by Janice Garry, of What You Can Do
Nationally, in the state, and locally, there’s a lot going on. Shortly after the inauguration, a couple of local activists could see that responding to the onslaught against our democracy would require activism. And we knew that people are busy, making it hard to be involved. Thus, on Feb. 13, What You Can Do was first distributed. It started with about 100 people and has grown to about 250 recipients. Here’s why.
Jay Rosenbek and I are constantly reading and noting the most profound offenses against the well-being of our country, state and local community. Every week or so, we compile a handful of topics and write up a concise summary of a topic and list actions that even busy people can take. We call it activism for busy people and strive to provide doable tasks that can be accomplished in ten minutes.
Often the actions are calls to legislators with phone numbers and scripts. For local issues, we provide meeting dates and suggested emails to local leaders about topics that have significant impact. We also summarize local protests and rallies and how to participate. For a deeper dig into a topic, we provide attachments or links. Our messages are based on reputable reporting sources that are referenced. In other words, we do the digging that makes it possible for each email reader to be a part of the push-back.
The feedback has been positive. One person said she comes home from work, puts down her car keys, and makes calls. Several people have said that doing something keeps them sane. Some people have said that their health does not allow them to protest, but they faithfully make calls. That’s the whole idea. Everybody can do something. To be silent is to be complicit. We will not be complicit.
If you live in Gainesville the most important thing you can do between now and Nov. 4 is to vote in the special election. There is one item on the ballot. For the third time, we have a referendum on GRU. A YES vote would remove the state from our city charter, return control of GRU to our local elected officials and kick out the governor appointed Authority members.
They have cancelled a contract for a 75mw solar array, cancelled net metering that makes residential solar more affordable and abandoned a plan to transition to renewable energy. They do not meet the qualifications required by law, as outlined in the What You Can Do message sent on Sept. 29. They do not reflect Gainesville values. If you are a GRU customer who lives outside city limits, you won’t be able to vote in the city election. But you can sure encourage your Gainesville friends to vote YES on the referendum.
The state forced us to remove rainbow crosswalks. They have inserted ICE into our county. They have changed what books our children can read and made it illegal to support diversity. We have a chance to tell them loud and clear that we want our utility back. That’s what we can do.
To join What You Can Do or get more information on the GRU referendum, contact me at jgcommunity@gmail.com. Gainesville is a caring community. WYCD reflects our closeness. We welcome you.