[Discussion] More Than Words and Voting

A place to discuss concrete action we can take, will take, or are taking besides voting to fix this mess.

Things you can do:

  • Donate to local campaigns
  • Phone bank
  • Call your state and federal reps
  • Local Mutual Aid Organizations
  • Run for local office or support local campaigns
  • Support alternative power structures
  • Unionize your job
  • Agitate for ranked choice voting
  • Start state-wide ballot initiatives
  • TBD ...

I will update as we go.

Mutual aid.

Alternative power structures.

All stuff the christofascists have been doing for years.

H.P. Lovesauce wrote:

Mutual aid.

Alternative power structures.

Added.

I have been noodling an idea in the back of my head for a year or so to build a web site that has model language for state-wide ballot initiatives. The way I see it, state-wide referendums or whatever they are called in your state is the only way to overcome gerrymandering. So having a resource for people to go to that has copy and paste language for securing rights and and the basic steps for getting on the ballot in every state. I could scrape something together pretty quickly with github pages, just need a clever domain name, a little legal research, and a babysitter.

The recent Kansas success has really cemented my desire to do this.

Given the way I've seen ballot initiatives get used here in Washington to appeal to people's worst natures, making that easier seems like you're gonna get smacked in the balls by the law of unintended consequences.

Jonman wrote:

Given the way I've seen ballot initiatives get used here in Washington to appeal to people's worst natures, making that easier seems like you're gonna get smacked in the balls by the law of unintended consequences.

Exactly.. we have 2 statewide ballots here in California trying to legalize sports betting. One favors companies like fanduel, the other indian tribes, neither is expected to pass.

One or both or some form of them is expected to be on the ballot in even years until it does pass.

We have another ballot regarding kidney dialysis that's been on the last 3 elections?

For local measures we have 2 for affordable housing that are really hard to distinguish. We have a measure to undo a bureaucratic change that the voters agreed to two years ago. We have two initiatives regarding closing two (admitedly important) roads in the city to car traffic. I have 2 copies of a 200 page of a voter guide that my taxes paid for sitting there that will go into the bin in a week.

Be careful what you wish for.