What's Important to Ashlanders? Come Share Ideas!
Join in for We the People (of Ashland, Oregon)'s chance to truly effect change in government structuring. The City of Ashland is re-writing the Ashland City Charter - i.e. the City's Constitution! - (from 1/20/05 to 5/05) from the ground up! The first meeting is being held on Jan 20th and it is in that meeting that the agenda and tone will be set.
The Constitution/Charter of the City of Ashland is being re-done and we want you to say what you want. The government works for us, not the other way around; let's take this chance to make it work that way in the real world!
A City Constitution/Charter explains the legal powers of the corporation (for those of you who don't know, the city is actually a corporation) - the charter defines the economic and decision powers and so forth of the corporation, as well as the official transfer of power from the people to the corporation.
This re-writing of the city charter is our BIG TIME CHANCE to get our heads and hearts together and take our rightful place at the table as valid individuals. Let's meet Sunday, invite people & gather energy and ideas.
It is important that the people make it known that the number one agenda item is the re-formatting of the power-structure to be more responsive to the people. We might best make it clear that the decisions of the people/individuals must be directly responded to.
Come help us define the people's agenda to help re-shape our government to be run based on the will and decisions of "We the People" - where the individuals make the decisions. This will involve the local community showing up - loud and clear - as a formidable force that wants a new structure and format in the charter that includes dialogue by and of the people.
Misc ~ The 1/20 city meeting will be covered by a local Independent New Service - a working group starting to create a local independent news service; it is open to all that are interested. It's mission is to get messages (just like this one) out by the people to the people. Art Bullock put it well when he asked, "What's the most popular part of the paper? The editorials." It points to the importance of and interest in community
dialogue. To find out more, call Art Bullock at 541-488-3366.
ALSO MARK YOUR CALENDARS for 01-20-05! It is of utmost importance that there is a community force at the FIRST CITY CHARTER REVIEW MEETING. Where?/When?: Thurs. 1/20, 7pm-9pm, SOU, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Stevenson Union, The Rogue River Room, use the parking lot on Mountain Avenue at
Henry).
CHECK OUT THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE PUBLIC FORUM DETAILS
at
http://www.ashland.or.us/ccbindex.asp?ccbid=213.
Costs: If possible, please donate $5, or whatever you can, to help cover the room-rental/public service announcement/flyers/handouts etc. If not, no worries... Participation is key... absolutely no one will be turned away.
More Information:
Art Bullock or Joseph McCormick, 541-488-3366
Zenah Blair 541-488-8883 or zenah@firespace.org