demobrats

Just a little yapping about the issues with guests at Virginia's kick off party for State Senate District 11 this last Friday night. Special shoutout to the more than 100 people who attended!

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In this extended bonus we cover last weeks very long City Council meeting as well as a deep dive into the laws around enforcing camping on Oregon's public properties. Our mayor has a long history of speaking ill of the unhoused (see City Council public comments over the last few years) and we are not surprised she has now made herself a chief petitioner on a prospective ballot measure filed last week that seeks to give cities more authority to enforce anti-camping laws. Learn all about it and what you can do if you disagree.

Some sources for today's pod:

We already have a lot of rules about camping in public places: 

Current City Code: (May 2023)

• SRC 95.720 - Prohibits camping on all public property.

• Current camping prohibition is not practically enforceable.

• Ordinance 6-20 - restricts sitting and laying on sidewalks during daytime hours. Effectiveness conditioned on a determination that adequate shelter and restrooms have been provided - Not currently enforced.

• SRC 95.730 - prohibits leaving personal property unattended on a sidewalk for two hours or more. Hasn’t been enforced and may violate ORS 195.500.

  Revise SRC 95.720 and repeal 95.730 and Ordinance 6-20, and replace with:

  Camping restrictions in many areas: parks, near vision clearance areas and building entrances, residential zones, near existing shelters, and areas designated by City Manager as no camping.

  Camps required to maintain a 36-inch ADA pedestrian path.

Read the petition here.

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Felix from CouplaGoofs and Holly from Salem Soup Squad join us to share about their work and their new combined endeavor, Circular Salem. Mutual aid might just be the thing that gets us through the next three years. For more info on their work:

Circular Salem Library of Things + Kids Clothing Exchange https://circularsalem.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse

J.B. MacKinnon | The Day the World Stops Shopping https://share.google/M1P8mI6HNX73vxvmz

Salem Soup Squad [email protected]

@salemsoupsquad

https://signup.com/go/XPsaJfo

@circularsalem

[email protected]

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In this much anticipated interview, Representative Cyrus Javadi (HD 32 - Tillamook & Clatsop Counties) joins Vik and Virginia on the pod to share all about his journey home to the Democratic Party. We talk healthcare, taxes, climate change, abortion, free speech, Taylor Swift, reality television, RINOs, and the future of the Republican Party now and post-Trump.

If you want to learn more about fake pregnancy clinics, there are plenty of resources out there. Here's a few articles we've read recently:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/15/us-anti-abortion-pregnancy-centers

https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/in-the-news/massachusetts-warns-patients-over-unconscionable-crisis-pregnancy-centers

Read Rep Javadi's substack here.

CC MEDIA'S FALL PLEDGE DRIVE IS HERE. DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR WORK.

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Bluesky: Demobrats

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email us: [email protected]

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JOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO POWERFUL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, GET A YARD SIGN, OR ENDORSE VIRGINIA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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email us: [email protected]

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A warning, Virginia mentions events of sexual assault and abuse in this pod. Listener discretion is advised.

That potato guy Zack Surmacz is back to interview Virginia about HOW, WHAT, and WHY she ever chose to open herself up to public scrutiny and run for office. But PLOT TWIST, if you know Virginia and Vik, you already know this episode gets into the WHO. We promise you will absolutely love this episode and we hope it encourages you to join the bench, hop off the bench, or join us in our work!

Play Map By Bruce Snider

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This podcast was recorded on Thursday, October 2. Some developments may have taken place since then.

Chris Hoy joins Virginia to give us all an update on the State of Downtown Meeting that occurred last week which was hosted by the Salem Mainstreet group. Things got a little bizarre at 8 AM. Chris also gives us a follow up on the investigation into the ethics of our Salem Mayor and City Council and asks the question, why didn't the mayor sign a letter alongside the mayors of Oregon's other major cities to oppose the President's deployment of the National Guard in Portland?

Learn more:

Brian Hines Blog

Salem Reporter Article

Statesman Journal Article

Petition to hold Mayor Julie Hoy accountable

The Next Salem City Council meeting is October 13th at 6 PM at the Salem Library Auditorium.

Get Loud, Stay Loud

Welp, brats, the 2025 Legislative long session has ended and we're here to report on our first Salem area Representative's performance. Representative Kevin Mannix gets a D+ for effort and lightbulbs this session. Yes, lightbulbs. We didn't get the payment in lieu of taxes we needed or that Capitol District, but we did get some astroturf (a parking lot) in Keizer. Want to make sure we have better elected officials representing us? Join us below.

JOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE

⁠⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO POWERFUL⁠⁠⁠

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This episode was originally published December 5, 2024. It's also one of Vik's favorites.

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!

JOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE

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⁠⁠⁠SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, GET A YARD SIGN, OR ENDORSE VIRGINIA⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠VISIT THE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE ⁠⁠

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Instagram: VoteVirginiaStapleton // TellYourFriendsOregon

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What's happening, brats! This episode is the collaboration you never knew you needed. Jacob from whatshappeningsalem joins us on the pod this week to talk all things we love in Salem, local media, maximalism, grief, and an in depth discussion into understanding that equitable payroll tax (and the often omitted sunset date) the former City Council tried to get across the finish line at the 11th hour to save emergency services in Salem.

Remember, it's easy to be against something. We hope you all have the courage to be FOR something.

Upcoming Events:

Whats Happening Salem's Community Booster Award Show

Grand Theater, October 3, Doors open at 6 PM. Show runs 7:00–8:30 PM. Cocktail attire.

Instagram: whatshappeningsalem

JOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE

⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO POWERFUL⁠⁠

⁠⁠SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, GET A YARD SIGN, OR ENDORSE VIRGINIA⁠⁠

⁠VISIT THE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE ⁠

Tiktok: VirginiaStapleton

Bluesky: Demobrats

Instagram: VoteVirginiaStapleton

Facebook: Elect Virginia Stapleton

email us: [email protected]

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!