dKos has been a transformational force in American politics, as evidenced by the victories of Tester, Webb and other politicians and issues. dKos is not only the most influential political blog in the world; it is also becoming a catalyst for 'people-powered' change. Today, four netroots-driven energy policy proposals were delivered to Congress -- to a senior leader who has requested proposals for 10 of the 20 original acts in Energize America.
We've seen dKos grow to nearly 120K or so registered users and over 1M daily page views. We've seen dKos, and offshoot blogs, grow in size and influence in just a few years. And today we witness a real people-powered milestone as the Energize America team submitted 4 energy policy proposals that will help reduce US fossil fuel addiction and GHG emissions. And this is just few of the 20 acts in EA2020.....
What amazes me is both the transparency and the speed of the process. Jerome a Paris kicked off a series of discussions in early 2006 that culminated in Energize America 2020 v5, presented with NM Gov. Bill Richardson at YKos06. more...
So what started informally in spring 2006 took about nine months to morph into a comprehensive and ambitious, 20-point plan to achieve US energy independence by 2020. Not bad for an ad hoc, collaborative process built exclusively on volunteer contributions. The plan is pretty darn good, in fact, compared to what many organizations with significantly greater financial resources have produced.
Then in January, 2007, a Congressional leader requested the EA2020 team submit more detailed proposals for up to 10 specific acts. Using the same transparent, collaborative process that created EA2020, a new team dove in and created the four referenced acts and background material, in less than 3 months – using only volunteers.
So, in under 1 year, dKos has given birth to a highly collaborative process that has produced a detailed and practical plan to achieve US energy independence by 2020 – parts of which have been formally introduced into the legislative review process. Un-fucking-believable, if you ask me, to think that ‘mere mortals’ could, if not ‘crash the gates’ of Congress, then at least knock very loudly on the door.
I am amazed at the quality of the finished product, which reflects the commitment of many wonderful editors and contributors, without whom we simply could not have transitioned from compelling plan to proposed legislation. Thanks to Markos for making this extraordinary opportunity possible. Thanks to Jerome a Paris, Devilstower and Meteor Blades for giving birth to what became EAv5.
And special thanks to A. Siegel, Liane Allen, Karen Wehrstein, Chapter 1, Mary Stephens, Rosemary Wetherold, Arthur Smith, Deb9, Rick Winrod, Sam Loomis and many, many others for guiding this critical issue from infancy to adolescence. It has been an incredible honor to serve as an editor on the project, and it has been worth every bit of sacrifice and effort.
Where these acts, and EA2020, go from here is anyone’s guess. They could go nowhere, or they could be the start of a more transparent and participative legislative process, one which not only more closely meets the needs of all Americans, but is also shielded from the corrosive and corrupting influence of special interests. No matter the outcome, today dKos set yet another high water mark in terms of its influence and impact, and for that every progressive and Kossack can be very proud.
So, when you see an Energize America diary, please recommend it, or better yet, jump right in -- the water's fine and much work needs to be done! You'd be amazed at how easy it is to participate, and how rewarding it is as well. And be sure to check out A. Siegel's latest diary on the topic as well.