Darren Stehr of Toronto Cranks has a long interview of Dave Meslin on the development and ideas of the Toronto Cyclists Union. (Also check out the Eye Magazine's My Place feature of Mez to see how as a "professional guest" Mez has been able to afford his activist lifestyle).
On meetings and snacks:
Good meetings are liberating. It all goes together. I love meetings, because if we aren’t organising then we will get run over by other interests. If we don’t make our own rules, we’ll be ruled by others. And the snacks. That’s another way to get people to meetings. Good snacks.
On holding councillors accountable:
There will be no compromise when it comes to accountability. We will go into this with a positive attitude, and treat ‘cycling friendly’ councillors as allies until they prove otherwise. The is an important year for Councillor Heaps to show that he’s serious about his role as the official bike advocate on council.
On having independence from council:
As long as the appointments to the Committee are approved by Council itself, then there is reduced incentive for the Committee to be aggressive or critical. We need an external body, democratically run by and for cyclists and self-funded. That’s the motivation for the Cyclists Union. We can’t have Council telling us who speaks on our behalf. It muzzles dissent and softens the anger we all feel.
On the bike union's goals for 2008:
1) A successful launch in the spring.
2) Many many memberships eagerly purchased.
3) Healthy collaborations between existing groups.
4) New paint on the streets. (if not the city’s paint, then our own)
5) Two paid staff working in a fun workspace open to the public.
6) Dozens, if not hundreds, of volunteers
7) Three great issues of our new magazine on the streets
8) Steady growth
9) Low stress
10) A sense of excitement and opportunity
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