Dreams vs. Reality

You  can dream, but make sure there’s a reality to the vision you seek. Understand that there will be obstacles. There will be setbacks. And if you let it, the world will hold you back. But if you allow yourself to see the reality of it all AND THEN allow yourself to dream, you can achieve anything you can want. Anything.

It’s crazy how much you can be aware of something, but there comes certain times where life reinforces what you already know to make sure that you never forget it. And I can honestly say that this is what my internship with Democracy NC is doing.

Alannah, Robert, and I have been attending meetings, board breakfasts, and Board Meetings. We’ve even presented at one. We’ve got commitments from 5 Board of Directors with the Apartment association to let us come into their communities in the fall and encourage their residents to vote, provide them with Voter Guides, and offer them rides to the polls. Alannah and I had seven minutes to make our spill. And not being biased or anything, but Alannah and I did our thing. Especially with what we were up against. We had a rough day, especially poor Robert. But we made it through. Things are going really well, but it’s certainly been a learning experience. 

We’re still working like crazy to put together our SGA event in July. It’s NO WHERE near easy, but it’ll be worth it. Therefore, we’re still pushing.

Phone banking is getting easier. I’m starting not to mind it. It’s interesting how differently everyone acts. It’s definitely entertaining. Even more entertaining is the calorie counting of Alannah and Robert. Every morning this is how we start our day. After every lunch, this is how we come back together. Before we start phone banking after our evening snack, we calorie count. I wish you guys could hear them.

Tomorrow is Voter-Owned Elections’ Lobby Day. We’re leaving from Charlotte at 6:30am. This should be a fun trip. I’m hoping to learn a lot since I’ve never been.

I’ll fill you in how it goes next blog. But until then…

Much love, peace, & happiness <3

Erica

The More They Take

The inalienable rights of man may not be a zero-sum game, but lately it seems like the more rights we citizens have to share with corporations, the more they have and the less we keep. A recent report by the National Institute on Money in State Politics highlights the increased threat that campaign donations pose to our democracy, exacerbated by the supreme court’s recent decision that the amendment protecting freedom of speech and press also extends to unlimited, anonymous campaign contributions. Specifically, the report throws into sharp relief the difference between the viability of candidates running behind just a platform and those running behind a platform and the mighty bulwark of fund raising and incumbency. It’s no surprise that candidates have gotten so caught up in the money chase that they only stop to listen to their constituents when they’re positive it could mean their job if they don’t. The study also notes that in states with partial or complete public financing programs, non-incumbent candidates with no monetary advantage had a higher chance of winning than in states with no public financing programs. Here in the old north state, our legislature has made it clear that ethics and campaign finance reform are not priorities for them, an attitude far too common in our elected officials. Is it the vorpal sword to campaign corruption’s Jabberwock? No, but right now voter-owned elections are the best chance for the people of this country to make their interests more important than the interests of the Fortune 500.

Why we need to fight complacency:

Every time I think we’ve finally fought off the barbarians at the gate, some arrow comes flying over the barricades from a totally new direction to remind me that when it comes to democracy someone had better be paying attention every moment of every day — because there’s always someone looking to jam the system for their benefit. The latest attack comes courtesy of some partisan jockeying masquerading as nonpartisan benevolence over in Kingston, where they’re clearly putting more than vinegar into the barbecue these days. From Democracy NC’s Link-of-the-Day:

Kinston, North Carolina, may be ground zero for the next challenge of the Voting Rights Act that reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.

Several voters and prospective candidates in the city filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for refusing to pre-clear a change in the method Kinston uses to elect its city council, from partisan to nonpartisan. The lead plaintiff is former Republican House member and current House candidate Steve LaRoque. Voters overwhelming passed a ballot measure in November 2008 to make the change, with African-American voters in apparent support. Blacks are the majority of registered voters in the city, but are not typically the majority of voters in the municipal elections. Using its power under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department denied the shift to nonpartisan elections, saying the “effect will be strictly racial.” It turns out the shift as proposed would also eliminate the primary, where black candidates often gain position to win the general election; the two-stage election would be replaced with a single, nonpartisan plurality election. It’s a complicated case, with multiple complicating factors, but it has the backing of national rightwing litigators determined to gut the Voting Rights Act.

We all have to drink from that reservoir

Yesterday morning I watched the president sign into law the historic health care bill, and after shedding a tear for the pundits and talking heads for the loss of their beloved controversy, I paused to consider the sweltering political climate created by the vitriolic debate leading up to the signing of this bill. Politicians from the right side of the aisle have made it clear that they are very upset with the left’s handling of health care reform, and with all of their grandstanding it’s easy to forget that for nearly eight months they brazenly rejected any and all efforts by the current administration to bring them into the reform process. Listening to conservative objections to the health care bill, I can scarcely recognize the Republican party that I remember from my youth. It seems impossible that the same party that jumped at the chance to spend dollars and lives to topple two countries based on the possibility that they were a threat to our safety suddenly remembered that they were also the party of fiscal responsibility. To the discerning eye, raising such a monumental stink over health care reform seems like a cynical play for re-election at the expense of the American people.
Whatever the motives of either side, we all have to live in the political environment left-over, and if the past year has taught us anything, it’s that it is very difficult for one party to accomplish anything all by their lonesome. Yet in this day and age, when enlightened political discourse has been replaced by hyper-partisan political theater, it seems like there are no other options. When Senator McCain, previously a beacon of bipartisanship all but holds up a skull and soliloquies, declaring a pox on their house, what do we have left but two bickering parties who refuse to get anything done? The good senator claims that the Democrats have “poisoned the well,” but I believe that a whole lot worse has been thrown into that well over the last year from his side of the aisle, and I would remind him and everyone else who makes their living on this kind of controversy that the rest of us have to drink that water.

-Nathan Aspenson

What Will It Take?

Two seemingly unconnected events converged this week to make me think long and hard about what it will take for people to pay attention and vote in off-years when we don’t have the motivating factors of major candidate personalities or a dislike of the status quo to drive voters to the polls?

The first event was the voting in Iraq that has taken place over the past week or so. Despite repeated bombings and threats of violence against anyone who dared head to the polls to vote, it is estimated that between 55% and 60% of those eligible to vote in Iraq turned out to cast a ballot in this election, one being positioned as the first step toward bringing that war-torn country stability and self-rule one day. Analysts are pointing to this turn-out as proof that insurgent power is dying out in Irag. Really? We don’t have insurgents here in North Carolina threatening to shoot us if we vote, and our turn-out last year was dismal compared to that level. Which is why I  point to the turn-out in Iraq as proof that once you’ve taken everything away from a people, and all they have left is a chance at democracy, in however feeble an incarnation, they will cling to that democracy as their hope for a better future.

The other event took place next door to my hometown of Durham, in Wake County, where a pitiful turn-out in last year’s election placed an ultra-conservative majority on the school board. In short, less than 2.5% of voters in Wake County were able to orchestrate one of the most abrupt turn-arounds in policy I have seen in my lifetime and are now in the process of dismantling a school system I have heard referred to, time and again, by educational experts as among the very best in the state, if not the best. Why does it matter?  It matters because there is no such thing as an equal shot at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without an equal shot at a decent education. Kill the public schools and you’ll have cut out the heart of what makes America as close to the land of opportunity as our species has been able to attain this far. What’s happening in Wake is that democracy is taking a beating because people weren’t paying attention.

I look at these two events and I wonder what it is going to take to get people to vote in this year’s election, especially in the primaries in those areas where a single party has such power that the races will essentially be decided this May 3rd, when the Primary takes place. The gutting of programs you believe in, as is happening in Wake? The loss of liberty, as happened in Iraq, followed by the threat your emerging democracy can be bullied away? Why even come close to either scenario. Help us turn people out for this year’s election season by volunteering to register voters, educate people on key electoral issues or Get Out the Vote when the Primary roles around. Just email me at katymunger@democracy-nc.org if you’re interested in either volunteering for us (we are a non-partisan, statewide group) or taking advantage of the materials we have to offer. Visit www.democracy-nc.org for more information and see our Take Action, Voting in NC and Resources sections.

– Katy Munger, Democracy NC

“Whoever has the most toys wins.”

“Whoever has the most toys wins.”

I used to laugh (albeit pityingly) at this slogan whenever I saw it on tee shirts during my NYC days boom days in the late 80’s and early 90’s. It was mildly funny then. It’s not so funny when the Supreme Court makes it official.

It is now okay for companies to spend unlimited amounts of money supporting or attacking candidates (see here for what I’m talking about). And, of course, since shareholders are so willing to give up their profits for the public good, I just know these companies will be spending their money on behalf of candidates who are truly looking out for the little guy, who want to make sure we don’t go bankrupt when faced with hospital bills… who want to make sure the air we breathe doesn’t give our kid asthma… who think it would be nice if insurance rates didn’t end up costing more than what we insured  in the first place… who want to head off the next profit-crazy, risk-be-damned collapse of Wall Street

Or maybe not. Personally, I’m seeing a flotilla of swift boats heading straight for us, their gun sights trained on democracy.  This ruling all but guarantees that the voices of people like you and me will be drowned out by the sound of money pouring forth from special interests with a very vested interest in candidates who are willing to promote their profit-friendly “public” policies.

I’ll be honest with you: I don’t have a lot of money to buy commercials and create faux documentaries that promote my candidates or leave their opposition  in shreds.  I pretty much have my vote and that’s it. I wonder if I’ll even be able to use my vote now, or if my candidate choices will be limited to people backed by special interests who are more than happy to make good on the investment these special interests have made. These are not the kind of people I want representing me, period, and I don’t like holding my nose with one hand while I pull the voting lever with the other. I don’t know many people that do. That’s why turn-out rates are in the toilet and young voters are disillusioned with the system. This ruling is only going to make that trend worse.

Ever since the Citizens United decision, I have been searching for something I can do to fight back. A constitutional amendment to differentiate between the rights of individuals and the rights of corporations seems like a long process and I’m not one for delayed gratification. (It took over 70 years to win women the right to vote and I think the ERA is still out there floating around somewhere.) I suppose we could place money limits on very specific classes of donors, like government contractors, but that’s really going at it brick by brick when what we really need is a wall. So, for now, I’m going to do what I should have done starting a decade ago:  I am going to ask my friends, one-by-one, to finally take the time to learn about and support more Voter-Owned Elections in North Carolina. I’ve seen them work. I’ve seen candidates using a VOE program go up against candidates with deep pockets and win. I’ve seen good people elected through them. Now, more than ever, I am going to support Voter-Owned elections as one of our only hopes for continuing to find and elect true public servants – you know, men and women who actually want to represent and serve the public good (an approach to power that  five Supreme Court justices could really use a good dose of).

– Katy Munger

A Victory for Democracy

We must win this fight, not with well-paid lobbyists and slick ads, but with grassroots supporters like you and lots of hard work. That’s how we won before and it’s why we need your help now!

Last week, Democracy NC sent out an email alert to our Advocates with the message above in it, hoping people would take action to keep a bill to expand Voter-Owned Elections to more Council of State offices alive in the NC Senate. Within days, 250 people had sent emails to their General Assembly reps in support of the bill and almost 150 more had called to express their support for VOE. Democracy Summer interns helped tremendously in this effort by phone banking to alert supporters that it was time to take action.

Whether this will be enough to combat the well-funded efforts of the organized opposition remains to be seen. Opposition is based not on the actual bill but on a misleading ideological agenda that opposes all new programs requiring funding.  Opposition leaders are using the highly inaccurate but effective scare tactic of “they are using your tax dollars” as a motivator to rally opposition — an objection that ignores the facts. This bill would be funded NOT by tax dollars, but by small yearly fees imposed on those who do business with each Council of State agency. This is an approach that would raise enough each year to more than pay for the program and that has been used in New Mexico with great success. They’re not telling people that, of course. And maybe they don’t even realize it themselves. Lord knows it’s harder to educate people than it is to scare them, but we are definitely going to keep trying.

Regardless of the outcome, it is heartening to see so many people acknowledging that our current campaign system is broken and then taking time out of their very busy lives to do something about it. This battle will, indeed, be won, phone call by phone call, letter by letter, just as the fight for the Council of State pilot program was won. But I think we’ve already had one victory of sorts we can be proud of: motivating almost 400 people to take part in democracy 1) takes dedication and hard work, and 2) is great for democracy in and of itself. Well done to all of you who helped!

Brian’s Verbal Diarrhea

It happens to all of us eventually…  a slip of the tongue, a mixing up of one or two letters, a brief lapse of concentration and out it comes… a parapraxis (the dreaded Freudian slip)!

This week, while explaining how Voter Owned Elections will work in the town’s local races, Brian told our Chapel Hill Town Hall audience (as well as ALL of the folks watching on TV from home) that, “Once a candidates collects a minimum number qualifying contributions, he or she will get the runs for the rest of their campaign.” Um, yeah, Brian. If that doesn’t convince candidates to opt into the program, nothing will!

Obviously, Brian mean to say “funds” but also had the word “run,” as in “run for office” in his mind and out came the… well, you get it.

This slip caught me so off guard that I laughed out loud, perhaps the greatest compromise of my professionalism since the staff holiday party. I’m just EXTREMELY glad Jonathan wasn’t with us in Chapel Hill that night, because it would have been “That’s the WORST!” all over again!

Several people in the audience struggled (and failed) to suppress their giggles,  including one older woman who almost fell out of her seat trying to hold back a cackle. Way to connect with the older generation, Brian!

Luckily, Brian recovered quickly, despite his own chuckle at his mistake, and went on to give a great presentation.

Durham team: Thanks for another GREAT week!

Good Sports!

Despite several weeks of phone banking, night time presentations, weekend work and long hours — plus a long weekend of Wellstone Training ahead –  Brian, Christina (both with the Durham Dem Summer team) and Katy (Greenville Team) all showed with friends to join us for the benefit baseball game on June 18th. Dem NC staffers and supporters joined them, along with the folks from the Coalition for Southern Justice who had organized the event to raise money to pay for scholarships to Wellstone Training. The night was HOT, the game was irrelevant and the company grand. Before the game, there was a Happy Hour and reception at the West End Wine Bar on Main Street and the joint was PACKED with people who were chilling in the air condtioning before wading out into the hot and muggy Carolina night. Baseball is almost an anachronism to a generation used to nonstop movement and the instant joys of technology, but it retains its beauty and there’s a lot to be said for sitting for a few hours, no multi-tasking possible, and simply taking a deep breath. Many thanks to those of you who participated and helped raise money for the cause!

Fayetteville’s Got it Going ON!!!!!

Hey Everyone,

It’s a week and a half into the internship and over here with the Fayetteville team, things have been going great…well now it is!  For the first two days we didn’t have any air or any Internet, which left us hot and without any access to the outside world.  Every time we needed to look up something instead of Googling,we had to go to the phone book and the encyclopedia.   To keep cool we brought ice cream and Popsicles but they ended up on my forehead rather than me eating them!

After a couple of days we finally got some air and we were able to Google (lol), and consequently the door opened for us, giving us the go ahead with the implementation of our Master Plan (wouldn’t you all like to know what that is???).  We soon began preparing for our first speaking engagement and radio appearance.  I knew that both would be a nerve racking experience but I was ready to see how Jackie and I worked under pressure and in front of an audience. We arrived at the radio station early that morning at I had my radio voice ready for the world to hear!  We debuted at WIDU during the Wake Up morning show.  We were there to talk about Instant Runoff Voting but ended up discussing an array of topics including VOE as well.  With us on the show was Fayetteville’s NAACP President James Buxton and Representative Elmer Floyd so we got to rub elbows with influential people in the community.  The show was great and we are lined up to make even more appearances at the radio station in the weeks to come!

Later on that day at our first official speaking engagement, we spoke to the Hoke County Civic Group ending up  by doing a fabulous job (not a surprise)!!!!  We got great feedback from them and many people signed up for Lobby Day as well as wanting to take action.  The following day we had a meeting with Terry Robertson, the Director of the Board of Elections in a one on one meeting discussing the day to day operations of the board and problems that she sometimes faces as director.  She was very well receptive to us, gave us great information to take home and asked us to come back at anytime!  That day was another double hitter with us attending the school board meeting where they announced the new superintendent of Cumberland County.  We got listen to the citizens issues with education at the open forum and listen to the tremendous cuts that education has taken with the times.

WOW! Now that I have wrote that I realize we have been doing alot!  As you can see the Fayetteville team has got it going on!!!!

Until Next Time,

Reniki