buscast two
Wow. Wow. Seriously.
Day Two of Rebooting Democracy, and my head is spinning. Maybe it’s the Macallan. Or maybe it’s the scent of progress in the air. Mmmm, single malt progress….
Nominally, we’re here to pick which ballot measures we want to support this year. But, as has been echoing around our skulls and conference rooms over the past two days, the real treasure here is the process we’re going through: the dialogue, the voting with our feet, and a heap of hot, passionate, progressive lovin’ to drive it all.
Where else can you hear a physician and former governor use the words “jack off” in a discussion about the perils of government-subsidized Viagra? How often do you get a history lesson that dates back to the first days of Oregon politics (pioneers volunteered to collect taxes, and then shouted “I’ll be damned!” when it was time to pay them)?
In an attempt to capture a tiny slice of the spirit of this conference, I’ve recorded another craptastic podcast for you. In contrast to yesterday’s somewhat dry discussions of land use planning or this administration vs. that administration, today’s recording was done at a party in the bar after a hard day’s caucusing.
(As an aside, what’s the difference between a cactus and a caucus? With a cactus, the pricks are on the outside. Ha!)
Anyway, tomorrow’s the big day where we put our money and/or our feet where our mouths are. Normally, you’re not supposed to put your foot where your mouth is, but this time, it’s a good thing. This time, it means committing to use your time and energy to support the things that are important to you. Want that democracy back? Take it back! Schools really important to you? Work extra hard for them! From each according to his need. From each. What I need is a state I can be proud of. That’s a pretty tall order, so it’s a safe bet that much will be asked of me—of all of us. And we’re glad to do it. The Bus makes it fun.
So get on the Bus!