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. 

Forums, Forums, Forums

The Forum season has begun.  For those who aren’t aware of this local feature on the political landscape, forums are one- or two-Party opportunities to deliver a stump speech and possibly respond to questions from an audience.  Forums are a great opportunity for candidates to not only deliver their message (and differentiate themselves from the competition) but also to hear the concerns and ideas of residents.  At the Democracy for Monroe County forum this week, Council candidates had the opportunity to discuss creating a green economy, defining “progressive”, and the possibility of utilizing a local income tax to make up for a potential revenue stream shortfall (a result of last week’s legislative “reform” of local government).

My answer to the last question is: we don’t know what to expect right now in terms of the future revenue stream for the County.  This is probably one of the most difficult times to even contemplate serving on the Council.  There are more questions than answers in the 700+-page bill passed last week.  A great deal of research is needed.  I’ve downloaded the legislation and I am beginning the process.

The Campaign’s first steps…

Once I committed to running for this office - many months ago - I thought about working with a blog or a forum  during the campaign (and after!) as a means to keep in touch with the voters.  And here it is!  As I walk door-to-door and attend a wide variety of events, I ask people about what matters to them (especially in conjunction with their County government).  I plan to share a number of these relevant stories, situations, insights, and ideas throughout the campaign season. 

While there has been a great deal of discussion (both in the media and in local political circles) about the national race - that Indiana could actually cast a decisive vote in the Presidential primary - there is a considerable amount of excitement at the local level.  The interest in politics is very high this year…and I think this is a good thing.  The fact that there are six Democratic candidates for three County Council seats (and there are six Republicans running for the same seats) means that the campaign season will be rather intensive for any candidate.  The bigger picture is there are twelve people interested in becoming a member of the County Council.  That, to me, is a very positive indicator of citizen engagement in their government.  And the high level of participation and interest in the County Council race is matched in nearly every race.  The more citizens have to choose from, the better.  

Since this is my first blog entry, I would like to say thank you to my partner, Mike Enyeart, for his ongoing support and for enduring all of the changes which a campaign brings to a household.  In addition, I am eternally grateful for my wonderful campaign staff.  I feel encouraged, supported, and well-advised by this group of caring, positive, and (very) energetic people.  We have all worked with each other before on local campaigns - the teamwork is a sight to behold!

And , thank you to Lu Cregar for setting up the campaign website (with the blog, and the calendar) and  Sophia Travis for encouraging me to begin the blog process.

I should thank the readers, too…. whoever you are!  Please chime in with your issues and concerns for your County!

Welcome !

You have found the blog for Julie’s campaign!  Please check back soon - I will be adding information as the campaign progresses.