Here's why this blog has been so empty of late...
You know me. I'm not much of a partisan. I don't have much faith in politicians. I think the process is so broken, so dominated by big money and professional electicians (the consultants, the pollsters, the TV admakers), that it's no wonder most people have tuned out and find politics worse than a bore, but an actual evil to be barely tolerated, rarely engaged in and mostly avoided.
So why am I about to take a leave of absence from my job as editor of the Personal Democracy Forum, cut my time with Public Campaign way down to the bone, and devote most of my day to helping my friend Andrew Rasiej (pronounced "ra-SHAY") run for New York City's Public Advocate?
Partly because I'm hearing something an old mentor of mine, Andy Kopkind, once said to me. Sometimes, while covering a cause, you get swept up in it and decide to jump in. And that's a good thing. Too bad more journalists don't do it.
You can find lots of details on Andrew's campaign at AdvocatesforRasiej.com.
Why the Public Advocate's office? It's a position that most people here in New York don't even know exists, even though it's one of only three citywide offices. And most who are aware of it consider the job to be toothless and useless.
But instead of seeing it as waste of time, Andrew views it as a great untapped opportunity – a truly unique platform that could be used in countless ways to reconnect New Yorkers to each other and their government, re-imagine the city's possibilities, and ultimately recharge our democracy.
Here's why this is irresistible to me--and I hope maybe you too:
-We're not taking more than $100 per contributor, relying on NYC's 4-1 match for small contributions, to prove that a people-centered citywide campaign can succeed. Here's one politician that won't be in anybody's pocket! Even if you don't live in New York City, I hope you can see the value of proving that elections can be won this way.
-We're going to reinvent the Public Advocate's office, which most people don't even realize is the number two position in the city (if the mayor dies or is incapacitated, the PA becomes acting mayor). Here's what we have in mind:
Instead of it being a platform for one individual crusader (which sort of worked when Mark Green was the PA and doesn't work for Betsy Gotbaum, the current incumbent), we're going to build a real public advocates network bringing together the tens of thousands of public advocates who daily volunteer in their neighborhoods, schools, clinics, parks, etc. giving of their time and intelligence to make the city a better place.
Our idea is to empower them to link up with each other on likeminded concerns, and for the PA to then help amplify their voices and concerns. Even if you don't live in New York City, I hope you can see the benefit of demonstrating a new way of engaging people in effective government.
-We're going to make a big issue of the need for universal, low-cost broadband access to the Internet. This is about making a far-sighted investment that's also very much in our short-term interest.
Consider the benefits to the education system (kids being able to access information and their teachers 24-7), to everyday life (being pinged by the next bus so you know when it is actually coming, or being able to get up-to-date highway traffic info while you're on the road), to people's bottom line (this will be like a tax cut worth several hundred dollars to every family and small business), and to public safety (a 911 call from underground in the subway system will work).
Plus this ties to our core idea of "reconnecting New York" to empower people's own voices.
-Andrew's not a conventional politician; he hasn't spent his whole life preparing for this and trimming every statement or action he might take to maintain his "political viability"; in fact he's willing to take risks and say things that other pols won't. That's an intangible plus.
He's got a record of getting things done, including building a vibrant non-profit called Mouse.org that teaches nearly a 1,000 students a year how to be their own schools' technology administrators. Yes, he's a progressive and will fight for the right causes once in office; more important, he's got a vision of how to begin to remake our politics.
Would you consider making a contribution to Advocates for Rasiej, as soon as possible? And would you be able to ask a few like-minded friends to do the same? Anything you can give--$20, $50, $100--will help.
Go here to give.
Much love,
Micah
P.S. Once you join, please check out the website and add your voice to the conversation. We're looking for everyone's good ideas!
Posted by msifry at May 7, 2005 09:04 AM