PEG 12th Congressional District
WAVE - We All Vote Everytime
Newsletter #139
175 weeks down, 47 weeks to go until Election Day!
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Important Enrollment Deadlines:
Medicare – December 7, 2019
Affordable Care Act – December 15, 2019
The deadline for Medicare Open Enrollment for 2020 coverage is Saturday, December 7. During this time, Medicare recipients can enroll or change their coverage, e.g., drug plans (Part D) and Medicare Advantage plans. More information is available on the
Medicare website
.
The deadline for enrollment for 2020 major medical coverage through the national health insurance plan, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare,” is Sunday, December 15. Coverage for the year begins on January 1, 2020. Click on the HealthCare.gov website for information and enrollment. The website also includes a “quick start guide.” Some who apply for coverage through the marketplace are eligible for coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). More information is available
here.
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Get 2020 health coverage, now through December 15, 2019
Official site of Affordable Care Act, our federally mandated health care program. Enroll now for 2020 coverage. See health coverage choices, ways to save today, and how law affects you from November 1–December 15.
Read more
www.healthcare.gov
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E.P.A. to limit science used to write public health rules
“The Trump administration is preparing to significantly limit the scientific and medical research that the government can use to determine public health regulations, overriding protests from scientists and physicians who say the new rule would undermine the scientific underpinnings of government policymaking.
A new draft of
the Environmental Protection Agency proposal
, titled Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science, would require that scientists disclose all of their raw data, including confidential medical records, before the agency could consider an academic study’s conclusions. E.P.A. officials called the plan a step toward transparency and said the disclosure of raw data would allow conclusions to be verified independently.
The measure would make it more difficult to enact new clean air and water rules because many studies detailing the links between pollution and disease rely on personal health information gathered under confidentiality agreements.”
New York Times
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Obamacare open enrollment continues with lower rates, same legal uncertainty
Encourage people to take advantage of it while it’s here. Please post this info on all your social media. The deadline for signing up on
Healthcare.gov
states is Dec. 15, which this year falls on a Sunday.
Learn more here.
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CNBC.com
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Thursday, December 5. WeROC December meeting of the Whole
The Washtenaw Regional Organizing Coalition (WeROC) brings together faith, labor, community organizations, and individuals to build healthy collective power needed to break down the systems that sustain injustice, racism, and economic inequality.
The WeROC Reset Committee will give updates. The fundraising committee will present plans for spring “Come and See” breakfast event. Plans for an “Issues Convention” (to democratically choose good organizing issues they can win and that build WeROC, all leading up to a major fall 2020 Public Meeting) will be discussed.
A light dinner will be served. Questions? Contact Tad Wysor, WeROC Organizer and MOSES Liaison [(734) 883-3225)]. Community Church of God,
565 Jefferson St, Ypsilanti
. 5:30–7:30 pm
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Poor People’s Campaign Washtenaw County Weekly Coffee & Catch Up
- Friday, December 6. 2:30–4 pm
- Friday, December 13. 2:30–4 pm
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Saturday, December 7. Forum with candidates for Washtenaw Prosecutor
Prosecutors Forum All three candidates for Washtenaw County Prosecutor will be present. Ekklesia Fellowship Ministries
123 N. Adams St, Ypsilanti
. 5–7 pm
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Protect Military Hero LT. Co. Vindman
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Call with MI Resistance for protection of
LT. Col. Vindman
This week they are calling
all six Michigan Republican Representatives
to tell them
to do the right thing for our country and vote to impeach President Trump. Sign up for a calling party
here
.
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Write to Protect military hero LT. Col. Vindman from Fox News’ false allegation
After
Alexander Vindman
testified to the House Intelligence Committee about Trump’s attempt at extracting a quid pro quo from the Ukranian president, Fox News accused him of espionage, a false and defamatory accusation, which went viral, provoking death threats against him and his family. Nor has Fox News retracted their accusations.
If you care about the wellbeing of Vindman, you can write Fox News and urge them to retract their falsehoods regarding this military hero. You can either write: Lily Fu Claffee, executive vice president and general counsel, Fox News, The News Corporation Building, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 or email:
ldepartment@foxnews.com
.
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Monday, December 9. Come learn more about Solidarity with Farmworkers group
Learn more about what Washtenaw Solidarity with Farmworkers is involved with this fall.This meeting will be child friendly, and wheelchair accessible. Please email washsolidaritywfarmworkers@gmail.com with any questions!
339 E Liberty St, Suite 340, Ann Arbor
. 7:30–8:30 pm
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Monday, December 9. Dearborn Heights Dems Monthly Meeting
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Tuesday, December 10. Coffee Hour with Representative Donna Lasinski
She looks forward to meeting and speaking with you about the issues that face her district. Salem Township Hall,
9600 Six Mile Rd, Salem
. 7–9 pm
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Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice caucus meetings
- Caucus on Consumption, Waste and the Climate Crisis
- Immigration Justice Caucus meeting
Peace & Justice Capacity Building Workshops: Rapid Response Planning.
- Racial & Economic Justice Task Force Meeting
- Anti-Racist Solidarity Caucus
Come organize against white supremacy through education, advocacy, and mobilization.
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Wednesday, December 11. Is there a voters bias in Washtenaw County
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Wednesday, December 11. Wyandotte Dems Monthly meeting
Thursday, December 12. Celebrate the holidays with Voters Not Politicians
Thursday, December 12. 12th District Dems Monthly Meeting
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Thursday, December 12. ICJP Capacity Building Workshop: Rapid Response Planning
Learn tools, strategies, and efforts we could join to better activate a personal network to serve an immediate community need or to mobilize a crowd for a public protest or action. Journey of Faith Christian Church,
1900 Manchester Rd, Ann Arbor.
6–7:30 pm
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Friday, December 13. Creating opportunities for returning citizens
This reentry 101 event will explore state and local statistics, common barriers faced, and how these barriers are experienced by returning people.
Join the dialogue about criminal justice and re-entry issues.
This event is a part of the Clearing a New Path: Creating Opportunities for Returning People community capacity-building series. All are welcomed to this event. We encourage business owners, landlords, general community members, directly impacted people, and students to attend.
For more on why ABW is unique in its approach to this work, please see the
linked FAQ
.
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Saturday, December 14. Coffee Hour with Representative Donna Lasinski
Come talk with Rep Lasinski about the issues that face the 52nd House District. Northfield Township Community/Senior Center,
9101 Main St, Whitmore Lake
. 10–11 am
Monday, December 16. Allen Park Dems Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, December 18. Brownstown Dems Monthly Meeting
Sunday, December 22. SAVE the DATE! WAVE training
Meeting will include an introduction to WAVE, an update on its progress and a training session for both new and experienced users of the WAVE tool for identifying and contacting potential absentee ballot voters. Touchstone Cohousing Common House,
560 LIttle Lake Dr, Ann Arbor.
1:30–3 pm
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College internship with the Environmental Voter Project
The Environmental Voter Project is working to build a pro-environment electorate. They are seeking undergraduates to serve as Spring 2020 Interns. Internship description and how to
apply here.
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Homeland Security’s elaborate student sting operation entraps immigrants
According to a report on
National Public Radio
,
ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) set up an elaborate fake college in Michigan in order to identify people involved in immigration fraud. According to a
Detroit News article
from November 27, approximately 250 students, mostly from India, were apprehended. The report indicates that most of the students were granted voluntary departure and left the United States, and some received a final removal order. The unsuspecting students were apparently lured to the university because it offered work permits to remain in the states. Let’s tell DHS what we think of their actions: (202) 282-8495 or
email
.
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Things to read, watch, or listen to
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US Census 2020
This is our one chance
As mandated by the U.S. Constitution, our nation gets just one chance each decade to count its population. The
U.S. census
counts every resident in the United States. It is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution and takes place every 10 years. The data collected by the census determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives (a process called apportionment) and is also used to distribute billions in federal funds to local communities.
The next census in 2020 will require counting an increasingly diverse and growing population of around 330 million people in more than 140 million housing units. To get an accurate count, the Census Bureau must build an accurate address list of every housing unit, maximize self-response to the census, and efficiently follow up with those who do not respond.
Future articles will appear in the next several PEG Newsletters.
Click
here
to get information on applying for jobs for the 2020 Census.
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2020 Elections
RollCall reports on the most critical states for 2020 election
RollCall has compiled information by region.
- a) EAST: Maine and Pennsylvania.
- b) MIDWEST: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
- c) SOUTH: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina.
- d) WEST: Texas.
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Education
Uncertified substitute teachers put students at risk with new ‘Read-or-flunk’ law
The Michigan Department of Education projects that about 5,000 third-graders will be flagged for retention because of the new law, though there are exemptions that probably will allow some to advance to fourth grade despite low scores.
Read more here.
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Bridge Magazine
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Unemployment
Low wage brackets expands despite low unemployment
A recent Brookings
study
shows the overall unemployment rate is approaching the lowest point in five decades. However, a significant number of the jobs are not well paying nor long term. And many will eventually be lost to automation. This will disproportionately affect minorities and women.
Bloomberg
reports “53 million Americans are earning low wages with a median wage at $10.22 an hour and annual pay of $17,950.” The Department of Labor projects most
job growth
will be for positions with salaries of less than $24K annually.
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Economy
Democratize the economy
The US democracy crisis is not only a matter of voting; it is also a deeply economic crisis. The sharp and growing
imbalance
between the wealthy and the rest of Americans dramatically alters how public policy itself is formulated—and what those policies ultimately look like. American politicians and policymakers are consistently more responsive to the preferences of the wealthy, which drives public policies that further concentrate wealth and power for the most resourced constituencies and corporations.
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Taxes
Tax break intended for the poorest becomes a windfall for the wealthiest
According to the 2018 tax cut to help the poorest communities, designated opportunity zones are not encouraging new economic growth but instead encourage investment into several of Dan Gilbert’s already developed properties in downtown Detroit. The tax cut has proven to be a shelter for the rich, sinking more investments into downtown properties while the poorest areas throughout the city remain untouched. The new opportunity zones, as proposed by Gilbert himself, reenforce and exacerbate economic disparities ushering the renewal of the city's inevitable gentrification.
Read More Here
.
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Help Wanted!
We need help scheduling meetings, maintaining databases, answering inquiries and the like. Help us with our important work. This can be done from home and can be a paid position. Presently it would be for 5 to 10 hours a week. If you have questions or are interested email
ContactWaveMichigan@gmail.com
using the words
Attention Human Resources
in the subject line.
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About PEG and WAVE
WAVE
(We All Vote Every time)
is its own entity. However, to alleviate redundancies, information is distributed via the Protectors of Equality (PEG) Newsletter. The PEG Newsletter typically goes out each Thursday, with a repeat send on Sunday to recipients that have not opened it Thursday. PEG is a non-partisan volunteer organization whose mission is to assure that our government will treat all Americans with equality and acceptance. PEG's work is primarily done by recruiting, educating and nurturing supporters for worthy organizations, actions and events that reflect our beliefs.
To subscribe to this
free
newsletter, go to our website by
clicking here
.
To share with your friends and networks, use the sharing buttons at the top of the email or just "forward" from your email browser.
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Thanks to Newsletter contributors:
Bernie Banet,
Leslie McGraw, Richard Gaeth, Ellen Halter, Lisa Kamil, Leslie Kamil, Bette Cotzin, Susie Ayer, Mieko Preston,
and Chuck Newman
for their help preparing our newsletters. Write us at
equalityingovinfo@gmail.com
if you would like help create our weekly newsletter. It’s fun and no ongoing commitment is required.
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