Street roots
13
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It’s time to get a ballot in the hand of every citizen
Sept. 2, 2011
■M
X
BY HENRY KRAEMER
action from our state’s newly formed NVRA
Council.
emocracy is a pretty miraculous
In Oregon, we pride ourselves on Vote by
thing: every few- years in this
Mail. Yet, study after study tells us that this
country, we can pick up a pen, fill in
mostly helps people who already vote at
a few bubbles and dictate our own future. high levels (to overgeneralize, we’re
Truly amazing when you consider that for
basically talking about older, wealthier white
most of human
folks). At my organization, the Bus Project,
history, all our
We bust our butts to get young people,
decisions were made people of color and other under-served
for us by kings and
communities registered to vote where they
what-not. When we
live. It’s no small task.
Started this regular-
The average young person moves twice a
people-governing-
year, which means four times since the last
ourselves thing 235
major election. It only stands to reason that
years ago, it was
Oregon’s unforwardable ballots might not
radically bold. One
find us. Low-income folks move a lot too and
of the boldest ideas
face similar problems, to say nothing of the
in the history of the world. And as our world challenges of mail for the homeless
çhanges, history mandates we stay bold - to community.
powerfully affirm hot just the right to vote,
This is not to say that Vote by Mail
but the actual ability of all our citizens to do
doesn’t have benefits. If we do away with
so. Oregon’s new National Voter
the small (but real) financial barrier of
Registration Compliance (NVRA) Council
paying postage to vote and use the
gives us an opportunity to do just that.
technology and information that Oregon
Despite the sheer beauty of the ;
already has on hand to register all our
democratic idea in this country, our
citizens, we would have the best little
execution has been spotty. There’s often
democracy in the country.
been a big ol’ gulf between the right and the
Enter the NVRA Council. This spring in
ability for any American to cast a ballot:
Salem, The Bus Project worked with
from first only offering the right to white,
Secretary of State Kate Brown (a true bad
male landowners^ to a century of Jim Crow,
ass who really believes in making democracy
to the new rash of cynical, hyper-partisan
more accessible), Oregon Common Cause,
anti-voting laws sweeping the country.
the Oregon Student Association and others
Sometimes that’s intentional (no doubt laws
to integrate voter registration with social
in Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio requiring photo
services at our state’s public assistance
ID to vote are meant to snatch ballots from
agencies (plus, big props go to chief
the hands of young people and people of
sponsors Jefferson Smith and Ben Cannon);
color).
The bill created the Council to get the job
But perhaps more often, it comes from a
done, and now it’s on us citizen-advocates to
gentle ignorance and the passive
make sure it does great things.
assumption that, voting is a one-size-fits-all
Street Roots reported on the Council a
conversation and that no special action is
few issues ago, but ifyou missed it/here’s
needed to bring democracy to the most
the skinny: Federal law requires that if you"
under-served amongus.
get public assistance from the government, ,
That’s the story of Oregon’s strugglès.
you must also be offered help registering to
Luckily, we can solve them through stark
vote, and the state has to keep record of if
attention and immovable intent and, more
you say yes or no (so that people actually
specifically, through specific and decisive
get asked). Every state is required to do
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T
0
©
Henry Kraemer is the
Organizing Director
o f the Bus Project,
which engages a new |
generation o f
Oregonians to build a
better democracy.
Find out more at
busproject.org
THE
BUS
PROJECT
this, but almost nobody does.
In Oregon, the DMV already does it well.
Wherewe need to get a lot better áre
agencies such as Food Stamps, TANF and
the Oregon Health Plan. That’s where the
real juice is at: to enfranchise under-served
populations, find them where they already
are. At a time of récord need for public
assistance, we have a gleaming opportunity
to empower the voices of struggling people
in our democracy.
-The Council is
about to start their
.
work. They’ll be
looking at how each
agency is doing and
In Oregon, we pride
start offering
ourselves on Vote by Nall.
recommendations. If
you want to help (and Yet, study after study tells us
please, please, please
that this mostly helps people
do), Call the Secretary who already vote at high
of State’s office at
levels (to overgeneralize,
503-986-1523 and tell
we're basically talking about
them you want the
NVRA Council to do
older, wealthier white folks).
the most it can
possibly do to
enfranchise low-
income people.
Secretary Brown is on the side of angels in,
this, but she is stronger if she can say that a
bunch of citizens are asking for her and the
Council to be bold.
A few recommendations the Council
-ought to make: voter registration should be
a fully integrated part of the public
assistance application (aka all on the Same
form) and the default should be that you get
registered unless you opt-out; regular audits
should be done of the agencies to see how
they’re doing; every month agencies should
submit hów many people they’ve registered
«and how manyhave declined, and address-
updating should be part of each
conversation.
These small but systemic steps can really
help, but only if we actually do them. So
pick up that phone already.
Street Books, A bicycle-powered mobile
library, coming to a street near you!
Poverty and Privilege:
Two Palaces o f Pain
By Mad Man Marlon
A sense of freedom on both sides:
Yet painful because it never lies:.
Eyes that chose only to see images
intensifies my tears and cries:.
Poverty and Privilege: Two Palaces of Pain
Taken to dark places,
forced into unwanted places,
forsaken from one’s true self:
Eyes that commit to convict
from knowing and loving myself:
Poverty and Privilege: Two Palaces of Pain ;
Pockets of pleasure carried ®
like a purse full of pain:
: An immediate embrace into a society’s arms
does little insurance that one will stay warm
isolated from a cold midnight purple rain
Poverty and Privilege: Two Palaces of Pain
You envy my clothes, can youJiear my heart
beating aimlessly inside them?
My wallet contains only coins,, yet can you see
my struggle as its precious gem?
Your eyes fuel with desire at my shoes,
but would you walk with them when they are torn?
Poverty and Privilege: Two Palaces of Pain
Poverty, privilege its all the same
from the day we are born......
until the day we are ALL mourned!
Library Location & Hours:
Wednesdays, 10-2 Skidmore Fountain.
Saturdays, 10-2, Park Blocks @ SW Salmon.
Street Books will use an old-school card Catalogue system,
checking out and accepting returned books, twice weekly through the
summer. You do not need an address to be able to check out books.
The website streetbooks.org will feature photos of patrons who wish to
be featured with their book of choice, on-line book reviews submitted ;
by patrons, and updates about Street Books news and library hours.
At the end of the summer, Street Books will host a reception, inviting
patrons to come talk about their favorite books, and share their
experiences with the project.
To find out more about the project, or to donate paperbacks,
contact Laura Moulton: laura@ideacog.net.
REG IO NAL
G R E E N B U IL D IN G
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