We don’t do this very often — it’s a big deal

Regular Eclectablog readers will know that (a) I’ve only brought on a new writer one other time (LOLGOP) and (b) lately Amy Lynn Smith has been guest-posting some dynamite content at Eclectablog. Today I’m extremely pleased to announce that we have brought Amy on as a regular contributor to Eclectablog. This means she will share in blog revenues with me, Anne, and LOLGOP and, more importantly, you’ll get to enjoy her excellent writing on a regular basis.

Amy and I have followed each other on Twitter for quite awhile. However, our mutual friend and organizer extraordinaire, Sarah Burris sent me and email last February saying, “If you ever need someone who is very very well versed in health care policy to write something for the blog [Amy would] be a genius at it. I think she should start blogging in more high profile places. She’s brilliant!”

Sarah was, of course, 100% correct and I’m extremely glad I took her advice to heart.

This connection led to Amy guest posting a few pieces, much of which was about Medicaid expansion in Michigan, something near and very dear to my heart. Amy’s style fits in perfectly at Eclectablog. She brings a unique voice while at the same time fitting into our overall vibe absolutely perfectly.

I’m thrilled to have Amy on the team and I know that you’ll all enjoy her creative content as well. In addition to her writing here, you can learn more about Amy’s professional writing by visiting her website ALSwrite.com and following @alswrite on Twitter.

I asked Amy some questions about herself and her writing. Here’s our interview:

It’s not easy blogging with a typewriter. You have no idea.

You were involved on the communications team for Obama for America in 2012. What was your position there, what types of work did you do and what was that experience like?
I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of OFA Michigan. As Deputy Digital Director, I was largely a content specialist, reporting on stories of supporters and volunteers at events and field offices all over Metro Detroit. Telling the stories of people who worked so hard to re-elect the President — or who appreciated how much better their lives were because of his policies — inspired me every single day. I’d post those stories to the blog or social media channels, either by live tweeting or sharing photos and quotes. It’s one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever done and I learned an enormous amount from the brilliant people I served alongside.

What issues rev your writing and activist engines the most?
Writing is my activism — using my communication and storytelling skills to educate and motivate people. I wish there were enough hours in the day to champion every cause I care about deeply, but healthcare is at the top of my list right now. The Affordable Care Act is a giant leap forward in improving our country’s healthcare system, not just by providing healthcare to more people but by providing better care that can create healthier communities, physically and economically. Ongoing education and advocacy are essential. The other issues that fuel my passion most are women’s health — especially protecting our freedom to make our own care decisions — and equal rights. I want everyone to have access to the same opportunities, including being able to marry who they love. I want our public education system to be the best in the world, and I want our country be a place where the right to live safely is given the same priority as the right to bear arms. I want “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” to be an achievable dream for every American.

What would you like to be doing five years from now?
I want to keep telling stories about the issues and causes I care most about, working in issue advocacy or politics in a way that can change our country for the better. The big dream would be working as a communications director for an organization or elected official I wholeheartedly respect. I want to use my skills in every medium — writing, social media, video, theatre, music — to bring stories to life in ways that fuel positive results for everyone.

Who are your heroes and role models and why?
My parents, because they taught me you can achieve anything if you work hard enough. They showed me how to be tough, how to be kind and how to be a critical thinker. Brian Eno, because he’s always evolving and innovating. Aaron Sorkin, because I want to write like he does. Louisa May Alcott, because Little Women taught me a lifetime of lessons and she blazed trails as a feminist and abolitionist. Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama, for the quiet strength of their convictions and their visionary leadership. And Gabby Giffords, an inspiration in everything she does, but whose shooting was the catalyst for my hands-on activism. It showed me what it means to be unafraid in the face of extremism, and motivated me to be part of making sure our country will always be a place where angry, hateful voices don’t drown out reasonable, peaceful ones.

Why does being part of Team Eclectablog interest you? What new things do you hope to bring to the blog?
I’ve long admired the excellence of Team Eclectablog. You’re all making a difference by using your voices — words and images — to tell the true story of what’s happening in Michigan and across the country. You exemplify everything that’s noble about independent citizen journalism. You’re like superheroes fighting the good fight, and being part of Team Eclectablog gives me superpowers, too, in the form of a larger audience to hear things I believe are important to say. Every day I find new stories to tell about Michigan — not only its politics but its people, especially those who are working hard to make our state a better place. Everyone has their own unique voice, and I’m proud to add mine to the team. Plus, I’ve always wanted to be a superhero.

What question should I have asked and what is your answer to it?
Q. What’s your personal motto?
A. I don’t believe in everything. I just believe that everything is possible.

[The first two photos are by LAF Lines Photography. The photographer for the Big Bird photo is a mystery. We all love mysteries, right?]

I had a terrific conversation with Tony Trupiano last week on Night Shift with Tony Trupiano talking about the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, the State Policy Network and Lee Fang’s terrific article on the corporate front groups that are shaping our public policy and laws.

You can listen to it here:

The posts we refer to are:

Lee Fang exposes the State Policy Network & corporate domination of public policy

State Policy Network affiliate Mackinac Center denied opportunity to influence the news you read by Progress Michigan

Helping people frame the progressive message is what we’re all about

Welcome to Day 5 of our Second Quarter fundraiser. We’ll keep it short and sweet. The tip jar was pretty quiet yesterday so I’m hoping you’ll consider making a contribution today. Although we run ads on the site, they bring a scandalously low level of revenue so your direct contributions are extremely important.

Last night, I traveled to Grand Ledge, Michigan and spoke to the Eaton County Democratic Party. What’s amazing in Eaton County is that, largely because of the efforts of the grassroots organizers there, they have converted a Republican Red County to purple and now to Democratic Blue. They’ve done this by reaching out to their neighbors and coworkers and family members to talk about what progressive liberal values really mean to people in their everyday life.

Here at a Eclectablog, we try to help you have those conversations. Whether you’re convincing a stubborn relative, talking to uninformed people at work, or having an argument with a Republican that ought to know better, our goal is help you to be more convincing; armed with the facts and easy-to-understand framing of the issue. With LOLGOP’s brilliant essays, Anne’s graphical memes and quotes and me showing you things like how Democrats want to restore $1.5 billion to the middle class next year while the Republicans want to throw over 211,000 Michiganders off food assistance, at Eclectablog, you find new, effective ways to make your case.

I think we do that pretty well. In fact I know we do because people like you tell me so regularly.

Please give a bit back by dropping some folding money in the tip jar (also known as the Paypal widget) below. Change the amount to whatever you want it to be, preferrably making it a recurring donation.

If you’d rather send a check, email me and I’ll send you my address.

But, please do give. It helps US to help YOU. Plus it gives us hope that we’re not just wasting our time : )

- Chris, Anne, and LOLGOP

It doesn’t ALL go for beer

[All caricatures by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog]

Hi, folks. Welcome to Day 4 of our Second Quarter fundraiser. As I have said in the past, we make scandalously little money from the ads on this site, despite our rather healthy level of traffic. Much like public television and public radio, our main source of funding comes from “Viewers Readers like YOU!”

Please consider making a donation using the Paypal widget below. If you are able, we’d love to have you make a recurring monthly donation. You simply plug in the amount and how many months you want your donation to go through and Paypal does the rest.

If you would rather write us a check (which avoids Paypal and the fee they take out of your donation), shoot me an email (CLICK HERE) and I’ll send you my address.

Can’t afford even a few dollars to support our work? Please help spread the word about Eclectablog. Share our posts on Twitter and Facebook and email. Put a “Like” on our Facebook page, too!

So, what do we spend your donations on? Well, of course there are costs to maintain the site. And there are also a lot of costs incurred traveling to events. But this past quarter we used some of the funds we raised for something really fun. We hired the legendary caricature artist Donkey Hotey to create a variety of images of our illustrious Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. Using Anne’s photos of Mr. Snyder, he created the images you see below. Even the background images are from Anne’s photos.

Thanks for making a donation and supporting our work here. We hope to continue expanding our work and bringing an ever-more informative, entertaining and useful site as we move forward and your financial contributions will help make that happen.

- Chris, Anne, and LOLGOP

And here are Donkey Hotey’s amazing images:

Although, if a free tote bag would get you to donate…

As it happens, this week is also the week of Michigan Radio’s spring fund drive. There’s a bit of irony in that because I donate several hundred dollars a year to them. Why? Because the news I get from NPR is invaluable. The reporting is excellent and I feel like I can rely on them to give me the full story. I also sometimes utilize their content and feel like they should be compensated for that.

During our quarterly fundraisers, we ask you to make the same calculation. Do you get value from what you find at Eclectablog? Is what we do here something that helps you understand the political world around you a little better or to debate an issue a little bit more effectively? If so, please consider making a contribution.

You can do so with this handy Paypal link:

Note that, like with NPR, you can make this a recurring donation by filling out the form accordingly. Perhaps you can afford $5 or $10 a month. If so, please consider doing that. It really helps us.

If you’d rather write a check, drop me a quick note as several others have this week using the contact button at the top left of the page and I’ll send you my address.

If even a small contribution is out of your budget, please consider sharing our stuff on Twitter and Facebook and putting a “Like” on the Eclectablog Facebook page. Every little bit helps.

Thanks so much,
Chris, Anne and LOLGOP

Citizen journalism DOES make a difference

Hi, folks. Welcome back to our second quarter fundraiser. It’s not something on I love doing but I have to if we’re going to continue to expand Eclectablog and bring on more writers and artists who I can pay at least something for their efforts. I did a quick calculation this morning while I was laying in bed and discovered something rather amazing. Eclectablog gets between 150,000 and 250,000 pageviews a month and around 100,000 unique visitors. If just ten percent of those visitors gave $20/year ($5/quarter), I could quit my full-time job and pay all the contributors a decent wage on top of it.

Sadly, we’re far from that. So, I’ll keep making my pitch. If you value the work we do — whether it’s the citizen journalism, LOLGOP’s brilliant essays, or Anne’s incredible photography — please consider making a contribution to help us achieve our goal. I know people do value Eclectablog because I hear it regularly. Here’s Progress Michigan Executive Director Zack Pohl:

Eclectablog is essential reading for political news and progressive views. Chris is always a step ahead of mainstream media outlets, making and breaking news stories. In this changing media landscape, Eclectablog is more important than ever to Michigan progressives.

Please consider making a contribution today. You can use the handy Paypal button below, changing the amount to whatever you wish, or you can send me a check. Drop me a note via our contact button at the top left of the page and I’ll provide you with my mailing address.

If you simply cannot afford even $5 or $10, please spread the word about Eclectablog. Share our posts on Facebook, Twitter and with your family and friends. Upvote our posts on Reddit. Follow us on Twitter (@Eclectablog, @Anne_Savage, and @LOLGOP). Put a “Like” on our Facebook page. Help us spread the word.

As a bonus today, here is a two-part interview I did with Bonnie Bucqueroux from Lansing Online News on citizen journalism and the role Eclectablog plays:

Attention, mid-Michigan Democrats!

Just a quick note to let you know that I’ll be speaking to the Eaton County Democratic Party at their general membership meeting this Thursday at the Log Jam Restaurant, 110 West Jefferson Street in Grand Ledge. The event begins at 6:30 p.m.

I’ll be showing a slideshow of some of Anne’s amazing photographs, talking about the history and evolution of Eclectablog and sharing my insights on the future of the Democratic Party in Michigan as we head into the 2014 midterms.

If you’re in the mid-Michigan area, please join us!

Beer and bloggers — it doesn’t get any better than that

As we did last year, Mark Maynard of the inimitable MarkMaynard.com and I have organized another Beer With Bloggers event. Click HERE to RSVP.

This is an event for bloggers and blog readers. In other words, you don’t have to be a blogger to attend. We hope you’ll join us.

The event will take place at the Corner Brewery (720 Norris St, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013.

Here’s the current list of bloggers who will be in attendance:

• Mark Maynard
  MarkMaynard.com
• Chris Savage
  Eclectablog
• Anne Savage
  The Savage Feast and Eclectablog
• Ben Connor Barrie
  Damn Arbor
• Patti Smith
  The Palate of Patti
• Edward Vielmetti
  Vacuum
• Mary Bilyeu
  Food Floozie
• Steven Krause
  EMU Talk
• Patrick Diehl
  What’s the Diehl?
• Peter Larson
  Freewheel Burning
• Christine Barry
  Blogging for Michigan
• Mike White
  The Projection Booth
• Ruth Kraut
  Ann Arbor School Musings
• Sarah Rigg
  I Did It So You Don’t Have To
• Joseph Schafer
  Invisible Oranges
• Kenneth Bailey
  Michigan Exposures
• Chuck Marshall
  Life in Michigan

See you there!

Here we are, hat in hand…

Hello, Eclectablog fans. It is that time of year again where we come to you, our loyal readers, and ask you to support what we do here at Eclectablog. In the past quarter, we were proud to be selected as the “Best state-based progressive political blog” by the Washington Post. The reason is clear: at Eclectablog, you can get the important news and analysis you need to stay informed about what’s happening in Michigan and across the country.

Your donations help to pay for our server costs and make possible the trips we take to cover events across the state and across the country.

Please contribute whatever you can to help us continue to bring you the top-notch reporting and writing that you’ve come to expect. You can use the handy Paypal link below and you can change the amount to whatever level you’d like to contribute. If you’d rather send a check, use the contact button at the top left of every page and I’ll send you my address.

One of the things we do best here is to get news out about the attacks on our union brothers and sisters that seem to be a nearly daily occurrence in Michigan. The attacks are particularly ferocious against our teachers and Eclectablog is there to expose these attacks whenever they happen. Here’s what Michigan Education Association president Steve Cook has to say about our site:

Eclectablog is a tremendous resource for the latest news and analysis of Michigan politics, particularly when it comes to exposing the corporate special interests who are trying to destroy public education and weaken Michigan’s middle class. Highly recommended reading.

Please help however you can. If you are union member, in particular, please consider asking your brothers and sisters to help, too. If you can’t make a financial contribution, please spread the word about Eclectablog and encourage people to put a “Like” on our Facebook page, as well.

Thank you so much.

- Chris, Anne & LOLGOP

Beer and bloggers — it’s a match made in heaven

Exactly 10 months and few days after our last Beer with Bloggers event, Mark Maynard of the transcendent MarkMaynard.com and I have set the date and reserved the room for Beer With Bloggers 2013 (well, at least Spring 2013.)

Last year we had about 75 people (you can read about it HERE) and this year we’re pretty sure we’re going to get 76 or maybe even 77. One of those witty, attractive and highly intelligent people could be YOU.

The event will take place at the Corner Brewery (720 Norris St, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013.

The legendary Mark Maynard and some bald blogger dude (i.e., me), photo by Anne C. Savage

So, what exactly IS Beer with Bloggers? As I wrote last year, “it’s a chance for us, the men and women behind the html code, to hang out with the folks that read our words and look at our photos and other artwork, answer your questions, and get drunk.”

Please RSVP on our Facebook event page, especially if you’re a blogger. Invite your friends and family and join us for a fun evening of highly stimulating conversation that eventually devolves into telling George W. Bush jokes.

[Beer with Bloggers graphic by Mark Maynard]