Hungryneck Straphangers began a push to improve engage voters in a push to improve public transit through the SC1 Congressional District a week ago. Since then, over 10 thousand voter information flyers have been distributed in Charleston, Beaufort, Berkeley County and Columbia, SC (reaching leaders in State Government). This effort focuses not merely on the contentious and competitive general special election for Congress between former Governor Mark Sanford and Elizabeth Colbert Busch, but is a test of new models for public engagement in political cultures like the one found in SC.
www.busec.org/vote
Transit riding voters and their friends here have indicated they appreciate our attempt to bring detailed answers form both candidates to the public. Colbert Busch rode the bus and answered our transit questions. Mark Sanford has not answered or been on the bus, though we've heard through third parties that he may ride a Tri County Link bus soon.
This effort has required mighty efforts from our activists, but we’re building a powerful network to support improved public transit which will continue to operate past the election two weeks from now. We need more help to make it work better. Not your money, but your voices, your feet and your smiles.
We’ll be at the Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market this evening, doing public outreach. It’s a wonderful event and we would enjoy meeting your there. Another team is leafleting everyone attending tonight's meeting of Charleston City Council as well.
There are seven other events scheduled over the next six days and more are being added every day. Please see our calendar. Many of these events are fun and you’ll find a lot of people have decided it’s time to improve the Lowcountry’s ride in both the Charleston area and Beaufort.
http://busec.org/...
You can ride on a bus and talk to other riders, the most efficient and comforatable form of canvassing you ever do in an election. We can set you up with a friendly driver, who will keep the bus out of the ditches while you pull the political system out of them. Just email us your name and phone number and we’ll work out a ride for you.
Voting has begun for qualified voters who have to work on election day, have upcoming medical procedures, are over age 65, will be out of the area on election day, active duty military or full time students. You can vote now at the election commission HQ on Headquarters road in N. Charleston for any of 17 reasons. For the transit enabled, it’s an easy ride to the intersection of Dorchester Road and Leeds Ave. on the #11 Dorchester Airport and other bus lines.
After an exceptionally strong reaction from residents, who were promised bus service when they purchased their homes on Daniel Island, we’ve called a meeting to being the process of bring better bus service to that community for Tuesday, April 30 at 7 pm at the Library. Full details are now online at http://busec.org/...
Last Friday’s trip to Beaufort was extremely disturbing. We found a transit system which didn’t serve most of the community and discovered that “going on the bus” in rural communities there meant surrendering to a life of little more than work, waiting and riding a bus five days a week, with no mobility available for anything else. We’ve begun working with activists there to see what can be done. You can read about our first effort at http://busec.org/...
It’s a good time to pitch in. Things may be about to change for the better.