|
| |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5 Steps To Freedom
Common sense approach to make Democracy work.
08/16/05
The following is an article wrote by Texas Motorcycle Rights Association
Member "Sputnik" (yes that's his name). Though the article deals with the rights
of Bikers in Texas what it has to say is very important and can be applied, with
a little modification, to working plans to get people involved again and working
for the common good. Your party affiliation is not what is important. What is
important is that everybody does the correct job and that they get involved for
the good of the people.
5 STEPS TO FREEDOM By; Sputnik. Compliments of The Texas Motorcycle Rights
Association.
STEP 1: REGISTER TO VOTE Before you can have any input in the political process
you must become a registered voter. Registering is easy and it is free. To
qualify as a registered voter you must be18 years of age, a US citizen and a
resident of the county in which you register. The Texas Election Code, Section
13.001(a)(4), allows that a convicted felon may petition for reinstatement of
their voting rights 2 years after having satisfied their judgment to the court.
Contact your voter registrar at your local courthouse or call the Secretary of
State office for details. 1-800-252-8683. You can pick up a voter registration
card at any courthouse or post office in the state. Fill out all necessary
information and drop into any mail box where mail is retrieved.(no postage
necessary) You must be duly registered 30 days prior to an election to be
eligible to vote in that election. Upon receipt of your voter card you will need
4 pieces of information. Your precinct number (which will be on the card). Each
county is divided into voting precincts. The location for voting in each
precinct will be published in your local paper or can be found at the local
courthouse prior to each election. Except in special cases the location will
generally remain the same. It is not necessary to re-register as long as you
vote at least once each two years or don't move. The other three bits of
information may or may not be on your voter certificate. The State of Texas is
divided into 150 State Representative Districts,31 State Senatorial Districts
and 30 US Congressional Districts. If this information is not on your voter
certificate, it can be found at your courthouse. Each state is also represented
by 2 US Senators You must then learn the name, address and phone number(both
local and capitol offices) of each of these people. They are the ones to contact
when you have any questions or requests concerning political happenings. They
are the ones you will vote for or against each two or four years as the case may
be. These four elected officials are the ones who will vote on issues for you
personally. It is also a good idea to get the same information for the County
and Precinct Chair of each Party. You are now a registered voter. You have all
the necessary names, addresses and phone numbers of those people you must deal
with in order to be politically effective. Congratulations, You have completed
step 1. It has cost you very little time, no money and is probably one of the
biggest decisions you have made during this lifetime. You are now in a position
to truly have a say in the political future of your city, county, state and
country. It is now imperative that you become familiar with the voting record of
those 5 people who supposedly serve your needs at both the state and federal
level. Thus begins....
STEP 2: GET ACQUAINTED It is now time to make use of the information you have
gathered. Elected officials are normal people and can not be expected to have
all the answers. They depend on their constituents to keep them informed. Today
most of their information comes from paid lobbyist. You must change this
situation. They will look more favorably on a friend than someone paid to
influence their vote. Sit down and write a letter to each of the top 3 elected
officials in your district. Your letter should be hand written, no more than one
page and cover only one subject. Pick any current subject in which you are
interested. Identify yourself, explain how you feet about the issue and why. Ask
how they see the issue and ask for a response. Example: Dear Senator Anyone; I
am an avid motorcyclist but both my spouse and I drive automobiles. I am quite
disturbed by the current push for No-fault insurance in Texas. Everything I have
been able to learn about this subject is negative. It appears to me, that
drivers with good driving records and especially those who ride motorcycles
would be unfairly treated under such a plan. Hawaii and Canada have both
repealed their No-fault as being too costly. I would like to know how you feel
on this issue and how you would vote on the issue should it come before you in
the next session. If you support No-fault I would like to know your reason for
doing so. I await your reply. Respectfully, John Doe VRN 186701/9 (VRN is voter
registration #) Since our interests are primarily motorcycle related it would be
good to list any MC Club or Rights Organization to which you belong. This will
establish your standing for the future. Each official should receive at least
one letter per month. Comment on quotes they have made to the media or action
taken on a specific issue. Watch for announced meetings the officials will
attend and be there. Introduce yourself at the first meeting and make it a point
to be certain they are aware of your presence at all future meetings. Don't miss
an opportunity to praise any official when they have performed well. The best
way to do this is thru the Letters to The Editor section of your local
newspaper. These papers are read by the official or his staff each morning. You
have now established yourself as a person who is knowledgeable, active in the
political arena and a registered voter and are therefore seen as a constituent
who deserves consideration. Officials are visited by paid lobbyists on a daily
basis. They realize these people are not really interested in a piece of
legislation except in how it affects their salary. It is refreshing to have
someone who really cares about an issue to share information with them. Remember
these are plain men and women, just like you. For the most part, they ran for
office to make a difference. Having arrived in the capitol they came to realize
things are not always as they seem. Change doesn?t come easy when the status quo
has been established for years. That is why we need more of us up there. Never
lie to an official to make your case seem more solid. They have heard them all
and you will only brand yourself as a phony. Don't offer a compromise you are
not certain your Association will honor. Let the official realize you will
always be above board on any issue. Treat each official with whom you come in
contact with honesty and integrity as if dealing with a friend and you might
just find you are. Always address only one issue per letter or visit unless
requested to do otherwise. You have now established rapport with those elected
officials in your District. They know you as an honest, caring person,
interested in your community and registered to vote. You have taken Step 2 and
passed with flying colors. Your new political future is moving closer to reality
and all you had to do was take one more step. Pretty simple trip so far isn't
it? NOW move your left foot back in Front and let's take...
STEP 3: THE CAMPAIGN Much has been written about how best to support a candidate
of your choice. There are as many ways as there are candidates. All probably
work equally well if done properly. Since Motorcycle Rights Organizations always
suffer a shortage of funds, we will deal here with personal involvement. Your
prior contact with the candidates has given you a choice as to whom you will
support in the election and why. (This Association does not tell members how to
vote but we do make recommendations based on past performance or information
gathered). Personal involvement in a campaign is better and receives more
notice, from a candidate or their staff, than a cash donation. Others may
disagree and I won't argue with their views. This Association began on the
assumption, a rider becoming educated in the process and getting personally
involved can make a difference. This theory has been proven to be correct.
Flyers are picked up at the campaign headquarters at a designated time and
passed out on the street, in shopping malls or anywhere not prohibited by law.
You may volunteer as often or as sparingly as you wish. Once or twice a week
about 2 hours per day is generally sufficient. Stuffing envelopes is the best
way to become familiar with other campaign workers, the candidate and their
staff. You will meet with other workers to collate, fold and put campaign
material into envelopes to be mailed later. This task gets your candidates
message out and allows you time to interact with others who could be helpful to
our cause in the legislative session. This is the perfect job for someone not
adept at going out and talking to strangers but can be group friendly. The next
form of service in a campaign is working on phone banks. For this task you will
show up at a designated time and location which will have several phones
installed. You will be given a list of names to call and to convince the person
with whom you speak to not only vote but to vote for your candidate. 2-3 hours
per evening, twice a week is considered sufficient but if you can give more
time, do so. For this assignment you must have a strong clear voice and have no
problem speaking with strangers. As a phone solicitor you won't have as much
time to interact with other workers but your services won?t go unnoticed.
Putting up yard signs is the tried and true method of involvement in a campaign.
Again you can do as much or as little as you choose. You will need a crew and a
pickup for this job and it is normally done on weekends. If you choose to do the
standard job, you will pick up assembled signs at a predesignated location. You
will be given a list of specific area to cover and a list of addresses where the
occupants have agreed to allow signs to be erected. It doesn't hurt if you can
provide extra locations for this project. You will generally spend most of the
day saturday and possibly sunday afternoons on this assignment. You will travel
to each location and speak with the occupant if possible. Identify yourself and
verify their willingness to allow the signs to be posted. Place the sign(s) in
the location of their choice and move on to the next location. If you have the
time and manpower and really want to get involved you can run the entire sign
campaign. If this much involvement is possible it will really be beneficial to
you in the future. Signs will be picked up unassembled and you will not only
distribute them but assemble them as well. If your interest runs in this
direction we will be more than happy to train you and your crew as to the best
methods possible to conduct this very important undertaking. As you move on to
Step 5 you will see why this is so important). This is the ultimate in volunteer
duty. By accepting this much responsibility you show yourself as willing to go
the extra mile. You also are freeing up other workers and cash to be used by the
candidate elsewhere. The campaign is over and election day has arrived. Put your
right foot forward one more time and take....
STEP 4: THE PRIMARY You have worked hard and hopefully your candidate will be
victorious. Win or lose you have made friends and proven yourself to be a hard
worker and a staunch supporter of those who have the same feeling on the issues
as you do. You have also seen how important citizen involvement is to the
political scene. It is now time to put that knowledge to work and take advantage
of the delegate process. Get out and meet with your neighbors. There is a
saying, (Good fences make good neighbors), open your gate and Bar-B-Que Pit and
let your neighbor be your friend. Explain our goals and ask for their support to
become a delegate. Offer transportation to the polls, even if it means using 4
wheels. 1. Vote in the primary of your choice: a. When you sign in to get your
ballot ask for the time and place of the caucus meeting (they won't volunteer
this information) b. If it is convenient, it is best to vote close to closing
time so you won't have to return later. 2. The Caucus Meeting: a. Call to order
at the appointed time by the precinct chair. b. Preparation of list of qualified
participants in attendance. (only those who voted in the primary are qualified)
c. Announcement of the Agenda and basic rules of procedure. d. Nomination and
election of temporary officers of the Pct. meeting. This is where you need your
friends! e. Announcement of time and location of county or district meetings and
temporary committee meetings, if known. f. Nomination and election of delegates
to the county or district convention, whichever the case may be in your
precinct. 1. If the number present is less than the number of delegates and
alternates needed, names can be picked from the list of those who voted. 2. The
above is usually the case. That is why your participation is so important. Know
which, if any, of your supporters voted but were unable to make the Caucus and
get them appointed as delegates. 3. Resolutions: a. The caucus chair asks the
floor for any resolutions to be considered for the county convention.(Our list
of resolutions will be prepared in advance and you will have several copies) b.
Raise your hand and say "Mr. Chairman, I have(how many) resolutions to be
entered for our precinct. Each resolution will be read, seconded and voted. Our
people will have the same resolutions in each precinct so don't panic if some
don?t pass. Note the source of opposition for future reference. After all
resolutions are introduced and voted and all announcements made, the meeting
will adjourn. (generally less than an hour). The County or district Convention
is a miniature State Convention. The committees have been chosen and will do
their work. The number of delegates from each precinct will be announced and the
precinct delegates will each elect their delegates for the State Convention. The
Resolutions passed at this Convention shall move forward to be considered at the
State Convention. The State Convention is the culmination of this whole process.
This will be three days of hard work and glorious pleasure as payment for going
the distance. As we progress we can place enough members on each committee to
truly affect our future. There are 254 counties in Texas. If we could get just
10 State Delegates from each county we could control either Party. Since we are
not interested in control for it's own sake we can interact with others to form
a party which is fair to all. Only by gaining support of others can we guarantee
our right to ride free for years to come. This is just a simple outline of the
process. If you have chosen to become involved we will provide workshops for
more specific training prior to the actual Primary. Having taken these 4 steps
you have moved into the realm of knowledge as to real workings of Texas
politics. You are as adept at the process as any county chairman currently in
office. It is now time to step completely into the arena. For years we have
worked to put biker friendly people in office. Now it is time we reap the full
benefit of our training and labor. Place your left foot forward again and
take....
STEP 5: RUN FOR OFFICE Having taken the 1st 4 steps, as outlined, you have
become well known to the movers and shakers in the local political arena. It is
now time to toss your hat into the ring and become a candidate for public
office. Again we shall outline how this can be accomplished with very little
cash outlay by you. This step will in no way cover every aspect of this task. It
simply gives the basics on how to start using the knowledge you have gained
through the 1st 4 steps. Pick an office you would like to hold. It is generally
wise to start with a local office, but not always necessary. Contact your county
courthouse or office of Secretary of State and declare your intent to run. You
will receive the necessary forms, which explain in detail the requirements to
get on the ballot for the office you have chosen. There is generally a filing
fee for most offices. These fees can, however, be waived by receiving enough
signatures of registered voters. I recommend the petition because if you can't
get the signatures (generally 500 or less) then you can't win an election anyway
and it will have cost you nothing but time. Select your treasurer and campaign
staff, get on the ballot and let the fun begin. You and your friends have
already run campaigns for other candidates so this is just a matter of repeating
the process but the rewards are much higher. Timing is a key ingredient for
making your 1st campaign a success. If possible it is best to seek an office
which has no incumbent. An incumbent always has the advantage over a challenger
unless they have totally screwed up. Few people are really well informed during
an election, relying completely on the media for their information. They will
vote for an incumbent, thanks to the media, simply because they recognize the
name. Sad but true. Also, anything an incumbent says or does is covered by the
media news while you are ignored. A good way to overcome this bias is to have
several of your friends write the Letters to The Editor section of the local
papers on a daily basis. Have them tell what you are saying and doing and ask
why there is no media coverage. This will get your name and message before the
public at no cost If you must face an incumbent it is best to wage this campaign
when a particular issue, which directly affects the office you have chosen, has
galvanized the public to action. Study the issue from all angles. If your
position is different from the incumbent and the voters are vocal, the time is
right. Go for it!! Attend all meetings in your area and speak out. Talk to any
group which will have you. Talk to individuals on the street, in stores or
anywhere you encounter them. Set a goal to meet every voter in your district.
You can?t, of course, but don't stop trying. A few friends willing to use their
phone to make calls to local voters will fill the need for a phone bank (no
charge). Several can get together at each home or office and have fun while
taking turns making calls. You will, of course, have to purchase signs and
campaign literature. If you have a friend in the business, great. If not, these
can be purchased from a mail-order house at reasonable rates. The rest is up to
you. State your position honestly, forcefully and often. You must sell not only
your ideas but yourself. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know, but if you will
tell me how to contact you I will find out and get back with you "then do it!"
Point out differences between you and your opponent but always do this in a
positive manner. Never make negative remarks about your opponent. Instruct your
campaign, workers that they are never to say anything negative about them. Stick
to the issues. Get your views before all the voters possible. A good way to end
each speech is to encourage people to vote. Example: "I want to thank each of
your for attending this meeting and giving me the opportunity to express my
views. It is extremely important that each of you vote in this election. I
encourage each of you to vote, even if you choose to vote for my opponent. Only
if you all vote can the winner truly be the choice of the people. If any of you
are not registered to vote we have voter registration cards here which you can
fill out tonight or take home with you." Don?t use a prepared speech. Speak from
the heart and you will probably touch hearts. Having won your 1st elective
office you have realized the true American Dream. You have become someone who
can make a difference using hard work and the help of friends, rather than
money. The Five Steps are now complete but your journey has just begun.
Congratulations - Good Luck - God Bless Having taken these five steps you have
now lived up to your duty under the Constitution. If you have convinced enough
friends to make this journey with you, you have just returned control of this
state to your Posterity. SPECIAL THANKS Thanks to NCOM, MRF, Senator Dave
Durenberger, Jesse McDugald and all the MRO Leaders from across the country who
have inspired me. Thanks to all or members who have carried the load and made
our Association Successful.....
CONCLUSION BY The GYPSY: The person who introduced me to this article told me
that the current Mayor of El Paso used step 5 as his text book and ran a bare
budget grass roots campaign against a wealthy incumnant and won the election.
Having lived in El Paso for 3 years I can tell you myself that this was no small
feat. The general attitude in El Paso is that if you have money then you have
power and you should keep your position. El Paso has very little turnover in
political seats. So here is my challenge to you.... If an underdog Mayor who
didn't stand a snow balls chance in, well, in El Paso can beat a far more
powerful incumnant then there is no reason why ,with a little hard work, we
can't do the same thing! Apply the 5 steps to freedom to your own political
goals!
-James A. George-
For More Information Contact:
PLURIBUSUNUM.NET THE FORUM OF DEMOCRACY
P.O. Box 653 - Independence, Kansas67301
Tel: (620) 331-5938
FAX:
CLICK HERE TO
EMAIL
Internet:
orator@pluribusunum.net
|
![[Company Logo Image]](../images/pluribuslogo.jpg)
