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Bill authorizing Drilling w/in 3 miles filed last night

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In the ad I would also suggest that reps who voted yes are being bought with special interest money by an anonymous group.
 
What about running ads in every region where a rep voted for the drilling? Real common sense message with facts that make the case for why this is bad for FL-

The revenue promised far exceeds what any other state has realized, no jobs are promised, the cost of gas will NOT go down, there are numerous documented instances of spills even with the new equipment/technology, states that allow drilling have tarballs on their beaches, etc

The problem with this idea is the cost of ads. There is no way a grassroots effort will ever be able to compete with the oil industry in ads. There is no fundraising component to Hands Across the Sand. The grassroots can't compete on that level.

I've been trying to think of things that people could do to get their attention.

First, the special election for Matt Gaetz on the 23rd comes to mind. I know his opponents virtually gave up when he managed to raise (with no political experience) a heretofore unheard of amount of money for the Florida House in the first quarter -- $110,000 more than his closest opponent. It goes without saying that most of that money came from outside his district and his daddy's lobbyist contacts probably helped a bit. All of his opponents are Republican, but I am not sure if any of them are opposed to drilling. If so, maybe a money bomb and an outpouring of volunteers to get this one seat would make the political establishment rethink the assumption that supporting oil drilling is a politically safe bet.
Kabe Woods, Republican, for State House Representative, District 4

Another thought is a mass change of voter registration. I think a big reason our legislators don't listen to their constituents is because the Republican party is so dominant in this region. The party is a virtual political machine. Once a Republican is elected, his seat is virtually guaranteed for as long as he wants it. It's much more of a risk to anger the party leadership than to anger your constituents. It's almost as easy to change your voter registration as it is to send an email to your legislators. The best part of a change of registration is that it will actually send a message to the party leadership as well as the representative.
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Wear your Hands t-shirt a lot.

Anyone else have any ideas?
 
The problem with this idea is the cost of ads. There is no way a grassroots effort will ever be able to compete with the oil industry in ads. There is no fundraising component to Hands Across the Sand. The grassroots can't compete on that level.

I've been trying to think of things that people could do to get their attention.

First, the special election for Matt Gaetz on the 23rd comes to mind. I know his opponents virtually gave up when he managed to raise (with no political experience) a heretofore unheard of amount of money for the Florida House in the first quarter -- $110,000 more than his closest opponent. It goes without saying that most of that money came from outside his district and his daddy's lobbyist contacts probably helped a bit. All of his opponents are Republican, but I am not sure if any of them are opposed to drilling. If so, maybe a money bomb and an outpouring of volunteers to get this one seat would make the political establishment rethink the assumption that supporting oil drilling is a politically safe bet.
Kabe Woods, Republican, for State House Representative, District 4

Another thought is a mass change of voter registration. I think a big reason our legislators don't listen to their constituents is because the Republican party is so dominant in this region. The party is a virtual political machine. Once a Republican is elected, his seat is virtually guaranteed for as long as he wants it. It's much more of a risk to anger the party leadership than to anger your constituents. It's almost as easy to change your voter registration as it is to send an email to your legislators. The best part of a change of registration is that it will actually send a message to the party leadership as well as the representative.
Update Registration

Wear your Hands t-shirt a lot.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Tarring and feathering comes to mind. Get it? Dam* 21st century sellout PO$ scalawags:angry: Its on!:ninja:
 
Rapunzel, you might be surprised how affordable airing ads can be. Regional cable systems only charge $5 to $20 each time an ad runs. I believe it is $60 to run an ad during oprah here on our ABC affiliate. Food for thought...
 
Write letters to the editors of all the newspapers (copy the radio and TV station program managers). We suffer from a smaller media market around here; but, if everyone who stood on the beach on February 13 would write to the local editor, it would get their attention. It is a easy and cheap thing to do. The key is to continually bombard the message of no drilling.

go to Tallahassee (or the District office) and sit down with the staff of each member of the Northwest Florida delegation. Often, reaching the staff of a Member is more effective than talking to him or her.

Persuade business owners who oppose drilling to write and talk with staff and members. Republicans listen to business people more than anyone else.

It is going to be hard to break through the arrogance of our delegation, but it is possible if we are consistent and unrelenting.
 
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Rapunzel, you might be surprised how affordable airing ads can be. Regional cable systems only charge $5 to $20 each time an ad runs. I believe it is $60 to run an ad during oprah here on our ABC affiliate. Food for thought...
Count me in for a $100 donation and, oh BTW, I'm a registered Republican. This is NOT a party issue.
 
Private investigators might be a better use of funds. I'm just sayin'. ;-)
 
Count me in for a $100 donation and, oh BTW, I'm a registered Republican. This is NOT a party issue.

Andy A., you are right. It is not a partisan issue. It's an entrenchment issue. The party affiliation suggestion was meant to be more of a wake up call -- to say, if you continue to ignore the interests of your constituents, you cannot assume we will continue to support your candidates. It doesn't have to impact the way you vote. Heck, change it back after the session.

But, it is a party issue. In the era of gerrymandered districts the party has a disproportionate amount of power in these non-competitive districts. It's true of the Democratic districts in south Florida, and it is true of the Republican districts in the Panhandle. There is a reason that they are not listening, and are determined to go forward with wildcat scheme to risk our environment and destroy the scenic beauty that fuels tourism. They aren't responsive to voters, they are responsive to the party/political establishment because in a gerrymandered district, the party -- not the people -- is the source of their power.
 
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