INDIVISIBLE Lambertville NJ / New Hope PA

Category: Call to Action

  • Hot Topic: Government Shutdown

    Contributed by Paige Barnett.

    According to Trump, the United States needs a border wall between us and Mexico for reasons unfounded – yet supported by Trump’s base. Using fear-mongering tactics¹ and untruths, Trump said that he’d build a wall to protect us from the thousands of criminal immigrants illegally crossing the border; that protection is needed against the hordes of gangs who are invading our streets, running drugs and trafficking humans. He said he’d make Mexico pay for it.

    Flash forward, Trump is demanding $5.7 billion dollars from U.S. taxpayers to build this unnecessary wall.  He’s dismissed any attempt by Democrats who offered $2.5 billion for border security to be applied to more effective means, i.e. drones, tunnel detection, immigration judges, etc.²  In response, (sort of) Trump suggested a steel wall instead of a concrete wall and has doubled down on his demand for $5.7 billion dollars.

    As a result of failed negotiations, Trump issued an Executive order which shuttered executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. As of December 24th, said agencies are closed and/or are working without pay.  We are now in the midst of the 2nd longest – and soon to be longest – government shutdown with not an end in sight.  Trump is willing to extend the shutdown “ for months or even years.”3  

    From one impulsive moment on his campaign trail, Trump’s promise to build this border wall has evolved into a crisis of his own design.  Each side blames the other for the stalemate. But the Democratic-controlled House voted January 3rd to pass a bill that would re-open the government without provisions to fund the wall.  Senate Majority leader McConnell will only bring a spending bill to the floor of the Senate that Trump supports.⁴ In a rebuttal statement to Trump’s eight-minute speech on Tuesday evening,  Pelosi and Schumer said there is no reason for keeping the government partially shuttered because wall negotiations can and should remain separate from wall funding negotiations.4

    Here is a list as published by the New York Times of how the government shutdown is affecting people and places.

    Call to Action!

    • Call, text “resist” to 50409 or tweet your Congresspersons and Senators and let them know you adamantly oppose funding a wall.  Also, thank your Congresspersons and Senators if they’ve opposed funding this blatantly unnecessary wall.
    • Support local and regional food pantries and organizations assisting those who are out of work or working without pay due to the shutdown. Many are leaning heavily on these organizations to make ends meet while waiting for the next paycheck.

    Sources

    ¹https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-border-fear-mongering-is-far-from-reality-26ed4da50603/

    ²https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/06/government-shutdown-2019-negotiations-continue-white-house-congress/2491460002/

    ³https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/07/government-shutdown-becomes-the-third-longest-ever.html

    ⁴https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-democrats-prepare-vote-to-reopen-government-as-cracks-appear-in-gop-opposition/2019/01/03/24151490-0f96-11e9-8938-5898adc28fa2_story.html?utm_term=.4886a4b140bd

  • Accountability and The Activist

    Contributed by Deb Kline.

    “You’ve always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself.”

    Glinda, the Good Witch

    Among the issues attendees at the Indivisible Lambertville / New Hope November Community Gathering highlighted as important is the issue of accountability. We recognize that as an electorate, until quite recently we’ve been relatively remiss in holding our government officials accountable. We’ve been shaken out of the belief that the Constitution automatically ensures accountability through the three separate branches that are designed to hold one another in check, and through regular, free elections. We are coming to understand that accountability starts with a good look in the mirror, accepting our role and responsibility to keep a watchful eye on the government, and to actively communicate with those who SHOULD be beholding to the citizens of the U.S..

    Political accountability refers to the responsibility or obligation of government officials to act in the best interests of society or face consequences. It seems obvious that public officials should be held responsible for their actions. Legal accountability concerns the mechanisms by which public officials can be held liable for actions that go against established rules and principles.

    DemocracyWeb.org says this about accountability:

    “Accountability and transparency tends to help create better policies and stop the abuse of power. The more the public knows about the government’s actions, the better judgements it can make about public policy. This is especially so in the case of abuse of power…. Even if leaders are not forced from office, the uncovering and investigating of malfeasance or inappropriate actions can sometimes bring about positive changes in leaders’ governance or behavior. Still, there is significant concern within democracies about the corrupting and corrosive impact of private interests in the funding of elections and how this affects public policy and laws. This is especially so in the United States.”

    The basic elements of accountability are outlined In a 1979 speech by former Comptroller of the U.S., Elmer Staats, entitled “Who is Accountable? To Whom? For What? And How?”:

    • The transmission of information regarding the actions and decisions of the person or organization being held accountable.
    • Someone to receive the information who will examine it and take necessary actions.
    • A means by which the information can be used to improve performance, correct deficiencies or reward superior service.

    On the last bullet, Staats and others highlight elections as the primary recourse of the public for holding elected officials and their appointees accountable. While undoubtedly valid, in this day and age we can no longer wait for Election Day. By then, unfortunately, the horse has left the barn and the damage may be done.

    Information is crucial to the ability to hold elected officials accountable. Information about what government officials are doing is not always easy to come by, however, and accurate information is even harder to ascertain when nearly anyone with access to the Internet can be a publisher. Further, objectivity in media has given way to bias and opinion, as well as the tendency to selectively circle the wagons around a particular story while others that may be equally important are overlooked. Finally, many of us suffer from information overload as it becomes impossible to sort through, absorb and respond to the quantity of data that comes at us on a daily basis and still maintain a somewhat normal life.

    As we become more organized as a movement, we are also learning how to manage the requirements of accountability. It’s essential that we individually align around those areas that are of most concern and demand access and transparency to the information needed to take action well before the election. Show up in local and state offices, at district headquarters of our Senators and Representatives. Call for or host public forums. Share what you learn with others who will care but may be focused elsewhere – we need to be educated by people we trust. Resolve to become a force to step up and show up, to link arms with like-minded people determined to save and improve our Democracy for all people.

    So yes, accountability begins with you, but you are not a lone wolf crying in the woods. Indivisible Lambertville / New Hope is your community and conduit of like-minded people begging to be informed, educated and activated. We have much work to do.

    _______________________

    1Accountability and Transparency: Essential Principles http://democracyweb.org/accountability-principles
    2https://www.gao.gov/assets/190/185445.pdf

  • NEW at ILNH 2019 – Springboard to Activism! (P.S. – Need your help!)

    Moving into 2019, Indivisible Lambertville / New Hope will be introducing Springboard Meetings – a salon-style gathering or pop-up training that will be separate from our monthly Community Gatherings. The purpose is to delve more deeply into the issues our constituents identified as most important at the November meeting and collaborate on actions to support desired outcomes in the government. The Springboard Meetings will feature a subject matter expert on a particular topic who will educate us and encourage discussion. Attendees will crowdsource ideas for ILNH’s actions on the issue, based on the tactics recommended by Indivisible’s 2.0 Guides.

    These meetings will be a great place to learn and develop actionable ideas, as well as spend time with other ILNH folks interested in the issue (and we know how much we love our social time). Upcoming topics include budget process and legislative cycles, environmental issues, immigration, and healthcare.

    We’re currently sourcing venues and looking for people interested in taking lead roles for Issue Coordinators and Activators. Issue Coordinators would take the lead on a particular issue, identify and schedule a subject matter expert and work with them for the two-hour session. Issue coordinators would also provide a brief overview of the topic – why it’s important, etc. to share at the Community Gathering. Activators would take the ideas and actions coming out of the meeting, recruit and motivate the larger ILNH folks to engage in support of the action. For instance, ideas may range from postcard parties, calls to or meetings with Congressional representatives, local public actions/protests, etc.  

    For more information on what the role entails, please check out the Google Doc here: Role Description and Resources for Issue Coordinators and Activators. If interested, please contact Sarah Gold.

  • The New Indivisible 2.0 Guides – A Must Read!

    The New Indivisible 2.0 Guides – A Must Read!

    Contributed by Alison Levine.

    Have you read the new Indivisible guides? Maybe you meant to, but then Thanksgiving happened, and now there are all these holidays coming up, and well, life just got in the way. The good news is these guides are really easy to read. They tell us not only what we can do now that Indivisible can go on offense, but HOW to do it. If you are feeling frustrated, confused, and like you want to do something (and really, aren’t we all?) these quick reading guides are the answer.

    We took back the House! So, what does that mean? Indivisible on Offense lays out the tools available to Democrats in the House and what we can do to make sure they uphold our values. These tools are: agenda setting power, legislative offense, oversight & investigations, and of course keeping up a good defense. Even better the guide clearly defines these tools and lays out how to use them (our go to 7 tactics are:  district office visits, phone calls, earned media, town halls, statewide Indivisible statements, letters to the editor, and op-eds). There are clear, simple definitions of each tool and step by step advice for using each tactic. Check out the summary (and once you get started you just may find yourself reading the whole guide).

    We’ve heard it over and over, Republicans amassed a lot of power by laying the groundwork at the state level. We need to level the playing field, and the Indivisible States guide tells us how to do that. Each state is different, and it can feel a bit overwhelming for a group like ours, that operates in both NJ and PA. Happily for us, the States Guide gives clear advice on how to get oriented and get active on the state level. The guide shows us how to prioritize state issues, work the state committee process, and build coalitions with other state groups to multiply our impact. Read the “quick and dirty” summary and see for yourself.

    ILNH is working to incorporate the lessons from these new guides into our plans going forward. We want to make it easy for people to plug in and take action. These guides will be our roadmap, we look forward to taking the journey with you.

  • VOTE on (or before) November 6: What’s At Stake

    Contributed by Action Groups.

    Artwork by Sarah Bush. Posters available. Donations welcome.

    Maybe we don’t have to give you more reasons to vote, but maybe we can encourage you to step up your efforts to get your family, friends and community to increase their efforts to GOTV. As of this writing, polls are saying that Republicans are narrowing the gap in the number of voters planning to head to the polls – so much so that the Blue Wave may not happen after all. Right now, all of our civil rights are being attacked and eroded. Here’s a small sampling of what’s at stake:

    • Vulnerable rights include Workers’ Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women’s Rights, Prisoners’ Rights, Students’ Rights, First Amendment Rights, and Minority Rights.
    • The Right to Vote is on the line! Voters’ names are being purged from the rolls, and voting is being made less accessible for many poor, minority, and elderly voters. In NJ, people who are incarcerated, on probation, or on parole are denied the right to vote. Note: NJ denies the right to vote to 94,000 people with criminal convictions, and  three-fourths of those are on parole or probation, which means they are living in their communities. While 15% of NJ’s population is black, 50%of those denied the right to vote are black). Gerrymandering dilutes the power of individual votes.
    • Immigrants’ Rights are on the line! Nationally, we need to end family separations, end the detention of children, protect families, and protect individuals’ rights to due process! Locally, we need protections for all of our residents in our communities and protections for towns and cities who are identifying as Fair and Welcoming Communities or as Sanctuary Cities. We need to grant driver’s licenses to people without documentation.
    • The Federal Judiciary will be instrumental in interpreting voting laws that protect all citizens’ right to vote, gerrymandering challenges, and all civil rights! As the Trump administration packs federal judicial vacancies, our rights are weakened. All civil rights are at stake! Get out and vote to protect all of our rights!
    • The effectiveness of the 2020 census, which drives billions of dollars that come into communities from the federal government, and helps ensure accurate voting districts that foster true democratic representation in the electoral process. The effectiveness is currently compromised by inadequate oversight, including the necessary resources for outreach and cybersecurity.
    • Public safety with protection from gun violence and the protection of our natural resources, including clean land, air and water. What kind of world do you want to live in?

    What’s important to you and at risk? Use it to have the conversations to drive awareness and personal responsibility to ensure those who are given the power to govern actually deserve it.