Monday, April 2, 2018

INCO Weekly Newsletter 4/2

Democracy at Work!
Congratulations to INCO's Vote the Future team...at the March 28 Clatsop County Board of Commissioners meeting, a budget item for a voter pamphlet in 2019 passed unanimously. Many thanks to all who have worked on this project and who showed up to testify. And to Bebe Michel for creating the laminated pins we wore at the meeting.

It's a year-by-year allocation, so we may have to rally our forces again for 2021. But for now, celebration!
--- Deb Vanesse, INCO Co-chair, Warrenton
Tuesday, April 3 at 7 pm
Astoria High School, 1001 West Marine Drive 
 Bring your questions for the candidates.
 
Co-sponsored by AAUW-Astoria and The Daily Astorian
Update and register at INCO's voter registration table. 
 ACTION PRIORITIES
 www.indivisible.org     Join INCO's closed Facebook group for more actions, information, and discussion.  Sign up for the weekly Americans of Conscience Action Checklist. Contact elected officials here.

Suggested priorities for your Members of Congress:
  • Protect Robert Mueller and the investigation into Trump-Russia connections and Russia's interference with US elections
  • Prevent Congress from deregulating Wall Street
  • Keep Haspel and Pompeo out of Trump’s Cabinet
  • Stop the NRA’s top priorities
  • Protect net neutrality
The House and Senate will be off from March 24 - April 9. Contact your Members of Congress (MoC) at town halls and through their offices.
INCO's Candidates Scorecard Debuts 
Thanks to all of you who submitted suggested policy statements for candidates to respond to for INCO's Candidates Scorecard for the May 15 primary election. Candidates could also submit additional comments. All the candidates' responses and non-responses will be posted at INCO's new websitewww.incovotethefuture.org, starting later this week. We're excited to provide this new resource to help voters decide who to vote for.
 
Be part of INCO's vigorous Get Out the Vote campaign to distribute the printed Candidates Scorecards to as many voters as possible. Contact incoregon@gmail.com for details.
 
INCO invited all candidates for these offices to respond to nine policy statements for the Candidates Scorecard:
Oregon House of Representatives, District 32:  Brian Halvorsen, Tim Josi, Vineeta Lower, Tiffiny Mitchell, John Orr, and Gene Stout
Oregon Senate, District 32: Betsy Johnson, John Maxwell (as a non-affiliated candidate, he will only be on the November ballot, per state law)
Clatsop County Commissioner, District 1 (Hammond, Warrenton, Astoria): Andy Davis, Mark Kuala, and George McCartin
Clatsop County Commissioner, District 3 (central Astoria south to Saddle Mountain): Peter Roscoe, Doug Thompson, and Pamela Wev
Clatsop County Commissioner, District 5 (south county east to the county line): Susana Gladwin, Lianne Thompson

Thanks to Bebe, Deb, Eric, Kate, Ken, Kevin, Laura, Laurie, & Mary Beth who made the scorecard happen!
 INCO is not endorsing or fielding candidates
in the May 15th primary election.


The deadline to register to vote or to update your registration (name or address change, etc.)  is April 24th for the May 15 election. Contact the Clatsop County Elections office at 503-325-8605 or at its website.  
FACES OF DEMOCRACY
Rally For Our Lives - Saturday, March 24, 2018, downtown Astoria.
FOUND: a pair of child/youth prescription glasses, blue frame; Warby Parker brand. Contact incoregon@gmail.com.
* * * * * * *
What to do next? INCO suggests:
•  Join the INCO-student group to stop gun violence. Their next meeting is Friday, April 6, 3:30, at an Astoria home. Contact incoregon@gmail.com for location.

•     Donate $17 dollars to a non-profit that supports gun control such as
§  Everytown For Gun Safety at www.everytown.org
§   Hook Promise at www.sandyhookpromise.org
§  Moms Demand Action at www.momsdemandaction.org
§  Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence at www.bradycampaign.org
 
•      Buy 17 students a lunch via the Feed the Children Fund, organized in honor of Philandro Castille, a police shooting victim; 
 
•      Join Ceasefire OregonTheir mission:  ”Ceasefire Oregon works to prevent gun violence by advocating reasonable, effective gun laws. We educate the public and legislators about gun violence, lobby on behalf of bills that will help make our communities safer, and work to prevent the passage of bills that would make it easier for dangerous people to obtain and carry firearms.”
HAPPENINGS
Check for details and new posts on our events page.
All Indivisibles are welcome at all these events and meetings.
 
THIS WEEK
Tuesday, April 3 - AAUW Candidates Forum,  7 pm, Astoria High School, 1001 West Marine Drive. Q&A with candidates for  Oregon State Senator, Oregon State Representative, and 3 Clatsop County Commissioner positions. INCO will have a voter registration table there.

Saturday, April 7 - Warrenton Community Group meeting, 11 am, Dooger's in Warrenton, Highway 101. No purchase required.

Every Wednesday - INCO Happy Hour, 4-6 pm, Buoy Beer, probably in the Tap Room, foot of 8th on the Riverwalk, Astoria. Food and non-alcoholic drinks available; no host, no agenda, no meeting. 

Most Fridays - INCO Southwest Washington postcard party; email gwenbrake@gmail.comfor date, time and place.


UPCOMING
Tuesday, April 10 - JOINT Astoria Community Group and Oppose Bigotry Team Meeting, 6 pm, WineKraft, 80 10th Street, on the Riverwalk, Astoria. No purchase required.

Tuesday, April 10 - Seaside-Gearhart Community Group Meeting, 6:30-8 pm. Please email Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com for the address.

Wednesday, April 11 - INCO Book Club, 6:30 pm, at private home in Astoria. Contact cebeady@outlook.com for location and to RSVP.  Our choice for April is The Common Good by Robert B. Reich, recently published by Knopf.  The advertisement states "On why we must restrore the idea of the common good to the center of our economics and politics."  The book has a recommended reading list and discussion guide to foster further conversation.  It has received excellent reviews.

Saturday, April 14 - Rally for Science, 11:30 - 1 pm, 8th and Commercial, outside the Astoria Post Office

Wednesday, April 18 - Vote the Future team meeting, 6:30 pm, Seaside Library Conference Room.

Friday, April 20 - Astoria Call to Life: An Earth Day Ingathering, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Liberty Theater, 1203 Commercial St., Astoria OR 97103; a family- friendly event hosted by the college; INCO will have a table at this event.

Saturday, April 21 - 2018 Cannon Beach’s Earth Day Street Fair, 11am-2pm, in the US Bank parking lot. The Cannon Beach/Manzanite Community Group will distribute “Save our Beaches” information.

Sunday, April 22 - "Save Our Beaches" Earth Day, 2 pm, at the Broadway Turnaround, Seaside. We'll distribute "Save Our Beaches" info cards. Everyone is welcome. Bring your favorite Earth Day, climate change, and 'save our beaches' signs.
INSIGHTS
"To stand up to creeping totalitarianism, we needn’t throw ourselves under the tank treads. We just need to not play the game."
—Jonathan Weisman
USE YOUR VOICE
You can inform and inspire others with a letter to the editor (LTE) to the Daily Astorian. Letters are among the most popular features in the paper. Even a paragraph or two makes an impact. Rules and directions for submitting your letter are here. Tips for letter-writing are here.  Check out this video about maximizing the impact of your words.

Suggested topics for this week:  

Protecting the Mueller investigation, supporting responsible gun laws, protesting Trump's increasingly erratic and authoritarian actions, protesting the Trump self-enriching kakocracy
We're Ready! 
INCO has planned a “Rally for the Rule of Law,” to be held in the event Trump fires Rosenstein or Mueller or takes a similar action that threatens the rule of law as it relates to the investigation. We'll post info on our INCO Facebook page and email an Action Alert. You can also sign up (RSVP) for a notification here.  
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Get involved with an INCO Community Group in Manzanita-Cannon Beach, Seaside-Gearhart, Warrenton, Astoria-East County, or the Washington Peninsula. All INCO Indivisibles are invited to get active with INCO's Events Team, Oppose Bigotry Team, Vote the Future Team, and Book Club. Contact incoregon@gmail.com for more information.
 
Questions, suggestions, & photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com
Share this newsletter and our website with other resisters. They can join INCO here and ask to join our closed Facebook group.
INCO is supported entirely by donations. Please donate here.

Deb Vanasse and Laurie Caplan, INCO Co-chairs
INCO Weekly Newsletter   April 2, 2018