I just wrote a $300 check to 21st Century Democrats. Starting Friday June 4, I will be attending their 4-day campaign organizer training seminar
in Washington, D.C. My quest to restore democracy in America is taking me to the nation's capital. Yes, their headquarters is within spitting distance of the White House.
There are a few obstacles between now and then, but nothing is more powerful than intention. I have now set into motion the machinery that will extract me from my current employment and begin the next phase of my adventure.
Signing up for the seminar is just half of the story. I've also applied to be a field organizer for the same organization. They are interested in placing trained campaign workers into critical campaigns across the country, and they'll pay for it too. In my application, I indicated that I hope they have something in Ohio, but I will accept any post they want to offer me.
I sent in my application with a few work-related references listed, but I think I want to try something a little more pro-active. It's time for my own personal MoveOn.org campaign. I need your help.
The e-mail address is jobs@21stdems.org. The person you want to write to is Kim de Courcy. Please send her a quick note regarding my ability to get the job done, whatever it may be. Put "Recommendation letter for Steve Ransom" in the subject line so that there isn't any confusion on her part. Please be straight and on the level, and I'm sure it will help.
Gary here is trying to persuade me to stay here in Columbus
after all, I did only just get here. But I can't say no to the opportunity to get paid to work against the neo-cons. I am still certain that Ohio is where the political action is going to be. Turns out that possibly the biggest player in the election this year, Diebold Inc., is an Ohio company and, in an August 14 letter, their CEO pledged that he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its votes to the President." Diebold has worked closely with Columbus-based technology giant Battelle to build the easily tampered electronic voting machines. Even now, Franklin County is considering acquiring Diebold machines for the Columbus area.
But from where I'm sitting in the northeast corner of the county, all that is a long way away from here. I need to get mobile, somehow, and that probably means car. I've considered cycling up here but I'd just be gambling with my life. There are no bicycle provisions in this part of town, trails, lanes, shoulders, sidewalks, nothing. So I'm in conversation with fellow Deaniac Pat Stover who just happens to have a spare automobile.
In the meantime, spring is upon us here in Ohio. I have never heard so many birds chortling away at 5 in the morning before in my life. The weather is very pleasant too, with just a touch of the East Coast humidity I remember from my summertime visits to this time zone.
Employment hit a new low this week as I spent eight hours by myself in the mildewy basement taping pieces of paper to cardboard boxes. This is the panic week before we leave for the National Leadership Conference in Cincinnati next Monday, and there will be much gnashing of teeth. But that will be over soon.
In a side note for my Oregon friends, the aforementioned 21st Century Democrats will be hosting a similar campaign training workshop in Oregon this June 18 - 21. Where in Oregon, I'm not sure. These people are from the East Coast and don't know that there's a big difference between Portland and Roseburg, but if you're curious, I'll find out for you.
