From CNY Solidarity Coalition:
Upcoming Meetings on Zoom: 1/23/22, 2/6/22, 2/20/22, 3/6/22, 3/20/22, 4/10/22, 4/24/22.
Committees will meet on their own. See last page to sign up for committee lists.
Articles of the Week:
Republicans Are Laying A Path Back To Power – And Paving It With Lies by Rebecca Solnit
Despite having fled the mob on 6 January, many congressmen are openly fleeing the truth about what happened that day. Read it in The Guardian
Inside the county legislature coup: Drama, high pressure and control over millions in tax money
Three of the most conservative Republicans and the six Democrats in the Onondaga County Legislature formed an odd alliance this week that essentially pushed the ghost of County Executive Ryan McMahon out of their chambers.
Read it on Syracuse.com(subscription)
Economists call on Congress to ‘swiftly’ pass sweeping climate and social policy bill
More than 50 economists have signed on to a new letter calling on Congress to “swiftly” pass President Biden’s sweeping climate and social policy bill, arguing that it would alleviate some of the pressures of inflation by lowering health care and other costs for families. Read it on The Hill
Expand the Supreme Court: Boston Globe Editorial by Sen. Elizabeth Warren
“Some oppose the idea of court expansion. They have argued that expansion is “court-packing,” that it would start a never-ending cycle of adding justices to the bench, and that it would undermine the court’s integrity.
They are wrong. And their concerns do not reflect the gravity of the Republican hijacking of the Supreme Court.
First, it was McConnell, along with Donald Trump, who used two stolen seats to pack the court…
Second, adding seats to the Supreme Court may be one of the few ways to deescalate the arms race around the court.
If you missed it last week:
From Onondaga County’s Democratic Elections Commissioner, Dustin Czarny:
“…I am launching my latest project: dustinczarny.com. This will be a central collection point for my writings, podcast, & media appearances. This is 100% paid for by me & always will be. However you can subscribe to get latest updates if you like as well. Check it out.”
Dustin is an invaluable source of information and commentary on local elections and related issues. He is:
- Elections Commissioner (D), Onondaga County Board of Elections, New York
- Democratic Caucus Chair New York State Elections Commissioner Association
- Co-Founder FairMaps CNY
ACTION ALERTS:
Please complete Rep. John Katko’s CNY Priorities Survey
Feel free to use the “Other” and give your comments.
Tully High School has a difficult situation at the moment. Every month, the school sends out a newsletter with a spotlight on two exceptional seniors. This month, a young man named Tyler was asked to be one of those students. Asked about the most difficult thing he’s had to overcome, he answered coming out as gay and dealing with the bullying he received afterward. The bullying was so bad that his mother moved him from Virginia to Tully, where he has been accepted. The school principal told Tyler that he couldn’t answer the question that way and would have to give a different answer. Tyler refused. The principal and superintendent then made up a “school policy” that did not actually exist, saying that students couldn’t address such issues or religion (students often address religion in these answers) in their answers. An LGBTQ advocacy paper, the LA Blade, learned of the story and published it. https://www.losangelesblade.com/2022/01/08/new-york-state-public-high-school-silences-gay-student-role-model/. The Tully School Board will address this issue on January 24 at 6 PM at the high school on Rte 80 in Tully. If you are interested in supporting Tyler, please attend the meeting or write a letter to the editor. This is the kind of situation that LGBTQ+ young people face in schools all over. It’s important to speak out!
Update: According to a Syracuse.com Article on 1/11: “By Sunday, Tully Superintendent Robert Hughes reversed his editorial decision and pledged to publish Johnson’s original answers.” Watch for more news!
EVENTS/ACTIONS CALENDAR:
Virtual Workshop with Artist Robin Holder: Exploring Identity Through Collage
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 from 7 to 8:30pm
Robin Holder will lead participants in the process of developing a collage using cut paper and drawing that expresses “Who We Are in the World.” Before the workshop please reflect upon 3-5 essential aspects of your racial, cultural, religious, lifestyle, national identity and think of visual references that express your identity.
$10 registration fee (includes materials for local participants). Pay through the PayPal button
SPECIAL OFFER: An Anonymous Donor Has Offered To Pay The Registration Fee For Any Teens Or College Students Who Wish To Attend This Workshop! Anyone seeking a scholarship can email us at kimberley@artragegallery.org REGISTER HERE!
Replace Columbus Vigil and Press Conference
Thursday, January 13, 2022
9:30 am outside the Onondaga County Courthouse
Replace Columbus Vigil and Press Conference
Event by Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation and Women of Italian and Syracuse Heritage CNY invite you to join us at 9:30 am to hold signs and a banner outside the County Courthouse in support of removing the Columbus statue. The press conference begins at 9:45 am; speakers include Joe Heath, general counsel to the Onondaga Nation and Andy Mager of NOON.
January 13, at 10:30 am, the Columbus Monument Corporation’s lawsuit against the City of Syracuse will be heard by Judge Neri at the Onondaga County Court (505 S. State St, Syracuse). The result of the judge’s decision will be that the suit is denied and the city’s process continues, or the suit is accepted and an appeal moves forward.
At the current time, there is public access to observe the court hearing. However, due to the changing Covid situation in Onondaga county, the hearing may be held fully online- stay tuned for changing details. The court observes standard COVID protocols; please wear a mask and bring proof of vaccination with you if you want to go inside the courtroom after the press conference
Renewable Heat Now Lobbypalooza!
Thursday, January 13, 2022 At 7:30 Pm – 9 Pm
Renewable Heat Now Lobbypalooza!
Event by Climate Solutions Accelerator, Frack Action and 5 others
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook
Join us in fighting the climate crisis by getting fossil fuels out of New York’s buildings once and for all!
Burning fossil fuels in buildings for heating, cooking, and hot water causes 1/3rd of NY’s emissions. This legislative session, Renewable Heat Now is organizing and lobbying for a legislative package that will ban fossil fuels in new buildings and fund a massive buildout of renewable heat!
Want to join the fight? Sign up for a regional lobby team here: bit.ly/RHNteams
Then, join us for a fun, virtual lobbypalooza on January 13th where we’ll check in with our regional lobbying teams, strategize, and train our growing movement on how to garner support from elected officials for the Renewable Heat Now Legislative Package. RSVP for the Zoom link here: bit.ly/RHNlobbypalooza
If you’ve never lobbied before, don’t worry – it’s easy! Your representatives work for you, and the more constituents they see supporting a policy, the more likely they are to support it too.
To get ahead of the game and learn more about the Renewable Heat Now Legislative Package for getting fossil fuels out of buildings and funding the transition, see all the details here:
https://renewableheatnow.org/advocacy2022/
Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain: The Promise and the Peril
Thursday, January 13, 2022 At 8 Pm
Event by Sustainable Tompkins and League of Women Voters of Tompkins County
A technology exploding across NYS is celebrated for its transformative potential while criticized for its environmental impacts. To better understand this important issue, the League of Women Voters through its local chapters in Cortland and Tompkins counties will present a program.
Speaker Irene Weiser, Coordinator of Fossil Free Tompkins, will cover the basics of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies and how the energy appetite of some forms can threaten to derail achievement of NYS climate goals. While not throwing the blockchain baby out with the bitcoin bathwater, she will discuss possible directions forward.
Weiser has spent 10 years working toward local and state energy policies that will bring an affordable, equitable transition to renewable energy.
Remember, You Can Find a Calendar of Arts Events at CNYArts.org
*SAVE THE DATES*
“A Geothermal Story” with Rob Richardson (Clean Energy Communities Coordinator)
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 | 7 – 8 PM on Zoom
Interested in geothermal for your home or business? Do you have questions about the technology & how it works? Do you want to see what the installation process entails?
Please join us for “A Geothermal Story” to hear a firsthand account from someone who utilized the Clean Heating & Cooling Program to upgrade their HVAC system to geothermal. Rob Richardson, Clean Energy Communities Coordinator from the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region, will share his experience from assessment to activation and the benefits he’s experienced.
Reparations 101: Building A Culture Of Repair For The Syracuse Community.
Mondays from 6:30pm to 8pm on Jan 24, Jan 31, Feb 7 and Feb 14.
Organized by a group of Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC members inspired by teachings from the Grassroots Reparations Campaign,in partnership with the Center for Racial Justice. 4 part discussion series via zoom.
Register online at https://bit.ly/3efzsHq before the Jan 23rd deadline!
LIMITED TO 20 PARTICIPANTS. See the Facebook Link for details and topics. For more info, contact Jim Watts at PCCreparations@gmail.com.
New Year, New Incentives! (2022 Grants & Rebates to Afford Clean Heat)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2022 AT 7 PM – 8 PM
Event by Renewable Heat Now and HeatSmart CNY
Are you interested in installing a heat pump, but need financial assistance to do so? There are state and federal grants, rebates, and other incentives, many of which are for low to moderate income households.
Lindsay Speer (HeatSmart CNY) and Barb Henza (Clean Energy Advisor with Cornell Cooperative Extension) will share the latest on grants, rebates, and other incentives to help you to invest in a clean heating and cooling system.
The purpose of this webinar is not to sell, but to educate. Please bring any questions you might have for the presenters!
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZMvdeurrzktH9XpKOfoZ_tPGgV0…
Syracuse NAACP Community Education Forum
Thursday, January 27, 2022 At 7 Pm Utc-04
Syracuse NAACP Community Education Forum
Event by Syracuse/Onondaga Naacp Act-So Program
Join us. via Zoom @ https://bit.ly/JanuaryNAACP, Facebook, or Youtube @ https://bit.ly/syrnaacpyoutube for a Community Education Forum presented by the Syracuse NAACP Education Committee, Chaired by Gwen Muok. Topics to be discussed will include COVID 19, Remote Learning vs. in-class Instruction, Trauma, Critical Race Theory in K-12 Classrooms, and Proficiency rates and graduation trends. Moderator for the event will be Dr. Lorna Lewis, Superintendent of the Malverne UF School District. Our guest panelists include Jamie Alicea, Superintendent of the Syracuse City School District, Daniel Bowles, Superintendent of the Cicero-North Syracuse School District, and Dr. Donna DeSiato, Superintendent of the East Syracuse Minoa School District. Parents and students are encouraged to join us. We also ask you to submit your questions in advance to SyracuseNaacpActso@gmail.com. To register for the event please visit: https://bit.ly/JanuaryNAACP or scan the QR code with the camera app on your phone.
Heat Pump Homeowner Happy Hour!
Friday, January 28, 2022 | 5 – 6 PM on Zoom
Come brag about your system, ask questions about best operating practices, and generally enjoy the company of other heat pump homeowners. You are part of the climate solution! Homeowners considering heat pumps are also welcome to attend.
Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War: Rebuilding a Broader Movement
Sat January 29 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm EST
An Online Conference
With Congress appropriating funds for new and upgraded nuclear weapons and delivery systems, the need to counter these misguided policies has become acute. The 2022 Conference will follow the general pattern of previous conferences, but with increased emphasis on coordinating efforts of advocates, and expanding outreach to organizations and constituencies outside the world of nuclear disarmament advocates.
VERY BUSY? BUT WANT TO DO YOUR PART? JOIN STREET HEAT!
BAN KILLER DRONES MONTHLY STREET HEAT
4 to 4:45 pm every first Tuesday of the month thru the winter – local upstate drone action coalition members protest the nys national guard’s 174th attack wing.
For over a decade we have been gathering right across from the main gate of the 174th’s host, Hancock Airbase, on East Molloy Road in the town of Dewitt.
Please join us. To learn more: 315 478 4571 and upstatedroneaction.org.
PALESTINE SOLIDARITY WEEKLY STREET HEAT. Gaza and Palestine Solidarity Street Heat to 4 -4:45 PM Every Friday. Join us at the intersection of East Genesee St & Erie Blvd east [across from the DeWitt fire station]
CNY Solidarity Coalition: Follow us online and on social media. Check out our Website and our Instagram. Follow us on Twitter: @CNYSolidarity and @IndivisibleNY24 and Facebook: www.facebook.com/cnysolidarity/ and
www.facebook.com/groups/IndivisibleNY24
From our Committees: To sign up for each of the committee mailing lists, contact the person listed.
Indivisible NY24: Contact: Deborah Rose: dcurryrose@gmail.com
Climate Justice: Contact: Dick Kornbluth dick@dickkornbluth.com
SLAT (State/Local Action Team) Contact: Peter McCarthy – pmccar1100@gmail.com
Beyond War and Militarism. A joint committee of CNY Solidarity Coalition and the Syracuse Peace Council.Contact: Ron Van Norstrand; ron@vannorstrandlaw.com
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Peter McCarthy
pmccar1100@gmail.com