demobrats

New year, same brats. Join us as we discuss key takeaways from 2024 and what's at the top of our to do lists for 2025. Whats in, what's out, and what you can expect to hear from us on the pod in the new year! A special thank you to Whitney at the Statesman Journal for publishing a story about our pod this week! You can read it at the link below. If you would like to read the book Virginia references on Dark Skies, it is called The End of Night by Paul Bogard and it is available on print and e-edition through the Salem Public Library (we're big fans of libraries around here!) Now get out there and slay the new year, or don't, there's really no rush.

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2024/12/31/brat-salem-podcast-demobrats-local-politics-city-budget/77235986007/

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A warning: The content of this episode references domestic violence, abuse, racism, violence, and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised.

They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Join Vik and Virginia for Mayor Chris Hoy's most personal public exit interview. We discuss the third bridge, homelessness, Keiko the Whale, and so much more. Things get really good around minute 48. Trust us when we say we let a really fantastic public servant get away. Period.

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Campaign Manager Caleb is back as we continue to share all about our experiences on the trail this summer including the endorsement process, the millions of dollars spent by our opponent, the victories for our team, the social media trolling that never happened, and the origins of BRAT.

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Do private big developers and their friends have any business involving themselves in local politics? The Salem City Council, City Staff, and future electeds received a letter last week from The Salem Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association. They are requesting the formation of a "Blue Ribbon Committee" to take a redundant deep dive into understanding the city's already dwindling resources. Join Vik and Virginia as they examine the distrust these groups have been shepherding in the community since the fall of the payroll tax in 2023 and the potential motivations behind this letter.

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Special guest and A-1 Campaign Manager, Caleb Hayes joins Virginia and Vik to talk about how we spent the summer trying to fire Kevin Mannix and flip House District 21. We're excited to share the behind the scenes of our campaign, hilarious moments on the trail, a few one-off stories of out of pocket interactions, and how our campaign changed the way campaigns will be run forever (and forced him to spend a million dollars to keep his job!). This is part one in a two part series.

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Trigger warning: Virginia does mention assault, neglect, and abuse in this episode.

In this bonus episode, Virginia let's us all in on a bit of her deconstruction, personal healing, and why she advocated so hard for Salem in the process of getting the payroll tax across the finish line at council. Thanks for being here with us!

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This episode is all about the Salem Payroll Tax. After all, Virginia was the "architect" of the whole thing. If you're into the drama, this episode is for you. But seriously, join us as we try to explain WHY the payroll tax happened in the first place, why it was sent to the voters, why it failed, and ultimately, why we're not any better off as a result. We will also touch base on next steps for generating revenue since the payroll tax is now off the table.

This is part three of a three episode series.

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How did the City of Salem get to the point where we're cutting 18 million dollars from our general fund? Join Vik and Virginia as they break down how the city budget even works and how we got here.

This is part one of a three episode series.

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This episode is going to leave you feeling so smart. Join Vik and Virginia as they break down Measures 5 and 50 and their impacts on local schools and our city. We also give a little insight into what Virginia thinks we should do to fix our problem and also what we've tried. Hint: It's controversial.

This is part two of a three episode series.

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Join Virginia and Vik as we discuss what we've been up to as the holidays approach and really lay the ground for helping our listeners understand how local Political Action Committees (PACS) and grassroots activist groups work. This is part two of a two part episode.

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