Small Businesses Call for Reform

Today a small Business ad was published across the state of Maine. You can find this ad in the Bangor Daily News, The Kennebec Journal, The Lewiston Sun Journal, and The Portland Press Heard. With over 150 businesses signing on, a statement has been made. Health care reform is just far too costly for small business owners, making reform more than necessary. Reform is very much the business of these owners(punny), and they are making a serious statement in this ad.Senator Snowe and Senator Collins, we need bipartisanship now more than ever.

Also, before it is too late, I would like to wish a Happy Belated Birthday to Sesame Street. Here’s to the Veggie Monster and all of his friends. But wait, before we celebrate, Colbert has uncovered something rather interesting about Sesame Street… Is the program really a plot for a socialism take over? You decide.

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March Away

Wow! What a great day! The rally this afternoon was simply amazing. Final head count had us at 150 people. That’s 150 passionate activist, that’s 150 angry Mainers, and most importantly, that’s 150 Mainers begging for health care reform. This group did a fantastic job getting their message out to the senators, and I think today made it pretty clear that the time for reform is NOW.

I am very envious of Nate’s son. He made his health care march premier, and I cannot think of a better cause to represent in your first march. The little boy was a trooper, and brought in the masses. I honestly think that Jude brought recruited more activists than all of the organizers combined. Once Again, I found myself reflecting on the big picture of this process. Jude’s generation could be introduced to a whole line of opportunities if health care costs are not a concern. They will never have to face the terrifying pre-existing clause, they will not have to worry about losing their health care with a job, and most of all, they will be safe.

We all need to up our game. Write one more letter to your senator, make one more phone call, scratch up one more LTE, or even just contact your local community organizer. We can make an impact.

Now for the daily Palin comment: I positively cannot wait to see the Palin Oprah interview. I give Palin 5 minutes into the interview until she realizes that Oprah was a major backer of Obama. Now the real question, will Palin storm out or just take time to talk about her million dollar idea… sell ice cubes to Eskimos.

Jon Stewart calls out Fox News

Well Jon Stewart has done it again. Less than a week ago it was the perfect impersonation of Glenn Beck, now he goes for Hannity. Time to bring out the Stewart-Colbert ’08 shirts again! Stewart throws Fox Noise under the bus, showing the “footage” from the tea party rally a week ago. Or was the footage from that rally? Hannity actually plugged in footage that came from a rally from two months ago. I can hear Sean Hannity singing the Brittany song now, Oops I did it again. This is why cable news will be the next epidemic in America. Just read the New York Times… for democracy’s sake. Thank you Jon for a good afternoon laugh, Stewart-Colbert ’16.(Because we know Obama will get that second term)

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This is Community Organizing

Tonight I was privileged enough to sit in on the Androscoggin Activist Council. I saw a group of professional women who truly embodied the nature of activism. Two Cancer Survivors, fighting for reform, accompanied with a group of passionate working women(And they are on our side!). I can really see that group making a strong pull for reform, and change. I can only hope the UMF council can match this groups efficiency.

There have been many moments like this, ones that make me so happy for the worlk I do.

Last week I visited a Government Class that made me very much thankful for my work.  I visited the good ol’ alma mater, Dirigo High School. I was pleased to see that the high school hadn’t fell to ruins without my presence, but I was more pleased to see the High School hadn’t became an episode of Degrassi. Commercialized high school makes me want to vomit. Luckily,  Mr. Nollete‘s class was much more educated than a group of MTV day time television teens. His class exemplified the future in my generation. The true young leaders fighting the struggle between conformity and unlimited possibility. A true group of learners and great prospects for the set Universities.

It’s moments like that, I realize more about why I organize. I fight not only for the millions suffering , but also for the future and hope for the ideal opportunities of another generation. That was a Total Word Economy FAIL. In debate we would say my first argument is I like organizing because I make a difference (but twitter is for that type of efficiency)

Speaking of twitter….

THANK GOD YOU ARE BACK SARAH PALIN! The world has missed your wonderful tweets about your view of Russia, oh and of course, your classic “is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it’s tuna, but it says ‘Chicken by the Sea.” slip up. Now can you please submit your first tweet in your return to the World wide web

Anything else?

March for Health Care Justice

The graphic credit goes to Alec Maybarduk. He had stressed about the graphic design of the campaign but he nailed it.

We have a great event coming up this week. We are holding a March for Health Care Justice in downtown Augusta. This is an attempt to battle the suit that Anthem has filed against the state of Maine. I must say I love when we host events. When you see turn out that you helped create, it gives you such a surreal feeling. Last time Change that Works visited the Kennebec County Courthouse we turned out over 150 passionate Mainers, standing in the pouring rain ready to create change. We are not going away. Carpools are being arranged around the state of Maine and we would love to have you join us.

Today I will be heading down to Portland, to spend time with the wonderful Southern Maine Change That Works team. This week will be primarily devoted to generating a great crowd for this upcoming event. I must say, I LOVE TURNOUT. Generating a large turn out is my anti-drug. I once had a conversation with my brother about this, and we concluded that there is not a greater feeling in this world than having the ability to feel an equal passion, hope, and goal with 150 other people. I can recall my first event on staff, after speaking with Wendell Potter, pausing and thinking to myself, “Oh my god, this is so much bigger than me”. Grassroots activism may be based on the individual, but it certainly extends much further than that. Some lousy Nickelback song had a music video with Margaret Mead and some other big heads that had changed the world(Its a shame that the music soured the good intentions). I bring this up not so we can all remember how similar the 2001 Nickelback song is to the one on the radio today, but instead, to bring up a quote that came from that video.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead. Thank you Margaret for not making that Nickelback video completely suck. I think it is very important to keep in mind that we all must stay committed to what we believe in, we all must journey out to fight for what is right, and most of all we all must stand up together for Equality and Justice. I’ll see you in Augusta on the 12th!!

I’m Actual

I was once told in a cheesy leadership motivational speech that first impressions truly define the individual. I always found it difficult to believe that humans have the super power to evaluate the internal depths of an individual merely on face value. I’ve never been phenomenal at poker, but I know my p-p-p-poker face certainly does not reveal my life story, beliefs, or morals. Somehow we still expect that a full life assessment can be made based on a fashion label or in the case of blogging, a font style. With that said, I am BJ, I hope my font doesn’t offend you.

I have decided to swing into the blogosphere not just for the red solo cup party, but also to introduce an important intrinsic lifestyle that we often disregard. A lifestyle that tells that motivational speaker to consider retiring with his superficial lies, but most of all, a lifestyle of change, hope, and empowerment. My adventures in community organizing have made me realize, despite differing life styles, views, and culture we all share a common goal. Humanity.

I am not a terribly religious person, but in Mid-October I had to privilege listen to the Orthodox Christian Archbishop speak in Portland, ME. The fliers had insisted that he was “the last great thinker of a generation” and typical campaign attempts to push turn outs. Archbishop Lazar Puhalo exceeded the standard that we pitched to the press. Puhalo emphasized the importance of compassion in everyday action. The Archbishop summarized, into one word, why I fight. I fight because of compassion. A simple apple dictionary search labels compassion briefly:

To me compassion goes well beyond this. Compassion isn’t a word that should be defined briefly, but rather a world that ought to be expressed with action. God knows when compassion is paired with hope amazing things happen, including a successful run for presidency. So here is my project, my mission towards becoming more compassionate, I give you The Hope Peddler.