, for truth and for the survival of our stable form of government.

Please join IMV for a January 6th Remembrance Vigil in Utica:

We will gather on the third anniversary of the deadly attack on the US Capitol Building to honor the heroic law enforcement officers who stood their ground to protect American democracy. A moment of silence will be held at 12:49pm, marking the moment when rioters began to breach the Capitol Building.

Please join IMV for a January 6th Remembrance Vigil in Utica.

Thanks to all who attended our final IMV meeting of the year in Utica at the Energy Zone. If you couldn't make it, we missed you!

We made a big poster based on more than 100 of your post-it note suggestions for "2024 New Year's Resolutions for Brandon Williams" and it was delivered to his office yesterday by a small group of IMV volunteers. Click in to see our suggestions for him!

Please join IMV at our December 2023 meeting, Sunday, December 17th, 2:00-3:30 pm. NY Energy Zone, 35 Utica Zoo Way, Utica.

We’re meeting in this beautiful, conference room space for the first time. It’s up the hill off the Parkway, on the right, before you get to the Utica Zoo parking lot. There is plenty of parking in the lot at the building. We’ll be talking about what we want to do for a Jan. 6th action and discussing how we can call out #NY22’s #WeakWilliams and hold him accountable in 2024. See you there!

We've seen Brandon Williams' arrogance, fragile ego, and "people skills deficit" at town halls in the past year, but now millions of Americans, including many NY22 voters, have had a glimpse of his true personality and near-violent behavior as well.

We're heading into the home stretch of 2023, and gearing up for a busy year of progressive political action in 2024, especially as we work toward our goal of flipping NY22 blue.

We had a good turnout at the Jewish Community Center on Sunday afternoon for our annual post-election fall fiesta celebration. Thanks to all who attended and brought a number of first timers to our monthly meeting. We know that many of you were unable to attend as well, and we missed you! Our theme was "Gratitude."

The walls were covered with expressions of gratitude and appreciation as well as hopes for the future. And... there was a very long standing ovation for Celeste Friend when she arrived.

Please join us for our annual IMV Fall Fiesta Post Election Celebration on Sunday, November 12th, 1:00-3:30 pm at the Jewish Community Center, 2310 Oneida St, Utica.

And read about what happened on Tuesday.

From Celeste Friend

“… for this final week, we really need to lean into everything we've ever done and ever stood for: a more transparent and inclusive government and politics; neighborhoods that keep everyone safe and happy; and a commitment to making smart investments that will sustain the City for generations to come.”

Please join us for this final part of the campaign! We need all hands on deck in this last week.

1. Help out IMV with Harvest on the Hill tomorrow.
2. Vote! Early voting starts tomorrow.
3. Sign up now for Indivisible's Halloween Eve Unrepresentative Text Party to hold Brandon Williams Accountable.
4. Help Caroline Reale get re-elected (County Leg). Canvass for her on Sunday October 29th at 3:30 PM.
5. Volunteer for GOTV for Celeste Friend for Mayor.

Early voting starts a week from tomorrow, and election day is 18 days away, so we need everyone to put the pedal to metal and show up for GOTV activities. Please participate in candidate events in the next couple of weeks,

And to read about Brandon Williams vote for a “political terrorist,” read on…

Last year at Harvest on the Hill in Utica, IMV's "kids vote" table was a huge success! We saw hundreds of children in costumes, showed them how to vote for their favorite candy by secret ballot, talked to their adults about registering to vote and/or voting in the upcoming election, and provided apples, candy, and water to families as they headed down James Street. We even had hundreds of kids take photos with our big blow up dinosaur with a "Dinos for Democracy" sign. So fun!

We need your help for the event again this year.

You are invited to join our celebration of diversity and inclusion on the village green in Clinton tomorrow, on the last day of Banned Book Week 2023, Freedom to Learn and Love is a counter demonstration to the Moms for Liberty event at the Alexander Hamilton Institute. They want to ban books in libraries and schools, and make schools less welcoming and inclusive. Yuk.

IMV Freedom to Learn and Love Rally
Saturday, Oct. 7
12:30-2:00 pm
Clinton Village Green

Weather: The forecast is iffy. With a little rain, we're all about umbrellas. If the rain is very heavy, there may be a change in plan so please check the Facebook event at noon.

As you know, our country is facing a MAGA Republican government shutdown because of reckless Republican extremists. It's not just the fault of "arsonists" like Matt Gaetz. The entire shutdown could be avoided if Brandon Williams and five of the other 17 "Unrepresentatives" (Republican reps in districts Biden won in 2020) would simply sign a a discharge petition to allow Democrats to bring a bipartisan bill to the floor.

But...instead of signing the petition so that the government can function and pay its workers, Williams is doing nothing to help federal employees who do the work of the people every day and need to pay their bills just like anyone else. Instead, Brandon Williams told a reporter on national TV that he will accept his pay, even while lower paid workers who are furloughed or have to show up for work are NOT paid, adding that government workers shouldn't expect "a huge amount of sympathy." He wears his cruelty and disregard for the lives of the people in NY22 on his sleeve.

To make a long story short, MAGAs are driving us off a cliff and Brandon Williams is at the wheel. That's why, if the government shuts down Sept. 30, we will stand in solidarity of our neighbors who are federal workers going without the pay need for rent, mortgage, food, and utilities, and make sure the public knows who is to blame. Please join us for these important rallies.