I think I figured out a way to pay back my 50,000 dollars in student loan debt. Ok, but before I tell you, promise you won’t judge and/or laugh at me… Ok, we all set? Good. I am leaving Citizen Action’s Communications team to join CNN and become a member of Donald Trump’s political surrogate team. This plan is so brilliant that I’m not quite sure why it took so long to come up with it. Trump has less than five black people defending him on cable news. Could you imagine how much more legit his racist, xenophobic, transphobic, and incest loving policies would seem if he had a black person defending him? I COULD BE THAT BLACK PERSON! I just need some ridiculous talking points to back him up. Got any ideas? Don’t be shy, share some with me.
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Healthcare Fight Ain’t Over Yet. The fight for access to affordable healthcare ain’t over yet. No, seriously. It isn’t. As long as Republicans have the majority in the House and Senate, we’ll need to keep fighting them. One of the best ways to do that is to share our stories. Mary Clark and Amber Denise Johnson, of the Southern Tier chapter, have done an amazing job of amplifying the voices of their members. Check out this awesome video from Elizabeth Berka from Southern Tier Independence Center explaining the ramifications to her organization if we gut Medicaid. Click here for the video.
You Can’t Take our Medicaid. A day before the 52nd anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, dozens of local activists, community members, impacted patients, and constituents gathered to hold Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik accountable for her Trumpcare vote. The event at Rep. Stefanik’s Glens Falls office was part of Our Lives on the Line’s nationwide day of action. Led by Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and other partners, they fight to stop devastating and permanent cuts to Medicaid, protect Medicare against privatization schemes and stop the Republican plan to take away health care from up to 32 million Americans, in order to pay for $541 billion in tax breaks for the wealthy and drug and insurance companies.
Beach Party BBQ in Kingston. Everyone knows that Kingston New York has transformed into a hotbed for political action. Much of that is because of the work of our awesome Hudson Valley Chapter, led by the fearless Organizers, Callie Jayne (Lead Organizer and Local Bad Ass), Shelly Friedman(Community Organizer and cooler than the other side of the pillow) and a dedicated coalition of community members, new activist, and awesome rabble rousers. It’s clear that too much work and not enough play will burn you out, which is why the great people in Kingston took their activism to the beach, for a BBQ. And no, they weren’t there to protest the sand. It was all about good times, great company, and celebrating their amazing accomplishments. Trust me, they have a lot to celebrate.
Grill on the Hill. The last six months at Citizen Action has felt like a non-stop resistance movement. Every time you were inspired or fired up by the great work from one of our chapters, another chapter would pop up and take it to the next level. In this case, our Southern Tier Chapter saw the amazing BBQ that Callie and the cool kids in Kingston organized and decided to match their passion for justice, good food, and mental breaks, with their own BBQ. Besides the mouth watering food, the community came together for a collective sigh of relief from our most recent Healthcare victory. They earned it.
PODCAST
On the Activist Check-In Podcast, Stanley Fritz sits down with the New York Public Interest Research Group’s Campaign Coordinator, Jaqi Cohen. They discuss the problems with New York CIty’s transit system, why people north of the city should care, and why it’s all Governor Cuomo’s fault. Click here to Listen.
IN THE NEWS
Huffington Post. Looking for something good to read? This week our Executive Director, Karen Scharff, released an opinion piece that details the ways that the rich are trying to steal our rights. Check it out. Click here to read more.
Events
August 7. You can be a part of the conversation and planning for what Criminal Justice should look like in Schenectady to end mass incarceration, create Bail Reform, ensure a Speedy Trial, HALT Solitary Confinement and more. Click here to RSVP
August 9. The economy is a mess for everyone except the super-rich. Those with power have designed a system to rip wealth from our communities and leave us behind. They’ve decided that poverty should be our way of life and continue to use it as a tool to divide us. Join Citizen Action of New York, and the Justice League NYC as we look at how racism and runaway inequality affects education, housing, and criminal justice. Click here to RSVP
Aug 12. Join us for a Rally and March in Kingston, NY to tell John Faso: Don’t you dare vote for a budget that cuts Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security! Click here to RSVP
TAKE ACTION!
We’re recruiting hundreds of volunteers in Republican Congressional districts to speak with each and every one of their neighbors about what’s going on in Washington. This summer, we’ll be hitting doors across the state. Click here to support.
Want daily updates and live footage of our events and actions? We can make that happen (I know a guy). Click here to follow us on Twitter and get real-time updates. If you’re looking for cool articles, memes, and a little conversation, like our Facebook page here.