#elected officials

[directactionforhope]

"There is a small panel of regulators in every state that holds a similar power over electricity generation and, by extension, an enormous segment of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet. By setting electricity prices, they also have a substantial impact on most people’s lives and pocketbooks. Yet, in Georgia and elsewhere, these groups — known as public service or public utility commissions — get little attention or scrutiny outside of energy wonk circles. Their hearings and documents tend to be long and jargon-heavy, covered in the media by a small group of specialized reporters, making it hard to engage with the process. 

This year, Grist and WABE will try to demystify energy regulation in Georgia and beyond. We’ll bring you stories on not only how your power gets made, but how those decisions happen — and how residents who vote and pay electricity bills can get involved."

-via Grist, March 5, 2024. See link for more details (especially in Georgia) and more ways to get involved.

#clean energy #green energy #renewable energy #climate crisis #fossil fuels #elected officials #2024 elections #us election #united states #us politics #state politics #georgia #solar power #wind power #utilities #activism #climate activism #organizing #action post #hope

[millionmovieproject]

#no justice no peace #us politics #politics #elected officials #justice for palestine #free gaza #genocide #wwiii #protest #fuck capitalism #capitalism kills #we live in hell #socialism now #abolish capitalism #peoples union

[aunti-christ-ine]

#comic strips #pearls before swine #stephan pastis #immigrants #citizens #test #elected officials #cartoon

[mudwerks]

(via Elected officials, police chiefs on leaked Oath Keepers list | AP News)

#Elected officials #police chiefs #Oath Keepers list #GOP idiocy

[briannaisadorable]

Exercise your right to stay informed ... Even if it's a lie.

#all black everything #Exercise your right to stay informed ... Even if it's a lie. #black #melanin #black people #black women #black power #lies #conspiracy #federal govt #elected officials #big business

[gwydionmisha]

#LGBTQIA+ #Elected Officials #News

[fieriframes]

[Elected officials deposed each other by lawsuits.]

#s25e11 brunch bologna and burgers #guy fieri #guyfieri #diners drive-ins and dives #elected officials #lawsuits

[anonymous-quill]

A Voter’s Duty Doesn’t End on Election Day — That’s Just The Beginning

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When someone in the U.S. casts a ballot on Election Day, they are basically voting to hire someone for a job they have been applying for during the campaign. And once that person has been officially hired for the position (elected), that is the point where the voter’s job truly starts.

Fun Fact: If you have the opportunity to vote for someone and get them elected, that means that you are their constituent — which means that they work for you. This also means that you have the power to vote to fire them if they fail to do a good job. That means you need to stay involved in the process to monitor how things are going and to provide consistent feedback to the person who just got hired.

You are failing as a voter if you only show up on Election Day and that’s it. Hate to tell you, but that’s not how our Democracy was designed to work. But here’s how it is designed to work: A candidate is voted into an elected office to serve the people they represent, and it is then up to those voters to hold the elected official accountable during their term.

What does “holding them accountable” mean? It means paying attention to see…

Are they keeping their campaign promises?

Are they voting the way that is reflective of the community they serve, or are they bowing to the whims of lobbyists instead?

Are they voting the way they want or the way their constituents want (especially on dicey social issues)?

Are they standing up for the needs of their constituents, or are they bending to the pressure of some big financial donor?

Are they voting more in the interest of keeping their job (getting re-elected), or for the job they currently have?

Remember this: our founding fathers developed the entire concept of elected officials and representation because of how geographically spread out the country was from Philadelphia (which was the US capitol at the time) and because of how lacking transportation was then. There are tons of transportation options today (planes, trains, automobiles, etc). In the days of our founding fathers, your options were: horse and your own two feet. Therefore, the concept of representation was born. Instead of every American traveling to Philadelphia to cast their vote to make decisions for our country, we instead elect individuals to represent our communities at the Capitol and they vote on our behalf.

This is why holding those who you hire for any elected office accountable is so important. They are hired to represent you. Whether it is a senator, a congressperson, a mayor, a city council person, a sheriff, or any other elected office — voters are hiring them (voting for them) to represent the needs and wants of the community. Once hired (elected), it is up to the voters to hold them accountable to make sure these people do what they say they are going to do. Pay attention to what they are doing. Give them feedback so they can know what you want them to do, how you want them to vote, and not vote. How you want them to make decisions. Without your feedback and participation in the process, they can’t solely be responsible if they end up being a good leader (or not)!

How do you participate in the process and communicate with your elected officials? It’s frankly a lot easier than you might think!

When someone is elected to office, you need to put their phone numbers in your phone contacts. This makes it exceptionally easy to hold them accountable from the start. It should go without saying that you need to add all of your elected officials’ numbers. Not just the ones you voted for, or the ones who are from the political party you agree with. If someone is elected to office, they work for you. They represent you. Therefore, it is your duty to hold them accountable. Period.

Where do you find their contact info? Find the list of winners from the newspaper the day after Election Day (or whenever election results are finalized…which is not always the day after!) Then google their names, and make sure you have the correct person! Don’t put their political campaign number in your phone, you’ll want their actual office number. If they are replacing someone in office, it will take a while for their new office number to be set up, so check back.

Now that you have every elected official’s number in your phone, keep up with the issues that are important to you. For instance, on the local level, let’s use the example that you are concerned about “funding for shelters assisting the unhoused” in your community. That issue would most likely fall to a city council (if you live in a city) or county commissioners (if you live outside a city). The names of these boards may vary in your area. You could pay attention to your local news (newspaper, TV, radio, etc) and if you A) hear about elected officials are planning to make a decision concerning “funding for shelters assisting the unhoused” in your community, you should use the saved phone numbers in your phone to call the elected officials who the news said are looking to make that decision. Or… B) if you are simply concerned about the “funding for shelters assisting the unhoused” in your community and would like to encourage your elected officials to look at it more closely because you feel it is an issue that is significantly impacting your community.

What do you say when you call your elected official’s office? First, identify yourself, and second, be brief. You should be able to make your entire call in under one minute total.

You will want to tell the person who answers:

1. Your name (first and last)

2. Where you live. For local issues, tell them your home address and city. For state and federal issues, tell them only your zip code — that’s all they are interested in. Why do they need this info? Because this tells the person that you are a constituent of the elected official, so they need to pay attention to you because they work for you.

3. Why you are calling. Be as concise and brief as possible. As I’m sure you can imagine, the people answering these phones get hundreds of calls all day, so being specific and succinct is very appreciated. Don’t go into long tangents. Bullet points is perfect. The person will be taking some sort of notes (even if it’s a tally of your yea/nay on a hot topic) as they must file a call report at the end of the day.

Any other tips?

Don’t call anyone unless they are YOUR elected official. This might be tempting, but it does no good. Why? Because as we discussed before, the people you elect work for you. If you didn’t elect them, they don’t work for you, so they don’t really care what you have to say whatsoever.

How many times can you call? Local issues/local elected officials: once or twice a week. State and federal issues/state and federal elected officials: every day.

Is your only option to call your elected officials? No! There are lots of ways to participate in the process of communicating with your elected officials! Here’s a few ideas: Call their office, email, write postcards or letters, show up at their offices, attend town halls, attend public meetings, speak during the public comment section of their public meetings, text them using ResistBot, write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper or online publication, look on their website for their ‘upcoming events’ and attend one to speak to them. (And during election season, your opportunities to speak with them are endless as they will be everywhere, just begging to ask you for your vote!)

Bottom line…

Once you vote, do not stop there. Participating in the process is absolutely critical. It is essential to making the people who are elected (and represent you!) more successful. Your participation in the process and the feedback you provide to your elected officials subsequently makes our democracy more successful. And most importantly, it makes our communities more successful. Do your part. Vote, and then hold your elected officials accountable by participating in the process.

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#voting #activism #election #elected officials #grassroots

[iridescentalchemyst]

I got a question!

I want to know YOUR thoughts!

A few weeks ago, I had an older woman approached me and I shared with her that I am running for office. She told me that she loves my hair and I have her vote just for that! Which was flattering! Seems as good a reason to vote for someone as any, I’d say! Then a friend- whose opinion I respect very much- told me today that I should take the color out of my hair if I expect to be taken serious as…

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#business in the front #elected officials #election 2024 #hair color #poll #rainbow #vote

[crealkillerdesigns]

This unpopular political opinion will at least trigger some critical thinking...

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#98% #America #American Political Science Review #biased #charity #crime #Democrat #economy education #elected officials #Elections #environment #George Carlin #government #judges #lobbying #news #patriarchy #policies #politics #president #pundits #Republican #state #voting #wealthy #white

[gloriasworldblog]

Praying for our Government 

Scripture instructs us to pray for our government officials and rulers. This prayer is for everyone in the government who makes decision on all levels including your local and state levels.

#youtube #government #prayer #elected officials #USA #United States

[motivateandinspiretoday]

John Jay Words of Wisdom  John Jay was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and played a significant role in the early history of the nation.

#youtube #John Jay #Words of Wisdom #United States #America #American #Love #Life #Live #Today #Friday #believe #Elected Officials #Vote

[bequia3]

An Open Letter to Elected Officials

I started to write about our magnificent monsoons that make life so wonderfully dramatic here in southern Arizona in the summer and tell of another visit by Miss Piggy and her family. Then I saw an open letter on the opinion page of the Arizona Daily Star and decided that even though it isn’t about nature, it is about human nature. I do not like to expound on things political or religious because…

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#common sense #elected officials #idealistic

[muddypolitics]

(via Number of elected Latinos who identify as LGBTQ+ soars)

The number of elected Latinos who openly identify as LGBTQ+ has more than tripled since 2017, outpacing the growth of all other LGBTQ+ candidates nationwide.

Why it matters: Latinos are one of the nation's fastest-growing voting demographics. The rise of LGBTQ+ Latino elected officials — as tracked by the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute — illustrates Hispanics' evolving diversity.

#LGBTQ Latinos #elected officials #numbers increasing #politics #voting demographics

[davidpasqualone]

Investing In Our Future Is Essential… Without China!

It’s a good time to buy Southwest Airlines stock. Greedy entrepreneurs look short-term. China looks long-term. Don’t use China’s money to cure our greedy shortcomings! Leaders with a vision are needed during these crazy times. Innovative thinking is key. Americans need to be investing in our future.

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#China #elected officials #governmental accountability #Innovative Thinking #sanctions #Southwest Airlines

[genevalentino]

Investing In Our Future Is Essential… Without China!

It’s a good time to buy Southwest Airlines stock. Greedy entrepreneurs look short-term. China looks long-term. Don’t use China’s money to cure our greedy shortcomings! Leaders with a vision are needed during these crazy times. Innovative thinking is key. Americans need to be investing in our future.

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”1px||10px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.6″…

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#China #elected officials #governmental accountability #Innovative Thinking #sanctions #Southwest Airlines