When the President does it . . .
Is it not a crime if the President does it? February 17,, 2025
“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”
Donald J. Trump
By Sabra Briere
There’s so much pious sounding quackery wound up in this quote. It’s like a common maxim turned on its head. And it is … wrong is too light a word.
And yet, here we are, 4 weeks into this administration. The IRS is now ‘deeply concerned’ because Musk and his boys want access to all the information about what you and I earn. As I type this, it’s unclear whether the Trump 2.0 appointees in the IRS will cave and violate even more of our privacy. And our laws.
Of course, there are all those laws about spending, which is entirely in the control of the Congress, not the Administration. But this Congress - both the House and the Senate - have given all that power to the President.
And then, Congress also creates and authorizes the various Departments into which the government is divided, and then creates budgets and goals for each of those departments. Nothing in the law says the President or his appointees — in this case, people who lack security clearances! — can decide for themselves to just close departments and fire personnel.
But this is the President who doesn’t believe in law. He believes in what he can get away with.
And he’s had a head start, even though we all had fair warning of what he was going to do. Courts (which have all ruled against him so far, but which may not have the teeth to fight back) and legislators have been slower than we wanted.
We’ve also been slower.
This is the week to make your voices heard.
Not our President. Show up. Be counted.
Act up, Act out, Act now
By Sabra Briere, editor
Indivisible started as a movement to put pressure on our elected officials. And in 2017, other groups — the Women’s March, the March for Science, and other mass protests — took to the streets to protest Trump 1.0’s administration.
Many of us did both — we called, we emailed, we demanded and got Town Halls, we met regularly with our Members of Congress or their staff, and we rallied and marched for causes.
A good tool gets used by everyone who needs it. And we all need our good tools.
Tomorrow (Monday, February 17) there are three events that you can attend. None of these events are organized by Indivisible Sonoma County. And that shouldn’t matter. The organizers are working together.
Join the Sonoma County Democratic Socialists of America at 11 am at Old Courthouse Square. Join 50501 (50 states, 50 capitals, 1 day) at City Hall at noon.
Go further and head to Sacramento and make a bigger noise (but leave early!) for the huge Not My President rally at noon (sponsored by Indivisible National, 50501, and others).
This is not about an organization. It’s about a movement.
Maybe, like me, Covid changed the way you interact with the world. Crowds make you uncomfortable, more than they did before. Rallies and marches aren’t exciting — they are off putting. You read about bird flu and various respiratory illnesses and wonder if you need more masks. Your shots are up to date, but is that enough?
Imagine my delight, then, to read the following blog post about 30 ‘lonely but beautiful actions’ we can take right now… And sisters and brothers, I read this post and started right away. Not all of them, but those in easy reach. On my afternoon walk, instead of saying I was ‘fine’ when someone asked me how things were going, I mentioned my concern for the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, and how it was going to be affected by Trump 2.0’s attack on funding for the arts and for groups with active DEI programs.
And we had a real conversation.
I told another person about the one day — the day Trump 2.0 announced the tariffs on Mexico — when I couldn’t buy bananas. And when my listener laughed that off I said - well, that’s a real issue, though. We don’t grow bananas. And whether there was a rush on bananas or a hold up at the border, we’re going to see prices go up and our relations with our trading partners get dicey. And I’m on a fixed income.
These are little things. I can do little things every day. And those little things might get others thinking and doing little things, too. So when the big things come along — like a national boycott (February 28) or the development of an Underground Railroad for our neighbors if things get a lot worse — well, we’ve laid the foundation for talking about it.
This is no way to SAVE
By Sabra Briere, editor
There’s a resurgence of interest in the SAVE act, a supposedly good government act aimed at preventing voter fraud. Of course, there is no significant voter fraud — especially voting by undocumented residents, which is what the SAVE act is supposed to address.
Instead, it is squarely aimed at people who will have difficulty assembling the required documents to register or re-register to vote. Eligible citizens who suddenly have to acquire documentation that may be prohibitively expensive, difficult to get, or both. And these citizens are primarily poor, people of color, the elderly, transgender citizens, and women. Yes, women.
What? Why?
You may not have noticed this — not if you aren’t a woman of a certain age and marital status, or poor, or a person of color, or someone who needs their drivers’ license renewed, or transgendered, — but the US government has begun really putting pressure on us all to get a Real ID. Although it’s supposed to be only required for identification for flying or other domestic mass transit, when you go to the DMV to get a drivers’ license now, the requirements for proof of identification are those needed for a Real ID — a current passport or a birth certification with certain information, a social security card, two pieces of mail at your current address.
I priced this out. A certified birth certificate now costs about $25. The wait is about 3 weeks. Renewing a passport costs $130. The wait for a renewal is variable. The wait and cost for a new passport is longer (and higher) yet. And this doesn’t take into consideration all the Federal employees who are no more.
Here are some of the things the bill does:
To register to vote, re-register, or make a change of address, people would have to provide a birth certificate, passport, or one of a few other proof-of-citizenship documents. (Anyone checked to see how long it takes to get a passport these days, with federal employees being fired left and right?) The Brennan Center notes that “tens of millions of Americans register or re-register between every federal election.”
Women in particular would be heavily impacted. As many as 69 million women who’ve taken their husband’s last name don’t have a birth certificate that matches their legal name. Unless they have a passport, which is expensive, these women may be unable to vote.
Registering to vote by mail and online would no longer be possible because voters must show their citizenship documents “in person” to register. Large registration drives at churches and PTA meetings would become difficult, if not impossible, to conduct.
The bill’s pretend mechanism to permit voters who lack citizenship documents to register is a farce. The bill purports to let them demonstrate citizenship with “other evidence” and a sworn affidavit. But that provision is vague, and because the bill also makes it a crime for election officials to register an applicant who doesn’t present sufficient proof, it’s easy to see how meaningless that provision is.
It is essential that every congressional Democrat oppose the SAVE Act vehemently.
When you make your daily calls to your three members of Congress, please be sure to ask them to oppose the SAVE Act.
CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: OPPOSE THE SAVE ACT
The SAVE Act pretends to be a solution to the non-existent problem of “voter fraud”. Instead, it is a MAGA bill to keep Democrats from being able to vote by making it difficult or impossible for voters to register. We need every single Democrat to oppose it.
(To learn more about the SAVE Act, read about it here).
Please call your members of Congress and say:
I’m calling to ask the senator/congressmember to oppose the SAVE Act, which is designed to keep Democrats from being able to vote.
Guest Editorials
The Week Ahead
February 16, 2025
FEB 17
Who you vote for is a political choice. Whether a fully eligible citizen can vote isn’t about politics, it’s about your fundamental rights as an American. For decades now, the Republican party’s trajectory has involved making it more difficult for eligible people to vote—people they suspect won’t be voting for them—using a variety of methods, like making it harder to register, stay registered, vote, and have your vote counted. These forms of voter suppression are often justified with false allegations of voter fraud, allegations we’ve seen Trump take to new levels.
Unfortunately, people who don’t like your politics have been hard at work to make it more difficult for you to vote. Enter the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) Act.
The SAVE Act
The House version of the SAVE Act, H.R. 22, which Republicans have pledged to put on a fast track to approval, carries this innocuous sounding summary: “To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.” It has 81 sponsors. They are all Republicans. You can read the full text of the bill here.
Robert Hubbell has been writing about this phenomenon in his Substack. Read more his suggested approach for dealing with the news here.
What It Costs Us
Creativity and empathy, from the depths of despair
FEB 17
There are many of things I’m working on—figuring out the most effective ways to protest, to start a movement, to light a fire under the Democratic Party; how to find ways for all of us to have an impact at every level of government while continuing to build community.
But tonight, if you’ll indulge me again, I have a suggestion that has nothing to do with politics or policy. It’s something that will help us not only withstand but find joy. And it’s this—
We need to remember what we’re capable of. Every day, especially now, let your mind be blown by something you do or read or listen to or create. Be blown away by a meal, a hug, a concerto, a poem, a painting, a random encounter, a moment. That is one way we get through this—to remain open to everything that is wondrous in the world and everything we are capable of to make it more beautiful, more meaningful, and more fascinating.
Read more, here:
What Happens if Trump Defies the Courts?
CHARLIE SYKES
FEB 10, 2025
What happens if Trump defies the courts? What if the Court issues an order and Trump just ignores it? Who enforces the law? And, at that point, what does the law even mean?
[David] French cited a chilling new piece by Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith in which they warned that Trump may be “seeking to effectuate radical constitutional change.”
Specifically, Goldsmith and Bauer argue, that the Trump administration may be attempting “to instill fear in the Supreme Court that the presidency is prepared to resort to outright defiance of its decisions.”
In other words, they are trying to send a message to the justices: Nice Rule of Law you got there. It’d really be a shame if we had to expose the fact that it was all really just a bluff.
Actions
Scripts
5 x 5 x 3
by Tom Benthin
This week we’re going to continue to ask every member of Indivisible Sonoma County to make a simple commitment: take 5 minutes each day, 5 days a week, to make 3 calls*. One to each of your senators and one to your congressman. The purpose of the calls is simple. We’re asking every Democrat in Congress to oppose every single thing the fascist Republicans are doing. This means not only voting “no” on every bill, but also jamming up the works by playing “procedural hardball.” Although they often can’t stop Republicans outright, Democrats can slow, delay, and frustrate them. Trump and Musk are dismantling our federal government. Democrats must do everything in their power to make their job harder.
At the moment, Democrats are turning a deaf ear to our efforts. That means we need to turn up the volume. Although calls alone won’t be enough, they are an essential part of pressuring Democrats to show up. Please join the 5 x 5 x 3 team!
* We have three asks this week. You can vary them from day to day, but please try to include each at least once this week. If you want to make more calls, go for it!
“Procedural Hardball”
Democrats are in the minority, which means they have very little leverage in Congress to stop the fascist Republicans (there are occasional exceptions - see below). Yes, they can and should vote “no” on every Republican bill or appointment. But there’s more they and must do. Democrats have many options for using procedural rules to make things slow and difficult for Republicans. This is something they can be doing every single day. In the Senate, for example, we are asking Democrats to:
1. Deny a quorum
2. Block unanimous consent
3. Max out debate time
4. Delay and disrupt
5. Keep a blanket opposition
6. No business as usual
7. No on all nominations
Republicans are turning America into a fascist dictatorship. Democrats may not be able to stop them outright, but they must do everything in the power - including playing procedural hardball - to slow them down.
Democrats Have Leverage. They MUST Use It.
Democrats are in the minority, which means they have little to no leverage over most legislation. However, there is one exception. Republicans will almost certainly need Democrats to help them raise the debt ceiling, which must happen before March 14th or the government will be in default. Democrats don’t have to provide those votes for free. They must ask for something in return: for Trump & Musk to stop their illegal dismantling of our government, which includes stripping the power of Congress to allocate funds.
Democrats may be tempted to give away their votes for nothing, since allowing the government to go into default would cause financial mayhem. But if they do so, they are giving up their last scrap of power to keep Trump from neutering Congress. The people we elect to represent us will have given up the power we invest in them to a dictator. That is something they must not do.
Please call your members of Congress and say:
I’m calling to ask the senator/congressmember to delay and deny Trump’s agenda in Congress by playing procedural hardball. Trump and Musk are illegally dismantling our federal government. I’m asking you to fight for us. Oppose, oppose, oppose.
CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: USE YOUR DEBT-CEILING LEVERAGE
Congress must raise the debt ceiling by March 14th or the nation will go into default. Republicans will almost certainly need Democratic votes to raise the ceiling. Democrats MUST demand that Trump & Musk respect the power of Congress to pass budgets and allocate funds. They must stop their illegal dismantling of the federal government.
(To learn more about the debt ceiling, read about it here).
Please call your Members of Congress and say:
I’m calling to ask the senator/congressmember to make sure that EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRAT will refuse to vote for the debt ceiling increase until Trump/Musk respect Congress’s right to pass budgets and stop breaking the federal government.
Senator Alex Padilla
DC phone: 202-224-3553
SF phone: 415-981-9369
Senator Adam Schiff
DC phone: 202-224-3841
Congressman Jared Huffman
Phone: (San Rafael) 415-258-9657
or
Congressman Mike Thompson
Phone: (Santa Rosa) 707-542-7182
Stop all CA subsidies and tax breaks to Big Oil!
BACKGROUND: Oil and gas corporations have knowingly been fueling the climate crisis for years. Yet Exxon, Chevron, Shell and other fossil fuel companies continue to receive millions of dollars each year in taxpayer subsidies.
MESSAGE: In the aftermath of the fires in Southern California, let's stop giving away hundreds of million of dollars to fossil fuel corporations. I urge you to prioritize climate investments and eliminate all tax breaks and subsidies for Big Oil!
Assemblymember Chris Rogers https://a02.asmdc.org/contact
Tel: (916) 319-2002
Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry https://a04.asmdc.org/contact
Phone: (916) 319-2004
Assemblymember Damon Connolly https://a12.asmdc.org/contact
Phone: (916) 319-2012
Senator Mike McGuire https://sd02.senate.ca.gov/contact
Phone: (916) 651-4002
Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil https://sr04.senate.ca.gov/contact-me
Phone: (916) 651-4004
Governor Gavin Newsom https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Our calendar is updated regularly. Here’s a sampling of meetings and actions for the next few days. Check our calendar regularly to stay current!
MEETINGS
Sister District - Sonoma County West
Wed, Feb 19, 2025 5:30pm - 7:00pm @ RSVP for online access information
Rep. Jared Huffman with Prof. David McCuan
Wed, Feb 19, 2025 5:30pm - 7:30pm @ Zoom Call
Town Hall w/ Rep. Jared Huffman
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 5:00pm - 6:30pm @ Petaluma Veteran's Memorial Bldg.
Demonstrate at the Town Hall w/ Rep. Jared Huffman
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 5:00pm - 6:30pm | US/Pacific
Location: Petaluma Veteran's Memorial Bldg.
Fri, Feb 21, 2025 6:30pm - 8:00pm @ Redwood Credit Union Headquarters
Demonstrate At the Thompson Town Hall
Friday, February 21 6:30 – 8:30pm PST
Redwood Credit Union Headquarters, 3033 Cleveland Ave Santa Rosa
Indivisible EAST BAY General Meeting w/Leah Greenberg on Zoom
Sun, Feb 23, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Sonoma Valley Democrats General Meeting
Mon, Feb 24, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Petaluma Postcard Pod
Tue, Feb 25, 2025 4:30pm - 6:00pm @ Aqus Café
Brainstorming Get Together/Activist Support Group
Wed, Feb 26, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm
FIRST TIME ATTENDEES, PLEASE ARRIVE AT 10; MEETING STARTS AT 10:30
Location: RSVP for location
Come to one or all of these meetings to gather with a community of progressive folks active in grassroots actions.
Each of us has something to contribute to this existential responsibility that rests on all of us.
We will be there and hope you will be too!
Actions
Help Protecet Democracy in Wisconsin!
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Voter ID Assistance Orientation
Tue, Feb 18, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Wed, Feb 19, 2025
National Guided Phonebank for Wisconsin
Wed, Feb 19, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm
What’s the Plan? A Weekly Discussion with Indivisible’s Co-Founders
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Phone Banking for WI State Supreme Court
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm @ Democratic Party Headquarters
Protect Democracy! Phone Bank with Common Cause! Virtual Training!
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Sonoma Valley Democrats General Meeting
Mon, Feb 24, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Beyond Messaging: Learning From + Countering the Right Wing Propaganda Machine
Tue, Feb 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Wed, Feb 26, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Wed, Feb 26, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm
National Guided Phonebank for Wisconsin
Wed, Feb 26, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm
State Bridges 2025: Virtual Event Series
Wed, Feb 26, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm
What’s the Plan? A Weekly Discussion with Indivisible’s Co-Founders
Thu, Feb 27, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Phone Banking for WI State Supreme Court
Thu, Feb 27, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm @ Democratic Party Headquarters
US Economic Boycott - No Corporate Spending
Fri, Feb 28, 2025
Check our website for more information and to learn more about Indivisible.
 | A guest post by
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The Supreme Court was so shortsighted, and I don't think they thought things would go this far, but maybe Thomas and Alito and their maga wives did. We'll probably never know, but they did not hand power over to Musk, who should have been thrown in jail as a traitor along with his goon squad. Protests across the country today in all states have united to defend our democracy, which is a great sign, showing that we are still the United States of America. Let this administration start feeling pain, and the more people that say no to everything they propose, we can do this:CONTACT your DEMOCRATIC members of Congress. Tell them to make this stop by refusing any cooperation on any funding vote until Elon Musk:
CEASES his unlawful and unconstitutional conduct in federal government departments and agencies.
DISCLOSES his unlawful and unconstitutional activity fully to Congress.…AND Donald Trump:
IMMEDIATELY REHIRES the independent inspectors general at each federal agency from which they were terminated and given a clear mandate to perform their duties.
Contact your House representative or senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Provide the operator with your zip code, and he/she will connect you with your elected officials' office.
I have so much anxiety about all of this. I want to fight it. Just now learned about this organization. My anxiety is reducing just knowing there are others who do not like all of this nightmare of Trump and Musk.