Starbucks has a new ad campaign up on TV promoting their “I’m In” project, which encourages folks to sign-up to volunteer five hours in their communities. If they do, they get a free large coffee.

The ad strikes me as somewhat genuine, complete with the tagline, “You and Starbucks. It’s Bigger than Coffee.” The Starbucks brand definitely gets a bit of the shine of this seemingly selfless act and doesn’t force its logo in too prominently.  Having one of the nation’s most visible and successful companies back an effort like this could be quite powerful…assuming that it is more than just marketing fluff. What do you think?

By the way, the Starbucks ad is a near-identical copy of a video MC Yogi produced in support of Obama during the campaign. He is the same MC in the Starbucks ad, too:

The uncomfortable truth is that even before the housing bubble burst, even before the financial markets plummeted and employers began shedding jobs, and economists announced that our economy had indeed gone off the rails, far too many Americans were–as Franklin Roosevelt famously pointed out 65 years ago–”ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed and insecure.”And so the recovery package proposed by President-elect Obama represents not just an opportunity to get America back on track, but to move towards a brighter, more prosperous future for all Americans, particularly for those in low-income communities or communities of color who have too often been left behind.This is not based on pie-in-the-sky dreaminess, but rather a few, specific strategies that PolicyLink believes will produce sustainable growth, healthier communities, and greater opportunity for people to join the mainstream of our nation’s economic life.

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There is an ongoing and hopeful discussion in many corners of the equity world about how an Obama White house would re-engage citizens in the task of governance. His campaign integrated a powerful network of traditional ground-based neighborhood groups with Internet-based social networks (particularly the my.barackobama.com site) to greater effect than any campaign in modern history.

But it remains far from certain that commitment to two-way-street dialogue will continue all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Those hoping the engagement will continue got a hopeful sign today, when the Obama trasition team sent out a five-page survey to its massive email list asking recipients how and where the movement should go forward. It is an in-depth and responsive questionnaire that delves deeply into respondents’ desires for next steps.

Coupled with the somewhat rudimentary, form-based “share your vision” section of the Change.gov transition site and the rumors that Obama will appoint as his White House Budget Director a man who already blogs, the signs are pretty good that the new president may bring a broad-based engagement strategy to Washington.

The Obama transition team is already being pretty aggressive in its outreach with the ground-breaking Change.gov web site. But outside groups are organizing to pass on their best ideas, too.

One of the cooler versions of this is www.ObamaUrbanPolicy.org, which enables users to suggest policies for the soon-to-be-open White House Office for Urban Policy. But even cooler than that, it allows folks to vote on which ideas they like the best — giving more prominence to and putting more strength behind the ideas with the most backing.

I first heard about this from David Goldberg, the always-ahead-of-the-curve communications director at Smart Growth America and the leading communications voice at Transportation for America. There’s already some great ideas churning around there. here are the top three, as of Thursday just after noon.

1. Invest in a world-class rail network
Build a world-class rail system between cities and within them to transport people and goods more efficiently.
2 comments | by frontseat | created about 21 hours ago

2. Change zoning laws to promote walkable development
Change zoning and land-use regulations to promote mixed-use walkable developments.
5 comments | by frontseat | created about 21 hours ago

3. End subsidies for car-dependent development
Walkable developments currently subsidize car-dependent developments. End the subsidies for car-dependent development by requiring developers to pay the true cost of utilities and transportation in sprawling developments.
1 comment | by frontseat | created about 21 hours ago

Like these? Vote for them. Don’t like them? Suggest your own.

But whatever you do, check out the site. Submit your ideas and support other people’s. Hopefully, they’ll make it all the way to the White House.

The next chapter of America’s story begins today.

We have seen an historic sea change in this nation–not only in the election of Barack Obama, but in the ascension of hundreds of progressive candidates to our State Houses and Congress. To make real this promise of change, however, we must ensure that our elected officials live up to the ideals that promote equity and opportunity.

In the coming months, the Obama Administration will begin its transition to power and the strengthened Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress will get to work. We ask that they keep these Four Principles for Equity in mind in every decision they make:

1. Sustain the deep levels of democratic participation and civic engagement shown during the 2008 presidential election campaign.
2. Build an economy that expands opportunity for struggling families and revitalizes distressed communities.
3. Make affordable housing available to all, recognizing its historic role as a gateway to opportunity and asset-building.
4. Invest in building strong, healthy communities across America.

All Americans–especially those in low-income communities and communities of color–deserve a chance to participate and prosper. We have a real opportunity today to make the change we seek–but we must all work and push and fight together to make it happen.

What principles do you think should guide the Obama Administration? Weigh in the comments!

You can read the full Achieving Equity and Inclusion in America: Policy Principles for the Obama Administration and New Congress document on the PolicyLink site.