A new year: catching up on things

• It's fitting that the new year began in Maine with a big snow storm.  January 1 is the day we can begin gathering 2,000 signatures to get Lisa Savage on the ballot for the US Senate seat now held by Republican Sen. Susan Collins.  It will be a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) election which means there is no 'spoiler effect' in the race and people can for once vote their conscience by ranking their best choices.  More states need RCV.  Lisa is running with the Maine Green Independent Party.  Please consider donating to her campaign here.

• I began my 3-month unpaid leave of absence from the Global Network on December 15 and had intended to do the bare minimum on the space issue during this coming period so I could work full-time on Lisa's campaign.  But the Congressional decision to stick Space Force authorization (supported by both corporate political parties) into the 2020 NDAA (Nat'l Defense Authorization Act) spoiled those plans.  Thus I've been doing unpaid volunteer work for the GN since the 15th of December as the avalanche of interest about Space Force came our way.  You can't let organizing opportunities like that just go neglected.  Big thanks to the tireless work of journalist Karl Grossman who has been doing many articles and interviews on the subject.

• We've got a big job here in Brunswick where there are almost 700 registered Green Independents.  We are going to have to go door-to-door in the middle of winter.  One key difficulty is that when many people register to vote they pay more attention to the word 'Independent' and not as much to the word 'Green'.  So when you knock on the door asking for a signature people often think for a moment and say, "I'm not a Green, I'm an independent."  On we go.....

• The leading Democrat in the Senate race (she faces a couple primary opponents) has already raised over $6 million in corporate $$$$.  Sen. Collins, the Republican, has more than $6 million in corporate $$$$.  They are both bought before the November 2020 election ever happens.  Lisa has raised at most $20,000 so far.  But we have a growing team of volunteers around Maine and Greens from across the country are finding ways to support Lisa as well.  You can see her Facebook page here.

• It's an uphill struggle - David vs Goliath -  call it what you wish.  But it's a classic struggle for real justice, peace, and environmental sanity.  How could I not jump into this effort?  If we can get Lisa on the ballot by securing 2,000 registered Green signatures then she will be in the debates, will be speaking all over the state to local organizations, and will have a real chance to get 'beyond the choir'.

• People often complain that we are 'talking to the choir'.  It's true to a certain extent but not entirely so.  The real point though is that this campaign gives us a once in a lifetime chance to bring our message to the wider public.  This is something that Lisa is prepared to do - and she is an excellent communicator and a compassionate person.  When people meet Lisa they like her.
• Something to consider: Even if a great progressive wins the Democratic Party nomination for president (not likely to be allowed by the corporate controlled DNC) and then beats Trump, they still would not be able to change much unless we get some really strong people into the Senate – people like Lisa Savage. I want to see that happen and help change the country before it is too late.

Bruce