Do you think it’s coincidence that efforts like Connect Duluth, conservative blogs and talk radio are being pushed so hard in this market?
They don’t have any trouble finding airtime. But WEBC radio couldn’t afford to have 5 minutes of Jim Hightower a few years back. Station manager Dave Walters told me there was no advertising for it. Air America is still alive at 1490 AM if you’re interested.
Do you think Minnesota is becoming more conservative, a swing state, and that’s why we get so many visits by misleading GOP figureheads?
A study done in San Diego says the reason for the proliferation of conservative campaigns like we’re seeing is because of conservatives’ fears of progressives gaining. So they have an organized strategy to retake control of cities says the study because of progressives getting elected, passing living wage and affordable housing laws, and getting too good at building coalitions.
Conservative echo chambers resound with the need for smaller government, fewer taxes and a better business climate. We just had an economic development summit in town that reportedly touted creating wealth for the few as being more important than creating jobs for those needing them. The strategy draws some mid-/low-wage workers by attacking the wages and benefits of public employees and other union workers.
Lee Cokorinos is the author of Target San Diego, The Right Wing Assault on Urban Democracy and Smart Government, a report for the Center on Policy Initiatives.
Once the epicenter of John Birch Society politics, citizens turned San Diego toward progressive, or “blue,” politics. Conservatives fought back.
“With stunning speed and impressive coordination, local, state and national party structures and think tanks invested heavily and quickly were able to dominate local media and policy debates,” Donald Cohen, CPI President wrote.
As in many cities, conservatives attacked government attempts at gaining revenue and giving taxpayers services, they weakened unions, but sought government help for the wealthy while they said the poor and everyone else needed to “pick themselves up by the bootstraps,” characterizing them as being weak morally for their plight.
With unlimited resources conservatives have created single and multi-issue think tanks to develop ideas and strategies that they use to train leaders and craft their message through the media. Money created a multi-wife marriage of the most powerful Americans, think tanks, corporate interests including the media, party politics, and local folk that want to be among the most powerful. Make a Mormon proud.
The “being businessfriendly will trickle down to you too” mantra is heard even from union workers, killing themselves for rich bosses.
Organizing progressives has always been like trying to herd cats but that’s what has to be done says Cokorinos. Use the same strategies conservatives used but do it by including diverse constituencies and talking about sustaining economies, and finding the forums for civic engagement that can get media attention.
This scenario has been playing for years and will continue to cycle as varying political interests fight to gain the upper hand in controlling the agenda of all government. Cokorinos says much of what is happening is the result of the Clinton/Gore “reinventing government” effort and the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. Cutting government and privatizing services and agencies was a good beginning he says for what’s followed. The GOP and Newt Gingrich took the House in 1994 and Democrats have run scared at all levels since.
But progressives went to work on the local level and unions have fought Grover Norquist, et. al’s efforts to defund them, a critical feature of the right wing’s strategy. Good things have happened for people in places like Arizona, Washington State, Colorado, and elsewhere as citizens and elected leaders have said we can’t move forward by starving government.
Minnesota a “swing state?” We should be embarrassed but what’s happened with our elections and public policy decisions shows we are. Cokorinos has done progressive policy makers a huge favor by having chronicled the “Battle for San Diego.”
Read more on his report at www.onlinecpi.org
Larry Sillanpa edits the Duluth Labor World. Visit his website at www.laborworld.org
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