Following up on No Kings Day

Many people ask how best to follow up on the enthusiasm from No Kings Day to drive the wanna-be king from power.

Here in Seneca County, we have some specific opportunities that fit the governance and politics. 

Indivisible Seneca primarily wants a member of Congress who resists the autocratic moves of this administration. Claudia Tenney has shown no sign of giving up her complicity with this offense against American values. Therefore, she needs to be replaced in the election this November. 

Preserving the current momentum revitalizing democracy must be maintained even after November. 

Here are some actions that Seneca County residents can take. They are appropriate for Democrats, Republicans, unaffiliated (independent) registered voters. Some are appropriate even for those not registered to vote.

Defeat congresswoman Claudia Tenney in NY24.   This is a tall order in a district gerrymandered to produce a significant majority of votes for the Republican candidate. But this time we have a much reviled incumbent challenged by a strategic and appealing candidate. One of the strategic parts of the campaign is to build lasting Democratic infrastructure throughout the congressional district. There are many places to be useful.

Be a local campaign volunteer. Get to know like-minded people both in the campaign and in the local outreach. Those connections are important, they strengthen our community and increase the likelihood of electing good politicians. 

Give money to the campaign. Some of that will support campaign activity and visibility in Seneca County. 

Put up yard signs for Tenney’s opponent, and get others to do the same. The message from those signs is that people who vote against Tenney are common and reflect a normal sentiment in this county. 

Support campaigns in swing districts and swing states elsewhere. Even if Tenney is re-elected, her power to harm her constituents will be much reduced if she is in the House minority party. Making that happens will take flips in most of the swing districts. Those elections will be close and cost a lot of money. But they are more likely to come out in our favor than some of the local ones. 

Make phone calls. The campaigns organize phone banks. Some people still answer their phones or listen to voicemails. Your voice can be heard. The strategy for phone banking and techniques for effective engagement have changed a lot in recent years. Stick with campaigns that have made the adjustments. Making the social connection with the person on the other end is what makes phone calls effective. If you are asked to stick to a script, they might as well do robocalls. 

Send postcards. Various groups are doing nicely targeted campaigns to influence voters. Handwritten postcards are noticed. You pay for the stamps and write the address and a short message. 

Donate money to the campaign or PAC. This one takes the least effort, but it takes a lot of money to make a big difference.

Engage in local government. 

Attend your local Town or Village Board meetings. It only takes a couple hours a month to be a constant presence.

·      Boards tend to act more responsibly if voters are in the room.

·      You will learn a lot about how your local government works

·      Raising concerns in the public-comment period (aka privilege of the floor) at the beginning of meetings is a good opportunity to influence priorities. Asking questions helps bring attention to perspectives that are not being considered.

·      You may become convinced that you or a friend would be a better board member.

Some things to look for:

·      What issues in the Town are getting the boards attention? Are they being resolved well?

·      Annual budgets tell you what the Town or Village is planning to do in the coming year. They are developed in October and November, and adopted in December. Find out if the draft budget includes all the things they should be doing.

·      Future planning relies on the Comprehensive Plan. Is it up to date? What issues in the town have changed or are not covered?

·      Each town should have a 5 year Financial Plan. It should be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Is the annual budget consistent with the five-yar plan?

Run for Town Board. Don’t think that you are unqualified. You can quickly learn to be a better representative than many of the current incumbents. Even if you lose, having a candidate from each party for every line on the ballot keeps voters engaged and can build momentum. When there are two lines, such as for town board, even a losing candidate prevented "spare" votes from going to one of the worse candidates.

Join your Town party committee. These committees need good members. One job is to find candidates for local office, another to plan local campaigns. Those activities are a good way to get to know your neighbors. In an area like Seneca County, Democratic committees are constantly looking for enthusiastic members because the challenge is bigger. Republican committees will need to restaff with non-Trumpers. You have to register with the appropriate party to be a party-committee member.

Join your Town planning board or zoning board of appeals. These non-partisan volunteer positions have remarkably large influence over how the town develops, and are often looking for new members. Go to a couple of meetings in your town. Talk with the chair to find out what they like in committee members and how often there is an opening. Talk with the town supervisor and town clerk to find out the procedure for getting appointed. These face-to-face conversations build the local relationships that result in political influence. Board members don't need to be voters.

Volunteer to canvass for a candidate for Congress. In our NY24 district, the non-incumbent needs to influence a lot of independent voters, who are too disgruntled to join one of the major parties. A lot of party members are unhappy with their party these days as well. Engaging them with advertising is difficult. A good canvasser stopping by has a lot more influence. You are spreading hope in this role. You are also building community among people who support good government and sensible policy.