What we should—and should not—be spending our money on. And, how to help Pajaro residents.
Indivisible SF Newsletter
View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
The direction of a nation—its very soul—is determined by what it spends its money on. Appropriations season has begun in the House and Senate. Congress should now be engaged in an earnest review of President Biden’s budget and in drafting appropriations bills for FY2024. Our federal government will eventually be funded by appropriation bills or continuing resolutions (CRs). It will be a long, arduous, complicated process with victories and defeats that may well continue into next year.
But instead of attending to serious business, House Republicans indulged in MAGA posturing, presenting outrageous bills to pander to bigots and anti-government radicals.
One recent heinous example is H.R. 5, which they call the “Parents’ Bill of Rights Act.” This is a proposal to censor the contents of school libraries and require schools to “obtain parental consent” before (1) updating a minor child's gender markers, pronouns, or name on school forms or (2) allowing a child to change the child's sex-based accommodations. The practical effect of such a bill would be, first, to deny that transgender children exist, including denying to the kids themselves that they could be trans; and second, to require schools to out trans kids to their parents. Some parents love and accept their children no matter who they turn out to be, but some don’t, and those parents may try to force the child back into the closet, kick them out to the street, put them into anti-trans torture programs (which bill themselves as “conversion therapy”), or otherwise harm them.
Another Republican MAGA bill, from earlier in March, was H.R. 25, which they called the “Fair Tax Act.” This one would replace our progressive income tax with a regressive thirty-percent national sales tax (which taxes necessities rather than income or wealth) and sunset the IRS itself after 2027. On March 23, we watched Republicans defend their anti-gun-regulation bill H.R. 374, which demands that the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) be abolished.
House Democrats have made great floor speeches opposing these and more MAGA travesties.
The Indivisible movement exists to mobilize and enhance our voices so that we have some say in what kind of nation we are—and will become. Now is the time for us to begin contacting the White House and our members of Congress about spending decisions. We’ll need to continue doing so over the coming months. Last week we offered up our call script for that purpose. This week we’re presenting a Deep Dive ([link removed]) as a resource to make it easier to follow the appropriations process.
** How to support Pajaro farm workers suffering devastating losses from a levee break in March
------------------------------------------------------------
The March storms have severely harmed our regional neighbors in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. A disaster struck the town of Pajaro, California when a levee broke on March 11 ([link removed]) and the Pajaro River flooded this farmworker community, forcing more than 2,000 people to evacuate ([link removed]) . Now residents are starting to return, but they have lost most of their possessions, they have a lot of repair and restoration to do, and their livelihood is at great risk ([link removed]) . They face a long and difficult recovery.
As the Santa Cruz Lookout notes ([link removed]) , “It’s no debate, however, that when public infrastructure fails so dramatically, the public sector, i.e. government, should relieve that harm.” However, that assistance is not yet on its way ([link removed]) . Join small business leaders ([link removed]) and local officials ([link removed]) in urging your elected representatives to ask Gov. Gavin Newsom to work with local lawmakers to bring aid to the Pajaro Valley.
You can use this email template ([link removed]) provided by Community Bridges ([link removed]) to contact President Biden, Senator Feinstein, Governor Newsom, the director of the California Office of Emergency Services, and other local representatives.
In the meantime, there are many groups ([link removed]) on the ground ([link removed]) providing cash, clothing, food, and cleanup supplies to the victims of this disaster, and they could use your financial support:
* Center for Farmworker Families ([link removed]) provides direct support to farmworkers (donation page ([link removed]) )
* Campesina Womb Justice ([link removed]) GoFundMe ([link removed]) organized by María Ramos Bracamantes ([link removed])
* Second Harvest Food Bank ([link removed])
* Community Foundation of Santa Cruz Disaster Fund ([link removed])
* Community Foundation for Monterey County ([link removed])
**
Public comment to end penalties on SSI beneficiaries receiving food aid
------------------------------------------------------------
Currently, around 5 million people who are impoverished, disabled, or seniors rely on the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) administered by the Social Security Administration. This income amounts to $914 a month, but can be reduced by about a third if a beneficiary is receiving food aid. This is because food aid is considered “in-kind support and maintenance” (ISM).
The Social Security Administration is proposing a rule change that would remove food from ISM, so that SSI beneficiaries are not penalized for getting help with food.
Submit a Public Comment Directly atthe Federal Register ([link removed]) . Comments are due by April 17, 2023.
Lawyer and advocate Matthew Cortlandmade a blog post on Patreon ([link removed]) explaining the details of this rule change and how to most effectively comment on it. Remember, comments written in your own words are the most effective.
[link removed]
If you’re interested in participating in activities like drafting letters to our Members of Congress and developing our strategy for influencing them, the Indivisible SF Federal Working Group ([link removed]) is where it happens.
Indivisible SF Federal Working Group: Thursday, April 13, 7:30–9 PM. Planning meeting where we discuss strategy to influence our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to enact a progressive agenda. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30 PM. All are welcome. Register here ([link removed]) !
Virtual Phone Banks to Flip the Wisconsin Supreme Court with Call 4 Change: Sunday, April 2, 3–5 PM. Phone Bank with Call 4 Change and help us flip the Supreme Court election Wisconsin in April. RSVP on Mobilize. ([link removed])
SURJ SF Dialogues: Sunday, April 2, 12–1 PM. SURJ SF Dialogues invites you to join us in a year-long exploration of the SURJ Values so we can reflect, grow, and continue working toward personal and collective liberation in alliance with BIPOC. Sign up for this bimonthly event via EveryAction. ([link removed])
events go here
** About this week’s photo
------------------------------------------------------------
If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on Twitter and Facebook, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue.
Today’s image is a screengrab of the front page of the White House budget proposal ([link removed]) for fiscal year 2024.
Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team ([link removed])
If you'd like to support our all-volunteer team:
DONATE HERE ([link removed])
============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
Copyright © 2023 Indivisible SF, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in on our website or attended one of our meetings. This list is used only by ISF and we will not share your contact information with any local or national groups without your permission.
Want to change how often you receive emails from Indivisible SF?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
Friends can sign up for this mailing list ** here ([link removed])
.
Our mailing address is:
Indivisible SF
1661 15th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
