November 11, 2022

Want to help re-elect Sen. Warnock? Send letters to Georgia voters!

Vote Forward has pivoted to the Georgia senate runoff. As you may know, Vote Forward identifies Dem-leaning voters who may need a little extra nudge to get them to the polls. Volunteers can "adopt" blocks of voters to send hand-written letters (using the Vote Forward template).

The goal is to send non-partisan GOTV letters to voters who don't always show up to the polls, but when they do are likely to vote for Democrats. It's entirely anonymous for the sender (you sign your first name only and don't use your return address). The project has boosted Democratic turnout since the project launched in 2018. 249,000 Vote Forward volunteers have sent 29 million letters to voters in the past four years, helping to boost turnout by as much as 3.4 percentage points. In races as close as the ones we're trying to win, that's huge!

As I post this on Friday afternoon, Vote Forward volunteers have adopted 399,760 Georgia voters and will be sending them letters in the coming days. (Instead of one "Big Send" day as in previous campaigns, these are going out ASAP given the short runway to the start of early voting in advance of the Dec. 6 election day.) There are currently 215,233 unclaimed voters, so feel free to jump in! If you haven't done this before, you might want to claim 5 names and addresses to start, to make sure this is a good volunteer activity for you.

I've sent Vote Forward letters to a few hundred voters in various states during the past couple of election cycles. It's a good feeling to know I'm contributing to the success of Dems--and supporting the post office in the process!

The only active campaigns at this point are two for Georgia's runoff pitting Warnock against the play sheriff guy Trump anointed:

1. a “Social Campaign” to support Vote Forward’s core social mission of helping to increase the participation of historically underrepresented communities in the electorate.


2. a “Political Campaign” to support the political efforts that Vote Forward, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, undertakes in addition to its core social mission.

Let me know if I can help answer any questions, or you can get more information here:
https://votefwd.org/instructions

Happy letter writing!

November 9, 2022

As of 10:50 pm, 32% of DeKalb County GA's votes are not yet tabulated.

Warnock is winning here with 87 percent of the vote. So there could be a lot more of a blue shift in the remaining tally.

I don't want to give false hope, but of the remaining votes around the state, a quick review of the largest population centers shows that it's way too early to assume we have to go to a runoff.

Oh, yes -- and almost 30 percent of the Fulton County votes are still out. Warnock leads there with 75.6% of the vote at this point.

I'm turning in, if I can sleep. Will check back later. Fingers crossed!

Edit: Source --
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-elections/georgia-senate-results?icid=election_usmap

November 8, 2022

USA.gov has some good info

https://www.usa.gov/voting-laws

How To Report Voter Fraud, Intimidation, or Suppression

If you suspect voter fraud, report it to your state or territorial election office. You can also report it to:
* A local FBI office
* A local U.S. attorney's office
* The Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice's Criminal Division

If you witness or suspect voter intimidation or suppression, there are three ways you can report it:
* Contact your state or territorial election office
* Contact the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice
* Use the Election Complaint Report online form

November 8, 2022

Apartment Sessions: Arcade Fire - Wake Up

November 8, 2022

Erin Bentlage - I Would

From the Apartment Sessions in Iceland series:

Written and arranged by the amazing lead vocalist, Erin Bentlage.

November 8, 2022

Gene Shinozaki - Jigsaw

One of the many fantastic Apartment Sessions videos, this one features composer/arranger Gene Shinozaki on lead vocals.

November 7, 2022

Apartment Sessions: Sir Duke

October 18, 2022

Nov. 2022 Amendments and Referenda - Georgia Ballot (EDIT)

Update, 10/26 -- After getting some input from a knowledgeable progressive friend, who quoted a well-connected Georgia consultant to Dem/progressive candidates, I have a different take on some of these. New comments in bold+italic. My apologies for any confusion created by the original post.

I'm clear on the candidates (D = Yes!), but I've been trying to get a handle on the ballot measures on the current Georgia ballot. I've posted descriptions of the initiatives below, along with my off-the-cuff reactions. I will update this if I get more substantive information or recommendations from trusted sources.

I'm generally suspicious of anything coming out of the Georgia legislature, but want to understand before casting a reflexive vote on any or all of these. Any input will be appreciated. General information about these can be found on Ballotpedia -- https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_2022_ballot_measures

Here's the list:

State Constitutional Amendment 1: Administration of government and Salaries of government officials (Senate Resolution No. 134; Resolution Act No. 304)
Allows the suspension of compensation of certain public officials while the individual is suspended from office for being indicted for a felony

- This sounds valid, but (realist that I am) I can see it being used to deep-six political enemies. I'm sure Kemp saw the Beck case as an opportunity to burnish his own credentials as a purported non-crook.
- Then again, Ballotpedia lists 2 Democratic Senate supporters of the amendment (one of whom I know and trust) in addition to the 19 Republican supporters, so I think I’m a Yes on this one.
- UPDATE: Voted Yes. The measure would reinstate back pay for an indicted official who’s exonerated and reinstated to office.

State Constitutional Amendment 2: Taxes (House Resolution No. 594; Resolution Act No. 803)
Authorizes local governments to grant temporary property tax changes for properties damaged by disaster events and located within disaster areas
- Again, seems reasonable, but I have to wonder, what rich Republican absentee owners of coastal property (for example) stand to benefit from this, what's the guarantee that the tax relief would be applied fairly, and how "temporary" is temporary?
- This is tax relief only, no direct aid to residents affected by natural disasters. Therefore, it does nothing for renters, and little for low-income and older property owners. As usual, Republicans see taxes as the Great Satan, and view direct aid as “taking.”
- The only supporters listed on Ballotpedia are six Republican state senators. Looks like a “No” to me.
- UPDATE: Voted Yes. This will help small business owners and home owners who would be devastated by climate disasters.

State Statute Referendum A: Taxes and natural resources (House Bill No. 997; Act No. 859)
Exempts timber equipment owned by a timber producer from ad valorem property taxes
- What’s the justification for this? The endorsement from Brian Kemp has all this feel-good blah-blah stuff about “conserving wild places” and says it would “protect hunting, fishing, and conservation land.” In reality, it looks like what it does is to let loggers off the hook for at least some property taxes, further impoverishing rural school districts and other public services.
- The measure has one Democratic supporter (State Rep. Debbie Buckner of District 137 in rural West Georgia), so maybe it’s got some merit, at least to her constituents. I could be talked out of it if I’m off base, but I’m still feeling like a “No” on this one.
- UPDATE: No change. The timber industry is successful and does not need a tax break. Voted No.

State Statute Referendum B: Taxes and Agriculture (House Bill No. 498; Act No. 260)
Expands a property tax exemption to include merged family farms and dairy products and eggs
- Supported by only Republicans per Ballotpedia (including Brian Kemp) and the Georgia Farm Bureau and Georgia Agribusiness Council.
- Again, it’s about reducing business property taxes, which it seems would deprive public coffers of much-needed revenue.
- Maybe this would help some small farmers hang on to their farms, but I’m guessing it’s aimed more at larger operations, including factory farms. Feeling like a “No” on this one, but again, I could be talked out of it if there’s a reasonable case for supporting it.
- UPDATE: Voted Yes. This helps smaller farmers, not just factory farms.

September 26, 2022

Credit is due to Fair Fight Georgia and the New Georgia Project.

The popular narrative has been that Biden won Georgia by the famed 11,780 votes because Q-publicans stayed home in 2020 — and that Warnock and Ossoff benefited from the same phenomenon in January 2021.

There’s some truth to that, but as this detailed fivethirtyeight analysis shows, another quite interesting development occurred in that cycle: Democrats lost by less in a number of rural counties. In a statewide election, a couple of hundred votes here, a few hundred there, and so on means victory for the good guys.

That’s why keeping the faith, ignoring the naysayers, and doing the work on the ground over the entire state is so important.

September 26, 2022

Pharoah Sanders with Floating Points & London Symphony Orchestra: "Promises"