Amazing progressive energy this weekend—400 people at the Town Hall on Saturday, then 150 people at our training/education meeting yesterday. I’m truly inspired by everyone’s energy and commitment.
A couple quick follow-ups from yesterday’s meeting: 1) There will be no full-coalition meeting this Sunday, March 26; more details below. 2) For the following Sunday, April 2, the working plan is for a 60-min full-coalition meeting, followed by 60-min committee meetings, location TBD. Carol Baum is looking for a couple additional volunteers to help organize this meeting; if you’re willing, please email her at carol@peacecouncil.net.
Below please find the weekly action alert message from our legislative action team. A big focus on health care issues this week, but rest assured, we’re still monitoring other issues too. We do our best to keep the information here as current as possible, but as events unfold, we’ll post any necessary updates to the CNY Solidarity website, along with the various social media channels linked at the bottom of this message.
Monday (Mar. 20)
Multiple options today (on-line Q&A w/ Katko, fundraising support, and a letter-writing action)
Live Facebook Q&A with Rep. Katko
At 10am today, Rep. Katko will be holding another live Facebook Q&A with constituents.Click here for more details. These tightly controlled events are getting increasingly frustrating, but we’d still encourage folks to log on and monitor what he says. By the time you’re reading this, it’s probably too late to submit questions, but I’ve already submitted two, and I know others have as well. Mine were about: 1) why he declined to attend our Town Hall on Saturday (which drew 400+ people to Nottingham high school); and 2) how he plans to vote on TrumpCare when it comes to the House floor on Thursday.
Support CNY Solidarity Fundraiser
For the rest of this week, 20% of the proceeds from all sales at the Syracuse Cultural Workers store, 400 Lodi St. in Syracuse, will go to CNY Solidarity. Click here for more info on SCW merchandise.
400 People Show up for a Town Hall and the Local Paper Ignores Them
Today, please write a letter to the editor to the Post-Standard calling them out for not covering Saturday’s Town Hall Meeting at Nottingham. If you spoke, please share some of what you said, discuss the great turnout, the importance of such open public forums and the fact that Katko is not doing his job by not coming to such events. Click here for some tips on writing and submitting letters to the editor.
Tuesday (Mar. 21)
Multiple options today (1 technology recommendation, 1 phone-calling action, 1 letter-writing action, and 1 educational opportunity)
If You Like to Communicate Primarily by Text
Check out resistbot, which allows you to send a text that is automatically converted into a professionally formatted fax to your elected representatives and/or senators. Several of us have tried it, and it seems to work well.
Support Immigration Reform in NY
Please call your state senator, assembly member and the governor and ask that s/he support Green Light NY and the DREAM Act. Suggest that the revenue that is brought in from Green Light NY could fund the student aid for DREAMERs included in the DREAM Act. If you want a script, try this: “Hi, my name is__________ and I live in___________ .
I’m calling to express my full support for Green Light NY and the DREAM Act. Please tell Senator/Assembly Member/Governor _______ that Green Light NY would make our roads safer and boost NYS economy in many ways. And it makes sense for revenue from Green Light NY to be used to fund state financial aid in the DREAM Act intended for DREAMERs.” We’ve listed phone numbers here for the State Senators and Assembly Members who represent most of us, but if you’re not sure whose district you’re in, click here and enter your address to find out:
State Senator David Valesky: 315-478-8745
State Senator John DeFrancisco: 315-428-7632
Assembly Member William Magnarelli: 315-428-9651
Assembly Member Pamela Hunter: 315-449-9536
Assembly Member Al Stirpe: 315-452-1115
Governor Andrew Cuomo: 1-518-474-8390
Just say no to GOP Takeover of Supreme Court
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings on Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court began Monday. Neither of our Senators is on this committee, so they won’t play a direct role until the nomination comes to the Senate floor. In the meantime, we’re encouraging letters to the editor raising concerns about Gorsuch’s impact on the Court and the Constitution. Click here for some details on Gorsuch’s extreme positions on immigrants’ rights, workers’ rights, disability rights, women’s rights, and more. And click here for some tips on writing and submitting letters to the editor; these tips are focused on Katko town halls (which isn’t relevant here), but they also include contact info for a number of local newspapers (which is).
Free Intro to American Government course
Tonight from 6-8pm at the DeWitt Public Library (DCL Friends room), CNY Solidarity member Eric van der Vort will be holding the second session of our Intro American Government course. This session will cover the states (and some local government). All are welcome. No cost. No registration needed but you are encouraged to RSVP to Eric by email ericibid@gmail.com or on FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/390108728021821??ti=ia
Wednesday (Mar. 22)
ACA Repeal and TrumpCare
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote tomorrow on the American Health Care Act (the Republicans’ proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act), so we’re asking for one last push directed at Rep. Katko on this front. According to bipartisan CBO estimates, this bill would lead to 24 million Americans losing their health insurance, including more than 80,000 in NY’s 24th district. As always, Katko’s numbers are 315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC).
Thursday (Mar. 23)
2 actions today (1 phone-calling, 1 in-person)
Just say NO to Wall Street Defense Lawyer Jay Clayton as Top Wall Street Regulator
Trump’s nominee for chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Jay Clayton, will appear today in front of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. Clayton is a career lawyer with the infamous Wall Street firm Sullivan and Cromwell, lawyers of Goldman Sachs and other investment banks that crashed the world economy in 2008. The SEC chair plays (or is supposed to play) an important regulatory role in keeping Wall Street and white collar crime in check. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand are not on the Banking Committee, but if that committee approves the nomination, then all Senators will be called to vote on it. So please call them today. Schumer’s numbers are 202-224-6542 and 315-423-5471. Gillibrand’s are 202-224-4451 and 315-448-0470.Click here for a sample call script. And click here to sign Sen. Warren’s petition to the Banking Committee, opposing Clayton.
Live, In-Person Public Forum with Rep. Katko
After voting for or against the ACA replacement bill on the House floor today, Rep. Katko will return to CNY to host a public forum on heroin and synthetic drug abuse tonight in Oswego. The event is at 6:30 p.m. at Oswego City Hall, 13 W. Oneida St., 2nd floor. If I’m not mistaken, it will be Katko’s first public event in the district so far in 2017, and this public announcement indicates that time will be allotted for questions. There are plans in the works for some carpoolers to meet at the Bishop Harrison parking lot in Syracuse at 5pm. Further updates will be provided on our legislative action team listserv; if you’re not on that list and would like to be, please reply to me.
Friday (Mar. 24)
Support Single Payer Healthcare Legislation in NY
Today, please call and/or write your state senator to remind him to sponsor the NY Health Act. Most of us are represented by State Senator David Valesky (315-478-8745,valesky@nysenate.gov) or John DeFrancisco (315-428-7632, jdefranc@nysenate.gov), but if you’re not sure, click here and enter your address to find out. Also call Governor Cuomo
(1-518-474-8390) and express your support for the NY Health Act. While you’re at it, please sign up for Health Care Lobby Day in Albany on Apr 4th and/or sign up to join the healthcare forum scheduled for tomorrow in Syracuse.
Saturday (Mar. 25)
From 1-3pm, the NY Health Campaign is hosting a forum on universal health care at First UU Church, 109 Waring Rd. in Syracuse:
http://www.nyhcampaign.org/community_health_care_forum_syr_32517
Sunday (Mar. 26)
CNY Solidarity Coalition Outreach Meeting at Dunbar Center
There will be no full-coalition meeting on March 26. Instead, CNY Solidarity’s Community Outreach & Defense committee is organizing an outreach-focused meeting, scheduled for 3:30-5pm at the Dunbar Center, 1453 S. State St. 13205. The working plan is for members of the Coordinating Committee and Community Outreach & Defense Committee to dialogue with long-time community advocates and individuals on the South Side of Syracuse. We look forward to sharing what lessons emerge and including more members of the coalition in planning future outreach sessions around the city and region.
NYPAN Conference in Binghamton
If you’re not coming to the Dunbar Center (and if you’ve got the full day free), consider road-tripping to the NY Progressive Action Network conference in Binghamton. We have no info on car-pooling at this time, but if anyone is interested in coordinating such an effort, please reply to me.
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