An Election "Win"

This week brings the global Climate Strike and other actions that call attention to our planet's--and thus our--dire situation. (Links to climate activities below the featured articles.) In honor of our planet, we take a closer look at an environmental activist who felt called to run for local office and what she's learned so far in her journey.

In the photo above, it's election night for the Toledo city council primary run-offs. The faithful supporters and campaign staff of a first-time, grassroots candidate gather to celebrate all the hard work and effort they put in--knowing full well the odds are against them. Vastly outspent by the establishment challengers, the results aren't all that bad.  Issues (such as protecting drinking water and investing in green jobs locally) raised by the candidate in the primary public forums are even now being echoed by voters and other city council candidates alike. Perhaps there's more to winning an election than simply gaining the most votes?

Here are two takes of what happened during this election cycle and the lessons gained. These insights should prove useful to any candidate, in any campaign, anywhere who is planning to run for office.

A Successful Campaign

by Stefania Czech

I have realized as a single mom that it is extremely difficult to run a campaign. There were a lot of days that I just could not campaign because I had no sitter. Networking is huge and so is having a large campaign team and the money to pay people. I knew that the challenges would be extremely difficult, but I also felt my message was too important to stay quiet, and the future of our children is what drove me onward in spite of the challenge.

It was quite the experience that I am so grateful for. I met so many amazing people and my Czech Mates are freaking awesome. I'm proud of the campaign I ran, and I am inspired by the light that came back in people's eyes when I shared my message. I had a very unique message that I don't believe people have heard very often on the local level or in politics, period. 

And sometimes you just have to have that first run to know what to do and what not to do. Name recognition is big and running as a candidate as an introvert is quite challenging. I was proud that I came out of my comfort zone and pushed past so many barriers. I have grown so much in these last months. I'm excited for my future whether it's in politics or not. In the end I have raised awareness that Lake Erie now has rights and should be defended, and a Green New Deal is possible and needed in Toledo.

There are some who say I ran an "unsuccessful" campaign because I did not win. I don't believe that is true. I believe I ran a very successful campaign, one that gave me much pride.

If I have restored one person's belief in democracy, then I have been successful. 

If I have given one person the courage to run on a progressive platform, then I have been successful.

If I have given someone the inspiration to run on a platform other than (fixing) potholes, then I have been successful.

If I have given someone the inspiration to run, then I have been successful. 

If I have restored faith that we can fight the climate and take on huge global issues in our Toledo home, then I have been successful. 

If I have given people ideas, hope, and inspiration that Toledo can have a Green New Deal, then I had been successful.

If I have kept the Lake Erie Bill of Rights in the media longer and I showed people how to defend the rights of nature, then I have been successful.

If I have given children hope that there are adults out here fighting for their future, then I have been successful. 

If I have shown other people how to fight for our democracy and campaigning on something radically different can be done then I have been successful. 

If I had given people hope and inspiration then we can have change and effect change locally, then I have been successful.

The Czech Mates and myself have ran a very successful campaign. We got just as many votes as independent and non-endorsed Democrats, and I would say that's not too bad! I had people saying they would vote just for me and that's pretty exciting. People believed in this message. People believe in change--and that's success!

BIO: Stefania ran a people-powered (and funded)  grassroots campaign for Toledo city council district 2. Her campaign website: http://www.czechfortoledo.com

Building New Leaders

 by Sean Nestor

When it comes to Toledo City Council elections I have known amazing people with a real dedication to public service who have lost and quite a few scoundrels and sycophants who have won. No doubt, dear reader, you have done the same. So, what is it that wins these elections if not character and integrity?

One popular explanation is that Toledo is a party town, owned and run by a finely honed Democratic Party machine. But I can think of so many examples where the endorsed Democrat lost to someone else that I believe this is mostly a myth that Democrats tell themselves to feel good and everyone else tells themselves to rationalize their lack of success. I've also had enough conversations with people involved to laugh at the notion of the Lucas County Democratic Party being a finely honed anything.

Popular theories that I think are closer to the truth are that Toledoans are happy with the status quo and vote the same people back into office over and over and that Toledoans are ill-informed and just vote for whatever name they recognize even if it's a tainted name. I say "closer" because I don't think most Toledoans are happy with the status quo, and I don't think Toledoans are ill-informed through any fault of their own.

Here's what I think:

1) Toledoans want change,but don't find challengers to the incumbents credible. Practically everyone who runs against an incumbent is unheard of in the broader community, leading most voters to a "devil you know vs. devil you don't" mentality.

2) Toledoans want to be better informed, but the (shrinking) media landscape--particularly the TV news-- barely covers the races or provides substantive information about the candidates.

3) There are practically no civic institutions that are building new leaders, and thus we have a lack of people with knowledge, connections, and a reputation that can be leveraged into a successful candidacy.

4) There are practically no political organizations that are providing candidates with guidance, support, and resources so that when they run they can be effective in their fundraising, outreach, and messaging.

5) Toledoans want to vote for someone who does visible and effective work in the community before running; too many candidates run with the implicit message of "Elect me first, then I promise I'll do some good stuff!"

6) Toledo City Council is an unattractive job because it's a largely powerless body that doesn't do a lot and most of your coworkers have big but weak egos; it does not always attract the best and brightest.

I don't think these obstacles are insurmountable, but I do think that they are extremely challenging and will take a lot more people in our community stepping up.

1) Candidates need to be out in the community more outside of election cycles, working hard and tooting their own horn.

2) Political parties, labor unions, and social justice organizations need to do better at bringing up new leadership and taking on big fights that give future candidates a chance to see how power works and how to be effective at creating change.

3) Civic-minded people with experience in elections and pissed-off voters need to come together and form more organizations that prospect, recruit, train, and support candidates for office.

4) The local media outlets need to make a concerted effort to advertise local elections more and give more airtime to local candidates.

5) Elected officials should consider reforms to our current strong mayor system that make the role of city council more powerful and more attractive to professionals in our community.

Good people can and do win local elections here, if you pay attention. They are in the minority, but they exist. There's no reason that success can't be replicated, regardless of your party affiliation (or lack thereof). But it does take a lot of work, a lot of courage, a lot of time, and a lot of money. 

And if you really care about this city, you'll step up to do it--because you'll know in your heart that we deserve better than what we're getting.

BIO: Sean Nestor is an organizer with Toledoans For Safe Water and a former Lucas County Green Party Co-Chair.

***

From March For Science:

Over the last year, young people have been leaving their classrooms every Friday to go on strike. The idea of climate striking began with Greta Thunberg in Sweden a year ago and has quickly spread across the world — in March, 1.4 million children stayed away from school for a day to ask for climate action.

As scientists, our research shows that climate change has serious implications for our health, environment, and economy. The scientific community has done its best to outline the growing climate crisis and to show ways that society can move to meet the challenge. But beyond our work in the natural and social sciences, we ourselves must also participate in mass societal action. 

We’re grateful for the leadership of young people, but the burden of creating the transformative change needed to address the climate crisis should not rest solely on the shoulders of our youth.

On September 20, we urge the scientific community to stop work for a day, leave your labs, classrooms, and fieldwork sites, and join the first all-ages Global Climate Strike. 

Those of us who teach may cancel our classes — or move them outside and turn them into teach-ins for the whole community. Those of us engaged in research will leave the lab bench or the computer screen for an afternoon and join other citizens in calling attention to the emergency. 

The strike will take place just three days before world leaders meet at a major summit at the United Nations — this is a key moment for all of us to put the climate crisis in the global spotlight.

To participate:
1. Sign the scientists' letter of support for the Global Climate Strike
2. Read our organizing guide, and find a local strike to join on September 20
For our future,
The March for Science Team

***

Hurricane Dorian ripped through the Bahamas just recently. At least 50 people are dead. More than 2,500 are missing. Families who watched their homes be destroyed by the storm in front of their eyes are now crowding into shelters without adequate food and water.

And if Big Oil gets its way, disasters like Hurricane Dorian will become more and more frequent.

It’s time to fight back and demand strong action to rein in Big Oil and prevent the climate crisis from getting even worse. Next Friday, September 20th, young people around the globe will walk out of their classes, their jobs, and their everyday lives for the Global Climate Strike. The next generation is taking a strong stand for their right to a livable planet -- but they need you to stand in solidarity at an action near you.

RVSP NOW: Find the closest youth climate strike action and commit to attend next Friday!

There are fewer than 11 years to prevent climate chaos. The only way that will happen is if our leaders immediately take ambitious climate action.

It’s not enough to simply stop a pipeline here and there. Our elected officials need to support a phase-out of all fossil fuels.

It’s not enough to address the fossil fuel industry alone. Our elected officials need to address the role of agriculture in fueling the climate crisis.

At the same time, we need our climate solutions to center the communities most impacted by this crisis. And we need a just transition for workers and others who have been caught in an extractive economy for far too long.

Young people like Greta Thunberg, an international youth climate leader, recognize that if our elected officials don’t act now, they’ll be the ones cleaning up after the impending climate disaster. The next generation needs you to stand in solidarity with them on September 20th. 

Search for a climate strike action near you and sign up to participate TODAY!

Youth strike organizers across the world have a plan to fight the climate crisis. A plan that, here in the U.S., includes support for a strong Green New Deal, regenerative agriculture, and the restoration of biodiversity while prioritizing Indigenous rights and environmental justice.

The only pathway forward is to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, Big Ag, and multinational corporations. But our elected officials won’t take ambitious action like this unless they really feel the pressure from their constituents like you.

You can help make sure the strike has maximum impact. Will you step up to the challenge and stand with young people worldwide for a future free of climate disaster?

Find a climate strike near you and sign up NOW!

Standing with you,
Liz Butler,
VP of organizing and strategic alliances,
Friends of the Earth

***

Tell Congress: "The Assault Weapons Ban expired 15 years ago. Since then, gun violence has become an epidemic.We can't wait any longer. BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS NOW" ADD YOUR NAME

The Battle

He's back...

The Revolution Continues would be amiss not to mention that Senator Bernie Sanders has officially announced his candidacy for the office of president of the United States of America. Since we are the original "Bernie Blog" (started a few months before a commercial site stole our name) we do keep an eye on the doings of the independent senator from Vermont. 

We've changed our name and transitioned since those exciting early days of following Bernie's campaign to covering the issues that effect everyone--from climate change to health care, from warfare to social justice concerns, from income inequality to student loan debt. Even so, we can't forget our roots. We wish Bernie well in his battle against the forces of darkness, that is, the corporate-owned-and-operated Democratic Party.  

(Somewhere out there, blog co-founder Barb McMillan is smiling down on Bernie and his friends from heaven. I wish you could have lived to see him run again, Barb!)

We hope--and expect--to hear more from "Berners"  in the near future. Please submit your blog posts via email at thebernieblog2016@gmail.com Remember, this is a workplace friendly blog and not an outlet for character assassination. You have Twitter and Facebook and other social media platforms for those kinds of things. We're looking for progressive insights and ideas that can be shared with human beings both here in the US and around the world. 

We hope to hear from you soon. Until then, take care of yourselves and Feel the Bern. Always.

A Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Voters 
is taking place...

The powers-that-be and the haters of net neutrality have made it even more difficult to access this blog site. If you landed here in one piece, consider yourself fortunate. Do us a favor and share the blog link with others. Better yet, share  http://therevolutioncontinues.com with your friends and acquaintances on social media platforms. That URL doesn't seem to be blocked by firewalls--yet. If you have any programming or web site experience and are willing to help The Revolution Continues find a better location on the internet to preach its progressive message, please contact us at the above email. Thank you.

And now it's time to reflect on the toll that activism can take on a person fighting hard for that future to believe in that Bernie Sanders spoke so eloquently about in 2016.

The Battle

by C. A. Matthews

It's Special Election Day in Toledo. The results of this ballot to determine if the Lake Erie Bill of Rights has become part of the city charter won't be known for a few hours yet, so this is why this particular blog post isn't entitled "The Ballot." It's not the only reason, as you'll soon learn.

photo by Stefania Czech

The Battle I'm referencing isn't the two year knockdown, dragged-out struggle to get LEBOR onto the ballot. It's not even a general reference to how difficult it is to be an activist in this day and age when most are content to keep their eyes glued to their phone screens and their minds entertained with state-produced propaganda while filling their bellies with GMOed junk food. It's related to both of these things, but it's more than that. Much more.

My friend and fellow progressive commentator Chris, a.k.a. Vegematic, discusses The Battle openly and honestly in his recent video:
https://youtu.be/uoiJwlun7NY
 

The Battle is more than just activist burn-out or ennui. It's the battle we as human beings have with ourselves when we face a crisis in our existence on this plane and seriously consider  the question, "Is it better for all the causes I hold dear to end it now?" 

Life isn't giving us any indications that all our hard work and prayers to build a better future are going to pan out. Do we continue to draw breath in hopes that the agony of facing The Battle will end some day? We are taught to serve and to work hard without complaint. We reason that perhaps it is simply ourselves who are defective when this impossible task strangles us. We view our meager efforts as getting in the way of others' success. It's selfish and cruel to thwart others' chance at a satisfactory ending. Why are we standing in their way of happiness?

The Battle isn't something that comes and goes--it is constant and always lurking beneath the surface of many sunny faces. Too many. 

To those who have been blessed with the ability to always see the bright side of life, The Battle seems a distant fight, one that they're not particularly eager to enter into with their comrades-in-arms. "Focus on the task at hand and things will work themselves out," they'll lecture, even while knowing that things don't always work out, and there are potentially lethal consequences for not taking their friends' battles seriously.

photo by Anthony Curi

In 2019, the forces of darkness seem more real to activists than ever before. We can't afford to let up in our fights against fascism, racism, sexism, ageism, fill-in-the-blanks-ism. We need all hands on deck and all soldiers on the field. 

We're facing a world war of late-stage capitalism that steals the bread from the mouth of innocents and allows them to die without remorse. We're facing a sick society bent on preventing health care for millions in the United States of America while dropping bombs on millions more in the Middle East. 

Lies mailed to voters by lobbyists

We can't just stop the fight right now with so much at stake to take care of our own walking wounded, can we? But we can and we must. If we don't, then for what purpose do we labor to build a utopia for all to grow and thrive in? There will be blessed few to dwell in it.

Please keep these thoughts in mind the next time you interact with your fellow activists. Tell them how much you appreciate their efforts. Better yet, show them how much you appreciate their efforts. A hug, a kiss, a pat on the back, a dinner and a hot shower--demonstrate that you are glad they are still here, on this physical plane of existence, standing with you. Let them know that you are there for them in the same struggles, both on the streets and in the soul.

It takes so little to be kind, and that kindness can be so beneficial. It can be the seed that grows and spreads the revolution of rising consciousness… that all human beings are to be simply loved and cherished, and even now the creation is anxiously waiting to blossom into the fullness of its purpose.

The ballot boxes will always be with us, and those human beings who fight alongside us to protect our right to the ballot box should always take precedence over petty politics. Give each and every one of your comrades in the struggle the recognition and appreciation they deserve today!

***

 From Friends of the Earth:

The Trump Administration could expose the Grand Canyon area to a massive increase in uranium mining. 

Opening this iconic landscape to mining would lead to its destruction. It would cause devastating water pollution. And it would increase the risk of cancer and other public health issues for local Indigenous communities. 

With the help of Friends of the Earth members like you, we’ve protected our public lands from the greed of the Trump Administration and fossil fuel industry. We need you with us again. 

Take action now: Tell your member of Congress to permanently ban uranium mining near the Grand Canyon!

Since 2012, mining in the area near the Grand Canyon has been prohibited under a twenty year ban. However, the Trump Administration included uranium on a list of 35 minerals it considered ‘critical’ for national security, which could overrule the ban. 

Contaminated water from an abandoned uranium mine on the south rim is already poisoning a creek deep within the canyon, and another mine on the north rim, reopened in 2009, is housing more than two million gallons of contaminated groundwater. 

What’s more, recent water tests show that 15 springs and 5 wells within the Grand Canyon’s watershed contain dissolved uranium concentrations which exceed the standards for safe drinking water. But now, the Trump Administration could reverse the temporary 2012 uranium prohibitions.

It is time for Congress to step in and stop any giveaway to the mining industry for the purpose of building more nuclear warheads and propping up the nuclear energy industry, at the expense of public health and the environment. We need your help to make the ban on uranium mining near the Grand Canyon permanent. Can we count on your support? 

Send your message: Tell Congress to protect the Grand Canyon from the mining industry!

Trump’s vision for our environment is clear. He thinks our public lands are first and foremost meant to be exploited for the benefit of his coal, oil, and uranium industry friends.

With the help of Friends of the Earth members like you, we’ve been leading the fight to keep fossil fuels in the ground on our public lands for years. With your support, we helped build a nationwide movement to preserve these places for future generations.

We can’t let Trump hand over these places to the extractive industry. We need your help to fight back!

Help send 40,000 comments: Tell Congress to defend the Grand Canyon from uranium mines. 

Standing with you,
Nicole Ghio,
Senior fossil fuels program manager,
Friends of the Earth

***

From Credo: We will never give up fighting for net neutrality – and Republicans know it. When Trump's FCC repealed open internet rules, our movement filed lawsuits, pressured Congress and passed state net neutrality laws. Public support for net neutrality has only grown. So instead of trying to beat us, now they want to trick us. Three Republicans in the House of Representatives announced they will be introducing three so-called "net neutrality" bills. These bills would give telecom companies huge loopholes so they can continue discriminatory practices that are bad for consumers.1 Passing them could make it impossible for the FCC to enforce real net neutrality in the future. Fake net neutrality is not net neutrality. But Democrats could easily cave unless we speak up. Our elected officials need to hear that we won't accept anything less than the real open internet rules that Trump's FCC repealed. We need to kill these bills to make room for strong net neutrality legislation that actually protects the open internet for everyone.  Tell Congress: Reject fake net neutrality. Click here to sign the petition. These bills aren't real net neutrality.2 Although they would prohibit certain kinds of anti-competitive practices by broadband providers, they won't restore all the rules we need to protect our rights online. 1 As technology keeps changing, we need the FCC to keep up. By narrowing the definition of net neutrality, these bills would prevent the FCC from adapting to open internet issues of the future.3 By declaring that the internet is not a public utility, the bills would also limit the FCC's ability to protect privacy, ensure universal service, enforce truth in billing and guarantee disability access.4 Democrats in the House of Representatives have said they want a bipartisan net neutrality bill, which means they are open to compromising with Republicans.5 But we cannot compromise on the core principles that keep the internet open and free. Now that Democrats control the House, we have a real opportunity to push Congress to pass meaningful net neutrality legislation and direct the FCC to do its job. But if these bills gain momentum, we could lose that opportunity, maybe forever. Tell Congress: Reject fake net neutrality. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/GOP-net-neutrality?t=9&akid=31706%2E9999572%2E3oTLSZ Thanks for fighting back, Brandy Doyle, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: Kieren McCarthy, "It's OK, everyone – Congress's smart-cookie Republicans have the answer to America's net neutrality quandary," The Register, Feb. 8, 2019. Klint Finley, "Republicans in Congress are talking net neutrality, at least," Wired, Feb. 7, 2019. John Eggerton, "GOP House Members Offer Trio of Net Neutrality Bills," Multichannel News, Feb. 7, 2019. Shiva Stella, "Public Knowledge Opposes Net Neutrality Bills Weakening FCC’s Authority to Protect Consumers," Public Knowledge, Feb. 7, 2019. Harper Neidig, "House members hint at bipartisan net neutrality bill," The Hill, Feb. 7, 2019.