“Brian Keeler is one of the most intelligent and dedicated people in internet politics, and his devotion to making people’s lives better, every day and in every way, cannot be too highly praised.”
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Click image for link to www.keeler2006.com
After clacking away at the keyboard for ePluribus Media, Political Cortex, Dailykos, My Left Wing and Booman Tribune, I was inspired by Markos and Jerome to push it aside and Crash a Gate or two myself and run for the New York State Senate. This Thursday, I’m announcing my candidacy at Waryas Park along the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York.
The New York state government is, like so many others around the county, a total mess and completely inaccessible. Decisions are made behind locked, back room doors of Albany, and the only people who are allowed in to play are those who pay. The result? We end up with the best government their money can buy. It’s totally alienating to the citizens of the state. We have no say in the important issues that concern our daily lives…Health Care, Property Taxes, Education and the Environment. Literally, a sad State of affairs.
I’ve been waiting for someone here to stand up to my 16-year Republican incumbent and challenge him to do more for the people of New York, not just the special interests who line his campaign pockets…but I’m not the kind who would ask someone to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself. So last month, I stood up and and said, “No more!”
About the Race
I’m running in the 41st District, which includes a good part of the Hudson Valley. It is a flat-out, take-your-breath-away beautiful place and I’ve had the honor to call it home for 17 years. In the past two election cycles, 41 has been tracking Democratic as the demographics have changed and people have become dissatisfied with the calcified, unresponsive status quo of Republican government.
All up the Hudson, from beautiful southern Dutchess County to the rolling land of Columbia farther north, town and village governments have turned from red to blue and they have been delivering the goods.
Also, there is a potential tidal wave forming this fall. Eliot Spitzer and Hillary are at the top of the ticket in New York and the mood among Democrats in the state is electric. Eliot is going to be the next governor, but he will need one last piece of the puzzle to implement his agenda. The Assembly and administration will be Dem, but the Senate is four seats short of going blue. This is where the battleground is going to be. Four seats, and I want to be one of them.
Where do I stand?
I am one of you. I am a progressive candidate with a “netroots” background. I want to run a “Netroots and Boots” campaign…a netroots communication and message system backing up a boots-on-the-ground GOTV and message delivery system.
Reform of the system is an absolute must. We must reform our property/income tax structure to ensure fairness and solvency, build a sustainable, low-carbon energy-based economy to protect the life of our planet and invest in the health, education and welfare of our children because they represent 100% of our future. These are priorities that are not presently being met by the legislature in Albany…or even openly discussed, for that matter.
The only way to facilitate change and return to a democratic government is to elect people who resemble Eliot…those motivated to fight the good fights for the right reasons. I am one of those people. The only special interests I represent are those of the citizens of New York.
I Challenge You
We are generating excitement here in the district with our campaign, but we need help here and all around the country. I’m going to do my best to blog the campaign at KEELER2006.com so that others may learn from our story…and here’s the point…to motivate you to do the same in your town, county, district or state. I challenge you to either stand up and run or find a race to work with and get more progressive voices heard in the halls of power. It’s our ONLY hope for change. Period.
You can help our campaign in a couple of ways. We are presently in fund raising mode so contribute if you can. I know there are a huge amount of requests for contributions on this site and round the Internet, so if you can’t contribute, please spread the word by linking the campaign to your blogs and emailing your friends about our battle.
I’m so jazzed by the reception I’ve received all around the district. People are aching for change and they just need to know they are not alone and that someone is ready to accept the challenge. Join me in the fight, either adopt my campaign, run yourself or grab a race locally and throw yourself into it, heart and soul.
I’ll continue to keep you posted on the race, Let me know what you are up to and let’s Take Back Our Country!
Warmest regards to you all,
Brian Keeler
No longer only NYBri
