MISSION STATEMENT: To build and sustain an inclusive proactive community that will protect our environment, our freedoms and our basic human and civil rights. We are committed to an indivisible St. Johns County with liberty and justice for all.

Friday, April 24, 2020

Indivisible St Johns Newsletter April 26, 2020


YOUR WEEKLY RESISTANCE NEWSLETTER
WEEK OF APRIL 26, 2020




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SAVE THIS DATE! MAY 7, 2020 7PM-8PM
INDIVISIBLE ST JOHNS GENERAL ZOOM MEETING
WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE ION SANCHO, FORMER SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
 FOR LEON COUNTY FL
AND LONG TIME EXPERT AND ADVOCATE FOR ELECTION SECURITY
AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER.

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In November 1988, Sancho was elected to his first term as the Supervisor of Elections
for Leon County, Florida. He ran and was re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004,
serving his fifth term as of January 2, 2005. He was unopposed in each election since 1992.


In the 2000 presidential recount, Sancho (No Party Affiliation) was chosen to lead the
Florida hand count of ballots in dispute in Miami-Dade County. The U.S. Supreme Court
stopped the hand count in a 7-2 vote just as it got underway. Later the Court ruled 5–4
that no constitutionally valid recount could be completed by a December 12 "safe harbor"
deadline.


In 2005, Sancho invited Bev Harris, founder of Black Box VotingKathleen Wynne,
Black Box Voting Associate Director, Harri Hursti, computer programmer and security
expert, Dr. Hugh Thompson, application security expert and Ph.D. in math, Susan Bernecker,
former Republican candidate for New Orleans city council and Susan Pynchon, Director of
Florida Fair Elections Coalition to Tallahassee. There, they performed what is now known
as the Hursti Hack which became the center piece of an HBO documentary titled

Most recently, he is prominently featured in an ominously fascinating HBO documentary
about cyber-manipulation of elections. Sancho not only conducted clean balloting locally,
in an era when Florida elections were a staple of monologues of late-night TV comics but
was nationally recognized as an expert on complex computer systems needed for reliable
tallies.

The HBO special is titled “Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections,”

The producers thought this information was so important to the public, after the HBO
screening, they made it available for free on YouTube. It is must watch video.

We encourage all members to attend this Zoom meeting. Here is a tutorial about Zoom.
It is easy!

If you want an invitation to this very special meeting, please email indivisible.st.johns@gmail.com for login link and password
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SHOULD INDIVISIBLE NATIONAL ENDORSE JOE BIDEN?
Your chance to make your voice heard!
On Saturday, the one-year anniversary of the Indivisible pledge, we will send an email to our full list and invite everyone in the network to vote. Like our congressional endorsement voting process, only those who are on Indivisible National’s email list will be able to participate. Please send this registration form to your group members now to make sure they’re signed up by 11:59pm ET on Monday, April 27, in order to take part.
Our voting period for all Indivisibles will close on Sunday, May 3rd at 11:59pm ET. We will then analyze the submissions and send a follow-up email announcing the results. If at least60% of the votes cast are in favor of endorsing, and if the majority of votes cast from group leaders are in favor of endorsing, we will endorse.
For more information about the process, you can check out this document.
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We’re following up with quick calls to the almost 700 letters to voters we sent. You only need to sign up for a couple sheets of already contacted voters to call and check in with. Script provided!
 Sign up here 
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094da9aa23a4ff2-phone

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LAST CHANCE!


It's getting down to the wire to get  Joe McAnarney onto the ballot for St. Johns
County Commissioners District 1.  
This is your last chance to send in his signed petition!  You do not have to live
in his district.  You can also scan and email your petition to 

Please download PETITION here


Please made your contributions payable to Joe McAnarney Campaign.
Contributions in excess of $100 must indicate an employment profession.

Joe McAnarney Campaign
P. O. Box 600332
St. Johns, FL 32260

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As always, we love to hear from you! Drop us a line that you are safe and healthy. 
Let us know if you need anything!



Saturday, April 18, 2020

Indivisible St Johns Newsletter April 19, 2020



YOUR WEEKLY RESISTANCE NEWSLETTER
WEEK OF APRIL 19, 2020




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We know what it's like when there's just too much "to do" so we're keeping it short and sweet this week, so we can each indeed do something--and  from the safety of your home!

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What are just 4 of the most important things we can do?

(1)   LOCAL --  Get Joe McAnarney on the ballot for St Johns County Commissioner, District 1.  If you haven't yet sent in the PETITION, please do so now!



ELECT JOE McANARNEY for
County Commissioner District 1

Please made your contributions payable to Joe McAnarney Campaign.
Contributions in excess of $100 must indicate an employment profession.

Help us get Joe on the ballot.
Please download the attached Candidate Petition, 
sign one and have your neighbor/friend sign the other
and mail to:

Joe McAnarney Campaign
P. O. Box 600332
St. Johns, FL 32260

Please download PETITION here
This is a double petition so two people can sign and save paper.

Good news!  As many of you know, the Supervisor of Elections
is now accepting electronic petitions so the signatures do not
have to be original ink.  Now it's easier for people to fill out
the form, scan it and email it to electjoemack@gmail.com

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(2)  STATE:  Urge Gov. DeSantis to protect the health of Florida's farmworkers


Unless mitigation measures are taken, Immokalee will become an epicenter of contagion with grave consequences not only for the agricultural community of Immokalee but also for the agricultural industry of Florida and the food supply chain of the entire United States.

Email Gov. DeSantis’ office today and urge him to protect the health of Florida farmworkers: GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com

More info here



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(3)  A big shout out of thanks to Warren Clark! His Edgy Postcard group is still alive and well--it has just moved to your home base.  Contact Warren for topics and to join this persistent resistance group: rwc904@gmail.com

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(4)  VOTE FORWARD CAMPAIGN--Click here to see how your letters to occasional voters can help to turn an election.  Templates provided.
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As always, we love to hear from you! Drop us a line that you are safe and healthy. 
Let us know if you need anything!


Saturday, April 11, 2020

Indivisible St Johns Newsletter April 12, 2020

YOUR WEEKLY RESISTANCE NEWSLETTER
WEEK OF APRIL 12, 2020


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Joe still needs our help to get on the ballot!

                                                                
ELECT JOE McANARNEY for
County Commissioner District 1

Please made your contributions payable to Joe McAnarney Campaign.
Contributions in excess of $100 must indicate an employment profession.

Help us get Joe on the ballot.
Please download the attached Candidate Petition, 
sign one and have your neighbor/friend sign the other
and mail to:

Joe McAnarney Campaign
P. O. Box 600332
St. Johns, FL 32260

Please download PETITION here
This is a double petition so two people can sign and save paper.

Good news!  As many of you know, the Supervisor of Elections
is now accepting electronic petitions so the signatures do not
have to be original ink.  Now it's easier for people to fill out
the form, scan it and email it to electjoemack@gmail.com



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We still need 3 volunteers for Pct 209

You're only stuffing and addressing envelopes from home! 


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Your 4 weekly to-do's:
  1. Use this resource to demand accountability and action from your state-level elected officials. The federal government has put out three coronavirus relief packages so far, but there is plenty more that your state and local governments can do to create a more robust and equitable response.
  2. Call your senator and tell them to prioritize a Coronavirus People’s Bailout. We need a package that prioritizes protecting our democratic systems, providing accessible health care for all, and direct economic support to everyone. Call your senators now to demand they support the People’s Bailout.
  3. Call your representative and tell them the same. Millions of people could be left behind while corporations rake in trillions of tax-payer dollars. The House needs to make this right. Call your representatives now and demand that they support the above provisions be included in the next coronavirus package.
  4. Email your representative and two senators and demand they prioritize a People’s Bailout. Use our tool to send a letter to your three members of Congress, which outline
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VOTE FORWARD!
Last week, Indivisible launched a new partnership with VoteFWD; a nationwide letter-writing campaign to reach voters in key states before the November election, maximize impact, and increase turnout.
We fast-tracked VoteFWD because so many folks are stuck at home and looking for ways to stay engaged and active. This is a great way to focus on the things we can control, like building voter turnout in key states ahead of November.
Here’s how it works:
  1. Sign up to write letters by clicking here.
  2. Then, VoteFWD provides you with names, addresses, and a template to write letters to voters in important states.
  3. Save your letters and send them IN SEPTEMBER so that voters receive them at the perfect, most-strategic moment and still have time to register for Vote By Mail if they choose.
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Adam Morley also needs our help
District 24 constituents ONLY! 


Message from Lauren Trice, the campaign manager for Adam Morley, 
candidate for Florida State Representative, District 24. 

Due to Covid19 petition gathering efforts for Adam Morley have stalled. BUT just this week they announced that they will be accepting digital petitions as long as the signature matches the voter. Please follow this link to the petition, fill it out (select “draw” for your signature and do the best you can. DO NOT select "style". Your signature MUST match your actual signature as closely as possible for the petition to be accepted), submit it and encourage your friends to do the same by sharing this link:

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Save the US Postal Service
By Ted Lam
Deadline: Now –
There are reports that without an infusion of funding, the US Postal Service might have to shutter its operations by June. Without the USPS functioning properly, there’s little hope that vote by mail will be widely available between now and November’s elections. The House of Representatives asked for money for USPS during the last stimulus negotiations, but the money was dropped from the final bill.
Members of Congress are now debating whether to provide the Postal Service with money in the next round of stimulus, and Democrats are fighting back. The bicameral Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020, H.R. 6202 and S. 3440, are intended to address the risks to American voters and elections posed by COVID-19 and other natural disasters. To date, none of our Members of Congress have cosponsored these bills.
The Republican Party has long wanted to privatize USPS. The Current Occupant, having spent many a tweet criticizing the USPS, was also opposed to providing it with necessary assistance in the recent $2 trillion stimulus bill. When Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) was asked “if he believed the Trump Administration is deliberately allowing the Postal Service to fail,” he answered, “I don’t know that it’s a strategy, but I think they would not be bothered by the collapse of the Postal Service.” 
Voting by mail in 2020 depends on a functioning post office. Vote by mail is not a panacea for elections. It takes time and care to set up and, improperly executed, can lead to voters being disenfranchised. But during the pandemic it’s hard to see how we can conduct elections safely without it. We risk disenfranchising people from closed polling places and enormous numbers not being able to vote in the fall. We only have to look at the horrifying dilemma voters in Wisconsin faced this week: abandoning their right to vote or joining crowded lines with the risk of catching COVID. Allowing the USPS to fail could mean countless other states would face an equally terrible choice in November.
What you can do:
Call your Senators and Representative to tell them you want them to make sure the next stimulus bill includes necessary funding for USPS, and that you want them to cosponsor the Resilient Elections bills (H.R. 6202 and S. 3440). 
What to say to your Senators:
My name is _____, my zip code is _____, and I’m a member of Indivisible St Johns. The next COVID stimulus bill must include the original House’s $25 billion to help fund the USPS, and eliminate its $11 billion debt and $3 billion annual borrowing cap. Without the USPS millions won’t be able to vote safely while the pandemic lasts. Don’t let the USPS be shut down or privatized – don’t let what happened in Wisconsin this week happen in the rest of the country! And please also co-sponsor the Resilient Elections During Quarantines bill, S. 3440.
§  Sen. Marco Rubio: (email);  • DC: 202-224-3041
§  Sen. Rick Scott: (email);  • DC: 202-224-5274
What to say to your Representative:
My name is _____, my zip code is _____, and I’m a member of Indivisible St Johns.  The next COVID stimulus bill must include the original House’s $25 billion to help fund the USPS, and eliminate its $11 billion debt and $3 billion annual borrowing cap. Without the USPS millions won’t be able to vote safely while the pandemic lasts. Don’t let the USPS be shut down or privatized – don’t let what happened in Wisconsin this week happen in the rest of the country! And please also co-sponsor the Resilient Elections During Quarantines bill, H.R. 6202.
§  Rep. John Rutherford (Dist. 4) DC: (202) 225-2501
§  Rep. Michael  Waltz  (Dist. 6)  DC:  (202) 225-2706   

Ion Y. and Heidi Rand contributed to this articleTed Lam is retired from the USCG and currently works as a civil engineer. Ted is a member of the Indivisible East Bay Governance Committee and is co-lead of the Indivisible CA-11 team.Heidi Rand fights the evil empire with skills gained as a Ninth Circuit staff attorney and

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Rosie says "We Can Do It" - Text Resist to 50409

COVID Keyword
Send "covid" to Resistbot to get information on what's happening in your state. From the latest testing numbers, to restrictions/closures on bars and restaurants, court, public gatherings, elective surgery; to resources for mental health, medicaid, public assistance, unemployment, taxes, testing, and more.

Covid Predictive Model & Petition
We've teamed up with doctors and data scientists who've modeled the outbreak. It is frightening. You can see projections for your state, and how mitigation strategies could flatten the curve. Send "covid model" to the bot to see it. If you want, the bot can send this information to your state government. It's already worked in many states.
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And, then there are  those postcards from the edge! 


 We Are,  We Are… PERSISTENT!!!post card
Indivisible St. Johns also Putnam & Flagler Counties.
Telephone / Post Card Advocacy  
Topics and Talking Points   April 2, 2020 

Gov. DeSantis told us to stay home.  What a wonderful time to…
Write to progressive-leaning registered voters who are unlikely to vote. That’s about 2.7 million citizens. (612,000+ in Florida).
Receiving a hand-written Vote Forward letter will make them more likely to cast a ballot.
If you’d like to help people vote, writing letters now is a simple, effective way to volunteer
from the comfort and safety of your home. Write the letters now; mail them in September.
Data from previous Vote Forward campaigns shows this does increase turnout!

Action 1 Call: Gov. Ron DeSantis   (850)-488-7146
Hunger makes Floridians vulnerable to COVID 19. 
• Suspend all SNAP work requirements. (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Food Stamps)
• Be flexible with requirements on child and senior nutrition programs.

• Make SNAP work: raise benefits, waive in-person applications. 

Action 2: Sign the petition today on SNAP. It goes to federal and state decision makers tomorrow.  Mazon, the Jewish response to hunger, is a leading advocacy organization.

Call St. Johns County Commissioners: Paul Waldron, Chair, 
Jeb Smith, Vice-Chair, Jeremiah Ray Blocker, James Johns, Henry Dean (904) 209-0300
Call a Moratorium on BOCC Deforestation “Development” meetings
during COVID 19 crisis. You know there’s broad public anger about clear cutting.
Will you please postpone the April 7 meeting until after the crisis?  

ACTION 3 Call: Gov. Ron DeSantis  (850)-488-7146
Sen. Bill Galvano, President, Florida Senate  (850) 487-5229
Speaker Jose Oliva, Florida House of Representatives   (850) 717-5110
Florida’s unemployment system should help workers; not multiply their misery!
Florida’s 12 weeks benefits and $275 checks are about the stingiest in the U.S.
COVID 19 jumped unemployment claims from 6,000 to 74,000 in one week!
Will you immediately increase benefits and remove unnecessary barriers?
Action 4: Sign the AFL-CIO petition  Florida Workers Need Relief Now

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FROM RECENT NATIONAL DATA, WE NOW KNOW:



Thank you Mike Konopacki for stating it so well.



As always, we love to hear from you! Drop us a line that you are safe and healthy. 
Let us know if you need anything!