This blog post appears in the October Relocalize Newsletter. See all past newsletters here.

Anyone reading the relocalization, power down or transition town manuals knows a clear action for getting our communities back on the path to sustainable and regenerative living is to run for elected office with these concepts as our platforms. It’s for this reason I’m running for City Council of Pacific Grove in the central coast area of California.

The push to run for city council

Funnily, when I was first approached by some local sustainability advocates about running for city council I said, “Heck No! You’ve got to be kidding!”, for all sorts of reasons. It was a bad time; my business was doing poorly, so was my husbands, my savings account was close to being empty, my kids were having troubles in school, my dogs had problems, too... I’m sure,... grabbing at ideas to steer away from thinking about it further. I dismissed the suggestion and was done with it. But when I laughingly mentioned it to my husband, he promptly decided it was the best thing I could do for the community and my efforts in relocalizing, and urged me to reconsider.

I tested the idea again with a neighbor. She laughed and asked, who pissed me off enough to consider running? I was indignant and said, “No one...I wouldn’t run as a protest candidate. I felt it was my duty as a citizen of this community to offer my services, that it was the ultimate expression of democracy and I was proud and honored to be able to run.” The neighbor looked at me with a face full of surprise and delight and declared that if that was my true intent, she would most certainly vote for me.

And so the process began

I marched myself to the City Managers office and picked up the filing paper work. This daunting pile of forms sent me into fits of hyperventilation which was quelled when a kind-hearted soul volunteered to be my treasurer (my mom) and took half the pile away with her. Another friend offered to manage the volunteer lists and another offered to host a kick-off party. People came out of the wood work to help do certain tasks, breaking the whole into many smaller, more manageable pieces... and the campaign was under way.

Developing a platform

I began to announce my intentions to the larger community. I’m here because I believe I have something positive to offer. I’m here to ensure that we can hand something good to our children. I’m here because we need to do work now to prepare us for the future. I chose to make Peak Oil a small part of the campaign, in fact, I only mentioned it once in my brochure under the title of forming a committee to review our energy dependence. My gut told me I wouldn’t get elected if I ran on that ticket. So it became climate change with a dash of energy independence. But I brought up everything else; plastic bag ban, bike lanes, solar panels, water catchment, ocean conservation, local shopping, emergency preparations and so on.... with the full intent of bringing up Peak Oil once elected and looking to the models San Francisco, Oakland, and Willits are using.

Going Carbon Neutral

We made the campaign “Carbon Neutral”, meaning we calculated everything we made, everywhere we traveled, everything we ate or drink while campaigning, and every time we got on the phone, computer or printer. It’s a big job and it’s managed by The Offset Project. The offset will go to one of our local schools, preferably the high school, so we can keep the project local, but also so the kids can get some hands on in the new green jobs movement. I spoke with Gillian Caldwell of 1 Sky and this type of carbon neutral project has never been done... so even if we lose the election, we ultimately win if the practice gets picked up by other campaigns.

Getting the word out

We made signs, we made brochures, we went to election training's held by local Democrats, we went to Fair Political Practices training, we got endorsed by some papers and not by others, we had a kick off party, we asked for money, we shopped local, we put ads in the paper, we walked door to door, we stood at the post office, we held “coffees”, we went to the town hall forum, we wrote letters to the editor, we tabled at the farmers market. It’s a big race... 8 candidates for 3 vacancies.

I’m the youngest and least knowledgeable about the workings of a council. But the response has been very positive... people know of me from my daily radio show, Tomorrow Matters, and from my co-founding Sustainable Monterey County and more specifically with co-founding Sustainable Pacific Grove. Even though I haven’t been an active member of SPG for some time, people know me and my name. Ultimately it’s about getting your name out there. Good or bad, the more your name appears in the news, on the street, in an email or any where.. the better.

Coping with challenges

It hasn’t been all fun and games. The media hasn’t been friendly, but who really ever expects that? Many long-time residents of this community adamantly oppose my candidacy, citing 4 years of living in an area doesn’t give me the necessary historical knowledge to lead it. Some consider green practices not to be the material of a campaign, but personal lifestyle choices, and “what’s wrong with the environment in our area anyway.... we have a good climate here”. Also, my lack of business experience has concerned many, which I understand to be a true concern, as Pacific Grove is currently in financial crisis. We’ve overcome these concerns by offering me as a part of a palate of candidates. Choose X for their budget qualifications, choose Y for their historical background, and choose Deborah for her green innovation experience. So far it seems to be working.

As much as it sounds like we knew what to do, we didn’t. We talked with folks who had run a campaign before and asked what had worked for them and what didn’t. We set a goal of raising $10,000, but so far have only raised $4,200. We stood on the platform of “Economy, Environment, Equity”, based on the permaculture principles of “People, Profit and Planet”; the triple bottom line. It was clear right from the beginning, if we put environment or equity first, we wouldn’t win.... most folks wanted to know their budget was secure before they wanted to think of environmental or social justice.

I have gone to plenty of council meetings in Pacific Grove, and surrounding towns, but not many before I declared my candidacy and I never sat on a commission. I got some flack for this but very quickly earned respect by learning the current local issues and speaking about them clearly. I read the city’s charter and current budget, I met with the Police Chief, the Mayor, the Museum Director, and the President of the Chamber of Commerce and others. If someone asked me a question I didn’t know, (which was many) I found out the answer and called back right away. I have public speaking and investigative skills which served me very well. I’m a good listener, and if I might say so, I’m fairly charming... all of this has worked in my favor. Most people want to feel heard and witnessed, even if you don’t agree with them... listen, smile warmly, be thankful and touch their arm or back kindly ... it goes a long, long way.

Some advice for those thinking of running

I would suggest if you’re considering running for an elected position, which you might be able to do as early as next fall depending on your local election schedule, then find a city board or commission that needs your help. Check your city’s website and see what they offer... find one that suits your passion and when they meet. Attend a few meetings, see if they have any vacancies and get involved. This way you get to know your community, they get to know you and you can use this experience to build up your confidence for when it’s time to submit your candidacy papers. Also, begin to attend council meetings as regularly as you can, and speak up during the open comment period to make your ideas heard. Someone may embrace your comments and decide to join your campaign.

I joke that as a disciple of the Church of Peak Oil, my ministers: Heinberg, Darley and Hopkins have instructed me to go forth and get elected, much like the religious right must have done 20 years ago. It’s time for us relocalization devotees to be elected so we can make some real policy change and effectively transition our communities to this new energy and climate future.
This is why I’m running for city council. This is why I encourage you to do the same.

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Tomorrow Matters - "Talk radio for a Better Tomorrow" airs weekdays from 2 to 3 pm on KRXA 540 AM based out of Sand City, CA and is available live from the KRXA website at www.krxa540.com. Deborah also led KRXA to became the first Green Certified Radio Station in the Central Coast region through the Monterey Bay Green Business Certification Program. Visit the website, www.deborahlindsay.com, for show details. Contact Deborah by email at decal @ deborahlindsay.com.