Action Alerts – Week of Oct 23 – CNY Solidarity Coalition

CNY Solidarity members and supporters:
Please find below the weekly ACTION ALERTS from our legislative action team.

Congress is back in session. On Tuesday, the House votes on a joint resolution to establish a budget framework, which will create the opportunity to cut taxes for the rich, funded, in part by cuts in medicare.

Monday (Oct 23)

Ask John Katko to Oppose the Trump Tax Scam!

Call John Katko @ 315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC) and ask him to oppose Trump’s tax scam, which reduces Medicaid funding in order to reduce taxes for the rich. More talking points and information are here. Letters to the editor or opeds will also help.

Oppose Bailout of Coal and Nuclear Power Plants. Since coal and nuclear have become uneconomic in the face of the declining cost of alternatives, like natural gas and renewable energy, the Department of Energy has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to create rules authorizing rate increases to bailout dirty coal and nuclear. Sign on to a statement opposing this bailout to FERC today to meet a public comment deadline. You can sign the petition here. Background information is available here and here

Syracuse Mayoral Debate 6:30-8:30, Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave., in Syracuse. Co-sponsored by CNY Solidarity, ACTS, National Action Network, Parents for Public Schools, and others. More details here.

Tuesday (Oct 24)

Ask John Katko, Sen. Schumer, and Senator Gillibrand to support the Alexander-Murray Bill to Limit Trump’s Sabotage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Donald Trump has tried to sabotage the ACA by drastically cutting funding for outreach to sign people up for insurance, cutting the open enrollment period, deleting crucial signup information from government websites, and slashing payments to insurance companies to help fund out-of-pocket expenses for families that can’t afford them. The Alexander-Murray compromise bill would restore funding that allows insurance companies to cover some of low income families’ out of pocket expenses and to fund outreach to help people get insured. Both are critical to keeping premiums from steeply rising. Ask John Katko (315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC) ); Sen. Schumer (202-224-6542 or 315-423-5471); and Sen. Gillibrand (202-224-4451 or 315-448-0470) to only support changes in compromise bill that strengthen the ACA. More information is here

6pm: Syracuse Mayoral Candidate Debate, hosted by Masking & Kompany. More details here.

Wednesday (Oct 25)

Ask John Katko to Support Immediate Reauthorization of Funding for the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

It’s appalling that Congress may let 9 million kids go without health insurance while they diligently work to cut taxes for the rich. Call John Katko at 315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC) and ask to him to immediately reauthorize CHIP funding.

7-9pm: Undocumented but with a Voice. Discussion with Cesar Vargas, national immigrant rights activist, hosted by Citizens’ Response Network of Wayne County, Ohmann Theatre, 65 Williams St., Lyons.

Thursday (Oct 26)

Ask Katko, Schumer, and Gillibrand to Support a Clean Bill to Protect “Dreamers”

Donald Trump has announced he will terminate a program limiting deportation of people who came to the United States as children (called Dreamers for their pursuit of the American Dream), unless Congress acts. Many of these Dreamers have known no home save the United States. Ask John Katko ((315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC)) to support a clean Dreamer Act (one not tied to commitments on other policies, like building a wall). Ask Charles Schumer Schumer (202-224-6542 or 315-423-5471) and Kirstin Gillibrand (202-224-4451 or 315-448-0470) to commit to vote against a December spending bill unless it contains a clean Dreamer Act. More details are here.

Trump Tax Scam II: Call Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and tell them to oppose all tax cuts until Senator Schumer’s infrastructure bill is passed and funded. Sen. Schumer is at 202-224-6542 or 315-423-5471; Sen. Gillibrand at 202-224-4451 or 315-448-0470. More talking points and information are here.

Friday (Oct 27)

Help Abolish New York Fossil Fuel Subsidies:

In NY state we spend $1.5 billion every year on tax subsidies that support the use of dirty fossil fuels, with barely any information about the effects of this spending. We need a process in place to regularly analyze and review these subsidies, so that we can strengthen those that actually benefit hard-working New Yorkers, and get rid of those that waste taxpayer dollars and make our climate crisis worse. The legislation would require the Governor to submit an annual analysis of all fossil fuel related tax expenditures, including recommendations regarding continuation, modification or repeal of some of the worst offenses.

Call your New York State Senators and ask them to support or co-sponsor S6881. Ask your Assemblymen to support or cosponsor A8675. Most of us are represented in the State Senate by David Valesky (315-478-8745), John DeFrancisco (315-428-7632), or James Seward (607-432-5524). If you’re not sure you click here and enter your address. To find your State Assemblyman click here and enter your address. More information is here.

Saturday (October 28)

Help Get Out the Vote in Virginia. Virginians go to the polls on November 7 in the first statewide election since November 2016. They’ve built a tool for citizens ANYWHERE in the US to phone-bank or text-bank Virginians to remind them to vote. Want to help? Sign up for a volunteer shift now!

Save the date for these upcoming events:

Mon., Oct 30, 6:30-8:30pm: Syracuse Board of Ed and City Court Candidates Debate, Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave., in Syracuse. Co-sponsored by CNY Solidarity, ACTS, National Action Network, Parents for Public Schools, and others. More details here.

Wed., Nov. 1, 10:30-3pm: COVERAGE FOR ALL meeting in Albany. An opportunity to participate in critical statewide meeting to build toward affordable health coverage for all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status. Contact ursula.rozum@gmail.comfor details, including carpooling plans from Syracuse.

Sun., Nov. 5, 3-5pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, Most Holy Rosary School, 1031 Bellevue Ave, Syracuse.

Wed., Nov. 15, 7-9pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, Bishop Harrison Center, 1342 Lancaster Ave., Syracuse.

Wed., Dec. 4, 7-9pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, Southwest Community Center

Sun., Dec. 17, 3-6:30pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, Bishop Harrison Center.

Today and every day, be sure to follow us online and on social media!

Check out our website: www.cnysolidarity.org

Check us out on Flickr and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

In solidarity,

David