David Segal's a long-standing Rhode Island progressive activist and legislator who's running for Congress. (I've posted about him before -- in great detail over here referencing other posts by Howie Klein, Larry Lessig, and David Swanson(I've posted about him before -- in great detail over here referencing other posts by Howie Klein, Larry Lessig, and David Swanson) He's picked up the endorsements of Blue America, Progressive Dems of America, the PCCC, the American Federation of Teachers, and District 1199 SEIU, among others. And this week he goes up on the air with his first ad:
Nobody's Puppet from Nobody's Puppet on Vimeo.
Please visit NobodysPuppet.com for more information, and to donate to keep the ad on the air!
And please help spread it around. Here's David in his own words:
We have more than enough puppets in Washington. Corporations and the extraordinarily wealthy have too much control over our government, and over our society — and that power is only growing. We’re at a watershed moment in American history: We need to stand up and fight back.
I’ve pushed for public financing of elections,, and worked with Change Congress to fight the Citizens United decision. I’m refusing corporate money — and my calls for my major opponent to do the same have been met with deafening silence.
During my four years on the Providence City Council and four years as a state representative, I’ve never shied away from challenging powerful interests when it’s been right for Rhode Islanders: I’ve passed laws cracking down on the big banks — taking on both predatory lending and foreclosures. Last year, when the Governor and General Assembly leadership tried to cut critical funds for schools and services for working families from the state’s budget, I organized fellow legislators to block the state budgetuntil $25 million in funding was successfully restored.
I pushed back against the big utility company to pass laws paving the way for "green jobs" across the state. And when my opponent in the Congressional race, the mayor of Providence, wouldn’t enforce rules requiring companies that benefit from taxpayer dollars to hire locally, I organized my council colleagues to sue in court, and won a victory for local workers. When the Providence Westin management cut worker pay by 20%, I announced a local-national coalitionthat pushed back, and personally delivering thousands of signatures to the management on behalf of the hotel’s workers.
My work over the last eight years speaks for itself: I’m nobody’s puppet.