Step 1: Connect the Citizens
Rewind the clock a hundred years.
There were fewer cars, work was in walking distance, and people knew their neighbors. The community was vibrant and tangible, not just a political slogan, and people played a real role in shaping the areas they lived.
Fast forward to the present.
We still live in communities, but we are much less involved. Voter turnout on the local level is at an all-time low, and essentially nonexistent among younger folks. Technology connects us to people all over the world, yet we barely talk to those we vote with.
The time and energy needed to stay informed and involved at the local level is often too high a barrier for entry. We need a real platform that uses present day technology to inspire the same turnout and involvement of the past. As we’ve written before, we cannot afford to neglect our communities and insulate ourselves in online echo chambers.
American democracy works from the bottom-up, not top-down. We have to stop hoping political elites in Washington will solve all our problems. For most of us, local issues are the ones that actually have the greatest impact on our daily lives. From taxes to education to clean parks, local municipalities have the power to tremendously improve our cities.
Many of America’s great movements and policies originated at the local level. State and municipal elections play a hugely underappreciated role in our everyday lives. Obamacare was largely modeled on the state of Massachusetts’ healthcare plan, the legality of gay marriage started as a state ballot measure, and the decriminalization of marijuana seems to be following a similar trajectory. In fact, our framers saw the value in diversity at the State and local level and designed our system with that in mind.
Whether you like it or not, your neighbors make up your district. And, this collective voice guides the direction of your country. We must organize locally and build our communities ourselves.
Look at the remarkable success in North Dakota. People want to organize and be a part of something bigger than themselves.
We built The Burg to unlock the power of grassroots organizing. Any post you make will be shared within your actual voting bloc (city council). Your words will not be hosted on a hopeless soapbox, but instead on a powerful digital public square. Local citizens can finally unite on a single platform and organize change.
There is an urgent need for a platform that makes it easy to learn and address the issues that face your community.
The Burg is answering that call.
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