INDIVISIBLE CEDAR MILL OREGON
Resistance Letter #29
October 6, 2017
Day 260 of 1461 days
Dear Co-defendants –
The Four Horsemen are on the road, and they are heading our way!!
Cohen, Mnuchin, Mulvaney and Trump are preparing a tax offering that will transfer huge amounts of money from domestic programs and lower-incomed tax-payers to the very wealthy, Trump included. This will be justified by smoke and mirrors, aided by the persistent Republican belief that lower taxes actually translate into higher tax revenues! This last idea has never worked, but it was sold and eagerly bought in 1981 under Reagan, and again in2011 under Bush II. So, the Repubs are floating it again!!!
Recent NPR interviews with Republican stars have indicated they plan to pass this tax ‘reform’ under the Budget Reconciliation Act (BRA) which would then require only 51 votes in the Senate, a simple majority, to pass into law. A legislative assistant with Susan Bonamici’s office said today that, if there is no adopted budget, there is no opportunity for using the BRA. Therefore, with no budget, the Republicans need a 60 vote count to pass any tax reform package into law.
Ergo, we want no adopted budget, just a series of continuing resolutions to keep funding the government based on last year’s budget. Having no approved budget will force the Republicans to always come up against the 60-vote filibuster. See our Calls for Action down below
A celebration time-out!
We have our next meeting scheduled for Monday, October 9th, and we have our standard social hour before the meeting starts. We will celebrate all our successes-to-date that have kept the Trumpovites in legislative purgatory. Champagne will flow, toasts (short ones) will be made. Trump and McConnell have both been invited to the show, and one of them will actually show up to be abused by us, perhaps with cream pies. Throwing that pie may actually cost you some money, so come equipped with a healthy amount of bucks. It being close to Halloween, we will likely have a costumed visitor, with or without bare midriff, from School House Rock which you must all remember. Consider the lyrics and check with the URL for the tune!
And now we pull down on the lever,
Cast our ballots and we endeavor
To improve our country, state, county, town, and school. (Right On! Right On!)
Sister District Assistance
And we will be selling packets of postcards for ten dollars each ($10.00!) to be filled out and mailed to support Mike Mullin in the run for his vital seat in the Washington legislature. He who controls the state legislatures controls American politics right up to 2030! Remember that! 2030!!!!
Each packet will contain 20 postcards already stamped and certified, plus some limited instruction on what you can say and not say on the card. All the buyer need do is to hand-write a short message to the potential voters, fill out the address side of the cards, and pop them in the mail. Easy as that cream pie you’ll be delivering to one of our arch-enemies at the celebration party.
Bring cash to buy a packet or two.
We will be doing more postcards in the near-future, so get ready for this push to keep up until November. We have 1,000 cards on order.
Calls to Action
Call the following senators and ask them to not approve any budget this year, but to instead rely on Continuing Resolutions to fund the government. Explain the rationale: We want to deny the Republicans the ability to use the BRA, and squeak by with a simple majority. This will not cost the senator anything right up to April 15th. After that, the rule of ‘no budget , no pay,’ kicks in.
Senator Chuck Schumer – Dem – NY – 202-224-6542
Senator Ron Wyden –Dem—OR – 202-224-5244
Senator Jeff Merkley — Dem –OR 202-224-3753
NB -The Senate is in recess next week. and won’t reconvene until the 17th. Nevertheless, the phone lines are open and opinions and requests will be recorded. If you want to see and question Ron Wyden in person, he has a Town Hall in Corbett High School Gymnasium at 12:30PM, Monday the 9th.
Why no House contacts? The budget has already passed the house by a 218-206 vote. Eighteen Republicans voted against it.
MONTHLY MEETING
The meeting is set for Monday, October 9. Doors open at 6:30PM and the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 PM Refreshments, both adult and juvenile will be provided along with a few tasty snacks. After toasting our successes and pillorying our enemies, we have two guest speakers –Carl Fisher of Washington County Democrats, and a speaker from the Criminal Justice League who will explain why Washington County and the State of Oregon rank very low in applied criminal justice.
No Surrender.
L’audace, encore l’audace, et toujours l’audace!
Thank you.
John Fox