We must win this fight, not with well-paid lobbyists and slick ads, but with grassroots supporters like you and lots of hard work. That’s how we won before and it’s why we need your help now!
Last week, Democracy NC sent out an email alert to our Advocates with the message above in it, hoping people would take action to keep a bill to expand Voter-Owned Elections to more Council of State offices alive in the NC Senate. Within days, 250 people had sent emails to their General Assembly reps in support of the bill and almost 150 more had called to express their support for VOE. Democracy Summer interns helped tremendously in this effort by phone banking to alert supporters that it was time to take action.
Whether this will be enough to combat the well-funded efforts of the organized opposition remains to be seen. Opposition is based not on the actual bill but on a misleading ideological agenda that opposes all new programs requiring funding. Opposition leaders are using the highly inaccurate but effective scare tactic of “they are using your tax dollars” as a motivator to rally opposition — an objection that ignores the facts. This bill would be funded NOT by tax dollars, but by small yearly fees imposed on those who do business with each Council of State agency. This is an approach that would raise enough each year to more than pay for the program and that has been used in New Mexico with great success. They’re not telling people that, of course. And maybe they don’t even realize it themselves. Lord knows it’s harder to educate people than it is to scare them, but we are definitely going to keep trying.
Regardless of the outcome, it is heartening to see so many people acknowledging that our current campaign system is broken and then taking time out of their very busy lives to do something about it. This battle will, indeed, be won, phone call by phone call, letter by letter, just as the fight for the Council of State pilot program was won. But I think we’ve already had one victory of sorts we can be proud of: motivating almost 400 people to take part in democracy 1) takes dedication and hard work, and 2) is great for democracy in and of itself. Well done to all of you who helped!
Leave A Comment