Let the Rebooting Begin

-Elizabeth Leventhal

The Bus Project's Rebooting Democracy conference got off to a fiery start this weekend in Welches, OR, on the Western slope of Mt. Hood.

For those who have never heard of the Bus before, our mission is threefold: driving ideas, driving leaders, and driving votes. We engage a new generation in politics, educate them on the issues of the day, and elect a new cadre of progressive legislators.

The engagement part of the weekend got off to an early start Friday morning with a service project re-glazing the windows of the Zig Zag Ranger District building.  The education component was awakened by several cozy and informative Leadership Luncheons around town, while the election aspect got into full swing at the Balloting Caucus Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

Unlike other political conferences, where speakers come to tout their wares  (ie, upcoming re-election campaigns or favorite pet projects), the speakers here came to fire up the crowd about democracy, the kind practiced by the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt, and FDR.

In fact, the weekend gathering opened with speeches by State Senators from competing parties explaining the history of Oregon's Ballot Initiative System and the virtues of the Direct Democracy it allows the citizens of this state to practice.  

I first learned about OR's unique political history while a 3rd year law student at Willamette University, in a Law & Democracy class taught by retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice Hans Linde. It was in this course in which I initially came upon the  ideas and utopian dreams of William S. U'ren, the father of Oregon's citizen initiative process

However, it was not until three years later, at the first Engage Oregon conference in Hood River, that I saw U'ren's thoughts put into action via vigorous debate and several robust rounds of  `sticker' voting. Back then, I walked away with a new appreciation for the job state legislatures do on a daily basis. Deciding what's best for a state of 2 million people is hardly an easy task, especially when forced to choose among several different worthy options.

This weekend, I walked away with a different appreciation, one for the commitment and courage shown by people like Senator Westlund and Bus Project Chair Jefferson Smith - the commitment to fight for the public good, no matter how daunting or difficult a task, and the courage to rise above partisan politics.

As our first evening speaker, David Sirota, reminded us, partisanship has cut a hole in our democracy - a hole big enough to drive a Bus through. But instead of taking advantage of the partisan climate in Salem, the Bus Project has chosen to rise above and beyond it, bringing folks from various parts of the state together, to discuss and vote on 11 progressive ballot measures, from renewable energy,  school funding, and health care to worker paycheck protection and campaign finance reform.

It looks like this weekend's gathering would indeed make Mr. U'ren proud of the legacy he left behind and the hope it holds for a better Oregon.

Consider the re-booting of democracy officially underway.

Oh, and don't forget: Get on the Bus.