Volunteers making calls

This month, we  kicked off our Lifelong Voters 2011 Campaign!  Every weekend in October, we’ll be block walking and phone banking to increase turnout of young voters in the upcoming November 8th local election in Houston. This is a larger effort to turn these voters into “lifelong voters”.  Research shows that voters who participate in two off-year elections are more likely to remain engaged in politics for the rest of their lives. Our mission is to energize these volunteers right now, and to keep them motivated through 2012 and beyond.  To volunteer or support the campaign, please call 281-849-VOTE or email texas@youngvoter.org.

Check out some of our pictures from the campaign’s volunteer training and first phone/social media bank. Read more…

Texas League Fellows Class 2011

In July, the Texas League of Young Voters Education Fund began it’s first series of trainings for the inaugural class of the Texas League Fellows!

The Texas League Fellows is a five-month leadership tract specifically tailored to empower progressive-minded young people to become community advocates and activists. Read more…

FreeSpeechTV was on the scene at the Take Back the American Dream Conference this week. Latoya Peterson, from Racialicious, sat down with Biko to talk about how the League is using creative tactics to organize young people around the issues that matter to us:

On Voter ID laws and youth disenfranchisement:

TBAD 2011- Panel on Voter Supression from Velvet Revolution on Vimeo.

Jon Kehoe of Wisconsin is the perfect person to take notes from if money management isn’t one of your strengths. In this article, it speaks about a thirty year old man who won a million dollars by playing the McDonald’s Monopoly game. Most people in his condition would have purchased new vehicles, homes, wardrobe, trips, and the list could continue for days. However, Jon spends his money modestly and remains the same individual he was before the big check.
Prior to winning an unexpectedly large sum of money, Jon was a laid off construction worker living with his parents while receiving unemployment. He was a T-shirt and jeans type of guy who drove a Chevy Compact. Each year McDonald’s awards him in $50,000 increments until year 2030.Jon never had much growing up a story many Americans can relate to. However, for some reason he isn’t using that as an excuse to squander his money carelessly.
Jon surprisingly still stays in his parents’ house paying rent and still drives the same Chevy Compact. He sticks to his baseball caps, jeans, and Ts. He has helped his parents with home improvements and attends every brewer game. He is currently unemployed and looking for a job within construction. He has bank advisors assisting him with how to save and invest his money. He is considering becoming a new homeowner next year. Despite the money he has, he still clips coupons and search for shopping bargains.
Many people spend their money carelessly just because they have it at their disposal. However, what lots of people fail to realize is that the more you save, invest, and bargain with your money is how people not only get rich but remains rich as well. If America as a whole had Jon Kehoe’s view on money maybe we would be happier and more financially secure homes.