Sign our petition at change.org to send Walden our Notice of Foreclosure during the August Congressional Recess. Click here to link to the petition.
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? The stand off around the debt ceiling is one more result of the most reactionary, nationalized and centralized right wing wrecking crew this country has probably ever seen. Whether it’s through foreclosure, deportation, unemployment or war, regular people again and again are suffering the consequences.
This past May ROP brought its annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session to Central Oregon and assisted each of the 36 counties in Oregon to “Foreclose on Walden”- first through an action at his office to post our own Foreclosure Notice and then identifying someone in every one of Oregon’s 36 counties to mail the Notice of Foreclosure to Walden’s office. We decided that if Walden is making decisions that hurt the whole state, then we all have the right to hold him accountable.
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? This month’s KTA is a follow up to our April KTA where we asked groups to participate in our first “Foreclose on Walden” Action in May.
This is part of an on-going, sustained effort to turn up the heat on Congressman Walden and to demonstrate that anyone who makes choices that put more people on the edge of survival while the rich and Wall Street benefit, then he is fair game as the target of a resistance campaign. We are using the August Congressional Recess when Walden should be talking to the people in his district (but isn’t!) to create more exposure and keep the pressure on.
So, what are our next steps? During the August Recess, we are sending a massive message to come multiple times a day from all over the state. ROP has created a change.org petition that makes it easy to send an email to Walden with our Notice of Foreclosure included. ROP is also coordinating local group actions around Walden’s district. There will be a people’s Town Hall in Bend on August 18th, a “Where’s Walden” action in Hood River on August 21st, and a People’s Economic Summit in Medford on August 20th.
This month’s KTA is to sign onto the change.org petition, to invite others to sign on online, and to decide if/what other actions your group would like to participate in to continue our campaign to Foreclose on Walden.
STEPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:
- Send this KTA to members of your human dignity group and activist friends. Discuss it at your next meeting or make a plan to get together to complete the KTA.
- Sign our “Foreclose on Walden” petition at change.org– Click here to sign the petition now. By signing the petition an email will automatically be generated from you to Walden that includes the Notice of Foreclosure. (And while you are at it, get familiar with change.org. It’s a great resource for your group when you want to create a petition, and it’s free! ROP can help you use it in the future.)
- Ask others to sign the petition to Foreclose on Walden. Invite your group members, friends to sign the petition. It doesn’t matter where they live. You can invite them on facebook, send an email, or find other creative ways (like have a computer at your next community gathering and ask everyone to do it there).
- There are more opportunities for action! Consider participating in any or all of these:
- Do you live near Medford, Hood River or Bend? Or do you want to travel there to be a part of follow part of August Recess actions? Email cara(at)rop.org for details or check out our webpage for more info.
- Send a Letter to the Editor about why you signed the petition and are helping to “Foreclose on Walden.” See the full list of cuts proposed by the GOP below. Proposed_GOP_Cuts Use one or several of these as a talking point for your letter.
- Get stickers, posters and the Notice of Foreclosure in circulation in your community. Email cara(at)rop.org for materials.
Proposed GOP Cuts:
Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies – $30M
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – $899M
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability – $49M
Nuclear Energy – $169M
Fossil Energy Research – $31M
Clean Coal Technology – $18M
Strategic Petroleum Reserve – $15M
Energy Information Administration – $34M
Office of Science – $1.1B
Power Marketing Administrations – $52M
Department of Treasury – $268M
Internal Revenue Service – $593M
Treasury Forfeiture Fund – $338M
GSA Federal Buildings Fund – $1.7B
ONDCP – $69M
International Trade Administration – $93M
Economic Development Assistance – $16M
Minority Business Development Agency – $2M
National Institute of Standards and Technology – $186M
NOAA – $336M
National Drug Intelligence Center – $11M
Law Enforcement Wireless Communications – $52M
US Marshals Service – $10M
FBI – $74M
State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance – $256M
Juvenile Justice – $2.3M
COPS – $600M
NASA -$379M
NSF -$139M
Legal Services Corporation -$75M
EPA -$1.6B
Food Safety and Inspection Services -$53M
Farm Service Agency -$201M
Agriculture Research -$246M
Natural Resource Conservation Service -$46M
Rural Development Programs -$237M
WIC -$758M
International Food Aid grants – $544M
FDA -$220M
Land and Water Conservation Fund – $348M
National Archives and Record Service – $20M
DOE Loan Guarantee Authority -$1.4B
EPA ENERGY STAR -$7.4M
EPA GHG Reporting Registry -$9M
USGS -$27M
EPA Cap and Trade Technical Assistance -$5M
EPA State and Local Air Quality Management -$25M
Fish and Wildlife Service -$72M
Smithsonian -$7.3M
National Park Service -$51M
Clean Water State Revolving Fund -$700M
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund -$250M
EPA Brownfields -$48M
Forest Service -$38M
National Endowment for the Arts -$6M
National Endowment for the Humanities -$6M
Job Training Programs -$2B
Community Health Centers -$1.3B
Maternal and Child Health Block Grants -$210M
Family Planning -$327M
Poison Control Centers -$27M
CDC -$755M
NIH -$1B
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services -$96M
LIHEAP Contingency fund -$400M
Community Services Block Grant -$405M
High Speed Rail -$1B
FAA Next Gen -$234M
Amtrak -$224M
HUD Community Development Fund -$530M