Merry Resistmas Edition WHERE WE GET OUR NEWS FROM MATTERS Our strength comes from having facts when we engage in discussions where we may have an opportunity to persuade independents. Make sure your facts come from a reputable news sources. DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT BUILDERS TRAINING February 27-March 1, 2026                                          If the last year has taught us anything, it’s this:  organizing works  — when we do it well and when we do it together. Across Michiga

The U.S. Constitution guarantees us due process in its 5th and 14th Amendments. They ensure all individuals: young / old, male / female, rich / poor; all colors, all abilities, documented / undocumented, veteran or draft dodger all receive fair treatment.     Trump certainly knows his right to due process. He has used it multiple times and all the way to the supreme court.   The 5th and 14th Due Process amendments require:   ●     Fairness in procedures ●     Notice and oppor

The government is for the people, by the people.  The people are you and me.  The government works for us.  But, under the current administration, the US Treasury is on pace to spend MORE money; 7.4% more than in 2024.  This isn’t smart. House & Senate Republicans have approved their budget. And, Trump signed it into law. This bill extends tax cuts for extremely wealthy people and corporations and will hurt working families. Some budget experts worry that Trump’s proposal to

Immigrant and migrant farmworkers have been an essential part of our nation’s food supply chain and have allowed the U.S. to export more food than any other country in the world.  Farming contributed $136 billion to the economy in 2020.  It relies on about 2.9 million farm workers.  Farm workers pay federal, state, and local taxes as well as Social Security even though they do not qualify for Social Security benefits.  Their purchases from local stores improve local economies

Capitalism is based on Greed.  Social Safety Nets are Based on Sharing.  We are the wealthiest nation on earth.  We believe in the Constitution and that all people deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which includes caring for the less fortunate.  Our social safety nets are part of what makes America Great.  Yet republicans and the wealthiest among us are trying to eliminate the social safety nets that help feed and house We The People.  They want to grab the n

Americans have always had a strong belief in education. The K-12 education system in the U.S. ranks among the top 20 education systems in the world.  It is known especially for teaching critical thinking and knowledge that can be used in dealing with the challenges in life, not just teaching how to memorize facts.  American universities are considered some of the best in the world.  Much of the high impact research in many categories is created in these universities. Most U.S

IRS Collects taxes, provides taxpayer assistance and education, and dispute resolution.  They even provide free tax return filing.   Direct file was launched in 12 states and in 2024 141,000 people filed their taxes for free, saving as estimated $160 per filer.  The program was to be expanded to 25 states in 2025.  Saving you money by allowing you to file for FREE!  But, Republicans don’t want you to be able to do that.  They would rather collect your fees for themselves thro

In March of this year, Northern Lower Michigan experienced an unprecedented ice storm effecting 90,000 residential and businesses in 11 counties.  The cleanup continues today with minimal funds from FEMA.    In July, Trump approve FEMA funds but chose to excluded the two local utilities (Presque Isle Electric & Gas and Great Lakes Energy), residential and business losses.  65% or $89.7 mil of the total clean-up cost was incurred by the local utilities.  Without FEMA funding/g

Social Security is secure and it's risk-free.  Social Security has Never missed a payment for 90 years.  You and your employers will contribute throughout your working life.  And, the Government will provide monetary benefits for your retirement.  Republicans want to give your hard-earned savings to Wall Street who will manage your money for a hefty fee.  It’s RISKY.  The losses from down markets are yours.  But, they still get paid their fees.  We believe that Social Securit

Our Declaration of Independence states that all people deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As the wealthiest nation on earth, we have the capacity to care for the less fortunate among us. Our safety nets are part of what makes America great. Yet republicans and the wealthiest among us are trying to eliminate the social safety nets that help feed and house Americans. They want to grab the nation’s money for their own profit.  Social safety nets are what give pe

Social Security is funded through a dependable source:  Company payroll taxes and your payroll contributions.  The fund currently has $2.7 Trillion in it.  IT’S NOT CLOSE TO BEING A PROBLEM.   The Republicans want you to think there is an issue.  BUT, THERE ISN’T.  They just want to give your money to the wealthy elite and deny benefits to millions of deserving people by raising the retirement age, instead of raising the income cap on who pays into Social Security.  Raising t

We live in a country that assures us that we will be kept safe by the courage and skills of the men and women in our military. In return, our government has promised to protect them when they return home through benefits. This includes health care tailored to their needs for both physical and mental health care wither or not these needs are service related. It also promises these who suffer service-related disabilities will also be compensated for their losses and provided wi

Anyone with a federal student loan needs to be aware of huge changes to the loan process!   The Biden Administration in the SAVE Plan gave late paying borrowers a break (an “on ramp”) from repayment (forbearance) due to the impact of COVID-19.  The Administration also created a (“fresh start”) plan to help millions of people resume paying after default.  The Trump Administration changed all of that.  Federal student loan debt collection began May 5 th  after a nearly 5-year b

Our government agencies, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, etc., have been working efficiently for decades.  These agencies support nearly every U.S. family.  Management and efficiencies are routinely tweaked to improve service.  Republicans are eliminating staffing and cutting budgets.  They are sabotaging our government because they want government to fail. They want Social Security to fail.  They want Medicaid to fail.  They want Medicare to fail.  When that happens

Capitalism is based on Greed.  Social Safety Nets are Based on Sharing.  We are the wealthiest nation on earth.  We believe in the Constitution and that all people deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which includes caring for the less fortunate.  Our social safety nets are part of what makes America Great.  Yet republicans and the wealthiest among us are trying to eliminate the social safety nets that help feed and house We The People.  They want to grab the n

Everyone wants the government to spend money wisely and save money where they can.   However, Republican strategy isn't about "saving" money, it’s about intentionally dismantling the government.  After they gut our public programs, what comes next?   They transfer Large Dollar Contracts to their corporate cronies to run the same programs at a HIGHER COST and they INCREASE THE NATIONAL DEBT!  Cuts for us - profits for them.  We believe that Congress must properly fund and impl

November 24 SWIM & STRANGERS NO LONGER: LOCAL TO LOCAL TRAINING Join us on Monday November 24 from 6:00-7:15 pm for a community virtual training event, organized by Statewide Indivisible Michigan (SWIM) and Strangers No Longer .  The focus will be on resisting local police collaboration with ICE through 287(g) agreements. Learn more about the Local to Local program here . We will explore how such partnerships harm both immigrants and citizens by enabling racial profiling, ero

DID YOU KNOW? Congress recently voted to take back $1.1 billion in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) which gives funding to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) stations all over the U.S.  This is funding that Congress had already approved for the next 2 years.  While this funding is a smaller part of the total funding of stations in larger urban areas, some stations in smaller areas will lose up to 50% of their funding

The IRS has been the financial backbone of the country!  It has financially supported the government by consistently providing funding for the activities needed for the People of the United States to prosper, such as money for roads, national defense, clean drinking water, safe work places, safe and clean national parks, funding support for small and large business, scholarships and grants for technical and college…and so many others. Republicans want to cut the IRS budget so

For over 80 years retirees have depended on Social Security like a trusted friend.  Workers contribute a portion of their wages, and Social Security reliably returns benefits to them in retirement.  Over the decades, Republicans have repeatedly tried to move social security services from the government to the private sector. They want to make profits for the wealthy by generating management fees for Wall Street.  Moving Social Security to Wall Street would be a disaster for A