POSTCARDS 4 DEMOCRACY!
Last week we wrote postcards to elected politicians supporting impeachment, protesting restrictive amendments to the ADA (Disability Rights Act), and several other issues. We also had a good time talking with each other.
Please join us.
THIS WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4, 7-9pm
Cafe Boheme, 24th/Mission across the street from BART.
THOUGHTS ON DEMOCRACY
Truly, I feel we have to:
ELECT DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO THE SENATE
AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!
... and also to all the other legislatures in our lives. Because -- guess what? -- that's what the Tea Party did! That's right. They started at the bottom -- Library Board and Sewer Commission and such, and they built from there. Before they started seriously working on getting elected to SOMETHING, no matter how small, they were considered politically irrelevant wing nuts. Pesky mosquitos to be squatted every once in a while. Who knew they carried Zika?
And why did they do it? Because they realized that the power to:
- pass laws, and
- spend tax money
is REAL POWER!!!!!
And let me tell you, it's not easy to elect a progressive candidate -- even in the Holy Land of San Francisco. For example, my supervisor district has not elected a progressive candidate since we elected.... Harvey Milk in 1977!!!
Why is it so hard to elect progressives? Most importantly, the other side has more money (SURPRISE!!). When Matt Gonzalez ran for Mayor against Gavin Newsom, Gavin won with 52% of the vote. But he spent $4,000,000 to Matt's $400,000. In other words, Matt was outspent 10 to 1. I think it's safe to say that the extra $3,600,000 that Gavin had to spend gave him his winning margin.
With equal funding, Matt Gonzalez would have won. Our country would have had its first Green mayor of a major city, which undoubtedly would have scared the Dems to the left!
And who KNOWS where we'd be today? Maybe medicare and free college for all!
Okay, I don't want to get everybody all depressed by talking about how screwed up San Francisco is. I know, for some people, the only thing that keeps them going is the belief that San Francisco is DIFFERENT! But, folks, change for the better is harder than we would like. That's the simple truth. That's why we have to work so hard.
Please, start thinking about who you might work to elect or defeat the next time your vote comes around.
I would like to talk about how you can effect change even when you LOSE an election in a future blog.
Terry
Here's me and my campaign manager, Sue Vaughan, when I ran for Mayor in 2011. I had a good time and MADE A DIFFERENCE!!
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