local politics

Thomas Goldstein and Thomas Bates, Executive Director of the Washington Bus and Vice President for Civic Engagement at Rock the Vote respectively, penned an op-ed published in today's Seattle Times. Goldstein and Bates took aim at the idea that youth's "low" turnout in midterm elections relative to older age groups ultimately means a smaller impact on the results.

It isn't exactly news that young people tend to vote at lower rates than older voters. The more interesting story is that even if young people turn out at lower rates, they can dramatically affect the election landscape and outcomes. That happened most visibly in the 2008 presidential election, but also in certain nonpresidential elections closer to home.

The approval of Referendum 71, the election of a young mayor in Tacoma, and two victorious young City Council candidates in Spokane are all evidence of the efficacy of targeting young voters. Moreover, the highest turnout in the state in 2009 was in the 43rd Legislative District, which has the greatest concentration of young voters.

Even with mounting evidence, too many campaigns write off young voters, and this tired habit has made the prophecy of low turnout a self-fulfilling one. It almost reads as a new definition of madness: Time and time again, campaigns don't invest time and resources into young people, and then are surprised when they don't mail in their ballots.

[...]

Luckily, we're doing something about it. Forward-looking organizations and campaigns have tested methods to engage young people and have committed resources to make them reliable voters. And we're seeing results: For the past three major election cycles — yes, even pre-Obama — the turnout of young people has steadily increased.

We know what works: Make sure young people are registered to vote, give them relevant information in an engaging way, and run campaigns that connect with their values.

The point both are making is that, blessed with size, the effect of even a subtle increase in the Millennial voting rate can be worth a few points in various midterm elections -- enough to tip those races in different directions.

As we move forward into the meat of the 21st Century, these younger people, increasingly becoming adults, are going to need to be pursued in a different way than past voters. This calls for aggressive engagement, complete with the "relevant information" Goldstein and Gates mention above, as well as managing campaigns that reflect youth's values.

Via the Asian Law Caucus. It sounds like a good event for Bay Area folks on an issue that will come back into the nationwide spotlight in 2010 - immigration reform. - Karlo

Practical measure would increase public safety and prevent innocent youth from being torn from their families

What: SF Board of Supervisors will vote on a proposal to restore due process to immigrant youth.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 20th at 2:00 PM

Where: San Francisco City Hall, Legislative Chamber, Room 250

Who: Youth, parents, teachers, faith leaders, and attorneys supporting due process for youth.

Last week Sarah wrote about the lasting negative impacts recessions can have on society, decimating a generation's collective trust placed in important financial institutions and processes.

There's another side to this recession coin, though. As cliche as it may be, one large opportunity we as Americans have is to re-examine what really matters to us. I'm not invoking that mushy stuff about "living like you're dying," or seizing the day, living as if every day is your last. Unfortunately deaths occur every day that reinforce the fragility of life. Recessions force us to get back to basics. We have to clean out our closets, separating the SWAG of life from the non-negotiables.

This perspective was reflected in last year's presidential campaign. Barack Obama was lambasted by conservatives for refusing to wear a flag pin on his jacket's lapel. The audacity! Then-candidate Obama would go on to explain that patriotism is more than whether or not one places a piece of metal on one's coat.

“Somebody noticed I wasn’t wearing a flag lapel pin and I told folks, well you know what? I haven’t probably worn that pin in a very long time. I wore it right after 9/11. But after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic. Not voting to provide veterans with resources that they need. Not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time.

“My attitude is that I’m less concerned about what you’re wearing on your lapel than what’s in your heart. And you show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who served. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and our ideals and that’s what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals.”

Since September 2001, many a politician, with an eye on the patriotism market, donned those flag pins. They became a part of our culture. The conventional wisdom never questioned them. And I'd wager that if a candidate refused to wear a pin before the economy's crumble, say John Kerry in 2004, the refusal would have been met with scorn and powerful attacks by the GOP on Kerry's patriotism that would have stuck (the Swift Boat stuff could have been irrelevant). But Obama's decision to shed the pin and explanation came too far into Bush's term. By that point, the Bush administration's complacency in dealing with Hurricane Katrina had already been well-noticed on the Gulf Coast and everywhere else. People had already sensed that families were losing their brave patriots in a war that shouldn't have been fought. And signs of a faltering economy were already prevalent. Suddenly problem-solving mattered more than symbols. Before the chaos, symbolic warfare may have captivated Americans; following the storm, it didn't matter.

The back-to-basics theme is relevant around a holiday like the Fourth of July, a day on which we commemorate the blood, sweat, tears, and everything else that coalesced into the United States of America. On a day that sees many customs observed, there is none bigger than fireworks. Unfortunately, even the most basic of customs comes with a hefty price tag. Paired with the worst economic climate in decades, the price is becoming too much for many communities to bear, setting up a "y" in the road: pay for an hour-long fireworks show, or retain jobs.

Average Americans have been able to enjoy past Independence Days, free from the burden of severe financial pressure and other things that a bad economy brings. Pleasant memories of these times yield some cognitive dissonance for these same Americans when presented with today's fork in the road: fireworks or their troubled pursuit of happiness?

Euclid, Ohio, profiled in the Los Angeles Times this week, is one of many communities struggling with this very decision.

People have long considered the fireworks a treasure of this Cleveland suburb, where flags fly year-round in neighborhoods of bungalows and stores post signs for passersby to "support our troops."

But the fireworks and singing along to "The Star-Spangled Banner" on a warm summer night -- and the police and firefighters needed to manage the 30,000 people who turn out -- don't come cheap.

So this year, Euclid will have no fireworks. "I'm 55 years old and I can't remember not going to one of these," Cervenik said.

As the economic crisis has dragged on, city leaders around the country say fireworks are a luxury they can no longer afford. Big and small, urban and rural, the skies will remain dark over at least four dozen communities nationwide come July 4.

"It came down to this: Did we want to spend $150,000 on something that would be over in a few hours?" Cervenik said. "Or did we want to use that money to keep city workers employed?"

Fireworks don't mean much when quality of life is seriously threatened, just as flag pins don't carry the same value when the pursuit of happiness we treasure is in peril.

Euclid officials and the leaders of other communities choosing to sacrifice fireworks shows in the name of economic viability should be applauded. This choice, while wrenching, presents an opportunity to shine the spotlight on that which is really the most influential to our collective pursuits. It forces us to recognize that flag pins and fireworks exist because of something bigger. It forces us to separate that SWAG from the non-negotiables of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

As we've been blogging progressive youth politics, it seems that we've heard more stories about young candidates running for mayoral and city council seats across the country. Chalk up another, but this time it's for a New York City Council seat.

Dodge Landesman, an eighteen year old Democrat running in a primary election for the Second District seat on New York's City Council, labels himself as "pro-growth" and "anti-bailout." Landesman's campaign seems to take a page or two from President Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, as Landesman continually calls for a "participatory campaign" in which constituents mold his positions on various issues and other youth get involved in politics, specifically local politics. Landesman's three big issues are education, marriage equality, and community service. Landesman calls for a more efficient education system, in which "good teachers" are rewarded, noting that education is an issue that has largely fallen off City Council's priority list. Landesman promises to propose legislation in New York City that allows everyone the right to marry should he be elected. Finally, Landesman plans to offer tax cuts to those volunteering in their communities, hoping to foster a generational culture of service within the city.

Landesman's campaign has reached out to Facebook, creating a group called "Dodge Landesman for City Council in 2009." Dodge is also on Twitter; he can be followed @Dodge_Landesman. The Landesman campaign is working on developing a full website, but in the meantime, a temporary one has been constructed at http://www.dodgeforcitycouncil.org.

Landesman's opponent is City Councilmember Rosie Mendez. Her official page on the city council site can be viewed here.

Kudos to Dodge for getting things off the ground. We'll be checking in down the road to see how the campaign is going.