8/4/20
THANK YOU to all of you for your work thus far! Now is crunch time.
We have 9 more days until the Austin City Council votes on the 2020-2021 budget. Ann Kitchen needs to know that her constituents care! We know there are many more people in District 5 we haven’t reached yet. We need your friends, family, neighbors, NextDoor neighbors, church, school, teammates, and coworkers to call on Council Member Kitchen to take action now by reallocating $105 million dollars from APD to affordable housing, public health, and direct financial assistance. We need you and everyone you know in District 5 to speak at the last budget hearing on Wednesday, August 12. You must sign up prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 for your final chance to speak.
Be on the lookout for our flood email and call campaigns to Council Member Kitchen beginning Monday (August 10) next week; more information to come!
ACTION STEPS (10 minutes):
- Speak at the last City Council budget hearing on Wednesday, August 12. (2 minutes)
- Instructions: You must sign up prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 for your final chance to speak. A sign up link will be made available here at the end of this week or over the weekend. If this is your first time testifying, we can support you with these resources and talking points.
- Circulate the “Tell Kitchen You Care” petition widely. (2 minutes).
- Tip: Share the petition on any local social media group you are a part of, such as Next Door or neighborhood Listservs
- Call Ann Kitchen. Ask 3 friends, family members or neighbors to call this week. (2 minutes).
- Sample Script: “Hi, my name is ____. I live in your district and I’m a member of District 5 for Black Lives. I want you to reallocate $105 million dollars from APD to real solutions, such as affordable housing, health resources, and direct financial assistance, that keep all communities safe and thriving.”
- Email Ann Kitchen. (2 minutes).
- Tip: A personal email gets attention from elected officials. Include your name, district, that you are a member of District 5 for Black Lives, and that you want $105 million dollars reallocated from APD to real people-centered solutions. Include a personal story or take your favorite parts of our auto email/
- Get a Yard Sign & Post on Social Media. Post picture of you and your sign and tag Council Member Kitchen @D5Kitchen (2 minutes)
- Tip: Get your neighbors signs by advertising free “BLM” signs on “Give /Get” or “Free Stuff” FB groups (we can give you extra signs to pass out)
Thanks to YOU we have nearly 200 constituents in District 5 who have signed our petition (and counting!), YOU testified against the proposed budget over the last two weeks, YOU put out yard signs, and YOU donated your time and financial resources to support communities of color. We are honored to be your neighbor in District 5.
Sincerely,
the District 5 for Black Lives Organizing Team