July 2016 Newsletter

Friends,

I hope you were able to celebrate our country’s 240th birthday, with parades and fireworks, picnics and family, or however you chose. Dawn and I got away for a vacation from work, and as I try to do every July 4th, I re-read the Declaration of Independence, to remember the vision and fortitude it took to steer history on a new course.

Later this month in Philadelphia, our Democratic Party will make history by nominating a woman as our presidential candidate. And of course that follows the service of the first African-American president in our country’s history, a president I believe will be remembered as one of our nation’s finest.

President Obama has noted that if you could choose to be born anytime in history, not knowing where or as whom, you’d pick today. That is, if you didn’t know what color your skin would be, or your gender, or the social or economic status of your parents, or your sexual preference, or your abilities or disabilities, or your religion, or where you’d grow up – echoes of the philosopher John Rawls’ ‘veil of ignorance’ – then you’d certainly want to choose today over any time in history. I think he’s right about that.

We may have a deep-seated human instinct to glorify or romanticize our past, both individual and collective, but we really are living, together, in the best of times thus far.

Nothing is automatic about continuing our progress – serious forces threaten to push us backwards this next election – but I’m certainly hopeful.

A couple of weeks ago I joined more than 200 mayors from around the country, meeting in Indianapolis to share ideas and find new approaches. I think you would be, as I was, encouraged to hear about excellent efforts to make cities smarter, more just, more sustainable, more prosperous, and more livable places.

We heard the Dalai Lama (and Lady Gaga!?) urge us to make cities places of more kindness. We heard from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer about the kind of human disaster that can strike at any time. We heard from young entrepreneurs pitching imaginative new solutions to stubborn old problems.

And we heard from Hillary Clinton, who challenged us to work together toward a more open, inclusive, diverse, fair society of opportunity for all. It was energizing to think about what we can do together going forward, with well-meaning, rational, empathetic, and creative leadership. I’m excited about the next four years.

I hope you and yours have a good July, and Dawn and I look forward to seeing you around Bloomington. Remember to support great candidates like Hillary Clinton, John Gregg and Christina Hale, Baron Hill, Shelli Yoder, Glenda Ritz, and all our local Democrats – the next few months will indeed help determine our future.

And mark your calendar for SUNDAY, September 11, from 4 to 7pm for the second annual Hamilton Family Picnic for Politics and BBQ.

Democratically yours,

John

June 2016 Newsletter

Friends,

Just want to check in again, which we’ll try to do every month or so. Dawn and I continue to enjoy the chance to help Bloomington thrive, for people from all walks of life.

Summer will see us working at city government to build momentum for some of the big goals, including:

• City-wide broadband internet access, as we’re reviewing twelve responses from organizations interested in partnering with us in the effort

• Affordable housing, as we’ll be considering with city council some new tools and approaches that can work in our community

• The ‘String of Pearls’ of four important potential development opportunities to enhance quality of life, all along the B-Line trail, from the Trades District (aka certified tech park), to the Convention Center, to the current hospital site, to the new Switchyard Park plans

• Public education improvements, all built upon the critical referendum which I’m working to help get passed this fall

More transparent and effective government, including cleaning up our water supply, fixing the broken parking meters, restoring key safety equipment like fire engines and snowplows, reviewing our sanitation system for modern options, and just opening up all the doors I can find and improving services wherever possible

I’m trying to get out and about to as many functions and gatherings as I can. Please don’t hesitate to suggest places I should be and people I should talk to! This energetic community has so many good things going on, and so many creative people working for good, that I’m often having to do triage on options – I welcome your suggestions about priorities.

Dawn is traveling a bit this early summer relating to two of her national efforts, with the Guttmacher Institute in New York City and their essential efforts to improve reproductive and sexual health and rights here and around the world, and with the annual conference of the American Constitution Society, in Washington DC, striving to protect liberty, equality and justice under our constitution, and welcoming Vice President Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren among others as key speakers and inspirers for next-generation legal and political leaders.

Later this month Dawn and I will join hundreds of Hoosier Democrats at our State Convention in Indy, building unity and momentum toward the very important fall campaigns – more on those later.

And please mark on your calendar SUNDAY, September 11, from 4 to 7pm for the second annual Hamilton Family Picnic for politics and BBQ in Bryan Park. This Sunday-after-Labor-Day gathering helps mark the beginning of the fall political season and is a chance to hear good music, share food, renew friendships, and be grateful for our beloved community. Hope you can make it.

Democratically yours,

John (& Dawn)

May 2016 Newsletter

Friends,

Thank you so much for helping me become Mayor of Bloomington. I’ve been thrilled with the privilege to serve and help our community continue to thrive and improve. And I wouldn’t have had the chance without your help. It means so much to Dawn and me.

I’ve ridden sanitation trucks, street sweepers, police cruisers, traipsed through water treatment plants, fire stations, and local factories, had brownbag lunches with employees and nonprofit boards and participated in town halls and planning sessions all across town. It’s exciting to sense such potential, and see where city government can help.

We know we need more good-paying jobs, more affordable housing, stronger public schools, and a more transparent, innovative, effective government. That’s what we’ve been working on every day since January 1st, and will continue over the next four years.

While national and state politics are at times sources of distress, I see every day what a difference we can make with our local efforts. And I sincerely appreciate your support in helping this progressive community show how a diverse, creative, compassionate place can chart a positive path where people from all walks of life can enjoy a good life together.

Politics matters, at the local, state, national, and global levels. I hope and trust you will be engaged in helping good people get into office this fall – important choices lie ahead! Thanks for being involved. Dawn and I look forward to seeing you around town, at the market, at a show, at school, on the street. And I hope you’ll tell me where I should be and what I can do to be helpful. We both so deeply appreciate the chance you have given us to help our beloved community reach for a more just, peaceful, bright future.

Let’s keep in touch, OK?

John (& Dawn)