For SF specifically, the obvious ways I can think of to "learn where the levers are" would be attending Joel Engardio's SF Politics 101 seminar (his recent election to supervisor is some evidence that he actually knows something!) and the City Guardians Academy political candidate training (led by the school board recall organizers). An Ezra faction wouldn't be totally aligned with these folks, but it would be closer to them than to the other existing city factions.
Great post, I think you raise excellent ideas about building an Abundance centered movement and even the basis for a political machine. I’d like to share my personal experience, which I think speaks to what you wrote.
The distributed nature of online social and political circles lends itself to diffused power and more importantly headcount as a movement. I’m perhaps the only person in my local social scene, centered around sports, who openly talks about issues related to housing and failing local governance, largely democratic and NIMBY, in my community in the South Bay region.
The most reliable way for me to connect with likeminded peers is online, with little to none of that translating into IRL political action. I’ve managed to get my closest friends on discord servers onboard and engaged with the issues. I’m tapped into YIMBY activist networks, I’ve engaged people on substack like academics and other writers, but I have no real political reach in my city. That’s not to mention my activity on Ezra Klein’s subreddit forum, I’m doing what I can to discuss and engage others with these ideas.
An abundance movement needs to create a political machine to support a grassroots movement. I’m interested in that because I’m personally at the cusp of leaving my home state over housing, inequality. I’ve not become active because I’d have to start from scratch, as the sole CA YIMBY/Abundance allied lead in my city, Santa Clara. Risking social capital among friends, peers, and time away from my profession in its infancy. I suspect I am not alone feeling this way. The YIMBY movement in the south bay is losing activist leaders, that can’t be good for an abundance movement either.
oh man oh man! This is the work! I like the idea of the union. I know that my pals at the sunrise movement were considering moving to a due-paying structure. It reminds me of Jane McAlevy's unbreakable solidarity: it's the kind of networks we need to build to make lasting durable change, let alone raise the funds to reclaim a city. And I can't say there's an agenda for which I'd rather fight, tooth-and-nail, and actually more than fight, gather people around, because it's victory for all. Talk soon, I hope.
Yes, US government is important when it comes to stimulating economic growth ! It allowed Amazon for many years to sell without having to add sales tax. Currently Jef Bezos sails the seven seas in a $ 500 Million boat.
For SF specifically, the obvious ways I can think of to "learn where the levers are" would be attending Joel Engardio's SF Politics 101 seminar (his recent election to supervisor is some evidence that he actually knows something!) and the City Guardians Academy political candidate training (led by the school board recall organizers). An Ezra faction wouldn't be totally aligned with these folks, but it would be closer to them than to the other existing city factions.
Great post, I think you raise excellent ideas about building an Abundance centered movement and even the basis for a political machine. I’d like to share my personal experience, which I think speaks to what you wrote.
The distributed nature of online social and political circles lends itself to diffused power and more importantly headcount as a movement. I’m perhaps the only person in my local social scene, centered around sports, who openly talks about issues related to housing and failing local governance, largely democratic and NIMBY, in my community in the South Bay region.
The most reliable way for me to connect with likeminded peers is online, with little to none of that translating into IRL political action. I’ve managed to get my closest friends on discord servers onboard and engaged with the issues. I’m tapped into YIMBY activist networks, I’ve engaged people on substack like academics and other writers, but I have no real political reach in my city. That’s not to mention my activity on Ezra Klein’s subreddit forum, I’m doing what I can to discuss and engage others with these ideas.
An abundance movement needs to create a political machine to support a grassroots movement. I’m interested in that because I’m personally at the cusp of leaving my home state over housing, inequality. I’ve not become active because I’d have to start from scratch, as the sole CA YIMBY/Abundance allied lead in my city, Santa Clara. Risking social capital among friends, peers, and time away from my profession in its infancy. I suspect I am not alone feeling this way. The YIMBY movement in the south bay is losing activist leaders, that can’t be good for an abundance movement either.
Very good. Eager to support!
oh man oh man! This is the work! I like the idea of the union. I know that my pals at the sunrise movement were considering moving to a due-paying structure. It reminds me of Jane McAlevy's unbreakable solidarity: it's the kind of networks we need to build to make lasting durable change, let alone raise the funds to reclaim a city. And I can't say there's an agenda for which I'd rather fight, tooth-and-nail, and actually more than fight, gather people around, because it's victory for all. Talk soon, I hope.
I opened this thinking it would be about Ezra Pound
Yes, US government is important when it comes to stimulating economic growth ! It allowed Amazon for many years to sell without having to add sales tax. Currently Jef Bezos sails the seven seas in a $ 500 Million boat.