\Please Join Us! – Workshop: What Stands Between Us? The Issue of Race in America & our Community

Date: Thursday, 1/26/2016 Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Place: Utica Public Library
Second Floor, Gallery
Presented By: Patrick L. Johnson
Facilitator/Consultant

RSVP: (315) 601-6002

pjohnson7newlifeinstitute@yahoo.com

The Workshop is free and open to the public. Light lunch will be served.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

This is a workshop that addresses the issue of racism in America and more importantly here in the Mohawk Valley. It will place on Thursday, January 26th at the Utica Public Library, 303 Genesee Street, Utica (Second Floor). Parking is in the rear. We will begin at 9am and end at 3 pm. The purpose of this forum is to raise our awareness about the impact racism has in our lives – even when we may not be aware of it. The presenter will create an atmosphere that will allow all participants to share their experiences and concerns about racism in America. This workshop will afford the participants an opportunity to have an authentic conversation; one that is intended to be enriching and insightful. There will also be opportunities to offer solutions for a better community. One of the primary purposes of this workshop is to heighten our awareness as to how present racism is in the workplace and other areas of our life….even when we may not notice. Many people have not been offered the opportunity to have an honest dialogue about race relations. This is that opportunity.

We will explore what it means to be White, Black, Asian, Latino. What are your experiences given the racial identity that you hold? What stands between us? Although many would say that race relations have gotten better in America, what are the unresolved issues that keep us disconnected? One of the best things we can do for starters is begin to have honest conversations. It’s often what we don’t talk about that often produces polarization.

The participants in this forum will be fueled with new insight that will help them create a warmer and more welcoming work environment. This discussion will be thought provoking and engaging. We will not only gain a better understanding of others, but more importantly ourselves. In doing so, we find genuine ways to connect with people who are different than us, because we have been willing to ask the questions that help bring a better understanding of different groups. This workshop has proven to be an eye opener for many, also liberating and empowering.

This workshop will be unique and a little different from what we are accustomed to in the sense that we are asking the college to create a space for a small group of people FROM the community to join us in this very important discussion. This is done for at least a few reasons:
1. When having a discussion on race, it is critical to have voices, experiences and perspectives that are not a part of MVCC – it brings a different perspective.
2. Because of our internal relationships here at MVCC, it is helpful to have an external, fresh perspective from outsiders so that questions can be asked that we may not have thought about.
3. The more diverse and different professions we have in the room, the more we are able to consider how race impacts different areas of our life. Bringing in outside perspectives and experiences stimulates the discussion and heightens our awareness and aids in our professional growth.

As the Mohawk Valley emerges into a very diverse community, we can no longer afford to put this conversation on the shelf. I invite you to join this important dialogue.

*A light lunch will be served

UPDATE ON CNY RESIST TRUMP RESISTANCE – JANUARY 16, 2017

UPDATE ON CNY RESIST TRUMP RESISTANCE

CNY PROGRESSIVE ACTION NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 16, 2017

NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK CITIZENS IN ACTION, INC.
UTICA CHAPTER OF CITIZEN ACTION OF NEW YORK
(ESTABLISHED IN 1997)

Now celebrating 19 years of community organizing, the Central New York Citizens in Action invites YOU to be part of a movement for progressive change based on shared social values. We believe in educating, advocating, and legislating for the collective good. Join us!

You can view newsletter on:
https://cnycitizenaction.wordpress.com
http://www.cnycia.org

COUNTER-INAUGURAL RALLY PLANNED FOR JANUARY 21 IN UTICA

Community groups are sponsoring a counter-inaugural rally and teach-in entitled: “Say No To Trump’s Agenda: A Unity Rally For A Progressive Future.” It will be held between 1 – 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 21 at the DeSales Center, 309 Genesee St. Utica.

Designed to mobilize Central New York residents against Trump administration policies, the event will include speakers, workshops on issues and organizing, skits, music, films, lunch, networking, and exhibits. The teach-in will discuss the proposed polices of the Trump administration, their impact on local residents, and how persons and groups can fight back against Trump’s agenda.

The rally is free and open to the public. The DeSales Center is across the street from the Munson-Williams Proctor Institute in Downtown Utica. Parking is available next to the building.

Sponsors include Citizen Action of New York, Central New York Citizens in Action, Move-On, and other local, state, and national groups.

The Utica event is one of the rallies and protests this week which are planned in hundreds of cities against the inauguration of Donald Trump. The Women’s March on Washington is expected to draw as many as 200,000 attendees.

John Furman, President of the Central New Citizens in Action, stated: “The Counter-Inaugural Rally will help local residents to fight back against the excesses of the Trump administration, while empowering activism and laying the groundwork for a progressive resurgence. We will use this rally to build a community-wide coalition to resist the Trump administration polices such as giving massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, stripping health insurance from millions of Americans, gutting critical climate and consumer regulations, restricting voting and civil rights, and creating a climate of fear, hate, and repression.”

For more information, please call 315-725-0974, email cnycitizenaction@mail.com or visit www. cnycia.org or facebook.com/cnyprog.

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR THE COUNTER-INAUGURAL RALLY

PLANNING MEETING TUESDAY NIGHT (JANUARY 17)

The Central New York Citizens in Action and our partners are seeking speakers, musicians, actors to perform skits, sound and video equipment, a movie screen, lcd projector, and volunteers to help us hold a counter-inaugural rally to protest Trump policies on Saturday, January 21 between 1 – 5 p.m. at the DeSales Center, 309 Genesee St. Utica. We are having a meeting this Tuesday at the DeSales Center at 7 p.m. to help plan the event. The event will consist of a rally, speakers, workshops on organizing and issues, music, films, potluck lunch, networking, and exhibits. We need your help to organize this event. Please download the attached poster at our web site (www.cnycia.org) and distribute. Please invite your family, friends, co-workers, clients, and neighbors to this important event.

Here are specific things you can do to help:
1. Bring a dish to share (We need beverages, salads, pizza, paper products, etc.)
2. Set up the hall Friday night at 7 p.m.
3. Make signs opposing Trump and bring them with you either Friday or Saturday.
4. Write a short play that attacks Trump’s policies and provides positive alternatives (Humor is recommended!)
5. Volunteer to perform a skit.
6. Play music and sing protest songs!
7. Suggest films we can show.
8. Invite your friends and families to attend.
9. Make speeches and hold workshops.
10. Make a large pledge of resistance poster so everyone can sign.
11. Encourage your group to bring literature and have a table.
12. Make copies of the event poster and put them up in the community and local colleges.
13. Encourage your group to endorse it.
14. Develop issue positions which we can run off.
15. Provide a financial contribution to help defray costs.
16. Become a member of Citizen Action of New York to continue the struggle!

Please call 315.725.0974 or email cnycitizenaction@gmail.com to volunteer.
Trump’s First 100 Day agenda includes repealing environmental regulations, Obamacare, and the Dodd-Frank Act, giving the rich and big corporations a huge tax cut, destroying the labor movement, and putting in place a cabinet that doesn’t believe in the Voting Rights Act or public schools or Medicare or the Fair Housing Act. We must join together in solidarity for the protection of our rights, families, health, safety, democracy, and diverse communities. Our goal is to build a community-wide solidarity coalition to resist Trumpism!

UTICA OFFICIALS TAKE A STAND FOR ‘CARE, NOT CHAOS’ AS
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS FACE SUDDEN LOSS IN HEALTHCARE

Repealing Affordable Care Act, gutting Medicaid and Medicare
would create epic healthcare crisis

On Thursday, January 12, Mayor Robert Palmieri, members of the Utica Common Council, frontline healthcare workers, and members of Citizen Action of New York, ACR Health, and community leaders sounded the alarm about what’s at stake as Donald Trump and Congressional leaders move to eliminate affordable healthcare coverage, including vital Medicaid benefits and services. Tens of millions of children, seniors and working adults including 84,723 residents in New York’s Congressional District 22 will be at risk for losing coverage. Utica area community leaders are calling on Congress to fix what is broken in the healthcare system, and leave in place provisions that have proven to help millions of Americans. Mayor Palmieri and the Utica Common Council will be presenting resolutions urging Congress to not repeal the Affordable Care Act without a plan in place that will ensure access to healthcare for all.

Congressional leaders are rushing to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a move that would take away health insurance coverage for 30 million Americans, including 24,781 people in Oneida County alone.

According to Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri, “No law is perfect, but the Affordable Care Act has had a positive impact in people’s lives. While Congress should look at ways to improve the law, it would be irresponsible to simply repeal it without a plan to provide adequate protection for millions of Americans who depend on the Affordable Care Act for coverage.”
Here’s what’s at stake for Utica, if the ACA is repealed without an immediate replacement:

1. Over 24,000 Oneida County residents will lose coverage by 2019. [Urban Institute]
2. ·
3. 84,723 residents in CD22 will be at risk for losing coverage. This includes thousands with Medicaid coverage, 20,259 with Essential Plan coverage, and 20,219 with private plans purchased through the ACA marketplace.

4. 52 million Americans with pre-existing conditions could be denied health insurance. [Urban Institute]

5. Rolling back Medicaid expansion and block-granting the program could put 72 million low income people, including children, seniors and people with disabilities, in danger of losing health coverage. [Families USA]

6. Hospitals could lose more than $165 billion between 2018 and 2026, leading to an “unprecedented public health crisis.”[Federation of American Hospitals (FHA); American Hospital Association (AHA)]

7. The estimated direct state budget impact of the repeal is $3.7 billion. New York’s counties have been able to use the additional federal Medicaid funding through the Affordable Care Act, which goes to directly to counties and helps to lower property taxes. A repeal of the Affordable Care Act would result in a total loss of $595 million in funding. The fiscal impact for Oneida County will be $4,169,425.

“The chaos that will result from an unnecessarily rushed healthcare repeal means families will be left wondering how to pay medical bills and hospitals will be forced to choose which services to close,” said Bill Phillips, Utica Common Councilor – 5thDistrict. “We need to send a message to Congress that we cannot have these cuts in our community.”

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.

Please Join Us! – Workshop: What Stands Between Us? The Issue of Race in America & our Community
January 26th at the Utica Public Library

WE NEED YOU TO HELP US FIGHT TRUMP AND PROMOTE A POSITIVE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA

Please consider becoming a volunteer on one of our committees of the Central New York Citizens in Action campaign for progressive social change:

• Steering Committee
• Communications (web site, email newsletter, write articles)
• Office (data base, letters, email)
• Community Outreach (speaking to groups, membership)
• Event Set-up (food, posters, sign making, music, theatre)
• Research (conduct research on issues)
• Fundraising (organizing events)
• Emergency Response (organizing people to attend rallies and events)
• Issue committees such as Health care & retirement security
Women’s Rights & Reproductive Rights, Vulnerable communities (refugees, LGBT, racial minorities). Income inequality, social safety net, education and labor rights, Environment, Education
Please contact us at 315-725-0974 or cnycitizenaction@gmail.com for more information.

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES ARE NEEDED

Please submit your articles, news items, and calendar listings to cnyprogaction@gmail.com.

CNY PROGRESSIVE ACTION is published by Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc., P.O. Box 411, Utica, NY 13503-0411 315-725-0974. http://www.cnycia.org
cnycitizenaction@gmail.com https://cnycitizenaction.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-New-York-Citizens-in-Action/265689434204
https://www.facebook.com/Central-New-York-Progressive-Action-659297800873928/?fref=ts

UPDATE ON CNY RESIST TRUMP RESISTANCE – CNY PROGRESSIVE ACTION NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 10, 2017

NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK CITIZENS IN ACTION, INC.
UTICA CHAPTER OF CITIZEN ACTION OF NEW YORK
(ESTABLISHED IN 1997)

Now celebrating 19 years of community organizing, the Central New York Citizens in Action invites YOU to be part of a movement for progressive change based on shared social values. We believe in educating, advocating, and legislating for the collective good. Join us!

You can view newsletter on:
https://cnycitizenaction.wordpress.com
http://www.cnycia.org

 

 

ACTION ALERT: Tell Your Representative to #ProtectOurCare

Members of Congress are voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and make major cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. Please join the National Call-In Week and tell your Representative to oppose these cuts to health coverage and #ProtectOurCare.
Call (866) 426-2631

The U.S. Congress is back on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. this week and some U.S. Senators and Representatives are already talking about moving ahead with plans to roll back advances in healthcare coverage and gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA). To this we say: Not on our watch! This would put coverage at risk for nearly 30 million people. That’s not a typo. The healthcare of 30 million people is on the line.

Outrageous!

Can you make a call to NOW and tell them NOT to repeal the Affordable Care Act?
It’s time to turbocharge our efforts. Momentum is growing across the U.S. to stop the repeal of the ACA; and polls show an overwhelming majority of people disapprove of Republican lawmakers’ plan to repeal it without knowing how they might replace it.

The time to call is now. Many U.S. Senators are starting to realize the implications of this horrible direction and Repealing the ACA without a replacement plan is reckless and dangerous for America’s families and economy! The repeal of the ACA would be devastating to families and would have far-reaching negative financial implications for our communities and nation. Hard-working people across the U.S. have benefited greatly from this new law through improvements such as:
• All new insurance plans are required to cover preventive services at no cost—like check-ups, well-child visits, birth control, cancer screenings, and vaccines.
• People with pre-existing conditions like asthma, cancer, and diabetes can no longer be denied or charged more for coverage.
• People with chronic illnesses no longer face lifetime caps on their benefits that basically cuts off their coverage when they need it most.
• Medicaid has improved and now provides coverage to millions more, including hard-working parents.
A repeal of the ACA will also have a devastating effect on our economy, resulting in a $140 billion loss (yes, billion with a B) in federal funding for healthcare and a loss of 2.6 million jobs across all states in 2019.
Credit: momsrising.org

We are asking residents who live in the 22nd Congressional District to call Rep. Claudia Tenney Today – 866-426-2631 Toll free Or 202-225-3665 DC office.
Tell her – Please Don’t Take Away our Health Care- Do Not Repeal the Affordable Care Act – 25,000 people in Oneida County will lose their Health Care. Please do not raise the age for Medicare or turn it into a voucher program or cut Medicaid funding to our state. Please Keep your hands off our health care!

We are also asking constituents in CD 21 and CD 24 to make calls as well.

Please see below contact information for your representatives for CD 21, 22, and 24.

Representative Elise Stefanik
21st Congressional District
512 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
DC Phone: (202) 225-4611
DC Fax: (202) 226-0621
Email: https://stefanik.house.gov/contact/email

Representative John M. Katko
24th Congressional District
1123 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
DC Phone: (202) 225-3701
DC Fax: (202) 225-4042
Email: https://katko.house.gov/contact/email

Representative Claudia Tenney
512 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-3665
Fax: 202-225-1891
New Hartford Office
555 French Rd
New Hartford, NY 13413
https://tenney.house.gov/contact

Tweets by RepTenney

https://www.facebook.com/RepClaudiaTenney/
Washington, DC Office
@claudiatenney
#NY22

PLEASE SUPPORT UTICA MAYOR AND
COUNCIL TO STOP ACA REPEAL

WHO: Mayor Rob Palmieri, members of the Utica City Council, community activists and healthcare workers
WHAT: a press conference
WHEN: Thursday January 12 at 3:30 PM
WHERE: Utica City Hall
WHY:Mayor Rob Palmieri and members of the Utica City Council are passing resolutions asking Congress to ensure that people do not lose their healthcare with the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. They will join together in a press conference on Thursday January 12th at 3:30 at Utica City Hall with healthcare workers and members of the community who will share their story on why people need to keep their health insurance. Please come to this important event.
Please bring signs but limit the messaging to preserving the Affordable Care Act.

LOCAL GROUPS TO OFFER TRAINING FOR FUTURE PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES, CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS, AND GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS

TRAINING ON JANUARY 12

Central New York Citizens in Action, the New York State Working Families Party, and the Oneida County Democratic Committee are teaming up to sponsor a series of candidate training workshops to recruit, train, and elect the next generation of progressive leaders. The first session of the Running to Win workshop will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 12 at the Central New York Labor Council, 287 Genesee Street, corner of Dakin Street, Utica. Parking is available in the rear. It is free and open to persons who share progressive values and are interested in running for office or assuming party positions.

“The WFP is seeking progressive champions willing to challenge the status quo and fight for a government that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected. If you are ready to join the fight, and are interested in running for office or helping out a friend, this is a workshop for you,” said Jesse Lenney, Working Families Party Upstate Political Director.

Bill Thickstun, Chair, Oneida County Democratic Committee, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Citizens in Action and the Working Families Party on this project. Donald Trump and the Republican Congress are launching an attack on all the great progressive achievements of the past 80 years–Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, civil rights, environmental conservation, progressive taxation, worker and consumer protections. We need every voice and every pair of hands to join in resisting their efforts.”

Running to Win is part of the WFP’s candidate farm team training program that arms progressives with the strategies, tools, and skills needed to win elections. Topics include fundraising, canvassing, budgeting, speeches, planning, and targeting voters; recruiting volunteers; field activities; message development; persuasion; and Election Day plans.

“These trainings will give grassroots activists in Central New York the tools they need to create positive change in their communities and create a bottom-up infrastructure of progressive leaders,” said John Furman, one of the leaders of the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Working Families Party. “Our goal is to identify, train, and support grassroots activists in the skills and strategies to create a progressive future for our community and nation as well as help them manage successful campaigns or run for office themselves.”

For more information, please email uticaromewfp@gmail.com or call 315.725.0974.

WE NEED YOU TO HELP US FIGHT TRUMP AND PROMOTE A POSITIVE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA

Please consider becoming a volunteer on one of our committees of the Central New York Citizens in Action campaign for progressive social change:

• Steering Committee
• Communications (web site, email newsletter, write articles)
• Office (data base, letters, email)
• Community Outreach (speaking to groups, membership)
• Event Set-up (food, posters, sign making, music, theatre)
• Research (conduct research on issues)
• Fundraising (organizing events)
• Emergency Response (organizing people to attend rallies and events)
• Issue committees such as Health care & retirement security
Women’s Rights & Reproductive Rights, Vulnerable communities (refugees, LGBT, racial minorities). Income inequality, social safety net, education and labor rights, Environment, Education
Please contact us at 315-725-0974 or cnycitizenaction@gmail.com for more information.

PROTEST AGAINST THE TRUMP AGENDA ON INAUGURATION DAY IN WASHINGTON

Please join people from all over the nation who will be coming to Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2017 to participate in a massive demonstration along Pennsylvania Avenue on Inauguration Day.

Buses Leaving Central New York

Utica Bus

Utica buses are currently filled. To be placed on waiting list, please send an email to cnycitizenaction@gmail.com. We suggest that people should check out the buses from Oneonta and Syracuse which have seats available.

Oneonta Bus – stops in Binghamton –call Eileen Andrews: 607 226 7994
Information:
Women’s March on Washington Bus trip. Leaving: Oneonta 1am, Norwich 2AM Binghamton 3AM $80 / person. Payment check or Paypal. For more information and to reserve your seat 607 226 7994.

Syracuse Bus – We are departing Syracuse around 2:00 AM Friday and departing DC to return to Syracuse Saturday night.
Cost
$75 – $125 Sliding Scale (Paying more helps others participate)
Scholarships available for those who cannot afford the $75.
email bus@peacecouncil.net or call (315) 412-1485.
http://peacecouncil.net/civicrm/event/info?id=11&reset=1

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS TO STAGE UTICA COUNTER-INAUGURAL RALLY/TEACH IN

Designed to inaugurate hope and stand up to the Trump Administration, the Utica Counter-Inaugural Rally/Teach In will be held between 1 – 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 21 at the DeSales Center, Inc., 309 Genesee St. Utica. The event will consist of a rally and a march, workshops on organizing and issues, music, films, posters, speakers, potluck lunch, networking, and exhibits. We need help to organize this event. People can perform music, hold workshops, suggest films, make signs and posters, help to publicize the event, make speeches, act in skits, face painting for kids, and bring a dish to share. Please call 315.725.0974 or email cnycitizenaction@gmail.com to volunteer.

WORKING FAMILIES PARTY TO HOLD FUNDRAISER ON JANUARY 26

Senator Al Franken Senate Judiciary Committee
General Counsel Joshua Riley Featured Speaker

The New York State Working Families Party will host its fourth annual fundraiser on Thursday, January 26 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Stief, 618 Varick Street, Utica.

The keynote speaker will be Joshua Riley who has worked in Congress as a Staff Assistant to Congressman Maurice Hinchey, a legal advisor on Senator Ted Kennedy’s Labor and Pensions Committee Staff, and most recently as General Counsel to Senator Al Franken on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He will talk about the importance of protecting working families’ interests during the 115th Congress, where Republicans will control both chambers and the White House. Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi and Mayor Robert Palmieri of Utica will also speak.

Hosted by the Herkimer-Oneida-Madison Counties Working Families Party Chapter, the Winter Cocktail Party will celebrate 18 years of progressive victories on the local, state, and national levels. Tickets are $125 and two for $200 (WFP enrolled voters and regular monthly contributors can qualify for special pricing.) Tickets may be purchased by contacting John Furman (315-725-0974), Jesse Lenney (585-414-4274), uticaromewfp@gmail.com, online at https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/2017uticawfp or by sending a check made payable to “Working Families” to: Working Families, P.O. Box 20498, Rochester, NY 14602.

Special event sponsor opportunities include: Chair Level – $1,250 (8 tickets), Champion Level – $1,000 (7 tickets), Leader Level – $750 (6 tickets), Activist Level – $500 (4 tickets), Friend Level – $350 (3 tickets). More information on the event can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1215696445162265/

Founded in New York in 1998 by a coalition of progressive unions, community organizations, and activists, the Working Families Party’s goal is to use electoral politics and issue campaigns to win concrete victories for working people. More information can be found at: http://workingfamilies.org/ .

With chapters in ten states and a supporter-base that spans the nation, the Working Families Party has won public policies that make a difference in the lives of working families, from paid sick days laws and minimum wage increases to reforms to criminal justice laws and policing practices to wins on student debt and environmental protection. The WFP’s progressive candidates’ Pipeline is recruiting, training and electing the next generation of progressive leaders.

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES ARE NEEDED

Please submit your articles, news items, and calendar listings to cnyprogaction@gmail.com.

CNY PROGRESSIVE ACTION is published by Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc., P.O. Box 411, Utica, NY 13503-0411 315-725-0974. http://www.cnycia.org
cnycitizenaction@gmail.com https://cnycitizenaction.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-New-York-Citizens-in-Action/265689434204
https://www.facebook.com/Central-New-York-Progressive-Action-659297800873928/?fref=ts

CENTRAL NEW YORK RESIDENTS ORGANIZE TO OPPOSE TRUMP AGENDA

Utica Counter-Inaugural Rally, CNY Contingent to March on
Washington, Candidate Training Planned

A coalition of local, state, and national organizations announced today that they are launching the Campaign of Resistance against the Trump Agenda in Central New York. Among the groups are Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc., Citizen Action of New York, Public Citizen, Working Families Party, Central New York Solidarity Coalition, Cornhill Community for Change, and MoveOn.

Speakers at the news conference and rally today said that residents of Central New York will be hurt by proposed Trump policies.

✓ Many Central New York senior and disabled residents rely upon basic safety net programs which are expected to be slashed. Medicaid is likely to be turned into a block grant to states and cut deeply. Medicare is likely to be privatized and replaced with vouchers; Affordable Care Act will be repealed. SNAP/Food Stamps will be turned into block grants and funding will be sharply reduced.

✓ Rates of poverty and unemployment are higher in Upstate New York than other parts of the country. Tax and budget policies that favor the 1% at the expense of the rest of us will be put into effect, increasing inequality and condemning many to low wage jobs without benefits.

✓ Small businesses, farms, and working families are the engines for economic growth in our region. Huge giveaways to corporations will hurt small business and increase taxes for the middle class.

✓ The Trump infrastructure proposal will likely be a massive tax subsidy for private sector entities that will, for example, build a road and then own it/charge tolls on it. This will put a cost burden on struggling households and take away public control over infrastructure like water, energy, and transportation systems.

✓ The economic revival of Utica, where one in four residents is an immigrant, is threatened by Trump’s deportation proposals. Immigrants, including 700,000 “Dreamers” (young people who have temporary legal status under the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program) are threatened with deportation.

More than 40 people attended the news conference today. Representatives indicated that they are planning to hold the following actions to block Trump’s proposed policies:

1) Designed to inaugurate hope and stand up to the Trump Administration, the
Utica Counter-Inaugural Rally/Teach In will be held between 1 – 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 21 at the DeSales Center, Inc., 309 Genesee St. Utica. The event will consist of a rally, workshops on organizing and issues, music, films, speakers, potluck lunch, networking, and exhibits.

2) Central New York Citizens in Action and other groups are helping to organize buses from Clinton, Syracuse, and Binghamton to take residents to Washington, D.C. for Inauguration Day protests. Interested persons should call all 315-725-0974 or email cnycitizenaction@gmail.com.

3) A community meeting sponsored by Central New York Citizens in Action will be held between 6 – 8 p.m. on Monday, January 9 to plan future activities, organize committees, and recruit volunteers.

4) On January 12, the first of a series of workshops will be held to identify and train progressive candidates for local party and political office Local groups are seeking progressive champions willing to challenge the status quo and fight for a government that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected. The Running to Win series is part of the Working Families Party candidate farm team training program that arms progressives with the strategies, tools, and skills needed to win elections. Topics include fundraising, canvassing, budgeting, speeches, and planning.

5) Local actions will be planned for January 12 to oppose the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. is seeking local citizens to provide stories of how they and their families have been helped by the Affordable Care Act and other health insurance programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Persons interested should complete a survey at http://www.cnycia.org.

6) Days of action to protest the Medicare privatization, weakening the EPA and the National Labor Relations Board, slashing the Dodd-Frank Law and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, expanding private for-profit charter schools, privatizing government functions and deporting immigrants are in the process of being planned for the next several months.

7) The Central New York Citizen in Action, along with its partners, will be conducting research to document the impact of proposed Trump policies on the lives of Central New York residents and to propose alternative policies that put people first. Reports showing the loss of funding and services will be provided to the public, media, and elected officials.

8) The groups are deploying a rapid response team of citizen volunteers to hold Upstate New York members of Congress accountable, monitor cabinet appointments, appropriations, and legislation, and act as a watchdog for the interests of working people. They will be mobilizing constituents to make newly-elected Representative Claudia Tenney (R-C-22) as well as Representatives John Katko (R-24) and Elise Stefanik (R-21) aware of how Trump policies will hurt Central New York.

Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Director, Public Citizen’s Democracy Is For People Campaign, said: “We believe in a nation that is of, for and by the people. But President-elect Trump has shown his administration will be the opposite – he has proposed to fill his Cabinet with corporate CEOs, billionaires and big donors. We will join coalitions like this one in Central New York that are forming throughout our nation to resist the Trump’s administration’s corporate agenda, which will put profits over the planet and its people.”

Paul Lomeo of Central New York Citizens in Action stated: “We are the vocal majority that will stand up to defend American values against the radical agenda of a reckless and vindictive President and an extremist Congress. We are the Resistance.  We accept the electoral laws that made a man chosen by a minority of voters President of the United States. However, we will fully exercise our Constitutional rights to protest his policies and educate voters on why we believe those policies are so wrong.  CNY Citizen Action will serve as the organizer of this broad coalition of people. We have many concerns about the damage that awaits us. We cannot stand by idly.  The time for mourning is over. Now, we resist and organize.”

Kari Procopio, local women’s rights advocate and member of Central New York Citizens in Action, called out lawmakers like Tenney to abandon partisan politics and support women, minorities, and the working class. “Tenney’s track record as our state representative proves she is out of touch with the real issues facing constituents,” said Procopio. “Our Campaign of Resistance doesn’t end with Trump. We will press Tenney to stand against his dangerous agenda and stand up for women’s health, equal pay for equal work, raising the minimum wage, and policies that would benefit working women and families.”

The Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. is a multi-issue grassroots advocacy organization affiliated with Citizen Action of New York. More information regarding the regional Campaign of Resistance against the Trump Agenda can be obtained through calling 315-725-0974, emailing cnycitizenaction@gmail.com, or at the following web sites:
http://www.cnycia.org
https://cnycitizenaction.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-New-York-Citizens-in-Action/265689434204
https://www.facebook.com/Central-New-York-Progressive-Action-659297800873928/?fref=ts
Twitter: @CNYACT