WEDNESDAY 5/10/17 CALLS TO ACTION: Foxes guarding the henhouse.
FEDERAL:
When I initially used the “foxes in the henhouse” metaphor I was mostly talking about Scott Pruitt and the EPA, but with the firing last night of James Comey it seems even more apt a comparison to the Trump Administration as a whole today. Comey was fired last night, which means that Donald Trump gets to appoint the new head of the FBI. The same FBI that currently has Donald Trump under investigation. Folks, this is a crisis of epic proportions, and I don’t say that lightly. We have got to hold our Senators’ feet to the fire, especially Richard Burr, and demand that a fully funded and staffed independent investigation be convened immediately into Trump’s collusion with Russia. Likewise an investigation into the collusion from his associates and from members of both houses of Congress who have worked to stall, thwart, discredit and obfuscate investigation at every turn, is necessary. If you’re not guilty, you have nothing to hide. This may be one of the most important days in the history of our nation. Please do no let these crooks drag our country down with them.
I’M WITH HER!
In case you missed it, here is the Sally Yates’ testimony from Monday. She did an amazing job.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) had this to say about the hearings: “I’m troubled that this great committee with its great chairman and all its members does not have professional staff assigned to this investigation. It’s the ordinary staff of the subcommittee who are working it. I think that what we have seen with this situation calls for the appointment of an independent commission, presidential commission or congressional commission, one that is clearly independent, transparent and can get to the bottom of the Russian involvement in our last election process and the threat that faces — we face in the future because of it.”
We are inclined to agree. Here is the full transcript of the hearing.
Call Richard Burr and ask why the investigative committee has not been fully staffed and when we can expect to see an independent commission seated to get to the bottom of the Trump-Russia connections.
Looks like Sen. Lindsey Graham is having to do Richard Burr’s work for him.
Sen. Graham breaks ranks, wants to investigate Trump’s Russian business ties
There’s no reason to believe Donald Trump’s rationale for firing James Comey – Matt Yglesias explains why, when you lie down with dogs you wake up with fleas.
Script: Hi, my name is ________, and I am an American calling to demand Sen. Burr to stop dragging his feet on appointing a staff to work the Russian election tampering investigations and do his job. I’m also calling to urge Senator Burr to make way for an independent investigation. In light of the firing of FBI Director James Comey last night it is imperative that we have an impartial, independent investigation into all aspects of the Trump Administration. By impeding this process, the chairman seems to be implicating himself in this scandal as well. I would hate to think that a Senator from our great state could be a Russian operative as well, but these are strange times. North Carolinians and the American people deserve more respect than this.
If you use Twitter here are some accounts to watch that are excellent sources of news and commentary. (None of these are necessarily endorsed by the RCDP, they’re just some that I personally follow and find interesting.)
Foxes guarding the henhouse:
Nobody has to tell us what a bunch of fools the Trump Administration are, but this just sort of seals the deal. “A spokesman for the E.P.A. administrator, Scott Pruitt, said he would consider replacing the academic scientists with representatives from industries whose pollution the agency is supposed to regulate, as part of the wide net it plans to cast.” This is not just foolish, it’s dangerous, and it’s just the kind of fascist, crony capitalism we’re supposed to be standing against as Americans.
ACTION #1: The EPA is soliciting public comment on repealing EPA regulations.
Visit: Regulations.gov. Click the dark blue “Comment Now!” button, upper right.
Script: Share why you support protections for clean air, soil, and water.
ACTION #2: Contact Scott Pruitt via phone, email or postcard and let him know that you are against replacing EPA scientists with representatives from the industries who are guilty of polluting our environment.
Pruitt’s main line: 202-564-4700
Email: pruitt.scott@epa.gov
Mailing address:
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
STATE:
HB 800 – Various Changes to Charter School Laws
HB 800, sponsored by Rep. John Bradford of Mecklenberg Co. is a law which gives priority for charter school enrollment to the children of employees of corporations who make donations in excess of $50,000 to said charter school.
Charter school leaders decry “company” charter school bill, say it’s wrong for kids
“Some public charter schools already receive criticism for restricting access to certain student populations. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are not obligated by law to offer lunch or transportation to students, which can set up significant barriers for low-income families to overcome. According to a recent study by Duke University, charter schools are “increasingly serving the interests of relatively able white students in racially imbalanced schools.”
Call Representatives Hurley or McNeill and urge them to vote no on this bill which will exclude even more children from charter schools than the laws already in place allow.
SCRIPT: My name is __________ and I live in Rep. __________ district. I am calling to urge the Rep. to vote no on HB 800 which gives priority to the children of employees of corporations donating to those schools. Charter schools are already notorious for excluding low-income and minority children. We certainly don’t need to add their air of exclusivity while they are funded by my tax dollars. Thank you.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Sixth Congressional District Democratic Convention – Saturday, May 20th
Save the date! The location for the 6th District Democratic Convention is still being set, but it will most likely be in Guilford County. Randolph County District Convention delegates need to save the date for Sat. morning, May 20, 2017. More details coming as soon as we know. We will set up a carpool once we know the location.
Note: If you attended and signed in at the County Convention on April 8th, you are a delegate to the 6th District Convention to be held in Guilford County.