alliance4action !FLASH!
citizen activists of southern AZ
We are an alliance of progressive individuals in southern Arizona
working to ensure a caring and inclusive country. We will act together to
protect and strengthen our values, human and civil rights.
Message from Ann
The
alliance4action is up and running! We
held our fourth alliance4action group meeting on March 1 at Continental Mall
and had 120 people who attended…standing room only. We now have close to 700 people signed up to
receive our bi-weekly Flash and ActNow alerts and 7 action groups focusing on
specific issues. Their reports, goals,
priorities and next steps are listed below.
Meeting dates, times and locations are also posted on our Facebook page
at alliance4action and on our website found at alliance4action.org.
There was great participation from
a4a at Rep. Martha McSally’s Town Hall event on Feb. 23 in Sahuarita at the
Good Shepherd Church. The event was
assembled with McSally’s team, and Dan Shearer, the editor of the Green Valley
News and Sahuarita Sun papers, served as moderator. The a4a put together a video of this event,
which drew 800 people. It can be found
on our website and also on YouTube under Rep. Martha McSally, Town
Hall-February 2017. There are a number
of good videos available, including the full-length video of the entire
meeting.
With the growth and success of a4a, we need HELP with administration. It can be as simple as organizing or helping with a one-time event (like a postcard writing party for the Ides of Trump (https://www.theidesoftrump.com/) or helping with Facebook or our website. Please let me know if you can help. acstrike@cox.net
I hope to see all of you at our next
alliance4action meeting on April 5
at 1 pm upstairs in room 203 at the Continental Mall.
Table at Farmers Market on Wednesdays:
We need volunteers! Help make a4a a visible presence in
Green Valley. Sign up for a 2 1/2 hour shift (9 to
11:30 or 11:30 to 2:00) at our Alliance4 Action table at the Wednesday markets
in March. Email Fred Ginocchio at fredgin13@gmail.com
********Action Group Reports********
****Health Care
Action Group ****
Current Priorities: To resist the repeal and replacement of ACA, using all the consequences as fodder for calls to MoCs and Letters to the Editor.
Actions Taken: February 18th to March 6th: Several
letters and columns published in the Green Valley News; participation in Congresswoman
McSally's Town Hall on February 23rd.
Actions Planned: Advocacy visits pending with Senators Flake
and McCain offices; follow-up underway with Congresswoman McSally.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 8th,
at 1:00 pm at Cayley's Cakes on La Canada in the back room; Cayley's
is south of the Library Complex with the Green Valley Council and the Salvation
Army.
****Immigration
Action Group****
Current Priorities: Promote passage
of the Bridge Act; develop positions on a manageable number of additional
immigration issues; follow developments on the National and State level
regarding Immigrants, and take action!
Actions Taken: Copies of the Bridge Act, Indivisible
Guide, and 21st Century Immigration Reform document were sent to new
members. Jack Mattox received an appreciative email from 84Lumber responding to
his email expressing support for their SuperBowl ad. Three draft position
papers were circulated to the Group. The
subjects were “Border Security,” “Immigration, NAFTA, and Implications for U.S.
Economy,” and “Undocumented Immigrants.”
A list of committee membership and legislative actions for our MoC’s was
circulated.
Actions Planned: Finalize position papers and post to a4a website. Some members are tracking relevant state bills. Alerts will be sent to Immigration Committee members with the subject line: “a4a Immigration State Action Now.” Information is being gathered about border issues and the Tohono O’odham.
Actions Planned: Finalize position papers and post to a4a website. Some members are tracking relevant state bills. Alerts will be sent to Immigration Committee members with the subject line: “a4a Immigration State Action Now.” Information is being gathered about border issues and the Tohono O’odham.
Committee
members were asked to display a sign on their property. The sign reads: “All law enforcement
officials: Do not enter without a lawful search warrant.” The signs are being
distributed by Keep Tucson Together in hopes that they will be displayed widely
on homes housing undocumented immigrants, citizens, and legal residents alike.
Businesses are also encouraged to post these signs. Members were encouraged to
attend the next Keep Tucson Together meeting on Mar. 2.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 8 at 9:00 am, Green Valley Village Management
Office, Suite 13, located at south end of center (close to China View
restaurant)
****Education Action
Group****
Current
Priorities: To oppose pending legislation at the
national and state level that promotes privatization of Public Education. To
educate the public about the dangers of alternative education choices. Specific bills on the radar screen are AZ
HB2394, AZHB2465, SB1431 and SB1281. At the Federal level, HR610 eliminates the
Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965.
Actions Taken: Telephone calls, letters, and faxes
to AZ Legislators to voice our objections and explain why we object. Telephone calls
and letters to Congresswoman McSally about our concerns with HR610. We also
generated several questions to her about her platform of “School Choice.”
Actions Planned: Several members plan to write letters to the newspaper. We also will be
attending a program about school funding so that we can become more
knowledgeable about it on March 20. Petition gathering for Strong Start Tucson
from now until may. The ½ cent sales tax will provide 8000 scholarships to low
income 3-4 year olds in Tucson to attend quality pre-school programs.
Contacts: Poly Daly and Linda Laird, Co-Chairs
****Climate Change Action Group****
Current Goals:
National: Oppose Repeal of EPA Regulations and Reduction of EPA Budget. Call for US Rep Martha McSally to join BiPartisan Climate Solution Caucus.
National: Oppose Repeal of EPA Regulations and Reduction of EPA Budget. Call for US Rep Martha McSally to join BiPartisan Climate Solution Caucus.
State:
Support
Solar Energy in Arizona.
Local:
Encourage
use of reusable water bottles and grocery bags.
Actions Taken: Weekly phone calls to MOCS - Calling
scripts provided. Speaker on Solar and Utility Rate Cases. Attended US Rep
McSally Town Hall in Sahuarita
Actions Planned:
Attend Santa Cruz County Board of Sup. Meeting. Meeting with Rep. McSally Staff on March
9th. March for Science Tucson, EarthDay, April 22, 10am - 4 pm.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 8, 10 am, Tubac
Community Center, Bridge Rd.
****Election of Progressive Candidates Group****
Monday, March 13 at 2:00 our Full
Committee met. Approximately 38
attended. Guest speakers were: Aaron
Baumann, Joel Feinman re Lessons Learned from their campaigns and Kitty Kennedy
re Labor efforts to network with other groups to select and elect good candidates
to office that will take Arizona and the Nation in a better direction. Kitty Kennedy also spoke to why labor
voted against their own self interests according to labor poll taken.
Results indicated two reasons: jobs and guns.
Co-chairs
Miriam Lindmeier and Sherry Moreau met with Steve Farley, State Senator, to
hear from him re Lessons Learned with his successful campaigns over the past 11
years in AZ and to talk to him about his future plans in politics. He will return and talk to the full Committee
when the legislative session is over.
We broke
into 4 subcommittee groups:
1) Subcommittee
to Protect, Defend, and Promote LD2 incumbents has selected their co-chairs,
Carolyn Chaussee and Gerry Stoops. Next
meeting: Friday, March 10 at 2:00 pm at DCSRA HQ
2)
Subcommittee to Identify Incumbents to Replace and development of dossiers on
the votes and quotes, strengths and weaknesses of the incumbents. Their first meeting identified 17 Incumbents
they will be tracking. Co-chairs are
Janet Connell and Lois Connell.
3)
Subcommittee to Network, Interview, Guide, Select Progressive Candidates has
identified several candidates who may be interested in entry level positions, and
they will be meeting with two strong mid-level potential candidates next
week. Co-chairs are Diane Meyers and
Larry Robertshaw.
4)
Subcommittee for Candidate Preparation has spent some time brainstorming with
their difficult tasks and has assigned tasks to bring to the next meeting. Co-chairs are Helen Boyd and Penny Pestle.
Next Full Committee Meeting is March 22 or 29 not date reported
last month. Working with speakers for one of those dates. It will be in Room 203.
*****LGBTQ
Rights*****
Current Priorities: Sounding the alarm about the First Amendment Defense Act and /or
the rumored executive order that is very similar, maintaining current LGBTQ
rights, education of ourselves and the public regarding LGBTQ rights, networking
with other LGBTQ advocacy groups.
Actions Taken: Education
- Pat asks that we all read the Indivisible Guide; phone calling - many phone
calls have been made, some for advocacy and some to thank Rep McSally for the
town meeting; social M=media - this team
asks all to consider getting on Facebook, Twitter and
AZ Request to Speak (for registered voters); writing - writers
have had one letter published thus far.
29 “snail mail” and email letters were sent; speaking - April 23 at 10:15 am Good Shepherd
Church - LGBTQ talk; research - working on researching legal issues; networking - made connection with GLSEN Tucson
person.
Actions Planned: Speakers - will work on April 23rd
presentation; writers- chose 6 newspapers.
Each person will write one letter per week, with a rotation for newspaper
coverage; callers - will be focusing on Martha McSally regarding her statement
about caring for developing young
women. State-level phone calls will be
made regarding anti-demonstration bill as well as bills regarding “Empowered Scholarships”. Although this is the a4a Education Team’s task, we are helping
with this while waiting for our intense time of calling.
Next meeting, the callers will bring postcards for us all to fill
out at the meeting. Education - same as
Speakers; Research - team will be
gathering information on Wingspan and EON, AZ Dem reps and their LGBTQ
positions, LGBTQ Chamber in Tucson, GLSEN report on the safety of students in
schools, and info about federal reps. This
team will meet on March 5th. Networking - will meet with GLSEN and call PFLAG. Social
Media - will bring back their plan to the next meeting.
Next Meeting,
Monday, March 20, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
*****Racial
Justice*****
Current Goals: Build understanding/confidence
around racial justice by reading/researching issues. Focus research on issues that group is
"passionate" about: reparations, private prisons, restorative
justice, voter suppression/voting rights in AZ, local/state issues around
racial justice.
Build relationships within our group and reach out to other
groups doing this kind of work in the Tucson area: SURJ(Showing Up for Racial
Justice), YWCA(Standing Up for Racial Justice), NAACP.
Actions Taken: Made presentation to
group of 27 at The Good Shepherd UCC adult Forum on Feb.26. Individuals of group assigned themselves
ongoing research in their particular focus issue. Individuals from group attended movie,
"I Am Not Your Negro." Established and shared resource list of state
and federal contacts to voice our positions and learn positions of legislators. Readings
for ongoing education around issues were suggested.
Actions Planned:
Individuals of group will
research and share results of focus issues to begin to develop a group
position, with the goal of eventually writing position papers on those
focus issues. Ongoing reading/research
to better understand the issues. Presentation
to group by Tucson SURJ. Attend
"Nonviolence & Activism" workshop offered by Tucson YWCA.
Next Meeting: Friday, March 10, 12:30 pm
at The Good Shepherd UCC Church
17750 S. La Canada Drive in Sahuarita.
Contact:
****Resources to
Know About****
· Check out: https://www.facebook.com/CalendarForResistance/. This is a
Protest Events Calendar for Arizona
·
A site for keeping track & responding to national bills:
To Reach Us
· To sign up for
Alliance4Action FLASH and !ACTNOW!—or to unsubscribe: http://alliance4action.org (check
out our website for meeting dates, regional events, and MoC contact info)
· Find and like us at Facebook: Alliance4Action
(MoC contacts on FB page)
I BELIEVE I CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
3/6/17
