How to build large, skilled, powerful teams of volunteers for political change — Idaho’s government is not working for everyone. Instead, it’s focused on helping the rich and well-connected at the expense of working families and communities. …

Urge Governor Little to veto SB1110 and protect our initiative rights —

An epic contrast of government focused on normal people vs corporations and the wealthy — When I boarded my flight from Boise to Norway in January 2010, I had very little idea what was in store for me. My best friend and I were about to study abroad at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway’s southernmost city. I had picked Norway almost at random. My rationale — I wanted to study…

A strategy to change the balance of power — Idaho is dominated by one political party. The real contests in our state are within the Republican Party, between their moderate and extreme factions. Democrats have not been able to viably contest power in decades. …

And the impressions they left on me — Break ’Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money (Zephyr Teachout) This book made a huge impression on me. I would have said I was pretty concerned about monopolies and corporate consolidation before, but after this book, I’m 5x more concerned. I heard about it because my friend Luke Mayville was reading it. Ready Player Two (Earnest Cline)

If you can’t mobilize now, research for future success — My first “movement experience” came from Cole Valley Speaks. I caught the bug, and I knew I needed to continue being a part of these powerful expressions of injustice and demands for change. …

A blog for widely sharing stories, methods, inspiration, and confidence — (TL;DR — Sign up here to get fresh people power content in your inbox.) I’ve spent the last year thinking about ways to politically transform Idaho. When I look at how our state decides how society should work, I see a scale symbolizing a balance of power. On one side is money, and on the other side are people. Money is winning…

Go beyond what you can do yourself. Create a team. — I grew up in Idaho, but it wasn’t until 2016 that I decided I wanted to make it my longterm home. I loved Boise, our public lands, our cost of living, and many aspects of our culture. But I hated Idaho’s politics. Ultimately, I decided that was a tradeoff I had to live with because…

Documentary teaser, online petition, upcoming barbecue, and organizer reflections — The original blog post was published one year ago, today, on February 13, 2019. This post commemorates the beginning of Cole Valley Speaks, and it kicks off the next phase of our movement. Items Below — The first teaser trailer for our documentary, Let’s Pray About It Our online petition — Stop Stonewalling…