It all looks like a ramp-down to some Grand Compromise that's been recently laid out as a math problem by an influential person who name rhymes with Shmick Shmingram. The thinking appears to be that it doesn't make sense to have a Lobby Day--- even if it's in a tent on a lawn--- when the members are interested in holding the line on pensions and the leadership feels that that particular ship has sailed.
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| Equipment required to create a "database." |
My colleagues in the IFT and the IEA will soon be electing delegates to their respective annual meetings. I would humbly suggest that someone in these organization organize a new business item that calls for the creation of a state-wide, opt-in database that lets members see who else lives in their legislative and senate districts. Such a database would make it so much easier to organize a Back Home Lobby Day any time during the year.
I probably live within one mile of dozens of IEA, IFT, and CTU members, but the only way I could determine that would be by starting a Meetup or going on Craigslist and placing a personal ad, or walking around the neighborhood in a sandwich sign with a megaphone. But our organizations have this information. I could design the database architecture in about an hour.
Most people won't go sit one-to-one with their representative; however, if they know twenty other people are going, they'll join in. That's the beauty of Lobby Day. A little data would go a long, long way toward people taking responsibility for organized "back-home lobbying." I live in Heather Steans' district, and I'm sure I could get a hundred people to meet me at her office to express our dismay about the corrupt-by-design state charter authority that she dreamed up. But how will I organize that? On my blog? With SPITBALLS?
(Sorry, went all Zell Miller there for a second.)
Of course, giving too much power to the membership might be a dangerous thing. The hierarchy exists for a reason.
Anyway, who will lead the charge on this one?
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