A New Way to Engage Voters: Interactive Video
I first decided to run for city council eight years ago because I believed that the more San José residents engaged in civic life the better our government would be.
Serving on the council, that belief was reinforced nearly every day. I saw the power of regular citizens standing up for better policies and smarter government.
The challenge is that the big special interests have lobbyists and lots of ways to be heard. We need to make sure that the rest of us have a voice in our government.
That’s why I have been pushing so hard to make it easier for regular residents to make their voices heard. For example, last year I pushed for a participatory budgeting pilot project that allowed citizens (as opposed to the city council) to decide how to spend certain funds in their communities.
And throughout this campaign, I’ve used innovative tools like online townhalls to give voters a chance to give their feedback on the issues that matter. I’ve published a book online (and offline) to discuss policy proposal in detail and asked residents to give their comments and ideas. And we’re using some “old-fashioned” tools also – like simply asking residents to email me their questions and ideas.
This week I’m launching a new way of engaging citizens: an interactive video. It allows viewers to choose what they’re interested in and learn about my approach – on their own time and from their own living rooms.
If this video and my plan still don’t answer your questions, you can ask me any question by emailing me at sam@liccardoformayor.com. I’ll get back to you just as soon as possible.
My campaign is about innovating to make our city government smarter, so we can better serve our residents and invest in public safety. This video is an example of that philosophy at work. I hope you have a minute to check it out, and look forward to your feedback.