Quote of the Day: “Power never takes a back step — only in the face of more power.” — Malcolm X [Malcolm Little] (1925-1965) Source: Malcolm X Speaks, 1965
Yesterday I showed you how our tiny organization is starting to dominate the public debate. If you missed that message, do yourself a favor. Go read it! You’ll be glad you did. It’s posted here.
Now, for those who did read yesterday’s message, it’s time for the next step . . .
We’re REMOVING the following stats from the top of our web-page:
* The Downsize DC Army count
* The count for new registrants for our Educate the Powerful System
* The count for the number of letters sent to Congress
Keep reading and I’ll explain the method behind this madness.
In addition, in the near future, when you go to our website and LOG-IN . . .
* The sales pitch in the right hand column will disappear, and be replaced by . . .
* Your Downsize DC Toolbox
You’re already a DC Downsizer, right? So you don’t need to see a sales pitch every time you visit the page, correct? So instead . . .
The whole right side of the homepage will be YOUR PERSONAL AREA.
It will contain a growing list of new software tools, including the following growth stats that are most relevant to YOU personally, including . . .
* The number of DC Downsizers in YOUR Congressional district — wouldn’t you like to know this number?
* The number of active users of the Educate the Powerful System in YOUR Congressional district — are there other people near you pressuring Congress the same way you are? This tool will tell you.
* The number of letters sent to Congress from YOUR district — surely this matters more to you than the national number (though you’ll still have access to that number too — see below)
* MOST IMPORTANTLY . . . We’ll provide a tool that will allow you to participate in a Delphi Poll to choose the recruitment goal for your district!
Don’t know what a Delphi Poll is? Keep reading and you’ll find out, but first . . .
What about the national stats that we once reported in the upper right hand corner of the page?
Our old method of counting the Downsize DC Army showed only the number of email subscribers, but more and more people are now getting the Dispatch through other, or even multiple methods — email, RSS, Facebook, Twitter. SO > > >
How can we compile a subscription-based number for the Downsize DC Army that doesn’t double count people?
The answer is that we can’t. Which is why . . .
We’ve moved the stats that used to be at the top of the page down to the left hand column, next to our facebook stats. That way you can see all of the relevant national stats grouped together. Plus, we’re also going to start showing you the number of RSS subscriptions we have. This means . . .
You’ll still have access to the national numbers, and you’ll actually have MORE information than you had before, BUT . . .
Our new focus is going be LOCAL — IN YOUR DISTRICT!
Here’s the crucial bit of strategic thinking behind all these changes . . .
* The national numbers are important for the long term, for something we call Operation Everywhere, but . . .
* The local numbers — YOUR local numbers — are crucial for the short term, for something we call “Pick Off the Herd.”
In the long term, we want to have enough supporters that we can make our message heard by everyone, everywhere, every day. This is what we call Operation Everywhere. But this is a goal for the future, not the present. In the short term what we need is . . .
More Congressional Districts that can do what the Susquehanna Valley Regional Tea Party (SVRTP) did! Remember, from our October 28th message, that the SVRTP got their local House Reps to promise to introduce the Downsize DC Agenda bills.
This is a perfect example of the “Pick off the herd” strategy.
We don’t have to overwhelm all of Congress all at once. Instead, we can pick off each Congressional district one by one. Which brings me to my last, and most important point . . .
The main goals we pursue must be LOCAL goals, not national goals. Even more to the point, they must be YOUR GOALS, chosen by YOU, not our goals, chosen by us. You have to have ownership of what we’re trying to do. So . . .
* Do you want MORE DC Downsizers in YOUR DISTRICT?
* Do you want to have enough DC Downsizers in YOUR AREA to get the same results as the SVRTP?
* How many DC Downsizers do you think you need in your district to get the job done?
I can tell you MY number.
I think I need about 400 active people in my district. That’s probably about twice what they had in the SVRTP. But . . .
Perhaps you aren’t so clear on what YOUR GOAL should be for your district. If so we plan to provide some help, in the form of a Delphi Poll.
A Delphi Poll relies on the wisdom of crowds” to make predictions.
In the very near future YOUR DOWNSIZE DC TOOLBOX will contain a tool where you, and others, can make your personal predictions about how many DC Downsizers you’ll need in your district. You’ll be able to look at what other people predict. You could base your goal on the consensus, or average prediction. SO > > >
* What do you think of our change in focus?
* Do you want the focus to be on YOUR district?
* Do you want to have a personal goal?
* Do you want the new tools described above?
* Do you want to know what the growth numbers are for YOUR district?
If so, then to do these things, and the many other things we’ll tell you about over the next six weeks, we need to make two improvements . . .
* We need to bring our part-time programmer, full time
* We need to raise about $1 per month for each Downsizer Dispatch email subscriber
That’s right, just $1 per month, per email subscriber . . . thats all we need! This small amount would give us twice the budget we’ve had in any previous year. If you want to help make these things happen please . . .
* Start a monthly pledge LINK
* Make a one-time donation
Thank you for being a DC Downsizer.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.