Political Activism

For many months now, I have been involved in the campaign for a school bond the school district is running.  I agreed to be involved, not realizing how much time it was going to take, and I have found myself regretting having said yes.  It's been like a part-time job, without pay, and little glory.  Many people in the city have been opposed to the bond, and there have been lots of nasty things said about people I'm working with.  Fortunately, nobody outside my neighborhood really knows me, so I haven't been the target, but the whole venture has made lots of people unhappy, and that has spilled over.  I've been in charge of the door-to-door campaign, and I've spent hours printing off routes and counting door hangers and trying to find people willing to go door-to-door even to hang the flyers, and there haven't been enough people to help.  It's all been exhausting, physically and emotionally, and I'll be so happy when it's over (tomorrow).  If the bond doesn't pass, the school board will have to run a whole new bond and campaign, but I won't be there with them.  It's just too much.  

Tomorrow is voting day, but today is the last day to have your mail-in ballot postmarked.  We felt it would be helpful to do sign waving at the start and end of school, so those doing drop-off would be reminded to vote.  It was late start for Brandt, so he came and did sign waving until it was time for him to go to school.  Cora and Brick came out to go to school and they did a bit of sign waving, too.  I'm glad to be showing an example to our children of political activism and involvement in our community, but I will be so happy when this example comes to an end.

*post edit: The bond did not pass.  In fact, it was an overwhelming defeat, 63% against to 37% for.  No new schools in Provo this year.  Timpview will continue to slide, Dixon and Wasatch will remain overcrowded and unsafe, and Westridge won't get an addition to get rid of portables.  No safe entries for the other schools either.  I'm feeling bitter about all the time I spent for naught, but will live with the defeat.  I hope the consequences down the road are not dire.