CAMPAIGN NEWS - WE ROCKED - LEAD ORGANIZER SEARCH - FREE JOY POWELL
Here are Metro Justice news and events for the week of 12/5/25
CAMPAIGN NEWS
RATE HIKE RALLY TOMORROW NOON
It’s too damn cold to turn off the heat! Which is why we’re turning up the heat on RG&E! We’ll be out in force tomorrow - at RG&E - 180 S Clinton - Saturday Dec 6 from noon - 1pm - Please join us and RSVP! We'll say loud and clear to RG&E, the state, and local leaders: No Rate Hike, No Shut offs, Public Power Now! Rochester can’t afford a $600 increase, while we have the 3rd highest energy burden in the country, shut offs this year have already exceeded last year’s record numbers, and energy assistance is reduced! Given the recent audit, We have no idea where our money is going now - they can’t be allowed to take more! We can’t let the burden fall to our neighbors to decide whether to heat or eat - We can’t afford not to replace RG&E!
It'll be a balmy 35, so please dress warmly, and arrive by noon, giving yourself time to park (if needed) in nearby garages or street parking. If you can, bring copies of your bill, with personal information removed, or a written out story, to tape to RG&E's windows, friends, and signs. We'll be hearing people's experiences, posting our demands, and spelling out "No Hikes" with our bodies!
We know the numbers. We know what to do. The writing of this newsletter was interrupted by three electrical outages in the past two days, caused by "equipment interruption" - translation: poor maintenance by RG&E. Join us in the street tomorrow!
UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
New York legislators are finishing their party caucuses this week and weekend! click this link to send an email to your legislators. Just add your address to get it to the right people, and you can either send it as is, or write in whatever you want. Once you know who your legislators are, click here if you would like to join a zoom visit - we're setting them up now! We will be meeting on zoom this coming Monday evening at 7 pm. Click here for the zoom info.
ELDER JUSTICE
The federal government, in this case the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is once again letting down vulnerable nursing home residents, now by rescinding part of the federal minimum staffing rule in nursing homes - unconscionable though not unexpected. For many years Elder Justice Committee has advocated for a minimum staffing law in New York and for more accountability to help nursing home residents get the care they need and deserve. After meetings with Legislators, writing opinion pieces, speaking out in the media, holding rallies and testifying at public hearings we saw our efforts come to fruition when, in 2021, New York State enacted a minimum staffing law and a minimum spending law.
This remains a bulwark against the Trump oligarchy. However, there is more work to be done. Since the New York State laws were enacted, we have been advocating for their enforcement - LAWS WITHOUT TEETH ARE MEANINGLESS. We have been asking our New York State Legislators to hold the New York State Department of Health accountable for doing what they are charged to do by law - enforce nursing home laws.
Over the next two months you will hear more about how you can help meet our goals for the benefit of those who require long-term care - from coming to meetings, writing and calling elected officials to many other ways to volunteer and provide support. Let's work together to make 2026 a most successful year!!
IMMIGRATION DEFENSE
At 5 pm today we are rallying at 121 Fitzhugh Street in support of Papa Omar, longtime Rochester resident and community leader, detained by ICE during a "check in" in Buffalo this week. There will be more on this next week, but please attend this afternoon if you are able!
WE ROCKED!
A big thank you to all those who renewed memberships, joined Metro Justice, or made extra contributions during our Roc the Day MJ campaign! We are still awaiting final figures from United Way on what was raised on their site, but can already say that while we probably did not meet our ambitious goal, we together surpassed our previous record for this important fundraiser. Member support plays a crucial role in keeping Metro Justice going, and keeping us independent and able to prioritize members, not grantors, as we decide what campaigns to focus on during this defining period of challenge to democracy.
LEAD ORGANIZER SEARCH
Our search for a Lead Organizer remains open on Indeed, with a deadline for applications of 12/31/25. The work will include meeting with campaign leaders for training and guidance, maintaining good relations with ally organizations, anchoring press contacts, working with Council to maintain our mission and goals, and working with the Fundraising and Membership Coordinator and the Office Manager to keep up with all the details of running a member-driven organization. Candidates must have at least one year of paid or volunteer experience as an organizer. Click here to learn more, and to apply.
FREE JOY POWELL
Having missed the opportunity to promote the 11/21/25 fundraiser, here is information about a Rochester activist framed by the Rochester police in 2006 and wrongfully convicted. She has been serving time ever since, but continues to advocate from behind bars. Joy Powell is a Rochester pastor who held rallies and spoke out against police brutality and “police justifications” here in Rochester starting in 1995. In 2006 she was accused and convicted of 1st Degree Burglary and Assault. Joy is sure the prosecution was politically motivated based on her activism through her organization, Equality and Justice For All.
According to her web site, "An all-white jury tried her; the state provided no evidence and no eyewitnesses. Rev. Joy was not allowed to discuss her activism or say that she was a pastor. The person that testified for her was not allowed to tell the court that he knew Rev. Joy through their activist work and the church. Furthermore, Judge Francis Affronti promised he was going to give her a harsh sentence because he was biased against her. While serving a 16-year sentence for the conviction, a cold murder case was pinned on her. The trial was fraught with misconduct, yet she was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life. She is currently seeking counsel to file an appeal." This sounds all too familiar to us now. Take a look at the information, and decide for yourself how you wish to support a fellow Rochester activist.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
For years, Metro Justice has kept a lending library of paper books in its offices. Now we are adding an online library of books, podcasts and other media centered on political education for organizing. We need a volunteer to curate this library and arrange book discussions! If you are interested, or if you have a favorite resource to share, please contact Alice. In the meantime, we will be sharing a an interesting book, site or podcast every week. For this week:
“You Already Know How to Organize” - James Stout & Mia Wong, It Could Happen Here Podcast (57 min episode with ads, transcript available)
Aimed at listeners without prior community organizing experience, this episode discusses the many different skills from everyday life that can be applied to activism and ways to get started if you aren’t sure how. Contains some great ideas on how mundane skills you might already have can become powerful tools in activism.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tonight
- Tonight, December 5, 5 pm Press conference and rally in support of ICE detainee Papa Omar
- Tonight, December 5, 8 pm - 1 am GLU Mutual Aid Party - Wear denim, it's a Jarty! dancing, music, and drinks! Suggested donation of $10 to support grad workers facing financial hardship (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
- Saturday, December 6, noon Coalition action at RG&E, 180 S. Clinton, against the rate hikes
- Saturdays through 12/27, 9-1 To address food insecurity and struggles families are facing from the government shutdown and overall high cost of food, the City of Rochester Public Market will distribute $20 New York State FreshConnect Emergency Checks (not tokens) for SNAP Recipients and Other Food-Insecure Community Members. Checks will be distributed at a special tent in the Market's D-Shed, and the white Token Booth for current SNAP recipients. One check per person in need present at the market.
- Monday, December 8, 10 am {Hearing calendar) Note that the calendar link occasionally returns an error message. Try again. It appears that the PAB arguments will take place about 2 hours in. Hon. Samuel L. Green Courtroom, 50 East Ave., Rochester. A judge will hear the case to reinstate the PAB’s investigative powers. This is an important opportunity to fight for the voice of the community, and for your right to independent oversight. If it is possible to alert people about an hour before the arguments begin, we will do so. Please click here if you would like an alert.
- Monday December 8, 7 pm, organizing meeting for universal healthcare, continuing work on flier campaign, meetings with legislators, updates from statewide campaign
- Tuesday, December 9, 5:30 pm City Wide Tenants Union Tenant Assembly at 10 Manhattan Square
- Wednesday, December 10, 6-8 Rochester for Energy Democracy (RED) Committee Meeting at Metro Justice, 389 Gregory St.
- Saturday, December 13, 11-4 East High School auditorium, Citizen Action is holding Roc the Block Party 2, a jolly event with free food, music, clothing giveaway, raffle, vendors and tabling
- Sunday, December 14th, 3-5 at the Islamic Center, 727 Westfall Road, Human Rights Conference sponsored by the Greater Rochester Community of Churches
- Sunday, December 14th, 4:30 pm Screening of July '64, with discussion with the film's director, Carvin Eison, at the Citizen Action office, 1392 Culver Road
- Monday, December 15, 4 pm Building Dual Power: Global Lessons for Local Transformation. This is the final session for 2025 of the Municipalism Learning Series, and is about "the revolutionary concept of 'building a new society within the shell of the old'." The facilitator, Anastasia Wilson, lives and teaches in our area.
- Monday, December 15, 7 pm New York Health Act 101, a statewide information session on zoom about the bill that would make comprehensive heatlhcare affordable for every New Yorker. Sponsored by the Campaign for New York Health
- Saturday, January 31, 2026 Metro Justice Annual Meeting.
- Saturday May 9, 2026 Metro Justice Annual Dinner
- It's always a good time to check your membership status in our new portal as well! You should be able to log in and see your donation and dues history at the link here. (But please let us know if you have trouble!)
Do you have an event or desktop action to share? Click here! The deadline for our Friday newsletter is Wednesday afternoon each week.
DESKTOP ACTIONS:
- Urgent National call - Stop the SPEED ACT (HR 4776), a bill that would gut bedrock environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NYPIRG is asking us to call our US congressional representatives using their sample script, then report the call to NYPIRG.
- New York legislators are finishing their party caucuses this week and weekend! click this link to send an email to your legislators about prioritizing the New York Health Act for affordable universal healthcare in NY.
- Check out the UN Declaration of Human Rights, adopted December 10th, 1948.
- Please join this sign-on letter to urge Governor Hochul to help protect New York's school kids from being exposed to lead in K-12 educational settings. NYPIRG is urging that a "Filter First" approach be taken in order to remove lead from schools' drinking water.
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In Mexico, despite pretenses of social justice under President Claudia Sheinbaum, the dispossession of indigenous lands continues apace in the quest to implement the Mayan Train, the Interoceanic Corridor, the Morelos Integral Project, and the so-called "Highway of Cultures" among other extractive megaprojects. As such, Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a defender of land and rights.
- Click here to send an email to the Mexican Ambassador in Washington D.C. denouncing the ongoing dispossession and criminalization of indigenous defenders.
- Click here to send an email in Spanish to President Claudia Sheinbaum, Secretary of Interior, Rosa Icela Rodrígues Velásquez, and Governor of Chiapas Eduardo Ramírez Águilar denouncing the participation of government entities in violent land grabs!
- Metro Justice supports The New York Immigration Coalition's call for the New York For All Act, ending collusion between local and state agencies and federal immigration enforcement. Please sign the petition at the link!
- Repost/tweet the New York Health posts at the Campaign for New York Health Facebook page every Tuesday and Thursday noon
- Tell Governor Kathy Hochul: no more direct or indirect subsidies to prop up the failing boondoggle that is the STAMP mega industrial site. No more state permits or approvals to a destructive project that violates the Nation’s treaty rights to free use and enjoyment of their homelands.Click here for the statement. Then, click here to send Governor Hochul an email.
- Get a "Replace RGE" yard sign! Be the envy of your neighbors!
- Join Metro Justice or renew your membership - in these dark times we need to stick together, and to plan to support ourselves as much as possible.