Diana Painter

Name:	Diana Painter
Location:	Pocatello, ID
Where I blog:	dianamarie13 dianamarie13 Diana M. Painter

My Experience in progressive politics:

Well, I've been active in the Idaho State University College Democrats for 4 years, which I love and am starting my 2nd year as president of the group.

The work I'm most proud of is my part of the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance (IPSA). Our group engages in community service and educates on progressive issues, like poverty (see homelessness blog), war, and sustainability. We formed in 2004 when our university administration gave themselves a huge raise (between 8-15%), but not the staff and faculty who hadn't had a cost of living increase to keep up with inflation. Since then we have done a lot.

But that isn’t the only group I’ve been involved in.

My involvement is in two parts, on campus and off campus.
On campus I've been v.p. for the ACLU club, pres. of the LGBT group, member of the Native Americans United group, and part of the Student Action Volunteers for the Environment.

As a member of the community, I’ve been on the environmental fair committee, volunteered with the NAACP in town, volunteered with Family Services Alliance as a domestic violence victim's advocate, helped the local Co-op get publicity, and got petitions signed so the community could keep our bike shop that gives out bikes for free. Right now I'm working with the Idaho Equality Committee to bring inclusive ENDA (employment non-descrimination act) language to our city hiring practices.

My personal volunteering highlight:

One of the most recent highlights of my work was working with others to bring "Camp Democracy" to Idaho Falls, ID in Feb. 2008. Idaho's Camp Democracy was based on Camp Wellstone where it teaches people how to be part of campaigns, electoral and issue-based. Camp Democracy trained 40 people in rural Idaho how to run for office as progressives. We have 7 progressives from that camp now running for local and state offices in Idaho!

It was through the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance in partnership with United Action for Idaho that we had this training. We students organized it, they trained us.

The ISU College Democrats gave out 5 scholarships to college students through for this training. We had a total of 12 young people (under 30) attend. I'm super-proud of that!

In that same vein, when Camp Wellstone (to our surprise) came back to Idaho in May to do another training, I personally raised $350 to pay for scholarships for young people to attend. Each person getting a scholarship had to pledge 50+hours of campaign work between May and November. Each scholarship was connected to a young person who they knew or are getting to know. A student could attend Camp Wellstone for $50, so the candidates and donors were actually only paying less then $1 an hour to professionally train young volunteers.

Steps I've taken to combine on-line and off-line action:

I've been going door-to-door as a precinct captain doing voter ID for the Democratic party. I’ve been using Votebuilder to start this off. I really like getting out and talking to people where-ever I go. Actually, I prefer listening.

I am seting up a blog/website for each of the candidates in my county. But I have to teach them to use it. I'm currently setting up a local candidate training on blogging, social networking, and online fundraising for our local Democratic party because they are all so old they aren't used to these things yet. (I don't mean to make fun of their age).

The volunteer enrichment nights is an important offline action.

Why I want to attend Netroots Nation:

In my heart, it is because I heard Howard Dean speak at yearlykos last year when I was researching more about him before he came to a fundraiser here in Idaho. When I heard him speak at the conference I was very impressed, but also looked more into yearlykos.

I also heard Markos Moulitsas speak at our state democratic party's Frank Church Banquet in March. I researched him before going to the banquet and discovered Dailykos. Since them I'm an avid reader (honestly, I probably read it 3-4 times a day) and occasionally post. I love to leave comments and add facts.

I want to be part of this plan. I care about grassroots activism. I whole heartedly love it. As I move on in my career and education, I need to know that I am part of a plan. I'm a big-picture person and by attending Netroots Nation I will know better my part of the big plan. I also will be more intentional in my work.

What I want to get out of Netroots Nation:

I believe the internet is the medium to keep constituents in contact with and aware of what their leaders in government are doing. It will also be the way that the average citizen keeps their leaders accountable to them.

In my aging Democratic county (we are a strong labor town from the 20s-60s) the candidates are old-fashioned about communication but value the internet.

I need to help them get online. I want to teach them how blogging can help them communicate and how their blogs can be used as a source for information for journalists. This will help to get their good works public.

But before I can teach, I must learn more. Netroots I wish to attend so that I can learn new and better ways of communicating.

Our local newspaper has moved to the op-eds being blogs that they pick from to print. The Republicans have been very good at using this media in my hometown, and I want to take the content back. I can't do it alone, but I can come back and teach.

I need to learn the tricks from more experienced people. Netroots is a great place to get connected and learn from the most experienced.

I also very interested how to raise money online. This is for the good of my state and local party. Its a pay-it-forward plan. When I come back, I want to teach what I know.

What is a progressive activist:

A progressive activist is a person who understands the connections between issues and does something about them.

For example, Native Americans in Fort Hall, ID (near where I live) have a very high rate of asthma (a health-care problem). This is because a potato fertilizer plant is down wind from them (environmental cause). But they can't say "no" to the plant because it offers good paying jobs for the people who live here (an economic problem). We could change the economy of this area by investing in education in green jobs (a state issue). But we must take into account the history and culture of how the Bannock and Shoshone came to live here and respect how THEY want to invest in education (an indigenous rights issue). All of these things are connected, and all must be part of the solution.

A progressive activist then takes the ecological view and try to solve the roots of problems, instead of treating the symptoms perpetually.

Honestly, the most progressive activist I can describe is a person who is willing to have a conversation.

Progressive activism to me IS an ongoing conversation. The best activist there is, is the person who can take the time and sincerity to have a conversation with another person, but educated enough to help connect the issues the other person is talking about by looking at their personal life experience.

Due to taking the time to have a conversation, my parents, long time republicans, may vote for Obama this year. Now that is activism!

How I think blogs fit into the progressive movement:

Blogs are a conversation. Blogs supply a topic and people can add their personal experiences or more information to the thread. Because they are online, people can reply and converse on their own schedule.

They are also a way to stay up-to-date on current goings on and have a faster turn-around time then a newspaper, magazine, or television news. The Idaho Statesman is especially bad/good about taking information off of up-to-date local blogs and turning them into news articles.

How I think Democracy For America fits into the progressive movement:

Groups of people with the same identity (bloggers or progressives) are a key part of the grassroots movement. The DFA nightschools and Blog for America both educate and create a way to be involved for people who may not have been involved in the past.

I also see DFA as Paul Wellstone said "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."

Like the DLC is the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.

When we work together, we all benefit. But we also need someone around who can keep us guided and connect us to others who are doing the same work we are. DFA helps us work together in our very decentralized work.

In 10 words or less, create a bumper-sticker slogan against John McCain:

McCain's Old Man Smell: Good for Grandpas; Bad for Politics