by Indivisible Tacoma | Feb 9, 2023 | Actions, Events
Stop the REACH program from taking over Traditional Medicare
In 2020, the Trump Administration launched a new policy “experiment” designed to privatize Traditional Medicare.
Under this model, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has moved millions of Traditional Medicare beneficiaries into mostly commercial, for-profit plans called Direct Contracting Entities, without the enrollees’ full understanding or consent.
In ways similar to commercial Medicare Advantage plans, these entities have a financial incentive to interfere with care decisions and waste taxpayer dollars when compared with the efficiency of Traditional Medicare.
The Biden Administration has renamed this program “REACH” and made it even more generous to industry, but privatization by any name threatens the future of Medicare.
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE
~Learn more: https://protectmedicare.net
~Contact your representatives: Rep Kilmer 253 272 3515. Rep Strickland 202 225 9740.
Sen. Murray. 253 572 3636 Sen. Cantwell 253 572 2281
~Call Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra directly at (202) 690-7000 and ask him to cancel the REACH program immediately.
~Sign the petition:
https://pnhp.salsalabs.org/DCEpetitionSeptember2021/index.html
by Indivisible Tacoma | Jan 13, 2023 | Events
Monday, January 16
10AM Community Outreach Fair, 5th floor lobby
11AM Program and Awards
In person at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center
1500 Commerce Street
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Awards recognize excellence in community service by an individual, organization or group, and seeks to encourage similar efforts by others.
These awards are presented each year during the City of Tacoma’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration.
The City’s Events & Recognitions Committee will honor Dr. Priscilla Lisicich and Ms. Tanika Aden with individual Lifetime Service Awards. Mayor Woodards will present a Special Recognition to J’Nai Bridges.
The Lifetime Service Award honors an individual or a group that has been dedicated to offering services to a given community or population. This year’s recipients embody the heart of the award through dedicated service to the community.
Dr. PRISCILLA LISICICH has been serving as the executive director of Safe Streets Campaign since 1993. Dr. Lisicich was responsible for the design of Safe Streets and successfully acquired grants of more than $4.5 million to build and sustain community mobilization against substance abuse and illegal gang activity. She is dedicated to community organization and youth development. She has devoted her time to engage legislative members to create initiatives that strengthen protection and combat the risk factors faced by adults and youth in the community.
TANIKA ADEN has been working as a grassroots organizer since 2004. Most of her background has been in legislative work organizing marginalized communities. However, her career goals were refocused in 2019 when her then five-year-old son was diagnosed with autism. She shifted after realizing the vast needs and major lack of financial and legislative support many families in the intellectual and developmental disabilities community face. She works with Tacoma and Clover Park School Districts to help at-risk youth and students with disabilities develop advocacy and leadership skills. She then helps them use their new skills to engage in the community so they can become leaders.
J’NAI BRIDGES is an internationally renowned opera singer who has performed at the most prestigious opera houses in the U.S., including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric of Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, as well as in many venues abroad. Bridges studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music, two of the most significant conservatories in the country, and is the recipient of many respected awards, among them two GRAMMY Awards, the 2018 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the 2016 Francisco Viñas International Competition, a 2012 Marian Anderson Award, and the 2008 Leontyne Price Foundation Competition. Bridges first nurtured her love of singing in Tacoma and Lakewood, and began her singing career at Allen AME Church, Charles Wright Academy, Tacoma Youth Chorus, and Tacoma Opera. On her homecoming tour back to where it all began, she will be recognized for her many accomplishments.
Street parking is free, including the Convention Center parking garage.
by Indivisible Tacoma | Dec 16, 2022 | News
Indivisible Tacoma members are extremely excited to see our 2022 election goals fulfilled! Our endorsed candidates were elected in WA State and beyond – with pro-democracy, pro-choice, pro-justice, anti-extremist candidates controlling the US Senate and a large portion of the US House!
We are celebrating!
Midterm Election Campaign Endorsements:
Early in 2022, the IT Endorsement Committee began locating, researching, and vetting candidates using our comprehensive values list as our compass.
Although Indivisible Tacoma is non-partisan, the only candidates that supported our values this year were Democrats – by a long shot!
Democracy and Voting Rights
Climate Protection/Renewable Energy
Equity: Race, Gender, LGBTQ+, Disability
Good Wages, Jobs & Labor Rights
Clean Water, Air, Soil & Food
Privacy Protection & Housing for All
Safeguard Public Lands & Wildlife
Healthcare & Expanded Medicare
Safe Streets, Gun Safety & Safe Policing
Reproductive Choice and Contraception
Economic Justice & Tax Fairness
Public Education & Teaching Truth
Green Accessible Transportation
Priority Candidates Identified:
Covering LD27, 28, 29, WA State elections and the South Sound area, IT prioritized support for the most challenged candidates in our South Sound area:
US Rep. Kim Schrier; LD28 Reps. Dan Bronoske and Mari Leavitt; and PCC candidate Robyn Denson.
IT May Election Kickoff:
IT hosted a hybrid in-person/online event to introduce priority candidates.
2022 Candidate Cards:
We developed a Candidate Card with our values and endorsed candidates in April and distributed it in person, in two member mailings, by email, and at local events. (link)
IT Campaign Liaisons:
Two IT liaisons each worked with Dan Bronoske and Mari Leavitt; one with US Rep. Kim Schrier; one with Pierce County Council Candidate #7 Robyn Denson and one with #5 PCC Candidate Marty Campbell.
We supported many other South Sound and state candidates and eventually had a liaison with CD10 US Rep. Marilyn Strickland, US Senator Patty Murray, and WA SOS candidate Steve Hobbs.
Campaign liaisons recruited IT members for canvassing, phoning, texting, posting signs, and sign-waving. One of our own IT members became the Campaign Manager to help Rep. Dan Bronoske win.
IT Candidate Forum July 2022:
IT hosted a Town Hall with WA State Democratic Chair Tina Podlodowski, Patty Murray staff, Marilyn Strickland, Kim Schrier, Dan Bronoske and Mari Leavitt (LD28), Sharlett Mena (LD29), and WA State Supreme Justices Mary Yu & G. Helen Whitener.
The IT Postcard Team wrote vigorously with the Reclaim Our Vote organization.
Roughly 25 IT member volunteers sent 5300 postcards to inconsistent and underrepresented voters in Georgia and Florida.
Many were people of color who had been removed from registration records. The cards gave information on how to re-register and where to vote.
The IT Voter Registration & Engagement Team worked at eighteen local events and festivals.
Twenty-four volunteers registered or updated registrations for around 100 citizens, but most important in this crucial election year were conversations engaging people with the importance of using their voices by voting, especially with young people and marginalized groups.
We handed out hundreds of IT Candidate Cards to help people connect our values to good candidates when filling out their ballots. Several times, candidates themselves spent time at our tables!
IT National Election Analysis:
Three national election reports (2/2022, mid-primary, 10/5/2022) based on in-depth research sought to identify the tightest US Senate and House Races that could be influenced to make the difference in who controlled the majorities and serve as a guide for decisions about allocating financial support.
These reports rejected a red wave and accurately predicted that Democrats would keep the Senate and could hold or come close in the House.
Indivisible Tacoma Endorsed Candidates WON their elections
CD8 Rep. Kim Schrier won in a difficult redistricted CD8: Indivisible Tacoma organized several door-knocking events with Olympia Indivisible in Bonney Lake and supported the National Indivisible door-knocking event with Ezra Levin and Nina Moussavi in CD8.
CD10 Rep. Marilyn Strickland, CD6 Rep. Derek Kilmer, US Senator Patty Murray, and SOS Steve Hobbs: Indivisible Tacoma issued calls to action for candidate events and emergency actions up and down the ballot and organized, attended, and worked for key events for these and other key WA candidates and officials. We conducted deep research on the SOS race before endorsing Steve Hobbs, helped organize a statewide WIN Town Hall for him, and posted his signs.
LD28 Reps. Dan Bronoske and Mari Leavitt: IT members made a huge contribution to help knock 10,000 doors in LD28 before the primary and knock another 12,500 doors for the general election! Identified as vulnerable, especially Bronoske, LD28 candidates were subjected to relentless false attacks through mail and TV. With our grassroots efforts, Mari Leavitt won with over 58% and Dan Bronoske won with over 55% of the votes.
Pierce County Council candidates: Robyn Denson (#7) won over an aggressive MAGA candidate in the primary and went on to best her opponent in the general election by a strong margin. We are thrilled that Robyn will maintain a sensible pro-democracy pro-justice pro-environment majority in the PCC.
We’re also grateful that Marty Campbell was re-elected to a second four year term (#5).
Pierce County Auditor candidate Linda Farmer won over a MAGA election-denier with our support!
LD27 Reps. Laurie Jinkins (House Speaker), Jake Fey, and Senator Yasmin Trudeau won!
LD29 Reps. Sharlett Mena, Melanie Morgan, and Senator Steve Conway won!
WA State Justices Mary Yu, G. Helen Whitener, and Barbara Madsen were strongly re-elected.
Tacoma Municipal Judges Steve Krupa and Dee Sonntag won! We foresee supporting our dual-endorsed candidate Sergio Flores in a future election.
