It has been a great week!

The campaigning continues - with a number of events (it seems!) every night, and door-to-door campaigning, it has taken a week for me to get back to the blog.

This great week culminated in the first Farmers’ market of the season!  As I drove into town this morning, the sun was burning off patchy fog.  It was absolutely lovely to see this over the green fields in my neighborhood.     It is exciting to be back at the Showers Plaza to shop for fresh produce, eggs, dairy, spices, flowers, etc.   I have attended a few of the Winter Market events at Harmonty school this year - and I really appreciated the ability to attend a farmers’ market in February!  But there is something different about being outdoors for a market.  Even though the pickings are slim this time of year (but no less tasty!) with eggs, greens and sweet potatoes available, there were tons of folks at the market today!  The community gathered to reconnect with old friends and to make new ones.  There was also a feeling of hope among the shoppers today - the opening of the market is significant as a clear sign of the arrival olf spring.

All day long today, as I made my way through the city and across the campus, people were outside in droves.  It is like an entirely different community when we are able to enjoy the outdoors in droves.  It is great to emerge from winter!

Today’s event was the forum organized by Citizens for Effective Justice (CEJ) held at the Monroe County Puiblic Library.  Candidates in the Judicial, Commissioner, and County Council races were invited to attend, and to answer specific questions presented by the organization and audience questions as well.  It was difficult not to notice the absence of Republican candidates at the event.  They were invited, but, as a group (apparently) chose not to attend. What a disappointment.

Oversight of the Criminal Justice system (Law Enforcement, the Prosecutor’s office, and the Courts) is a very important part of the County government’s tasks.  The jail is currently over-crowded.  There are proponents of building a new jail on the former Thompson property site.  Others argue that if we build it, we’ll fill it.  The problem, in my view, extends beyond the problem of jail over-crowding.  It is about how we feel as a society about those who are incarcerated.  Yes, we need jails (and prisons) - the safety of our community depends on the incarcertation of offenders (especially those who are violent).  However, we cannot warehouse human beings.  The United Sates has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 1% of our national population in the prison system. 

We need to think much more creatively about how to best re-integrate offenders into our community once they have completed their sentence.  This effort needs to begin while the offender is in jail, and it needs to continue after the inmate’s release. 

I will be writing more about  this issue in the next few days.  But the forum was a great learning event - and there is a great deal more for us to learn!

Women in power, women and power

I attended a lovely early evening event tonight - Women on Board.  The Commission on the Status of Women for the City of Bloomington organizes this annual event at the end of March to celebrate women’s history month.   The emphasis is on women’s leadership and encouraging women in our community to become involved with local boards and commissions.  Civic engagement is the backbone of democratic governance - which is why it is one of my campaign issues. 

 Congratulations to Jillian Kinzie, named the Emerging Leader this year!  Jillian is an inspiration to so many.  Her campaign for City Council District 2 revealed her intelligence and political skill.  As Jillian pointed out in her acceptance speech, it may be time to stop discussing the glass ceiling as the mechanism that keeps women out of positions of power.  Instead, it would be more accurate to see women’s access to power as winding through a labyrinth.

My evening was completed as part of a small-group audience with Chelsea Clinton at the IU auditorium.  It was great to be in a room with Democratic Women’s Caucus members and a good number of active college democrats.  I have such hope for our future!  Ms. Clinton was articulate, thoughtful, and probably the best ambassador for her mother’s presidential campaign.  I am optimistic that local residents will have the opportunity to attend campaign rallies featuring both Democratic candidates.  I look forward to it!

 More on the women in power / women and power in a future entry.