It takes a village - or four: April 15, 2004
I live in a Legislative District that is as solid blue as it gets. That's because we work at it.
It takes a village - or four: April 15, 2004
I live in a Legislative District that is as solid blue as it gets. That's because we work at it.
Washington state has 49 State Legislative Districts. I live in the 34th. It is part of the 7th Congressional District. Our Representative is Jim McDermott, who is as left as left gets in this Congress. The right wing calls him "Baghdad Jim" because of his notorious trip to Iraq in September 2002. Even after that, we returned Jim to Congress with 74 percent of the vote, so that tells you who we are.
The 34th is more diverse demographically than the other Seattle districts. It includes a semi-rural community (Vashon), a separate municipality (Burien), a lower-income, highly multi-ethnic unincorporated area (White Center), and, mostly, the largely residential West Seattle.
We take our politics pretty seriously in the 34th District Democrats. We have a well-maintained Web site and a monthly newsletter. We have 318 members, the rolls are growing, and we are recruiting actively. Our monthly meetings average about 100 attendees. Our April 14 meeting was no exception.
Our State Senator, Erik Poulsen, and our State Representatives (WA has two per District), Joe McDermott and Eileen Cody, gave reports on the recently concluded Legislative session. Seattle City Councilman Richard Conlin reported on the status of transportation issues (Seattle City Council members are elected at-large). The Mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels, and candidate for Governor Phil Talmadge are from our District.
We heard a report from the League of Women Voters on the legal status of the Washington State Primary, which promises to be a hot issue right up to Primary Day, September 21. There were vigorous question-and-answer sessions after each presentation.
The committee reports, as usual, generated a lot of buzz. Our voter registration committee plans to hit the streets at fairs, farmers' markets and other community gatherings, in the coming months. Our platform committee is nailing planks together for the upcoming Legislative District caucus. The fundraising committee is planning our annual Garden Party, and examining creative ways to "shake the tree." (That means YOU, lobbyists).
We have a new "outreach committee," which will concentrate on new member orientation, liaisons with single-issue groups and labor unions (we may support them on a case-by-case basis, but we want them to be Democrats), a speakers' bureau for high schools and community colleges, and, most important, civics orientation for our District's many immigrant communities.
We even had a report from the bylaws committee which held the members' attention. It dealt with whether or not our District should endorse candidates in nonpartisan races (judges excepted) who would not declare themselves Democrats. We had decided already to table this one because of the time it is sure to take up. For some of us, "Are you a Democrat?" is a litmus-test question. Who said bylaws were dull?
Last, but not least, was the report of the Legislative Affairs committee, where I am most active. We track legislation at the city, county, state, and federal levels, make recommendations to the Executive Board and membership, and generate communication with Legislative and Executive Branch officials.
But when the Legislative session ends in Olympia, we turn our attention to other areas. This month it was the grocery negotiations with the United Food and Commercial Workers. I hope everyone followed the events in California. The outcome of the strike/lockout there (two-tier wages, two-tier benefits) bodes ill for working families everywhere. The contracts in Washington end in May and bargaining will be tough. The UFCW has to stop the bleeding, and it might as well be here.
The Democratic Party is the party of working families. If it is not, it damn well needs to be. We passed a resolution in committee in support of the clerks, but what the hell does that mean? We needed more. We needed a mobilizing tool. And I had a plan.
Why not produce buttons that say "34th District Democrats (heart) UFCW?" Why not sell these buttons for at least $2 apiece, proceeds to the Puget Sound Labor Agency, which helps distressed strikers and lockout victims, for use if the worst happens? Why not show the clerks (and their managers) a visible message of support?
Having thereby put our money where our mouths are, why not then recruit grocery clerks into the Democratic Party? If the Unions do not have resources to mobilize their rank-and-file members to political action, maybe the party does, at least at the District level. I know our district has those resources.
The committee loved the idea. We had some buttons made (with union bug, of course). The membership passed it to thunderous acclimation. People were shoving money at us, buttons or no buttons. UFCW Local 1105 loved the idea. Next step is to export the model to the other Democratic District organizations. Somehow I don't think the GOP would be interested.
It's not Bush. It isn't Iraq. It isn't Sharon and Arafat. But it is Alexis DeTocqueville. It is Saul Alinsky. Political activism is alive and growing in the 34th District, where democracy is not a spectator sport.
To be continued . . .