Leslie tells CHSJ News it's important for communities to consider the forces that influence their elected officials.
She says it makes a difference whether politicians are banked by banks, big oil--or by ordinary people. She says there needs to be a critical mass of discussion in the community if constituents expect to see their interests represented by government.
Some ways Leslie encourages people to get involved in local politics included writing letters to the editor, holding brown-bag lunch seminars, attending community events, and simply chatting at the water cooler about the news. It's only by getting the community talking, says Leslie, that positive change can be effected on the level of government.
