Democratic Alliance (+Allies) Local Campaigning Thread 2021

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Floyd Gwin Park, Odessa, TX
Approx. 20,000 attendees

HELLO ODESSA!

*cheers*

Glad to be out here helping fight the good fight for the folks of Texas, the South, and Atlasia!

You know I keep hearing the same line from Laborites, over and over again about how every problem we point out has been “solved”, but I actually walk around the neighborhoods where I go and I don’t see places where Labor has fixed things. In fact out in Fremont we’ve seen things that Labor conveniently ignores. Economic flight especially. DA has been hitting that point for a while. Labor has solved issues, yes, and I commend their work on some things. But they fail to even recognize a bunch of new ones. Texas, Fremont, hell Atlasia as a whole don’t need the same old tired leaders that continue to ignore the hardworking folks of Atlasia and their plights. We need new perspectives, new leaders, and folks that have lived through it.

With me now is Jeremiah Jones, who was laid off because the company he worked at in New Mexico moved out of Fremont. He moved here to Texas because he saw more opportunities here. He was thrust into the position of community leader when he was contacted by friends he made here to run for City Council. He won, and now he’s helping out folks who are moving into the south every day seeing better opportunities. We want to fix the situation out west, but in the meantime we need leaders like Jeremiah to make Texas a better place. That’s why he’s running for state house! Let’s give a warm welcome to Councilman Jones!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Hickman Park, Hickman, KY
Approx. 200 attendees

Hello Hickman!

Bet y'all didn't expect to see me and Judge Cunningham here!

Well, the fact of the matter is that we see some issues down here in Hickman. A poverty rate of over 25%. Declining population. We can't sit by and see that happen here and elsewhere in western Kentucky. That's why the DA's plan invests directly into struggling communities, making sure they have the resources to rebuild, and support small businesses around here. It's the smart, sensible thing to do. That's what we'll be doing here in Kentucky, but we need your support first. Elect Judge Harold Cunningham, and a DA majority with him, and you'll see that! Thank you!

RALLY
In St. Charles, MO

Hello St. Charles!

I want to thank tmth for that great introduction. I'm so glad to be out here with him instead of by myself like I usually am! The South certainly ain't the same without you as speaker of the chamber anymore.

And I can't agree more with all that he said. The DA has long, long been the party of compromise, of working towards solutions with anyone willing to join in, so that the people don't suffer. Under DA leaders we've seen lower taxes, better services, better quality of life, lower poverty, and overall just actual good governance. We know what the people of Missouri want, and that's pragmatic, progressive, and responsible leaders that aren't gonna hesitate to make hard decisions that would make the career politicians squirm.

The man at the head of that is Mayor Adam Branson, and he's been working damn hard for Springfield. He's gonna work damn hard for Missouri, too, when he is Governor. So now, it's my honor to introduce to you the next Governor of Missouri, Adam Branson!!!

Homework
To air in Utah

[Scene: Students in a middle school classroom, with a teacher handing back homework]

TEACHER reaches two children, one in a maroon shirt and another in a navy blue one. She hands out work to both and continues on before the maroon shirted student looks confused and asks her a question.

M. SHIRTED STUDENT: Mrs. Higginsbottom, I think I did this one right, but you said it's wrong...

TEACHER: Alright, well, let's give it a look. 200 students are going to school, and a new school is built. Half of the students now attend the new school. Each school has 10 teachers How many students are in each class?

M. SHIRTED STUDENT: 30, right?

TEACHER: No, that's more than what you started with. Think about it. You have to divide the number of students in half first.

M. SHIRTED STUDENT: But my daddy told me more schools would increase the class size...

TEACHER: Well, it's why it's important to do your own work, Lionel, like David over there.

[N. SHIRTED STUDENT smiles]

[Camera pans to the students comparing homework scores. DA logo shown with a caption reading "DA policy reduces school class sizes. It's as simple as that."]

RALLY
@Yellow House Canyon Park, Lubbock, TX
Approx. 32000 attendees

Hello Lubbock!

God damn I wish I didn't have to talk about this sorta thing yet again. Seems like Labor has hit a low I thought they had abandoned back in December. Yet instead they insult hardworking folks who have helped their communities, comparing them to dogs. And when they had a chance to apologize for such a horribly offensive ad, even to Labor partisans, they f**king doubled down. I don't like swearing during my speeches but god damn this is just too important to try and tone down.

We saw this same god damn rhetoric get a DA governor nearly captured, and should they have caught him potentially tortured and killed. Governor Elliott in Michigan has hired on more security personnel at his own personal expense from his savings, not the salary the people of Michigan pay. People are fearing for their god damn lives and Labor does not care. It's unhinged, insane, demagoguery. I can not believe this is the same Labor that seemed to have changed back in March.

The DA's record stands strong. We do not resort to such dangerous rhetoric. In Kansas we took a situation that was looking to explode, and Governor Benson, despite the danger to himself, went in and defused it. Rest assured, we will ensure that no such situation arises in Texas.

To those who think that we are nothing but a "puppet" of the Federalists, I ask you which party was wavering when YT was the Federalist candidate. I ask you which party has already stated publicly that support for YT would be "unlikely". I ask you which party has worked with Labor in multiple god damn states including neighboring Oklahoma! It seems like Chair OBD doesn't remember that the Labor agenda in that state relies heavily on a "federalist attack dog".

It's a disgrace to the Labor party, and it's a disgrace to Atlasia. Let's make sure it doesn't happen here in Texas. Thank you.

RALLY
@Lone Peak Park, Sandy, UT
Approx. 8000 attendees

Hello Sandy!

You know after all that's gone crazy over the past few weeks, I can't blame Labor for seemingly having uh, no idea what our plan is for schools. Like none.

So let me lay it out straight for you folks: The DA's plan is constructing new schools, helping maintain the ones we have, and overall cutting class sizes. Contrary to what Labor seemingly believes, no, the DA's plan to construct new schools doesn't mean that magically all class sizes will increase, somehow. Yeah, I don't get it either. It's basic math, folks, and if Labor actually thinks the way their ads say they do, maybe they aren't doing anywhere near as good a job they say they're doing in the education department!

Either way, we gotta improve the state of education in this state, and Ben Matheson is the man to do it.

RALLY
@Palisade Park, Orem, UT
Approx. 8500 attendees

Hello Orem!

Ah, it's nice being back in this state. I quite like it actually.

It seems like families like it too, considering your nickname of "Family City, Atlasia". When Forbes made their list of best places to raise a family, Orem ranked 5th. Now that's pretty good, but it can always be better.

Now where did Orem fall? Transportation. Ranked all the way down in 44th, it's clear that things need some improvement in that department. After all, how are you going to raise a family without being able to get around? That's why the DA, in addition to supporting the FrontRunner train that goes through, and stops in, Orem, we have long supported localities creating public transportation systems. Expanding the bus system, bus fleet, and potentially even beginning a light rail project around the Provo area into Orem are possibilities. But that's up to the folks here in Orem. Unlike how Labor would tell you, we have long supported the right for the localities to choose how to structure their public transportation. Let's make sure that things get better on that front, and vote DA up, down, sideways, maybe even diagonally, on the ballot.

RALLY
@Grasslands Park, Saratoga Springs, UT
Approx. 6200 attendees

Hello Saratoga Springs!

Wow, this place is growing damn fast. I mean, you all know that, of course, but it's insane how fast you guys have grown, nearly doubling the past couple years.

That's why the DA's plan for the FrontRunner includes a smaller, light rail service from here to Lehi. We are seeing tons of folks move in here and road development is not going fast enough. Traffic is an issue around here, right? That's what I thought. So, we plan on giving Saratoga Springs the link to the bigger metros in Utah that it deserves.

Now I expect Labor to come around somewhere else in Utah and talk about how that's "pork barrel rail" and all that bull. Now I ask them what exactly is the problem with giving growing communities like Saratoga Springs a crucial link to bigger cities in Utah? If there was ever a spot that needs a service like that badly, it's here. Saratoga Springs is not "nowhere". It hasn't been for a few decades. Don't get stuck in the past like Labor seemingly does. Let's make sure Ben Matheson is elected governor.

And now, like it's on queue, there he is! Let's give him a nice round of applause!

RALLY
@Valley Regional Park, Taylorsville, UT
Approx. 20,000 attendees

Hello Taylorsville!

Again!

Yeah, couldn't resist coming back here.

It feels like I finished up that tour of Utah so long ago. Seeing every county in this great state opened my eyes not just to its natural beauty, but also the beauty of the people here. Such a great state like your own deserves the attention it's gotten the past few weeks. It's just that the attention was not for the best of reasons.

We've seen time and time again the desperate attacks made by the other side, trying to do everything they can to throw mud at us, and sadly the people of Utah are the ones getting hit. I apologize to y'all on Labor's behalf for their own bad behavior.

But, we can fix this. The election is coming up fast, and Utah's got a choice to make. What do we want to become? What does each party embody in their goals, their ads, their campaigning? Who in the world can stand above this and tell it like it is, and answer these questions?

Well, we have a man who can tonight. Two, in fact. One, is your next governor, Ben Matheson. The other would probably feel old at the term "elder statesman", but he always felt like one to me. A father figure, perhaps, or just an older, experienced friend. He and I have been great friends since the time of my administration, and he was the man I always felt was the most responsible for our victory and peace in the North Korean Civil War. And I'm happy that he's here tonight. Now, without further ado, give it up for Lumine!!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FINAL RALLY
Sugar House Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
Approx. 80,000 attendees

POSTER FOR EVENT

Speeches by MPs Angela Kipling and Eric Smith
Utah Neolib's Speech:

It is a privileges to rally here tonight, in Utah. My home state. We have proven, throughout this long, arduous, campaign, that the Democratic Alliance is a true alternative to Labor in Fremont, and across the great nation of Atlasia. By building new public transit, new schools and more funding for schools and teacher pay increases, ensuring transparency in government, and last but not least. Making Utah the Best It Can Be.

These are just some things that I have listed, as I don’t want this speech to go on for hours. But, the point is that we can make Utah a better place, starting now. We do that by electing Ben Matheson and other Democratic Alliance candidates up and down the ballot.
Speech by State Senate candidate Jesús Romero
WB's Speech:

Picture of WB making his speech

Hello Salt Lake City, and thank you Jesús!

We have reached the absolute final stretch today, and polls close tonight! Right after this rally is done, get out there and vote! Remember that they can't stop you if you're already in line by poll closing!

Here in Utah we've seen some extremely intense campaigning, and the fact that things are so close in what everyone considered a safe Labor state at the beginning of the campaign is a testament to how strong the Democratic Alliance message is. Our plans for education, transportation, local government, infrastructure and local economic investment are common-sense, resonating with the people of this great state.

We wouldn't see the Labor Party having their own huge rally in this very city tonight if they didn't realize that. No matter what the outcome this election, we have won a huge symbolic victory against the Labor monopoly on power. But we hope our best to see us shatter that monopoly.

We've seen their campaign go through what I'll call the 3 O's of advertising, odd, offensive, and overused. You all have seen it firsthand, and I really don't feel like wasting more of your time with that nonsense. Meanwhile the DA has been the party that focuses completely on what we want to do, not just what has been done. After all, what good is a government that does nothing, claiming that "it's all been done"? No, the DA strives for progress, economic and social, for everyone in Utah. We know there are still issues to be tackled, whether it be rural decline, bad roads, the environment, or housing.

It is the DA that will work hard for you and your community, and I know damn well that every single one of our candidates will fight for you. Whether you're in Salt Lake City or St. George, in Vernal or Vineyard, in Ogden or Orem, we have people in tune with local issues, and know how we can fix them. We only need to get them into office.

Now, as we see the end of this campaign, I ask you to keep one last thing in mind: Who would you trust to fix your house if part of it collapsed? Not the people who built it, I'd assume. We're seeing that same question asked in Utah. Let's make sure that this state is strong for months and years to come!

Now, onto that good old friend of mine, with an impeccable track record and history, the great Lumine!
Lumine's Speech:

Good evening, Utah!
Although I haven’t had the privilege of being able to campaign as extensively as I would have wished, it has been most refreshing to spend some time back in Utah and listen to the concerns that voters have regarding their communities, their local government, and regarding the issues that they care about the most. Ultimately, it would seem most of us aspire towards a more efficient government, towards less vicious politics, towards having representatives in government that are not just able to take a stand for the values that we share, but are also able to tackle those problems that make everyday life more difficult, and which we as politicians should be bound to try and solve.

I know Ben Matheson to be a man of backbone and integrity. I know him to be a man with strong convictions, but who, unlike some, does not believe holding said convictions gives him the right to trample and belittle those who happen to disagree with him. I know him to be a man in tune with the values, concerns and aspirations of the citizens of this great state, someone willing to govern in a different way, in a better way. I have the greatest of respect towards some of the men who quite proudly represent the dominant political status quo in this state and across much of the Commonwealth, just as I respect the accomplishments that they do have.

But even so, I do resent the notion that those accomplishments would entitle anyone to be so arrogant, so vicious, so fundamentally disrespectful towards those who would offer something different to the public. Apparently, for some, to stand in opposition and to suggest there are different and better ways of getting things done constitutes something akin to a political crime, worthy of punishment and derision. That is not the politics that I want to see. That’s not the politics that I believe Mr. Matheson and our candidates stand for. And if I were a gambling man, I would perhaps bet that this is not the politics you want to see either, whether it is in the state legislature or in the Governor’s mansion.

The election is now upon us. You will have a varied choice, depending on whether you believe the incumbents ought to be rewarded or to carry on even in the aftermath of some quite dramatic developments; or whether you would want to see one of the opposition alternatives take their place and try something different. The choice is yours. However, it would be irresponsible of me not to point out that it is important for your vote to matter, and I hold the sincere conviction that this will be more likely to be the case if you vote for the party that’s finds itself in the indisputably more advantageous position to enact change on this state.

By voting for Ben Matheson and for your local Democratic Alliance candidates, you will gain or retain a voice fully prepared to take the lead on improving our educational system, a voice committed to improving infrastructure and expanding access to transport to the benefit of all citizens, and even of the Commonwealth as a whole. You will gain a voice prepared to stand up against those who would persistently block much needed initiatives to ensure greater access to housing – truly affordable, quality housing – is secured, to the clear benefit of local communities.

Ultimately, I would suggest that the way things are in Utah is not necessarily the way things ought to be, and there’s merit in giving from much needed renewal to your local government institutions. If you, like me, find some truth in all this, I strongly encourage you to go to the polls, to make your voice heard, and to vote for the DA candidates.

Thank you very much for your attention! Now it is my honor to introduce to you your next Lieutenant Governor, Bill Shephard!
Speeches by Lt. Gov. Candidate Bill Shephard and Gov. Candidate Ben Matheson

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

In Salt Lake City, UT

Folks, though Ben didn't win, tonight is a massive victory for us. Elsewhere in the country we saw 2 states turn blue, and we saw Utah go from deep, deep maroon to purple!

All around the country, and here in Utah, we have new, fresh leaders from the DA getting elected!

Thank you Utah, thank you so damn much. I saw every corner of this state and the fact we damn near flipped it is just amazing. Thank you. And as for the Fremont hegemony we hoped to break, I can tell you that we aren't going to back down after this. This is just the beginning. THANK YOU!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@ Truman Waterfront Park, Key West, FL
Approx. 2,500 attendees

Hello Key West!

Ah, I love being here right along the Gulf once again. The natural beauty of the Keys has always been such a draw for me.

But we see things taking a turn for the worse around here. Overdevelopment and Climate Change threaten to destroy the thing that these isles are known for.

The DA has been strong on solutions to these issues since the start. Our policies that would increase urban density, rather than suburban sprawl, would help against overdevelopment going any further.

Meanwhile our expertise on climate change, combined with many of our members' passion for civil engineering, means that we have plans both for mitigating current effects of climate change, and preventing those effects from worsening.

Here in the Keys, integrity is the thing that matters most. We've seen our fair share of corrupt politicians take advantage of Monroe County, and Florida as a whole. The man standing with me today has been fighting for people in South Florida for years, making sure that politicians can't get away with the backroom deals that destroy livelihoods, the environment, and our future.

He has worked at the Miami Herald for years, and now he wants to be your State Senator, in a distract spanning from here to Homestead. He loves this place, and I know that every day he will make sure the beauty that has been damaged will be safeguarded from any more damage. Let's get a round of applause for Jim Hiaasen!

MEET THE CANDIDATES
@Sloppy Joe's Bar, Key West, FL

WB, Jim Hiaasen, and other DA candidates met up with locals at the famous bar for lunch.

Drive north along Route 1

RALLY
@Morningside Park, Miami, FL
Approx. 12,000 attendees

Helloooooo Miami!!


Y'all, we are seeing a new era of Atlasia. Not just with the constitution, but also in our shifting politics. Last month we saw that the two big parties are not invincible. We are not gonna let that momentum slow down. Not one damn bit!

And that's why I'm here in Miami, not for myself, but for you.

I touched upon the topic of overdevelopment here in Florida, and let me be clear that that doesn't mean that the DA would completely stop all development. However what I don't like, and what the DA doesn't like, is extreme sprawl. There is no logical reason for it, other than to give some rich folks nice white subdivisions to live in. It causes traffic, more fuel use, less efficiency, damaged environments, more emissions, and higher blood pressures. Why has it not stopped?

Well, I know one woman who tried her damnedest to fight it here in Miami. But she was only Mayor of one city, and sadly areas around Miami were reluctant to go along with the ideas she brought. So now she wants to help the working class folks of Florida, to make sure that sprawl is stamped out, public transport is funded, and our environment is protected. Ladies and Gentlemen, your next Governor, and Former Mayor of Miami, Maria Diaz!!!

Drive north along Route 1

RALLY
@Holiday Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Approx. 7,500 attendees

Hello Fort Lauderdale!

I actually have a bit of history in this city. My mom lived here for a couple years, and I can say that although plenty of things have changed since nearly 30 years ago, one thing hasn't. The cost of living is TOO DAMN HIGH!

My mom always told me how she and her first husband lived paycheck to paycheck, seeing everything that Florida had to offer but being unable to participate in any of it. Even as both of them worked full-time jobs, him at UPS and her at Amerijet, they could hardly ever give themselves any sort of luxury, even a decent dinner out.

There's a lot of things we can do to combat this, but the number one thing in my mind has always been lowering housing costs. Basic rules of supply and demand dictate that should we have more decently affordable housing, the price would drop. But how do we do this without creating more horrific, unnecessary sprawl? We need to move cities like Fort Lauderdale into the future. More and more we see that the cities that stay compact are those that function the best. Look at New York. Yes, New York has suburbs, but the city itself is compact. And you can't say that they don't work decently well, with a good transit system. Could it be better? Of course it could! But when striving for perfection, we all come up short.

Sadly, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and elsewhere have not strived for perfection. Rich developers have bought their way into lucrative deals that do nothing but build more homes for millionaires, destroy our wildlife, and actually drive up our housing costs because there's more "nice homes", even if they're unoccupied most of the year. Meanwhile average folks suffer. But we can do a different path to mitigate some of these issues. We need to enact mixed zoning in our cities to allow folks to work and learn closer to home, saving themselves transportation costs in the process. We need to encourage the areas that we can build in to be filled with housing that people can actually afford!

These are simple solutions, but sadly our politicians have not done them. Why? They're afraid they'll anger the rich folks who only care about how much their house is worth. Those folks don't care about you, and I say that I don't care what they think because they should realize that their greed is causing people to be out on the damn street!

To make these solutions reality, vote DA, and vote for Maria Diaz for Governor!

Now to a man who has fought hard against the corruption in this state, a whistleblower on a housing project that would've caused irreversible environmental damage. Luckily his actions were able to stop it, but he knows there's plenty of stories where someone doesn't step in. He won't stop his anti-corruption crusade now, and that's why he's running for State House! Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Brendan Fontana!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Sugden Regional Park, Naples, FL
Approx. 8,500 attendees

Hello Naples!

Florida has a scourge upon it, and it's sprawl. I've already gone on about this before, but now I come to the question: how can we get people into housing now? Well, part of what the DA has done, right here in Florida and across the south, was to give tax breaks to first-time homeowners. Houses that are already built sit idle every year here in Florida, and we've opened up the market to thousands of folks who are now becoming financially independent.

It's just one of many success stories here in Florida, and it's thanks to the DA. We won't stop, and I know someone else who ain't gonna stop either. They actually were able to get a home thanks to the DA's work, and now he works at a local mechanic shop. But he knows there's more that can be done, plenty of folks like him who still can't quite afford Florida price homes. He's fully behind our affordable housing plan, and he will stop at nothing to make sure that it's put in place! Please welcome your next state Rep, Zacarías Marcelo!

Drive North along I-75, then Highway 301 east to Palmetto

RALLY
@Sutton Park, Palmetto, FL
Approx. 3,000 attendees

Hello Palmetto!

I feel like I could make a little joke about it being funny that I'm in Palmetto, and from the Palmetto state, but nah. Partially because there's important matters at hand, and partially because I can't think of a joke.

Laughs from audience

Well, being here in Manatee County, I thought it'd be good to talk about DA's work on environmental protection. Florida's natural beauty is probably its biggest draw to folks. People travel, move, even retire down here because of the great weather, the environment, and the wildlife. It's instrumental that we keep it in shape.

Which is why the DA's campaign against sprawl isn't just about helping folks out with housing. It's about preventing further destruction of the Everglades, our waterways, beaches, and forests. Every year we encroach further on the land, destroying the very thing people come here to see. It's shortsighted and we won't let it stand. After all, who would want to move here should the beauty be gone? Once you remove that what you're left with is heat and HOAs, and I'd wager that folks aren't fans of either of those in the density that Florida has them in.

Laughs from audience

Well folks I'm gonna have to cut myself short because I've gotta hold some other politicians to their words in the debate tonight, but before I go I'll hand the mic off to the woman who's got the real ideas Florida needs, Maria Diaz!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Barnett Park, Orlando FL
Approx. 20,000 attendees

Hello Orlando!

Well, I needed my sleep after that debate, it went on way too long. Lightning LT, am I right, folks?

laughs

Y'know, I've heard folks saying that the DA is destined to lose because we pissed off those rich developers. I got something to tell them: our plan may hurt your bottom line, but overall you're gonna see things better.

I already talked earlier about how if we completely destroy Florida's environment, something we're nearing the verge of, then you'd see far fewer folks moving in. It's basic logic.

And to the folks worried about housing prices, guess what? Our plan is better for you than what we've currently got going on! Y'know what drives down your property value? People going homeless. People sleeping out on the street. Instead of continuously making it impossible for poor folks to live, why don't we give them affordable places to live, and become functioning members of society?

The DA's plan just makes sense, folks, and that's why I'm confident that when you elect Maria Diaz as Governor, and folks like State Rep. Nikki Demings, you will see these common sense solutions come to fruition. Folks ask me all the time why "common sense" solutions aren't already implemented. The answer I've got for them is that a quote from Voltaire fits our politicians well. "common sense is very rare."

But now to folks who have common sense! She was Mayor of nearby Winter Park, and State Rep. Demings has been a fighter for central Florida for this term and she's ready to do so again for another term!

RALLY
@Under the Palms Park, Mexico Beach, FL
Approx. 250 attendees

Good afternoon Mexico Beach!

It's nice to be here out in the Panhandle, and a place that I see is still recovering from Hurricane Michael. We see houses with their roofs still caved in. We see trees standing bare, scars of the storm. This actually reminds me of another place I visited a few months back. Greensburg, Kansas.

They were basically wiped out too. But with the destruction they had wrought upon them, they also had a great opportunity. They have become one of the greenest cities in Atlasia, with new buildings made to the highest environmental standards. With all of Labor's work on climate change, which I'll commend them on, they haven't done what the DA has done over in Kansas and South Carolina. We made it affordable for folks to go the extra mile and make their houses meet the LEED Platinum standards. It's a simple yet effective mechanism against climate change, and we've seen it working well in conjunction with other environmental protections in DA controlled states.

We can do it here in Mexico Beach. We can do it in developing areas all across Florida. But we can only do it with your help. With me now is one of Florida's best-known environmental advocates. He's been able to get localities to do something similar to what we did in Kansas and SC, but he wants it statewide, and so do I!

Let's give a nice warm welcome to your next State Senator, Tyree Clinton!

RALLY
@Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park, Pensacola, FL
Approx. 12,000 attendees

Hello Pensacola!

I'm happy to be out here near my home away from home out in Mobile. In both the states that border Florida, we've seen DA governors working hard with legislatures that are not controlled by the DA. We've shown our commitment to working to get stuff done, without making an about-face on policy. We are prepared to make sure that our politics don't continue to get out of hand. I feel like it is imperative to remind you that DA has always stood against the damn near insanity we've seen coming out of some people. We are the party of normalcy. Of civility. We are the ones who are gonna focus on you, not a totem of hatred we make towards the other parties.

Let's make sure that we have government that focuses on governing. Vote DA this month.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Tom Brown Park, Tallahassee FL
Approx. 17,500 attendees

Hello Tallahassee!

I was intrigued when I heard Scott's speech earlier today. He said, and I quote, "only one party seems to have expressed any interest on the issue" of housing, rent, and cost of living. Now, he neglected to state which party that was. It is the DA. And oddly it seems like Scott said pretty much everything I said down in Fort Lauderdale! I clearly called out the folks who vehemently oppose affordable housing because they're afraid of their property value decreasing the slightest bit. In all but name I called out NIMBYism as short-sighted, and called for the same things Scott is talking about!

Now, I won't say that Labor is piggybacking off my rhetoric... but they're piggybacking off my rhetoric.

Anyway, the DA goes a step further than what Labor has proposed, by encouraging developers to build environmentally friendly housing as well. We can fight multiple issues with one policy, and though most folks wouldn't associate fighting climate change with affordable housing, the DA knows that we can do it through simple incentives. That's what we're gonna do.

Now, to a man who has my utmost respect, a city councilman who's fought against NIMBYism wherever he can, and who's gonna keep doing so in the State House, Alex Gillum!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

Speech
In Perdido Key, FL

Hello Perdido Key!

I just wanted to make a little response to what Scott said yesterday as I head west.

Anyone who listened to my speech knows that I am talking about stuff that has happened in the past few weeks. I was the first one to speak on this issue in Florida in months. Don't pretend that someone saying something months ago has any bearing on my speech. I never listened nor payed attention to that crazy anyway. I don't get why you think them saying something six months ago is some sort of "gotcha". You saying pretty much everything I did is. Simply put, take the L, and move on.

Love ya Scott!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

(Unvaccinated portion of rallies reduced from ⅖ of area to ⅓)

Heritage Park Slidell, La
jahebert 7, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

RALLY
@ Heritage Park, Slidell, LA
Approx. 3,500 attendees

Hello Slidell!

I’m happy to be out here in Louisiana, because y’all need some changes right about now. The Governor’s heaped insults upon this state, sounding more like a snotty tourist than a Governor. We sure as hell don’t need more of it. On top of that the only thing he’s done is created more taxes for folks here in Louisiana. Meanwhile we see our schools stagnating, our roads falling apart, and people suffering. We won’t stand for it.

Now, you may think with the Slidell train station being right across the street, I’d speak about that. But instead I’m gonna talk about something else nearby. In fact, it’s right behind me. The Bayou Bonfouca.

Once a Superfund site, contaminated by an old creosote plant, now it stands as a great marina. Funded thanks to the federal, regional, and local governments, y’all have made a toxic site into a gem of Slidell. But I looked at that funding and asked myself, “where’s the state’s help at?” Turns out, it wasn’t anywhere. While Governor Boisseau focuses more on raising your taxes, he ignored the Bayou project here. While we see continued drainage issues along the banks of the Mississippi, he complains about how he wishes he were in Fremont. It’s a failure of leadership. It’s a failure that the DA will correct.

Now, to a man I was always a fan of, all the way back when I was a new citizen of Atlasia. He’s principled, smart, and best of all, he and I both love weather, and helping out folks! Ladies and Gentlemen, future Senator wxtransit!!!

Thank you Future Senator Weatherboy!

As my colleague just so aptly described, y'all have done a great job here in Slidell. Turning around an infamous site like the creosote plant into this great marina -- a place fit for people, plants, and wildlife -- is a great testament to the enduring spirit of Slidell and all of Louisiana to work through any challenge that comes your way.

But y'all have had to endure a lot over the past few months.

Ever since Day One, Boisseau's administration has done nothing but disadvantage those who needed him most. While sits walled away in the Capitol, the effects of his tax can be felt in every corner of this great state. Boisseau's Betrayal has caused small businesses from here in Slidell all the way to Shreveport to close, which has caused a domino effect impacting every industry in this state. When the working class is let down, everyone is let down -- and Boisseau is no stranger to letting Louisianans down.

Take the Slidell branch of the Delgado Community College. It was forced to close down years ago because of a lack of funding. Ever since Boisseau was elected, Delgado has sat shuttered, just as it has since 2016. Y'all have lost an important economic and educational engine for the city of Slidell, and having one less community college to serve y'alls citizens isn't fair. It isn't leadership. It's a betrayal, by none other than Boisseau himself.

Let's look back at the marina. Y'all fought hard to clean that site up, and y'all did well. But where was Boisseau during his term? Was he giving y'all any of his newly-minted riches from Boisseau's Betrayal? Not at all. Y'all had to look to federal and regional funding to make things work.

You'll no longer have to "make things work" under a Tarrance Becard administration.

Tarrance isn't a Fremonter at heart. He's a true Louisianan from St. John the Baptist Parish, and he knows the value of hard work. Tarrance will be fighting for each and every one of you in the Capitol from Day One, and whenever y'all need his help, he will be right there with the funds, experience, and know-how to deliver. You can trust in a Tarrance Becard administration, as the DA's got the cure for Boisseau's Betrayal -- Trustworthy Tarrance!

Thank you Slidell, and God bless Louisiana!

City Park New Orleans 11 March 2018 22
Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

RALLY
@City Park Festival Grounds, New Orleans, LA
Approx. 40,000 attendees

Hello New Orleans!

I can feel that hope for change in the air, and I’m confident that we’re gonna see change this month!


I still can’t get over the Governor’s insults towards Louisiana. The only time I’ve heard worse spoken about anywhere in this state was when my grandpa came to this city, stepped out, said “what a sh*thole” and left. I have a much better view of this city than he did, obviously. But it’s a testament to how unfit Governor Boisseau is.

It’s feelings like that that make places actual bad places to live. Neglect, indifference to serious issues. Doing nothing. This is exactly what the Governor has shown in office. The little work he has done has not benefited the people very much, or hurt them in some cases.

It’s why we’re actually gonna get stuff done in office. That’s why our candidate for governor has a track record of change. They have held twice-weekly meetings with residents of St. John the Baptist Parish, because they know that the way you find out what’s going wrong is by hearing the people. They’ve worked their damndest to help out the folks struggling in the region with that sad moniker of “Cancer Alley.” They’ve fought against the environmental racism that caused the situation their constituents have been forced into, and they’ve done serious work to help out those who are suffering. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce to you your next Governor, Parish President Tarrance Becard!

RALLY
In Venice, LA
Approx. 50 attendees

Hello Venice!

Well, I felt like coming all the way out here to the end of the Great River Road all by my lonesome. Let’s be honest that the state hasn’t exactly done much for y’all out here. After Katrina, you saw your high school damaged and never reopen, you saw destruction on an untold scale. Recovery wasn’t even attempted for years and then you saw oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the river that is this town’s entire livelihood. While Governor Boisseau raises your taxes to give to wildlife preserves, he ignores disaster zones.

In the medical field they have triage. Sure, helping out someone with a broken foot is a good thing, and so is helping out our environment. But you don’t ignore the person who is having a heart attack, or the person who was just in a car crash where they lost both their legs. We shouldn’t ignore environmental disasters either. That was the case here during Deepwater Horizon, and that’s still the case up in Cancer Alley, as well as the Superfund sites across Louisiana. The DA knows what priorities we must focus on first. We need to focus on what’s needed, not just what we want. Governor Boisseau has shown that he does not, and will not, do the same. Let’s vote for folks who put real priorities first. Let’s vote for folks like Tarrance Becard, and all those in the DA, up and down the ballot this month!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

While waiting for results to come in for the election, WB hitched a ride on a fishing boat to Grand Isle before heading north.

RALLY
@Grand Isle Baseball Fields, Grand Isle LA
Approx. 250 attendees

Hello Grand Isle!

I wanted to talk about one of Grand Isle's main industries, and the reason that I'm here right now, fishing. I got here on a fishing boat, and I talked to the good folks working that vessel.

We need to talk about the future. Fishing has always been a practice that needs caution put into it to ensure sustainability. For years folks have thought that by avoiding catching small fish, those assumed to be juvenile, that we'd be able to have fish for decades to come. The issue is that over time we've accidentally been selectively breeding smaller and smaller fish.

We've cut the mass of the average fish we've caught in half over the past few decades. Again, we cut it in half. It's crazy.  We're looking at a situation that will see the near-death of fishing in another few decades should we continue this practice. So here in Louisiana we hope to change that. Should I be elected to the Senate I will introduce legislation that will do away with the size-selective fishing system and instead focus on more balanced harvesting methods. That way states like Louisiana can work towards sustaining the population of fish without also causing the pitfalls we've seen with size-selective fishing. It will be another issue the DA solves, and it will be another issue Louisiana can rest easy on, and focus instead on protecting against hurricanes, environmental disasters and more.

Let's make it happen. Vote DA.

Source, with additional sources in Desc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9YOVuEQugE

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

WB received word on the results while in Larose, Louisiana.

SPEECH
In Larose, LA
With this being an event scheduled on short notice only a small crowd was gathered along with media presence.

THANK YOU ATLASIA!

I just got word of the results and it looks like the DA has gotten quite a number of victories! We've jumped to our highest representation since our founding. We've managed to tie the house, meaning we will hold whoever has been elected President accountable. But most of all we've sent a message to the establishment: we will not stop! We won't stop here. Our work is only beginning. We're gonna fight for y'all and we're gonna fight for all Atlasians!

But we need folks at lower levels who are gonna do the same. It's why local elections are so important. That's why y'all need folks with similar ideals to transit and I. Local, future-thinking progress. That's why you gotta vote DA this month.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

AD in Nebraska

The following ad will be put online, on billboards, and in newspapers in Nebraska.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

AD: "Concerns"
To air across Louisiana

Scene: residential houses in St. John the Baptist Parish. A woman's voice is heard as the camera pans through the neighborhood.

Woman: Oh there have been concerns 'round here for quite a while. But when we said anything they just ignored us, like we wasn't even there.

A man's voice is heard. Smoke can be seen above trees in the background.

Man: Then just a year ago they have the audacity to try and ask to get their emissions higher. We couldn't let it stand. They're killing us out here.

Camera's pan eventually moves to a treeless area, showing a chemical plant and an older man standing alone near the fence. Camera shot changes to his face and his voice is heard

Michael Taylor: I don't know how I've survived it. I lost my mom to cancer. I lost my brother and sister to cancer. Neighbors on both sides of me died of cancer. I guess I just couldn't let the concerns go unheard. I couldn't let the chance I got go away. That's when I helped found the St. John Concerned Citizens Group. But when we went to the Governor he was always busy. When we went to Federalist representatives we got promises but no moves to change.

That's when Tarrance came in.

He's been lobbying against the insane amounts of pollution here. He's gotten results in cleaning up the place. I know that as Governor, he'd do it all over the state.

Tarrance Becard comes into view, walking toward Michael and hugging him.

Michael: He's been a good friend to all of us. I know that he'll be a good friend to Louisiana.

Scene fades to black with the DA logo, election date and "ELECT BECARD THIS MONTH" written below it.

The following will be posted online and throughout Louisiana until the end of the election.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

WB took a small detour to Nebraska before heading back to Louisiana.

RALLY
@Trendwood Park, Omaha NE
Approx. 4,000 attendees

Hello Omaha!


Yknow, I know I was in Louisiana until a couple days ago but I felt like heading up here because there’s one thing I wanted to address. A couple days ago Scott came to Omaha and said, among other things, that the DA is “continuing to run on falsehoods here in just about every campaign since their infamous Alaska campaign.”

Well I have to ask the Senator, what campaign? The one where you made up in your head that we said you were gutting the Permanent Fund? I ask you to look through a word of what I said up there and you’ll find that what I talked about never touched it. I campaigned on many things up there. Civility. Green tourism. Green energy. Local public transportation.

So yes, Scott, our campaign in Alaska is well known. But not infamous. It’s famous for its positive vision. It’s famous for its future-focused platform. It’s famous for not resorting to calling folks out by name and smearing them with falsehoods. I don’t think I can say the same for the Labor campaign in Nebraska.

Instead, here in Nebraska we’ve seen a turn away from green energy. We’ve seen a turn away from ensuring that producers aren’t shipping out contaminated meat! You know who stopped that from happening? Our very own candidate for Governor! Senator McHenry stopped a shipment of meat that had E. Coli in it. Cargill wanted to ship it out anyway and sued him when he called them out!

It’s clear that Governor Nelson has turned his back on Nebraskans. Instead, he insults the very man who’s trying to save his ass now! Instead, he works with the same folks that Labor just last month decried as the “party of the rich man”! What values are there left that Labor won’t contradict when they feel it’s to their benefit?

I say that we don’t ask how much further they can go with that. I say that we vote for a change for Nebraska. Let’s elect Donald McHenry and DA candidates up and down the ballot this month and make sure Nebraska actually goes in a progressive direction, not regressive!
Now, your next Governor, Henry McDonald!!!

RALLY
@Arnold City Park, Arnold, NE
Approx. 200 attendees

Hello Arnold!
Now before I get more into things I wanted to thank y’all for your warm reception of the AFP convention many months back, before the DA was even a thing. You folks were great and part of why I chose this town was because of the hospitality I saw here.
I wanted to come out here because the DA’s platform here in Nebraska is the platform of small towns like y’all. Our plan is quite oddly much the reverse of what we’ve seen with Governor Nelson. While he’s had the chance to invest further into local communities than what Fremont provides, he’s instead worked to cut regulations for the big agribusiness giants that gobble up farmland and make it useless. We’re lucky that Fremont funds local services because I’m afraid that if they didn’t he’d cut into that too. Meanwhile under a McHenry administration you’d see additional investment into local development, beyond what the regional government does. You wouldn’t see standards being cut, or regulations that actually matter being cut.

Instead, we’d see a revival of small towns like Arnold. We’d see the actual progressive policies that Governor Nelson promised and never delivered on. Let’s make it real. Vote DA up and down the ballot this month!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Thomas F. Daley Memorial Park, Laplace LA
Approx. 11,000 attendees

Laplace Welcome
ScienceQuiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Hello Laplace!

I’m happy to be out here, though also a bit sad to see the state of this once-beautiful area. Just 3 miles away is the infamous DuPont plant. Now owned by Denka, they continue to hurt this community. And the Governor and state legislature don’t do anything about it. This area voted for Boisseau hoping for change in policy. You didn’t get it from him. Instead, you got it from the downballot offices you elected. That includes Parish President, where you elected Tarrance Becard. He’s seemingly the only politician around that’s fought against the polluters. He’s been out here day and night working for you folks.

When Tarrance is Governor, with a DA majority at his side, we’ll see serious action being taken against these monstrosities that do nothing but spew cancer right into this community. We’ll be seeing stronger regulations put onto the factories so that they can’t keep hurting this parish. We’re going to take a look and see if we can sue these companies and force them to pay back to the communities they’ve hurt, even if that’s no consolation for the untold damage they’ve done.

We are going to make sure justice is done. I haven’t heard anyone else on the trail in Louisiana saying the same. Well, except one other man, who’s with me right now. You know him well, and he’s here to make sure justice is done too! Ladies and Gentlemen, Senator-elect Wxtransit!!!


RALLY
@Denka Plant, Reserve, LA
Approx. 3000 attendees

Image from: https://www.desmog.com/2017/07/27/louisiana-cancer-alley-sue-denka-dupont-chemical-plant-50-years-air-pollution/
© Julie Dermansky for DeSmog Blog

Greetings to the folks of Reserve, Louisiana.

Normally in conditions like these I would try and limit the amount of folks here. But you all have been exposed to this for years. A few minutes aren’t going to change much.

As you all know by this point, the plant behind me has been killing the folks of Reserve and surrounding areas for years. The cancerous chemical compound chloroprene makes it such that simply by living here, you all are 700 times more likely to have cancer from air pollution than normal.

It’s why the UN Human Rights Committee, folks who see some of the worst-hit areas of the world, still balked at the complete lack of regard to the health of folks here.

And yet we see no solution offered by either big party. The DA, however, knows what we’re gonna do. It’s why our candidate for Governor would clamp down on this plant immediately. As the folks around here say, only 0.2 will do, referring to the EPA safe exposure limit of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter. Denka continues to completely ignore this and says that the limit is wrong. They say they’re limiting emissions while they still increase. A couple years ago the air was monitored having nearly 150 times the safe limit. This is completely unacceptable.

It is not time to play games with people’s lives. Stronger action must be taken. We will take Denka to court, and we will make sure they take things down to 0.2. The folks around here have fought the company for a long time, but they never had the resources to do much about it. Under a Becard administration, you can be sure that you will have those resources. The whole state will be on your side.

Now, let me hand it off to your next Governor, Tarrance Becard!

RALLY
@Dru’s Place, Convent, LA
Approx. 200 attendees

Zen-Noh Grain Corporation Convent, LA
chaddavis.photography, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Hello Convent!

I wanted to come out here today because y’all have an amazing story to tell. It happened quite a while back, but those who were here remember it well. Back in the 90’s, Shintech Inc. was getting ready to make 3 new PVC plants here in Convent. Despite the knowledge that such construction would put over half a million pounds of pollutants into the air annually, the state government greenlighted the project.

Well, the folks here didn’t take too kindly to that. It was only because of the strong community organizing effort made here that Shintech retracted their plans.

I think that community organizing is amazing. But it is sad that Convent didn’t have any backing from the state government to do anything about it.

I stand here today and tell y’all that if anyone tries to pull something like Shintech tried to, or what Denka is doing downriver, Governor Becard would stand with you!

But we gotta make sure he’s actually Governor first! That’s why this month, vote DA up and down the ballot!


RALLY
@Jambalaya Park, Gonzales, LA
Approx. 1100 attendees

Tanger Outlets Gonzales Louisiana
Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Hello Gonzales!

Glad to see so many folks out here today in the Jambalaya capital of the world!

You know, here in the DA we’ve been big proponents of supporting small, local businesses.  Especially restaurants like those owned here in Gonzales and all across Louisiana. Restaurants like these serve those exquisite and unique Cajun and Creole dishes, a staple of what makes Louisiana stand out. We need to defend this state’s unique cultural tastes by helping out small businesses more. That’s exactly what a Becard Administration would do. We would help out those starting up a small business with a tax credit so that more folks can make their own place in our economy.

Let’s make sure that big business doesn’t destroy Louisiana’s culture. Vote DA.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

campaign logos to be used across each candidate's state until polls close.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

Bumper stickers!

To be distributed to supporters until polls close.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

OLAWAKANDI DAY CELEBRATIONS


WB has a nice (non-alcoholic) drink in celebration of Olawakandi Day

WB and candidates including State Sen. Candidate Lucy Bestille and Gubernatorial Candidate Tarrance Becard took part in Olawakandi Day festivities in Baton Rouge this morning.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Corner of Lake Street and Sparrow Street, Lake Providence LA
Approx. 750 attendees

Hello Lake Providence!

I wanted to come up from Cancer Alley to another underserved area of this state. Up here in northeast Louisiana, the three counties of Madison, East Carroll and Tensas are the poorest in the whole state. Here in East Carroll you have nearly a third of folks drop out of high school. That's a failing of the state government for not helping you folks out more.

Under a DA administration you'd see more funds coming up here to Lake Providence to make sure that everyone, no matter their zip code, can have a decent education.

With me now is a woman who's seen the issues with education and its lack of funding up here, and she's ready to serve y'all as the next state Rep! Please welcome Mrs. Jodie Valentine!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Veterans Park, Shreveport LA
Approx. 20,000 attendees

Hello Shreveport!

You know, Louisiana was hit hard by COVID. Who wasn't?

But now that we're really reopening, getting shots in arms, we need to take a look at what we do going forward. And right here in Shreveport we can help revitalize the city and make it blossom. The Shreveport Economic Recovery Task Force plan is a list of simple but game-changing infrastructure improvements that would help this city get back up.

Filling in the gaps of broadband coverage. Re-envisioning Texas Street. Bringing attention to the edges of the city. These are easy things we can do to bring some new attention and life into Shreveport. But many of these proposals rely on a bond program, something that although good might not cover everything when all is said and done. With a DA governor and legislature, you can be sure that you'll be given the funding needed to make this happen.

With me now is a man who helped push for the SERT plan in the City Council, and will help get that funding secured in this city! Please welcome City Councilman, and your next state Senator, Mitchell Reed!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

CLOSING RALLY
@City-Brooks Community Park, Baton Rouge, LA
Approx. 25,000 attendees

HELLO BATON ROUGE!!!


Well, the campaign is wrapping up tonight, and though I wish I could have seen more of this state, I'm confident that our message is a winning one. I'm confident that Tarrance Becard will win and with a DA majority by his side!

This whole campaign we've reached out to folks who didn't support us last time. Federalists who are fed up with legislative leadership doing nothing but complaining. Laborites who are angered by Boisseau's betrayal, insults directed at this state, and extremely odd statements about eating boots. Liberals who find our moderate, pragmatic message attractive. And of course those who didn't vote because they felt no one cared for them.

We care. Tarrance Becard cares.

We care about the folks in Slidell, forced to pay more to clean up a superfund site because the state didn't help.

We care about the folks in New Orleans, who have to deal with still-shuttered places that have sat that was for over a decade.

We care about the folks in Venice who had to deal with several natural and man-made disasters in the past 15 years.

We care about the folks in Grand Isle who worry about their main industry's future.

We care about Laplace and Reserve, dealing with the effects of a plant causing folks to die of cancer at horrific rates.

We care about Convent and ensuring that nothing attempts to harm them again.

We care about Gonzales and all of Acadiana and fighting to preserve their culture.

We care about Lake Providence and their struggling education.

We care about Shreveport and their revitalization.

We care about ALL of Louisiana and their local problems.

Let's make sure that the next government cares. Let's get out there and vote for Tarrance Becard, and DA candidates up and down the ballot tonight! Remember, if you're in line when polls close, you can still vote!!! Let's make some real change here folks!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

AD to be shown in Nebraska until polls close.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

RALLY
@Home Depot Backyard, Atlanta, GA
Approx. 5,250 attendees

Hello Atlanta!

We had our birthday party here a month ago, but I thought it would be good to start off a new campaign right here. Because we've done so much the past year.

We’ve worked so hard this past year. We’ve seen the highs of August last year, and the lows of April this year. But through it all we stand strong, independent. We call out both sides when it’s needed. But most of all we fight for all folks. That’s why I’m touring Georgia again so that Governor Miller can keep serving Georgia.

I’m so proud of the work we’ve done, but I know I’ll be more proud of what we’re going to do.


RALLY
@Dalton Green Park, Dalton GA
Approx 2,000 attendees


Hello Dalton!

Well I’m so happy to be properly kicking off this campaign here in Northwest Georgia.

You all are known for being the “Carpet Capital of the world”, and I can’t say that title is wrong. Over 30 thousand folks in and around Dalton are employed in the trade. And that’s great. But having an area so dependant on one trade is not sustainable. Look at what happened less than a decade ago. We saw mills that employed thousands cut down, close, or downsize, causing nearly 5,000 jobs to be lost. That’s big in an area like this.

We need to diversify. If you’ve seen some of the success stories, especially up in Michigan where Governor Elliott has been working hard to revive the rust belt cities, you’d know that it’s because they diversified that their economies began to recover and even boom.

That starts with small businesses. And Governor Miller has worked to make sure that with the end of the economic shakup caused by COVID, small businesses can thrive. Tax breaks and credits for small business have made it so that it’s easier to start up new ventures than ever before.

However we weren’t able to get everything we wanted to get through. That’s why this month Governor Miller needs a majority in the legislature. He needs folks like Emilia Vincento, a lifelong resident of Dalton who was one of the nearly 5000 people laid off in the early 2010s. Thanks to Governor Miller and the DA, she was able to start her own restaurant just down the street from here. Now she wants to be your next state Rep! Let’s give it up for Mrs. Vincento!

RALLY
@Ridge Ferry Park, Rome GA
Approx. 11,000 attendees

Hello Rome!

I’m happy to be out here in Georgia’s own city of seven hills to talk about the DA’s plans to keep this city prosperous!

That starts with getting more folks to move here. And what better way to do that than financial incentives? It’s a pretty well known fact that money is one of the most powerful things in the world, and by making it easier and more financially reasonable to build or own a new house, the DA has used that power for good.

Thanks to our leadership we’re seeing so many young folks getting houses. The stereotype of millennials refusing to buy a house has finally been broken because we’ve made it possible for so many.

Now, I’m gonna hand over the mic to a man who recently moved into the community because of what we’ve done. Ladies and Gentlemen, your next State Senator, Chris Caulk!

RALLY
@Heritage Park, Canton GA
Approx. 10,000 attendees

Hello Canton!

Let’s talk about commutes. Yknow, I just saw a meme the other day about how Atlanta’s an hour drive from Atlanta. The sad thing is that it’s true. I joke, half-truthfully, that Atlasia would only half as many blood-pressure related medical issues as we do now, if we cared more about making people’s commutes easier, cheaper, and cleaner.

Governor Miller has tried damn hard to do that. Sadly, the state Legislature continues to destroy most of our hopes at advancement on this issue. They don't seem to see what regular folks do. As Atlanta’s metro expands, so should its transport system. Meanwhile, even with bus lines, the nearest station in the MARTA system is over 10 miles away. And they continue to cut lines due to budget constraints. Governor Miller and the DA wants to reverse that trend. Our platform here is the same as it always has been. Less congestion, better commutes, better lives! Let's vote out the folks who think that public transportation is a money sink rather than an investment! Let's vote DA!

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

After the Canton Rally, following Lollapalooza’s example, future WB DA events will require a record of full vaccination or a negative COVID test from the past 120 hours to enter. Social distancing will not be required. Unvaccinated people who attempt to attend (including those who give a negative test) will be given information on how to get the vaccine.

RALLY
@Dudley Park, Athens GA
Approx. 25,000 attendees


Hello Athens!


I’m so happy to see that we can get back to normal here in Georgia, and let’s not forget why: Governor Miller’s vaccine rollout has been praised across the political spectrum. Not only has he made his own personal appeals to the population to vaccinate, but taking a page from Governor Cunningham just over the border in South Carolina, he’s gotten numerous well known folks to appear in ads to encourage folks to take the vaccine. Thanks to that and some more forceful but extremely necessary measures he’s had to take due to misinformation spreading, including some vaccine mandates, we can finally meet up like this.

We can gather again. We can go to sports again, we can go to school or work again. Governor Miller has helped make this possible. And we will continue doing the common sense solutions needed to put this pandemic behind us for good, if you elect DA folks up and down the ballot this month!

Now I’m handing it over to someone that knows that getting us through the pandemic is more important than ever. He had COVID and was hospitalized. He saw his brother’s business closed due to COVID. And through it all he’s been an advocate for the vaccine, going door-to-door helping people learn about it. Let’s welcome your state Rep, James Hayfield!