March 1, 2023
National sales tax, EPA, higher education, and more!
Contact all members of Congress:
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: democracy.io
By US mail: Representatives / Senators
By fax: Representatives / Senators
By Resistbot: Resist.bot
Contact White House or other federal agencies:
OPPOSE A NATIONAL SALES TAX
With House Republicans pushing for a deeply regressive 30% national sales tax, Democrats are standing up to make it clear they won’t let it happen. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Jon Tester (D-MT) have introduced a resolution formally opposing this proposal. They already have 12 co-sponsors. Let’s contact our senators and ask them to join this effort, and tell our members of the House that we want them to block a sales tax and focus on making the wealthy pay their fair share.LEARN PERSUASIVE CONVERSATION SKILLS
If we are looking to tackle extremism in our communities, it can help to find ways to communicate effectively about hot button issues with our friends. To help us do so Red, Wine and Blue is sponsoring a free, online event, “Troublemaker Training: Comms 101 w/ Jess McIntosh.” This Thursday, March 2, 2023, from 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM ET, we can learn some new skills and polish up old ones with Jess, a communication strategist, CNN commentator, and former host of Signal Boost. We’ll get tips and advice on how to have persuasive conversations, including what to say and what not to say, and how to connect with others. We can click here to learn more about this workshop and, sign up.
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT ELECTION
There's only a little over a month to go until Wisconsin's April 4 election that will determine who gets the open seat on the state supreme court. As the race gains more national attention, outside groups will continue to play a larger role in the state election. We can help ensure that residents of Wisconsin maintain power in their own election; Vote Forward is an organization that focuses on boosting voter turnout in underrepresented communities through letter writing campaigns. Each campaign has thorough directions, and Vote Forward will walk us through the process on how to complete our letters. Let's join other Vote Forward volunteers, and urge Wisconsinites to vote in the upcoming April 4th election.
HIGHER ED UNDER ATTACK IN FLORIDA
HB 999, a bill introduced at Gov. Ron DeSantis’s urging in the Florida legislature, would effectively silence faculty and students across the ideological spectrum and purge whole fields of study from public universities, according to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The AAUP, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Coalition Against Censorship have issued a statement, which they ask us to read, sign, and pass on.
GIVE THE EPA WHAT IT NEEDS
Big Oil’s profits were more than 20 times larger than the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget in 2022. Still recovering from the Trump Administration’s assault on the agency and being given more responsibility than ever, the EPA is under-staffed and over-burdened, slowing down the writing of crucial regulations and enforcement of existing environmental laws. (Evaluation of new chemicals has been slowed to the point where even the chemical industry is complaining!) Let’s contact our members of Congress and tell them we expect them to fight for the resources the EPA needs to do its crucial work.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
FL: FLORIDA VOTERS & MAIL-IN BALLOTS: If we are Florida voters who had signed up by the end of 2022 to automatically receive a mail-in ballot for every election for up to four years—beware! Our requests for mail-in ballots have likely been canceled under a new voter suppression law championed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Let’s renew our requests for mail-in ballots today—and spread the word among our families, friends, and neighbors!
Thank you for making it possible for someone like me, elderly, disabled, but concerned, to take decisive action for my country.