The House has been given a 5 week recess, let’s make sure it’s not a vacation.  It’s time to call, write and show up outside his office to put the pressure on.  The big ugly bill passed, but Congress still doesn’t have a budget.  There is another looming government shutdown that could happen October 1st.

I encourage everyone to review the responses we have gotten from Rep. Fong.  Print them out and take a red pen to make corrections, add your comments in the margins, and give him a letter grade.  We will be delivering these letters to his office in Bakersfield on 8/15.

Join us on Saturday 8/9 to do our usual protest, sign up for a carpool, or share the letters you graded if you’re unable to make it to Bakersfield.  Your voice matters.  Rep Fong tries to make the excuse that he has corresponded with 16,000 constituents as an excuse for why he hasn’t had a townhall.  But sending the same canned responses to everyone isn’t actually communicating with the people.  We matter and he can’t ignore us if we’re outside his office.

Click here to see the list of Fong’s letters that need your feedback.  https://ridgecrest50501.com/responses-from-fong/

Note: There will not be a protest on 8/23. I would like to encourage community engagement to build engagement with peers. Indivisible is stressing that we need to have small group gatherings among friends so that fabric within our movement is strong for supporting each other to take action. Ridgecrest City Nights will be 8/23 from 5pm-9pm. Spend time with friends, say hello to people you’ve seen at the protest, and share your story for why you’re involved. I will be at a conference that weekend- so take some time to relax, enjoy the event, and make some friends. If you feel the need to continue protesting in the morning, go for it- but remember we stand for non-violence in our mission to flip the district.

For more frequent updates, connect with me on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/ridgecrest-50501.bsky.social

If you have any questions, you can also reach me by email at ridgecrest.50501@gmail.com

Need inspiration for writing to congress on calling their offices? Check out Denise’s “Letter’s to Fong” page on our website: https://ridgecrest50501.com/letters-to-fong/

This week’s “Letter’s to Fong” highlights:

• Trump fires labor statistics commissioner after weak jobs report
• RFK jr. recommends changes to vaccination programs
• Construction of ballroom addition to the White House