Maybe We Should Be Listening More to the People Who Were Disenfranchised Until Relatively Recently
You ever look at the policy positions of the League of Women Voters of Ohio? It’s like porn for people who are into democracy, equality, sustainability and basic decency.
Apportionment/Districting: Support an impartial districting process with opportunity for citizen participation. Support districts that are compact, contiguous, bounded by a non-intersecting line, and follow political boundaries as much as possible.
Oh yeah.
Primary and Secondary Education: Support the use of public funds only for public schools. Support an elected State Board of Education whose responsibility is policy making/planning. Support state education standards as a method of attaining a high- quality education. Support state funding for education that guarantees a realistic and equitable level of per- pupil expenditures, and support local school districts assuming a reasonable share of the financial burden.
Just like that.
Health Equity: Health inequities are differences in health status between different population groups that arise from social conditions where people are born, grow, live, work and age. In increasing health equity, the League supports: legislation requiring an assessment of all proposed legislation as to its impact on health inequities, prior to adoption; expansion of Medicaid; policies and legislation that encourage investment in areas of concentrated poverty; policies and legislation that promote income stability; cooperation between state, county and local governments with non-profits; and investing in policies, legislation and programs that help break the cycle of poverty.
You know what I like.
Solid Waste: Support the philosophy that solid waste, from generation to ultimate disposal, must be purposefully and systematically controlled by all levels of government in order to provide efficient service, protect the environment, and achieve successful resource recovery. Support measures to forestall depletion of our natural resources and to recover nonrenewable resources.
yesyesyes
Anyway, support the League if you can. An organization born out of the women's suffrage movement is now basically a clearinghouse of civic virtue. They are nonpartisan. They love democracy. They support the long-term project of making this country live up to its ideals. They are a reminder that we can and must do better.