– By John Bigger, President, Longmont Area Democrats
Longmont City Council/Mayoral Election
LAD does not formally endorse Longmont city council or mayoral candidates, however, we urge you to please VOTE in the upcoming city election, which will be conducted entirely by mail-in ballot. Please note that the voter registration deadline is October 3 and that ballots will be mailed to voters on October 7. You can check your voter registration info here: https://www.bouldercounty.org/government/elections/pages/voterinfolookup.aspx
In addition to voting, please consider getting involved with your candidate of choice by donating money, volunteering to knock on doors, attending events and anything else which may be needed. You can contact the candidates’ campaigns through their respective websites.
Longmont City Council/Mayoral Forum
If you missed the candidate forum (and, judging by the packed house, it seems that very few of you did!) which was held at the Longmont Progressive Center on September 7, you can catch video of the event, either by clicking on the YouTube link on this page (see post-event announcement below) or by tuning in to Longmont Channel 8, which has graciously offered to air a replay of the forum.
Special thanks to the candidates who were in attendance (John Daniels, Paul Tiger, Brian Hanson, Suzzanne Painter, Dennis Coombs, Sarah Levison, Ron Gallegos and Sean McCoy) and to moderator John D’Amico.
New House District Lines Finalized
The newly redrawn state house districts have now been finalized (pending approval by the state Supreme Court) and I’m happy to say that our voices played a significant role in a positive overall outcome. Longmont and Boulder County Dems and progressives showed up in droves to the committee hearings held in August and September and spoke out against a reapportionment proposal which would have divided Longmont’s Latino community while segregating the heart of downtown Longmont from the rest of the city. Fortunately, the committee listened to reason and redrew the lines to ensure that the disputed areas would not be separated from the rest of Longmont in Deb Gardner’s House District 11.
This is a huge win for all of us and the impact of your efforts cannot be overstated. Thank you for speaking out, either in person or by email!
You can view the new maps here:
LAD Membership Drive
2011 has witnessed significant growth in LAD membership and, in an effort to maintain our momentum heading into the 2012 campaign season, we will be conducting a fall membership drive. Keep an eye on this space (and your email) for more details on how you can get involved with the most powerful and effective grass roots organization in Longmont.
LAD Film Series
Throughout 2011, we’ve enjoyed impressive interest and attendance for our monthly film series, which is held on the third Wednesday of each month at the Longmont Progressive Center (723 Main St.). The following films have been screened thus far in 2011:
- Gasland
- Inside Job
- When Kids Get Life
- 8: The Mormon Proposition
- Daniel Ellsberg: The Most Dangerous Man inAmerica
- Freedom Song
- 9500Liberty
- Playing For Change (Sept 21)
The LAD Film Series is free and features spirited, thought-provoking discussion. Join us!
Freecyclin’
Most are probably aware of Freecycle, the Yahoo group which allows you to avoid contributing to landfill population, but for those who are not familiar, it is a great way to offload things that you are no longer using but which still have some life. Personally, I hate throwing things out, especially when someone else might be able to fix, restore or otherwise use my refuse. It’s free and easy to use and you can find out more info here: http://groups.freecycle.org/BoulderFreecycle/description .
If nothing else, it beats huckin’ a couch with a hand-scrawled “free” sign out onto your front lawn, hoping someone might happen by and take it off your hands.
Until next time…
“One defeats the fanatic precisely by not becoming a fanatic oneself, but on the contrary by using one’s intelligence.” – George Orwell
