FEATURED IN THIS WEEK’S MVCAN NEWSLETTER (5/20/20):
UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS
MVCAN MONTHLY MEETING: PART II “LIVE FROM THE FRONTLINES” SERIES - Sunday, June 7 - 5pm to 6pm JOIN US!
UPCOMING VIRTUAL PHONE BANK - Saturday, May 30 - 3pm-5pm
URGENT - WRITE POSTCARDS TO REGISTER VOTERS IN GEORGIA by May 23 & ONGOING TO NORTH CAROLINA
LOBBY SEN. MIKE MCGUIRE ABOUT STATE RELIEF FOR IMMIGRANTS
REP. ELISSA SLOTKIN FUNDRAISER - May 28, 5:30PM, with Jared Huffman
MVCAN IMMIGRATION/CIVIL RIGHTS TEAM MEETING - Sun, June 7, 4-5pm
DONATE: IMMIGRANT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND
GREEN CHANGE NEWSLETTER for MARIN COVID RELIEF
WHERE WE’VE BEEN AND WHAT WE DID
REPORT FROM MVCAN MAY MONTHLY MEETING with POSTED VIDEO
REPORT ON MARIN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (MOC) VIRTUAL ACTION FOR COVID RELIEF LOBBYING
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MVCAN JUNE MONTHLY MEETING ONLINE
Kicking off MVCAN’s June monthly meeting is an inspiring conversation with two battleground state grassroots organizers from the Airlift group Down Home North Carolina. Hear an up-to-the minute report from awesome frontline leaders and...COME HEAR HOW NC IS GOING BLUE!
Brigid Flaherty - Founder and Co-Director of Down Home North Carolina
Dreama Caldwell - Candidate for Alamance County Commissioner
(also member of Down Home NC)
2020 could finally be North Carolina’s moment—thanks to the Airlift-supported organization, Down Home NC. This powerful community-based grassroots group activates black, brown and white working class voters in rural North Carolina around local issues that affect their daily lives (such as cash bail reform, Medicaid expansion and the rise in white supremacy).
Down Home galvanizes the exact communities that will turn North Carolina blue. This state is on the path to electing a Democratic majority in the State Legislature, flipping a US Senate seat from Republican to Democratic, and becoming a swing state in the presidential race.
Airlift, a major project of MVCAN, is proud to be supporting this fantastic group as one of its portfolio of grassroots organizations around the country.
Also at the meeting, hear MVCAN updates on the many types of “Activism from your Couch” activities available to us locally and happening right now!
LOGIN TO MEETING:
Join our Zoom Meeting Sunday, June 7 from 5:00- 6:00 pm by clicking on this link:
PASSWORD: 794670
MEETING ID: 604 160 426
(We will be sending out 2 more reminders about our meeting - including on the “day of.”)
During the meeting you can get assistance with Zoom:
Type into the Zoom Chat Box to reach Bernard Catalinotto.
Text 415-305-2024 to reach Leigh Ann Townsend.
Text or Call Larry Litvak 415-595-0030
- Email scarsella@comcast.net to reach Lisa Scarsella.
Down Home NC in action!
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UPCOMING VIRTUAL PHONE BANK -
Saturday, May 30, 3 pm - 5 pm
Building the Blue Wave
Phone banking will be taking a break next Saturday May 23 but will be back May 30 and then back to our regular Saturday phone banks in June. We will be calling battleground states and districts to win back the Senate, hold the House and win more State Legislatures.
Virtual Phone Bank - May 30, 3 pm - 5 pm
Register HERE for details
As an adjustment to our new shelter-in-place lives, Democracy Action Marin/MVCAN has introduced Zoom video conference phone banking. We’ve noticed that we’ve talked with significantly more people than usual in the phone banks we’ve held recently. People are home; they’re feeling isolated and they want to connect. Some of our recent conversations have been very moving
KUDOS TO SPECIAL ELECTION TEAM!
Over the course of many weeks, the Electoral Team and Democracy Action Marin worked hard to help candidate Christy Smith win the Special Election in CD-25 to fill the remaining 6 months of Katie Hill's term in the US House. Unfortunately, we didn't get the turnout -- or the result -- we hoped for. This loss was not unexpected: the turnout for Special Elections is usually older, whiter and Republican, and it was the first all mail-in ballot election in this district. But we have another chance to win this seat Nov. 3 when the voters who turned out for the 2018 Midterms will be back!3
URGENT REQUEST TO WRITE POSTCARDS TO GEORGIA VOTERS
More than 990 MVCAN members and supporters are now writing postcards at home (from all over the US) using voter data provided by RECLAIM OUR VOTE, which is a nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaign. This campaign reaches out mainly to voters of color on Unregistered and Inactive lists in key voter-suppression states.
Reclaim Our Vote has sent us an urgent request from community political and religious leaders in Georgia asking us to send postcards to Georgia voters of color to urge them to submit their newly available mail-in ballots. These cards will go to voters in Richmond County GA, the county that has sent in the fewest ballots so far for their primary.
For those already participating in writing postcards to North Carolina, if you are in the middle of a North Carolina list, please set those names aside until May 23 to work on this urgent need in Georgia. (We will be returning to our North Carolina postcard writing soon.)
TO SEND POSTCARDS TO GEORGIA:
Please contact MVCAN lead organizer Bob Haar at politicalbobh@gmail.com let him know ASAP how many postcards to Georgia you can write and mail by May 23.
These postcards need to be in the mail by May 23, because the primary is June 9 and early voting ends June 5!
Georgia Background - Georgia voters have received absentee ballots, but community political and religious leaders are very concerned that these voters will not return these in a timely fashion. Their concern is based on the newness of this option and a long history of fighting to get to the polls. The hope is that these voters will become comfortable enough with this option to use it again in November and thereby reduce the crush at polling places. Also, statistics show that voters that use Vote-By-Mail options vote at a higher frequency.
HELP WANTED: NEW VOLUNTEER TEAM LEADER FOR POSTCARDING EFFORTS
As an indicator of the great success of ongoing postcarding efforts, Bob Haar is up to 8 Team Leads. His newest Team Lead, Megan (Mia) McCall will be taking the new writers starting now. Mia’s email is: megan.mia.mccall@gmail.com.
Assuming that the growth continues, Bob will need a 9th Team Lead sometime in June. Join the postcard team as a Team Lead, and you’ll get training on:
Skills needed as Postcard Team Lead:
an ability to copy and paste from a spreadsheet and a word processor document into an email
an ability to track new writers in a spreadsheet
45 minutes per day availability
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LOBBY OUR STATE SEN. MIKE MCGUIRE FOR TAX FAIRNESS FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
Immigrants are an essential part of our economy, our communities, and our common life as Californians. As part of a statewide IAF effort, the Marin Organizing Committe (MOC) and MVCAN members are supporting legislation to provide undocumented immigrant tax filers in California with opportunities for income relief, like those available to all other taxpayers, as both a matter of justice and sound public policy.
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is available to undocumented tax filers, but the state EITC is not.
The proposed state bill AB 1593 addresses this income inequality issue for undocumented workers in California with a long-term fix. For more detailed information on the issues, click here to see the California Budget and Policy Center Fact Sheet.
Senator Mike McGuire is our focus for action. The bill is stalled right now in the Senate Government and Finance Committee – of which our very own state Senator McGuire is the Chair!
ACTION: Contact Mike McGuire and express your support for AB 1593 to achieve tax fairness for undocumented immigrants.
Email:
senator.mcguire@senate.ca.gov
Phone:
415-479-6612 (San Rafael Office)
916-651-4002 (Sacramento Office)
Write:
State Senator Mike McGuire
San Rafael Office
3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 425
San Rafael, CA 94903
Marin activists hope to book a Zoom meeting with Sen. McGuire soon. We will be contacting our supporters to participate on very short notice. If you wish to join in the Zoom meeting, please contact Carol Korenbrot, carol.korenbrot@gmail.com.
You can also view this informative video prepared from the May 5 Zoom lobby action of more than 1000 participants in which a number of MVCANers joined the Marin Organizing Committee (MOC) and their affiliates: State-Wide Zoom Meeting Video.
Why the Urgency for AB 1593? California has a two-year budget process. If we do not get AB 1593 passed before the budget is set in early June it could be another 2 years before the bill is before the legislature again.
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REP. ELISA SLOTKIN FUNDRAISER - Thurs. May 28, 5:30 - 6:30pm
Join in a virtual reception in support of impressive Michigan Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-08). Our local House Representative, Jared Huffman, is also a fan of Elissa Slotkin and will join us and introduce Elissa at our virtual event on Thursday, May 28th. We will hear from Jared about Elissa’s effectiveness in the House and also hear from both representatives about the government response to COVID-19.
Elissa was one of the 40 freshman House Democrats who flipped a Republican district in 2018, And according to ballot reports, Elissa’s Michigan district still leans slightly Democratic, which is why now is the PERFECT time to support Elissa. Since Elissa articulated her support for Trump’s Impeachment, she has faced a backlash in her purple district.
Virtual Fundraiser for Elissa Slotkin
Thursday, May 28
5:30 - 6:30 pm
Sign-up, register or donate HERE.
And know that, even if you cannot join us on May 28th, a donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated. To donate, click on the link above.
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MVCAN IMMIGRATION CIVIL/RIGHTS ZOOM MEETING -
Sunday, June 7, 4pm- 5pm
The MVCAN Civil Rights/Immigration Team is working especially hard during Covid-19 to support the immigration community locally and statewide.
Civil Rights/Immigration Team Virtual Meeting
Sunday, June 7, 4:00 - 5:00pm
(This meeting will take place right before the MVCAN monthly meeting and will have its own zoom link.)
TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING - If you do not already receive the I/CR Team newsletter, please write to team lead Barb Rowe at barbrowe@aol.com and ask to get the zoom link alert.
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DONATE: IMMIGRANT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND
Following are several opportunities recommended by the team to donate to Covid-19 relief funds for immigrant families:
Partnering with the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, we are supporting people in detention to get legal support and money for bonding out of detention to join their families: DONATE HERE.
In addition, the Civil Rights/Immigration Team is partnering with the Marin Organizing Committee (MOC) to encourage our governor to include support for immigration families in the state budget.If you want to provide immediate and direct relief for our Marin immigrant community members, you can go right now to our trusted partners at Canal Alliance in San Rafael, and give to their “Client Relief Fund.”
Donate to Immigrant Relief Fund
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GREEN CHANGE “SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS” NEWSLETTER
During crises like the Coronavirus pandemic, many of our neighbors need our help to stay healthy, put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Small businesses and nonprofits also need our support during difficult times.
Learn about simple actions we can take to improve the lives of our neighbors and protect our future.
This Green Change newsletter is a good resource to learn about opportunities to help others in our community.
greenchange.net/actions/neighbors
WHERE WE’VE BEEN AND WHAT WE DID
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SPEAKER DAKOTA HALL INSPIRED AT MVCAN MAY MONTHLY MEETING
Nearly 90 MVCAN supporters attended our Zoom meeting in May as we hosted a young organizing phenome, Dakota Hall, a truly inspiring Wisconsin grassroots leader.
This was the first of our “Live From the Frontlines” series, kicked off by special guest Speaker, Dakota Hall, Executive Director of LIT (Leaders Igniting Transformation). LIT was instrumental in getting out the youth vote in Wisconsin and winning a critical seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
MVCAN members and Airlift donors really stepped up to support the work of this exciting grassroots group! WE RAISED MORE THAN $12,000 - RIGHT THERE IN THE MEETING! THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED SO GENEROUSLY!
To view the recording, see ZOOM VIDEO: MVCAN MAY 3RD MEETING.
You can view Dakota’s presentation starting at 13:15 min on the video.
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MARIN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (MOC) VIRTUAL MEETING FOR COVID RELIEF LOBBYING
On May 5, MVCAN members participated in the MOC virtual meeting for Covid relief lobbying, along with over 1,200 statewide California IAF activists, 10 Bishops and 7 state legislators. In order to make taxation fair for undocumented immigrations, activists are asking that state legislators expand the California Earned Income Tax Credit.
"There are millions of California workers who take care of our elders, our children, grow our food, and get it to the stores. Many of them are undocumented, but their work contributes billions of dollars to the California economy," said Rev. Dr. Julie Roberts-Fronk, Co-Chair of the action and a leader with ICON.
Undocumented immigrants represent 10% of the California workforce, pay over $3 billion in state and local taxes and add $180 billion to the economy. They comprise 33% of agricultural workers and 32% of healthcare workers in California, working at great personal risk during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Call on Governor Newsom to do more to support undocumented workers. Sign the Petition: HERE*
JOIN AN ACTION TEAM
WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED in a specific issue or support area? Much of MVCAN's work is done in one of our 10 awesome action teams. Click the team name to read their latest news and find their next meeting.
Civil Rights/Immigration battles for justice and fair treatment of women, immigrants, working people and followers of all faiths.
Communications works on strategy, branding, messaging and program development for MVCAN. They are looking for bright ideas and people who want to make them happen.
Eco Warriors are engaged in change at the local, state and national levels, to impact the CA carbon tax, climate change, and community outreach and action.
The Economic Action team runs AIRLIFT, our first national project. AIRLIFT funnels money to grassroots groups in winnable 2018 districts. These are seriously vetted groups that work all year round in their communities–they get tangible results without blowing through millions of dollars. Read about Airlift in the Huffington Post .
Electoral The Electoral Team is still hard at work to take back our country in battleground states all over the country...preparing for next year's general election. We're canvassing, calling, texting and sending letters & postcards to defend our hard-won House seats and take back the Senate. Our team of experienced electoral volunteers will help get you started to talk to voters to make sure they are registered and ready to VOTE THEM OUT. We feature Voter Communication training and we'll coach you every step of the way. Join us to take back our country!
The Events team creates special events to engage our friends and neighbors to take political action with MVCAN.
Health Care is forging ahead after their successful fight over the repeal/replace of ACA.
Tech supports MVCAN through technology.
Women's Rights fundraises and canvasses for NARAL and Planned Parenthood; supports women in public office(s); and engages in local, state and federal legislation for women's protection and rights.
NEW TO MVCAN?
Visit MVCAN.org to learn about the organization and strategies, join a team, read past MVCAN newsletters, and gain helpful Resistance tools.
WANT TO VOLUNTEER YOUR SKILLS OR TALENTS?
Numerous positions and jobs are available – one-time or ongoing. Contact volunteer@mvcan.org.
Thank you for all you do!
– June, Bernard, Eileen, Rebecca, and everyone at MVCAN
MVCAN News brought to you by June, Annie and Eileen
