This Past Week
The New York State Budget passed hours ago, and while it includes some attractive changes, there is still much work to be done in the activist community.
The #RaiseTheAge campaign is gaining fiscal footing, but we are still awaiting the implementation of a just policy.
We will not let go of the billions still owed to public schools. Free tuition is phenomenal, but only if all children are given an equal chance to enjoy this benefit. Students have the right to learn and build their future in a clean, safe, adequately supplied, reasonably staffed environment from pre-K onward.
In short, we can do better. Read below to learn more about our committees and ongoing actions, and consider joining one or two to help ensure that we’ll have great news to share in the future!
Looking Ahead
A Note for Newcomers
“Action Nights” have been restructured as introductory meetings where new members can meet our organizers and have any questions answered. In addition to getting to know you, we relay some crucial information at these meetings, so please make this your first stop before attending any of the events below. We look forward to meeting you!
Action Nights take place every Tuesday at 5:30 in our Kingston office at 7 Grand Street.
Dinner is provided by our food team. (Love to cook? Please consider signing up!)
Outreach
We can’t host an event if we don’t have guests planning to attend. A petition has no power if it isn’t full of signatures. Problems can’t get solved if nobody knows they exist, or that there are ways they can be fixed. There’s strength in numbers, and the outreach team is our muscle.
(Canvassing is excellent cardio, too!) We train four days a week:
-Our office is open for phonebanking on Mondays and Tuesdays, beginning at 5:30 p.m. All you need to bring is your phone!
-Community Canvassing happens on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Stop by the office first to pick up materials and learn about our talking points.
Federal Fight Back!
This team examines the harmful policies that are being proposed in Washington, and comes up with ways to fight back on a local and state level. When health care is under attack, we collect enough letters to test the limits of a manila envelope in a matter of days. We build a triage station outside of our congressman’s office in preparation for a health care emergency. We collect stories and read articles and support organizations and policymakers who recognize healthcare as a human right.
Education
On Wednesdays at 6 p.m., one of our oldest committees meets to discuss improvements and repairs that can be made in our local schools’ policies, as well as advocating for increased state support of the public school system.
Faso Friday!
Our congressman is very busy, or so he’s told us over the past several months, as he’s refused every request we’ve made for a town hall meeting. Since he’s not willing to make an appearance, we appear outside of his office each week, Fridays at noon. Bring your favorite sign and your chanting voice (Maybe a friend, too!) to 721 Broadway in Kingston.
Next Week
Criminal Justice Committee
This committee meets every other Monday at 6 p.m. and hopes to someday see the end of mass incarceration, police brutality, recidivism-increasing approaches, and bias throughout the criminal justice system.
Some of our committees are still establishing themselves, so their meeting schedules may change a bit before they become routine. Others have gained so much support that they’re hoping to host their own events! Subscribing to our Google Calendar is the best way to keep track of these exciting changes, and figure out how the resistance fits into your life.