BerniePDX / Portland for Bernie

Click Here for Buzzfeed’s list of the 50 best memes of Bernie & his mittens!

And here’s Naomi Klein’s take on The Meaning of the Mittens, from the Intercept. 

Millions of working class and marginalized people voted to throw Trump out of office, but our organizing has to continue under the next administration. While 2020 was a year of devastation, with so many people losing their jobs, their savings, and their lives, the Black Lives Matter uprisings inspired and moved millions into struggle against racism and police violence. Now we must build a mass movement to demand the changes we so desperately need, from racial, to climate, to economic justice.

The Defend Democracy Coalition is holding a rally and march on Inauguration Day 1/20 at 4 pm at Irving Park to kick off this new period of struggle. We ask that all attendees wear a mask and practice social distancing. There will be ASL interpretation provided by Fingers Crossed Interpreting.

A car caravan is available for those with elevated risk levels for COVID-19. It will meet at 2 pm at PCC Cascade in the back parking lot off of Albina.
Join us to make these demands loud and clear!

Black Lives Matter
-Defund the police, invest in communities, pass the Breathe Act
Jobs for all!
-We need a Green New Deal
Real COVID Relief
-Monthly payments, no evictions, invest in public housing
Medicare for all, now!
Protect immigrants
-Not one more deportation, reunite families
Respect Indigenous Sovereignty
-No corporate or governmental intrusion without free, prior, and informed consent
Fund Human Needs, Not Endless Warfare

Location: Irving Park

Saturday, Jan. 9, 1pm: Community Care-A-Van: Providence Nurses Need COVID-19 Protections

Join Oregon Nurses Association nurses on January 9 as they car-caravan with community supporters to protest Providence Health’s refusal to protect nurses on the front-line of the COVID-19 pandemic. After months of Providence’s foot-dragging at the bargaining table, ONA nurses are asking community members to join their struggle for adequate COVID testing, exposure notification, and emergency leave to recover from COVID.

Please click here to RSVP and you will receive information to participate in this critical action: https://cutt.ly/Care-A-Van-Public-RSVP

RSVP & Share on Facebook.

We will provide signs and swag to decorate your car.

Our route will begin at the Tuff Shed Parking Lot on NE Halsey St and proceed by several Providence hospitals and worksites, before concluding near Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. RSVP link above for more information.

Location: Car Care-A-van starts at 6500 NE Halsey St. For more info & to RSVP, click here. 

ABOUT THE EVENT
With almost a third of Americans uninsured or underinsured in the face of a deadly pandemic, the time for Medicare for All is now!
We are hosting a day of action in support of Medicare for All on December 10th, Human Rights Day. Healthcare is a human right. But like all rights, the right to healthcare can only be won by fighting for it. That means organizing a grassroots movement powerful enough to win.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Instead of our monthly rally, this day of action will be a dispersed event, due to COVID restrictions in Oregon. There will be many small actions held throughout the state. This is something you can do on your own, or with your friends and family (limit of six people per group). Here are some ideas of things you can do:
• Hang a banner in your community
• Hold signs at a street corner
• Chalk sidewalks in your neighborhood
• Take a selfie with an M4A shirt or sign
• Take a picture of your dog with an M4A shirt or sign!
We encourage you to be creative and have fun. We just ask that you follow the Governor’s order limiting groups to 6 people, that you follow social distancing guidelines, and that you wear a mask at all times.

SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH
An important aspect of this day of action will be social media outreach. Therefore, we are asking everyone to snap a few pictures of your action and send them to one of our organizers at dsam4a@gmail.com (in addition, you can post them to your social media accounts under #riseup4medicare4all). It’s important that we show the depth and breadth of our movement. So, it wouldn’t hurt to include a reference to your town in your photo if you are located outside of Portland. If you are sending a photo of multiple people, please remember to wear masks and stay six feet apart – EVEN IF you live together. People may not know that you live together just by looking at your photograph, and we don’t want to send the wrong message.

SHINING A LIGHT
Not only is December 10th Human Rights Day, it is also the first day of Hannukah, the festival of lights. These are dark times. Millions of Americans are getting sick with COVID-19—more than in any other country. A quarter million have died. Millions will need treatment that could last for years, despite having lost their employer-based healthcare. Meanwhile, insurance and drug companies are raking in record profits. However, we believe there is light in this darkness. Polls continually show large majorities of Americans support a Medicare-for-All style, single payer system. By joining together, even in times as dark as these, we can help spread that light.

Please sign and share this petition to support the workers at the Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) who are working to form a union! CAT must stop union-busting! 

What a long election season it’s been! We are thrilled that ALL children in Multnomah County will soon get to attend free, quality preschool, and that Portland voted to create a police oversight committee with actual power! We’re excited to live in a state with campaign contribution limits and psilocybin therapy, where addiction treatment will be available to anyone who wants it, and the possession of small amounts of drugs will be decriminalized!

Thank you to Chloe Eudaly, Sarah Iannarone, Theresa Kohlhoff, and Chris Smith for running for office on bold, left platforms! You all ran amazing campaigns and we can’t wait to see what you have in store.

Thanks to everyone who voted and volunteered for these great candidates and ballot measures this year!

As of this writing, the presidential election results still aren’t finalized. However, it’s looking like we won’t have to endure four more years of Trump!

Learn why BerniePDX members voted to support these campaigns and how to get involved at: www.berniepdx.us/2020endorsements

Join BerniePDX to call voters from home about Measure 109: Access to Psilocybin Therapy!

–> RSVP at: http://tiny.cc/962zsz

Measure 109 will create a regulated psilocybin therapy system in Oregon! Psilocybin therapy is a mental health therapy that uses psilocybin, a plant medicine derivative found in mushrooms. Research has shown that psilocybin therapy can help those suffering from depression, anxiety, and addiction. Measure 109 is supported by medical experts, veterans, and people from over 300 cities around Oregon.

RSVP for this event at: http://tiny.cc/962zsz

Learn more about Measure 109 at: www.voteyeson109.org

Please VOTE for these great local candidates and measures that BerniePDX members voted to endorse!

Learn why we support them and how to get involved at: www.berniepdx.us/2020endorsements

IMPORTANT DEADLINES:

– Oct. 13: The final date to register or update your registration.

– Nov. 3, 8:00pm: The Elections Office must have your ballot in-hand, so mail it well before Nov. 3! And don’t forget to sign the back of the envelope.

Call voters from home to ensure M110, The Drug Addiction Treatment & Recovery Act, passes on Election Day! Sign up at: http://tiny.cc/aezxsz

Measure 110 will provide drug and alcohol treatment to anyone who wants it, regardless of their insurance. It will also eliminate criminal penalties for small amounts of personal possession of drugs. This measure is an important step toward addressing our racist and unjust drug laws!

Please RSVP at: http://tiny.cc/aezxsz

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1269069620113756/