The Uncaucus: A Citizen-led Movement for Providence's Future

Myrth York is expected to announce today at 3pm that she will not enter the race for Mayor.  it is expected that York will endorse Angel Taveras. Sure there will be much media coverage to follow.

Join founding members of the Uncaucus, friends, fellow voters, and comrades from the city of Providence in an UnDebate, where those interested in serving as our next Mayor listen instead of talk. We are happy to report that Candidates John Lombardi and Angel Taveras immediately accepted our invitation to participate (thank you!). Myrth York, who has yet to declare her candidacy but remains interested in the race, will also join us. All candidates, declared and undeclared, are welcome to join. Will update the invite as more RSVPs from candidates come in. The event will be moderated by Mike Ritz, who will help keep the conversation positive, forward looking, and, in true Uncaucus style, fun. The venue has limited capacity and admission, which is free, will be first-come, first served. So don't be late!

Details:

4.01 Uncaucus Listening Party
Thursday, April 1, 2010 (no, it's not an april fool's joke)
6:30pm-10pm Read more »

One of the things we're dedicated to at the Uncaucus is making sure technology makes it easier for you to participate, rather than harder. Today we launched a mobile phone version of the Uncaucus.org site, that will display properly in any phone with a web browser, no matter how small the screen. On your phone, just go to Uncaucus.org, and you'll automatically see the mobile website. The site even has some extra goodies like letting you click-to-call our Candidate QuestionLine right from your phone!

Thanks to MoFuse for making mobile websites so easy.

The Uncaucus has opened a new phone line dedicated to collecting citizen ideas, suggestions and questions on the Providence Mayoral election.  All messages will be translated into text and posted on the Uncaucus site.  We will forward messages to the candidates and offer them the opportunity to respond.  You can also send a text message to 401.484.8461. Tell us your vision for Providence!

We're planning an event for March. Thinking of throwing a "listening party" and asking the candidates to come listen (and not talk). An anti-debate where citizens talk to each other and the candidates listen, instead of the other way around. Interested in what people think about this.  info@uncaucus.org with ideas....

There's a lot of interesting conversation happening on the Uncaucus Facebook page.  We'll be keeping the dialogue moving on both sites (here and there) but if FB is more your thing, we invite you to join-in.  And thanks to the 370+ friends who are already linked up.  Nice!

With Angel Taveras making his official announcement this morning in a rally on Manton Avenue, the declared candidates now include Democrats Taveras; Councilman John J. Lombardi; state Rep. Steven M. Costantino and Chris Young; and Republican Daniel Harrop.  There are still a few folks lurking as undeclared...but one would expect that all of the potential candidates will be declaring in the next few weeks.  We will be posting a gallery of all the candidates in the next week or so to make it easier to keep track of the candidates and learn a little more about them.

It’s been a busy since we kicked off the Uncaucus effort last week. We are pleased to report that we’ve been contacted by several candidates—both declared and undeclared.  In each case we offered the same deal: we’re happy to report to the community on what we learn from conversations with these folks, but everything is “on the record” as they say.  We are looking forward to offering a fresh look at the candidates and hope that the candidates who approached us will not be scared off by our policy of "full disclosure."

Making its television debut, three of The Uncaucus founding members—Andy Cutler, Owen Johnson and Melissa Withers—took to the airways to share their ambitions of getting Providence to approach this fall’s mayoral election a little differently. Watch it Now (http://bit.ly/caldKZ)

WRNI’s Ian Donnis talks to a woman intrigued by the Uncaucus decision to post a job for Mayor in Austin, Texas.  This piece has inspired a lot of conversation (lots of it right on Ian Donnis’ Facebook wall!  Some people see the move as “naïve” or “offensive.” Others have called it “refreshing” and necessary to shake things up. Read more »