#local government

[reasonsforhope]

"After a year of the statewide fee on single-use plastic bags, the Eco-Cycle recycling center in Boulder estimates between 1.5 billion and 1.8 billion fewer plastic bags were used in Colorado in 2023.

The center anticipates a greater reduction in use in 2024 as businesses phase out the use of single-use plastic bags in most cases.

Eco-Cycle calculated its estimate by taking the number of plastic bags each American uses per year on average — 365, according to National Geographic— and factoring Colorado’s population, along with reduction estimates from several local communities.

Randy Moorman, Eco-Cycle’s director of policy and community campaigns, said the reduction is crucial because single-use plastic bags are the number one contaminant found in Colorado’s rivers and streams. They also are not able to be fully recycled and instead have to be “down-cycled” into other products...

Businesses in Colorado have until June to use whatever single-use plastic bags they already have while still collecting the 10-cent fee. The collected fees are divided between the business and the local government to fund green initiatives. Denver, for example, has collected $5 million for its special revenue fund since its fee was implemented in 2021.

Becky Goyton, an education coordinator with Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency, said the money has funded many environmental initiatives, including the purchase of reusable bags for residents and sustainable products for small businesses. Unlike most budgetary matters, Goyton celebrates the decline in revenue to the fund.

“Having some revenue to do some great projects and reinvest in the community is wonderful, but it’s not our goal,” Goyton said. “Our goal is to see that fee go down and that revenue go down because that means more people are bringing their own bag and less disposable bags are being put out into the community.”

In addition to single-use plastic bags, Colorado businesses are also required to phase out Styrofoam containers this year. Like with plastic bags, businesses are permitted to use already-purchased Styrofoam products but cannot obtain any more."

-via ABC Denver7, January 11, 2024

--

And further progress just kicked in at the beginning of this year:

"[On January 1, 2024], the next phase of Colorado's plastic bag ban takes effect. The next step for HB21-1162 is that stores will no longer have plastic bags at all. They will only offer recyclable paper bags which will still be 10 cents each. Stores that already have stock of plastic bags already, can use those up before making the transition...

Businesses that don't comply can face up to $500 in fines for a second violation and up to $1,000 in fines for a third and subsequent violation."

-via ABC Denver 7, December 25, 2023

[thoughtportal]

please show up to your local government meetings. they are counting on people now showing up and seeing what they are doing.

[whats-the-word-again]

YIPPEEEE I’m so happy!! Okay so-

I applied to my city’s youth pride advocacy group thing. It works with policy making, making a change, letting young queer voices be heard, hosts events and talks, even appears in government sometimes; overall having a big impact of the safety and advocacy for young queer people in my part of the state annddddd…

I GOT IN!! 🥳🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

I’d like to thank and appreciate Lord Hermes to whom I wished to for good luck on the day of my interview, Lord Dionysus for helping me keep my confidence up, and mostly Lord Ares for giving me the rush of courage to even apply, and for being in my presence each step of the way 🫶♥️

(PS- I know I’ve been talking about Ares a lot on here recently but he’s been making such and impact so be ready for more lol)

[allegorechoquilts]

Our city’s Parks and Rec department has a community garden/farm/playground that is totally 100% free. You can go once a day and get your allotment of veggies and herbs based on what the yield looks like. There is no limit to how often you can visit, some people go every day and get their free fresh veggies!

At the end of the picking season it’s a free for all with no limit on free produce. This is what we picked today!

I think this is such an incredible resource that my city offers, I love our little home so much! This is why government funded programs are important!

[philosophicalconservatism]

Observation.

The fact that the ideas of the far Left do not work from a practical standpoint is yet another reason that the Left seeks federal power. Federal power mitigates the damage that these ideas do. Control of the money "printing press" means the ability to continually offset and delay the negative consequences of your decisions. When far Left ideas are simply left to function on their own, in cities on the local level, things quickly go awry. Federal power masks the harm. It was actually more federal money (not suitable border policy) that local Democrats like Mayor Eric Adams of New York were looking for recently from the President; money to support their sanctuary city policies. President Biden fortunately opted for a more realistic solution this time, after initially setting the welcome mat which encouraged the original crisis.

The fruit of Left-wing social policies and crime policies can be seen locally in blue cities across the country. But I think that New York is one of the most fascinating examples because there we can see the cause and effect more vividly than we can anywhere else. Each time the city has changed hands politically we have seen the tangible results. Liberals reigned over the city for over 20 years straight throughout the 70's and 80's, presiding over the worse crime wave in its modern history (we're talking murder rates 5 times higher than today). Many of its inner city neighborhoods visually resembled third world countries; President Ronald Reagan was left speechless upon visiting the South Bronx. They are conditions that would not even be tolerated in the city today.

The seismic shift came about when Mayor Rudy Giuliani was elected in the 1990's and remained in power for 8 years. He was followed by Michael Bloomberg who ran as a Republican and kept most of Giuliani's policies in place. The city soon became unrecognizable, but in a good way. New York eventually obtained the reputation of one of "America's safest big cities". Times Square which was once a no man's land after dark became a family spot. But ultimately the first Democrat in years was elected as Mayor in 2014. In just 4 years people were already discussing the deterioration of the city. Today it is a topic of discussion outside of the city.

Why would we turn our national government over to policies and to ideologies that we have seen we cannot turn our cities over to?

[scrambledpancakes03]

Before the presidential debate...

I've got some thoughts.

While I know that even the "best" presidential outcome feels like a loss at this point, you do have to vote.

I totally understand not wanting to vote for Joe. There are a lot of reasons for that, some more valid than others. That's not my point rn. There's many genocides happening: read how joe is handling it from verified sources and make your own choices, I trust you'll do what you think is right. I'll just be here full of endless dread no matter what...

But for fucks sake before we all lose hope please remember...

Vote down ballot.

Conservatives win repeatedly all over the country and have been able to make life substantially harder for every individual working person, especially those with marginalized statuses... and it's not primarily due to the shit they've pulled in the Oval Office... it's because they're getting elected to sheriff's offices and school boards and zoning commissions and STATE LEGISLATURES.

Don't let your disillusionment with the president keep you from showing up for candidates you won't hear about from national news... because they are the ones who can save us.

Without progressives, leftists, and even more moderate liberals in local offices, every aspect of life gets substantially harder. Local programs shut down, public services are cut from city budgets, and police keep getting more and more absurd militarized resources. And in that environment, how would we ever stand in solidarity with people suffering around the world? Or even people marginalized here in the US?

Here are some (but not all) elected offices that may be on your ballot in the fall that need your attention in no particular order:

1. Secretary of state: oversees the states record keeping... including voting. Don't let them be fascists.

2. School Board: they decide pretty much everything to do with public school's funding, curriculum, and sometimes even personnel matters or district geography. They decide what your kids learn, where, how, and with whom. Don't let them be bigots.

3. District Attorney/Prosecutor: they decide what crimes have charges brought against them, and in what manner. They're the difference between a teenage kid being tried as an adult or a child for a felony, as well as other matters like that. Don't let them be racist.

4. Sheriff: have insane amounts of power over how criminal investigations are conducted and how a community is policed. FOR FUCKS SAKE STOP ELECTING RACISTS. Also we should just... reconsider the concept and maybe try not having sheriff offices at all. But that's a whole different goal.

5. Planning and zoning commissions: if you are struggling to get housing or stay housed, they are the reason there is little to no affordable housing in your area, because they decide what gets built or maintained in your area. Businesses, parks, houses... yeah. Don't let them be corporate puppets.

6. Public works commission: they control the utilities, the water, the trash, and the recycling. This is one of the main places the environmental movement should be looking to make change. They write regulations that can be used and enforced to reign whole groups of people and corporations in to make real collective change in the way we generate power, consume resources, and manage waste. They are also how we prevent more crisis situations like the one in Flint, MI.

7. City, state, and federal legislators. They write the laws. They appropriate the spending of your tax money. Stop narrowing your focus to the federal executive branch when the left needs to gain momentum writing laws at every level. Don't discount local change, because it adds up.

I know we are all focused on the genocides going on around the world right now. The best way we can continue helping as November comes and goes, is to elect local leaders who will support global liberation by writing laws and regulations that protect our free speech, ensure the quality and equity of our education, and commit to divestment from violence all over the world.

Okay? We all got this?

Can we all just agree to do this part, and we can fight about biden separately, please?

TLDR: Fuck you, vote in all the local races.

[alwaysbewoke]

[havegaysex]

For the record I think people who aren't voting to be much worse and dangerous for democracy at large than people who protest vote.

[sbrown82]

The Supreme Court and local government has killed Affirmative Action and DEI programs. Mediocre whites can now rest easier!!!

[thoughtportal]

please show up to your local government meetings. Join your local boards and commissions. Most cities will have agendas of what will be talked about in the meetings and when they are. You can find applications to join your local boards and commissions

[screechingsandwichhologram]

town meetings r where all residents of a town meet to vote / discuss laws / bills / etc. all resididents, not just representatives can talk. wikipedia article here

wikipedia says that this only happens in new england which is. very strange to me. what do you dooo ?????? so i'm asking for confirmation

pls reblog for a bigger sample size and also if you wouldn't mind say where you r from and what you do instead i suppose ?

[danny4xb]

Community groups, charities and even small groups of neighbours would be able to cultivate fruit and vegetables on suitable council land in what campaigners say will provide healthy local food, boost mental health and revive neglected spaces.

Hull councillors unanimously passed the “right to grow” motion that means the council will produce a map of suitable land it owns and help those who want to grow food on it overcome practical obstacles such as insurance or provision of water for the plants.

[bitstitchbitch]

I shall be writing letters to my state representatives this weekend because Moms for Liberty basically just told my public library system that they are the next book ban target, so uh wish me luck with that I guess

[ceevee5]

Local government will run out of money if Starmer doesn’t restore some funding from central government. Thurrock, Croydon, Birmingham, Nottingham and Woking will only be the beginning.

[originalleftist]

City Governments Are Coordinating Plans To Resist If Trump Wins And Fulfils His Promise To Deploy Troops Against Their Cities:

I don't care for the Guardian these days, they've had some very questionable takes, but people need to understand this.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE US ARE PREPARING TO RESIST IF TRUMP DEPLOYS THE MILITARY TO TAKE OVER THEIR CITIES AND ROUND UP THEIR PEOPLE.

Though some will undoubtedly feel otherwise, this is not hyperbole nor panic, nor is it treasonous. It is, unfortunately, a measured and necessary response to what the Republican nominee has campaigned on doing. Better to have contingency plans and not need them, than need them and not have them.

They're also not talking about violent resistance, probably for obvious reasons, and I imagine that the initial attempts to resist would be administrative or through the courts or legislatures. I also expect, however, that Trump would respond to any such defiance with escalating force. And the comments by Philadelphia DA Krasner seem to hint at an awareness of where this could ultimately end.

"Krasner predicted that Trump would face severe blowback if he tried to carry out any of his menaces. "We're not going to let somebody carry out a coup as soon as he's in office, whether with tanks or on paper. My father served in World War Two, and countless Americans died to resist fascism. If anybody tries to orchestrate a coup they're going to encounter tremendous resistance."'

In a horrible way, I find it reassuring that they talking about this, that they are taking this seriously, that they're making plans now, rather than just hoping that everything will work out. Because once troops are being deployed on streets, it'll be far too late to plan. At least we won't be caught flat-footed. This is noting less than their duty- as local government to protect their constituents, and as Americans to defend the Constitution.

But it's shocking that we're here, and this could be unimaginably horrific.

Far, far better to stop him now, in November. While we still can.

It is also past time for Unions to be making general strike plans in the event of a coup/attempted dictatorship. A number of unions made such plans in the event of a coup in 2020, but they thankfully never needed to be used. If you're in a union, see what you can do to push things in this direction, if your union isn't already preparing for it.

And if you're in the military, I hope that you are thinking hard about how far you are prepared to follow orders, what risks you are willing to take to defend our Constitution not just against external enemies, but internal ones, and where your loyalty truly lies.

PS: Any Tankies/Marxists/Anarchists reading this who are giddy at the prospect of finally getting your Revolution if Trump wins- You may think that civil war is all games or theory, or you may truly believe that it'll be worth it to lead to whatever better society you imagine, or maybe you just hate the world and want it to burn to the ground. But the reality is that if Trump becomes President, millions of people-mainly marginalized, vulnerable people, not the rich and powerful-could die horribly. To say nothing of the very real possibility that your side could LOSE. Or that we'll be basically burning the country instead of working on addressing climate change.

Let this be our wakeup call. Stop it now. Please.