Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/28/2020

DMO Update

• Does your next campaign need a boost? Check out the DMO Political Vendor Marketplace.

• Next Wednesday – Join the DMO Policy Council call as we discuss DMO’s approach to reforming the police.

• Help DMO bring you more events like our National Breakfasts, DNC coverage, and Virtual Retreat. Support our work with a monthly contribution of any amount at NationalDMO.org/donate.

Quick Links

• NLC Responds to the Presidential Memorandum on Defunding Cities

• Strained Rural Water Utilities Buckle Under Pandemic Pressure

• Who are the Proud Boys?

Ideas for Cities

• Birmingham’s Service Corps Puts People Back to Work For Now and For the Long Haul

• How to Make Sure City Budgets Prioritize Racial Equity

• These Mayors Say This Is Universal Basic Income’s Moment – Missed our Policy Council call on local guaranteed incomes? You can email Sukhi Samra at the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration for more information.

Advisory Board Updates

• First full at-home COVID-19 test

• Statement of UAW Ford Vice President Gerald Kariem on the Groundbreaking for the New Rouge All Electric F-150 Plant

• Generating Power with Municipal Utilities

News for Democrats 

• Asked to Denounce White Supremacists, President Trump Tells Far-Right Extremist Group to “Stand By”

• Black Voters’ Mail-Ballot Rejections Are a Warning for Democrats

• Senate Dems ready tactics to muck up Supreme Court confirmation

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/21/2020

DMO Update

• Thank you to all the DMO members who joined us last week for our Virtual Retreat!

• Watch Securing Water Security, then join the DMO campaign to bring water to every household in America.

• Help DMO bring you more events like our National Breakfasts, DNC coverage, and Virtual Retreat. Support our work with a monthly contribution of any amount at NationalDMO.org/donate.

Quick Links

• Essential workers get new bikes as a ‘thank you’ for those providing ‘vital services’

• Justice Dept. deems New York City, Portland and Seattle ‘anarchist jurisdictions’

• Trump’s hostility to cities threatens to worsen the recession

Ideas for Cities

• How We Survive the Winter

• Join The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for webinars on voter suppression (Wed 9/23) and election communications (Tues 9/29).

• Birmingham’s Service Corps Puts People Back to Work For Now and For the Long Haul

News for Democrats 

• What Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Death Could Mean For 2020 And The Supreme Court

• Share the new IWillVote.com with your network.

• Take action on 9/22 for National Voter Registration Day

Pic of the Week

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court’s Feminist Icon, Is Dead at 87.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/14/2020

DMO Update

• You still have time to register for the DMO Virtual Retreat this week. We have unique streaming options for DMOs, members of the Washington State Chapter, Alumni DMOs, and Party Leaders.

• Watch Democrats and the 2020 Workers

• Enjoyed our programming during the Democratic National Convention? Help us do more for you, with a monthly contribution of any amount at NationalDMO.org/donate.

Quick Links

• They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won’t Anybody Listen?

• There’s a Movement to Defund School Police, Too

• Strained Rural Water Utilities Buckle Under Pandemic Pressure

Ideas for Cities

• It’s Not Too Late! 3 Ways Your City Can Still Get an Accurate Census Count

• The End Loneliness Initiative is keeping seniors connected during quarantine

• People With Mental Heath Disabilities Have Ideas on How to Prevent More Police Shootings – “One reason police encounters can go wrong, I’ve learned, is that people with intellectual disabilities often struggle to comprehend spoken instructions – particularly in a high-stress situation.”

News for Democrats 

• National League of Cities is asking local leaders to remind the Biden campaign of their commitment to the Leading Together Cities Agenda, and share this letter with the campaign.

• The Drop Box Rises As a Compromise Between the Mail and the Voting Booth

• How Conspiracy Theories Are Shaping the 2020 Election—and Shaking the Foundation of American Democracy – Lurid conspiracies have not only infected a significant number of voters, but have inoculated their minds against the fact-based responses Democrats rely on.

Pic of the Week

33% of polled Republicans believe the QAnon theory is “mostly true”, with another 23% believing it is “partly true”. While QAnon can mean many different things to different people, longtime Republican messaging about “elites” has likely primed Republicans to believe the wilder claims of this myth.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/7/2020

DMO Update

• The DMO Board Retreat is going virtual this year. Register as a Democratic Municipal Official to gain access to events with our leaders, Advisory Board members, and policy experts.

• Watch Live From Milwaukee, with Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

• Enjoyed our programming during the Democratic National Convention? Help us do more for you, with a monthly contribution of any amount at NationalDMO.org/donate.

Quick Links

• Laid off and now evicted amid Covid-19, a Houston father contemplates homelessness in a pandemic

• These Cities Are About to Make It Harder for Landlords to Evict People

• How Hunger Persists in a Rich Country Like America

Ideas for Cities

• Protecting Renter and Homeowner Rights During Our National Health Crisis

• Expert tips on writing text messages that get attention

• Lasting Affordability in Housing Now: Our Path to Racial Equity

Advisory Board Updates

• Service Line Warranty Association Annual Cities Report.

• Watch SEIU’s Honor Essential Workers Tribute

• Join AFSCME’s Fund the Front Lines Day of Action – September 17th

News for Democrats 

• CDC issues sweeping temporary halt on evictions. Here’s what that means for renters

• Northam pushes for overdue electric bill forgiveness

• Gain access to the DNC’s Best Practices Institute Victory Vault

Pic of the Week

This baby stroller holds everything the Rodriguez family owns after being evicted.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/31/2020

DMO Update

• Register for Wednesday’s 3pm ET / 12pm PT Policy Council call with Paulo Machado and Mayrav Saar from the End Loneliness Initiative.

• Missed our opening event of the DNC? Watch the recording of Welcome to the Party, with Whip Jim Clyburn.

• Enjoyed our programming during the Democratic National Convention? Help us do more for you, with a monthly contribution of any amount at NationalDMO.org/donate.

Quick Links

• Ransomware Attacks Demanding Larger Payouts from Local Governments

• Check out Gain Power, a networking and resource center for those in Democratic politics

• America’s College Towns Are Facing an Economic Reckoning

Ideas for Cities

• To Get People to Wear Masks, Try Comparing Them to Seatbelts and Helmets

• Millennials Could Be a Boon to Smaller Communities. How Can Those Towns Attract Younger Workers?

• How to Get the Most from Rental Assistance Programs – Try out the Emergency Rental Assistance Priority Index tool

News for Democrats 

• Worried about the USPS? Here are your in-person ballot return options.

• The Democrats Are United to Fight Trump, but Policy Fights Are Looming

• Could A Backlash Against Black Lives Matter Hurt Biden? The Two Don’t Appear Linked So Far.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/24/2020

DMO Update

• Watch Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s Convention address to Democratic Municipal Officials.

• The DMO Michigan Chapter will be hosting a virtual fundraiser to benefit the MI Democratic Party tomorrow. Learn more at MichiganDems.com/DMO.

• Enjoyed our programming during the Democratic National Convention? Help us do more for you, with a monthly contribution of any amount at NationalDMO.org/donate.

Quick Links

• The pandemic is hitting city budgets harder than the Great Recession

• How Decades of Racist Housing Policy Left Neighborhoods Sweltering – Redlined neighborhoods have more asphalt surfaces and fewer trees, making them dangerous heat sinks.

• Granite Falls Mayor Dave Smiglewski honored with top award for elected officials from the League of Minnesota Cities

Ideas for Cities

• Cities and Libraries Partner to Achieve a Complete Census Count – How We’re Doing it in Kansas City

• ‘Life or death’: Baking U.S. cities legislate for air conditioning

• How the ‘15-Minute City’ Could Help Post-Pandemic Recovery

Advisory Board Updates

• Gordian Helps Ready McCormick Place for COVID-19 Response

• Servline by Homeserve

• A Plan To Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities – American Federation of Teachers

News for Democrats 

• Trump Cabinet officials voted in 2018 White House meeting to separate migrant children, say officials

• Tennessee governor signs bill increasing punishments for certain protests – Punishments include a loss of voting rights for protesters convicted of a felony for camping on state property.

• DeJoy pushes back on criticism of changes to Postal Service, says he won’t restore sorting machines

Pic of the Week

Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris appear together on the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/17/2020

DMO Update

• Register for our week of events celebrating local Democrats during the Democratic National Convention!

• Today’s special guests include Whip Jim Clyburn, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, former Mayor John Norquist, Bruce Katz, Jarrett Walker, AFSCME’s Henry Garrido, the DMO Delegates, Adissu Demissie, Council Member Derek Green, and the Ironworkers’ Michelle Frisk!

• Looking for consultants or tools for your next campaign? The DMO Marketplace is now open for you to browse!

Quick Links

• What Happens to Viral Particles on the Subway?

• States Are Abusing Preemption Powers in the Midst of a Pandemic

• Nationwide Survey Finds One-Third of Renters Unable to Pay August Rent

Ideas for Cities

• How Minneapolis Pivoted Its Summer Youth Employment Program Online

• Are you a member of the Analyst Institute? Read the research on what does, and doesn’t work for modern campaigns.

• With downtowns staying abandoned, put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

News for Democrats 

• Postal Crisis Ripples Across Nation as Election Looms

• Watch the Democratic National Convention – Be sure to use #NationalDMO and #DMO10 so we can amplify your message!

• Nate Silver Introduces The 2020 Election Forecast

Pic of the Week

This summer marks ten years of DMO as a staffed organization! Participate in one of our virtual events and join the Party!

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/10/2020

DMO Update

• Register for our week of events celebrating local Democrats during the Democratic National Convention!

• Congratulations to DMO Blue Star Rising Dan Besse on his endorsement from President Obama.

• Act Now To Save Our Cities

Quick Links

• Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia On Losing His Mother To COVID-19

• The frustration of trying to invest in my hometown

• ‘This Push to Open Schools Is Guaranteed to Fail’

Ideas for Cities

• Don’t Knock Doors – Voter Contact During COVID-19

• Ithaca moves forward with rent cancellation proposal – The city provides a good model for how to balance the community’s needs with practical solutions.

• What Happens When a Pandemic Meets a Heat Wave

News for Democrats 

• New York Attorney General Sues N.R.A. and Seeks Its Closure

• Housing in Brief: HUD Kills Another Obama-Era Fair Housing Rule – Ending the AFFH removes a key tool ensuring low-income housing is distributed without racial discrimination, or in a way that segregates our cities.

• State Attorneys General Sue Over Clean Water Act Changes

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/3/2020

DMO Update

• Join the DMO Policy Council and Sukhi Samra from the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration to discuss a local guaranteed income. Wednesday, August 5th at 3pm ET, 12pm PT.

• Congratulations to DMO Blue Star Rising Dan Besse on his endorsement from President Obama this morning.

• Act Now To Save Our Cities

Quick Links

• If state and local governments continue to struggle, so will America

• Nearly 30 million Americans told the Cencus Bureau they didn’t have enough to eat last week

• How to sign the local government amicus brief in Fulton v City of Philadelphia – This ruling may force cities to continue working with companies guilty of discrimination, in spite of anti-discrimination contracts or local ordinances.

Ideas for Cities

• Roll Tape: Documenting Ad Hoc Measures to Encourage Social Distancing

• How To Reinvest in Communities When Reducing the Scope of Policing

• City of Austin provides COVID-19 relief grants for childcare centers

Advisory Board Spotlight

• SEIU Sign on Letter – COVID-19 Fiscal Relief and Stimulus for State and Local Governments

• Comcast Internet Essentials Impact Summit Recap Report

• SoftBank put together a $100 million investment fund for minority-owned businesses in 24 hours

News for Democrats 

• How the COVID-19 housing crisis could affect voter participation – Are tenants in your community facing a difficult legal challenge? Contact Noelle Porter at the National Housing Law Project to connect to their national network of housing law experts.

• 3 Months Of Hell: U.S. Economy Drops 32.9% In Worst GDP Report Ever

• 8 Big Reasons Election Day 2020 Could Be a Disaster

Pic of the Week

How the eviction crisis across the U.S. will look