September 17, 2014
One of the questions public interest groups working in the Capitol regularly ask is: How can we be more effective in influencing the legislature and agencies?
Given that public interest groups like ours don’t have the buckets of money to contribute to candidates and caucuses that private interests do, the answer to this question focuses on employing grassroots action.
It is this: We can be more effective by getting the right people who share our views elected, and then holding them accountable.
Earlier this year, we asked our members to help us get the right people elected by pledging to volunteer 10 hours to a political campaign this fall. Within just a few days, 120 had taken the pledge. Now we are working to make sure these great volunteers—most of whom have never volunteered in a campaign—are connected to the right candidates and put to work walking precincts, phone banking, leafleting, registering voters, or tabling at events.
There are still more than six weeks of this political campaign season left, so there’s still time for you to take the pledge. But if campaign volunteering isn’t your bag, there’s something else you can do to help get the right candidate into office: Vote and tell everyone you know to vote for the people who will make a difference for the environment.
You can find on our website the list of legislative and statewide candidates who Sierra Club California endorses. These are candidates who have a good track record on environmental issues and can be counted on to act for the environment once elected.
The Club takes endorsements seriously, and the endorsement process involves dozens of volunteers who cull through questionnaires and interview candidates. We don’t make endorsements in every race, but just in those races where we think there are candidates who can and will make a positive difference for the environment.
And while we love all of our endorsees equally, two deserve special note: Betty Yee, a candidate for Controller, and Alex Padilla, a candidate for Secretary of State. Both of these candidates currently hold public office, but are running for statewide office for the first time. They are running for seats for which there is no incumbent. They bring a lot of strong experience, but are not widely known throughout the state.
In their current jobs, both Betty Yee (a member of the Board of Equalization) and Alex Padilla (a state Senator) have been there for the environment, especially when it has meant the most. And both are now in competitive races. If their opponents for Controller and Secretary of State win, the outcomes for the environment will be much different than if Yee and Padilla win.
Life makes a lot of demands and it can be hard to fit in the time it takes to study a ballot and mail it in after October 6 or to actually go to the polls on November 4.
This year, though, your vote will matter. As we saw in the primary, when Betty Yee won by fewer than 500 votes, votes by Club members make a difference,
So, again, if you can volunteer just 10 hours in a campaign, sign up to take the pledge. But whether you can volunteer or not, vote. Vote for the environment and for candidates who support the environment. Just vote.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Phillips
Director
Sierra Club California is the Sacramento-based legislative and regulatory advocacy arm of the 13 California chapters of the Sierra Club.
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