1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Baratunde here with another Citizens story. This is for April nineteen, 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five. I think we're up to story number 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: six out of eight, just three more to go, and 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: this one West Virginia can't wait. So I you know, 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: there's a setup embedded. And the thing my point in 6 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: doing this audio in front of the audio from the 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: video is just to check in with you a little 8 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: more loosely. We don't have to keep keep it so 9 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: rigid as in the three minute limits on Blue Sky 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: and Instagram. So we're we're coming into the home stretch 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: on this effort. And we've been posting these on substack, 12 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: on LinkedIn, on Instagram, on blue Sky, on Mailchimp, where else. 13 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: We've been putting it the backyard, the front yard, the 14 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: bus station, you know, wherever, wherever we can get it. 15 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: And this this story is about places that we overlooked, 16 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: and it's about people that we overlook in in our 17 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: political process. So I love this story because it is 18 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: based in Appalachia, and I grew up visiting parts of Appalachia. 19 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: I'm from the DC world, uh, Washington, DC world, and 20 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: so the Blue Ridge Mountains uh is almost my backyard. 21 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: And went camping there with my mom and all kinds 22 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: of explorations, and then I got to revisit in my 23 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: adult life with the America Outdoor Show I wasted on 24 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: PBS and the thing that I felt there, you know, 25 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: we we were doing stories about uh, adaptive whitewater rafting, 26 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: about regenerative agriculture, about coal miners who became bee keepers, 27 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: and I was just like, this is a story of Appalachia. 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: We're not seeing. We're We're only hearing folks who want 29 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: to cling to a particular business model cause it makes 30 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: them some money. They want to just cling to the 31 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: coal industry they want, you know, in this case, it 32 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: was Senator Joe Mansion at the time, who has his 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: way of doing things and a lot of financial interests 34 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: to make sure things stay a certain way. But I 35 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: was seeing this new story, this innovative, adaptive, creative spirit 36 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: of some fiercely independent but also interdependent people, the people 37 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: of of Appalachia, the people of the Hills. And the 38 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: story that you're gonna hear today reminds me of that. 39 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: It's not about white water rafting, but it is about 40 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: navigating choppy waters of our political system and what is 41 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: going on in West Virginia. It is a lack of 42 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: patience for the status quo, and it's really an invitation 43 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: to everyday people to get into the process. But they're aided. 44 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: There's facilitation, there's training, there's there's a community around, and 45 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: there's accountability and follow through. And so if you're tired 46 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: of your politicians, make some new ones, become one. But 47 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: do it, you know, not alone, so you don't get 48 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: eaten up by the machine. Anyway, I'm not trying to 49 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: spoil the whole story. Enjoy the sounds of West Virginia 50 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,399 Speaker 1: can't wait, and please if you want to follow through 51 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: on what you're hearing in these we're always linking to 52 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 1: uh the substack version of the post where we've got 53 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: links to the group, to the Instagram post, to the 54 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: LinkedIn post. You want to find all these folks in 55 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,839 Speaker 1: their social platforms. You want to support them, you want 56 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 1: to learn from them or or connect it to something 57 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: you know going on, which we're trying to make it 58 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: easy and just put it everywhere and find us at 59 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: stories dot howdositizen dot com. This is a group effort, 60 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: by the way, so just a major appreciation to share 61 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: a Bromlitz who has been like project managing this to 62 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: my partner Elizabeth Stewart, to my brother from another mother, 63 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: John Alexander, and to our video producers. That video producers 64 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: are test No Vaughtnoy and gut Ridge and Alexa Limb. 65 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: And they went out and really conducted these interviews that 66 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: you're hearing and edited them down and we try to 67 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: package them so they could travel the farthest in this 68 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: particular test. All right, enjoy your weekend, and if you 69 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: hear this years later, enjoy whatever day it is for 70 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: you in the future. I'm talking to you from the past. Look, 71 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: time travel is a real thing. Are you tired of 72 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 1: your limited political choices? So am I? And sometimes it 73 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: helps to be reminded that we are not limited to 74 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: what is on the menu that someone else chose. That 75 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: we can just go in the kitchen and start cooking, 76 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: mixing ingredients the way we want. But the point is this, 77 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: real people can take over the political process, especially when 78 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: they work together to do it. And some of the 79 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: best democratic innovation in America is happening in that way. 80 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: In Appalachia, check out the story of West Virginia Can't Wait. 81 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: We passed a non discrimination ordinance as well as a 82 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 2: ban on conversion therapy. Those things seemed impossible in a 83 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 2: conservative Appalachian city, and they passed unanimously. My name is 84 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 2: Rosemary Ketchum. I am a volunteer and formered candidate for 85 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 2: West Virginia Can't Wait. We have run Republicans, Independents, and Democrats, 86 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 2: all on very similar platforms. Local politics is often very practical. 87 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 2: It's about potholes, it's about preservation and restoration. We want 88 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 2: to make sure that our candidates put these local issues 89 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 2: at the forefront of their campaigns. Folks feel like, well, 90 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 2: I'm not a lawyer. I don't know how to write 91 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: a bill. Those are the very people that we need 92 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 2: in elected office. If somebody got elected and they were like, 93 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 2: how do I write this? Are there examples from other cities, 94 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 2: we would be that liaison. So we build a Counsellor's Club, 95 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 2: which is essentially a text group of dozens of city 96 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: councilors across this date who can share policy ideas, or 97 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 2: commiserate about a tough council meeting, or essentially have a 98 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: friend group. We've seen over fifty one primaries run with 99 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,679 Speaker 2: West Virginia Can't Wade candidates and nearly twenty five elected 100 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: officials across the state get elected on our platform with 101 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 2: our support. One of our great candidates in Parkersburg, Wendy Tech, 102 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 2: has been working fixing their roads in a new fire station. 103 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 2: Brian Butcher and Ixye Vega in Morgantown, West Virginia have 104 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 2: been focused on houselessness to support their local free shelter. 105 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:34,919 Speaker 2: I think one of the things that I'm most proud 106 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 2: of in my own political career is helping demystify politics. 107 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:46,119 Speaker 2: It is just everyday work for everyday folks.