Posted on 09/19/2004 6:39:39 AM PDT by MaineRepublic
PORTSMOUTH - When Tyler McGill decided to take a semester off from college this year, it was not to travel or make money or just have a break from the stresses of academic life. McGill’s time off will be spent visiting shelters and soup kitchens across Wisconsin to register low-income and homeless people to vote.
The 21-year-old Rye resident’s endeavor is the first project for nonprofit group Radar International, which stands for "re-establishing accountability in democracy through action and research."
Radar, formally incorporated a month ago, is the brainchild of McGill and fellow Connecticut College student Justin Kaufman.
McGill said the idea for Radar came from classroom discussions about what changes were needed to fix inequality in America.
"Rooted in the inequalities was a lack of representation in government, which was highly related to a lack of voter turnout," McGill said in a recent interview.
From this, McGill said, he and Kaufman began to think of ways they could help increase voter turnout.
"The key was to register voters - period. We didn’t actually have a certain demographic that we were catering to initially," McGill said.
But he said research quickly led them to realize people in the lowest income levels were also those with the lowest voter registration rates. So to be most effective, they decided to reach out to the homeless and low-income populations, McGill said.
"We thought about going to schools, going to political rallies, standing on the street, but it just seemed we needed some environment that we could have a captive audience," McGill said. "We found that in shelters and soup kitchens."
McGill and Kaufman will fly to Wisconsin on Monday to spend the next 47 days until the Nov. 2 election living in shelters and visiting soup kitchens to pass out voter registration material and to talk with people about the importance of voting.
Living in the shelters will make it easier to establish connections with unregistered voters, but it will also "give us a face on homelessness, which is a population that I think is misunderstood," McGill said.
"They’re not your stereotypical 60-year-old men with drinking problems. They are children - that’s something that’s often overlooked," McGill said. "These are people that are contributing members of society."
When asked why he is traveling across the country, instead of registering people in his home state, McGill said the choice was based on the fact that Wisconsin is a swing state that has nearly 500,000 citizens below the poverty line and more than 135,000 unemployed.
As a nonprofit, Radar cannot endorse any candidates or parties, but McGill said he will answer questions people might have about the issues or the presidential candidates.
"It is our job to present it in a nonpartisan way," McGill said. "In addition to reading materials regarding the upcoming election, we’ll be leaving party platforms from the Democrats and Republicans."
McGill admitted registering voters is only half the work. He said the biggest responsibility will fall on the staff at shelters, who will have to organize transportation for residents to get to the polls on Election Day.
"That will be the key to our success," McGill said.
McGill said Radar does not have a goal number it would like to register, but said workers will stay in Wisconsin after the election to determine how many of those who registered actually voted.
As for the future, McGill said he hopes the Wisconsin project will be an important learning process, and that Radar can expand beyond voter-registration issues.
For information about Radar or to make a donation, please visit www.radarinternational.org.
As a nonprofit, Radar cannot endorse any candidates or parties, but McGill said he will answer questions people might have about the issues or the presidential candidates.
Can the Left be any more intellectually dishonest? These groups are not non-partisan. I'd like to see a Republican plant in these homeless shelters to record what types of things these people are saying.
Got a light?
Always good when we can keep left wingers occupied on a pointless endeavor. Anyone who thinks this isn't about getting out the Democratic vote is from another planet.
He say he his non partison, yet he also says he chose Wisconsin because its a "swing state". Gee, I wonder what side he wants it to swing to?
Children aren't allowed to vote. It also appears to me society is contributing to these people and they are not contributing members of society.
You'd think they would start in the prisons and jails with captive audiences. </sarcasm>
The "homeless" have an added advantage for Democrats. Since they can't be tied to any one location they can vote multiple times in multiple locations. It's much easier than moving coffins around.
From article: "McGill said the idea for Radar came from classroom discussions about what changes were needed to fix inequality in America.
"Rooted in the inequalities was a lack of representation in government, which was highly related to a lack of voter turnout," McGill said in a recent interview."
Actually, I believe that winos are adequately represented in Congress. I can think of two Kennedys, for starters.
No, they are 25 year olds with drug and drinking problems. They just look 60.
"These are people that are contributing members of society."
Contributing crime, disease, and various fragrant stains on the sidewalks that I'd rather not analyse too closely, thank you very much.
Translation of this whole project: "[obscenity deleted], if the [obscenity] morons in this country vote, most of them are not as smart as us acne-scarred teen geniuses, and BusHitler gets re-elected! That would be the greatest [obscenity] calamity in all world history, at least since Kurt Cobain advanced out of this capitalistic Hell we call a country. What the [obscenity] are we gonna do? They should let us each vote more than once because of our advanced social consciousness, but they still have that stupid one-vote law."
"[obscenity]! I know! We'll round up a bunch of bums and give them booze, drugs or smokes to vote our way. It'll be like having extra [obscenity] votes."
"Well, cigarettes are products of the [obscenity] tobacco companies, but sometimes the end justifies the means, even if it's the ultimate evil: smoking."
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Um, aren't they the same people Kerry's been busing to his stump speeches...and providing box lunches and per diem no doubt...so his voice doesn't echo in an empty hall?
At least they are not trying this in NH.
Vote for Kerry! More free stuff!!!!!!
barf
KUMBAYA ALERT!!
Why do these 2 have to go to WI? Aren't there homeless in shelters in their own backyards of NH and MA that they can "help?"
Tsk, tsk. Doesn't matter which side, just as long as it's swinging! This child is as non-partisan as non-partisan can be! < / sarcasm >
So he is registering children?
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