Local Government – Page 4 – Glen's Parallax Perspectives

Sign up now for 6 exciting, practical workshops to help you organize more effectively for the climate.

February 3, 2020 GlenAnderson 0

Sign up now for 6 exciting, practical workshops to help you organize more effectively for the climate. Thurston Climate Action Team (www.thurstonclimateaction.org) is sponsoring Glen Anderson’s series of 6 exciting, practical workshops on 6 Tuesdays from March 3 to April 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at a convenient Olympia location. Each 2-hour session shares some of the smartest, most workable principles, strategies, methods and examples to help you build a much more effective nonviolent grassroots movement for the climate. While these workshops are relevant for any issue, the group exercises for developing movement-building goals, strategies, outreach, messaging, etc., will […]

While we work seriously on the climate crisis, let’s also be open to humor and satire.

November 9, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

When you buy your new pickup truck, include the “Sea-Level Rise Suspension Package” Buy the Sea-Level-Rise Suspension Package for your next vehicle.docx When sea level rise covers downtown Olympia, here is something we might do: Scientists keep revising estimates of climate disruption upward – and their time-frame more urgent. You’ve probably seen some of the serious reports from the world’s most knowledgeable climate experts. Very often they issue newer reports saying that the crisis is rapidly getting worse. The newer reports say that extremely serious disruptions and damage will occur sooner than they had been expecting. Those two […]

Wow! See how this big business tries to bully Lewis County! Their e-mail exposed their corporate playbook.

October 6, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

This non-profit org’s e-mail explains what’s been happening. Perhaps you already know. See this interesting news from Lewis County. I clicked the link in this sentence: The Daily Chronicle, like any good media outlet, published the email. See the Centralia newspaper’s article at this link: http://www.chronline.com/news/crystal-geyser-mistakenly-emails-chronicle-randle-bottling-project-likely-dead/article_cd562296-a434-11e9-85e8-03a953d811a6.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=70742fc1-ddac-4a06-b7c4-7e7199a7ca7c

Chicago’s people organize for a municipally owned electric utility to replace the capitalist one

October 6, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

We need PROFOUND DEMOCRACY in many ways. Certainly in our political functioning, but also we need our ECONOMICS to be profoundly democratic. We can replace capitalistic businesses with publicly owned alternatives that will serve the people as their top priority instead of exploiting people in order to serve rich stockholders. Decades ago when Dennis Kucinich was the very young mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, he became famous nationwide by protecting Cleveland’s publicly owned electric utility from being sold to a private corporation. My June 2019 TV program explains “Why the Public Should Own Our Electric Utilities.” Watch the interview and/or read […]

What bold, positive realities would you want for 4 years from now?

October 6, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

I am always encouraging people to envision and organize bold goals for a significantly better future. Recently I posted to my blog this article inviting us to do that: http://parallaxperspectives.org/lets-boldly-create-the-future-we-really-want-2 Now I invite you to take the next step. Please read (or re-read) that blog post and send me your e-mail suggestions for this topic: What bold, good reality would you want for four years from now — October 2023? Instead of feeling constrained by the current conditions that are bogging our nation down and curtailing our imaginations, I invite you to BOLDLY AND CREATIVELY IMAGINE the future you really […]

“Replace Negativity and Centrism with Bold Progress.”

September 27, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

A great many issues are important, but neither of the two big political parties is doing nearly enough to solve these problems. While voting has some value, the most progress in solving problems will occur when ordinary people organize nonviolently, strategically, and vigorously from the grassroots. The article I am attaching below fleshes this out briefly. For more information, see resources I’ve posted to this blog’s “Organizing” category. During 2019 The Olympian is publishing five op-eds that I am writing. The one at this link was published in the newspaper on Fri. Sept. 27, 2019: BOC — 2019.09.19 — FINAL […]

Our political culture keeps praising militarists. Why don’t they thank peace organizers?

September 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The Port of Olympia issued a news release celebrating military troops and saying that the Port, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Olympia Yacht club will loudly blow sirens and horns to “salute the troops” on at 7:45 a.m. on September 6, 2019. Law enforcement agencies and a variety of other local entities and power centers would supportively participate. Mainstream America and powerful sectors within the U.S. want to “support the troops.” I’m still waiting for nearly 50 years for any local governments to celebrate Conscientious Objectors – the many people in the U.S. (such as me) and elsewhere whose […]

Let’s Boldly Create the Future We Really Want!

September 9, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

I wrote this powerful, inspiring essay because we have much more potential for solving problems and creating a better future than most people realize. Regardless of which issues you care about, I encourage you to read the essay at this link: Let’s Boldly Create the Future We Really Want

Baltimore’s bad housing? Jared Kushner is one of the WORST SLUMLORDS!!!

August 10, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Trump keeps attacking people of color. In the summer of 2019 he harshly attacked an African-American U.S. Representative (Elijah Cummings) who had criticized Trumps cruel behaviors. Trump took delight in attacking with racism this Congressman from Baltimore. Trump tried to make it seem like Rep. Cummings was responsible for rodents in Baltimore. However, one of Baltimore’s biggest landlords is Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Kushner’s slum buildings have been rat-infested for a long time, and the City of Baltimore repeatedly cites Kushner for violating city housing laws. See this: https://forcechange.com/538646/get-alleged-slumlord-kingpin-kushner-out-of-baltimore-housing-business/

“Houselessness, Human Dignity, and the Right to Survive”

June 30, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The July 2019 interview on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” takes a fresh look at problems and solutions related to homelessness. We dispel some of the myths that interfere with realistic understanding and smart solutions. Instead of talking about it from afar, one of guests (Jamie Joy) actually is homeless. His first-hand experiences and insights help us understand the problems and solutions. Our other guest (Tye Gundel) co-founded a great local grassroots organization — “Just Housing” — in 2016 and has been working effectively with a variety of people and local governments to inform the public, advocate for compassionate and practical solutions, […]

“A City-Owned Electric Utility Would Help Olympia’s People”

May 18, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Local folks are starting to organize a campaign for the City of Olympia and other local cities to replace Puget Sound Energy here with a successful locally owned electric utility that will provide lower rates, better reliability, and sustainable energy – and will be ac-countable to the public instead of foreign stockholders. They plan to gather enough signatures of Olympia voters during the middle part of 2020 to qualify for Olympia’s ballot for the November 2020 election. Here is one page listing four reasons why this would be a good idea: A City-Owned Electric Utility Would Help Olympia’s People […]

Yes, we can organize more effectively at the grassroots for many important issues.

April 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Globally, nationally, and locally, we are confronted with very serious problems. Some people feel overwhelmed and disempowered, so they feel powerless to solve the problems. But that only allows the horrible problems to get worse. I strongly support the opposite approach: Recognize that WE CAN INDEED LEARN HOW TO ORGANIZE EFFECTIVELY at the grassroots level (“Think globally and act locally”) to solve the problems. Sometimes people and organizations merely vent or flail about with random activities without a clear strategy for how to make the political and social changes we want. We can do better than that! Specifically, I seek […]

Powerfully inspiring video (only 7 1/2 minutes) about the Green New Deal — by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

April 23, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Many of my friends urged me to watch this powerfully inspiring short video. Finally I watched it. Now I’m sharing it with you and hope it will “go viral.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/17/we-can-be-whatever-we-have-courage-see-new-video-aoc-envisions-greennewdeal-future The Green New Deal would protect our nation far more effectively than militarism does. The Green New Deal is a proactive way to deal realistically with the serious threats of climate disruption, unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure, depressed local communities, etc. We should slash the Pentagon budget and generously fund the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal has great power to inspire, educate, motivate, and employ many young people along with […]

Here’s how charter schools are scamming the U.S. government and ripping off taxpayers

April 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Conservatives keep wanting to “privatize” everything so businesses can make a lot of money by providing services that governments have been doing. The experience has been that “privatized” services end up costing more and providing worse service. Also, governments are accountable to voters, but businesses are not accountable. This is true in our nation’s educational system too. Vouchers and “charter schools” are vigorously promoted not only because they support capitalism instead of democracy, but also because they allow religious schools to grab taxpayers’ money without having to be fair to the students. Some of these privately owned schools skim off […]

“Ranked-Choice Voting Strengthens Democracy”

April 19, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The May 2019 interview on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” series (see below for info about watching it through your computer or TCTV channel 22) promotes an increasingly popular reform to satisfy voters and improve our elections. To watch the interview, CLICK THIS LINK. To read a thorough summary of what we said in the interview and see links for more information, CLICK THIS LINK. HERE IS A VERY BRIEF SUMMARY: Everybody knows that our nation’s electoral system is broken in many ways. The problems prevent us from having an honest, vibrant democracy. But a number of remedies do exist. The […]