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last week we had some news about walk back that was in great
we are blocked in new hampshire in a way that was infuriating
blocked by a guy a who has said sick I'll on the floor of the
New Hampshire House before and the fact that the table the resolution was really
disappointing
this week we have great news for you guys and this
how movement goes got ups you got downs
book one thing's for sure you keep trying you might get
amazing results and we don't try at all you're not part of the solution
weary and no response now let me show you what happens when you actually try
so in vermont we were told the chance
over passing a resolution calling for convention to propose an amendment
in the senate was 0 percent literally
I'm not making it up I swear to you that expert
that is actually on our site and want to help us said hey listen
I know but I know the where the senate stands today
and there's no way you're going to get a pass the Vermont Senate
0 percent yes okay so
what happened well it's a Jr s27
it was proposed and will you look at that past 25
22 just last week so how
in the world did that happen well let me tell you that amazing story before I do
them just no two people who voted against it
it was bipartisan a senator Mac
cormack a democrat and senator banning was a republican
both 40 s a burning boat again said in committee and later on the
Senate overall boat as well now
a the people who voted in favor but was also buy parts
so that's great news and if I could get a great quote from a republican a little
bit later in the story for us. now
let me show you the heroes of the story I'm calling
modern American Europe's arm we've got senator Ginny lines whose of through the
bill in the first place and she's been fighting for this for a long time
she spent acid the best surgeon at White who's the senate
there was a charity to say %uh the government operations committee that was
another committee that we had no chance in onto a passed unanimously
on a leash leadership up senator white senator *** Sears is the chairman
Judiciary Committee another committee
that the resolution apparently had no chance of passing on to a pass that
committee
401 because of the brave leadership up senator Sears he's actually
the most important person the story I'll come back to me a sec and we've got some
courage Westman
who's a republican and fought vigorously to make sure
that we hold the federal government in check by proposing an amendment to get
money
out of politics that's great and then Ben Cohen look at that
of course former Ben & Jerry's ahead and
founder of the company he wrote a letter to the
legislators have my now cease from vermont an influential there
and said look man this the as important as it gets
you gotta get money out of politics in this the right way to do it Larry Lessig
who's a godfather this movement a
who is a Harvard law professor is very respected in the field he wrote a letter
any back testified in for the committee the say hey
you got to get money out of politics and this is the right way to do it
and then doctor Steve berry who is simply
a concerned citizen there again please critical in this story I'll get back to
Miss Saigon is a reverend
and vermont boat or and a doctor obviously and Walker green who's the new
jersey state leader for wolf pack
so how does this on for well
no we decided that even though we were told there was a0 percent chance we
would try anyway
so a number of people from across country including
Walker from New Jersey started calling in per month saying hey
Kenny you guys help us in vermont whether your party wall pack
or you just a concerned citizen with this incredibly important resolution
now the idea was in the call the legislators cuz you
they're not their legislators okay and walk because almost leaders in New
Jersey just called citizens in vermont to come but that's crazy
that's not gonna work you're wasting your time right
except among the many people who were doing those calls
Walker was among them he happened to reach doctors the bear
back to see barry is very influential vermont particularly
is senator *** Sears district where he lives
and he's like I said a minister and he's involved in politics
aids and intellectual and concerned active in the community
and he talked to is senator senator Sears local state senator in Burma
and said hey you know what i think is a good cause
an do you want take a second look at this
and get behind this move we were told the senator sears is not going to be
with
you know what happened senator sears is with us
and it's because he actually listen to doctor Steve berry
hold the presses cool when's the last time a politician change their minds or
listen to a constituent
on the national level I literally can't remember the last time
but what's amazing about democracy
is that on the state level it's the Lexus and that if you practice it right
took representatives in this case the state senators
are supposed to listen to the people that they represent
and they do would be amazing for work like that on the national level
well your money on a public they were work like that any
maybe we would be reinvigorated and we would think
oh my god is set up hating our government might actually like our
government
because the Senate representing the donors the lobbyist they might actually
represent us
now given how responsive Center Sears was to discuss to
to his constituents hikers constituents not love it
in back sender Sears rose twelve different times during Senate debate
to defend this bill that that's an American hero
do you know the Vermont is you might know that it's
among the first is a lot of things obviously par the original colonies
and apart the people who of course start the revolution
and gave us the great constitution that we have now but they're also the first
state to abolish slavery
and they might yet be the first day to actually take
action real action not this is how we feel
no no we're taking action to call for convention
that will propose amendment to get money out of politics
and save our democracy okay
now let me go back to representative I'm sorry senator rich Westman
who's the republican though sonya about *** when he voted for this
he said quote any chance I get to stick it to the federal government
I'll take it I and
support like that from republicans all take it
but absolutely you're right in this case the federal government has become
corrupted
so we must act at the state level before the state officials get corrupted
and as you can see here here is a wonderful
democracy if you choose to engage in it at the state level
I'm not saying every state partition is wonderful I'm not saying that
the none of them are ever affected by money in politics lobbyists are donors
but there are still enough that actually care about their constituents and their
citizens
and our democracy to take action okay
including republicans and Democrats
and finally I wanna and on a great quote by
President Calvin Coolidge was from Burma
he said if the spirit of liberty should vanish in other parts the Union
and support over institution should languish
could all be replenish from the general store held by the people
this brave little state over my
and you might be right about that after all I know he was known as silent Cal
but the those are powerful words that he spoke in that instance
and the ring true today the houses yet the voting for Mott
but if they do and they vote affirmatively for Mom would be the first
eight
to call for that convention to finally get money out of politics
and to restore democracy and it would be very very fitting indeed
let me tell you something if you think we can do it
as many stories out there just like for mod
ready to prove you wrong in you could be part of an answer
wall Nash pack Dakar this is what we do a walk back
we take the power back we take our democracy back
and we find allies that still believe in this country
and want to do it together with us join us at war
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