IEB member Candace Goldman connected with Indivisible at its beginning, after the devastating 2016 election. She has participated in many events, from meetings at congressional district offices to protests, town halls, phone banking, emailing, and sending “thank you” notes to our elected officials.
November 6, 2017 marked the kick-off of a nationwide protest of the proposed Republican tax “reform” bill. Big picture, this bill would give enormous tax cuts to large corporations and the wealthiest 1% of individuals, to be paid for by the rest of us along with a deficit increase of another $1.3 – 1.7 trillion. This is not reform; it’s a scam that does great harm and increases the wealth gap. Or, as I am calling it, Structured Collusion Against the Majority.
So how’d this first week go? We began by encouraging our members (and family, and friends, and friends of friends!) to call and write their Members of Congress to encourage a NO vote on the tax scam. On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 7, while districts were flipping blue in state elections around the country, a small group of us gathered at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland for a rush hour reminder to passersby to say NO to the tax scam. To our surprise, within ten minutes we were in the midst of a major police action straight out of a “Lethal Weapon“ movie. Police cars screaming everywhere, a helicopter overhead, fire engines and ambulances rounding the corner, and road blocks set up. It was disconcerting but we stood our ground and, despite all the flashing lights and screaming sirens, the public saw us and the response was very favorable.
After a protest organized by Indivisible Berkeley on the Berkeley Overpass on Thursday, November 9, which we supported, another small group of us met at the plaza in front of the Oakland Federal Building on Saturday, November 11, Veteran’s Day. We soon decided that Broadway, with much more foot and vehicle traffic, would be a better audience location than quiet Clay Street, so we changed spots. We handed out lots of leaflets and had some good conversations with pedestrians who stopped to talk and get more information; cars, and even some bus drivers, showed their support by honking and waving as they drove by.
We clearly reached a lot of people and drew their attention to the imminent threat posed by the tax scam; and we have a lot more work to do to ensure that Congress hears our roar of “NO” to this devastating bill. Thank you to all who participated in this week’s events. Thanks to all of you who will be adding your energy and your voices to stopping this legislation. We will not be done until the tax scam is defeated. Keep your eyes peeled for more information. With your help, this “reform” WILL GO DOWN.
By Candace Goldman
