politics

This just in:

The NC State Board of Elections has extended early voting on Saturday (the last day to early vote) until 5pm. Originally, early vote sites were scheduled to close at 1pm.

From the News & Observer article reporting on this announcement:

The decision to alter the early voting schedule highlights the remarkable turnout and long lines seen across the surprise swing state since early voting began two weeks ago.

More than 1.7 million people - or 30 percent of registered voters - cast a ballot at one-stop sites through Wednesday night.

For more information on voting, visit the State Board of Elections website. 

And for anyone who hasn't already early voted:

    *You can vote early between now and Saturday at sites across North Carolina. For early voting locations and times in your county, click here.

    *And, at very least, please get out and vote on November 4!

Make sure you know who you're voting for, click here and follow the link for "General Election Sample Ballots." You can get additional voting questions answered and see bios of the candidates running for state office with this non-partisan voter guide.

The first Presidential debate is tonight and that should be a warning bell to voters that the election is nearly here. We all want to make an informed vote but I’ve heard many people over the years complain about the lack of quality information about the candidates. But in today there is certainly a wealth of information about candidates at nearly every level of politics.

If you're looking for information about candidates who will be on your ballot this year, I have three recommendations:

   1. Civic groups in North Carolina have teamed up and put together a non-partisan voter guide. It's now online and it includes bios on all the statewide candidates on the ballot in North Carolina, including judges. (this is a large PDF document) 
   2. See if civic groups and political organizations in your area have voter scorecards about the issues you care about.
   3. Go to the candidates websites and read their issues pages. If you have questions, contact them.

One year there was a new candidate for the state legislature in my area and I called up a number on her website for more information. The candidate herself answered and actually dropped by my house later that day to sit and talk about her positions on issues. I was impressed. But the lesson I learned was that digging for information and asking questions can be really enlightening before voting.

With the completion of I-540 westward, NC will likely get its first toll road, in large part due to the lobbying force of the NC Turnpike Authority – a division of the NC Department of Transportation (NC DOT). It seems that the “good roads state” continues to be committed to building new roads, even in the face of skyrocketing construction (see #4 here) and fuel costs (over $4/gallon).

To get our first toll road, it will take an act of the NC Legislature (because toll roads, contrary to what you might assume, don’t pay for themselves). And, last week the NC House gave the green light for funding of the construction of a new six-lane toll road: the Triangle Expressway. In the face of a budget crunch, you might ask yourself ‘where are they going to get this money?’ In short, the House has proposed transferring $25 million from the General Fund to the NC Turnpike Authority, so it can quickly build the Triangle Expressway. In recent years, this $25 million has funded education, crime prevention, human services, and more. In the face of rising transportation and fuel costs, this appropriated money will still not cover the costs of building this toll road. Compile this fact with the new knowledge that data used to base cost estimates for the Triangle Expressway are out-of-date, and you inevitably create a black (pot) hole for taxpayer dollars.

While many have been frustrated by how I-540 dead-ends (including those of us who vow to stay inside the beltline), one has to wonder if it makes sense for the completion of this loop to be made into a toll road. And, does it make sense for NC to continue funneling money into new road projects, rather then maintaining the current infrastructure we have? Especially in light of the recurring problems and criticism the DOT has faced.

For all of the problems toll roads (and new roads in general) bring, it seems like a good idea for North Carolina leaders to take some time to think about how we can continue to travel sustainably, without wasting tax payer money and killing our small towns. 

First it was the proposed Cliffside power plant:
Gubernatorial Candidate, Richard Moore, came out first saying that the Cliffside plant can wait. This was followed only hours later by Gubernatorial Candidate, Beverly Perdue, who also said the plant can wait.

It's a shame they didn't listen to thousands of citizens across the state who have been asking for officials to STOP Cliffside (not wait).

Today it's Campaign Reform:
This time, Perdue was first out of the gate. Followed a day later by Moore supporting the exact same proposal...One initially proposed in 1995 - a bit outdated wouldn't you say?

I find this both interesting and frustrating. It's interesting because the two lead Gubernatorial candidates are coming out proactively on our issues: clean air, renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean & fair elections, getting special interests out of politics...

What's frustrating is that it seems these two candidates aren't talking to groups who work day in and day out on these issues. And, because the candidates aren't connected, their proposals are weak and/or outdated.

Perdue and Moore should be applauded (please note that the NC Conservation Network does not endorse candidates) for their attempts to do the right thing on clean energy and clean elections. But, we should also encourage them to take real stands on the issues if they are serious about protecting public health and the health of our democracy. Candidates should talk to the organizations and individuals who know most about the issues before they paint themselves green and stick a feather in their cap. Because, unfortunately, candidates' proposals often fall short of meaning real change.

With Iowa officially kicking off the primary elections last night, it seems time for us to start thinking about who, as North Carolinians, we want the next Presidential candidates to be.

And what better way to judge a candidate then by how green s/he is?

Thankfully (and lucky for me), Grist has already done the research (and the work!) Check it out for yourself: How Green is Your Candidate? You can view all of the Democratic and Republican candidates websites, interviews with the candidates, and add info about their greenness on your own website and/or blog.

And, in case you haven't already heard, here is the news from the Iowa caucus results and here are the results with Grist's own green angle. Tell us what you think about the candidates and their environmental records by commenting to this blog.

Finally, since this is our first post in the New Year - here's to wishing to a greener 2008 (and a greener president come November)!

Has there ever been a greater divide? It seems too many of today's young folks are disengaged, especially in elections. However, this Saturday these two groups (16-30 year olds and Presidential candidates) will be found interacting digitally at Wake Tech Community College.

Generation Engage, an NC Conservation Network affiliate, is hosting an iChat converation with 2008 Presidential Candidates on Saturday, October 27. Young adults from Raleigh and San Jose, California will connect via Apple's iChat videoconference technology with Republican and Democratic candidates gathered at the National Rural Summit in Ames, Iowa.

Generation Engage is focused on connecting young leaders to political leaders, to other civic organizations, and to meaningful debate about the future they will inherit. And what a great way to do so - by hosting a forum for young folks to interact with our Presidential candidates (who often seem like they aren't even in the same universe).

To see the full event announcement, click here.

What do we do about so called “off year” elections? Wikipedia describes an off year election as:

"[...] elections [that] rarely feature any election to a national office, few state legislative elections, and very few gubernatorial elections. The vast majority of these elections are held at the municipal level. On the ballot are many mayors, a wide variety of citizen initiatives in various states, and many more local public offices." 

Generally, voter turnout is horrible in off year elections, even though these offices probably have a much greater impact on our daily lives.  These local officials will be making decisions like whether to build a park in your neighborhood, create a greenway in your county, or approve plans for a Super Wal-Mart to be built two blocks down from the “regular” Wal-Mart (as my town council did recently).

I wonder sometimes if we wouldn’t be better off with having all elections in even years. On the one hand, we’d certainly have more people voting for these important local races.  Of course, on the other hand, with voters considering candidates for the White House, Senate, Congress, Governor, and state legislature, maybe they local races would be totally off of a voter’s radar.

Do you have any ideas to improve voter turnout in off year elections? And are you voting this year?  

Recently I was asked to give a speach on why women should talk politics, I immediately thought, “Well...why shouldn't we?” In reality many women have had negative, often oppressive, experiences when talking politics. In my experience this seems to lead to either women shying away from talking politics because it isn’t something women are supposed to do, or it drives them towards politics.

Politics & Power
Politics is often defined as the allocation and distribution of power. But in reality, power isn't really a property but more of a relationship. So what we are really talking about is the ability to influence others. Many scholars believe women feel differently about power and use power differently when compared to men. Men are commonly thought to view power as dominating or a "power over" while women view it as empowering or a "power to." This concept of empowering is seen as more inclusive because it allows a choice between the power to act or not to act. Inaction can have as great of an impact as action. I too believe that women view and use power differently and for this reason, we as women should talk and participate in politics.

Talking Politics
When we hear people talk about politics we often hear them use the term 'political issues.' I think this is misleading and automatically creates a barrier for some people because they don't see themselves as being 'political.' So let’s examine some of these 'political issues.' How about quality schools for our children, affordable daycare, access to quality healthcare, ensuring a chemical company doesn't build in your neighborhood, trash pick-up, clean drinking water, clean air...the lists goes on and on.

There are a lot of ways to talk politics and participate in the political process depending on your time, availability, and comfort level. You could talk with neighbors, friends, and family about a particular issue to educate them on why it is a concern. Or you could write a letter-to-the-editor, email or call your elected official, hold a fundraising house party for an advocacy group or political party, circulate petitions, vote....No matter who you are or how much time you have, there is a way to be involved in building women's political power.

Let’s talk about voting for a moment. Did you know that women voters have the power to provide the critical margin of victory in elections?!? Imagine what politics could look like if more women voted in all elections. We often overlook local and state elections which are often decided by very close votes. All too often these days folks get swept up in what is going on nationally and we forget to focus on our backyards. Your County Commissioners and City Council Members make more policy decisions than the state legislature or Congress that impact your everyday life. 

On Buying Power
Women hold political power, whether they know it or not, because they control the majority of buying power in the U.S. According to the article, “The Buying Power of Women” by Wanda McPhaden, "Women now make 83 percent of all consumer buys, including 94 percent of home products, 89 percent of vacations, and 75 percent of all decisions regarding the purchase of the largest investment most of us will ever make—a house.”

Why is our buying power political power? Money is directly related to what does or doesn't happen in politics—and the places where you spend your money most likely contribute financially to political candidates and/or parties. I encourage you to check out opensecrets.org, the website for The Center for Responsive Politics which is a non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics, and its affect on elections and public policy. American women spend about $5 trillion annually...this is over half the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and we are the majority of the consumer in the online marketplace. One visit to opensecrets.org and you will see how much of this money ends up in politics. 

Women in Politics
According to the Center for American Women and Politics a record 2,429 women were general election candidates for state legislative seats in 2006. The previous peak was in 1992, when 2,375 women ran. In the 2006 election:

• 16 women were elected out of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate
• 71 women were elected out of 435 seats in the U.S. House 
• 76 women hold statewide elective executive office including 9 women governors.
• 1,734 women serve in state legislatures across U.S.
• In North Carolina's state legislature women hold only 8 seats out of 50 in the Senate and 42 seats out of 170 in the House. Yet we are 51% of NC's population.

While we have definitely come a long way in terms of involving women in the political process, I believe that until our elected bodies become more reflective of the people they serve, women will still have to fight to become economically self-sufficient, end violence against women, improve access to healthcare, level the playing field for women, and increase the civic participation of women and minorities.

So what have we discovered?
Women bring an aspect of empowerment to the political arena. This approach is considered more inclusive because it allows a choice between the power to act and the power not to act. As the primary caregivers (80%) and as working professionals (46%), women have a vested interest in many so-called "political issues" like quality healthcare, clean water, and good schools. Women already have political power through their buying power and voting power—now it's just a matter of putting that power to good use. Until then women will remain underrepresented in both federal and state legislatures—yielding elected bodies that are not reflective of the people they serve.

So again I ask, "Why shouldn’t women talk politics?"

Close, but no cigar.

On Monday night, Jon Stewart, host of the nightly "news" show, The Daily Show, had Senator John Kerry on to promote his new book, This Moment on Earth.

Senator Kerry describes his book, noting it's about more than just global warming, it also discusses 'toxins, chemicals, cancer, and what we're doing to our water.' Senator Kerry then asks Jon Stewart if he is familiar with the Riverkeepers - and Jon replies "Sure...Kennedy's the Riverkeeper." Nice work Jon!

Senator Kerry then tells a story of a 67-year old marine living in North Carolina who went fishing and developed leisons on his hands and how other fishermen developed memory loss. He continues that these citizens discovered the problem was a result of massive amounts of hog waste running into the rivers. Nice work Senator Kerry!

What Senator Kerry failed to mention though, is that the 67-year old veteran is our own Rick Dove! And that Rick Dove later became the first Riverkeeper in North Carolina, with the Neuse River Foundation. The Neuse River Foundation came so close...but no cigar: they were really close to being mentioned by name on The Daily Show.

To view the segment, click here. The piece on Rick Dove is about 4 minutes into the program.

Our kudos still go out to The Daily Show and to Senator Kerry for giving the issue air time, despite Senator Kerry not mentioning our NC hero's name nor including pictures in his book (sorry Jon).