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.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Indivisible St Johns January 24, 2021

 

 YOUR RESISTANCE NEWSLETTER

WEEK OF JANUARY 24, 2021


________________________________________________________


NEW YEAR, NEW PRESIDENT, NEW CONGRESS 

NEW INDIVISIBLE

MEET OUR NEW INDIVISIBLE COORDINATOR, ABBY, FOCUSED SOLELY 

ON NORTH FLORIDA

This is your chance to find out first hand what is on the agenda for 2021 and beyond! Leadership opportunities abound as we work to get rid of Rubio, Rutherford, Waltz, Renner, Stevenson, and…..DEATHSANTIS.

INDIVISIBLE ST JOHNS GENERAL MEETING

January 28, 2021

7-9 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82986676757?pwd=ODhNKzJndGwrR3duMm1zRHBQNzVZZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8667 6757
Passcode: 597475


Join us to hear what Abby has to say and tell her what she needs to hear

to help us. Her bio is HERE. Next week our email will only consist of a short survey

of your interests and strengths and what roles you can take going forward.

Your leadership team is exhilarated but exhausted. This is your chance to shine and we are

here to help you! Without YOU, we may end up dissolving our local group which would

be a shame after all our success:


SEE YOU ON THE 28TH!!!

_______________________________________________


NO PARDONS - NO AMNESTY - FOR DONALD TRUMP

Donald Trump committed numerous crimes during his 4 years as President.  But Republicans are demanding pardons--or amnesty--for Donald Trump.




_________________________________________





_________________________________________________________

Florida House Bill 1--Need to ask to Vote NO!

While many Republicans across the nation have condemned the Capitol riot, Democrats insist that the convenient timing is just leverage to get the bill passed, saying that there were  ‘no similarities’ between the BLM protests and the Capitol protest


Email or call your Representative using the contact information below or text the word LOWER to Resistbot on iMessageMessengerTwitterTelegram, or to 50409 on SMS and follow the prompts.  Copy and paste the following in the text of your message.

HB 1 is on the Wednesday, January 27, meeting agenda of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee.

I urge you to vote NO on HB 1.

HB 1     Combating Public Disorder    Fernandez-Barquin    SB 484

Enacts heavy-handed punishments designed to curb free speech and silence dissent. Preempts municipalities from funding initiatives to maintain law and order with social workers trained in substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health and homelessness.


                          _____________________________________





Saturday, January 16, 2021

Indivisible St Johns January 17, 2021

 YOUR RESISTANCE NEWSLETTER

WEEK OF JANUARY 17, 2021



__________________________________ 


As we continue processing last week’s events and monitoring developments over the next few weeks, we wish we could say we were surprised. While the exact nature of the insurrection might not have been on our 2021 bingo card, the truth is that Indivisibles have known all along that this is where Trump and the GOP’s dangerous rhetoric was leading -- and that Donald Trump himself was just an avatar for the much deeper far-right sentiments that were brewing.

Our big plans for 2021 -- major democracy reform and all the progressive policies it’ll enable -- aren’t going anywhere. But for any of it to last, we have to ensure real accountability for those who’ve vowed to destroy American democracy, and that starts with Donald Trump. Our movement has what it takes to see these fights through to the end. Thanks for staying with us -- and if you're looking for another way to build pressure,  call your members of Congress and ask them to take action.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

_____________________________________________________

Many of you, like us, may have felt overwhelmed and powerless as you sat watching the events that transpired last week. But even in our darkest moments, Indivisibles have proven that when we band together, we have the power to deliver monumental change. 

Last week, we launched our latest Indivisible Guide -- A Practical Guide to Fixing our Democracy -- to help navigate the lessons from the past four years and outline the next steps we need to take to emerge from this crisis.

Get familiar with our latest Indivisible Guide. We’ve learned a lot over the last four years and have big ideas about how to make sure we’re prepared to make the most of a Democratic trifecta. Now that we have the power to enact bold, lasting change, we have to make sure our members of Congress hear our demands. Read the guide to learn about our priorities, get tips about effectively applying pressure on our elected officials, and understand the structural reforms capable of fixing our democracy.

____________________________________________________


Join us to advocate for democracy reforms

 ___________________________________________________________




      Indivisible St Johns, also Putnam & Flagler Counties

Telephone/Post Card/E-mail Advocacy

January 15, 2021  No Meeting at Growers Alliance

Click HERE  for this week's Topic and Talking Points


and the Interfaith Tribute to MLK on Monday, Jan. 18

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King envisioned Beloved Community as a society rooted in justice, equal opportunity and love for one another. He said this requires a qualitative change in our souls and a quantitative change in our lives. 

Dr. King’s message is particularly resonant today. Please join us on Monday, January 18, as our local faith leaders explore Dr. King’s legacy from various faith perspectives.  

Beloved Community: An Interfaith Gathering
6:30 PM
Monday, January 18, 2021 — ML King Day

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 821 2051 4879
Passcode: 928087

Or by phone:
        +1 312 626 6799

All are welcome!


_________________________________________________________

If you haven't yet written the SJC Commissioners please do!

Action Item:  We need to write letters to our St Johns County commissioners to request that the Land Acquisition & Management Program (LAMP) be revived.  This program allows for the purchase of private properties that have environmental significance.  It would be great if you could attend virtually the Jan. 19th meeting of the County Commission to support the reinstitution of LAMP.

  • Please Note: If the link does not work with your email software or browser, please copy the following email addresses and paste into your email address field: bcc1cwhitehurst@sjcfl.us; bcc2jsmith@sjcfl.usbcc3pwaldron@sjcfl.usbcc4jblocker@sjcfl.usbcc5hdean@sjcfl.us
  • Jan. 19 Meeting  9:00 am in the St. Johns County Auditorium located at 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL. The Board reserves the right to cancel and or change the meeting schedule as needed. 
  • _______________________________________________________________________
An effort to understand how we got to this point

The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions


If you would like to join in on future Saturday discussions, please email Warren Clark rwc904@gmail.com to be added to his list.

_______________________________________________________
    
More and concentrated development being proposed!



On the Agenda for the Monday, January 25 City Commission Meeting

Neighbors, If you've missed all those political candidate yard signs that seemed to be everywhere back in November, then I've got a deal for you. 
The Sebastian Inland Harbor PUD signs are in!
If you want one of the snazzy yard signs shown below, head over to 257 Riberia ST - they're in the driveway. If you're so inclined and want to make a contribution, you can leave a few bucks in the mailbox. Fighting for neighborhood quality of life doesn't come free.
Here's the link to the on-line petition:
Here's the link to the PUD impact information:

 

Now, there are a million snide comments I could make about shrinking the PUD, but I'll just take a pass... ðŸ˜‰
The Commission's "first reading" for the PUD amendment is 25 January. Please help St Augustine's City Commissioner realize this PUD is too densetoo intense and we're incensed!
Feel free to forward this email. 
On behalf of St Augustine Residents Count and still writing poetry
Lee Geanuleas

___________________________________________________________ 

Good Luck to All in the Vaccination Lottery!


________________________________________________________

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Indivisible St Johns Newsletter January 10, 2020


 



 YOUR RESISTANCE NEWSLETTER

WEEK OF JANUARY 10, 2021

__________________________________

WHEN WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT COULD GET WORSE. . .
IT DID!

_________________________________________

BUT, IT WASN'T THE WHOLE STORY!



THE SILVER LINING IS THAT BOTH OUR GEORGIA SENATORS WARNOCK AND OSOFF  WON THEIR RACES--THANK YOU STACY AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO WORKED SO HARD TO GOTV!



WE DID IT!

___________________________________



Disappointed in Rutherford - Topic and Talking Points Indivisible St Johns

Rep. John Rutherford (St. Johns),  Rep. Kat Cammack (Putnam)

U.S. House,  Washington, D.C.  20515   FL04JRima@mail.house.gov (Rutherford)

(You'll need to copy and paste this email address)  

  Capitol operator: 202-224-3121 

I am disappointed you supported reversing the election even after the storming of our Capitol!

Please publicly affirm the validity of this election and the electoral process.

Please support a new Voting Rights Act to protect all citizens' right to vote. 

Thank Rep. Michael Waltz, for voting against the Objection to certify election results. 

 

Warren Clark, D.Min.,
Postcard/ Telephone Advocacy Facilitator
Indivisible St. Johns

***************

     and from Indivisible Action:

First, we are urging all Indivisibles to call on their member of Congress to support Trump's immediate removal.  The House Judiciary Committee is now preparing impeachment articles in the event Trump's own cabinet doesn't remove him using the 25th Amendment.  If impeachment is successful, we could bar Trump from every holding public office again, and we need to move quickly ad push every single MofC to speak out unequivocally in support.  Impeachment votes are also in Congress's control, unlike the 25th Amendment approach, which must come from Trump's cabinet--meaning that we can use our power as constituents right now to demand an impeachment vote.  Moving forward now on impeachment will force every representative to take a stand and clarify who continues to enable Trump's terrorism.  Indivisible groups were instrumental in last year's push for impeachment, and we will be again.  Here is the call page to share with your members to get your Members of Congress to support impeachment--please share this far and wide with your members to call right now.

*************

 OUR LAST DITCH EFFORT TO GET RID OF "HIM" IN DISGRACE!





_____________________________________________________

 

. . .and on the positive side:

John Pilecki, Chair of the Democratic Environmental Caucus, led a terrific meeting on Thursday, Jan. 7.  Many of the Dem candidates who ran for office and won and two who ran and did not win gave their impressions of their races, as well as introducing important messages for our future, environmentally and politically.

"People are passionate about local environmental issues as they affect their daily life, and they will cross party lines."  Nicole Crosby

Action Item:  We need to write letters to our St Johns County commissioners to request that the Land Acquisition & Management Program (LAMP) be revived.  This program allows for the purchase of private properties that have environmental significance.  It would be great if you could attend the Jan. 19th meeting of the County Commission to support the reinstitution of LAMP.

  • Please Note: If the link does not work with your email software or browser, please copy the following email addresses and paste into your email address field: bcc1cwhitehurst@sjcfl.us; bcc2jsmith@sjcfl.usbcc3pwaldron@sjcfl.usbcc4jblocker@sjcfl.usbcc5hdean@sjcfl.us
  • Jan. 19 Meeting  9:00 am in the St. Johns County Auditorium located at 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL. The Board reserves the right to cancel and or change the meeting schedule as needed. 
  • ______________________________________________________________________
  • GENERAL INDIVISIBLE ST JOHNS MEMBERSHIP MEETING

    SCHEDULE TO BE ANNOUNCED

    We have a new state coordinator, Abby Tannenbaum, who we'd like to invite to discuss where Florida goes from here. The date for this general meeting will be announced mid month. We hope you will all join us as we need your input! We anticipate many changes especially as we look to unseat DeathSantis, Rubio, Rutherford and Waltz. WE CAN DO THIS!

    Email us anytime with your ideas, critiques and concerns. Stay masked, stay heathy. We need all hands on deck. indivisible.st.johns@gmail.com

    ___________________________________________________

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King envisioned Beloved Community as a society rooted in justice, equal opportunity and love for one another. He said this requires a qualitative change in our souls and a quantitative change in our lives. 

Dr. King’s message is particularly resonant today. Please join us on Monday, January 18, as our local faith leaders explore Dr. King’s legacy from various faith perspectives.  

Beloved Community: An Interfaith Gathering
6:30 PM
Monday, January 18, 2021 — ML King Day

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 821 2051 4879
Passcode: 928087

Or by phone:
        +1 312 626 6799

All are welcome!
_____________________________________________________

 
EVERYONE--CONTINUE TO HUNKER DOWN AND STAY SAFE AS THE COVID VIRUS  CONTINUES TO SURGE.  IF YOU DO GET VACCINATED, REMEMBER YOU CAN STILL BECOME INFECTED.  CONTINUE MASKING, HAND WASHING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING!

_______________________________________________________

Saturday, January 2, 2021

Indivisible St Johns Resistance Newsletter January 3, 2021




 YOUR RESISTANCE NEWSLETTER

WEEK OF JANUARY 3, 2021

Thanks to intrepid cartoonist Mike Konopacki!
_________________________________
OK unless your TV is broken, your internet is down, or you got kicked off Twitter: 
GEORGIA IS WHERE YOU NEED TO FOCUS!



From illegal voter purges to hundreds of poll closures to four-hour lines,
Georgia voters have faced a sophisticated, but hauntingly familiar
attack on their right to vote.  Hundreds of thousands of voters were
affected by poor election management and systematic
voter suppression, crippling Georgia's democracy.

Join the Fight. Best place to put your money to get staff on the ground. 
Stacy's group knows how to do this!
Fair Fight is Fighting Back
_____________________________________

LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON THE GOOD WE SAW HAPPENING IN 2020. (Yes, there was some!)



The year 2020 sorely tested our faith in humanity. Yet even among the vile rhetoric and cruel policies, there was kindness. I implore you to watch this life-changing documentary and soak in the compassion and empathy. Let it wash you clean (as much as possible) of the past four years of ugliness. Let us remember that these values — love, compassion, kindness, and empathy for all fellow humans—are what underlie our drive as Democrats to create a better world. These are what motivate us to elect people like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who have the capacity and willingness to enact policies and programs that bring out the best in all of us—not the worst.

Let the ideals portrayed in this documentary be a guidepost for moving forward on this first day of a brand-new year.

https://theantidotemovie.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAxKv_BRBdEiwAyd40N373rJHt61GE5HhRC5igV8yXN3HL4heq-BMmrEc3uPhd4fYPQmQGmBoCdHoQAvD_BwE&fbclid=IwAR0nZB9FtdVosxSa5pGlYWO513RbWwUPsXM4GqntfFEUQq1n_k_f7Lynqbo
___________________________________________

WE HAVE TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS:


Demand Ron DeSantis Stop the Combating Violence, Disorder & Looting & Law Enforcement Protection Act


Oppose the Governor’s proposed bill that protects those who would interfere with peaceful protests and abridge our Constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of assembly and to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Click HERE

BECAUSE, HERE'S A REPORT FROM GEORGETOWN LAW ABOUT MILITIAS IN THE U.S. 
WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET:
___________________________

AND.....JOIN US ON A ZOOM FOR THE FIRST
DEMOCRATIC ENVIRONMENTAL CAUCUS MEETING
JANUARY 7

Our first Zoom meeting for 2021 will be on Thursday, January 7th, 6:30 pm. Here is a link for the Zoom Meeting:

Topic: Env. Caucus Meeting 01/07/2021

Time: Jan 7, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87274974223?

We will be honored by having as guests the following candidates endorsed by our County and/or State Democratic Environmental Caucus in November's election. Some came up short, but all had the gumption and courage of conviction to run on progressive environmental platforms in this deep Red, conservative Northeast Florida region:

• Barbara Blonder, City of St. Augustine Commission - Seat 2

• Nicole Crosby, St. Johns Soil & Water Conservation District - District 3

• Gayle Gardner, Anastasia Mosquito Control District - Seat 5

• Heather Hunter, Florida Senate - District 7

• Mary Lawrence, St. Johns Soil & Water District - District 5

• Joe McAnarney, Srt. Johns County Commission - District -1

• Robert Olson, St. Augustine, St. Johns County Airport Authority - Group 4

• Dave Rogers, Florida House - District 17

• Jane West, St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District - Group 2

AGENDA

• The candidates who were successful in their runs were in non-partisan races. Does this suggest that, while progressive environmental positions such as dealing forthrightly with sea level rise, advocating for sensible limits on the burgeoning construction growth in the region, and proposing regulations on plastic bags and other items hazardous to the environment, are popular with voters, many of those voters are hesitant to vote for office-seekers with a "D" next to their names? If so, how can we as Democrats change this? If better messaging is a possible solution, what would be some specific tactics?  

• There is a movement afoot in Florida and other states for Democrats in Republican/conservative regions such as ours to run candidates for offices previously uncontested and thought to be unwinnable. Below is a  link to an  article from the September 7/14 issue of "The Nation" that addresses this effort, which is very much alive in Florida. For the very first time in decades, every Florida House District had a Democrat on the ballot, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida, and its President, Janelle Christenson. What are the pros and cons of this "cover every base" effort?

       https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/democrats-elections-statehouses/

• What are the most urgent challenges to the environment in our region? What are the best approaches - political and otherwise - to meet these challenges?

This is certainly not a comprehensive list.  I am sure our members and guests will come up with other topics that we can discuss. If you have any suggestions before the meeting, pass them along to me before Jan. 7th. Please contact John Pilecki for the dues form if you'd like to formally join the caucus. John Pilecki johnpilecki@gmail.com

 ____________________________________________

GENERAL INDIVISIBLE ST JOHNS MEMBERSHIP MEETING

SCHEDULE TO BE ANNOUNCED

We have a new state coordinator, Abby Tannenbaum, who we'd like to invite to discuss where Florida goes from here. The date for this general meeting will be announced mid month. We hope you will all join us as we need your input! We anticipate many changes especially as we look to unseat DeathSantis, Rubio, Rutherford and Waltz. WE CAN DO THIS!

Email us anytime with your ideas, critiques and concerns. Stay masked, stay heathy. We need all hands on deck. indivisible.st.johns@gmail.com