Seattle City Council voted unanimously to withdraw all its funds from Wells Fargo. If they can do it, so can you. This post includes a great video on Seattle’s vote, which then goes on to point to how cities and states need to be hubs of progressive resistance. Also included is another Rattle the GOP tool, a Google doc with all the planned Congressional Town Halls slated for the coming week.
Today’s Santa Fe Action. Come to City Hall, 200 Lincoln Ave., Finance Committee Mtg. at 5pm to advocate for the expanded sanctuary resolution. Speakers are limited to one per organization, so you won’t be able to speak, but your presence will DEFINITELY be felt. I am guessing Finance Committee Meetings don’t typically draw standing room crowds. Help us make sure this one does and bring a friend. And if you know anyone who lives in District 4, reach out to them. Michael Harris is on the Finance Committee, has not endorsed this resolution, and has even introduced his own resolution. This is no time to equivocate. ICE has begun deportation roundups. Do we debate this further or do we do what is just? You decide. Click here for speaking points and background info to share with your Dist 4 friends. The link now includes a map of City Council Districts.
Today’s Santa Fe Share. Post this message on FB: “Today, I am going to the Santa Fe Finance Committee meeting at 5pm to advocate for expanding the City’s Sanctuary program. I also emailed friends in District 4 to advocate with Council Member Harris to drop his resistance to the resolution introduced by Council Members Villarreal and Maestas and support the resolution to expand Santa Fe’s Sanctuary program.” Just cut and paste this into your news feed.
Today’s National Action. It is Move Your Money Monday and we are asking everyone to open an account in a local credit union or community bank and transfer all funds in any megabank to your new account. Wells Fargo is not alone among mega banks that invest in coal, gas, nuclear, arms, GMOs, etc. And they never invest in local communities. So this action is easy. Just do it. After you do it, Google your (former) bank’s name, find contact info for their community affairs department, and send them an email telling them that you did this and that you suggested that all your friends do the same. For a link to a Retake Action page explaining why moving your money makes sense both practically and personally and politically, click here.
Today’s National Share. This is important. Post this in your FB timeline: “Today’s RetakeOurDemocracy.org Action of the Day is to Move Your Money. So, I opened a credit union account and closed my account in Wells Fargo (or whatever mega bank). I then Googled the bank’s community affairs department and told them what I did and why. My reason was simple: the megabanks invest in all I oppose (pipelines, arms, tobacco, GMOs) and never invest in what I support, my community. I encourage all my FB friends to take this same action. And I encourage all my FB friends to share this post. See this link for how easy it is to do and why it is such an important political action. https://retakeourdemocracy.org/move-your-money-monday/ ”
Rattle the GOP. There is a cool Google doc that is updated daily and includes the date, times and locations of all of the Town Halls being scheduled during the Congressional recess (Feb 17-20). We have included the link in the Rattle the GOP page (click here) that includes speaking points and links to the SwingLeft website where you can plug in a zip code and identify Congressional swing districts nearby.
General Strike Thinking. There are a variety of national conversations revolving around a General Strike as strategy that could unify diverse movements and coalesce into something that galvanizes a broader constituency. The idea of a national strike came up at the Town Hall on Saturday and this article, click here, describes a variety of possible options. We will be discussing the General Strike strategy going forward and encourage comment. To add a comment to the blog, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Open House Activism: TODAY, Mon., Feb. 13, 4-7 pm. Support the 
NM Health Security Act. Come together to write letters, email, and make phone calls to support the NM Health Security Act. Click here for details and to RSVP.
Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day at the Roundhouse. Come join one or both of these actions:
Circle of Love for New Mexico Children, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m: Join hands around the Roundhouse to create a Circle of Love for NM Children. Join the circle at any time. We’re calling for an investment in the children of New Mexico. No more cuts on the backs of our children! Circle of Love is an action, not an organization and does not support or oppose any specific legislation, group, or individual.
One Billion Rising, Solidarity Against Exploitation of Women, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. In collaboration with the NM Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Walk from the Roundhouse at 11 a.m. to the Plaza to listen to community speakers and dance from 12 to 1:30 p.m. to celebrate our resilience and solidarity! Learn more and RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/1260668580643816/.
You can do a double action very easily today and/or tomorrow. Today, go to both the City’s Finance Committee meeting and attend the Open House Activism event. Tomorrow, go to the Roundhouse for Circle of Love, and then to One Billion Rising at the Plaza!
Keep up with all our events and opportunities by clicking here and getting to the events & opportunities page. We have a new volunteer request and it is easy. Use the nmlegis.gov website to identify the email addresses of all Senators and Representatives across the state and enter them into an excel spreadsheet we have developed. Write to me at paul@retakeourdemocracy.org if you are interested. We will use this to create a group mailing to all representatives across the state to introduce ourselves and share with them our plans for Justice score card comprised of their votes on what is currently 57 bills. Thanks.
In solidarity,
Paul & Roxanne
If Seattle Can Do This So Can YOU and So Can Santa Fe
Categories: Actions, Boycotts, Immigrant Rights, Sanctuary
I would like to volunteer in the research team. Can you assist?
Research Team meets on Thurs from 5:30-7pm at 1420 Cerrillos. If you can make it, that is a great way to start.
GENERAL STRIKE – February 17:
http://strike4democracy.com/
and especially http://strike4democracy.com/how-we-strike
Also on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1756631744665376
To make things easier for you and your District 4 friends, here is Harris’s contact info:
Michael Harris
District 4 Councilor
(505) 955-6817
maharris@santafenm.gov
Paul: all those email addresses were in a piece that was part of the New Mexican in January. You may be able to get it from them. It was put out by NMInDepth.com. Hope that helps.
All the email addresses are also on the web. What I am looking for is someone to enter them into the excel spreadsheet. It isn’t for lack of access to the addresses, it is lack of time to get them into excel. thanks, Karen
Divesting From DAPL Part II: Here Are Native-Owned Banks (Why Aren’t You Using Them?)
https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/thing-about-skins/divesting-dapl-part-ii-native-owned-banks-arent-using/
Native-owned banks listed in the article above:
F&M BANK Edmond, Oklahoma
LUMBEE GUARANTY BANK Pembroke, North Carolina
FIRSTBANK Antlers, Oklahoma
FIRST NATIONAL BANK&TRUST CO Shawnee, Oklahoma
PINNACLE BANK Marshalltown, Iowa
WOODLANDS NATIONAL BANK Hinckley, Minnesota
PEOPLES BANK OF SENECA Seneca, Missouri
OKLAHOMA STATE BANK Vinita, Oklahoma
BANK 2 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
BANK OF CHEROKEE COUNTY Hulbert, Oklahoma
BANK OF COMMERCE Stillwell, Oklahoma
NATIVE AMERICAN BANK NA Denver, Colorado
FORT GIBSON STATE BANK Fort Gibson, Oklahoma
EAGLE BANK Polson, Montana
ALLNATIONS BANK Calumet, Oklahoma
PEOPLES BANK Westville, Oklahoma
TURTLE MOUNTAIN STATE BANK Belcourt, North Dakota
Utilize these banks. As nations but also individually. In this age of internet banking, it’s just as easy to bank with one of these as any other bank PLUS these banks are doing some good. This is #DefundDAPL 2.0. This is US supporting those who support US and distancing ourselves from those who hurt our communities.
Seems like the City of Santa Fe could put OUR money in one of these banks until OUR public bank is established. There is too much money for a credit union, so one of these chartered banks should be the answer. No need to wait, right?
Great idea. But I didn’t know of this tremendous list, so that is why I hadn’t used it. But now we have another alternative. I had spoken with Javier about lowering the % of funds needed in reserve to something less than 101% and something closer to the state-required 50%, which he thought would enable community banks in SF, if not credit unions from handling the job, but this is a great alternative. thanks, Janiece.