The problem is, to date, very little has changed. Politicians talk about how we need to raise the wage, but have been unable to deliver. We have some hopeful allies who still think federal action is possible, and frankly, I hope they are right, but at The Fairness Project we are tired of waiting.
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As we enter this election year, we should recognize that there is a stark and important difference between momentum and results, between ideas and actions, between hope and change.

For a number of years now there has been growing outcry from the movement to raise the minimum wage. The chorus of concern with regards to economic inequality has reached a fever pitch. Politicians on both sides of the aisle realize that working people in our country aren't getting a fair shake. We hear about a rigged economy, a country built for the 1%, a corrupt banking system, Wall St. vs Main St., big government waste and the endless slogans spouted by both sides.

The problem is, to date, very little has changed. Politicians talk about how we need to raise the wage, but have been unable to deliver. We have some hopeful allies who still think federal action is possible, and frankly, I hope they are right, but at The Fairness Project we are tired of waiting.

Ballot initiatives offer the simplest, clearest, and most effective avenue to immediate policy change for millions of Americans. By directly supporting ballot initiative efforts to raise the wage in states across the country, The Fairness Project is putting the power of choice and policymaking back where it belongs, with the people.

Early action in our partner states suggests that 2016 will be a huge year for minimum wage ballot initiatives, which is our first step in reversing inequality. In January our partners at Mainers for Fair Wages and Lift Up California submitted signatures to get their initiatives on the ballot and are continuing to empower voters through ballot initiatives. But that was just the start.

In Maine, Mainers for Fair Wages is showing what the power of strong organizing and a broad grassroots foundation can help deliver. The campaign was the first minimum wage ballot initiative to submit signatures in 2016 and just this week became the first state to qualify a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in 2016. The Fairness Project was proud to be Mainers for Fair Wages first national investor, enabling the campaign to get off the ground and build a strong grassroots network.

In California, Lift Up California submitted approximately 600,000 signatures, nearly twice the amount needed to qualify for the ballot and became the first state to move toward a $15 minimum wage. As the campaign organized leaders, businesses and community groups across the state, The Fairness Project empowered these efforts by providing a website, data management system and early analytics on its outreach program.

Of course, ballot initiative campaigns also attract ardent opposition because they offer a path to actual policy change and threaten more than just rhetoric. This is as it should be; we should all encourage honest, open debate on the issues presented to voters. Unfortunately, it seems more likely that the cast of opposition characters, such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Restaurant Association, plan to ignore the issues and use legal delay tactics to try to hamper our partners' efforts.

We've already seen this cynical approach rolled out in Washington D.C., where the DC for$15 campaign faced a lawsuit from the former head of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. The suit, which has delayed the signature gathering process in D.C., was aimed at a procedural issue outside of the control of the campaign. The result of the suit could have far reaching consequences, potentially undoing the results of elections dating back to 2012. This is how far the opposition will go. Instead of debating the merits of the policy or having an honest conversation with voters about its effects and letting them decide, they attack the democratic process itself and work to disenfranchise the voters of Washington D.C. just to protect irresponsible, low-wage businesses that feel entitled to paying poverty wages. The issue is still being decided by the judge presiding over the case but big business' attack is absurd and dangerous.

Why are opponents of these ballot initiatives willing to go so far? Simple: the issue is overwhelmingly popular. A recent poll showed that nearly 90% of residents in DC support raising the minimum wage to $15/hr. With our support, DC for $15 will overcome this challenge and put this issue on the ballot and bring the people of D.C. the change they deserve.

The ballot initiative process is the last bastion of pure democracy in this country. In an increasingly polarized atmosphere full of vitriol, hate, misinformation and moneyed interests, it is the most effective tool left for making real change.

If you are satisfied with our political process, if you are happy with the performance of our elected officials, if you are hopeful that sweeping policy change addresses economic inequality is just around the corner, then The Fairness Project doesn't have much to offer you.

But if you're tired, frustrated and fed up because the solutions seem so simple but the path toward them full of roadblocks, we hope you'll listen to our message and join our team. This is why The Fairness Project exists: to help build momentum across states to bring real economic policy change to millions of Americans at scale. Already in 2016 we've seen significant progress and we are ready to make a difference come November.

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