IN Newsletter, October 31st 2019



October 31, 2019
IN Newsletter

2020 IN Kickoff General Meeting

Indivisible Nashoba will host its 2020 Kickoff General Meeting on Saturday, November 9th at the Groton Public Library beginning at 10:15. EVERYONE should make an effort to attend – please.  It’s important that we snag some positive face time – and stay abreast of evolving political developments (impeachment, upcoming state-wide elections, democratic primary events, etc.).

Margaret “Plenty of Progressives in Pepperell” Scarsdale has confirmed that candidate Deb Busser will be on hand to outline her campaign for State Representative against Republican Sheila Harrington. Deb will take questions and discuss how we might support her campaign.  

For more on Deb Busser:  https://www.facebook.com/debforstaterep/

Agenda: 

10:15 AM      Welcome & Introductions

10:30 AM      State Rep Candidate Deb Busser; Presentation and Q&A

11:00 AM      Moving Forward 

11:30AM       Write some postcards! (for folks able to stay for a few minutes) 

Mixed Bag    

Pepperell too

The ban on single-use plastic bags was approved by a majority of voters at the Groton Fall Town Meeting on October 21st.  Congrats to IN for helping raise awareness – and thanks to everyone who voted (always important).  The vote was closer than might have been expected – so every vote counted.

Margaret asked that we acknowledge that the nice folks of Pepperell (led by high-schooler Duncan Premus) also passed a ban on single-use plastic bags last Monday evening.  Well done. 

Both bans will go into effect in 2020. 

M&Ms’ Saturday Postcard Party  (November 2nd)

Bring your fancy colored pens to Mike and Mary’s on Saturday.

Sally Reed   Oct 26, 2019

Mike says, “We’ll be writing cards to support Democrat John Bel Edwards in a run-off election for governor of Louisiana. Apparently, neither candidate got 50% of the vote, so LA law calls for a re-do. That election will be held on Nov. 16th.”

Join us at Mike and Mary’s this Saturday. Bring a friend.  9-11 a.m.  For details contact Mike at m3metzger@yahoo.com.

Postcards at Prescott   (Thursday October 31st)

Susan Willcox invites folks to Postcards at Prescott – Thursdays from 2PM-4PM – this fall and into 2020.   

October 31st  (costumes encouraged:)  That’s today!

November 14th
December 5th

For more information contact Susan Willcox: susan.colt.willcox@charter.net 

Peachy Impeachment

GOP’s Crumbling Impeachment Defense

Excerpts from a Seattle Times article by Danny Westneat – Oct. 30, 2019 

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, stranded himself last month when he put out a statement that sought to cast impeachment as nothing but a circus like “media spectacle.”

“I read the transcript President Trump released today of his phone call with President Zelensky,” Newhouse said in late September. “It does not contain a ‘quid-pro-quo’ deal with Ukraine.”

Now that some of Trump’s own Ukraine aides have said that there was a quid pro quo, and you yourself established that as the standard, aren’t you then obligated to at least back further investigation?

Probably not. There’s always more process to decry. In fact if you think a closed-door investigation was a media spectacle, just wait until the open hearings start. They will be bashed as nothing but a “show trial.”

Full Story:  https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/the-last-ledge-of-the-gops-crumbling-impeachment-defense/                       

Nothing to Do with Politics:

Cloudy Wednesday October 30, 2019

Hoping this ambulance doesn’t  come to your rescue on Halloween:  https://youtu.be/XGnP6wKz66o

Political Reality

Indivisible Update

On December 7th, activists from across Massachusetts will gather at Worcester State University to get ready for 2020 and beyond. 

Organized by Indivisible Massachusetts and other progressive area organizations, the conference will focus on working sessions.  

Workshop topics include election planning, strategic targeting, texting, and phone banking.  Issues include: climate change, gun safety, healthcare, immigration, and women’s rights.  There will also be sessions on impeachment and grassroots activism.  Grab and friend and join the fray.

Learn more about the conference and reserve your spot now

https://www.indivisible-ma.org/

Donate Two Bucks to IN

We need stamps ‘n stuff.  Beth says IN is almost bankrupt (not really).  Kick in a few bucks and spread the burden.

Support Indivisible Nashoba:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indivisiblenshb431105092#

For information contact IN Treasurer, Beth Garcia onyxpected@yahoo.com

Second Look at Second Amendment

The End

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Your suggestions for upcoming editions of the IN Newsletter are welcome.   jgoodale63@gmail.com  m3metzger@yahoo.com   susangreenough@comcast.net   smiller@alumni.caltech.edu

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In Newsletter October 18, 2019

IN Newsletter

October 18, 2019

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2020 Kickoff IN General Meeting

To get warmed up for 2020 (as if impeachment, Syria, the election, and insanity aren’t enough) Indivisible Nashoba will host its 2020 Kick-off General Meeting on Saturday, November 9th at the Groton Public Library. Please save that Saturday morning to rekindle your enthusiasm for all things positive and progressive.

The IN Steering Committee has confirmed that candidate Deb Busser will be on hand to outline her campaign for State Representative against Republican Sheila Harrington. Deb will take questions from the audience and discuss how we might support her campaign.  https://www.facebook.com/debforstaterep/

Preliminary agenda: 

10:15 AM      Welcome & Introductions

                        Activities and Accomplishments

10:30 AM        State Rep Candidate Deb Busser; Presentation and Q&A

11:00 AM      Moving Forward 

11:30AM       Write some postcards! (for folks able to stay for a while) 

Don’t Bag it     

Plastic Bag Ban in Groton  – Fall Town Meeting

A Proposal to Ban Single-use Plastic Bags

The Town of Groton will vote on this proposal at

Fall Town Meeting – Middle School

Monday, October 21, 2019  7PM

Four Not-so-funny Facts about Plastic Bags 

  1. single-use plastic bags are discarded every year in US
  2. plastic bags are tossed in Massachusetts every year! 
  3. of plastic bags are not recycled.   

Please be there this Monday evening.  The Town needs your Vote.

M&Ms’ Saturday Postcard Party  (October 19th)

Nobody knows what Mike has in store for folks this week.  It’s always a fun adventure to snuggle into Mike and Mary’s living room with the zippy tunes playing – all as a prelude to The Ohio State Football game.

Join us at Mike and Mary’s this Saturday. Bring a friend.  9-11 a.m.   For details contact Mike at m3metzger@yahoo.com

Postcards at Prescott   (Thursday October 31st)

Susan Willcox invites happy people everywhere to come to Postcards at Prescott – Thursdays from 2PM-4PM – this fall and into 2020.   

October 31st  (costumes encouraged:)
November 14th
December 5th

For more information contact Susan Willcox: susan.colt.willcox@charter.net 

Peachy Impeachment                                                                       

In case you missed it …

Excerpts from Boston Globe’s Fast Forward by Teresa Hanafin  – October 17, 2019

“There’s a new bombshell investigative report by ProPublica that seems to confirm what former Trump fixer Michael Cohen told Congress: That in his private business, Trump inflated the value of his assets when he was trying to borrow money, and deflated the values when he was paying taxes. Both would constitute criminal fraud.

From the story: “Documents obtained by ProPublica show stark differences in how Donald Trump’s businesses reported some expenses, profits and occupancy figures for two Manhattan buildings, giving a lender different figures than they provided to New York City tax authorities. The discrepancies made the buildings appear more profitable to the lender — and less profitable to the officials who set the buildings’ property tax.”

“The discrepancies are ‘versions of fraud,’ said Nancy Wallace, a professor of finance and real estate at the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley. ‘This kind of stuff is not OK.’ “

Read the report for yourself.

Bitter Sweet

Don’t count Trump out yet. Here’s why.

Washington Post  Opinion – Max Boot  October 17, 2019

“Between Syria and Ukraine, President Trump has had an awful few weeks. A majority of the public now favors his impeachment and removal. But don’t get cocky, Trump-haters. Developments from across the pond suggest that he might prove too resilient for comfort.”

Full article:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-count-trump-out-yet-heres-why/2019/10/16/3ffdc436-f032-11e9-b648-76bcf86eb67e_story.html

Action Item

According to Indivisible’s national organization, here’s something you can do right now to keep the pressure up on impeachment – even considering the progressive nature of Massachusetts.

Sign up for a phone banking shift to talk to voters in key states and urge them to call their senators to demand a transparent and fair impeachment trial.

Nothing to Do with Politics:

               Next Stop:  Haunted Halloween?

Political Reality

Stand with Indivisible Nashoba

Indivisible Nashoba is involved in many activities that engage voters including postcard events, candidate forums, ranked choice voting canvassing, and debate parties.  We are a volunteer organization and we need financial support to continue our efforts here in Nashoba Valley.

    $11 will purchase 100 blank postcards.

    $35 gets us 100 postcard stamps.

    $50 helps us sponsor events like the debate parties or the Grotonfest booth.

Your contribution will benefit Indivisible Nashoba, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Donations are not deductible for federal income tax purposes as charitable contributions.  For information contact IN Treasurer, Beth Garcia onyxpected@yahoo.comv

 Please contribute today to support Indivisible Nashoba. Together, we win.https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indivisiblenshb431105092#

The End

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Your suggestions for upcoming editions of the IN Newsletter are welcome.   jgoodale63@gmail.com  m3metzger@yahoo.com   susangreenough@comcast.net   smiller@alumni.caltech.edu

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Newsletter: March 10, 2018

Dear Indivisible Nashoba,

We are excited to present two candidates at our meeting this Saturday, March 10, from 10:15 a.m. – 12 noon. Alexandra Chandler will start promptly at 10:15 a.m. She is running for U.S. Congress to replace Niki Tsongas, who is retiring.

Alexandra Chandler, candidate for MA-3

At 11:00 a.m. we have invited Cindy King from Townsend. She is running for the First Middlesex State Representative seat currently held by Sheila Harrington. After Cindy, we can discuss future candidates and directions for our group.

Cindy King, candidate for State Representative

MA3 Grassroots

Brenton Stottart will present the website MA3 Grassroots, a website that tracks candidates positions on issues within the MA3 district election.

Survey

Steering committee has designed a survey to help us better anticipate areas of focus for the upcoming year. We have extended the deadline to March 15 to give more of you a chance to participate. Your answers will help us analyze the needs of IN so please respond: Take The Indivisible Nashoba Survey

March 3, 2018 Postcard Party for PA-18

March 24: March For Our Lives

On March 24 there is a March for Our Lives event being planned in Chelmsford. If you would like to be involved in planning this event there are two planning meetings coming up on Monday March 12 and Monday March 19.

  • Monday, March 12, planning March for our Lives, 7:00 pm. (contact Deborah for location)
  • Monday, March 19, planning March for our Lives, 7:00 pm (contact Deborah for location)
  • Saturday, March 24, March for Our Lives, 2:00-5:00 pm, 4 North Rd., Chelmsford
    https://www.facebook.com/events/172568543525779/

Mark your calendars- our next three IN General Meetings will be on Saturdays at the GPL from 10:15 a.m. to 12 noon:

  • Saturday, April 7, Owen Smith Shuman Gallery, Groton Public Library
  • Saturday, May 5, Owen Smith Shuman Gallery, Groton Public Library
  • Saturday, June 2, Owen Smith Shuman Gallery, Groton Public Library

Deborah Santoro & Margaret Scarsdale
Co-chairs of Indivisible Nashoba

Cheers to Indivisible Nashoba and its phenomenal members!

Newsletter: January 25, 2018

How do we keep hope alive in the dystopian version of America that we find ourselves living in?

By taking action.

This week we are asking all of you to call your state representatives and ask them to move forward on 5 environmental bills that a consortium of Indivisible groups and Mass Power Forward have identified as legislative priorities this session.  More information and a calling script here.

The Massachusetts legislature works in a 2-year cycle that we are now halfway through. All bills not voted out of committee by February 7th will die in committee. We have identified Rep. Sheila Harrington and Sen. Eileen Donoghue in particular who need to hear from constituents about these bills.

This Saturday January 27th we will meet at the Groton Public Library from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. The first half of our meeting will be an update of what we’re doing and where we’re headed.

At 10:30, we’re welcoming Steve Kerrigan, who is a candidate for the seat that Niki Tsongas is leaving.

The second half will be devoted to texting training. Texting can be a remarkably powerful tool — texting with MoveOn.org has allowed us to text progressive voters in key states to generate constituent phone calls on important issues, such as calling senators to support legislation in the Senate to retain Net Neutrality. It would be helpful if you would read the document and join the MoveOn Slack team before Saturday, but this is not required.

Does the idea of learning a new piece of software make you want to cringe? Several of our members have felt the same way, until they tried it. MoveOn texting is incredibly easy and incredibly effective at making change — try it, we think you’ll agree!

Forrest Gump once recounted that, “Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get.” We have found that to be true for every aspect of life, until we joined the ranks of other activists after the November 2016 election. Since then, every meeting, every march, every phone call, every action has led us to the same result again and again: feeling powerful, feeling energized, and feeling whole.
It was like that last Saturday when Margaret, Dina, Sarah, Carolyn McCreary (who spoke!) and about 400 others showed up for the Women’s anniversary march in Ayer, MA.

Margaret writes:

“There was the same lovely anticipation as my family and I approached the venue: without knowing who would be there, I was excited simply that activists would be there, men and women and children who see a different direction for our country, men and women and children who believe in inclusivity and curiosity and kindness. I knew whoever I was there, I was in good company, and just like every other time I’ve gotten together with these men and women and children who are on their feet and speaking out, it was a phenomenal day.”

We can say, without reservation, that nothing gives you courage like seeing hundreds of your family and friends and neighbors making a public statement with their very bodies about what is — and is not — to be tolerated, hundreds of people standing strong in Ayer’s town center. Here’s to the continuing change being brought about by our collective voices!

Thank you for all that you do!

Deborah Santoro & Margaret Scarsdale
Co-chairs of Indivisible Nashoba

This just in!

Steve Kerrigan, MA candidate for Niki Tsongas’s CD-3 seat will join us at our General Meeting at the Groton Public Library this Saturday, January 27. We expect him to speak briefly at 10:30 am. (The meeting runs from 10:00 to 12:00.)

Events and Calls to Action

  • Sunday, February 25, 3 p.m: Groton Democratic Caucus at Town Hall (have to register as a Democrat to participate)
  • Saturday, January 27, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Indivisible Nashoba General Meeting and Texting Training, Groton Public Library
  • Sunday, January 28, 4:00 pm: Groton Democratic Town Committee hosting two Congressional candidates: Beej Das and Barbara L’Italien. Between 4:00 and 5:00, Beej Das, will speak and take questions. From 5:00 to 6:00, State Senator Barbara L’Italien will speak and take questions.
  • Wednesday, January 31st, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm: Lobby Day for Automatic Voting Registration, Massachusetts State House. Follow this link to register and attend (training provided).
  • Saturday, February 3, 9:00 am – 11:00 am: Postcard party at Sarah Miller’s.
  • Sunday, February 25, 3:00 pm: Groton Democratic Caucus at Town Hall (have to register as a Democrat to participate).

 

Newsletter: December 13, 2017

We are imagining the sighs of relief that were exhaled when you learned of the news of the Alabama victory for Senator Doug Jones. Make no mistake: this is a victory shared by many people (including some in our own state) who rolled up their sleeves and/or opened their wallets and made the “impossible” happen. And it is by no means the end of our Indivisible journey, as you probably know when you think about the current “tax reform” bill that appears to be close to passing, despite its overt and absolutely unapologetic crippling of the poor and those who struggle day to day. Continue reading “Newsletter: December 13, 2017”

Newsletter: December 3, 2017

In November, eleven of us went to the Indivisible Massachusetts Conference in Worcester where we learned strategies to Connect * Affect * Elect in 2018 and beyond. Of the many valuable lessons learned, some of the most valuable are those of hope and connection. In an invigorating speech, Elizabeth Warren reminded us that the actions of Indivisible groups like ours are working; that when people rise up and take a stand, the world changes.

Continue reading “Newsletter: December 3, 2017”