Bay Area activists hit swing states

Bay Area activists hit swing states
Kerry backers move to where they can have more impact
Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, October 17, 2004


Rolla, Mo. -- Two months ago, Peachy Myers left her job working with homeless seniors in the Tenderloin to move back to her teenage bedroom in tiny Rolla. There, she felt she could do more to help the Tenderloin's poorest.

She keeps photos of three homeless men at her bedside to remind her that if she wants to change the federal housing policies that affect their daily lives, she must work in a closely contested swing state such as Missouri, where she can have more of an impact on removing George W. Bush from the White House.

So in August, the 27-year-old moved back to her mother's house, where her stuffed animals are still in the chair where she left them and the sash she wore as high school homecoming queen drapes across a full-length mirror.

Myers isn't the only Bay Area resident who has temporarily left in search of a greater challenge.

Across California, people frustrated by how White House policies have affected their day jobs have packed up and moved to swing states through the election. This high level of political activism is predominantly a left-of- center phenomenon, as Republican officials say they rely more on in-state volunteers for campaign help.

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