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OPAA Planning Meeting Recap


THANK YOU ALL for a great OPAA general meeting last night. I lost count at 57 attendees, but I know there were more. If you didn't make it, but would like to see what was discussed, my meeting notes are posted below, or you can find them here: Meeting Notes

If you did make it, please review the minutes, and let us know here or by email if you would like to help co-lead any discussed actions, host or co-host any of ditto, or otherwise would like more information.

We're going to keep on standing up, OPAA. Thanks to you!

Meeting Notes

OPAA Feb 7th 2017

General Meeting

  1. 7:10-7:20 Introduction & Review: By 7:10, approximately 57 attendees, additional people came in at later times. Rebecca Verity introduced Ksenija Olmer, both welcomed the group. Topics included in introduction include

  2. Overview of conversations OPAA organizers are having, including various invitations to merge with other local groups, etc. General consensus among attendees was noted that being local and meeting face-to-face, including around local issues, is preferred, although group discussion/vote not held. Organizer’s goal is to stay local but find ways to not reinvent what other groups are doing well.

  3. Gen meetings to be held 1x/month, alternating morning, weekdays with evening or weekend.

  4. Donations welcome to cover administrative costs,

  5. Help needed sign ups were posted. We are looking for volunteers to step up specific urgent areas. Nearly 50% of attendees volunteered in some capacity or other. THANK YOU ALL.

  1. 7:20- 7:45 Introduction to February Upcoming Actions: Moderators provided an overview of February’s 5 main areas of upcoming actions.

  2. Thursday Talk & Walk: Lafayette Reservoir, 10 am Thursdays, Meet like-minded people and clear your head. Rain Cancels. No RSVP req’d. Ongoing event.

  3. Public Advocacy: Visits to MoC (members of Congress) offices, town halls, or attendance at relevant local public meetings. To be expected at a frequency of at least 2/month. Because of Indivisible training, many groups are doing Resist Trump Tuesdays and showing up at MoC offices on Tuesdays; in order to not be lost in that crowd, we will generally go on other days of the week.

  4. Wed 02/08 Oppose Pesticides in Orinda Parks, Orinda Community Center , Room 7, 7 pm (See FB or webpage calendar for details)

  5. Next Wed, 15th, CCC School Board Pleasant Hill to Oppose Jeff Belle (See FB or webpage calendar for details)

  6. Possible Mark DS townhall, organized by Bob Burt. Group was enthusiastic about this idea

  7. Emails and phone calls to MoCs on policy: These are clearly having an impact, even though we know we will lose some major battles. Examples here. We post advice on who to call and what to say multiple times/week on FB. Calls/emails can be done daily or weekly. We hope to host get togethers for group calling/writing sessions at least 1/month. Looking for multiple hosts for these, we can help you figure out what’s needed. Give us a shout if you’d like to step up to help organize/host these. orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com

  8. Phone Banking: These are calls to voters, not politicians. Either to “flip” an election or urge local action in an area of influence. Our group supports phone banks organized by Lamorinda for Action, a close action partner. Jackie Moureau from LfA spoke. If you would like to get involved with phone banking, please let us know and we will put you in touch with Jackie. orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com

  9. Acts of Kindness

  10. Valentine Thank You Writing Gathering (See FB or webpage calendar for details)

  11. Support for local immigrants or vulnerable population - we can, as a group, support a local vulnerable family or otherwise provide help to the needy in our own community. This is an important part of OPAA’s mission and we will continue to explore it.

  1. 7:45-7:50 Reading/ What makes you hopeful? Poem “If you could” by Danny Bryck read, and gathering had two minutes to discuss hopefulness with neighbors.

  1. 8:00- 8:20 Small Groups around Action. Gathering self-organized into 4 Small Groups (actually ~15 pp each) to discuss (1) Public Advocacy, (2) Emails/Calls/Twitter, (3) Phone Banking and (4) Acts of Kindness. OPAA Organizers are actively looking for co-organizers in these four areas and asked each group to find at least one person who can step up to help lead. Time was used for groups to get to know each other and discuss/plan elements of your groups’ action. Groups were asked “How can you as a group move this forward? What do you need from OPAA?”

  2. Public Advocacy: Several people stepped up to helped plan upcoming MoC visits. Notes from this group currently missing. If you were among these or would like to join, please email orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com

  3. Emails/calls/Twitter: This group discussed effective strategies and provided guidance which will be added to our Resources Page (upcoming).

  4. Phone Banking: Lively discussion led by Jackie Moreau. 4 new phone bank hosts identified. If you did not sign up at the meeting but would like to join a phone =bank or host a phonebank, please email orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com

  5. Acts of Kindness: Three options discussed to be moved forward. 1. Signs which say “We’re glad you are our neighbor” in three languages. A small group formed to print and distribute these signs in Orinda, Lafayette. If you would like a sign, please email orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com 2. Discussion around Orinda becoming a sanctuary city If you would like to join a sub-group discussing this, please email orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com 3. Sponsoring a refugee family through No One Left Behind. A volunteer will pursue information and report back to OPAA.

  1. 8:20 - 8:45 Small Group by Focus Area: Attendees redistributed into groups arranged around urgent topic areas. OPAA Organizers are actively looking for subject area experts health care, immigration, and education. Time was used for groups to get to know each other and discuss/plan elements of your groups’ action. Groups were asked “How can OPAA organize to move the needle on this topic? :

  2. Health Care (including women’s health care): Congressman Kevin McCarthy ® from Bakersfield is a national leader against the ACA. We may do phonebanking to reach & mobilize voters in Bakersfield, fundraising for an ad in Bakersfield, may partner with other groups on this. If you would like to join a sub-group discussing this, please email orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com

  3. Immigration/Diversity:

  4. Environment: Enormous topic, much was discussed. OPPA currently recommends 1. follow the Alternative versions of the National Parks Service and many other agencies. 2. Oppose Pruitt for EPA with phone calls, emails, and tweet. 3. Use the hashtage #makeamericatoxicagain to oppose all attacks on the environment by the current administration. 4. If you bank or invest with Wells Fargo, write and demand they Divest from DAPL 5. Plan to join an Earth Day Science March (April 22). More actions TBD

  5. Education: Locally, 1. oppose the bigotry of CC County Board of Education member Jeff Belle by emailing, writing, or attending a Board Meeting. We will ask the Board to work harder to distribute diversity materials (already published) to county schools and school boards 2. Ask our own local school boards to make public statements around the value of diversity, and to hold diversity events at each school. More info upcoming. At a state level, 3. lobby Ca legislators to protect vulnerable California students by codifying the national IDEA act into state law. Looking for a co-lead on this: please email orindaprogressiveaction@gmail.com

  6. 8:45 - 9:00 pm Wrap-Up. Recognition and Thanks to volunteers who have already stepped up:

OGIE STROGATZ - new FB moderator

BOB BURT - DS Townhall organizer

Andrew Bathgate & Carolyn Knoll - IT support


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