Citizen Action Weekly; Friday, October 30th
Friday, October 30th
Parting is such sweet sorrow! Please join Citizen Action of Wisconsin staff in expressing our gratitude to our 2020 Deep Canvass Phone Banking Team and saying goodbye for now!
Citizen Action of Wisconsin launched our Deep Canvass program back in January of this year, and our big dreams were to have 8 staff across the state knocking doors. When COVID hit, we had to adjust quickly. Due to the amazing leadership of Statewide Field Director (and Northwestern Wisconsin Organizing Co-op Member) Zoe Roberts and the awe inspiring talent, hard work, passion and dedication of each and every Field Team member, we were able to build the program out and as of Oct 1st our Field Team has grown from 8, to 50+ amazing individuals from across the state.
When they wrap up their final shift on Tuesday Nov 3rd, they will have made more than 300,000 dials to persuadable voters talking about Healthcare, Climate, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Endorsed member Candidates, and Joe Biden. Just since August 14th, they have had honest and open conversations with more than 6500+ Wisconsinites about what matters most to all of us, and how by coming together on Nov 3rd to vote for candidates who care for all us, we can make sure that no matter if we are Black, White, Asian, Latino, Indigenous or a new comer, where we live in Wisconsin, or what’s in our wallets, that all of us can take care of ourselves and our loved ones and still pay the bills and put food on the table. #allinforWisconsin
THANK YOU Citizen Action of Wisconsin 2020 Field Team!
Still wondering what you can do to help on Election Day? Be a Democracy Defender!
Join Citizen Action of Wisconsin Democracy Defender team and help observe at one of the polling locations we are hosting across the state, as well as hand out masks, sanitizers, and other COVID safety materials to poll workers and voters! Sign up below to become a Democracy Defender!
| Polling Site | Click the link to sign up! |
| Douglas Complex | North side of Milwaukee |
| Martin Luther King Jr School | North side of Milwaukee |
| American Legion | Germantown |
| Marathon Park East Gate | Wausau |
| Atonement Lutheran Church | Green Bay |
| Chippewa Falls Technical College | Eau Claire |
| Coulee Recovery Center | La Crosse |
Covid Memorial in Downtown Milwaukee Hits a Cord
Healthcare for All Director, Claire Zautke kicked off a press conference to talk about the 600 empty chair Covid 19 Memorial that took place in front of the Milwaukee County Courthouse. We set up 600 chairs to represent the approximately 600 Milwaukee residents that are no longer with us due to the uncontrolled pandemic. President Trump’s response had been dismal to say the least and we will continue to sound the alarm bells until we see a cohesive national plan which must include free and easy access to testing, contact tracing, free treatment and universal mask wearing. Joining her were State Senator LaTonya Johnson, State Senator Chris Larson, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barett and Pastor Greg Lewis. The display made national news and was even on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal. It didn’t need to be this way.
Healthcare Co-Op and the ACA
We started off the week with a press conference about the ACA with Congressman Mark Pocan and Tanya Polhill from Watertown and ended the week with Member Zena Blom and County Executive Tom Nelson. As you can imagine, Democrats are hammering the real life consequences that could come with repealing the ACA. It’s no exaggeration to say many people will die early if there is no replacement plan. This is what the Co-Op was meant to do. Real members talking about their real life stories and doing it in an educated way. They were not just repeating what was given to them. They know policy and they blended that knowledge with their own story masterfully.
Citizen Action Movie Night a Huge Success!
Thanks to all the Citizen Action members who joined us for Wednesday night’s special screening of Can You Hear Us Now?, the new documentary that looks at democracy, voter disenfranchisement and state elections in Wisconsin.
Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes‘s lead of the night with a call to change the character of Wisconsin’s state legislature.
Following the film Citizen Action hosted a Q&A featuring the film’s director, Jim Cricci, and producer Susan Peters. The Q&A also featured Citizen Action co-op member and candidate for the state legislature, Emily Siegrist, who one is in a tight race this year to win in a gerrymandered Assembly district. “Democracy Celebrity” Sheila Plotkin, and the inspiring community leaders and former candidates for the state legislature Jenni Estrada and Rebecca Clarke who were featured in the film also participated in the live discussion.
If you missed part of the Q&A or the film, you can watch it again at the Citizen Action of Wisconsin screening site.
Please help us to get the word out about Can You Hear Us Now?
In this last pre-election week, the film is a moving testament to what’s at stake in state and local elections around the country. You can help by inviting others to watch the film and by posting your reactions and links to the trailer on social media.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin members come out for the #LaxDriveForChange car caravan and activism fair
On Saturday October 24th activists from across the Driftless region joined for a day of action to drive election turn out and remind everyone that activism never stops!
The voter caravan began at the old Shopko parking lot in La Crosse. 25 cars lined up and drove through the city of La Crosse districts with low voter turn out. These 25 cars were decorated and made as much noise as possible to make sure that they got noticed and remind everyone how important voting is! After a quick stop at La Crosse City Hall, to show off the absentee voting drop box, the caravan ended at Riverside Park where nearly a dozen progressive groups were gathered.
These groups were on site to talk to voters about the need to keep organizing and keep fighting for the world they want to see. The activism fair sent a message that just because the election will soon be over the fight never stops! Creating change involves action 24/7!
A special thanks to event organizers Marie Lindberg (the La Crosse organizer with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin) and Kat Sletten (local activist hero). These two women made the day possible! La Crosse’s progressive movement owes so much to these amazing women! A special thank you also goes to all the groups on site for the event including LIT MKE, the ACLU, Vote Mob, Our Wisconsin Revolution, Habitat for Humanity, the Bridges Church, Cia Siab, The Driftless Voter Coalition, and The Free.
For more information about this event please check out the news coverage from News Channel 19.
Volunteer in Vernon County to help elect Josefine Jaynes and Brad Pfaff
Join the Vernon County Democrats for a “Get Out The Vote” no-contact literature drop on Monday, November 2nd! We will be lit dropping door cards in the Viroqua area for Dem Candidates, VP Joe Biden, Rep. Ron Kind (CD-3), Brad Pfaff (SD-32), and Josefine Jaynes (AD-96).
The pick up location will be at the Vernon Dems office (504 E Decker St) in Viroqua. We will have everything you need, including turf maps, literature, and our target addresses. We can also drop the literature packets off at your house if need be.
This will be the final push to get voters to the polls. Please sign-up today!
Pick a time and meet at the Vernon County Democratic Office in Viroqua (504 E Decker St) to pick up or a packet.
Imaging a Healthier Wisconsin with Kristina Shelton and Kristin Lyerly
No matter where we come from in Wisconsin, unaffordable prescription drug prices are putting our health and economic security at risk. Powerful drug and insurance corporations divide us to pad their own profit. As more people live longer, working millennials become parents, fewer households can rely on stay-at-home caregivers, and the meaning of family evolves — providing care has become too unmanageable for many to handle alone. As we continue to face the threat of COVID-19, more of us are feeling the pressure and strain of a Healthcare System than ever before. While it might be a little earlier for new years resolutions, Citizen Action is imagining a Healthier Wisconsin. You can watch our first two conversations with Krsitina Shelton, which focuses on the role caregiving plays in our economy and health, and Kristin Lyerly, who speaks to the importance of lower prescription drug costs, the need for patient centered care, and her work on the frontlines COVID-19. Both candidates are running for state assembly, check them out and give them a hand in the last four days of their races!
Early Voting in Full Swing in Green Bay!
Thank you to all of our members and allies who have helped make this early vote season on Green Bay, our most successful one in recent memory! Whether it’s been voter care as folks wait in line or working with elected leaders like Eric Genrich to consistently improve our community’s early vote system, you have made a huge difference over the last few weeks. We are looking forward to an awesome election day and are still looking for observers on election day. You can sign-up for a shift here!
November 4th “Protect the Results” rally Riverside Park in La Crosse at NOON
Even when the voting is done we have to do EVERYTHING we can to make sure that every vote is counted. Unfortunately most people expect that the GOP will try to stop votes from being counted, that Trump will declare victory during the counting, or that some other shady action will sow discord. Citizen Action of Wisconsin, SEIU, Opportunity Wisconsin and partners across the state, plan a rally and march on November 4th in Riverside Park, La Crosse, with simultaneous events in Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Kenosha, and Superior. These events will draw attention to the fact that EVERY VOTE must be counted and that voter suppression, even after Election Day, is WRONG. Any form of voter suppression violates our very democracy.
Community leaders and activist leaders will be on site to speak about the importance of fighting voter suppression now and in the future. After the speakers we will march to La Crosse City Hall to let the city clerk know that we demand everyone’s voice be heard!
PLEASE RSVP USING THIS FORM TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH DETAILS ON THIS EVENT
Signs, masks, snacks and water will be available to everyone on site. We ask that everyone practice social distancing and wear a mask to keep everyone safe.
If you are worried about health and safety but still want to make sure every vote is counted you can still get involved.
Everyone’s health and safety are the most important things during this moment in America. If you don’t feel safe coming out to an in person event, that is OK. If you are worried about staying safe after the election, that is OK.
We want to make sure you are taking care of yourself!
If you don’t feel that you can come out, you can still help. You can share this page with your friends and family. You can share this page on social media. Getting the word out on this event will be a huge help. You can also sign the petition to demand that every vote is counted this year.
If you want to stay up to date on actions in your area, please fill out the form below. A local organizer will be in contact to schedule a time to talk to you.
November 7th “All in Wisconsin: Keep Fighting for a Better Tomorrow” rally and protest Copeland Park La Crosse 1:00 PM
We hope that on November 7th we’ll know that Trump’s reign of terror over American democracy will soon come to an end. We hope that by then we’ll know that Joe Biden is president-elect and that strong progressive candidates have won election. But just because we win an election that does not mean we can get lazy.
We need to stay active! We need to keep fighting for action on climate change, racial justice in our state, police reform, a living wage, economic justice, healthcare for all, COVID relief, and everything else that will ensure a better tomorrow! In order to create the world we want, we have to stay active and keep organizing!
The day’s actions will start with a rally and speakers at 1:00 PM in Copeland Park on La Crosse’s north side. Climate activists, union leaders, Black Lives Matter activists and community leaders will speak about their visions for Wisconsin. At 2:00 PM we will line up along Copeland Avenue. We will have signs on hand with messaging about Black Lives Matter, climate change, unions for all, a living wage, and healthcare for all—everyone can grab a sign for the issue that means the most to them! We will also have supplies on hand for folks to make their own signs. Exact time is subject to change so RSVP to stay up to date.
PLEASE RSVP USING THIS FORM TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH DETAILS ON THIS EVENT
Masks, hand sanitizer, snacks and water will be available to everyone on site for free. We want to do everything we can to prevent COVID infection so masks and social distancing are a must!
Special guest speakers include:
Francesca Hong
Nada Elmikashfi
Kathy Allen – Coulee Region Sierra Club President
More speakers will be announced very soon!
There are some Great Candidates in the North Central Organizing Co-op Region, and There is Still Time to Help Them
Our Organizing Co-op has worked several election cycles since forming, and we are just so impressed with all of the candidates running in central and north central Wisconsin. Here is a list of those candidates. If you would like to help any one of these candidates, you can reach out to their campaign directly, or contact North Central Co-op Organizer Joel Lewis to find out how you can help. You can see a list of all of Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s endorsed candidates across the State here.
There are still ways to Help Tricia Zunker Get Across the Finish Line
1) Phone banking Saturday-Tuesday – Sign up for a shift
2) Submit a letter to the editor at [email protected]
“Election of the Century” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
We discuss the big election and the prospect of making major Democratic gains in the State Legislature. Next, we dissect Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’ 11th hour turnaround on addressing the raging COVID-10 pandemic. Has he finally been persuaded by science, or is he desperately fighting for his political life? In a Battleground Wisconsin exclusive, we release a shocking voice mail of a disgruntled parent left for a union leader which perfectly reflects the hatred and disrespect of public employees fomenting by radical right politicians. Finally we delve into what progressives are organizing for protecting the vote on election day and post-election challenges to the vote count and majority rule from from Trump, radical right judges, and the State Legislature. Subbing for Claire Zautke on the panel this week is Citizen Action Movement Politics Director JoAnna Bautch.
Listen to Episode #465
Download Mp3
Press Clips
Sign the PLEDGE to ensure every vote in Wisconsin is counted.
Wisconsinites are signing this pledge calling on our elected leaders to ensure the integrity of our elections and that every vote is counted. When you sign the pledge, we’ll follow up with key information about how to plug into gatherings in your community or online. Sign and share.
Facebook post of the week
