You can feel the energy in the air as real patriots mobilize and organize to get out the vote. There is plenty for you to do, including taking a shift at an Early Voting Center and making calls to voters to answer their questions. No matter the size of our victory, we expect the orange menace to contest the result, so we are also preparing to defend our democracy against a coup. Meanwhile, we can also learn more about how our local government works in our next Council workshop.
Police Town Hall Recap
But first, a quick recap of our Police Town Hall last Saturday. We had an enthusiastic crowd of attendees who discussed what “defund the police” means to them and what role, if any, the police can play in our communities. This “listening session” garnered lots of great detailed information which we’ll use to formulate our next town hall. We’ll keep you posted.
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Fight Fascism: Choose Democracy
It should be clear to anyone who is paying attention that this is not a normal election year. We have a President who has openly said he might not respect the outcome of our election. We have to be ready to resist if he claims victory before votes are counted, tries to stop counting, or refuses to accept a loss. What can we do to stop this illegal seizure of power?
Legendary activist George Lakey and his team of organizers are working to educate citizens on the steps that can be taken to resist a coup attempt. You can sign up for a workshop, “How to Beat an Election-Related Power Grab”. The first step is to Choose Democracy by signing a Pledge of Resistance.
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Early Voting Centers are Up and Running…
Hundreds of voters are visiting the several Early Voting Centers around the city to register to vote (Deadline Oct 19), where you can apply for a mail-in ballot (Deadline Oct 27), receive the ballot, complete it, and return it all in one visit. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11:30am to 6:30pm; Friday-Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm. You should go to an early voting center to take care of your voting before Election Day.
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Be an Early Voting Center Volunteer with Us!
With the Election only a few weeks away, you can help by volunteering at one of our City’s Early Voting Centers. Philly Neighborhood Networks is staffing a table outside of AB Day School in East Mt. Airy, assisting voters and doing literature drops in the neighborhoods surrounding the EVCs to let folks know they can vote early to avoid long lines on Election Day. These sites will be open seven hours per day, seven days a week, so if you’d like to help cover a shift sign up below.
______________________________________________________________________________________________Sign Up Now for a Phone Bank!
We have phone banks every Wednesday at 1PM, Thursday at 10AM and 6PM and Saturday at 1PM. We are tasked with reaching out to 81,000 voters in NW Philly to remind them how important their vote is to saving our democracy. If you haven’t yet signed up for a phone bank, you should really try the new ThruTalk auto-dialer tool. It makes the calls for you; all you have to do is log onto your computer and wait for the beep.
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City Council Political Education Series Sign Up
On Thursday, Oct 22nd, we’ll learn how the budget works in the “City of Philadelphia Budget 101.” workshop. This session is part of an online workshop series that will help folks become better informed about the functions of our local government. It’s not too late to sign up.
To get more information on this series of workshops on Philadelphia City Council, click here.
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Tell City Council: Stop Evictions During the Pandemic
Kendra Brooks, Jamie Gauthier & Helen Gym in City Council will reintroduce the “Emergency Housing Protection Act” that would reintroduce an eviction moratorium in the city, extend a rent repayment plan, and reinstate a moratorium on rent late fees.
We believe that housing is a human right. We believe that we all have a right to safety, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or our income level. We also know that systemic racism is at the core of the housing crisis we face today. Call members of City Council today to tell them to do the right thing and support this legislation.
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This Week in History
Oct 16, 1859 – Harper’s Ferry Raid. Abolitionist John Brown led a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry (WV), in an attempt to start an armed revolt of enslaved people and destroy the institution of slavery.
Oct 18, 1867 – Seward’s Folly. The U.S. bought Alaskan territory from Russia for 2 cents an acre. Derided as a foolish purchase at the time, it was a wealth of resources and became our 49th state.
Oct 20, 1947 – Red Scare. Conservatives in Congress create the House Un-American Activities Committee to harass Hollywood actors and directors as a political ploy during the Cold War.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Project Organizer
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