[Peace-discuss] AWARE Playbook makes News-Gazette Editorial

[Karen Medina]

I guess it is quite an honor to be assumed to be the driving force at the township meetings. Though only one referendum was ours. 

-karen medina

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:04:12 -0500
>From: Jan  Durl Kruse <jandurl at comcast.net>  
>Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE Playbook makes News-Gazette Editorial   
>To: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>
>Surprise votes stop referendums
>
>Friday April 11, 2008
>
>If AWARE and other local activists had been more aware, they might not  
>have been ambushed at township meetings this week.
>
>Politics, even locally, can be a rough sport.
>
>That's what members of AWARE, a local group of Iraq war opponents, and  
>other political activists learned Tuesday when they attended the annual  
>meetings of Cunningham and City of Champaign townships.
>
>AWARE members, as well as other groups including Green and Libertarian  
>Party loyalists, hoped to use their numbers to put a series of advisory  
>referendums on the fall ballot. They did the same thing a year ago, and  
>their plan worked well.
>
>This year, however, opposing groups – including Democrats in Urbana and  
>Republicans in Champaign – took a page from the AWARE playbook and  
>packed the meetings with more of their followers. In both cities,  
>opponents voted down most of the proposed advisory referendum  
>questions.
>
>It was both an example of democracy in action and raw political power.
>
>The counterattack in Cunningham Township was led by regular Urbana  
>Democrats, including Mayor Laurel Prussing. They were energized by  
>proposals seeking the public's opinion about establishing municipal  
>run-off elections. The regular Democrats also knocked off an advisory  
>proposal about whether local municipalities should acquire the water  
>system.
>
>In Champaign, employees of the Illinois American Water Co. and local  
>Republicans showed up to defeat the water company acquisition issue and  
>a question about military torture. An advisory proposal to post  
>municipal contracts and expenses on the Internet was approved.
>
>Even if the other issues had made it to the ballot, the votes in  
>November are purely advisory and likely wouldn't have much impact. But  
>it was interesting to see the muscle-flexing response to AWARE's  
>successful political tactics last year.
>
>That, of course, raises a question: who will pack the audience when the  
>townships hold their next annual meeting? Township officials may have  
>to schedule these sessions in larger venues to accommodate the crowds.
>  Find this article at:
>   
>http://www.news-gazette.com/news/opinions/editorials/2008/04/11/ 
>surprise_votes_stop_referendums
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