New Progressive PAC to Showcase Support for Chico
NEW PROGRESSIVE PAC TO SHOWCASE SUPPORT FOR CHICO
CHICO, CALIF. — Thanks to the formation of a new progressive political action committee, politics in Chico are about to get a little more positive. The PAC, Stand Up for Chico, launched this week with the goals of fostering a sense of community and shared culture in the City of Chico, focusing on solutions to the challenges facing the city, supporting the local economy, and celebrating the successes on the issues that matter to Chico citizens.
Stand Up for Chico was born from an understanding that it is time to shift the dialogue, according to Angela McLaughlin, a local small business owner.
“The constant negativity on social media, from misinformation to downright abusive behavior and scapegoating, is harming and dividing our community,” McLaughlin, who also serves as the PAC president, says. “It is intentionally divisive and alarming for people who live here, and makes people less likely to shop at local businesses that are already struggling with the impacts of COVID-19. This behavior tarnishes our image for students and parents considering Chico State, it hinders tourism, and it paints a dystopian picture of the City we all know, love, and call home. It’s time to change the narrative and bring a thoughtful analysis of the issues to the forefront.”
McLaughlin connected with other Chicoans who also felt frustrated about the spillover effect of being barraged by negative political messaging, and worried about the effect these messages would have on the culture of Chico, tourism, and Chico’s economy. Together, the group formed to counteract the fear-mongering and misinformation that has dominated the Chico political scene for the past two years.
Billing itself a “solutions-driven and strategic group of concerned citizens and community leaders,” Stand Up for Chico advocates for the same messages of strength and solidarity that helped unite Chico in the wake of the devastating Camp Fire in late 2018. Stand Up for Chico will serve as a productive response to the ever-increasing negativity saturating city politics and citizen engagement.
“Looking at actual data and information about our community, a lot of the discussion about crime seems to be exaggerated to fit a certain narrative and scare the families who call Chico their home,” Priya Tuvell, a founding committee member, says. “We’ve been through a lot these last few years, and our community has come together time and again to get through these challenges. It’s what makes me proud to be a Chicoan. Stand Up For Chico fosters that same sense of Chico pride and community that will help us come together to keep each other safe, and find humane, science-driven solutions for our citizens most in need.”
“I think it’s great we have a group focusing on the reality in Chico,” Kim Thompson, a local parent who was featured in a video announcing the creation of Stand Up for Chico, says. “Chico is a beautiful town with wonderful parks, and an amazing community.”
Thompson’s comments highlight a critical segment of Stand Up for Chico’s strategy of engaging locals on what Chico has to offer, as well as supporting and encouraging change in a collaborative, constructive way. The goal is to challenge the culture of fear that has been growing rapidly, through data-driven analysis and highlighting the lived experiences of Chico residents that differ greatly from the narratives promoted by other groups.
“The reality is that these negative representations don’t actually represent what most of us experience in our beautiful community,” McLaughlin says, a sentiment that she expects will ring true with the majority of Chicoans.
For more information about Stand Up for Chico, visit their website at www.standupforchico.com
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