Finding Kevin Danaher ensconced on the Club Level of Pepsi Center suggested big changes at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) from eight years earlier. In 2000, Kevin was one of the main organizers of the demonstrations at the DNC in Los Angeles where people protested the failure of the two-party system to deal with some of societies biggest problems
”I think the balance has totally changed,” he told me as delegates streamed past us on the third level of Pepsi Center. ”In LA we were lucky enough to have an insider give us the addresses of all the fundraising parties and we had flying squads in fifteen-seater vans that zoomed around to the Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills to demonstrate outside these fundraising events.”
I remembered these events because I had joined him that week at a lavish party put on by Patton-Boggs, one of the biggest lobbyist firms in Washington DC. It was only one event in a week of marches and protests that brought thousands of people onto the streets of Los Angeles.
”Now Barack Obama’s people have shaken that up,” he continued. ”Objective conditions have shifted the Democratic party in a more progressive direction. The environment is more destroyed at the same time that renewable energy is more profitable. The war in Iraq is a huge failure, and a majority of the people wants to see the troops come home. Finally, Democratic outsider Barack Obama came to the fore. He brought a whole new crew of young people, African Americans, community activists, environmentalists and a lot of young people into the party. So, yes, it is the same old Democratic Party that is dominated by corporate money, but there is an upwelling within the party saying, ‘look, we have got to go in a different direction. We cannot have money values dominate life values. We have to have life values dominate money values.’
“We have to see it as a set of scales. The corporations are in Washington throwing their weights on their side of the scales to keep things the way they are and we need to throw our weight on our side of the scales to say ‘No!’ We need massive change in this country. We need renewable energy, green building materials, and green jobs. If we get organized and involved in these debates, I think the intelligence and moral authority of our arguments can win out, but it is about organize, organize, organize. If government is bad, that is our fault. We are supposed to be a self-governing citizenry It is our responsibility to fix it.”
Barack Obama and his supporters took on this responsibility at Invesco field. Barney Smith, a proud Republican got right to the point when he said, “We need a president who puts the Barney Smiths before the Smith Barneys. I’m going to put country first by voting Barack Obama for President.”
On stage, Barack Obama highlighted ways he would help justice rise across the country. He emphasized that, “We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500…But by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business…an economy that honors the dignity of work.” He invoked that “the market should reward drive and innovation.” Government, he said. “should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work…Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.” He promised to “stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas” and “to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses.” He proposed to fund his changes by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens and in a page out of Riane Eisler he implored that “I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century.” Finally, in a nod toward the importance of grassroots power he told his 80,000 supporters gathered at Invesco Field “You have shown what history teaches us— that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it—because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. America, this is one of those moments.”
As the speech came to an end, the crowd erupted and the fireworks exploded. After four days the Democrats surged out of the stadium, determined to ensure that Barack Obama is elected to the presidency of the United States and that our system is changed forever.
It was time to clean up and move on. After collecting our bags from the media workspace at Pepsi Center we headed for the light rail. On the way Kevin Danaher stopped us. Standing by a series of garbage cans with huge dumpsters behind him, he told us “We got the contract to do the recycling and composting for the event…It is all about training people. We want to expand this to all of the events of the campaign. Then we will leave a legacy of new practices all across the country.”
Change may come with Barack Obama. Like his image at Invesco Field, however, he is surrounded by corporations and their endemic political power. It will take an effort by all those interested in change to make sure that his promises come true.
2 comments:
Thanks Jim - enjoyed your posts; and also hosting you and Judy! Nancy and Andy
Corporations, whether we like it or not, are the economic engine of the strongest economy in the world. They employ millions of Americans, and it's easier to buy a share of their stock than to open a bank account. We have a higher corporate tax rate than any country in Europe, and the second highest in the world. And shareholders are taxed twice. Europe for years now has tried to emulate American success and has now just begun to understand our recipe: lower taxes and less regulation. The average poor in our country is far wealthier than the average citizen in most other countries; and the standard of living for the poor has continued to rise. We have had 6 economic slow downs in the last 60 years - a natural cycle in free market economies. The one before came at the end of Clinton's last term, and now there is one at the end of Bush's. We have around 5-6% unemployment, a number which leaves other developed countries scratching their heads as to how we consistently obtain it. Yes, corporate America seeks to maximize profits. They are legally obligated to do so - any shareholder may bring a suit if they believe the corporate management is not doing this. But any American can share in this profit, and many have, especially the elderly whose retirement funds will be significantly affected by Obama's promise to raise the capital gains tax.
The rich in this country are vastly first and second generation rich. By the third and fourth generations this wealth is squandered and redistributed into the market and taken up by new innovators and entrepreneurs. Take Jerry Yang (co-founder of Yahoo), a billionaire whose family came here with nothing and whose company has created thousands of jobs. More imporantly, the rich aren't simply hording the wealth they've acquired. This wealth is deposited in banks where small business owners, homeowners, car owners, college students, etc. can borrow these funds at low rates and pursue their dreams. This wealth is invested in businesses who use this money to grow and employ a workforce. And with respect to keeping jobs here at home. The numbers came out recently substantiating that our free trade agenda has created more jobs than were lost due to free trade. Yes, there is pain involved in opening up barriers to trade and requiring your workforce to be flexible. But in the long run it saves your economy, keeping it nimble and adaptive to change - you don't see a lot of buggy-whip makers these days.
Obama's policies, ironically, are economically conservative and outdated. They harken back to the bygone days of oppressive regulation, stifling central control, higher taxes (and therefore less capital in the private system), and protectionism.
I personally like Obama, but his agenda is far to the left of president Clinton's. And I fear that he is setting himself up for a massive policy disaster. He says that 95% of Americans will get a tax cut, but he fails to mention that allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire in 2010 will effectively raise their taxes. His tax on families making more than 250K (less than that if you're single) will effectively tax every small business owner in this country - who happen to employ 70% of workers. The business persons, whether we like it or not, will pass on any higher tax to the extent they can. That's why tax hikes on any class, is ultimately most heavily born by those with less - the law of unintended consequences. Furthermore, the cost of his healthcare plan is not even considered in his budgetary estimations. It stands as a zero cost on his accounts. He will either have to raise taxes or forego the plan. Either way, someone's going to be mad. By the way, the richest 10% in this country pay 71% of ALL taxes. That's why the tax break was given to them along with incentives to invest this money in businesses in order to grow the economy. Which has worked - save your once every 8-10 year cyclical downturn.
Post a Comment