A Report from Occupy Boston

Yesterday's events were fairly mellow, but the crowds were huge and the momentum is clearly building.

While the bulk of the people camping out were twenty somethings and college students, it's clear the movement itself is much larger than that.

People run the gamut in age, race and ideology, but are friendly and welcoming. I'd say upwards of half the total people there were seniors and young families, many with kids, so it's not just college students and twenty somethings, even if those are the biggest groups camping out.

There's also a wide variety of backgrounds, from Cornell graduates with degrees in engineering to the unemployed and everything in between.

It's a little crunchy granola, but you can't help but feel empowered and inspired by the people participating together in the movement. There's a real sense of community in "Tent City," not to mention the sense that everyone is a part of something much bigger.

Everything was very peaceful and people were greatful that the police have been accommodating thus far. There were certainly constant efforts to keep it that way, with lots of self policing and reminders from members of the community if you were doing something that could attract police attention, even mundane things like not leaving room to pass through the sidewalk.

There's also worries that the Mayor's recent antagonizing comments could change things in regards to the police. The protesters are prepared for that, but have made every effort to avoid it.

They've kept the camp contained to just the square, even though they're at capacity in "tent city" and would like to expand to more of the greenway. There's been little impacts on traffic and lots of effort has been made to keep things safe and sanitary - both of those issues have entire working groups dedicated to them.

Yet, there are also daily work shops for legal training so people know their rights and know what to do if the situation changes and there are arrests. Numbers are given out on who to call if legal help is needed and people are told to write it down on there persons, not just their phones (which can be confiscated), should they think there could be arrests.

Getting Involved

There's going to be a 3pm march today sponsored by several organizations, including labor. It will start with students at the band stand on the Commons at 2pm (gathering at 1:30) and from there, meet with the rest of Dewey Square and the unions for the big 3pm effort. There should be literally thousands of people there.

The General Assemblies are daily at 7pm and are a true experience in democracy to be witnessed. Specifics can be found at the Occupy Boston website beyond that.

These are great opportunities to come and be a part of it all - one of the 99% - as the normal go of things is a much quieter, more subdued affair, with some work group or presentation usually going on every hour or so, but otherwise just lots of people gathered in clusters, holding signs or doing other mundane things.

Those quieter moments are what you make of them. If you want to stay busy, you need to get involved and volunteer.

There's dedicated areas to get involved in their working groups, find out more information, a place to stay at night or grab something to eat.

If you come in to visit, consider bringing some donations, like food and water. At the General Assembly, the food services group specifically asked for vegan salad dressing and a large coffee maker. These are the things that keep people - and therefore the movement - going.

Congressman Tierney on Government

Pretty cool stuff.

More detailed stuff to come, this was just a fun video to start off with.

10:20

MINUTES!

Celebrating with Keith and Rachel on MSNBC. Trying to ignore Tweety. Thankful there's no Pat. Have some evil, funny thoughts about the Penguin. Moving boxes. Ha!

Wow

Guy invites around 1,000 people to a Cambridge protest against California's Prop 8 on Facebook - and nearly 10% of them show. From a Facebook invite!

He Did It

Or should I say we did it?

MSNBC just called it.

The Power of the Netroots: Incredible

Anyone else hear the crazy, whacko congresswoman on TV today?

No?

She makes Palin look kind.



Like I said, crazy.

Well... as it turns out, it wasn't such a good idea for Buchmann to provide a window for the world into her inner crazy. Just a few hours after the interview aired on TV, her Democratic opponent has raised over $30,000 on ActBlue. [Update: a few more hours later and ActBlue's raised more than $68,000 for her opponent. Anyone want to take any bets that it'll be over $120k by Sunday night?]

This was a candidate who had only raised $2,500 on ActBlue before Bachmann made a complete ass out of herself. This was a candidate that wasn't even on the netroots radar. Now, she just provided her opponent with an entire new outlet to raise hundreds of thousands in the waning days of this election - all in an incredibly close (less than 5 point) race. Oops.

Well, she did say she was a fool in pretty much the craziest and most inappropriate video ever (h/t) - one that lead to a cease and desist letter by the IRS.



Update:

Here's an anti-Buchmann ad that I think is just genius - not to mention amusing.



H/T

Where Blogging Goes Astray

I'm sure all of us can remember back to a time when we defended a friend - who we knew to be in the wrong - simply because they were your friend. Maybe, in public, that's often a good thing - but it's always a disservice to our friend if, after the dispute, we don't take them aside and tell them to stop being an idiot. It's no different in the blogosphere: we don't always appreciate criticism directed toward us, but that doesn't mean the criticism always comes without merit. Every once in a while, the media or a politician will criticize 'the blogs' and usually have no idea what they're talking about, but that's not always the case. In the rare instances when our critics have a point, we can't allow our personal feelings to get in the way of constructive criticism.

Bloggers generally cringe when we're told that we live in our mothers' basements, or that we don't know what we're talking about, or that we're just a bunch of trash talkers with nothing positive to say and nothing to contribute. The progressive blogosphere is mostly middle-aged, middle-income and is comprised of experts writing about what they do and care about every day. In essence, the naysayers are almost always wrong. Yet, with so few people actually taking part in blogs - all the while hearing about them daily on TV or at work - there's a lot of confusion going on and we're doing nothing to prevent it. That could be our biggest sin to date.

While we're not a bunch of trash-talking kids, consumed with spreading baseless rumors and a festering anger - safely behind our masks of anonymity - it's certainly out there. It may not be the progressive blogosphere, but it is the progressive blogosphere's problem. The worst criticisms - being unaccountable, uneducated, mean spirited and counterproductive - isn't completely without merit when we're doing little prevent it. Anonymous posters, mostly at online newspapers and local Internet forums, are ruining the fun for everyone. The worst offender, locally, is WickedLocal - and, unfortunately, townies across the state think it's the 'blogs.'

Making matters worse is the fact that some bloggers are rushing to defend it. Now, of course, any time someone criticizes the blogosphere, bloggers and readers will be quick to react - often zealously. Diarist Sean Roche unfortunately missed the point, blowing aside sage advice, in a diary over at BlueMassGroup. Lincoln-Sudbury's Superintendent used part of his commencement speech at their school's graduation to courageously tackle the anonymous postings of adults in the community, imploring his students never to stoop to their level. Here's more of what he had to say.

Here's my advice: if you ever find yourself in a position where you are writing things for public consumption that have no intent other than to cause pain or cast aspersions on people, call people's character into question, question their ethics or honesty - and you're afraid to sign your name because if anyone ever knew it was you writing it, you'd be ashamed and embarrassed, you're on the wrong track.

His only problem, in fact, was calling these postings a "blog," when it's really the anonymous comments over at his town's Wickedlocal online newspaper. His point is sound and we'd all do well to take it and repeat it to others. Yet, it's becoming all too common for people in towns to refer to the comment sections of online newspapers as "the blogs." It's a dangerous precedent that must be kept in check, immediately. Unfortunately people like me - who have vast experience in the medium - just haven't been quick enough to correct people.

It's easy to see where the confusion grows: most of the population's never been to a blog; people just think any online commentary is simply 'blogging.' It would be nice if we could chalk this up to one big confusion, but by allowing this misunderstanding to take place, the reputation of blogs as useful tools is being sullied, all the while the real culprits are free from actually fixing the problem.

Let's reiterate the point: if the problem is confused, the solution isn't going to be any clearer. Just like you can't cure the cold with antibiotics, we can't cure the problem of unaccountable commenters at newspapers if people think it's 'the blogs.' So, unfortunately, this big misunderstanding in labels is only exacerbating the problem: while people are calling for a fix in 'the blogs,' newspapers have no real incentive to fix it, because they aren't 'the blogs.' Many local editors and the people above their heads probably aren't sophisticated enough to realize they're the ones propagating this problem to begin with.

The few savvy enough to comprehend this certainly aren't going to be the ones quick to fix it; it's a misunderstanding they're only happy to reinforce. Quite inappropriately, the media views blogging as the competition. Many journalists view bloggers as 'bad.' All that, while the vast majority of the population doesn't even know what blogging is. The combination results in the majority of the public missing out on a real societal asset.

So, what the heck are we going to do about it? First, let's analyze the problems and possible solutions.

What are the problems?

• Anonymity.
• Unaccountability.
  
• A general ignorance about the web 2.0.
  

What are the solutions?

• Solving anonymity: the universal acceptance of 'signing in.'
  
• Solving the accountability gap: the universal promotion of online meritocracy; making newspapers buy into the importance of building user-name reputation.
  
• Solving Web ignorance: education. Everyone should know what a blog is versus a comment versus a forum.
  

Bloggers, commenters and internet-savvy people need to become involved; we need to recognize there's a real problem here - and take ownership of it. We can't be so naive as to think that anything on the Internet is a good thing, because the bad elements threaten to ruin the potential of what we can truly accomplish.

If the vast majority of the population doesn't value the medium of blogging, it's only going to be that much harder to gain traction and sustain progress. Everyone needs to know the difference between a blog, an Internet forum and comments - whether people use them or not. That's the only way to make sure the media holds local papers accountable when their comment sections run amok. Newspapers make accountability in letters and opinions paramount; online comments shouldn't be any different. In both cases people are using the brand of a newspaper to give their opinions greater weight, so newspapers should have an interest in stake here. Most importantly, when it comes to being online, while being anonymous can be a good thing, being unaccountable is never acceptable. The progressive blogosphere is built around that premise, but we can't rest until it's a universal standard all across the Internet.

Join the BlogLeft Mass Yahoo Group

As BlogLeft Mass becomes more and more active, I realized we're going to need some sort of a more organized way to keep in touch and plan things. Thus, our very own page: BlogLeft Massachusetts. I hope everyone who reads this blog and participates in the Mass Netroots will join the new group.

Lefty Bloggers in Mass used to use the group "BayStateProgressiveBloggers," but that group is largely defunct. I'll be sending a message to that group asking them to join the new one. As the times have changed, so have our needs. BlogLeft is going to grow over the next few months, as we start to have regular events. Now we have another tool in our arsenal to be more effective. So, sign up!

Teaching Blogging to Democrats!

Hey everyone, I'm just following up on a diary I wrote last week. As a direct result of BlogLeft Mass's meeting in Lowell, our group is now co-hosting a Democratic State Convention workshop on the Netroots and Blogging. The point of the workshop will be to teach people how to blog, or how to become more effective bloggers and online activists. I know there's a lot of interest in this, because we had more than 20 people show up all the way in Lowell, squeezing in a small sun room with not an inch to spare. So here's the direct ways people could get involved, in bold:

1. Help us set it up. There are power point slides to create and ideas to foster. It's a lot of work, but someone's gotta do it. What exactly can you do?

A. Create slides for how to use Digg, Technorati, stat counter, social networking sites, rss feeds, blogging platforms, etc. Basically, anything I listed here. If you're willing, pick something in the comments and email me your slides.

B. Edit what we have. We're certainly going to want to have a few people take a look at what we're going to present ahead of time, so if anyone's willing to be a guinea pig, let me know.

2. Come to the convention! We're trying to incorporate as many bloggers, commenters and netroot activists as possible. As such, the first section of the presentation will be various presentations on what is the netroots, blogging, the different kinds, etc.

Then, there will be three break-out sessions:

A. Netroots 101: teaching people the basics (ex. how to create a username and post at Bluemassgroup or Blogger.com). If this sounds like something that interests you, please make a note of it in the comments - or email me.

B. Netroots 201: technical tools to help your blogging and online activism - such as video blogging, podcasting, blog tools such as Digg, etc. If this sounds like something that interests you, please make a note of it in the comments - or email me.

C. Netroots Roundtable. We're going to need a number of bloggers and netroots activists on a panel for discussion, but it's also just as important to have veterans in the audience to make sure it's a real give and take. Consider this less a panel where people talk down to others, and more a round table like that of the Arthurian Legends (which, I guess, makes the Internet our Excalibur). If this sounds like something that interests you, please make a note of it in the comments - or email me.

3. Other ways to help.

A. Start blogging about this! We should try to build excitement because an event like this could lead to dozens of new political bloggers and diarists in this state.

B. Come and critique the panel. We need to learn what we did good and what we could improve on. Did we miss anything? Could anything be skipped? The presentation at the DSC Convention is the beginning, not the end, so it's important to that BlogLeft take something away from it beyond recruiting new talent.

C. Take the presentation on tour. Ultimately, a personal goal for this entire project is to create a major blogger workshop pilot so we can form the basis of something that bloggers can take on the road. There are Town Committees, League of Women Voters and Progressive Democrat chapters that need to see this presentation, because they need to be blogging about the things they're already doing everyday in their community anyway, in order to maximize their effectiveness and increase the information available to the community beyond the shoddy reporting at local weeklies. This is the best, grassroots shot at growing the netroots movement in Massachusetts - and this is the best way anyone here can do their part to expand it. I hope we'll eventually have dozens of people involved in this aspect.

FYI: the Convention will be at the Tsongas arena in Lowell on June 7th. However, our workshop will actually be at Lowell High School. It's cosponsored by both BlogLeft Mass and the DSC Subcommittee on Communications. The workshop will begin at approx. 3pm.

BlogLeft's Next Big Action

First, I wanted to issue a big thank you to everyone who came to last Saturday's event - and all those who were in there in spirit. We definitely represent some of the most active, hardcore citizens in the state - and it's that 20 person dinner and a discussion in life that so often is the catalyst for change. I apologize that it's taken me a few days to get this info and wrap-up out, but I've been waiting to hear about exciting news that I'll detail below.

First, however, let's give a brief wrap-up for those who were there in spirit only, or who had to leave early. It was big (22 people!), it was messy and it was fun. It couldn't have turned out better, from my view, because it accomplished all of Lynne and I's goals: it was a great opportunity to match names (and screen names) to faces, meet up with old friends in the community and, most importantly, to see where we're all at. Now we know what people are interested in doing both short term, medium, and maybe even long.

Saturday was step one in reaching our community's promise in the effort to create a better Massachusetts, and since then step two is well on its way. The basic gist of what most people were interested in last week was creating more events across the state that would expand and empower the grassroots and netroots to those who'd like to be involved, but aren't. Specifically, most people were interested holding forums that would teach people the blog and netroot ropes. To that end, many of us who attended the meeting have been very busy since: last Saturday, it was the group's wish to hold its first such forum at the State's Democratic Party Convention. It's not official yet, but it's looking like that's going to happen (still ironing out some details).

So that's the short term goal. The medium term goal would be to take the first forums we hold at the convention as a concept test run and create a version meant specifically for local communities, where any blogger would be able to host a small group and show them the ropes. For example, if there aren't any blogs in your community - and you think that's a bad thing (it is) - why not talk with the Town or Ward Democratic Committee, or another local activist group, and see if they'd be interested in a how-to-blog event? It may be enough to kick start a new town blog, or to bring that citizen base and grassroots talent to already-existing local community blogs like Below Boston.

If anyone is interested in this, please let me know. We're still looking for a few volunteers to give the group input and insight on exactly what to talk about - both in terms of blogging in general, as well as the technical side of blogging - and there's still talk about whether or not to hold a booth at the convention, which would take even more volunteers as well as a small fundraising effort, since booths do cost money (not too much though). I hope people enjoyed themselves last Saturday, will be looking forward to our future meet-up events and, most importantly, are excited for all the focused, organized, efficient and effective work ahead - I know I am.

Now, Why Doesn't This Shock Me?

Unemployment hits a four-year high says the Globe, and let me just say that boy, can I feel it. Now, I'm in a profession where there aren't a whole ton of jobs, but the frustration seeking one since my last campaign ended has been infuriating. I swear, I'm about ready to go back to school and join the health care field or something - anything for job security, a decent paycheck, and good benefits.

On that note, anyone looking for a winning campaign manager or field director, who's willing to pay a decent paycheck, shares my progressive values... and will knock and call? Send me an email! I'm good. I swear!

Saturday's Blogger Fiesta Unveiled!

Because we're all super cool... wait a minute, is that Sco? (Joking!!)

It's no big secret that Lynne, Mike and I are hosting a big blogger get together in Lowell, but I've been having trouble thinking of exactly what to call it. Yes, there's going to be a brief presentation, but the event is more meant to be a fun chance to meet up with old friends and network with the bloggers, commenters, readers and members of the progressive, netroots Massachusetts community. So, really, this is one big party, right?

"Blogger Conference," sounding too much like a total drag, I thought: why not call it a Blogger Fiesta? The whole thing makes way more sense wrapped around the fact that we've officially ordered some real-live, authentic and awesome Mexican food from one of Lynne's favorite Lowell localities. We're also ordering some equally awesome and authentic Thai (including vegetarian, we think of everything!) and I'm making my home-cooked batch of famous (I swear!) Chicken Marsala to round the whole thing off. Mmm...

Seriously, there's going to be way too much food, so I'm hoping even more people will come (sign up now!). We have around 15 registered guests, including names that everyone will know, and another 5-6 people who have said they'd come... but just haven't made it official. Add to that various politicians and activists who want to stop by and chat, it's promising to be a great event already - but, seriously, the more the merrier! Lynne's house is huge. If you want to come and haven't signed up yet, Lynne would like to know by Thursday - that's tomorrow. Sign up via paypal, by clicking the link, or by contacting either Lynne or I personally if you have any questions. It's only $10, but if that's too steep, let us know (I've been there!).

While Saturday's event itself isn't a big secret, there are a few things we've kept slightly under wraps. I've billed the event as a pseudo brain-storming session where we can help create ways to both "expand and empower" the Massachusetts netroots. You see, we've elected some candidates, but failed to elect others. We've had some success on some issues, but not many recently. Anyone else get the feeling that if we were a tad, bit more organized, we could get a lot more accomplished as a movement? Both Lynne and I have a few good ideas and will spend a few minutes talking about them on Saturday, but we're looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas too.

If anyone is curious about how the day will unfold, here's the gist:

The event starts at 1pm at Lynne's home. You'll have to email her for directions (lynneATleftinlowellDOTcom). From around 1-2pm, we're going to gouge ourselves with food, chat with each other, catch up and do what we please. Feel free to play fusbol, a have Hillary/Barack Dance-Off, Pin the Tail on the McBush, or the always fun "What Will Romney Say about Massachusetts Next?" If none of those ideas are appealing, you can also match (in)famous names with faces, network, or even talk politics - heavens forbid.

From around 2-3pm, we'll restore a little order by starting with a very quick presentation of what Lynne and I have already brainstormed (and we're ambitious), then we'll open the whole thing up for discussion.

From 3-4pm we'll finish whatever we didn't already finish, talk amongst ourselves again, this time maybe bringing these ideas to a personal level, and most importantly make sure the place is a mess and accidentally leave it for Lynne and Mr. Lynne to clean up. Of course, this is just how I envision the day going. I'm not actually going to bring a gavel, though I will wager a guess that at some point Lynne may want her house back.

Some Important Notes:

When: Saturday, April 19th, starting at 1pm.
Where: Lynne's house in Lowell, Mass. Email Lynne for directions at LynneATleftinlowellDOTcom.
HOW: You can drive or take mass transit: the train from Boston comes very close to Lynne's home in Lowell and there's a train that arrives just before the Fiesta will start. There are a few people willing to carpool, too, just email me and I'll try to find you a ride. If you're from the North Shore I'll bring you myself.
Do: Come with an empty stomach. We're providing lots of food and drinks, but no booze. BYOB.
Don't: forget to sign up! We're asking everyone to sign up by tomorrow, Thursday, April 17th (my birthday!). Or at least let us know you're coming by then.

Us vs. Them Attitudes

Every single city and town in this state is working on a shoe-string budget. For some reason I'll never quite understand, most people tend to view things through an us-vs.-them lens: 'Marblehead receives more Chapter 70 funding per capita than Swampscott, so let's raise some hell!' tends to be the general view in my town. Of course, the fact that Marblehead receives more funding than Swampscott isn't Swampscott's problem - it's the slap in the face that makes the problem worse. Unfortunately, as countless books discuss (such as What's the Matter with Kansas), it's easy to distract people from the real problems by alerting them to the fact that not everyone shares those problems. Many people may not be riled up if everyone's just as screwed over as they are, but that kind of attitude certainly doesn't make for smart governmental policy.

Of course, the problem extends way beyond school funding: I'm damn-near ready to trademark the sentence - "Pension reform is the new third rail of Massachusetts politics." Anyone else sick and tired about reading how teachers have it so well? Let me be the first to say, as the son of a teacher, their wonderful salaries (/sarcasm off) and benefits aren't all that they're cracked up to be.

Nor is eliminating public employee benefits and salaries the solution to our society's problems. First off, public employee pensions are fair. Massachusetts employees pay 11% of their salaries into pension funds and usually don't earn anywhere near as much as the private sector. Many public employees - the same ones who aren't anywhere near over payed - are also required to have more advanced degrees than private sector counterparts. Even the so-called worst offenders, the people who's pensions end up on the front page of the Boston Globe, have had to put in more than 20 years of service in the state to get them. If a few people are getting a sweet deal, that doesn't mean the pension system needs to be totally overhauled.

That's not to say the pension system is perfect and there isn't some room for reform, but the vitriol directed towards public employees is unsettling, and certainly the aims of many directing such vitriol goes way beyond what's fair and decent. I've yet to read a reasonable pension-reform post on BMG or article in the Boston Globe that proposes specific ideas on how to reform pensions so that there aren't the outliers that get more than they deserve, while also protecting the core middle and working class employees who have put 20+ years and 11%+ of their salaries into the system in return for those benefits. It's all about how some guy got such a sweet deal and it's so unfair and needs to stop, or it's about how public employees are hacks and don't deserve to be decently compensated. People clearly forget that public sector employees perform services that we all benefit from and thus deserve compensation on par with everyone else in society (lest we truly get what we pay for).

The bottom line is that lashing out against public sector employees may feel good, but it certainly isn't a solution to the problem: the erosion of the middle and working classes, or even our budget difficulties (pension reform would represent a fraction of a fraction of our budget deficit). Social Security alone isn't enough to cover the costs of living in today's society and most people aren't expert enough in planning for their future, or they simply don't have the funds necessary to make those plans. So, the problem is the lack of post-retirement security in the private sector, not Billy Bulger's cousins. The solution to the problem isn't tearing the middle and working class apart, it's actually addressing social security and the problems average citizens face when planning for their future. The solution, in essence, is in tackling the bigger issues.

Sox Embracing their Inner Liberal

God I love this.

Red Sox players voted unanimously to skip the scheduled trip to Japan or play their final Spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays after learning coaches, training and equipment staff would not receive the same $40,000 bonus.

Still without an answer to their demands, Red Sox players appeared ready to make good on their threats by walking off the field for their final Spring training game after the national anthem had been sung and starting lineups announced.

"For us to go on this has to be resolved," Red Sox captain Jason Varitek told reporters.

"Everybody is in full unity what we decided to do. It's just a matter of everyone getting together and making the right decision.

"There were a lot of things that have gone on and fallen by the wayside a little bit and this is one that really can't.

"They are the extended part of our family, they are the people who take care of us.

"We're getting paid regardless, it has nothing to do with the players. It has to do with the rest of people who are sacrificing 20 days on the road and going to a foreign country."

Go Sox!

Mass Bloggers Meeting, April 19th

It's been a long time since we've all had a joint bloggers event, and it's time to change that. On Saturday, April 19th, Lynne and I are hosting a Blog Left Massachusetts event in Lowell. It's mainly going to be for fun, but we also have some ideas we'd like to discuss with all of you to both expand and empower the Massachusetts Blogosphere. Not only that, but we'd love to hear from all of you on your ideas.

I don't think I'm alone in feeling that the spirit of civic engagement in this state, and the idea that we in the netroots are able to make a big difference, has at least been somewhat diminished. Part of that is because our community is starting to slip. We need to discuss ways of becoming greater than the sum of our parts - and Lynne and I have a few big ideas in that regard; we're hoping we're not alone. So please plan on coming.

A few quick things: we're still in the planning mode when it comes to food and such, but we're thinking of having it catered. Lynne knows some great places in Lowell that would have delicious food for us for around $10 each. If we charged $10, would that prevent anyone from coming?

Also, I know not a whole ton of people live in the Lowell area, but we wanted to make sure our first event wasn't in Boston, because Blog Left Massachusetts is an organization that represents the entire state, not just Greater Boston. We plan on doing events across the state. That said, I'll be glad to bring anyone from the North Shore and I know Mike Ball, from Marry in Massachusetts, will be attending as well - and he lives in Boston. So if getting to Lowell is a problem, don't let that stop you from coming - just tell us and we'll make sure you get a ride!

Good Morning, Massachusetts

Beautiful morning outside, isn't it? Well, it isn't always easy to keep it that way - it actually takes a little effort on all our parts. You, too, can do your part, by getting involved in some local races, 3 of which are contested and will be decided on Tuesday (and all of which need help on election day, I'm sure). Let's get some progressive people in office - donate time on Tuesday for the campaign nearest you, and see how you can help Sara Orozco in her new campaign to bump off Senator Brown (R) in that second link.

A Budding Movement and a Refreshing Candidate

Rare in Massachusetts is there an open seat for anything other than County Clerk or the local Library Board of Trustees. So, when a seat opens up for State Representative, the game of musical chairs begins. That's why it's important to make sure the best and brightest of us, progressives who understand the important issues and want to make things better, have a keen ear for the music.

We, as a progressive movement, need to win this political game that isn't a game at all. There aren't enough forward-thinking people on Beacon Hill as it stands, so now that there's an open seat in my home district of Swampscott, Marblehead and part of Lynn, it's important to make sure we have the most compelling, best candidate possible winning that seat of paramount importance, State Representative. Nothing but the future of our health care system, state budget, environment and educational system is at stake, so it's no surprise that a lot of people are interested in the race. Now is the time - campaign time - to weed through the candidates who want change for the better and the other candidates, wishing for more of the same - special interests getting special treatment, instead of the people of Massachusetts.

As it happens, one of BlogLeft Massachusetts's very own, Lori Ehrlich, has jumped into the race - and I've jumped to support her, taking the unenviable position of Field Director. She's earned her progressive bonafides by being a community leader on the environment for years - and lead she has done. As a leader of HealthLink, a local advocacy group pushing for a strong environment, she's helped clean a polluted reservoir that over 80,000 people now use. She's also built a successful small business as a CPA, which has given her insight into all sorts of things, from out-of-control health care costs to what it takes to build a vibrant local economy.

While she kicked off her campaign about two weeks ago, giving her first speech for supporters and the press on the Swampscott and Lynn line, last night served as the real beginning for me. About 40 of us gathered at her house in Marblehead, enjoying pizza and each others' company, discussing just how we're going to win this campaign so we can bring strong community leadership to Massachusetts for all to enjoy. I was amazed by the turnout, which ranged from local campaign volunteer veterans to my friend and fellow blogger John Hosty, who's so excited about the race that he came, despite the fact that he doesn't even live in the district.

It's clear that a lot of people get it: this is a race that will impact the entire state, a chance to put a true leader in office who's worked for years on the sideline trying to institute change. It's a chance to get that kind of community leader involved on Beacon Hill, changing the culture of how our government works. There's no other way to tackle our health care system, unsustainable budgets (largely because of health care costs) and obstacles in creating a strong and diverse economy than by electing true leaders we can count on.

Hopefully, many of you will do your part to create that change. After all, without the grassroots - your help - Lori Ehrlich will have no chance to hear the music, win the seat and create a strong ally for our entire budding movement seeking to change Massachusetts for the better.

Funny Coincidence? Civic Engagement

Just yesterday, I was driving in my car thinking about how I wish Governor Patrick would get back to his civic engagement roots. It was the bedrock of his campaign - and there were few moments as fun as his civic engagement committees going around the state, after he was finally elected, having their say.

Well, what do you know? Today I get this email from the Patrick administration:

Governor Deval Patrick today signed into legislation a bill creating the Commonwealth Corps, a program that will allow residents across Massachusetts to improve and rebuild their communities through service. “Massachusetts has a strong history of community service, volunteerism, and civic action and I am proud that the Commonwealth Corps will become a new chapter in that history,” said Governor Patrick. “Through volunteerism, citizens have the ability to alter lives and communities while also experiencing the pride that comes with such service. I am excited about this new opportunity and look forward to the work ahead.”

The legislation signed today was the first bill filed by the Governor after taking office in January. By establishing a new model for large-scale, locally-managed service projects, Massachusetts will lead the nation in civic engagement.

The Commonwealth Corps will include 250 individuals in its first year, with a goal of expanding to 1,000 members over the next five years. Members will dedicate at least one year of service to a nonprofit organization, civic initiative, or public entity, providing direct service to people or communities in need.

It's definitely a step in the right direction. Patrick needs to get back to the gritty, grassroots type of politics that gave him his landslide victory last November - instead of throwing proposal after proposal on a Beacon Hill wall and seeing what sticks. I can't think of a better long-term goal than getting people more involved in government and Massachusetts society to start the even longer process of changing our state for the better. We need to build the coalitions and elect the new wave of progressive leaders to get the job done - and maybe some of these new people will be the very first who join Commonwealth Corps? Because I'm sure they'll be among the people who really care about what happens to all of Massachusetts.

Serious Campaign Training

As I pointed out to readers on my last blog, the fine folks at MassAlliance - comprising well over a dozen progressive organizations all over the state, from MassEquality to the Coalition of Social Justice - put together (one helluva) Campaign Manager training seminar over this weekend. It was a serious crash course that's just trained over 20 people to know everything they need to run a successful state campaign for a progressive candidate. In case anyone didn't pass their math MCAS, that amounts to a crap load of potential new progressive pickups if candidates take advantage of it. (Please, future candidates, do!)

If anyone can think of a better way to create the change we all so desperately seek than developing new talent to help at the electoral end, let me know. It looks to me that only an electoral change will result in a new government that actually believes in fixing what's broken in Massachusetts. All the lobbying and all the fundraising in the world may do some good, but the only way to move the most stubborn Beacon Hill mountains is to have an old fashioned, bottom-up Earth Quake. Sound fun?

Sustaining the Blogosphere

The Road to Joy

As anyone who reads this blog probably knows by now, bloggers and those who read them are about as far removed from the description of D.C.'s pundits as P-Town is from San Diego. The closest connection between the set of two is the fact that Route Six links both places - and I am the rare exception of a video-game playing, twenty-something blogger living with his mother. The reality is I'm about ten years younger than the next youngest Bay State blogger that I know of - though you'd never know that by looking at her pretty complexion, completely devoid of the typical signs of aging that comes with one's 30s.

In fact, Lynne is the inspiring force of this particular blog about blogging. Despite her foray into the world of blogging, where she spends so much time, and the fact that the incentives for bloggers are paltry at best (an audience of some, civic pride?), she's in the process of putting on the finishing touches to a house she just bought with Mr. Lynne. The important point is the funds that went into buying that house certainly didn't come from LeftinLowell, despite its success as a local blog and the time Lynne puts into it daily, which is very indicative of the precarious nature of being a regular person in the blogosphere: it's accessible only to some and doesn't lend itself well to people who'd like to be committed to its success as a newly developing institution in America, imperative to our society today - yet have other, even more important, time constraints.

One of the reasons why most pundits are wrong and bloggers (and those who read them) tend to be in their 30s to 50s is the fact that it takes so much time and energy to participate that younger people - living on raman and college loans - can't join in the fun. Heck, as Jane Hamsher notes, that's one reason why less women engage in the blogosphere than men - after they get home from work, women often end up doing a majority of the house work and tending to the tykes. It's no different for twenty somethings: they're either poor-as-all-hell college students, trying to finish their papers, or they're even poorer, trying to pay off their college loans, credit card debts they were undoubtedly preyed into spending while desperately broke in college - and the thousands a year it costs to rent on a pay check that looks more like a stipend than respectable salary for a hard day's work. The things this society asks certain groups of people to do makes it almost impossible for them to be fully engaged citizens - participating in the netroots or otherwise.

For the netroots to ever become a sustainable institution, where people can work on issues long enough to develop the respect necessary to make an impact, blogs have to become a place where everyone is truly welcome. It has to become a place where people are beckoned by more than their own pride and desire to be active Americans, because if the blogs don't become that place eventually the economic realities of society will take over for almost every person - meaning we'll lose our most talented writers and thinkers and the trust they've accumulated. That could come in the form of a local Lowell blogger who may eventually find an expensive need for one of those empty rooms in her new house, or a 20 something blogger who just got a new job and doesn't have the same kind of time to invest on the important issues facing his home state. Both, for all we know, could happen sooner rather than later.

There are a lot of forms such beckoning could take. In fact, we've already seen a few either in blogging or similar areas: think tanks, more mainstream journalism, funds from advertisements or employment in the same sector of the actual blog (creating additional incentive to write daily). Time Magazine's hiring of Ms. Wonkette was an early signal of how a popular blogger could enter into the realm where she could actually continue to blog as a profession. Illustrative of how important her continued voice is, she was one of the key people to spread Mitt's dog story beyond the pages of the Boston Globe. Campaigns can become another source for bloggers to branch out; many have already hired bloggers in various roles - from consultants to organizers to actual campaign bloggers. There's employment opportunities to allow the blogosphere's best to stay in the community, but not nearly enough.

The hiring of Ms.-Wonkette-calibre bloggers is only going to become more common, but what about bloggers who, instead of writing about the inanity that goes on, are more focused on actual issues (and probably less frequently read)? To get more serious analysis and less Daily-Show-esque blogs, the netroots needs to develop institutions that are like think tanks. We're going to have to create nonprofits that raise funds through private contributors interested in developing important thought in those particular areas. There could be think tank blogs that focus on media criticism, or important state blogs focusing on issues that not even local papers tend to work on. The think tanks could extend beyond blogging, too, becoming a place to link what's written online with active community engagement - sort of like Moveon.org, but local.

This kind of effort would be crucial to society all over, but wouldn't be profitable enough for newspapers and magazines to take a leap of faith. Yet, the fact that certain issues aren't profitable doesn't mean they're any less imperative for society than the money-sucking public infrastructure we all gladly use every day (wait a minute, we're neglecting that, too). What bloggers unearth reverberates throughout society, changing the discourse on everything from the Bush administration's shenanigans to conventional wisdom. Subsequently, without institutions to provide funding for serious research and journalistic integrity that rarely exists at the New York Times today, the blogosphere will never reach its crescendo.

Sadly, knowing how to maintain the netroots hasn't brought us any closer to actually doing it. It's a matter of organizing and developing the will, something we're not experts at yet. It's also a matter of depending on activists that don't write every day; writing sucks away the time that's necessary to fundraise and creatively create. Yet, it's no small order to organize and still participate in some form, making that a full time job in and of itself. Certainly, the answer isn't in online advertising: despite the fact that tens of thousands of people have viewed Ryan's Take, Google Ads has generated $99.80 since I joined up late in 2006. It may just pay for all the gas I've spent covering events across the state, but not much else. Online ads fostered the biggest blogs, fully establishing our community, but it will never bring issue-oriented and local blogs to a place of sustainability (unless there's significant change that's unlikely to come from the likes of Google). Private institutions and campaigns help, but aren't the answer either. They filter out what makes the blogosphere unique: the abrasiveness that's engaged a nation and unearthed untold numbers of important stories isn't welcome in Conventional Wisdom Land.

Clearly, developing netroot think tanks is the only way to sustain research on specific topics, especially at state levels, and to push our goals from sea to shining sea. It's the only way to allow activists and bloggers alike to reach for the top and truly make the most of our potential, creating a better America from the ground up. All of these tools, especially additional organizations, can allow the netroots to grow and truly change the country. Otherwise, the constraints of real life will eventually force people to give up on the netroots - stunting a budding movement in its tracks.