IN THIS ISSUE

March Monthly Meeting Highlights

Upcoming Events

Weekly Action Items (Time to Call!)

MVCAN News

Action Team Reports

175 people attended our Monthly MVCAN meeting to learn about long-term activism strategies and demonstration safety, share stories, hear inspirational music, and participate in The Ides of Trump project to flood the White House with postcards on Mar. 15. Thank you guest speakers, artists and coordinators Cathie Lee, Ken Pontac, Karen Lynch, Rita Glassman and Aliza Hava, and MVCAN volunteers.

From the meeting: How to Use Twitter as an Advocacy Tool

UPCOMING EVENTS: See Bottom of Email for More

• MVCAN EVENT: CALL & COFFEE, Fri. Mar 10, 8 am, Mill Valley. see bottom of email
• SOLIDARITY WITH STANDING ROCK RALLY, co-sponsored by MVCAN, Fri. Mar 10, 1 pm, Mill Valley. flyer below
• Save our Healthcare TOWN HALL WITH CONGRESSMAN JARED HUFFMAN Mon. Mar 13, Rally with MVCAN 11am-Noon, Town Hall 12-2 pm, Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags San Rafael. flyer below
• SONGS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM, ALIZA HAVA AND RITA GLASSMAN IN CONCERT with Alex Kelly, Cellist, Sat., Mar 18, 7 pm, Mill Valley. See bottom of email.
• SAVE THE DATE: PEOPLE'S CLIMATE MOBILIZATION, Sat., Apr 29. The MVCAN Eco Warrior team will spearhead our local action.

READY FOR ACTION!

ACTION 1: Sign up to fight to save the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at one of the FOUR convenient phone banks that are available over the next 8 days. Please be sure to RSVP.

This is a super-effective strategy that we in blue districts need to employ to maximize our impact. We call known ACA supporters in red states and ask them to lobby their own Republican representatives, so that these representatives can hear directly from their own constituents. The majority of calls will require the use of a laptop or tablet. Please bring a charged computer or tablet, as well as a cell phone, and phone earbuds if you like to use them.

Why It’s So Important The time for preventing the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act is now! Under the ACA, a higher percentage of Americans have health insurance than ever before in history. We have to prevent Republicans in Congress from dragging our country backwards and destroying hard-won achievements in health care.

This week the Republicans are rushing to push ahead their legislative proposal through the House and Senate without even waiting for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis. Why? The Republicans can’t afford to wait until the public sees the hard facts, which will confirm that the Republicans’ proposed legislation will cause terrible damage to millions of Americans, disproportionately harming the poor, the elderly, and the chronically ill, while allowing the wealthy members of society to get tax breaks.

What to Do – Action Item 1

Attend an ACA advocacy phone bank.

Organizing for Action (OFA) Marin sponsored phone banks:

Saturday, March 11, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Location: Tomas and Ari’s home 711 Bamboo Terrace, San Rafael Directions: Take the Freitas parkway exit off 101 and head West for about a mile on Freitas parkway. Just after you pass Scotty's market on your right, you will take the right lane and make a right on Monticello, and an immediate right on Bamboo terrace. Number 711 is just over a block along on the left. Please RSVP by using this link: https://my.ofa.us/page/event/detail/gsfmxb

Friday March 17, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Contact Phone: 415-382-8490 Location: Elyse Foster’s Home 22 Underhill Road, Mill Valley Directions: 101 S to East Blithedale exit towards Mill Valley Right onto Camino Alto Right onto Azalea. Go to end of Azalea and make a right on to Vasco. Vasco becomes Underhill. Please RSVP by using this link: https://my.ofa.us/page/event/detail/gsfmxs

MVCAN phone banks:

RSVP directly to Susan Bolle: swbolle@gmail.com

Saturday, March 11, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM AND

Wednesday, March 15, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Location: 80 Libertyship Way, Suite 320, Sausalito Directions: Proceed south on Bridgeway Ave. Left Libertyship Way First Right on Libertyship Way (do not go straight towards Bay Model) You will pass 10 Libertyship Way on right First right, continuing along Libertyship Way At fork in road, bear left on to Libertyship Way (You will see sign "Speed Limit 10 Miles" in center) Proceed on Libertyship Way, towards harbor, passing 60 Libertyship, then a sign on right "Schoonmaker Point Marina" Immediately behind "Schoonmaker Point Marina" sign you will see 80 Libertyship Way, Suite 20 right in front of you. The attached photo shows the building front. On your left, across the street from #80, you will see "List Marine #71 Park anywhere: ignore signs "Parking By Permit Only."

ACTION 2: Contact your California Members of Congress and tell them they need to vote in opposition to any Republican health care bill that does not provide all of the benefits and coverage included under Obamacare.

Why It’s So Important See above.

Suggested Script: I am calling to express my strong support for Senator/Representative's______ defense of the ACA and Planned Parenthood to date. I urge them to continue to do everything in their power to vote against any Republican legislation that repeals and replaces Obamacare, unless the replacement legislation provides Americans with all of the benefits and coverage afforded under Obamacare. The American Health Care Act proposed by Republicans will severely reduce coverage and benefits for millions of Americans covered by Medicaid or through the Obamacare Health Care Exchanges. The old, the poor, and the sick will be unable to afford coverage under this proposed bill, while the wealthy will receive tax breaks.

California Members of Congress Jared Huffman (D) CA DC Office --- 202 225-5161 San Rafael --- 415 258-9657 999 Fifth Ave. Suite 290 San Rafael, CA 94901

Dianne Feinstein (D) CA DC Office---202-224-3841 SF---415-393-0707 LA--- 310-914-7300 San Diego--- 619-231-9712 Fresno--- 559-485-7430 email One Post Street, Suite 2450 San Francisco, CA 94104

Kamala Harris (D) CA DC Office---202-224-3553 Fresno---916-448-2787 SF---415-355-9041 LA---213-894-5000 San Diego---619-239-3884 email 50 United Nations Plaza, Suite 5584 San Francisco, CA 94102

MVCAN NEWS

Propelled by leadership from the Electoral and Women's Rights Action Teams, MVCAN is endorsing Kimberly Ellis for CA Democratic Party Chair. SAVE THE DATE: Fundraiser for Kimberly Ellis, April 18, Details TBA.

Watch a debate between Kimberly Ellis and top competitor Eric Bauman.

Visit the Kimberly Ellis web site.

ACTION TEAM REPORTS

Civil Rights/Immigration is collaborating with local community organizations to help the immigrant communities that have been affected by the recent Executive Orders. Currently, they are supporting the Westminster Presbyterian Church's effort to collect equipped backpacks to be distributed to detainees released from the detention center in Richmond CA. Read more about that effort. This group also urges you to write or call to Support SB 54: The California Values Act, which is coming before the Appropriations Committee. Learn more and call script here. Next team meeting Sun. Mar. 12, 4-6 pm Marin Horizon School, 305 Montford, Rm 201 at top of the stairs. Driveway for parking off Melrose, Mill Valley. Come hear speakers from the Canal Alliance and the Islamic Center of Mill Valley. Contact Diane Goldman (dgold94941@aol.com) for more info.

Communications provides promotional support, helps the other teams, and organizes network meetings. They seek to gather and share stories with elected officials, other activist groups, and the media, and get our voice heard as clearly and entertainingly as possible.

Next team meeting Sat. Mar. 11, 9:30-10:30 am, Pacific Union Real Estate, 575 Redwood Hwy #150, Mill Valley. Contact Ken Pontac (kpontac@hotmail.com) for more info.

Dump Trump's 65 team members work on ways to remove Trump ASAP. They are currently focused 100% on Russia-gate, the Trump campaign's collusion with the Russians to hack our election and destroy our democracy. They are pushing MOCs to conduct an independent investigation and are building a coalition of progressive organizations to join in by pressuring their MOCs. The team meets every week, rain or shine.

Next team meeting  Sat Mar 11, 10-11am. Mill Valley Community Center Manzanita Room. Contact Bernard Catalinotto (bernardcatalinotto@gmail.com) (cell 301-717-1077) for more info.

The Eco Warriors saw great presentations at their last meeting from the effective (and fun!) Resilient Neighborhoods program, as well as from the City of Mill Valley. They also divided into 3 Action Committees: Carbon Tax, Climate Advocacy, and Community Outreach. They will be working to get BIG numbers from Marin to the local Climate March April 29. They also urge everyone in MVCAN to go Deep Green.

Next team meeting Tues. Mar. 14, 7:00-8:30pm, 450 Sycamore Ave, Mill Valley. Contact Lisa Ristorucci (lisaristorucci@gmail.com) for more info and Join the MVCAN Eco Warriors Facebook page!

Education is building alliances to protect the funding of ESEA (the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) and school nutritional standards, and working on Prop. 13 reform.