Morro Bay DFAer Initiatives Certified by SLO County

Written by: John Barta on Jul 2, 2006 5:04 PM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA Central Coast

The initiatives circulated in Morro Bay were certified as having achieved a sufficient number of signatures to be placed on the ballot. It was a lot of work to get the signatures, but it was also an important experience to gather them.
Here's what was learned:

First, many folks place a very low priority on their political engagement - they simply are too busy or too jaundiced to take the time to find out what is happening.

Second, those folks who were willing to give us a minute of their time overwhelmingly supported both initiatives. We estimate that over 95 percent of those who listened signed both petitions.

Third, many voters do not know their registration information. We re-registered many folks when we showed them that they were either not registered or registered at an old address. Possibly as many as 10 percent of the voters fall into this category - that's a huge number!

Forth, while it is fun to think of all the neat arguments you can use to convert a voter to a different point of view, it would be MUCH more efficient, in the final analysis, to spend one's energy making sure that those who are registered actually turn out to vote on election day. The Republicans know this very well - that's why they put (conservative) red-meat initiatives on state ballots at election time (abortion, stem cells, gay marriage, etc). They use these initiatives to make sure that folks who are wedded to those issues show up at the polls on election day.

Fifth, the initiatives give voters more power and the support cut across all partisan lines.

These initiatives will make a fundamental and much needed change in Morro Bay politics. They are also largely applicable to most of the other cities on the Central Coast! Remember the saying - "Think globally, act locally". Well, this is for real and it is something where DFA support can make a difference. The initiatives need DFA member support as we approach election day. Please help. The rationale that you don't live in Morro Bay is not an excuse. There is a ton of stuff that will need to be done between now and November. Contact John or Nancy at 772-0250.

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Location: San Luis Obispo, CA 93401