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Democracy CaféIncreasing Democracy and Cooperation in Milpitas Politics |
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| Proposal | World Café Principles | Democracy Café Script | Café Budget | Support and Co-Sponsors | Notes and Links | ||
Democracy Café Notes
To recieve updates on the Democracy Café, please contact us by calling 262-0420 or e-mailing sna@electric-bikes.com
Letter to Milpitas Post published March 20, 2008 describing March 8th Democracy Café
At the March 8th Democracy Café, our round-table discussion led to a history lesson, an array of ideas for informing the public about candidates, and an action plan to push for one of those ideas.
The history lesson explains why Milpitas pays its police so much. Back in the mid-70's we didn't pay them well. So, after we recruited and trained an officer, he would move on to another city's police force for better pay and benefits. Around the same time, we realized that multi-lingual officers would become critical as more non-English speakers settled in Milpitas. To address these two problems, plus the growing menace of gang activity, City leaders chose another path - one that focused on recruiting and retaining quality officers through generous compensation.
As our conversation moved into the realm of political campaigns, the subjects of money and communication naturally arose. Although it is clear from past campaigns that money funds delivery of the candidate's message (mostly through mailers, newspaper ads and lawn signs), we talked about less expensive, more democratic forms. SmartVoter.org is one way for candidates to communicate with voters. A blog is another. KitchenDemocracy.org offers a forum to discuss and vote on issues of local concern. We discussed the possibility of producing a program that allowed candidates to speak at length on issues, unlike the narrow format of a standard debate. The program could be aired on local Channel 26, made into an informative CD or even a YouTube.com video.
The idea that sparked the most interest was asking the City to post statements from candidates on the City's website. Although we also discussed the potential support by the City of filming and airing candidate statements along with purchases of ad space in the Milpitas Post for candidate, the negligible cost and ease of posting candidate statements on the City's website inspired a few of us to petition the City Council at its March 18 meeting.
Our next two Democracy Café meetings are Saturday, March 22 and April 5, 2 pm to 4 pm at the Burrito Factory, 52 S. Abel Street. If you would like to participate, or want stay informed about future meetings, please contact us by calling 262-0420 or e-mailing sna@electric-bikes.com
Letter to Milpitas Post published March 6, 2008 describing February 23rd Democracy Café
Democracy is an exploratory process. It requires learning and thought which, in turn, create changes in both participants and their communities. At the first Democracy Cafe follow-up meeting held on Feb. 23, the exploration continued.
Concerns about a number of issues arose. Compensation of City employees surfaced, especially regarding long-term and escalating costs. The great divide between City and Schools came up regarding the rapid population growth due to new construction. People see large amounts of money going into slick and often misleading literature that fills our mailboxes around election time.
We are starting to examine the rules because, to a large degree, the rules dictate the range of outcomes. For example, it costs about $50,000 just to get into the campaign game in a serious way which drastically limits the pool of potential candidates. If you or anyone you know is interested in running for a Council position, please contact us.
Grassroots work with neighborhood and homeowner associations seems to be key to addressing any of the above issues. If you belong to either type of organization, please let us know. Conversations between candidates and your members could lead to better policies and Council decisions. Our new Milpitas cable channel 26 could also support democratic efforts through programs, interviews and even political advocacy.
We will meet again to continue the conversation. We will be seeking patterns and deeper questions in order to discover group insights. Anyone interested in the future of Milpitas is invited. Bring a friend or neighbor. Our next meeting is Saturday, March 8, 2 pm to 4 pm. If you would like to participate, or want stay informed about future meetings, please contact us by calling 262-0420 or e-mailing sna@electric-bikes.com
Other Voices article in the Milpitas Post published February 21, 2008 describing January 19th Democracy Café
Democracy is an exploratory process. It requires learning and thought which, in turn, create changes in both participants and their communities. At the first Democracy Cafe follow-up meeting held on Feb. 23, the exploration continued.
Concerns about a number of issues arose. Compensation of City employees surfaced, especially regarding long-term and escalating costs. The great divide between City and Schools came up regarding the rapid population growth due to new construction. People see large amounts of money going into slick and often misleading literature that fills our mailboxes around election time.
We are starting to examine the rules because, to a large degree, the rules dictate the range of outcomes. For example, it costs about $50,000 just to get into the campaign game in a serious way which drastically limits the pool of potential candidates. If you or anyone you know is interested in running for a Council position, please contact us.
Grassroots work with neighborhood and homeowner associations seems to be key to addressing any of the above issues. If you belong to either type of organization, please let us know. Conversations between candidates and your members could lead to better policies and Council decisions. Our new Milpitas cable channel 26 could also support democratic efforts through programs, interviews and even political advocacy.
We will meet again to continue the conversation. We will be seeking patterns and deeper questions in order to discover group insights. Anyone interested in the future of Milpitas is invited. Bring a friend or neighbor. Our next meeting is Saturday, March 8, 2 pm to 4 pm. If you would like to participate, or want stay informed about future meetings, please contact us by calling 262-0420 or e-mailing sna@electric-bikes.com
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