Monday, December 27, 2021

12-27-2021 Newsletter

"WE ARE THE MIGHTY RIVER"
"In 2018, halfway through the Trump presidency, Michelle Alexander wrote a powerful essay arguing that we are not the resistance. We, she declared, are the mighty river they are trying to dam. I see it flowing, and I see the tributaries that pour into it and swell its power, and I see that once firmly grounded statues and assumptions have become flotsam in its current.

"While the right has become far more extreme and has its tens of millions of true believers, it is morphing into a minority sect. This has prompted their desperate scramble to overturn free and fair elections and other democratic processes.

"The right is trying to push the water back behind the dam. . . . They can win the battles, but I do not believe they will, in the end, win the war."

-- 
Rebecca Solnit, The Guardian, from Robert Hubbell, Today's Edition, December 22, 2021

LEGISLATORS SCORECARD
State Representative David Gomberg provided the links to a few recently released reports where you can review bills considered and individual legislator ratings. The content and scores in the bulleted paragraphs are Rep. Gomberg's.
  • OSPIRG is the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group. Its 2021 state legislative scorecard reviewed 13 bills that were voted on in at least one chamber. The bills focused on reining in the cost of health care, moving Oregon towards zero waste, standing up for consumers, and more. I was pleased to receive a 100% rating.
Score for our State Representative, Suzanne Weber: 66%
Score for our State Senator, Betsy Johnson: 66%
  • I have long been a vocal champion of animal welfare and twice been named Oregon legislator of the year by the Humane Society. Individual votes are tracked by Humane Voters | Oregon. I was one of six out of 90 members to receive a 100% rating.
Score for our State Representative, Suzanne Weber: 25%
Score for our State Senator, Betsy Johnson: 50%
  • The Oregon League of Conservation Voters, OLCV, tracked 15 measures related to climate, conservation, and the environment. At 90%, I had the highest rating of any legislator on the Coast.

Score for our State Representative, Suzanne Weber: 32%
Score for our State Senator, Betsy Johnson: 41%

WHO'S RUNNING
"Over 40 candidates who have publicly stated some support of QAnon are running for national office in 2022, and the falsehoods embraced by its supporters are likely to influence the midterm elections."
-- New York Times, December 20, 2021

 
If you don't run for office, who will?
SENATE APPLICATIONS DUE JANUARY 2 
Applicants to fill the state senate seat being vacated by Betsy Johnson should contact their county's Democratic Party chair and its PCPs to apply. Applications are due January 2 online. The process to fill the vacancy is set by Oregon state law. Because she was registered as a Democrat while in office, her replacement must be a Democrat. INCO can provide more information about applying; contact incoregon@gmail.com.
BIDEN CAN BRAG . . . 
I.  “I would rather not make comparisons to Trump's presidency, which was largely destructive. Biden has accomplished the following: (1) He has restored integrity to the United States government; (2) he is succeeding against the pandemic—except for those who, under a malign influence, have refused vaccination; (3) he has removed our troops from Afghanistan; (4) he has passed a bill to fix roads, bridges, power, the internet; and (5) he has introduced a plan to slow climate change and to improve the lives of children and families—a plan on which he and the rest of the Democrats can campaign on for the 2022 election.” 
--Len Lubinsky, quoted in Robert Hubbell, 
Today's Edition, December 22, 2021

2. America's economy is stronger than in decades. "According to Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal—which are certainly not giddy media outlets—U.S. economic output has jumped more than 7% in the last three months of 2021. Overall growth for 2021 should be about 6%, and economists predict growth of around 4% in 2022—the highest numbers the U.S. has seen in decades. China’s growth in the same period will be 4%, and the eurozone (which is made up of the member countries of the European Union that use the euro) will grow at 2%." Heather Cox Richardson provides more details hereRobert Hubbell adds to the good news here.


3. Build Back Better is a moral imperative. Watch this West Virginia mom testify to Congress about child and family poverty in the US.  Does Senator Joe Manchin care? Evidently not. He wants to kill the Child Tax Credit.  
 
AND SO CAN WE!
Share the good news of Biden's accomplishments by writing a Letter to the Editor (LTE). A few sentences up to 250 words can encourage and inform readers. Email to editor@dailyastorian.com, along with your full name, address, and contact info.
HAPPENINGS 
Tuesday, January 11 - INCO South County Community Group Zoom meeting, 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Monday, January 10 for your Zoom link.

Saturday, January 15 - INCO Warrenton Community Group, in person meeting, 11 a.m. Location TBA. Contact incoregon@gmail.com by January 13 for more information.

Saturday, January 22 - INCO Astoria - North County Community Group Zoom meeting, 11am - noon. If you are new to this group, contact incoregon@gmail.com by December 10 to get the Zoom link. 

INCO Write to Voters (WTV) Virtual Group. No WTV group on December 24 or 31. WTV returns January 7, 2022. If you are new to this group, contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link. 

Write To Voters - Research shows that your letters to voters increased voter turnout significantly. Elections and issue campaigns need you year-round. INCO encourages you to sign up to write to voters at www.postcardstovoters.org. For general Get Out the Vote letter campaigns, sign up at Vote Forward. For supplies, stamps, or information, contact incoregon@gmail.com.
INSIGHTS
"The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on."
--Barack Obama
Comments, news, and photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com
Resources and other information at www.incoregon.org and www.indivisible.org.
Encourage others to sign up for the INCO newsletter at our website 
or here.
Look for the INCO column in 
Hipfish Monthly. We're on Facebook, too.
INCO Weekly Newsletter   December 27, 2021

 

Monday, December 20, 2021

12-20-2021 Newsletter

 

It's stormy weather for democracy. The sustained assaults on our democracy and the moral injury that comes with them add to the difficulty of staying safe during this pandemic.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so please take care of yourselves and do what you have to right now to function in your lives.

Let's celebrate winter holidays with gratitude for what we have and for what we can do to make America better.
Best wishes for your holidays,
INCO Leadership Team
FILLING THE VACANCY
WHO WILL REPRESENT YOU IN THE OREGON SENATE?
Betsy Johnson is leaving the state senate to run for governor as a candidate unaffiliated with any political party. The process to fill the vacancy is set by Oregon state law. Because she was registered as a Democrat while in office, her replacement must be a Democrat. Local leaders encourage applicants to connect with their county's Democratic Party chair and its PCPs. INCO can provide more information about applying; contact incoregon@gmail.com.
 "I'M ON A MISSION OF HOPE."
You might remember Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) as the eloquent lead manager of Trump’s second impeachment trial. This NewYorker.com article highlights what keeps him moving forward amid political and personal challenges.

"'And remember: the political scientists tell us that the sign of a successful coup is a recent unsuccessful coup, an event where they can diagram and analyze their previous mistakes so they can correct them the next time around.'”
-- Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), December, 2021

The Protecting Our Democracy Act Passes in the House

          "After the disappointing news about the Supreme Court, let’s look at signs of progress. Rep. Adam Schiff is leading the effort to pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act. The Act contains a host of reforms that will prevent the abuses of power we witnessed in the prior administration. The Act will provide oversight of the pardon process and prohibit self-pardons, extend the statute of limitations on presidential crimes, make the president subject to suit for violation of the emoluments clause, restrict the ability of the president to withhold funds appropriated by Congress, protect the independence of the Attorney General from presidential interference and much more!

          "The House passed the Protecting Our Democracy Act last week on a party-line vote. Sigh. Since the Act will restrain the power of presidents from both parties, why would any Republican oppose the Act? In any event, on to the Senate!

          "Adam Schiff was a rock that many of us clung to during the harrowing events surrounding the first impeachment. He continues to fight for us every day. Many Americans are likewise blessed with hardworking congressional representatives. Let them know that you support the Protect Our Democracy Act. And if they deserve your gratitude for continuing the fight during these difficult times, be sure to tell them “Thanks.”"
-- Robert Hubbell, Today's Edition, December 13, 2021

Contact info for your Members of Congress is here.

HOW TO BREAK DOWN DEMOCRACY
report in the Washington Post identifies the ongoing efforts to break down American democracy. 

"Five sets of actions fuel this corrosion:
1)  limiting participation in elections;
2)  controlling election administration; 
3)  legitimizing and mobilizing social support for methods to obstruct or overturn an election;
4)  using political violence to further that end;
5)  and politicizing the regular military or National Guard to delegitimize election outcomes."

Check out the 
authors's rating of 1 to 3 alarm bells for each of 18 steps, "which indicates how big a threat we believe it poses to our democracy now." Read the entire article here.

INDIVISIBLE'S TRUTH BRIGADE FIGHTS MISINFORMATION 
If you're worried about all the misinformation out there, connect with Indivisible's Truth Brigade to change the narrative. "Our positive, relationship-building tactics open minds, one-by-one. It’s harder to see when the right wing machine is so loud, but trust is built personally, not by mass media."

Help share the truth about inflation, vaccines, reproductive rights, and other important issues. Find out more about the exciting and effective Truth Brigade campaigns 
here.
HAPPENINGS 
Tuesday, January 11 - INCO South County Community Group Zoom meeting, 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Monday, January 10 for your Zoom link.

Saturday, January 15 - INCO Warrenton Community Group, in person meeting, 11 a.m. Location TBA. Contact incoregon@gmail.com by January 13 for more information.

Saturday, January 22 - INCO Astoria - North County Community Group Zoom meeting, 11am - noon. If you are new to this group, contact incoregon@gmail.com by December 10 to get the Zoom link. 

INCO Write to Voters (WTV) Virtual Group. No WTV group on December 24 or 31. WTV returns January 7, 2022. If you are new to this group, contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link. 

Write To Voters - Research shows that your letters to voters increased voter turnout significantly. Elections and issue campaigns need you year-round. INCO encourages you to sign up to write to voters at www.postcardstovoters.org. For general Get Out the Vote letter campaigns, sign up at Vote Forward. For supplies, stamps, or information, contact incoregon@gmail.com.
INSIGHTS
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” 
—Simone Weil
Comments, news, and photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com
Resources and other information at www.incoregon.org and www.indivisible.org.
Encourage others to sign up for the INCO newsletter at our website 
or here.
Look for the INCO column in 
Hipfish Monthly. We're on Facebook, too.
INCO Weekly Newsletter   December 20, 2021

Monday, December 13, 2021

12-13-2021 Newsletter

 

INCO WINTER HOLIDAYS CELEBRATION
Friday, December 17 
3-4 pm, via Zoom
Party Suggestions:
Decorate yourself.
Write a New Year's resolution for your least or most favorite political figure. 
Decorate your Zoom screen (go to Video options at the bottom of your Zoom screen to select filters, backgrounds, etc. Newer software is needed.) 
Share your favorite memory, gift, music.
Bring cookies.

Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link if you don't already have it for INCO's Friday Zoom writers gathering.
 
We can't celebrate in the same room,
so let's celebrate with Zoom!  
18 STEPS TO LOSING DEMOCRACY
Believe it or not, there are many Americans who prefer fascism to democracy. Yet here we are. 

We encourage you to check out
 this excellent Washington Post article listing the 18 steps needed to destroy our democracy. Some of them are already underway. This is why Indivisibles and thousands, if not millions, of Americans are working so hard to defend our country from this insidious insurrection.

"Democracy is most likely to break down through a series of incremental actions that cumulatively undermine the electoral process, resulting in a presidential election that produces an outcome clearly at odds with the voters’ will. It is this comparatively quiet but steady subversion, rather than a violent coup or insurrection against a sitting president, that Americans today have to fear most."
-- Risa Brooks and Erica De Bruin, 
"18 Steps to a Democratic Breakdown," Washington Post, December 10, 2021
INDIVISIBLE'S TRUTH BRIGADE FIGHTS MISINFORMATION 
If you're worried about all the misinformation out there, connect with Indivisible's Truth Brigade to change the narrative. "Our positive, relationship-building tactics open minds, one-by-one. It’s harder to see when the right wing machine is so loud, but trust is built personally, not by mass media."

Help share the truth about inflation, vaccines, reproductive rights, and other important issues. Find out more about the exciting and effective Truth Brigade campaigns 
here.
HAPPENINGS 
Tuesday, December 14 - INCO South County Community Group Zoom meeting, 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Monday, December 13 for your Zoom link.

Saturday, January 15 - INCO Warrenton Community Group, in person meeting, 11 a.m. Location TBA. Contact incoregon@gmail.com by January 13 for more information.

Saturday, January 22 - INCO Astoria - North County Community Group Zoom meeting, 11am - noon. If you are new to this group, contact incoregon@gmail.com by December 10 to get the Zoom link. 

EVERY FRIDAY - INCO Write to Voters (WTV) Virtual Group, 3 - 4 pm. Via Zoom.  Please note: December 17 is INCO's Winter Celebration. No WTV group on December 24 or 31. WTV returns January 7, 2022. If you are new to this group, contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link. 

Write To Voters - Research shows that your letters to voters increased voter turnout significantly. Elections and issue campaigns need you year-round. INCO encourages you to sign up to write to voters at www.postcardstovoters.org. For general Get Out the Vote campaigns, sign up at Vote Forward. For supplies or information, contact incoregon@gmail.com.
INSIGHTS
“Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.”
Eric Hoffer.
Comments, news, and photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com
Resources and other information at www.incoregon.org and www.indivisible.org.
Encourage others to sign up for the INCO newsletter at our website 
or here.
Look for the INCO column in 
Hipfish Monthly.
INCO Weekly Newsletter   December 13, 2021