The political climate that defeated Obamacare “doesn’t exist in nature. It is created by people engaged in political action.” So says Rachel Maddow. She taped this the night before the repeal / replace vote was pulled, explaining that its defeat began in early January, that resistance saved the ACA. One of her examples? Brad Wenstrup’s January 16 “coffee.” A bunch of you were there. I was. He looked like he didn’t know what hit him. 

This is what our calls, postcards, posts and protests are doing. Let’s keep it up! 

This email is for people who want a weekly summary of ways to resist. Our* goal is to make being a citizen a habit. Activities designed so we don’t burn out. Feedback please. As always, shoot us an email if you want off. Previous posts at www.shelleycowan.com 

GO
  • 3/27, 11:30a-1:00p: Meet outside Chabot’s office building to hold a “real town hall” @ 441 Vine St. 45202 (town hall issue signs ONLY)
CONNECT 
  • 3/27, 7-9p: Run Like A Girl: How and why women should run for office @ First Unitarian Church, 536 Linton St (corner of Linton & Reading), Cincinnati/Avondale 45219
  • 3/28, 6-8p: Mayoral Forum with Cranley, Simpson, & Richardson. The Mayoral Primary is May 2nd, 2017 and only 2 out of the 3 candidates running for Mayor will advance. @ Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, 1740 Langdon Farm Rd, Cincinnati 45237 (doors open at 5:30) 
CALL 
  • ACA: Urge all of your MoCs to work on new ideas to make the ACA better. We all know it’s not perfect. It’s their job to improve it. 
  • Internet Privacy: S. J. Res. 34, already passed in the Senate and moving to the House. If it becomes a law, critical broadband privacy protection rules will be erased. Your Internet service provider will be able to sell info about what you look at and purchase, and who you talk to online. This would not only mean the repeal of current FCC rules, it would ban the FCC from writing new privacy rules. (Sample call, but use your own words): “Hello, I’m Jane Smith, from Cincinnati, 45202. I don’t need a response. I am opposed to S.J. Res 34, the repeal of the FCC’s internet privacy rule. Broadband providers shouldn’t be able to gather sensitive data from unsuspecting consumers and sell it to the highest bidder.” 

Tired of voicemail? Text 50409 and meet resistbot. It will translate your message into a fax, and get it to your MoC. Yes, calls are supposedly the ‘most effective way’ but we are also learning it’s about how many people keep it up for how long. Boxes of faxes in any MoCs office will be noticed! We have to keep changing tactics. 

Brad Wenstrup: 513-474-7777 

Steve Chabot: 513-684-2723 

Rob Portman: 513-684-3265  Other Portman office numbers.

Sherrod Brown: 513-684-1021 

WRITE
  • Like your MoCs’ Facebook pages. Leave a comment. Comment on someone else’s comment. 
REGISTER 
  • 4/3, 8-5: Are you registered to vote? April 3 is the deadline for the May 2nd primary!
LISTEN 
  • The Run Up and The Daily with the New York Times Michael Barbaro. Free on iTunes 
  • Pod Save America for those who enjoy a bit of irreverence. A no-bullshit conversation about politics for people not yet ready to give up or go insane.
*PLEASE WELCOME 
Last Tuesday I ran into Janet Allen-Reid at the Ohio Democratic Party gathering in OTR. We hadn’t seen each other for years, but it took us 2 seconds to share our frustration with the ODP for acting like The Party had arrived to save the day – clueless or incurious about the roomful of people who’ve been at it for months. (In contrast, the local elected officials were great — totally aware and in tune). Janet & I quickly figured out we’ve been doing the same thing. Now we’re doing it together. Welcome to Janet and her peeps! 
 
PONDER 
The NPR Politics Podcast has been my #1 source for information, insight, humor and humanity since it began in November 2015. Each show ends with a segment called, “Can’t Let it Go,” when the hosts share things they can’t stop thinking about, political or not. Here is mine: The Freedom Caucus as they pushed Ryan and Trump to drop the ACA Essential Health Benefits – pregnancy, maternity, newborn and pediatric care; mental health services, substance abuse treatment and prescription drugs, for starters. Their message was along the lines of, ‘Americans should be free to buy what they need, or not buy anything at all if they don’t want to.’ These cynical scumbags never once mentioned affordability, as if their constituents don’t want health care! How long until their constituents talk back?