CNY Solidarity members and supporters:
Please find below the weekly action alerts from our legislative action team.
The highlight for this week is a Rally to Support DACA tomorrow at noon, but first, I wanted to acknowledge that one of our recommended actions last week sparked some internal disagreement among Coalition members. In response to Pres. Trump’s escalation of the war in Afghanistan, we encouraged calls to Schumer, Gillibrand, and Katko, urging them to support a new and more restrictive Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to replace the overly broad 16-year-old one on which the administration is currently relying. Our intent was that if the US is going to proceed with military action in Afghanistan, the public deserves a clearer understanding of the mission and desired outcome, and Congress should impose tighter constraints on unilateral presidential war-making. But we recognize that by calling for support of a new AUMF, we appeared to indicate support for a war that many Coalition members oppose in full.
As always, the legislative action team does not purport to speak on behalf of the full Coalition, but we will do our best to limit our recommended actions to items that we are confident would garner broad support within the Coalition. This is sometimes challenging when we’re responding to late-breaking events, but we’ll do our best, and we always welcome feedback.
And now, on to this week’s alerts:
Monday (Sept. 4): Labor Day
Enjoy the holiday with friends and family, or come out to support the annual labor day parade at the state fair, this morning at 10:30 am.
Tuesday (Sept 5)
For today’s double-header, we’ve got 2 actions several blocks apart in downtown Syracuse. If you’ve got time, you should be able to do both.
12:00 noon: Rep. Katko’s Syr. office – 440 S. Warren St. (i.e., the Warren St. side of the Galleries building).
No official word yet, but reports indicate that Pres. Trump is going to announce an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program today. This would mark an outrageous betrayal of the immigrant youth and their families who voluntarily acknowledged their undocumented status in order to register for the program. We’re joining with our friends at the New York Immigration Coalition and the Worker Center of CNY to Defend DACA.
If you can’t make it in person, please call Rep. Katko today and urge him to co-sponsor the American Hope Act (HR 3591), which would provide those with DACA and others who arrived in the United States as children a path to permanent legal status and eventual citizenship. More details here. Katko’s numbers are 315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC).
End solitary confinement
1:00 pm: County Courthouse – 401 Montgomery Street – 4th floor (Rm 407). Full Session of County Legislature – one agenda item is discussion & vote on ending solitary confinement & isolation of youth in all of Onondaga County. The Resolution is sponsored by Legislators Chris Ryan, Linda Ervin, Monica Williams, Peggy Chase and John Dougherty.
Wed. (Sept 6) – One phone call today.
Responding to Hurricane Harvey
Congress is back in session this week, and top on its agenda should be responding to Hurricane Harvey. Today, please call Rep. Katko and urge him to support: a) an immediate disaster relief package for communities affected by Harvey, b) full funding for FEMA and other disaster response programs, c) a reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (which congressional Republicans have been trying to privatize), and d) a full and effective federal response to global climate change, which appears to be producing ever-more-frequent super storms like Harvey. (If that seems like too many asks for one phone call, then just pick the ones you like best.) More details here. As always, Katko’s numbers are 315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC).
On a related note, if you’d like to donate to organizations that are on the ground helping folks in and around Houston, here’s a list.
Thurs (Sept 7)
Two opportunities to meet with local officials/staffers.
Meeting with Gillibrand staffer
12:00 noon: Meeting with Jarred Jones, Senator Gillibrand’s regional director, at the Federal Building (let’s meet at 11:30 a.m. in the lobby to prepare). All are welcome. Please let Jonah jonah.zern@gmail.com know if you are planning to attend.
Community forum on municipal consolidation
6:00pm: Community forum facilitated by County Executive’s office on sharing of services between county/towns/municipalities. This will be at W. Genesee HS Auditorium at 6:00 pm. Decisions will be made with or without our input, so let’s attend & listen to what is being discussed and decided about our community.
Friday (Sept 8)
One meeting with congressional staff today.
Meeting with Schumer staffer
2pm: Meeting with Joe Nehme, Senator Schumer’s regional director, at the Center for Peace and Social Justice. (We’ll meet at 1:30pm to prepare an agenda.) All are welcome. Please let Jonah jonah.zern@gmail.com know if you are planning to attend.
Sat (Sept 9)
No actions today (until further notice!). Enjoy the day with friends and family.
Sun (Sept 10)
CNY Solidarity Meeting
3-5:30 pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, St. Lucy’s Church, 432 Gifford St. in Syracuse. Note the new location. Agenda details will be distributed later in the week. One item will be a presentation of options and possible vote on the Coalition’s position regarding I-81 redesign. Relevant background info will be posted on CNY Solidarity’s website.
Save the date for these upcoming events:
Fri., Sept. 15, 2017, 12-1:30pm: GreeningUSA presents a “Green Bag Lunch” on the I-81 Task Force findings, featuring Robert Haley and other members of the American Institute of Architects Central New York (AIA-CNY) Task Force on Interstate-81. Syracuse Center of Excellence, 727 E. Washington Blvd., Room 203.
Sun., Sept. 17: CNY Solidarity will be tabling at the Westcott St. Cultural Fair in Syracuse. Anyone willing to take a shift at our table, please email Tom at tmkeck@maxwell.syr.edu.
Mon., Sept. 18, 6:30-8pm: Roving Teach-In on the Trump Administration and the Constitution, Palmyra Community Library
Tue., Sept. 19, 7-8:30: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, Bishop Harrison Center at All Saints Church
Tue., Sept 26, 7-9pm: “The Art of the Murky Deal: Russian Gangsterism & the Trump Presidency,” OCC Storer Auditorium, sponsored by Rise Up CNY and OCC Politics Club
Oct. 1, 3-5pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, Bishop Harrison Center at All Saints Church
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