If you get a real kick out of filing FOIAs and finding out how your city administrator wasted $100k last year, you could win a Sammie.
If you hang out the second Monday of every month at your local school board meeting and have copies of the minutes for the last two years to expose the hanky-panky that's been going on, you could win a Sammie.
If you love to spend cold, dark, rainy nights scouring the State Board of Elections' contribution filings and lining up those numbers with how that legislator votes, you could win a Sammie.
If the whole city council moans audibly when they see you darken the doors of City Hall every time the council meets, you could win a Sammie.
What's a Sammie? It's a $5000 award Sam Adams Alliance will be giving to people just like you who are making a difference in their local communities by shining light on hidden little government secrets and then letting the world know about it through an online site, a unique event, via video or even by blogging.
“The Sammies” include awards for citizen campaigns, creative events, blogging, and videos. The program seeks to publicize recent efforts that may not have received adequate attention, and to encourage more people to stand up for good government practices in their communities.
The contest categories include:
Videos: Produce one short documentary-style OR one short satire about local or state government issues: $5,000 cash prizes for each.
Best Local-Subject Blogger: Post regularly on a blog that covers local issues such as accountability, corruption, transparency, property rights, etc.: $5,000 cash prize.
Tea Party Award: Make a public political point just like Sam Adams at the Boston Tea Party: $5,000 cash prize.
Sunshine Award: Use open records laws to uncover government corruption and waste: $5,000 prize.
Modern-Day Sam Adams: Lead a local political effort and achieve a victory for liberty: $10,000 cash prize.
For more information, see "The Sammies" on Sam Adams Alliance's website here.
