2-22-21 Newsletter

 

WE MUST BUILD THE PROGRESSIVE BENCH For decades, Republicans and other conservatives have been elected to local office around the country, often because they ran unopposed. We can't let that happen in Clatsop County! People with different ideas about who tax dollars and other resources are for will be more than happy to run unopposed. Our communities need progressives on school boards and other special districts throughout Clatsop County.  Practice democracy with your values and wisdom. If not you, do you know someone who you'd want serving in office?   Here's the official list of positions on the ballot.   Candidates can file for office through March 18 for the May 18 election. Check out the Clatsop County Elections website for more information.   CAMPAIGN SCHOOLS •  You're invited to attend The Clatsop Campaign School. It aims to train progressive candidates on how to run for office, as well as training campaign managers and treasurers (we need these too!) It starts soon, so contact clatsopcampaignschool@gmail.com for details.   •  You can also encourage others to run for office. Learn how from experts at this candidate recruitment and persuasion workshop, tonight at 6 pm. Here's the link to sign up.   •  More info about running for office is at Run For Something.    Will you be one of the pro-democracy candidates our communities need?  If you don't run, who will?

TAKE CARE, GET CARE With the pandemic, we're all thinking about health care, vaccinations, and health insurance. INCO activist and leader Ricky Bennett challenges us to imagine a country where, "thanks to the patriotism of your fellow Americans, you'll never go bankrupt for seeking medical care." Read his letter to the editor in Tuesday's Daily Astorian here.

CAHOOTS IN CLATSOP COUNTY Thanks to INCO activists Kerry Grasee and Marty Letourneau for their exciting presentations about CAHOOTS at the South County and North County Community Group meetings this month. They're in touch with county commissioners to see if Clatsop County can implement a more empathic, helpful, and cost-effective way to engage with people in crisis who don't need police intervention. CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) has been a community initiative in Eugene since 1989. Marty's letter in the Astorian explains the benefits of this approach. Please urge the Clatsop County Commissioners to approve a feasibility study for a CAHOOTS-type program here.  Contact them at commissioners@co.clatsop.or.us

SUPPORT U.S. VOTING AND ELECTION REFORM Join with Indivisibles around the county and urge your Members of Congress to support H.R. 1, the "For the People Act." INCO has signed on to the COIN letter endorsing H.R. 1. Here's why we support this bill:  It establishes nationwide automatic voter registration, state-level redistricting commissions, and voting by mail. It would fend off efforts such as voter-ID and anti-ballot-harvesting laws as well as GOP efforts to suppress voting and enact gerrymandered Congressional districts. In essence, the For the People Act would nationalize many of the reforms that states experimented with during the pandemic. Watch this video about H.R. 1's importance. Follow more national issues and legislation at www.indivisible.org

"The Senate (impeachment) trial also gave powerful proof of just how undemocratic the Senate has become. Voting rights journalist Ari Berman noted that the “57 senators who voted to convict Trump represent 76.7 MILLION more Americans than 43 senators who voted to acquit.”" --  Heather Cox Richardson, 2-15-21.

State Senator Betsy Johnson and State Representative Suzanne Weber MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN SALEM It has never been easier to participate in the Oregon State legislative process. You can do so from the comfort of your living room using the interactive website OLIS (Oregon Legislative Information System).  • Do you want to sign up for your state representative’s newsletter? • Are you interested in looking at proposed bills on forestry, childcare, election reform? • Do you want to submit a comment on a bill? • How about watching your senator as she participates in her committee meetings?   Start here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/

HAPPENINGS VIRTUAL Tuesday, March 9 - INCO South County Community Group Zoom meeting, 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Monday, February 8 for your Zoom link. Saturday,  March 20 - INCO North County Community Group Zoom meeting, 11 a.m - noon. Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link. EVERY FRIDAY: The INCO Write to Voters group invites you to a Zoom open house for informal chat and writing to voters in special elections and for ballot issues every Friday from 3-4 pm. Pets and children welcome. Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom invitation from Bebe.

INSIGHTS “No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.”  ― Edward R. Murrow

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. INCO Weekly Newsletter   February 22, 2021