Young and Youngish

My current thoughts on voting

4TheFuture — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:12:19 EDT

I have been keeping up with the 2008 election, and so far I am not impressed with Obama or McCain. If I chose between voting for Obama or McCain or not voting at all, I would choose not voting. I wouldn't consider myself Apathetic because I do care about who runs our country and I do know that my vote counts. I'm in the position where I don't think either candidate would put our country back on track and keep it there. Obama says that our country needs "change" when he hasn't explained in depth what he means by "change." I want a president who is very straight forward and says alright, this is what we're going to do and this is how we will do it. But, I know that will never happen.

Clinton drops out of presidential race; endorses Obama

4TheFuture — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:47:19 EDT

So, Clinton has officially dropped out of the presidential race. This isn't a surprise to me and I'm sure it isn't a surprise to a lot of other people either. Hillary was way behind Obama in the delegate count and in fundraising. She has endorsed Obama and I really think she didn't want to endorse him.

Obama, without a doubt

4TheFuture — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:22:29 EDT

Folks, Hillary doesn't have a chance at winning the delegates, let alone the democratic nomination! She is way behind Obama. At this point, she should probably discontinue her journey to be the first female president, as she stands little or no chance at winning.

Obama All The Way

4TheFuture — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:21:57 EDT

Let's face it folks, Obama has the majority of the delegates. He has fundraised $30 Million while Hillary has fundraised $22 Million. With the endorsement of John Edwards and Robert C. Byrd, Obama can now be provided with the opportunity to reach out to blue collar voters. He wouldn't have had much success reaching blue collar voters without John Edwards. The endorsement of Robert C. Byrd is great considering Hillary's more than 2 to 1 ratio win in West Virginia. Hillary has said that if she becomes the president, she will be the president of all 50 states; way to state the obvious Hillary. Obama has been slowly gaining more and more delegates than Clinton. They have traded wins between the states. Hillary doesn't really have a chance at winning at this point.

Mothers Day: "Arise then... women of this day!"

Lorraine Bieber — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:55:33 EDT

It is indeed puzzling that so many Republican members of Ohio's congressional delegation voted no on H.R. 1113, “Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day” (full warm and fuzzy text here).

...until you consider the origins of Mother's Day.

Julia Ward Howe, who penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic, also authored a mothers' Declaration calling on women to oppose war, and worked to get recognition of a Mother’s Day for Peace. Says Code Pink: "Were she alive today, Julia probably would have told her kids to dispense with the roses and chocolates, and instead join her in an anti-war rally. Yes, Julia Ward Howe was a peacenik."

[Howe] saw some of the worst effects of the [civil] war -- not only the death and disease which killed and maimed the soldiers. She worked with the widows and orphans of soldiers on both sides of the war, and realized that the effects of the war go beyond the killing of soldiers in battle. She also saw the economic devastation of the Civil War, the economic crises that followed the war, the restructuring of the economies of both North and South.
In 1870, Julia Ward Howe took on a new issue and a new cause….She called in 1870 for women to rise up and oppose war in all its forms. She wanted women to come together across national lines, to recognize what we hold in common above what divides us, and commit to finding peaceful resolutions to conflicts. She issued a Declaration, hoping to gather together women in a congress of action.

Howe failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother's Day for Peace, but her effort was carried on by Anna Jarvis, who had organized women during the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and then toward reconciliation of Union and Confederate neighbors.

Jarvis’ daughter, of the same name, then took up the campaign for Mother’s Day. After the custom spread to 45 states, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day in 1914.

Julia Ward Howe's Mothers' Declaration:

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

Maybe Pryce, Schmidt, Tiberi, Chabot, Boehner, Regula, LaTourette, Hobson, and Turner have a thing against moms. But YOU can make this Mother's Day a Mother's Day For Peace.

Help CodePink help Iraqi refugee moms here.

Send a MomsRising Mother's Day card and tell the presidential candidates to fight for family-friendly policies. here.

Oh and don't forget to call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-800-839-5276 to give the above members of Congress a piece of your mind about H.R. 1113.

Do you have another suggestion for honoring Julia Ward Howe's Mothers' Declaration? Are you a mom working for peace? Leave a comment below.

5th Anniversary of the War In Iraq: Columbus

Lorraine Bieber — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:13:57 EDT

Following an interfaith prayer service at St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church, Columbus commemorated the 5th Anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq in the State House atrium.

The program included speakers, poetry, music, and breakout forums on Economic Justice and Healthcare. Full program here.

The event was sponsored by the Central Ohio Peace Network (COPN).

Related:

"Blessed Are The Peacemakers" - Full transcript of David Robinson's speech at the 3/19 event

5 Years Too Many: Peace Takes Courage (VIDEO)

Columbus Dispatch: Group Says War Hurts Ohio Services

Columbus Dispatch: Faiths join in prayers for peace: Personal commitments part of Iraq-war service

Barack Obama

4TheFuture — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:54:15 EDT

He's the best of the three main candidates for president for several reasons. Barack has good plans, and he is smart with words. We most definitely don't need "McBush" as our president.

Obama will lead America to change

4TheFuture — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:29:07 EDT

Ok, I will keep this short, sweet, and to the point. Senator and Presidental hopeful Barack Obama would make a good president because he actually gives explanations for everything that he plans on doing for the United States if he is elected president.

Nearly 1,000 Letters To The Editor re: SCHIP!

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:00:24 EST

Yesterday, Progress Ohio sent out a call to action - we asked you to write Letters To The Editor using our "Speak Out" tool.

The topic: The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

The message: Urge Ohio Congressional Representatives Steve Chabot (OH-1), Jean Schmidt (OH-2), Jim Jordan (OH-4), Bob Latta (OH-5) and John Boehner (OH-8) to stand with Ohio's families and vote to override Bush's veto of SCHIP reauthorization.

In just 24 hours, the Progress Ohio community has generated almost 1,000 Letters To The Editor to 64 different Ohio newspapers.

Top 10 newspaper recipients: Columbus Dispatch, Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cincinnati Enquirer, Mansfield News Journal, Akron Beacon Journal, Canton Repository, Newark Advocate, and the Lorain Chronicle-Telegram.

On behalf of the 122,000 Ohio kids whose health care coverage hangs in the balance, Progress Ohio staff extends a HUGE THANK YOU to those of you who have taken action on this issue!

Progress Ohio--powered by YOU.

Our original call to action:

The health care coverage of 122,000 Ohio kids hangs in the balance. Can you spare a minute to help?
Click Here To Take Action
Next week, Congress will vote to override Bush's veto of the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). We need each and every one of the 18 Congressional Representatives from Ohio to stand with Ohio's families, and vote to override Bush's veto.
13 of them, including 6 republicans, are with us on this. Four are not.
At least not yet.
This week, as part of our ongoing multi-pronged effort to bring Steve Chabot(OH-1), John Boehner (OH-8), Jean Schmidt (OH-2), and Jim Jordan (OH-4) into the fold, Progress Ohio is spearheading a Letter To The Editor (LTE) campaign.
Our partner organizations in other key states are targeting their Representatives with LTE's as well. We need active members of the Progress Ohio community (that's you) to help us do our part here in Ohio.
Click Here To Take Action
Why Write A Letter To The Editor?
Legislators and their staffs do read LTE's to get a sense of public opinion. Also, LTE's can help generate overall media buzz on an issue.
About Progress Ohio's Speak Out tool
The email addresses for the newspapers' editorial boards are already in there, sample letters are there too. In just a couple of clicks, you'll be done.
Click Here To Take Action
You ARE public opinion. Write a Letter To The Editor to make your voice heard.

Frances Strickland To Speak At RootsCamp Sunday

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:12:32 EST

Progress Ohio, America Votes, and the Ohio Progressive Leadership Network are pleased to announce our 9:30 AM welcome speaker:

First Lady of Ohio, Frances Strickland

Mrs. Strickland will speak about sustaining Ohio's progressive movement through 2008 and beyond.

First Lady Frances Strickland has shared Ted's vision for a better future for Ohio with thousands of people across the state. Often seen brandishing her guitar and leading the crowd in a sing-along, Frances brings an irreplaceable creativity and enthusiasm to her work for Ohio.

Our lunch speaker:

Robert Creamer of Progress Ohio's national partner, Americans United For Change. Creamer's recently released book is entitled Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win, with a foreword by Tom Matzzie of MoveOn.

Says Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio):

"If every activist in America read Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight, we could change our country. This book will help bring on the New Progressive Era. It's that good."

Find out more about RootsCamp here.

RootsCamp is Sunday, January 13, 9-5 at the Riffe Center, 31st Floor, corner of State & High Streets, Columbus, OH 43215

RootsCamp: Come. Talk. Learn. RootsCamp is a conference for organizers, leaders, tech, fundraisers, bloggers and anyone else who is working for change. It's an opportunity for open dialogue about leading the way in '08 and beyond.

RootsCamp is participant-driven. Want to lead a session? Write your topic on a card and tape it to the wall. Add more sessions throughout the day as ideas are generated. YOU set the agenda.

RootsCamp: Ohio jobs for Ohioans. Organizations who are hiring in '08, bring your job descriptions; job-seekers bring your résumés - we're going to have a jobs fair.

RootsCamp is FREE. Breakfast/lunch provided, and plentiful coffee.

RootsCamp is organized by the Ohio Progressive Leadership Network, and sponsored by Progress Ohio, America Votes, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens, UFCW Local 1059, UAW CAP Council, League of Young Voters, Licking County Democratic Club, Ohio Young Democrats, Ohioans for Democratic Values, Clintonville Community Market, and Licking County Women's Caucus.

Ohio's not alone: Indiana voting rights advocates challenge constitutionality of ID law

Lorraine Bieber — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:29:52 EST

We received this today from our friends at ACORN:

Project Vote Statement on Supreme Court Hearing of Crawford v. Marion County Elections Board
On Wednesday, January 9, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Crawford v. Marion County Elections Board. The case is about the constitutionality of Indiana's law requiring voters to show government issued photo identification before casting their ballots. Crawford plaintiffs argue that Indiana's strict photo identification requirements disenfranchise minorities and are unconstitutional. A federal appellate judge has written that the law likely burdens those "low on the income ladder." Donna Massey, Project Vote Board Member and supporter of voting rights, issued this statement:
"With Crawford v. Marion County Elections Board, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to strike down a law that has no purpose other than to suppress the votes of minority and low-income Indianans. According to Census data, fewer than half of eligible minority and low-income Americans voted in 2006. Our democracy works best when all voters can easily register and voice their choice on Election Day. Americans have a right to vote, even if they don't have a photo ID.
"Strict photo ID laws for voters are really about denying certain Americans of their right to vote. Research shows that young, poor, minority and elderly voters are more likely to lack photographic identification. A University of Washington study, for example, found that in Indiana 22 percent of African American voters lack proper identification compared to 16 percent of white voters. Twenty-one percent of voters earning less than $40,000 a year lack the necessary ID compared to just 13 percent of those earning more than $40,000. The only reason politicians support these laws is to give their party an advantage over the other.
"Requiring voters to show photo ID is just one of many hurdles partisans put up to make it more difficult for certain people to vote. Too many minority voters are met at their polling places with long lines, partisan challengers, faulty equipment and needlessly strict ID requirements. The right to vote has been under assault for the past eight years by partisans who put winning their interests above the right to vote.
"Strict photo ID laws are a solution in search of a problem. There is no evidence of widespread fraudulent voting in this country. Indiana even acknowledged that there hasn't been a single case of voter impersonation in the state's history. Americans take voting seriously and do not misrepresent themselves at the polls, so politicians shouldn't misrepresent the facts to justify unnecessarily strict photo ID laws for voters.
"As the country's premiere nonpartisan voter registration organization, Project Vote wants to make sure that the Americans we help register to vote can vote and have their votes counted on Election Day. Nothing should come between Americans and their right to vote."

RootsCamp Ohio 2008

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:57:24 EST

If you haven't already, sign up for RootsCamp '08. It's a free, open conference about all aspects of progressive organizing - field, fundraising, online, etc.

Anyone can lead a session (come early to sign up for a time slot). Session topics that have already been proposed are here.

To see who else is coming and to sign up, click here.

From rootscampohio.org:

We'll share innovations, failures, old wisdom and new discoveries, with an eye toward:

Developing our skills and networking to lead the way in 2008 and beyond
Building organization and sustainability in Ohio's growing progressive movement

WHEN:            Sunday, January 13, 2008    9 am – 5 pm (free breakfast & lunch)

WHERE:          The Vern Riffe Center, 31st Floor. At the corner of High St. and State St, Columbus, OH 43215.

PARKING:        Under the Statehouse - access from 3rd St. between Broad St. & State St., or in the City Center Mall parking garage - access from 3rd, Main, or Rich Sts.

Progressive Talk radio is coming back to Columbus!

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:54:09 EST

You did it!

Thanks to the efforts of Ohio Majority Radio and longtime radio executive Gary Richards, central Ohioans will once again hear progressive talk from favorites like Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, and Randi Rhodes. We'll also hear coverage of local high school football, boys and girls basketball, and other local sports.

It all starts at 6 AM this Monday, December 3rd. Tune to AM 1580 WVKO.

How can an individual listener like you help keep Progressive Talk radio on the air?

Contribute to Progress Ohio's radio ad campaign fund!

By donating to Progress Ohio's radio ad campaign fund, you will not only be helping keep Progressive Talk on the air, you'll be supporting Progress Ohio's 112 community partnerships.

It's been a long road to secure Progressive Talk radio in Columbus. After all this hard work, let's do everything we can to keep it on the air.

Now that it's back, click here to support WVKO's Progressive Programming.

State Treasurer Richard Cordray Proposes Bonuses for Ohio’s Veterans

Lorraine Bieber — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:05:02 EST

It's time Ohio began rewarding the new generation of military veterans by providing them bonuses, much the way it gave back to veterans dating to World War I, State Treasurer Richard Cordray wrote in a letter delivered Monday to state legislators.

Cordray seeks a ballot issue that would ask voters to amend the state constitution to allow the state to issue bonds to pay for the bonuses. The state would pay about $106 million in bonuses to veterans of the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars if the Legislature and voters approve the idea, Cordray said. Ohio traditionally has used the ballot to pay such bonuses and they would cost taxpayers nothing.

Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Massachusetts are among the states offering bonuses to veterans who served in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan. New Hampshire offered bonuses to Gulf War veterans.

CORDRAY’S PROPOSAL:

• Up to $1,000 for military personnel who served in the Persian Gulf War and in current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan

• Up to $500 to those serving elsewhere during the same timeframes

• $5,000 to families of those killed in action, in addition to other allowable benefits

"While modest, these benefits recognize the service of our war veterans and help with their transition back to civilian life," Cordray said.

Click here to express your support for Cordray's proposal and for Ohio's veterans.

“Ohio’s tradition of honoring the sacrifices of soldiers who served during periods of major conflicts defines our state’s history as well as its geography,” Cordray noted. Veterans have been rewarded through land grants, relief for their families, and voter-approved bond amendments:

REVOLUTIONARY WAR: Large tracts of the Northwest Territory, which later became the state of Ohio, were districts reserved to compensate veterans. This practice continued from 1776 through 1855.

CIVIL WAR: In 1862, a state property tax was levied to create a fund “for the relief of the necessities of the families of non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates.”

WORLD WARS I & II, KOREAN AND VIETNAM WARS: Ohio issued bonds through separate voter-approved amendments to the state’s constitution in order to provide compensation to its veterans.

Under Cordray's plan, the Legislature would decide whether to put the amendment on the ballot next year. If lawmakers decline, Cordray could circulate petitions seeking voter signatures to place the amendment on the ballot.

Rep. Peter Ujvagi, a Toledo Democrat and advocate of veterans' issues, on Tuesday began looking for co-sponsors of a resolution that would authorize the amendment for the ballot.

While Americans remain divided by the Iraq war, the bonus program offers Ohioans a chance to weigh in on how returning veterans are treated, Cordray said. "This is very much Ohio's tradition. I'd like to believe this generation has the same commitment that previous generations have had," he said.

Click here to express your support for Cordray's proposal and for Ohio's veterans.

To read the full text of the proposed amendment, a cost analysis, and background on previous veterans’ ballot issues and military bonuses in Ohio, go to www.ohiotreasurer.gov

127 Attend Voting Rights Forum and Lobby Day

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:38:45 EDT

It was standing room only yesterday at the Riffe Center in Columbus -- 127 voting rights activists turned out for a Forum and Lobby day sponsored by America Votes, People For The American Way, the Ohio Women with Disabilities Network, Common Cause Ohio, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Ohio Citizen Action, the Ohio State Conference NAACP, and Progress Ohio.

The panel of speakers included Tokaji of OSU’s Moritz College of Law, Mary Keith of ACORN Ohio, Pete Johnson of CASE Ohio, Karla Lortz of the Ohio Women with Disabilities Network. Peg Rosenfeld of the League of Women Voters moderated a question and answer session.

A variety of voting rights topics were explored by the panel: public agency voter registration, deceptive practices, disability access, voting systems, and voter identification.

Keynote speaker Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner reviewed her office’s current work toward restoring trust to Ohio’s elections, as well as the challenges ahead. She spoke at length about the process of testing Ohio’s voting machines. The project is managed by the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, and will include collaboration and advice from a representative, bipartisan group of Ohio's local election officials.

Karen Gasper of America Votes led a lobby training – participants were briefed on how to have an effective meeting with legislators about voting rights and election reform. Participants then met with their Ohio State Senators and Representatives in both the Riffe Center and across the street at the State House.

Media present included ONN, Fox, and others.

ProgressOhio's Open House with Special Guest Jennifer Brunner

Christina Heckart — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:10:21 EDT

WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING POWERED BY YOU!

You're Invited to Progress Ohio's First Anniversary Open House

What a year it's been! From the Iraq War to SCHIP, from Town Hall Meetings to Blogging, you have been at the center of it all using Progress Ohio's online tools and offline action.

Come celebrate your work with special guest Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, members of the State House and Senate, community leaders, members of partner organizations, and grassroots activists.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

6pm-8pm

251 S. Third Street, Columbus

Refreshments provided. Park on the street or in the City Center Mall parking garage.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO RSVP!

Since we opened our doors last fall, Progress Ohio has:

* Built Ohio's largest progressive online community with over 270,000 members from all corners of the state

* Reached out to over 100 progressive organizations across the state

* Expanded Progress Ohio content into broader online social networking communities like MySpace and FaceBook

* Watched as 102,000 individual Ohioans have taken action online.

COME CELEBRATE WITH US AS WE HONOR – YOU!

Keep kids covered! Young people speak out on SCHIP

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:50:00 EDT

Two young women from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing’s Youth Empowerment Program spoke briefly today at Progress Ohio, urging Senator Voinovich and Representatives Chabot and Boehner to override President Bush’s veto of SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program).

The two took part in the Youth Empowerment Program’s trip to Washington, D.C. last week to lobby Ohio decisionmakers regarding SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program).

Mary Wachtel, Director of Public Policy for Voices For Ohio’s Children also spoke, pointing out that Bush turned his back not only on 145,000 children covered by SCHIP, but also on Ohio’s bipartisan leaders who say that covering kids with SCHIP is the best thing for our state. “With his veto, the president rejected a bipartisan, compromise SCHIP bill that would place the program’s financing on a solid course over the next decade and cover nearly 4 million additional uninsured children.”

NBC, ABC, CBS, ONN, and Hannah News Service covered the event.

The Myspace/MTV thing just got even cooler

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:47:34 EDT

When the presidential dialogue was over, the myspace page provided a flektor, enabling viewers to share the vote results (as well as one's own votes) on a blog, myspace, email, or elsewhere. The little star on the pie chart shows how I voted. While the event was going on, the pieces of the same type of pie chart (on the same screen as Edwards) were fluctuating as viewers changed their votes in response to what Edwards was saying.

They're going to do this for all the candidates willing to participate, both republican and democratic. I'll post again when the next one is scheduled.

45 minutes left of Myspace/MTV interactive dialogue with John Edwards

Lorraine Bieber — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:17:16 EDT

This is turning out to be super cool. I'm watching the Myspace/MTV interactive dialogue with John Edwards. As he answers questions, you rate his responses. Meanwhile, you can watch a pie chart showing everyone's ratings. It's fun to watch the pie chart change in real time as people change their responses.

Join in NOW - 45 minutes left. You don't have to have a Myspace profile to watch and participate.
It's at:
http://www.myspace.com/election2008

Happy Birthday Progress!

Eric Vessels — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:30:53 EDT

So it's been a year eh? Time does fly when you're having fun countering the right-wing smear machine with progressive voices. They ended up being so diverse and powerful that many entrenched political figures cowered under the shadows on high.

What I remember is a left-wing crazy assed blogger hooking up with an established political communications professional in an unlikely synergy that would launch a powerful progressive force uniting activists of all types into one strong voice.

I remember strategy meetings in Starbucks. I remember going over website features and designs over a Bob Evans breakfast. I remember flying to Denver to learn from our colleagues (and now good friends) at ProgressNow. I seem to also remember a ton of snow and sitting on a plane for two hours, but thems the breaks in ski country I reckon.

I remember finally coming to light on South Third Street and shooting a video holding Deb Pryce and company accountable to our seniors while furniture was being moved in. Hit the ground running - and haven't let up since. You might remember that video. They didn't care about our statement.

They care now.

Only now the statement is bigger. Not many listen to a dozen voices as those are easy to ignore. It's no longer feasible to ignore more than 250,000 voices all demanding an end to our failed foray into neo-conservatism. The voices demanded an end to 16 years of corrupt one party rule. The voices demanded to be represented.

They are starting to listen.

From the first day we countered the right-wing noise, and you were there. You might have just sat back and read emails. You might have cursed your screen as we all do at times. You might have signed a petition thinking 'what good does this really do?'. You might have signed up for a blog and began to speak out online. You may have even attended or even organized a live event. Whatever you did, you did it with ProgressOhio tools - and it mattered immensely. I'm often asked what it is ProgressOhio does. It's actually quite simple and the confusion amazes me. PO is a toolset for countering right-wing noise and smears and for furthering progressive causes. PO is a concentration of our power and voice. PO works to make sure progressive voices are heard and progressive policies are fought for.

But most of all ProgressOhio was launched with the goal to be powered by and representative of you, the progressive activist. I'm proud to have had a very small role in getting the ball rolling. By the looks of it, the ball is not only rolling but picking up steam. My last visit to the offices at PO was two doors down and double the space. Each time I've been in there have been multiple people working to further the progressive cause, whether directly for ProgressOhio or for partner groups. I've rarely recognized everyone in the office and that left me smilling. It's what we were after.

So congratulations. To YOU. For one year of progressive work. I hope we are able to get together soon and celebrate our accomplishments together. I hope you feel as good about it as I do.

And finally some advice. Whatever it is you do - DO IT! Don't worry about how small it feels. Together it is significant. I think it was said best by a bespeckled bald Indian:

"Almost anything you do seems insignificant. It is very important that you do it. You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Progress Bombaye!

PS - I want a corner piece!