When
I posted about an upcoming visit to Albany, NY by Nancy Pelosi to speak about women's issues as part of a fundraiser for Congressman Paul Tonko (NY 20), the minimal news items about it in my local newspaper didn't even hint at what the event was going to actually be like, or the much larger campaign it was part of.
Wow!
More below the Orange Omnilepticon.
The event was scheduled for 4:30pm at Davies Office Refurbishing, a choice of venue that would prove to have a lot more significance than might be immediately apparent. There was a noticeable flow of traffic as I neared the site to check in; according to the organizers there were at least 300+ people who had shown up for an event with little fanfare locally.
Well, it turns out this was a lot more than a speech before a fund raiser; it was but one stop on a bus tour designed to kick off a determined campaign pushing a pretty damn populist and progressive message: "When women succeed, America succeeds." The tour began in Seneca Falls, NY where in 1848 a group of women - "and a few good men" - held the the first women's rights convention and issued a proclamation declaring that all men and women are created equal. Well, House Democrats are taking up that banner again and running with it - including a bus decked out for the tour.
When the bus arrived, it wasn't just Tonko and Pelosi on board; they were joined by a number of Democratic women Representatives from the House, reps from several other groups (like the
AAUW), a couple of women who came along to share their stories, and Albany's first woman mayor Kathy Sheehan. While Paul Tonko tools turns acting as Emcee, the women held the stage for the most part, and they had a strong message.
The message is simple: When women succeed, America succeeds. We can not expect America to do well when half of its citizens are being held back and having their lives made harder. One speaker noted that one reason the U.S. economy has seen productivity rise in recent years is from so many women going into the work force - and getting paid less.
There are a number of Democratic bills in the House being blocked by Republicans that would make a huge difference to this country.
• Fair Pay Women on average get paid 77¢ for every $1 a man gets for doing comparable work. The Paycheck Fairness Act would address that. Raising the minimum wage would also make a huge difference, since many minimum wage jobs are held by women who are also trying to support families. Further, the difference in earnings mean that many women reach their retirement years and they have little or nothing set aside. The challenge to the GOP is this: if you truly value work, if you truly value families - then show us the money.
• Work & Family Balance Workers around the world have paid sick leave and family leave - but not in the U.S. The FAMILY Act and the Healthy Families Act would mean women - and men - would no longer have to chose their jobs over their health or the health of their loved ones. Nancy Pelosi spoke in her talk of a woman who works as a school bus driver, one who nearly every day sees women in tears putting sick kids on her bus. They have to send them to school because if they stay home to care for them, they won't get paid, and if they miss too many days, they'll lose their jobs.
• Affordable Child Care Parents who have to work and who have children have a real struggle finding affordable child care. President Obama's Pre School/Early Head Start initiative coupled with an expanded child care tax credit and funding for affordable quality child care would make a difference to millions of Americans. It was pointed out by one of the speakers that it makes zero sense to try to fill the deficit by cutting spending for these programs - because cutting back means those who need them will have less success in life, and that will effectively shrink the economy.
The rally lasted two hours; afterwards the speakers took time to meet and greet with the crowd. Pelosi was very generous in allowing people to get pictures with her.
Nancy Pelosi meeting with the crowd after the rally; Paul Tonko is to her right.
Overall, the crowd was enthusiastic, and the message went over very well. The Women Succeed tour will be continuing; there are a number of ways to track it. The campaign
has a website, can be followed on Facebook (Facebook.com/WomenSucceed) and Twitter (@WomenSucceed). Sign up for more by texting "SUCCEED" to 69866.
The Facebook page and a tumblr feed at the website have updates on the tour and news/photos from along the way. The campaign is looking for personal stories and volunteers. As an outreach effort, this has a lot of potential - and it's needed. As was pointed out, "When women vote, Women succeed. When women succeed, America succeeds."
Oh, and about the choice of Davies Office Refurbishing for a venue? The company is run by a husband and wife team; she own 51% of the company and the workers own the other 49%. They provide everyone with healthcare, and offer family leave, paid sick leave, and flexible scheduling. Their business is
...the largest independent office furniture remanufacturer in the United States and we have one of the widest inventories in the nation, which includes refurbished cubicles, workstations, desks, tables, chairs, credenzas, and more.
We remanufacture all major OEM lines, and offer highly customized options like ergonomic enhancements and retrofits that other office furniture providers simply cannot. Our remanufactured office furniture is also more affordable than offerings from the big OEMs, and it’s also a greener option because we reuse core components and employ environmentally friendly refurbishing practices.
UPDATE: I'm glad this made the Rec List - this is quite a deal and I'm glad I got to go see it. I have video of the introductions, but haven't had time to go back through it to get all the names of everyone who was on the bus. I did manage to get notes of the speakers, though.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan welcomed everyone to the Capitol District, and spoke of her plans for the city, including a goal of getting everyone to graduate from Albany City Schools.
Beverly Padgett spoke of how child care and health issues had shaped her life as a mother and grandmother, and how much more could be done.
Congresswoman Jackie Spier spoke about her own efforts in Congress to address the issues.
Sandra McKinley spoke of her problems with domestic abuse and child care issues in her efforts to make a living for herself and her children.
Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez spoke on how women need more help with business opportunities, including access to financing.
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi finished out the list of speakers with an inspiring talk.
There were a number of shout-outs to
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro who was instrumental in organizing the tour.
All the women spoke very powerfully, reinforcing the message: When women succeed, America succeeds. We need to get the gavel back in Pelosi's hands, and we need more people like the women on that stage in Congress to back her up and move the country forward again.
UPDATE 2: Hat tip to jbob for finding local news coverage with video. The Times Union had some print coverage of the event as well. The Times Union also has a dissenting view from Paul Tonko's opponent, Jim Fischer. Fischer was at the event, but had little to say (see the video link). In the wait for the event to start, he spent some time talking with a handful of NRA proponents in the crowd, apparently there to 'show the flag' as it were in opposition.
NRA supporter in crowd; Fischer partly visible between two people to his left
Fischer's word salad of standard GOP talking points
in his statement demonstrates why it's more important than ever that the Women On A Roll bus tour gets the message out:
When Women Succeed, America Succeeds. If you haven't already, follow them on Facebook and twitter, sign up at the website, and spread the word to your friends. This is the agenda America needs ASAP.