Susan Kirsch talks with her son AJ on election night at The Club at Harbor Point in Mill Valley on June 7, 2016. (Sherry LaVars/Special to Marin Independent Journal)

By Susan Kirsch

PUBLISHED: February 5, 2026

https://www.marinij.com/2026/02/05/marin-voice-inspirations-from-successful-citizen-movement/

Roman philosopher Seneca is credited with the observation, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” I’ve been thinking about that idea since deciding to step back from political activism.

Catalysts for Local Control has been my capstone effort, created to educate, engage and empower residents to claim their voice and use their vote around housing and land use policy. The winding down of Catalysts clears the way for the beginning of Wake Up California, with leadership from Marin resident Amy Kalish.

Like other successful citizen movements, Catalysts was grounded in three essentials: vision, hope and action.

Vision: Poet Robert Browning famously wrote, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” Setting gendered language aside, the sentiment remains relevant. Civic life requires lofty goals such as saving democracy, defending local control, preserving neighborhoods, protecting the environment, balancing income inequity or providing affordable housing for working people.

Hope: Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson captured this spirit more bluntly in his song “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down.” He reminds us how often power, money and misinformation overwhelm the visionaries. His messages to tell the truth and stand your ground resonate with community organizers confronting entrenched systems.

Action: German philosopher Goethe urges action. “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” Complaining from the sidelines is not a strategy. Browning, Kristofferson and Goethe give remedy to apathy that creeps in when neighbors and elected officials shrug and say, “There’s nothing we can do. Our hands are tied.”

Catalysts’ final campaign to foster vision, hope and action is focused on Plan Bay Area 2050+. The report is the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s long-range blueprint for housing, transportation, the economy and the environment. Most would agree that population projections are central to a 25-year plan, and that those projections should be data-based, replicable and reliable.

Here is the problem: MTC projects population growth of 24% between 2020 and 2050, while the California Department of Finance projects growth of just 5.2%. That gap represents roughly 1.4 million people. These numbers matter because they underpin the environmental impact report and the Regional Housing Need Allocations.

Bay Area jurisdictions submitted letters urging MTC to reconcile the population discrepancy. Marin County Executive Derek Johnson’s letter began promisingly. He wrote, “We do not believe the projected levels of resident and job growth are realistic for Marin County.” He noted that while the draft plan assumes Marin will add approximately 22,200 residents by 2050, the Department of Finance projects a decline of 6,437.

But the letter took a troubling turn. Rather than joining other jurisdictions in calling for a population correction, Johnson handed MTC what I consider to be a free pass, writing that to revisit growth projections would require “extensive re-modeling” and therefore was “not feasible within the current planning cycle.”

Consider the logic. We are in the second year of a 25-year plan. Staff have identified a substantial population discrepancy, yet Johnson recommends delaying a fix for the problem because it would require extensive work. Who benefits from unrealistic population projections? Why doesn’t Johnson, representing the Marin Board of Supervisors, insist on getting the numbers right? Trust in government is eroded, not just by making mistakes, but deliberately failing to correct them.

What’s next for PBA 2050+? The Plan’s Environmental Impact Report will return to the MTC/Association of Bay Area Governments commission for approval this spring. Residents should participate. Engagement remains the most effective counterweight to feeling helpless.

What’s next for me? My new beginning is an experiment in the creative arts of writing poetry and expressive coloring. I envision Zoom calls and retreats to support poets as political activists. Following the advice of Browning, Kristofferson and Goethe, I aim to imagine beyond my reach, act boldly and generate magic.

In troubling times, consider the wisdom of Margaret Mead, who said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Mill Valley’s Susan Kirsch is founder of Catalysts for Local Control. Learn more at catalystsca.org.