*Welcome to the 2nd edition of the National Ballot Initiative News! The inaugural edition is below, for newcomers.
1. Pete Seeger, *who celebrated his 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden May 3,* *endorsed Sen. Gravel's National Initiative for Democracy! See the nice postcard <http://spryeye.blogspot.com/2009/01/pete-seeger-endorses-national.html> he sent.
*2. Coleen Rowley*, TIME's 2002 Person of the Year, also endorsed us. You can "friend her" on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1054955717&ref=ts>, where she is active. Or read her at Huffpost <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/coleen-rowley>.
***3. Ralph Nader, *America's foremost CITIZEN advocate,* *endorsed <http://spryeye.blogspot.com/2009/04/ralph-nader-endorses-my-voteorg-project.html> the National Initiative on video for us. (Consumer advocate, too!)
*4.* *YOU can vote *for better and national ballot initiatives on Obama's site <http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/2469-4049>. Registration is required, but you get to "participate" (the government's way) on lots of things. Give us a "thumbs up" and comments, please.
*5. If you live in the San Francisco area*, Mike Gravel's daughter Lynne Mosier would like to Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=681639154&ref=brem> or email (Lynne @ Mosier.name) with you.
*6. Please tell your friends* to "Vote at Vote.org <http://Vote.org/>" This is a very valuable web domain around which a "viral" internet campaign can be organized. Are you the whiz to help us do it?
*7. Many have told me *the story <http://spryeye.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-ive-devoted-20-years-to-better-and.html> of why I've spent 20 years on this idea would make a good movie. Tell your Hollywood mogul (or local documentary maker) about it!
*8. Please forward this: *word of mouth is the best! Evan Ravitz, founder, Vote.org, 1995Join me on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=feed&id=694300636>! Purty pix and strange stories: *Back to the Garden blog <http://spryeye.blogspot.com/>*
Vote at Vote.org <http://Vote.org> to take the "mock" out of democracy! Evan Ravitz, founder. 303-440-6838 * Photos by Evan Ravitz <http://EvanRavitz.com/photos>**"Participation, that's the salvation <http://EvanRavitz.com/paradise> of the human race."*
* -Pete Seeger**Welcome to the inaugural edition of the National Ballot Initiative News! We'll only send them when there are new and important developments:*
1. We need your vote BY MARCH 7 to win $10,000 for Senator Mike Gravel's National Initiative project from Ideablob, an idea competition: click here <http://ideablob.com/ideas/4753-National-Ballot-Initiatives-Pro>. Click on the "thumbs-up" Vote icon. You'll need to register. If we do well we'll ask you to vote in the runoffs later. Please also consider voting for my friend Dan Durham's idea <http://ideablob.com/ideas/4386-Convert-Your-Gased-Powered-Car->.
2. My longtime friend Jared Polis is now our Congressman in Colorado and said Dec. 8 <http://spryeye.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-congressman-jared-polis-on-record.html> that he will introduce a bill for NATIONAL ballot initiatives later this year!
3. While we sit helpless as bailout recipients get huge bonuses and hold lavish parties, the Swiss will vote <http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Swiss_to_vote_on_executive_salaries.html?siteSect=105&sid=8782915&cKey=1204310796000&ty=st> on a NATIONAL ballot initiative to limit ALL executives pay and increase shareholder power.
4. If you or others worry about initiatives taking away civil rights, consider that just a month after several anti-gay initiatives, a Newsweek Poll <http://www.newsweek.com/id/172399> showed a "surge in support for gay marriage." These initiatives, while unpleasant, expose ignorance and prejudice and help dispel it. They get touchy subjects "on the table." When I posted about this on an award-winning gay blog, it was the highest-rated comment in this thread <http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=9193>. Anti-gay initiatives have been passing by ever-smaller margins. Soon they will fail, and gays will get equal rights, with far less violence than blacks went through.
5.Complete results for 2008 STATE ballot initiatives and referenda are here <http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Swiss_to_vote_on_executive_salaries.html?siteSect=105&sid=8782915&cKey=1204310796000&ty=st>. The National Conference of State Legislatures searchable database of all initiatives and referenda 1902-2008 is here. <http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/dbintro.htm>
6. We urge you to contact news and blog writers to get coverage of our project. Since Sen. Gravel is very busy, I offer my 20 years experience in promoting this concept, including 9 years promoting Mike's project. You can hear some radio interviews I've done via the NEWS tab at Vote.org <http://Vote.org/>.
7. I've solicited most of the endorsers <http://Vote.org/endorsers/> of the National Initiative. Please ask your famous friends if they'd like to join!
8. If you want to participate more, join our frequent (up to 1/day) activist list <http://groups.google.com/group/ni4d-activist>.
9. If you're on Facebook, please join our group Take the "MOCK" out of Democracy!!! <http://www.facebook.com/friends/?added&ref=tn#/group.php?gid=24575730352&ref=ts>
10. I can always use suggestions and help improving Vote.org <http://Vote.org/> and this newsletter.
*PLEASE FORWARD THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS! Word of mouth is the BEST advertising.*
Yours for real democracy, Evan Ravitz, founder of Vote.orgYou can subscribe or unsubscribe to this occasional newsletter via the CONTACT tab at Vote.org <http://Vote.org/>
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