Category: Politics

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Phone bank for Martha Coakley!!!

  By Health Care, US

The Massachusetts Senate election tomorrow is critical to the future of this country and especially to the future of health care reform. It’s likely to be a low turnout election, so everything we do here in Pennsylvania to help get Coakley supporters to the polls will make a big difference. There are two local places where you can join phone banks to call likely Coakley supporters and urge them to vote tomorrow. UFCW Local 1776, 3031A Walton Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA. 19462. Now until 8:00 pm today and 10:00 am to 7:00 pm tomorrow. Organizing for America PA Headquarters, 123 South Broad Street, Suite 820, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Shifts at 4:00 pm today; 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, tomorrow. I don’t have to you how important this election is. Democrats have the bare minimum 60 votes we need to control the Senate. And, with Republicans determined to oppose… Continue reading

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Your love is not like a faucet

  By Love and Sex, Philosophy, Politics

Love is just like a faucet it turns off and on Love is like a faucet It turns off and on Sometimes when you think it’s on baby It has turned off and gone Billie Holiday Fine and Mellow Your love is like a faucet You can turn it off and on Albert King Don’t Throw Your Love on Me So Strong And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime Of something far more deeply interfused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the mind of man; A motion and a spirit, that impels All thinking things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. William Wordsworth Tintern Abbey We usually think that power, strength, and achievement in politics and the world of ideas—and… Continue reading

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Why You Should Support Lou Agre For State Representative

  By NW Philly, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Progressive Politics

Lou Agre is a friend of mine and someone who has supported my issue campaigns and my campaigns for political office. I’d be inclined to support him in whatever he does politically. But it’s not just a matter of friendship. There are a number of very good reasons for every progressive to back Lou in his race to replace Kathy Manderino in the State House. Continue reading

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Dennis Kucinich’s Temper Tantrum or Why Progressive Should Enthusiastically Embrace HR 3962.

  By Health Care, Progressive Politics

This is a long post. But if you want to know what’s in the bill, why progressive should support it and why they should not pay attention to Dennis Kucinich or other single payer critics of the bill, this is a good place to start. In one of the political traditions in which I was raised, one of the more useful epithets was “infantile leftist.” An infantile leftist was someone who took the most extreme left position even though it made little sense as either policy or politics. And they did it, primarily for internal political reasons—to win support on the left—or to show themselves and others that they are more pure or progressive or left than anyone else in the room. That phrase came to mind when I saw that Representatives Kucinich and Massa had voted against HR 3692 because it was not single payer and even more when… Continue reading

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Rally against Tom Donahue and the Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia–and what we learned from it.

  By Progressive Politics, Social Justice

Last Friday, close to twenty advocacy groups and labor unions came together in front of the Loew’s Hotel in Center City Philadelphia to protest Tom Donhaue, the President of US Chamber of Commerce, who was speaking there. And, in the process, we learned something about the nature of political struggle in the United State today and about what we progressives must to do be successful We were there because, on issue after issue, Donahue has lead the US Chamber of Commerce to stand with the biggest, and most politically connected, corporations in the United States, and with their immensely overpaid chief executives, against the interests of not just the public at large, but most small and large businesses in the United States. Continue reading

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You are my heroes

  By Health Care, Political Organizing

I spoke tonight at the beginning of the health care week being put on by the Penn Democrats. With the news that Harry Reid had decided to put a public option in the bill he intends to bring to the floor, it was a good night to be speaking. I gave a different kind of speech than usual, putting our campaign for health care reform in the context of the revival of progressive politics. I’ll write that up soon. But on this very good day for our campaign when we have seen some inkling of success coming from our hard work over the past fifteen months, I did want to post the following reconstruction of my closing remarks. I said at the beginning of my talk that the election of Barack Obama was the start of the rebirth of progressive politics in America. And I said that to keep this… Continue reading

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Coming Attractions: Learning from getting older

  By About me, Philosophy, Political Organizing

I wrote this essay about four years ago and have revised it from time to time since. I’ve started to post it once or twice but hesitated because, as a friend of mine said, “it’s awfully personal.” But I was looking for another piece of writing on my computef today and took a look at this again and decided both that I really like it and that it might be useful the people for whom it was written—my younger political and academic friends. With a few exceptions, I’ve left this written as it was when I last revised it two years ago, before I ran for Council and became a full time political organizer. I’ve just updated it in a few places to talk about the health care campaign I’m currently running in Pennsylvania I have been thinking about getting older lately. Partly this is because I turned fifty not… Continue reading

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The dangers of Philadelphia’s zoning code revision for neighborhoods

  By Neighborhoods, Philadelphia, Progressive Politics, Urbanism

I’ve been predicting for some time that the Philadelphia zoning code revision is going to be the next flashpoint for progressives. I’ve been concerned that a zoning code commission heavily weighted towards developers will attempt to limit the power of community groups to guide development in their neighborhoods. So I’m not surprised to that at YPP Matt Ruben has pointed out that a provision in the zoning code revision would undermine the impact of community groups over the zoning process. Matt and others have suggested some ways to improve the process. I’m not yet sure we have the best solution although some of the ideas put forward on that thread are good starting points. But one problem with the whole reform process is being missed in this discussion. Paul Boni points out that community groups generally are welcome at the ZBA, Planning Commission, and Historical Commission. This is true and… Continue reading

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You can help make the PA Senate a little bluer!!!

  By Pennsylvania

You know how frustrated you are with the Republican determination to cut god things out the state budget. This weekend you can do something about it. Volunteer to help Anne Scheuring win Tuesday’s special Senate election in the 24th district by contacting her campaign at info@dsscc.org or info@annescheuring.com Continue reading