Who have you helped register today?

[pinto]

I am running a local one man show, card table sized, registering people for the vote. I go to lots of different places - senior citizen centers, homeless shelters, drug treatment centers, supermarket lots, bus transfer stations, etc, etc. Strictly non-partisan, as per the law.

It's a way for me to "do something" other than complaining with the choir, so to speak.

Thanks, pinto

[fearnobush]

1. Last night I spoke in detail with a man who was quite upset with

all politicians and he directed it to Kerry. He said if was going to vote, he would vote for Nader. I told him that he may as well then vote for Bush. He than told me about all the things wrong on kerry that he heard on the news and radio. I stopped him and explained that the news and radio are all out to kill Kerry and ruin him and any Democrat because of X (We all know why). Then I gave him ample proof. He listened very carefully. I told him that the media is Bullshit, I told him to look at Kerry's voting record and to pay close attention to the details and reason why he voted the way he did. I told him to go to the Kerry website and see for your self what Kerry stands for. He agreed. When I got home from work today there, to my astonishment, was a message from this man on the phone that said, "I want to Kerry's website and I was wrong about the things I thought of him. As far as I can tell, he (Kerry) lists everything I have concerns with and states the worries I have with Social Security. I wanted to thank you for helping me make my decision. I will vote Kerry." Amazing.

[revcarol]

2. Friday. 12-2 PM

at the local market.Weather predicted to be good. Usually register about 80% Dems. Registered over 1000 so far last spring, summer and fall.

The Democratic Party here loves me.

[Indiana_Dem]

3. I think I'll be doing the same thing, too.

I called my local courthouse today and she told me I could register people. She was very wierd about it though. She said she was Republican and for instance she nor I could go register people and then not turn in the ones I thought were the opposite of my party. Then she said I should not influence or pressure people into registering my particular party. Like I would do that anyway....she just sounded like my stereotype of a regular Repug. I never told her what party I was affiliated with. She asked me if I was with a group or party or if I was just going to do something like go door-to-door on my own. Why should she care?:shrug: I think she was trying to get more information out of me. Anyway, I'm going there tomorrow to get my materials. This is a small midwestern ex-railroading town of 20,000 or so and extremely Republican.

I also attended a local meeting for our local utility service board tonight. I was one of 6 people who attended. They all looked at me strangely. The other 5 probably go there all the time. None of them even introduced themselves to me or made me feel welcome before the meeting started and so I just slipped out after it was over. I am just trying to get involved more into my community and in a couple of years I want to run for something locally. I thought I'd attend a couple of different meetings and see what looks interesting. I want to eventually bring some renewable energy ideas to the utility service board but I thought before I just come in and start expressing my views and pushing for something, I need to gain trust and acceptance first. The meeting lasted all of 10 minutes!!! (The city owns our own utilities plant.)

Oh well. I'm trying.

[revcarol]

6. Sounds like you have a real problem with repugs there.

Some states you have to be non-partisan about voter registration. But you know and I know that only a repug would not turn in Green and Democratic registrations, LOL.Here we can register people at partisan events, just as long as we have them fill in the whole form and turn it in promptly.

You need one card table, 2 folding chairs, a big sign that says, "REGISTER TO VOTE, HERE", about six black-ink pens because Murphy's law says that several of them will run out of ink, and voter registration forms.

Keep going to that same meeting for a while. You will become an expert in no time. Look at their funding, how the usage of households is going up or down, how many new building permits there are, whether commercial establishments get breaks if they use lots of power, ...this sounds like a VERRRY interesting place to learn the ropes and possibly make an impact. There is almost nothing that impacts ordinary people more than utilities.It worked for Kucinich. Hopefully, you will not have to withdraw from public life!!

[Indiana_Dem]

7. LoL. Thanks for the post!

Sorry I'm late in responding, I was pulled away.

Also, thanks for the suggestions in what to look at. I have a plan but I don't want to look like a nut so I will have to become very educated about utilities. Our city's power comes from the 2 rivers that run through our town (we live in a valley between 2 rivers that meet). Recently, there has been concern or complaints regarding increased sludge in the river from the wastewater. We also have the wonderful blessing of the presence of a large dump to the south of us and 2 pork processing plants nearby. You can see the dump that looks like a huge mountain depending on your location in the city. The pork plants have their own sewage system and I think we give them big tax breaks to be here. What I want to do is to try and bring the 2 pork producers, the utility board, and possibly the dump together and try to get them to take a look at this new company that Con-Agra foods is partnered with that built that thermal depolymerization plant in Carthage, MO. Con-Agra also has a part of their business in the town next to us also. I thought I might start by contacting Con-Agra and asking them how they went about partnering with Changing World Technologies. Then I thought I would contact the 2 hog processing plants and give them data needed to convince them on the idea. Then I thought I could present the data to the utilities board. This company claims to make oil out of the very things we have as waste in this city---animal waste,landfill,sludge from power plants!!! Does this sound too farfetched or not? Will I be looking like a lunatic? I thought if I could get these parties interested enough, they would contact the renewable energy plant themselves and setup a meeting maybe to look at the possibilities. This is a dying town and it needs something. They're having meetings to figure out how to bring more business here and all they've come up with is a very expensive interchange off of a bypass that would lead bypassers through the town instead of around it!!!

Does anybody think this idea could work?

Some of you have probably already seen this website but I'll post it again.
www.changingworldtech.com

[Lisa0825]

4. I am so glad you asked!

Tonight I had a tutoring session with my ESL student. He just passed his citizenship test back in January. I helped him register to vote today. He specifically asked me where to write "Democrat." :-) He also asked me if I could bring more forms, because he has friends and family who need them!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

5. The guy that pumps my gas

He loves my bumperstickers and I asked of he votes and he said he moved and hasn't re-registered. I'm bringing him an application tomorrow!

[wickerwoman]

8. Can you help me?

I'm registered to vote in NJ but I'll be in China for the elections. How do I register to vote from overseas and where does the vote count- in NJ where I last registered or WA where I grew up and have a driver's license?

[Indiana_Dem]

9. Does anybody know Spanish?

I want to know how to ask some Hispanics if they want to register to vote. I know a little Spanish but not much. What should the Spanish word for "Voter Registration" be to put on a sign?