If you have been writing letters, give yourself a hand and sign on to the next lap.

350 Humboldt’s Get Out the Vote Sunday evening letter writing party is over, since we reached the mailing date of October 17. We have had attendees not only from Humboldt, but the Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles and even New Orleans. People who have been attending enjoy the company while doing something important.

Three cheers for us!!!

Soon you can see selfies of several letter-writers and their letters on our website at https://world.350.org/humboldt/ In the meantime, here is Deborah Dukes with her jaw-dropping display of letters. Send your photo to [email protected], if you haven’t already.

Last week, however, the letter-writing group suggested we continue the weekly letter-writing sessions. Rather than writing to voters we will be writing to local, state and national officials or corporations urging them to take actions to address the climate crisis. Each week we will send out the zoom link as well as several options for policies and letter-recipients. You can choose any of those options or create your own targets. The point is to be doing something concrete and effective in the company of others working for common goals.

Members of the group had a number of ideas for how to proceed, some of which are scoped out below, and others will be investigated—like teaming up with other organizations. And there is still plenty of room for being creative with the format.

Whether you joined the letter-writing party for GOTV or were part of our “rapid responders,” during the legislative session, or are new to letter-writing, we hope you will join us on Sunday nights at 7pm for an hour of being the most important people in the history of the world—all of us who fight during the next few years to give earth a chance to remain habitable by humans.

The rest of this email consists in contact information for legislators and policymakers, some ideas for what to write about,  plus some tips from advocacy groups about how to get your views across.

Dan Chandler, for the Sunday letter writers

Here is the zoom address for the foreseeable future. Complete zoom details are at the end of this email:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85643874306?pwd=Tm1yeXJBVVhWMGt5ZjZXVTVYbGFoZz09

Why write letters?

A recent article documents that expenditures related to climate change legislation in the U.S. Congress from 2000 to 2016 were over $2 billion, constituting 3.9% of total lobbying expenditures. Major sectors involved in lobbying were fossil fuel and transportation corporations, utilities, and affiliated trade associations. Expenditures by these sectors dwarf those of environmental organizations and renewable energy corporations. [The climate lobby: a sectoral analysis of lobbying spending on climate change in the USA, 2000 to 2016 Brulle, Robert J. Climatic Change; Dordrecht Vol. 149, Iss. 3-4, (Aug 2018): 289-303. DOI:10.1007/s10584-018-2241-z]

More and more of us need to get involved if we are to counter this kind of influence buying, which is also rampant in the California Legislature. Writing letters and making phone calls is simple, direct, and effective if enough of us do it.

Sierra Club has paid staff tracking California legislation. You might want to check out their 2020 summary of legislative success, including the records of Assembly Member Wood and Senator McGuire. https://www.sierraclub.org/california/sierra-club-california-releases-2020-legislative-report-card

Communicating with policy-makers

Americans of Conscience says:

When communicating with your senators and representative, here is the preferred order for best results:

1. An in-person visit.
2. A phone call or voicemail.
3. A postcard to a local office (letters to DC take 2 weeks to process).
4. An email or fax.
4. Tweets and Facebook comments.

Americans of Conscience is non-partisan and focuses on issues of democracy, not climate change. But it has lots of good information on influencing legislators and issues. This information is from their FAQ at https://americansofconscience.com/faq/ It can apply as well to people like Governor Newsom.

Call [or write] progressive Members of Congress (MoCs).

Most blue senators and House Representatives are in office because big donors got them there. Don’t let them forget who they really work for (you).

Make these four kinds of calls to progressive MoCs:

1. Praise: Gratitude calls tell them you like the job they’re doing for you. Compliments often go on the top of the daily pile.

2. Stories: Your personal stories help support and give clout to your MoCs’ stance on legislation.

3. Tallies: Every time you call, your view is recorded by a staffer. Those daily and weekly totals influence your MoCs’ priorities. Remember: you’re among many who are calling.

4. Ask for more: Just because they’re blue, doesn’t mean they’re doing everything they can to further our causes.

·       Ask them to write new legislation.

·       Ask them to co-sponsor other MoCs’ legislation.

·       Ask them to make public statements for/against issues that matter to you.

·       Ask to meet them in person to discuss an issue important to you.

More tips are available from the Collaborative Center for Justice: https://ccfj.org/advocacy-tools/how-to-communicate-with-legislators/

Here are a few they have for letter writers:

Policy makers state that one letter from a constituent is viewed as representing the concerns of ten others.

·       Write an original letter by hand or type

·       Include your name & address in the body of the letter (envelopes are often discarded).

·       Broaden your impact: name groups to which you belong.

·       Be brief – one page at the most

·       Be personal. Share why you are concerned about what you want the policy maker to do.

·       If you are writing about proposed legislation, state the bill name and number.

·       Be polite and reasonable. Thank the policy maker.

A 2016 NYTimes article gave advice as well: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/us/politics/heres-why-you-should-call-not-email-your-legislators.html

Who to write to

Assembly Member Jim Wood:

Capitol Office, Room 6005

P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0002; (916) 319-2002
District Office

50 D Street, Suite 450, Santa Rosa, CA 95404; (707) 576-2526
1036 5th Street, Suite D, Eureka, CA 95501; (707) 445-7014
200 South School Street, Suite D, Ukiah, CA 95482; (707) 463-5770

Senator Mike McGuire

State Capitol
1303 10th Street, Room 5061
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-651-4002
Fax: 916-651-4902

Eureka Office:
1036 5th St., Suite D
Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: 707-445-6508
Fax: 707-445-6511

Note: We have spoken with Senator McGuire about reforming cap and trade, getting off-shore wind, and oil and gas severance taxes. If you have views on these issues, please join the Legislative Committee of 350 Humboldt and/or write Senator McGuire a letter.

Representative Jared Huffman

1527 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5161 • Fax: (202) 225-5163

317 Third Street Suite 1 Eureka, CA 95501

Phone: (707) 407-3585 • Fax: (707) 407-3559

Feinstein, Dianne – (D – CA)

Class I

331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-3841

Contact: www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

Harris, Kamala D. – (D – CA)

Class III

112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-3553

Contact: www.harris.senate.gov/contact

Governor Gavin Newsom

Mailing address:
Governor Gavin Newsom
1303 10th Street, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160

Or use email form at: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/

What to write about (we will have suggestions each week)

There are several climate organizations that have ongoing campaigns we can draw on for letter-writing issues. Here are two:  https://environmental-action.org/take-action/ and Sierra Club https://addup.sierraclub.org/

350.org is an international organization. Visit their home page to find out about climate campaigns around the world you can support: https://350.org

350 Humboldt is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Letter writing party

Time: Oct 18, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

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