Some might say that Democracy has a seating problem. Besides the game of musical chairs that naturally arrives with an election year, there’s the prevailing sense that the average citizen doesn’t have a seat at the table when billionaire donors have bought up all the furniture. About a decade ago, Assemblymember Chris Rogers of California’s 2nd Assembly District pioneered his own solution—he brought a couple of his own. Lawn chairs, specifically.
As a Santa Rosa council member and mayor, Rogers would set up at the farmers market with a sandwich board inviting people to talk. No appointment, no fundraising minimum—just bag up your kale, and take a seat.
“I would say 90% of the people who sat down to talk to me told me that they would’ve never even thought about reaching out to their city council members,” Rogers said.
During a recent “Civics 101” interview on The Drive 95.5 FM, the assemblymember described taking that invitation across a considerably larger territory. Rogers’ district stretches from Santa Rosa to the Oregon border, encompassing communities with different politics and a familiar complaint.
“The only thing that they agree on right now is that Sacramento doesn’t listen, doesn’t understand them,” he noted.
His response includes holding town halls throughout the district. At the time of the interview, Rogers said two more town halls before November would bring his total to 40 since taking office. Attendance, he suggests, represents an investment by people who otherwise have busy lives and responsibilities awaiting them.
That investment, however, can result in real legislation. Rogers described a problem brought to him by someone working at Sonoma County’s Family Justice Center: a court notification requirement that, he said, forced domestic violence victims to notify their alleged abusers before seeking temporary restraining orders.
His office consulted District Attorney Carla Rodriguez and attorneys familiar with the system. According to Rogers, their work produced a bill that passed the Legislature unanimously and received the governor’s signature.
“That’s a ‘community’ bill,” he said. “That is somebody using their voice and their perspective to make a meaningful difference in the world.”
Other assistance attracts fewer headlines. His office helps constituents work through problems with agencies including the DMV and Franchise Tax Board. Put simply, Rogers’ team knows whom to call when bureaucracy becomes too onerous for a civilian to navigate alone.
“Our office can actually help break through that,” Rogers said.
Of course, access becomes a more complicated proposition when enormous campaign spending enters the conversation. Rogers described an unsuccessful effort to curb political spending by artificial entities, including corporations, unions and nonprofits. Even with Democrats holding two-thirds majorities in both legislative houses, he said, the proposal couldn’t make the vote.
“I think it just punctuated and highlighted how entrenched money is in politics and how difficult it is for the average person to break through,” he explained.
Still, disappointment hasn’t entirely displaced his sense of humor. Rogers also recounted his effort to recognize Bigfoot as the state cryptid, a legislative adventure that apparently encountered competition from El Chupacabra. After the proposal received media attention (notably, a two-minute segment with late night talk show host Stephen Colbert), he said, people wanted to testify about their encounters with Bigfoot.
“That may have been the moment where we figured out that we messed up with the joke,” Rogers said with a laugh. “But I am committed to the bit.”
His broader commitment is considerably less elusive. For Rogers, showing up is both a constituent’s opportunity and an elected official’s ongoing obligation at every level.
“I think it’s important to not think of democracy as a one-time thing,” he said. “I think the best candidates are the ones who understand that it really isn’t about you. It really is about your community.”
‘Civics 101’ airs on The Drive 95.5 FM, 5pm, Mondays.
