[Dialogue] Creating Citizen Participation at the state level

[Marge Philbrook]

I knew you must be out there somewhere.

My first suggestion is watch the dvd of The Secret. which is about how we
attract the results we want (I have just tried three sentences to say what
it is about and I can't.) Anyway just watch it.  I'd love to know how it
effects your planning process.  Marge



On 3/20/07, Walter Kargus <wak3 at wowway.com> wrote:
>
>  Hi
>
>
>
> For many years I have listen and read you emails and I want to thank you
> all for your thoughts and feelings on
>
> all sorts of subjects, many I have had great interest.  So I have decided
> to engage you and participate with the
>
> rest of you.  Many may have thought I dropped off the face of the earth,
> but I have only been off your horizon.
>
> This I offer you it be just the start of many online communications.
>
>
>
> Many years ago we had discussed and believe also have done some in-depth
> research on citizen participation
>
> In the political process.  For those of you who remember, I would like to
> pick your brain.  For those who have not
>
> participated in those discussions, I welcome your input.
>
>
>
> Having participated in the Local Church Experiment back in the 70's in
> which our church participated in the Parish
>
> Tactics, I gained an understanding of working in the political arena.
> Since leaving the local congregation in
>
> 1980, I have been engaged in networking with people who are on the inside
> the Detroit City and Wayne County
>
> political community.  It has presented a great listening platform to
> understand how things actually get accomplished.
>
>
>
> With that as a context, I decided to get involved last year in State
> Politics.  I live in a predominately Republican
>
> Area of Michigan,  the western suburbs of Wayne County of which Detroit is
> the major city.  I connected with a
>
> Democratic candidate who showed up on my doorstep during the Primary
> Election.  He was running for the House
>
> of Representatives for the 20th District of Michigan.  The journey to
> November was a slow and unsupported campaign
>
> by the Democratic Party.  They did not provide much support because they
> focused on potential winners.  The
>
> candidate Marc Corriveau was not one of them.  However, November showed
> that an underdog can win.  We turned
>
> the District from Red to Blue.
>
>
>
> The Democratic Party woke up and to their surprise took control of the
> State House.  They had been on the defensive
>
> for so long they were not ready for this win.  They had to run to do an
> internal paradigm shift.  Marc has now
>
> become Number 1 in the party's eyes.  He has been given chairman of the
> Ethics Committee along with membership on
>
> Education Committee and Health Committee.  The Democratic Party has laid
> out a concept of building Constituent
>
> Relations with the citizens in the District.  Their aim is to build a
> strong bond between Marc and the citizen in which
>
> the next election in 2008 can be assured.
>
>
>
> Knowing what that includes I have been hired to be the District
> Coordinator to make this happen.  The KEY to winning
>
> people's  commitment will be the Internet.  I am in the process of
> developing a proposal for a Web Site that is the Node
>
> through which we reach out to the community in a new way.  Marc's schedule
> includes being in the District on Monday
>
> and Friday along with other events on Saturday.  He commutes to Lansingevery day for Legislative Sessions on Tuesday
>
> through Thursday.  So in addition to this schedule, the task is to be seen
> everywhere while becoming effective in the
>
> House during his two year term.
>
>
>
> The questions to you that I would like to pose are the following:
>
>
>
>    1. How can we get ongoing citizen participation in political process
>    during these two years rather than just on election
>
> Day?
>
>
>
>    1. How can the Internet and Web Site be developed to get people
>    interested in politics on an ongoing basis?
>
>
>
>    1. What do you do to get citizens to see the importance of engaging
>    in State Politics?
>
>
>
> There may be other questions to be asked, that I haven't thought of, and
> invite you to help me participate in a cutting edge
>
> opportunity to develop a new model that can be reduplicated elsewhere.
>
>
>
> Also I have a new email address different from the directory:
> wak3 at wowway.com   My home phone is 734-927-4563 and my
>
> cell is 248-867-9416.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Walt Kargus
>
>
>
> PS -  I would like very much to participate in this weekend in Denver with
> Jack and David as you discuss ideas on OE.
>
> Please include me in your discussions.  Thanks.
>
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