GOTV: Exerting the Power of the People
GOTV - “What’s that?” you might ask. It is not a YouTube channel dedicated to motorsports but a clever and fun acronym for a very important and powerful grassroots movement. Get Out The Vote has been organized by STUN leadership with the intent of educating and spreading the word on issues affecting our community, to help empower Springfieldians and remind them that they have the ability to affect change through democratic channels.
For example on April 7 Springfield held an election on the Convention and Events Center Tourism Tax, which would make a terrible acronym, a jumble of consonants and an E neither for everyone nor for events or earnings in actuality. GOTV though, is for everyone. A nonpartisan effort for us humble working class folk. STUN leaders led 7 canvassing sessions and a month-long social media political education and letter-writing campaign highlighting the many cons that outweigh the pros. Which shouldn’t have even needed reiterating considering the proposal was rejected once already by voters.
The latest proposal claimed residents wouldn’t be footing the bill for the convention center. Wool over our eyes. The truth was that the new proposal intended to take $30 million worth of funds from a tax agreed upon by voters in November 2024. The voter-approved ¾ cent sales tax was to fund improvement of our neighborhoods, streets and parks. The CECTT, sounds like a fat cat coughing up a furball, would take half of that to fund this gamble of a business venture, that would otherwise be helping maintain our quality of life. Something the City and PACs spent $800k+ on to try to distract us from. A perfect example of the inequality and abuse of power used by the have’s to keep the rest of us having not.
Meanwhile STUN spent less than $400. GOTV volunteers took to the streets canvassing, knocking on 690 doors and having face to face conversations with 176 of our neighbors. The results? A landslide victory with 58% voting no over 42% voting yes. A testament that with our voices and vote, Springfieldians can hold their politicians and representatives accountable to uphold their duty and Show Me, the Missourians, and not big businesses and short sighted greed. Look out for opportunities to get involved in future GOTV mobilizations, especially in the November elections to come and our coalition’s upcoming June Town Hall Showdown!