Political Season

SierraScape August - September 2002
Back to Table of Contents

By McNeer Dillon

The summer solstice has passed and we move into the political season when elections impend. Now is the time to call attention to political organization and help elect people who will protect our air, water, land, and future.

Really, nothing is more effective at protecting the environment than electing people who care about the environment.

Organizing to achieve good election results is tremendously important. My aim is to encourage Sierra Club members to join in the effort to elect environmental candidates to office in the Missouri Legislature. It is the singular duty of the EMG to support these candidates. Scarcely anyone else even identifies those who are "environmental."

The national Sierra Club focuses exclusively upon federal offices.  It leaves the local elections to local people in each state. Those candidates who represent the legislative districts apportioned to the counties comprising the EMG after the census in year 2000 are left entirely to us by the national club.

That means we have the responsibility to determine whether pro- or anti-environmental people represent our districts in the Missouri Legislature. We may vacate that responsibility or we may work to elect the right kind of candidate.  Those who contribute nothing to the struggle forfeit their rights to complain.

We greatly need volunteers to do mailings, make telephone calls, or go canvassing door to door for environmental candidates. Such volunteers can make the difference for the candidate we favor in various campaigns. You may work for any environmental candidate regardless of the district you live in.

If you will help, we can increase the EMG influence in an endorsed candidate's district and get him or her elected.  Every potential vote for environmental issues we can station in the legislature ahead of the next session is valuable.

Volunteers for political work are asked to call Mac Dillon at 314-862-6239 or email him at pmdillon@mindspring.com and leave your name, telephone number and email address.

The EMG Political Committee not only needs people to work on the campaigns, but people for leadership positions such as:

Tactical Vice-Chairman:

  • organize mailings, telephone banks, GOTV activities
  • organize canvassers in districts
  • organize rallies, marches, demonstrations
  • query MS Access database to produce district lists, telephone lists

Research Vice-Chairman: (computer literacy indispensable)

  • investigate voting records of incumbent candidates
  • track issues and bills in the legislature
  • prepare and mail out issue questionnaires to candidates.
  • analyze responses to questionnaires
  • prepare candidate profiles

Media Contact Vice-Chairman:

  • find writers of opinion editorials related to election
  • get op-ed pieces published
  • issue news releases
  • organize press conferences
  • get political advertisements created and published (when money is available)
  • get press coverage for events such as demonstrations or conferences.

Projects Vice-Chairman:

  • organize and manage Transit Voter Registration Drive
  • support campaign finance reform efforts
  • inform legislators (to maintain contact) regarding environmental issues

Political Finance Vice- Chairman:

  • recruits money raisers
  • plan and organize money raising efforts
  • manage money-raising activities for the EMG contribution to Chapter PAC
  • deal with Compliance Officer (attorney) on issues relevant to money raising.

I urge any EMG members who feel that they have the capabilities to fill any of these leadership positions, to contact me.