The RegenNarration Podcast
The RegenNarration podcast features the stories of a generation that is changing the story, enabling the regeneration of life on this planet. It’s ad-free, freely available and entirely listener-supported. You'll hear from high profile and grass-roots leaders from around Australia and the world, on how they're changing the stories we live by, and the systems we create in their mold. Along with often very personal tales of how they themselves are changing, in the places they call home. With award-winning host, Anthony James.
The RegenNarration Podcast
226 Excerpt. Protecting my Conservative Community - As a Progressive, with Bill Pluecker (& Chloe Maxmin)
In some ways, the first 150 seconds of this excerpt from episode 226 with Bill Pluecker (alongside partner Chloe Maxmin), say everything that needs to be said about where politics is being done better in the US. They sum with the passage that became the lead-off quote in that episode. And they lead off this powerful last ten minutes or so of my conversation with Bill.
Bill, an independent representative from Maine, invites us into a world where the beauty of rural landscapes and the preservation of traditional ways of life are under threat. He shares his passion for sustaining the farming heritage of his community amidst cultural and political tensions brought on by external influences. His six-year journey, so far, as an independent politician in a predominantly conservative area paints a picture of dedication and authenticity, as he navigates the complex political landscape to bridge the gap between progressive values and pro-farmer policies. Bill's successful approach is a testament to the power of personal relationships in politics, where he strives to be more than just a soundbite, but a relatable figure who listens and acts for the benefit of his community.
We gain insights into the challenges and triumphs of running as an independent candidate without preferential voting systems. Bill provides a candid reflection on how he built trust and rapport with his constituents, emphasising the importance of human connection in an often de-humanised political arena. From preserving the cherished landscapes of Maine to ensuring the viability of local farms, Bill's narrative is a compelling look at the intersection of politics, identity, and community. We draw to a close with law that Chloe sponsored while in the Maine legislature to increase public participation in electoral primaries. And of course we talk music!
If you’ve come here first, you can tune into the full episode 226, ‘An Independent Farmer Wins in Maine: Transcending the ‘battleground’’. You’ll find a few links in the show notes there too, along with a transcript, and a few photos on the episode website, with more on Patreon for subscribing members.
Title slide image: Bill & Chloe at Begin Again Farm, near Warren, Maine (pic: Olivia Cheng).
Music:
Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.
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I hear about that identity piece, though as I look around and it looks so beautiful and even coming up the street, I was telling Chloe before coming up the street just so beautiful, it really does paint a picture. That again, as an outsider, I want it.
Speaker 1:I want to see that picture in our rural landscapes healthy farms looking like this, producing, producing good food, healthy food for communities. I also want to see them viable for those who would choose to keep going and be able to, of course. Is this, I'm wondering, for you, bill, even Chloe and I will talk more about the dirt road stuff later, but for you, bill, is this partly what drives you, as a representative, around such a part of Maine as you described?
Speaker 3:Yeah, 100%. This way of life has been sustaining to this community for hundreds of years. When you leave Maine, you immediately feel that impact of life is commodified the malls, the shopping, the, the, all the signs and everything. And you come far enough north and main, and that just falls away. And, um, if you I hope you guys get a chance to go even farther north and you'll see that it falls away even more.
Speaker 1:Yeah and and uh because we have heard this across the country From everyone. We mentioned the mere word Maine too.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It actually elicits sort of beyond words reactions like oh Maine.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're talking about what?
Speaker 1:you're talking about.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:They're talking about the Boston feel.
Speaker 3:Right, right and so preserving that it's under assault. I feel like it's under assault and I think the people and you can get into the politics later. But, like the, my community is quite conservative and so they feel under attack by values coming from other places. And so, like working with my conservative community, working to protect my conservative community, but at the same time say that there is a politics that will help you, that isn't far right and that's a big part of what I do and saying I'm a, you know I can be a progressive, but I can also be pro farmer and and helping us take care of our land and and take care of our way of life. That's been this way for so long.
Speaker 1:That's so interesting on so many levels. Mostly, I think, when I look at you in this moment, I see someone who must be managing to do that to some degree I've been in office for six years so far and going again yeah so there's some success you're having yeah, yeah and it's.
Speaker 3:And once again, chloe will give you more details on this. But it's about having personal relationships with people, so that you're not just a soundbite, so you're not just a republican, you're not just a democrat. You're you're bill and bill. You're bill, who's coming knock on a door. Again. You're bill, who you can pick up on the phone and call if there's trouble in the family. You're you're the. You're the guy who smiles. You know when everything seems to be going to shit or going poorly okay and uh, you know, and so you try to be a human being.
Speaker 3:You know, and that's what people aren't used to their politicians being is humans, you know. Isn't that true yeah.
Speaker 1:And all that is. As a Democrat I'm assuming.
Speaker 3:I'm an independent. You are an independent, yeah.
Speaker 1:So this gets more interesting? Yeah, always so, from six years ago.
Speaker 3:Yes, for six years, For six years, so a broader back history. When is this going out? I don't know. There's things I can say and you can't say. If this is going out before November, you may go pre-election.
Speaker 1:Okay, we've got a visa retention application in process. Yes, I've been independent for six years. Okay, that's interesting too, because that's in a context where, without the preferential voting, the ranked choices let's call it that we have at home.
Speaker 3:I wondered if it would be twice as hard to win as an independent in this district, the last democrat who ran lost by 20 points, by 20 percentage points, and so that no democrat has run since that last loss.
Speaker 1:So it's just me and and the republican wow, yeah, that's so interesting that the major one of the major parties has been left. Yeah, there's an ambience in australia that's so interesting that the major, well one of the major parties has been left. Yeah, there's an ambience in australia that's not dissimilar, where the major parties are less and less membership, less and less people believing in them, trusting them, and independents have been elected on mass to the australian parliament in the last couple of years with a broader 10-year backdrop as it's built, and then went bang a couple of years ago in one particular election and I wondered if and where it could play out here.
Speaker 3:There's so much. The structures of our country are set up for a two-party system. Yes, to penetrate the two-party system and break it down would be tremendously difficult, tremendously difficult. Yeah, yeah, on a small scale.
Speaker 1:In a one I represent 9 000 people, three towns in rural maine, you know so yeah I wonder what your disposition is towards the bigger picture then Do you find yourself advocating for reform to parties, for reform to the system that might enable more independents?
Speaker 3:We've tried. In fact, that was a bill that you've sponsored, if you want to talk about it.
Speaker 2:One of my bills that I'm most proud of was to create semi-open primaries in Maine. So before, if you were an independent during a primary you could not vote in either in the Democratic or the Republican primary. So it's just the party folks going to choose their nominee, which tends to create things on more of an extreme, because they're picking the most Democrat or the most Republican person and then independents can vote on that person in the general election in November. But my bill allows independents to go and take a Democrat or Republican ballot during that primary election which in other states. Lots of states have this program. It shifts everything towards the center, like in a more moderate communal way, so that we're not facing such polarization in our party.
Speaker 3:So that's that was cool yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah and roughly one third of Mainers are independents. We're like a very independent state and so essentially disenfranchised one-third of the population from that primary vote.
Speaker 1:Wow, it might be the perfect segue to talking about Dirt Road there you go. But before we do that, I always close with some music?
Speaker 3:Oh, with music. I don't know what. Did you already pick one?
Speaker 2:I didn't pick one. No, I was thinking about it and I didn't have a good one. The first one that came to mind was Shaboosie it's been very popular this summer yeah yeah, yeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you want us to just pick one as a couple? That we'll both, we'll both vote for shibuzi yeah but if you want me to pick my own, then I could figure out something else okay, if something comes to mind, okay, yeah, yeah well, we're some of the. Uh, I was thinking we're listening to the. Did you guys have like 90s grunge?
Speaker 1:No, I was playing it Right okay, good, good, Okay, good.
Speaker 3:So just last night we were listening to the satellite radio along the lithium like 90s music. I used to play that, oh lithium.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Actually, that's awesome, that's amazing, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:Some nirvana, some nirvana, some nirvana, something. Yeah, yeah, there you go.
Speaker 1:Thanks a lot, yeah totally showing us around and and bill for going into some detail around all that stuff yeah, yeah, yeah, good luck come november yeah, yeah, we'll see that was bill pluka, farmer and independent representative in the main house of reps, with partner and last week's guest, Chloe Maxman at Begin Again Farm in Warren, Maine. Bill is favoured to win again next month. But before we unplugged, when I asked how he felt about the upcoming election, he tellingly had this to say when I asked how he felt about the upcoming election.
Speaker 3:he tellingly had this to say the Republicans always put like a very conservative person, like a very conservative person. I think if they moved towards the middle they'd have a better chance of beating me.
Speaker 1:That's interesting. It's the same dynamic in Australia.
Speaker 3:Yeah, keep digging the hole yeah, go harder, yeah, go harder, yeah, yeah, so they dig the hole deeper, and it reaffirms the independence. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and especially in this community like.
Speaker 1:that's what works For more of what works. If you missed my conversation with Chloe, just head to last week's episode and a reminder that the film of Chloe's election story, alongside best mate and campaign manager Canyon Woodward, is on tour one last time this week. That's in partnership with Patagonia and featuring panel conversations with Chloe, canyon and some of the local candidates that have come through the Dirt Road. Organising program, screening dates and other links are in the show notes. We'll be at the West Virginia screening on Sunday 13 October. As usual. I've put a few photos on the website, with more for subscribing members on Patreon. In great thanks for making this episode possible. I hope you'll join us by just heading to the website or the show notes and following the prompts. Thanks, too, for sharing the podcast wherever you can. The music you're hearing is Regeneration by Amelia Barden and, at the top, green Shoots by the Nomadics. My name's Anthony James. Thanks for listening. Thank you, by the way, while you've got the mic bill oh, yeah, how do you pronounce your last name, pluker?
Speaker 3:I thought true blue pluker I do outtakes.
Speaker 1:Now you know okay, good.
