10-17-2022 Newsletter

 

Nearly 1400 of us gathered at the 2017 Astoria Women's March to defend democracy against authoritarianism, bigotry, and corruption. Now we must get out the vote for candidates who will defend our constitution and the rule of law.   Democracy is on the ballot at every level of government.  Will you wake up on November 9 and wish you’d done more, or will you know that you got in the arena and gave it your all?   The Voters Pamphlet was mailed last week. Ballots get mailed this week. The October hipfish monthly has valuable election and voting info, including INCO's endorsements and other election comments. BE A VOTER.

TO GET OUT THE VOTE Democracy can win if enough people vote.   BE A VOTER.

AAUW CANDIDATES FORUM Tuesday, October 18   •   7 - 8:30 pm LOCATION: Astoria High School Auditorium. The forum hosts previously provided incorrect location information. Q&A with candidates for Astoria City Council: Ward 1: Andrew J. Davis and Geoff A. Gunn Ward 3: Kris Haefker and Elisabeth G. Adams Mayor - unopposed:  Sean Fitzpatrick BE A VOTER.

COINversation: the Four State Ballot Measures Tuesday, October 18 at 7 pm Guest speakers from the campaigns to pass these measures, including INCO's Cheryl Conway, will discuss and take your questions. Here's the Zoom link to register to attend. Please share with others.   BE A VOTER.

REGISTER TO VOTE BY TOMORROW Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 18 is the deadline to register to vote or to update your voter registration with a new name, address, or other vital info. You won’t receive your voter information booklet or your ballot unless your info is current. Contact the Clatsop Elections Office for details at 503-325-8605. BE A VOTER.

INCO ENDORSEMENTS INCO endorses these candidates because they defend democracy and oppose authoritarianism, bigotry, and corruption. INCO does not endorse candidates for city office.    Governor:  Tina Kotek* State Senate: Melissa Busch State Representative: Logan Laity US Senate: Ron Wyden* US Representative: Suzanne Bonamici* Check out COIN's side-by-side comparisons of Kotek and Betsy Johnson regarding their actions and statements about climate, guns, reproductive health, housing, families, democracy, and ethics. COIN is the Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network. BALLOT MEASURES: COIN endorsed all four state ballot measures. Check your voter information booklet to learn about them. *Also endorsed by COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network). As a statewide alliance of 40+ groups, COIN only endorses federal and statewide candidates. BE A VOTER.

GET OUT THE VOTE FOR PRO-DEMOCRACY CANDIDATES VOLUNTEER FOR MELISSA BUSCH AND LOGAN LAITY To sign up to volunteer for either campaign, use this link which has a zip code locator of nearby events. WRITE TO VOTERS • Postcards To Voters:  Handwritten postcards sent to Democrats to get out the vote. PTV provides scripts. Sign up at the website or at join@TonyTheDemocrat.org.  • Vote Forward:  You print prepared letters to voters and add a few sentences. Vote Forward tells you when to mail them later this month. • Postcards To Swing States:  Progressive Turnout Project provides the postcards, scripts and addresses to rally Democrats to vote. For free postcards, envelopes, stamps, or information, contact incoregon@gmail.com. WRITE A LETTER Write a Letter to the Editor (LTE) - Write a few sentences or more, up to 250 words. Send to editor@dailyastorian.com, along with your name, address, and phone. Contact info for other regional newspapers is here. Democracy is on the ballot. Every additional voter matters. BE A VOTER.

"If one of two major political parties no longer believes in free and fair elections, how can democracy still function?" -- Molly Jong-Fast, "This Is Uncharted Territory," October 14, 2022

YARD SIGNS Show your support for these excellent candidates with yard signs: Tina Kotek, Melissa Busch, Logan Laity, and Ron Wyden. Contact info@clatsopdems.org with your location and the signs you'd like.

LEADERS AND ROLE MODELS "Americans once expected politicians to carry themselves with a seriousness that indicated their ability and willingness to tackle problems, whether poverty or war, that were too difficult for the rest of us. We elected such people not because we wanted them to be like us but because we hoped that they were better than us: smarter, tougher, and capable of being leaders and role models. "Not only are the MAGA Republicans seemingly repelled by the idea of voting for someone better than they are; they support candidates who are often manifestly worse people than the average citizen, so that they may slather their fears about their own shortcomings and prejudices under a sludgy and undifferentiated hatred about almost everyone in public office...." -- Tom Nichols, "Clowns and Charlatans," The Atlantic, October 11, 2022

BREAK OUT YOUR BUTTONS  We'd love to mail you free button(s) reminding people to vote to support women's reproductive rights. Please send your request, including which design, quantity, and mailing address, to incoregon@gmail.com.

HAPPENINGS  Thursday, November  10- INCO South County Community Group, 6:30-7:30 pm, via Zoom. Contact Bebe at littlebylittle4change@gmail.com to get the Zoom link.  Friday, October 21 and October 28- INCO Write to Voters (WTV), via Zoom, 3-4 pm. Pre-election wrap-up for postcards and letters to voters. Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link if you haven't previously attended. Kudos to everyone who's written to voters for the 2022 elections!

INSIGHTS “People want to ignore what they can’t understand. They’re looking for logic at any cost.” — Alice Hoffman, novelist

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       October 17, 2022