By Rob Davis
Like many Floridians who tuned in last Thursday’s for the Gubernatorial Debate between current Governor Rick Scott and former Governor Charlie Crist, you may have found laughter to be an unusual part of the experience.
Bumper sticker slogans were slung across the room and as-seen-on-TV attack ads now seen in beautiful HD. I was lucky enough to attend that night, inside Broward College's Bailey Hall to see first hand our state’s leaders in action. #Fangate and rapid-fire style questioning set the tone, with it ending in what seemed like neither candidate gaining much ground. What many viewers at home may not have heard was the sitcom-like applause from both party's seating section following each rebuttal; it was comedic to say the least. So, in honor of the ads, mailers, investments, and attention being spent in this race for Governor, I’d like to suggest a few ideas in addition to only casting a vote on November 4th.
Learn about where you live: Each city, town, and community has a way of organizing itself; a "framework" of sorts that we as citizens must be capable of navigating if we would like to call ourselves "informed" voters. An unfortunate amount of people don't know who represents them at the national, state, and local level. While most can name party leaders and the frequenters of TV talk shows, many don't realize where things actually happen; right under our noses and in our backyards. Which issues get talked about at public meetings? Have you ever attended a commission meeting? How about just reading the agenda? We allow ourselves to be passive, and are appalled at the thought of experiencing momentary boredom however great the cost. We allow ourselves to be apathetic, then complain when things aren't they way they could be. I know it's hard, and the information isn't easily digestible, and you have work and the kids - but only through awareness and appreciation for the rights we have as Americans, rights others are still fighting for abroad, will meaningful changes arise. The whole process is due for a redesign, and we need eyes on watch and hands in the air asking tough questions.
Learn about campaign finance: This is probably the most important issue of our time. We, as citizens, must take the time to better understand the role of campaign finance. Especially how fundraising has affected our elected official's ability to represent us. You may think you made the right choice after researching the issues and deciding on who to vote for, but if elected officials spend most of their time rubbing elbows with financiers to ensure their next race is paid for, can they really represent the views of the people without compromise? How should elected officials time be spent? It has developed this way over decades, and for a nice review I defer to Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig's TED talk.
Ask better questions: In full disclosure, I coorganize a civic hacking brigade in Fort Lauderdale (there's one in Miami too); a citizen-led group collaborating with local government leaders to better serve the community through open technologies. We ask questions, brainstorm, and collaborate on projects, both technical and non-technical. As just one of the now many Brigades around the world, we are an example of working groups sprouting up in varying disciplines out of personal interests. From the Legal Hackers to Makerspaces and FabLabs, the creation process has never been closer and it is causing us to rethink traditional models from the ground up. Improvement first starts with listening and having empathy with other human being's experiences. Only through a better understanding of our collective landscape and each others experiences can we start shaping a world with better opportunities than we have now. You may find it trivial and a waste of your time, but you are more likely to feel empowered, inspired, and humbled instead. All we ask is you bring the skills you have, be willing to learn new things, and help where you can.
Rob Davis organizes Code for Fort Lauderdale. Follow him on Twitter @robdotd.