Cheap Shots 💉- Action Alert, September 8, 2025
- beachesactivistmov
- Sep 8
- 4 min read
"Florida has exemptions from vaccine participation; enslaved people had no exemptions. . ."
PolitiFact on FL Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's statement
equating vaccine mandates with slavery.
Meet Youth Advocates at Thursday's BAM Meeting!
Come get a dose of hope and optimism as we hear from the next generation of advocates at the BAM meeting on Thursday, September 11th! Join us at 7 p.m. at the Adele Grage Community Center to learn more about the issues motivating young activists, how they are taking action, and what we can do to support their efforts. Guest speakers include representatives from the Youth Action Fund and Duval County school students who successfully pushed back against state plans to cut education funding. Don't miss it! RSVP here and bring a friend. We'll have pizza!
Support the Mayor's Budget Against GOP Attacks
The Jax City Council will vote tomorrow (Tuesday, September 9th) to cut the city's property tax rate by 1/8 mill, resulting in $13 million in lost funding that the Mayor proposed for programs addressing housing, homelessness, and other needs. The cuts will save Duval County homeowners an average of less than $20 a year. Tuesday's vote sets the stage for a final budget vote on September 23.
The council Finance Committee recommended the millage reduction in a series of performative budget hearings where GOP members assailed the Mayor and her budget priorities. Worth noting that Beaches Council Member Rory Diamond voted against the proposed rate cut because it wasn't big enough. Diamond also pushed through a trifecta of "big, beautiful amendments" aimed at infusing the culture wars into the city budget. Enough! Here's how you can speak out against the ridiculous millage cut and GOP attacks, and support the Mayor's efforts to tackle the city's real problems with her proposed budget:
Demand the City Council vote NO on the millage cut. Find all the information you need to call or email the council members here.
Tell Beaches Council Member Rory Diamond what you think of his antics: Call (904-255-5213) or add your thoughts to this email.
Attend the Mayor's Budget Town Hall at the Beach on September 15th: Voice your
support for the Mayor's budget priorities! The town hall will be held at 6 p.m. at Fletcher High School, 700 Seagate Ave., Neptune Beach. Open to the public. No RSVP needed.
Public Health At Risk: Stop RFK, Jr., Ladapo
It was hard to watch. The heads of the leading public health agencies in the U.S. and Florida last week rolled back decades of advancements in protecting the health and well-being of the public with jaw-dropping appearances before a congressional committee and a stacked audience of anti-vaxxers in suburban Tampa. GOP support for RFK, Jr., HHS head, is wavering. FL Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's comparison of the state's current childhood vaccination mandates to slavery earned a "pants on fire" truth-o-meter rating from nonpartisan fact-checkers at PolitiFact. The good news: these changes can't be implemented without legislative approval. Public health professionals and leading medical groups are pushing back, and so should you.
Call for the Impeachment of RFK, Jr.: 5 Calls provides a script and contact info for FL Senators Rick Scott & Ashley Moody, and Rep. John Rutherford. You can also send this quick letter asking Scott and Moody to support RFK, Jr.'s resignation. Act today!
Tell FL legislative leaders: Protect children! Let Speaker of the House Danny Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton know that you oppose the elimination of vaccine mandates for school children --- they will determine how the bill is handled in the upcoming session. Add your thoughts to this message!
More Advocacy Opportunities
Reclaim Choice! The Youth Action Fund --- our special guests at the upcoming BAM meeting --- is hosting a letter-writing party in Engine 15 Brewing Company in Jacksonville Beach on Wednesday, September 10 at 7 p.m. Help send informational flyers to clinics and healthcare practices across the state as part of Reclaim Choice Florida’s campaign. All supplies will be provided. RSVP here for info.
Save Our Parks! Our parks bring us together across political lines, and we're joining Indivisible St. Johns County and other groups for a non-partisan rally on Saturday, September 13 at 9 a.m. at the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine to celebrate what we share: a love for the natural places that make Florida and our country special. RSVP here for info.
End the Epstein Coverup. Only two more GOP votes are needed to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files --- it's time for Rep. John Rutherford to choose: is he on the side of transparency or part of a cover-up? Call him TODAY (Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121), using this script from Indivisible. The survivors deserve answers.
BAM members --- along with 700+ friends --- were part of the Stop the Billionaire Takeover protest on Labor Day at the St. Johns Town Center. We were uplifted by the overwhelmingly positive response from passing cars --- and McDonald's workers! Thanks to 50501 NEFL and all the activist groups that contributed to the successful event --- one of more than 1,000 across the country. Lots of donations for the Jacksonville Mutual Aid Collective too! Find more photos here and mark your calendar for No Kings Day II on October 18th!
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