The California Partnership is embarking on a campaign to change the course of the dialogue around the California state budget decision-making process.

The BOLT Campaign is taking shape now.  BOLT stands for Budget Organizing Leadership Teams, which have formed  in San Diego, the Inland Empire, Chico, the Central Valley, the Bay Area, the Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and the Central Coast.  Grassroots leaders  from CAP member organizations  are honing their media strategies, polishing  and publishing their stories, practicing  public speaking and reaching out to thousands of community members to inspire, mobilize and activate the people who are directly affected by the decisions politicians make.

The BOLT Campaign leaders will combine these strategies to bring the stories of low-income people to the state budget process:
--Coordinated actions in early January, when the Governor releases his  2010-2011 budget proposal for California;
--Targeted visits to legislative leaders and committee members
--Community education about budget fairness, the decision-making process, social media and media advocacy,
--Action  day in the State Capitol
--Strategic campaign planning and training for experienced community leaders 
--Mobilization of thousands of people in  “rapid response” networks to respond daily as the legislature enters the final stages deciding the state budget.   

The BOLT Campaign leaders will focus on these issues to ensure that the California State Legislature responds to the  voices of low-income individuals, families and communities with the passage of a fair state budget for 2010-2011:
--health care,
--food security,
--child care
--economic support for low-income individuals and working parents, and
--support services for people with disabilities.

Organizations leading the BOLT Campaign are:

COFEM, Korean Resource Center and Community Voices in Los Angeles; Libreria del Pueblo in San Bernardino; Latinos y Latinas en Acción in San Diego; Pueblo in Santa Barbara; Centro Binacional and Parent Voices in Fresno; the Chico Peace & Justice
Center in Butte County; SIREN in Santa Clara County and LIFETIME and Parent Voices in the Greater Bay Area.

Get involved:

Check CAP's website weekly to find out about local actions and workshops your organization can participate in, or email the campaign coordinator, Kim Kruckel, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it