Real Issues Not Distraction

Here is how it goes for me.  Yesterday, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., my body was parked at a County Commission Meeting.  April 28, 2008, marked round one of Comprehensive Land Use Plan changes for Palm Beach County Florida.  

Every year, the County Commission hosts two rounds of changes to the Palm Beach County Comprehensive Land Use Plan.  They follow a procedure set out by State law, rules and regulations.  I would be willing to bet your county and state has a similar type system.  If you live in a municipality, the same thought applies.

For me, it all began with my support for Howard Dean, early on, way early in 2002.  I finally fell in political love with a candidate who actually dared me to participate.  The "you have the power, we have the power" message really caught me, and wow, I was dedicated toward gaining Howard Dean the nomination...

I did all of the things I read about here on the pages of the Daily Kos; phone banking, letter writing, making donations, handing out fliers on the streets, approaching people during events, spreading the word about a candidate who finally had hit home with me.  I was angry, truly angry, not only at the Democratic Party, but the US Supreme Court, our Congress, media, partisan politics and like.  

After all, I live in the home of the butterfly ballot, where the whole election dispute of 2000 began.  Ok, I can already feel myself getting all riled up about that again, but trust me, if there was ever a person more ready for Howard Dean and his campaign it was me.  Before he appeared on the national scene, I just never really paid that much attention to what was happening here at home.

With Dean's message of "we have the power", and my total dedication toward that effort, I still missed the entire message, but Dean really gave it when he offered his own personal history of political involvement.  He became activated in politics because of a simple issue, a local issue, and it was something as insignificant and as important as a bicycle path.  

When Dean dropped out, and sucked out all of my national enthusiasm, I suddenly realized that my own community had suddenly become the forefront of not only a local battle, but the efforts of our then Governor, one Jeb Bush, yes brother to our not so beloved resident, George W. Bush (and actually an instrument in ensuring the State of Florida's vote went toward his brotherly loving administration).  

The local battle involved my rural community, a State investment in "economic development", "bioscience" (backed by Federal investment), and planning a new "regional world class bioscience industry".  It was the coming of Scripps Research Center to Palm Beach County, and you can google it today and still find lots of information.  It was economic development, nee just supporting developers, all fully funded via taxpayer dollars, and encouraging development in the rural areas.  Land use for profit under guise of bioscience and government support.

All of it was unfolding while I was still involved in the Dean campaign, and I wasn't even paying attention.  Unfortunately, and fortunately, for me, Dean dropped out at just the right time, and Dean inspired within me a desire to exert my "power" by working as a citizen activist right here at home.  

Today, over 4 years later, I have dedicated myself as a citizen activist, looking after the interests of not only my own community, my county and my state, but still trying to keep a handle of what is happening nationally and internationally.  Part of being a citizen activist is attending day long meetings such as I attended yesterday, taking a vacation day from work, but speaking out and fighting for the public, reminding our elected officials whom they work for, and that some of us are paying attention.

Don't get me wrong, I don't fight alone, nor am I new as far as activists are concerned.  Others have engaged much longer, and have taught me much, and the street working environmentalists are at the top of the list in fighting as activists.

While I support Barack Obama, I just cannot overly involve myself in new topics on Rev. Wright, or the daily political blog disputes, except as a relief toward what I do daily.  I suppose I just want to tell you all, if "yes we can" or "we have the power" is really the message, there are things happening in your community, county, state, where you might activate yourself and engage others and make that difference.