To achieve serious progressive change we must get active, organizing and mobilizing locally! We can create progressive, corporate-free, inclusive, diverse, and year-round organizations that fight for the local hot issues and elect corporate-free candidates to local office. This is the mindset we had when we built the Richmond Progressive Alliance, and we created a helpful video to outline the elements that made us successful:
Some of the most important elements were;
Build inclusively:
- It is necessary that you build your progressive alliance to be inclusive of every background; gender, race, class, disability, sexual orientation and creed. This also includes members of different progressive organizations, anyone who is serious and willing to work together deserves a seat at the table. This is why our model is an “alliance”!
Be corporate-free:
- We know the devastating impact corporate cash has had on our democracy. The only way we can successfully fight for the people is if we are powered by them, not corporations! Corporations are not people and they use their money in this broken campaign finance system to win favors and support. Do not allow them to co-opt our movement!
Organize around candidates and local hot issues:
- You want to identify the issues that affect your community most and mobilize people around progressive solutions to them; we refer to these local issues as “hot issues”. From that support you can then begin to build serious campaigns for corporate-free candidates, so you can have grassroots AND governing power!
Last but not least, have a long-term strategy:
- Everyone in the organization needs to understand the long-term strategy because we are engaged in long-term battles. When we fight, we win but we must be committed to the fight!
Using this model and these tenets is how the Richmond Progressive Alliance was able to get 5 out of 7 city councilmembers to be corporate-free progressives. With mobilization and organization, we forced the oil giant Chevron to pay $114 million in additional local taxes.
Electoral times with progressive candidates are the ideal time to start building your local corporate-free political organization. Following the steps presented in the included video, you may start organizing around one or more local corporate-free candidates. At the same time I ask you to create a parallel and overlapping Gayle for California club in your city or county. In this way you will have in your hands the organizing tools of an election, with support for one or more candidates.
As a part of my campaign for Lt. Governor, I feel it is important to build local Gayle for California clubs all over California. This organizing infrastructure will assist in getting corporate-free candidates like myself elected to statewide office AND to create a real movement of people across the state who can continue the fight for progress. Too often campaigns activate people to get them elected and then leave this vital infrastructure behind once the votes are cast. I believe this is short-sighted and that the only way we can truly win is if we are focused on supporting and growing the infrastructure that we build.
If you share this vision and want to build local progressive power to fight for the 99% and elect corporate-free candidates like myself, join us as a Club Coordinator and reply to this email with “Club Coordinator” in the subject line! If there is already a club in your area or another progressive organization then join as a Local Leader, replying with “Local Leader” in the subject line. No matter which role you choose please fill out our volunteer form so that we can easily communicate and build with you.
We can have the change we desperately want to see in our communities, we just have to get active, organize and mobilize. Remember, when we fight, we win! Thank you for your support.