Will you take one action every day this week?
Take One Action Every Day
Let's take a different approach this week. We have a political action you can take Every.Single.Day
Friday, September 5th: Online ACLU Training for Protesters
Register right now for the virtual ACLU People’s Power Know Your Rights Training at 8:00 pm tonight. The ACLU is the expert on constitutional freedoms including the freedom of speech and assembly. We want to make sure you know your rights when protesting this extreme abuse of power by the administration. Train before you protest! Note: often even if you can’t attend a virtual training in real time, it’s a good idea to sign up because the recording or slides may be available to you afterwards if you have registered.
Saturday, September 6th: Rally in Rome 12-1:30 pm
This weekly protest of Trump's authoritarian power grab continues to grow. Fort Stanwix National Monument, E. Dominick St. Meets Black River Blvd. Hosted by Rome Concerned Citizens and Indivisible Mohawk Valley. Bring your favorite signs and noise makers. Please practice peaceful protest and DO NOT ENGAGE people who disagree with our message. This week you might need a jacket and umbrella. Let us know you're coming here.
Sunday, September 7th, 2-4 pm: Support Heather for Utica Common Council
Neighbors Over Politics: A Campaign Fundraiser for Heather Wasielewski, The Beer Hub, 2643 Genesee St, Utica, Join Heather and her many IMV friends for an afternoon fundraiser in support of her campaign for Utica Common Council At-Large — a chance for neighbors to come together, enjoy light refreshments, and talk about the future of our city. Whether or not you can attend, please contribute to Heather’s campaign HERE.
Monday, September 8th, NYS Indivisible Call Congress Day!
IMV is participating in a statewide call-in day on Monday, September 8th to all our NY Members of Congress on the government funding fight. Learn more about the appropriations process and why this is a key moment for our Senators in particular to leverage their power. It’s up to us to help them find their backbone in this fight, so make sure you make your easy, quick phone call alongside other Indivisibles across the state! Remember it takes only 15 calls on the same subject for it to be run up the flag poll to the legislator’s attention. Here's the script to make your calls.
Tuesday, September 9th: Email to Save Medicare from Profiteering AI Death Panels
Donald Trump and Dr. Oz are rolling out a pilot program to fundamentally change Medicare. They want to require senior citizens to get prior authorization for some healthcare services, and here’s the kicker: Artificial Intelligence (AI) gets to decide whether medical care is approved or not. It gets even worse: AI developers will be paid based on the value of requested services or procedures they reject -- meaning AI companies would directly profit from denying needed care to seniors. This is MAGA Medicare, and we have to stop it.
Email your Members of Congress right now! Demand that they stop AI-powered Medicare service rejections and use the upcoming federal budget fight to restore healthcare funding. The next step after the email is to call. Then ask your friends to do the same
Wednesday, September 10th, 6:30 pm: Organize with NYS Indivisibles
Join with Indivisibles from across NYS from 6:30-7:30 pm for an Indivisible OneNYS Statewide Zoom, Register here. All Indivisibles in NY are welcome to join us for a conversation on great topics. Our agenda includes hearing from special guest Kimberly Tucker from Indivisible to share more details about the awesome new Solidarity in Action mutual aid fund program we have available to groups. We will also be talking about the upcoming mass mobilization day of action on October 18th, getting your input on the upcoming social media masterclass series, and sharing ideas about how to support volunteers.
Thursday, September 11th: Rally in Utica at 4 pm: Oneida Square
Thursday, Sept 11 we will start to rotate the IMV Thursday Rallies to different locations in order to reach more motorists. We'll be at Oneida Square in Utica, at the roundabout by the monument. There is parking in the old Dunkin Donuts lot, on side streets, and a block down State Street in the Munson lot. The time is unchanged, from 4::00-5:30. It is the 24th anniversary of 9/11 so we will want to honor that day and our democracy! Please stay tuned for updates in the weekly IMV newsletter, on IMV's Facebook page, and via Mobilize messages for locations of the Thursday rallies! Soon we may have a regular rotation of locations planned.
Whew! If you complete at least 5 of 7 of this week's political action challenges, email us and let us know! IMV@IndivisibleMV.org. Thank you for taking action!
IMV Meeting September 17th
We can't wait to be back in one big room with all of you to organize next steps in the fight against Trump authoritarianism! We need every pro-democracy person in our community in this room working together because we are fighting on every front at once as the window to save our constitutional republic closes. It happens that September 17th is Constitution (and Citizenship) Day. What better way to honor the US Constitution than for citizens to strategize together on how to protect it from a fascist dictator.
Wednesday, September 17th, 6:00-7:30 pm,
Indivisible Mohawk Valley September 2025 Meeting,
Alumni College Center, MVCC Utica Campus,
1101 Sherman Drive, Utica
Sign up here
Climate Crisis Working Group
Take Action: One Minute Email for the Environment
Right now, public hearings are underway for the recently released New York State Energy Plan. The plan shows NY missing key climate law mandates, and includes false energy solutions like nuclear and the repowering of toxic, aging gas power plants. Click here to send a prewritten letter to NYSERDA today and tell Governor Hochul’s state agency that we demand an energy plan for people and planet—not corporate polluters. If you prefer to submit your own letter, follow the directions in the link.
Take Action: Three Minutes to Call Governor Hochul to Stop Fracked Gas Pipelines in NY
Trump is trying to force more fracked gas pipelines through NY, claiming he struck a deal with Governor Hochul to approve them, including the Williams NESE pipeline. A decision by the Governor may be imminent. Please call Governor Hochul at 877-559-7809 and tell her to stand up to Trump and block the Williams NSE pipeline project off the coast of NY. Tell her to say no to the project because it is an expensive and risky project that would drive up energy bills, contaminate our water, threaten beaches and worsen climate change. You can leave a message.
Please Join IMV Members on September 21st in Albany for the SUN DAY Event
If you are interested in car pooling please contact Maggie Reilly at margaret_reilly@mac.com. Sun Day is a day of action sponsored by a coalition of groups, including Third Act and 350.org, celebrating the unstoppable rise of clean energy and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind. We’ll come together to showcase the power of the sun and wind, the energy sources that can power our world without pollution.
When: September 21, 2025, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: “Base of the Egg”, Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany, NY
Sign up here.
The Albany event will feature an exposition hall with advocates and vendors, panel discussions, teach-ins, climate films, and climate-songfest.
Your Renewable Energy Projects and Federal Incentives
If you or anyone you know is interested in an electrification project such as solar installation, heat pumps, induction stove, energy efficient improvements such as insulation or window/door replacement, etc. the Federal Incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are in effect until December 31, 2025. You can contact Maggie Reilly: margaret_reilly@mac.com or go to NYSERDA or Rewiring America for more information. It is NOT too late. Renewables are becoming cheaper and are a cleaner way to power your home!! Let’s do this now!!
Sum Up and Inspiration
Thank you for getting to the end of this email. Some exciting news:
IMV Steering Committee member, Rev. Jill Farnham-Us is one of the four individuals selected by the NAACP Oneida County branch to be honored at this year's Freedom Fund dinner in November. IMV member Heather Wasielewski, a current candidate for Utica Common Council At-Large, and IMV member James Paul III, for whom IMV knocked doors for three election cycles to elect to the Utica School Board, are also being honored at the event.
The Oneida County Democratic Women's Club, in which many IMV members are involved, is one of two organizations that will be recognized at the same event.
Congratulations to Jill, Heather, James, and OCDWC!
The theme of this year's dinner, "The Fierce Urgency of Now," comes from Dr. Martin Luther King, who coined the phrase to emphasize the immediate need for action on issues like civil rights and racial and economic justice, rejecting complacency and gradualism in favor of vigorous, positive action to make fundamental change a reality. King used the phrase in his "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington and again in his 1967 "Beyond Vietnam" sermon, highlighting that the time for fighting for democracy's promises is not in the distant future but right now.
You can purchase tickets to the dinner at this link:https://qrco.de/bgFGa4. The event is Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 pm.
For inspiration:
OCDWC's President and active IMV member Carolyn McAleese wrote this in her response to the selection:
"We understand the "Fierce Urgency of Now" as we watch the crumbling of our democracy. It is now that we need to take action and band together with all members of our community to stop the destruction."
Friends, we will not stand by and watch the crumbling and destruction. We will band together and take action.
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
"No one let go of anyone's hand."
Website: indivisiblemv.org
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