Volunteer of the Month

I know I tell others "You should be willing to be interviewed, photographed, videoed. You shouldn't be shy...celebrate your successes..and share them."

It is way easier to say that to others..than do it myself.

I was hesitant to be interviewed as WI League of Conservation Voters Volunteer of the Month. I haven't been active as a volunteer lately. But in the spirit of celebrating what I have done...instead of focusing on what I haven't...here is my interview..

WLCV Member of the Month

photo: flickr silusgrok

What I leanred from calling for Kloppenburg

1. It really helped to call with other people. I need the support of friends. Calls went twice as fast, we could compare notes and encourage each other.

2. It helped to have a goal. 100 seemed too high...but once we put it on paper...we had something to work towards...and we wanted to succeed.

3. Snacks help....we would set mini goals for ourselves. Five calls and a snack, any negative comments means you get an extra snack. :)

It took less than two hours to call 100 people with three of us calling.

Does it make a difference? ( this is the question I am most likely to get asked)

Yes, if someone tells you they intend to vote for Kloppenburg, research shows they are much more likely to do so.

Name recognition matters a lot...when people get to the polls they vote for the names they remember ( so the more times they hear someone's name the better)

Finally Prosser's campaign is investing in calls....it is important that people who have not decided know that their vote is important...and hear from both sides.

This is what democracy looks like. Thanks Erica and Mark!!

Buy Nothing New Challenge

Well...we have been a little distracted with defending democracy in Madison...but it seems like we are over due for an update on our Buy Nothing New Challenge.

We are 2.5 months into the challenge and to the best of my knowledge we have slipped up twice...both times related to the civil rights protests in Wisconsin.

First "mistake"...after a protest rally we stopped into Ian's pizza to see what democracy tastes like ...and found out they had T-shirts...we really wanted to support all they done ( people have been buying pizzas from all over the world in support of the protests in Madison)....there were two T-shirts left...we bought them, put them on and then turned to each other and gasped..."We just bought something new!"

Second time: We wanted to have American flags to take to the protests. We feel very strongly that citizens gathering to be heard is the very heart of democracy and what our country was founded on...but we didn't have any flags. So Mark bought four little American flags that we put on our signs for the rally yesterday.

Other than that....we have bought nothing new. The boys have complained that our snow shovels are broken...so we are hoping the weather helps us out until we can find some used snow shovels. :)

If you weren't in Madison yesterday...and want to see what democracy looks like...
Rockstar Senators
Can you hear us now?

Another civics lesson

Who would have thought...I'm now learning about recall elections.

There are efforts to recall 8 Senate Republicans ( and I believe 3 Democrats?)

I traveled to Fond Du Lac to go door to door...I have to admit I was nervous...this wouldn't be my first choice of how to spend a Sunday.

Here is what I learned...of those we talked to the majority did support a recall, were happy to sign and thanked us for coming to them.

There was confusion about what was going, some people didn't know that a recall was an option or how it worked, one person said..I can't make a difference ( but, of course, she can)

Memorable moments:
First house: an elderly couple that was excited because they thought I was there to recall Walker but happy to start with recalling Hopper.(a good start)

House 2: Elderly couple, he was hooked up to oxygen. He thanked me for coming since it is hard for him to get around.

An older women who said : I didn't expect this..things have gotten out of hand.
Although she was in her car on her way to work..she stopped to sign.

A young woman who said I'm Republican...this is really hard for me...they aren't voting for what I value. ( She actually took a form so she could register more people)

So all in all...a good day. We got 27 signatures. 27 people who's voices have now been hard and who are more engaged with the legislative process. Plus I had a great drive up...thanks Susan for driving.

When in your lifetime?

Do you get the opportunity to stand up for what you value?

This is about fairness and the democratic process.
This is about the power of the people vs the power of corporations.
This is about the ethics of leadership.

Wisconsin, this is about who we are as citizens and people.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5YehR_fYVU

Practicing civic engagement

The boys and I ( and three friends)went to the rally at the Capital at noon today. I was glad they were able to be there...to see what democracy looks like...to see what it means to participate, to stand up for what you believe in, to speak truth to power.

What are you doing on 10/10/10

We will be marching to the Capital to tell our legislators to "Take Note! We are doing our part to reduce climate change. Now we need you to do yours!"

This first ever Parade for the Planet is part of 350.org's global day of action to raise awareness and spark action to address global warming. In the United States, this is great timing...right before our election.

The Westmorland Band will be joining Parade for the Planet to march from Lisa Link Park to the capital.

Our group is called Band Together because we are inviting any and all to join us as we march and sing. Don't worry if you don't play an instrument. There will be a large percussion section and we need singers and sign holders. This is a family friendly event.

Numbers matter! The more people who show up , the more our legislators will realize this is important and will influence how we vote in November.

Rehearsals
This Saturday and next Saturday(10/9/10) at 3:30pm at Westmorland Park
Whether you can rehearse our not come help us be the largest, loudest part of the parade on 10/10/10. We are meeting at Lisa Link Park at 11am

Have fun and change the world!

More information about
10/10/10 and 350.0rg
Parade for the Planet

Photo credit: flickr 350org

What can I do?

It has been hard for me to follow what is happening with the oil spill off the Gulf coast. Since I can't be there to help in a hands on way..I needed to find some other way to help. Here are the three things I did.

1. I donated money to Audubon. They'll be organizing volunteers for wildlife rescue and beach clean-up, as well as researching the effects of the spill on habitats in the weeks and months following its landfall. I chose Audubon because I have been a member for years and they are a well established non-profit with a long history of environmental work.

2. I filled out the National Wildlife Federation’s form letter to President Obama asking that the Gulf Coast be restored so that the world and our children know that we ( as a country) take responsibility for our mistakes.

3. I also filled in the Sierra Club’s form letter to let the President know that I don’t want to be responsible for anything like this happening ever again….so I support ending off shore drilling and looking for long term, sustainable solutions to meet our energy needs.

I got my ideas from Ten Things You Can Do

Photo:
Fort Jackson, Louisiana International Bird Rescue Research Center

Action Packed Morning

This morning was a power action morning.

Here is what I took action on:

Farm to School Bill
I emailed thank yous to Senator Risser and Rep Berceau for sponsoring the Farm to School Bill (AB 746. There is a public hearing on this bill this Wed, but I have to work. More information on the bill? Want to tell your legislators to support?

Independant DNR: this is heating up. There will be a vote to over ride the Governor's veto this Tuesday, Feb 23. This is a big deal. If we want the DNR to support policy that is in line with science our best chance is to make sure the DNR is not a political appointee. This decision will have long term impact for Wisconsin's environment.
Want to know more? Want to contact your legislators?

Clean Energy
Russ Feingold is holding some listening sessions to see if there is support for a clean energy bill. Again, since I work I can't get there in person...so I emailed him to let him know I support his efforts. Want more information on this?

Protecting Our Water

When I looked back out our photos for our New Year letter to family and friends...there were a lot of picutres of water: Tippicanoe Lake, the WI river, Lake Superior, Lake Wingra... When I am feeling stressed...I walk to one of the springs that feeds into Lake Wingra near our home. We are blessed by having access to clean water: to drink, to play in, to sit by... But we need to act now to protect our water so that our children and their children will have the same access to clean, safe water.

Protecting our ground water is one of the top four issues that League of WI Voters is working on. I wrote my legislators today to tell them I support strong legislation to protect WI ground water. For more information, check out the League's website

By the way, I got an awesome email back from Rep Spencer Black! He rocks!

Photo Source: flickr kittenwants

We were there!

Governor Doyle signed the statewide smokefree air bill into law on Monday! I picked Nate and Ben up from school early so we could be there.

From a kids perspective, it was a long wait in a hot, crowded room and then they couldn't actually see much of the Governor when he did get there.

The most interesting part: he signed the bill with multiple pens. The best part: both Nate and Ben got an official Governor Doyle pen and we celebrated with pizza at Ian's on State Street.

The law doesn't take effect until July 2010 ( don't get me started) but it does cover all work places in Wisconsin...the exemptions are cigar bars and outside.

Finally- Smokefree Wisconsin!