Feb 3rd Meetup Recap

Written by John Hartwell Thursday, 11 February 2010 18:28

Working Families

Lindsey Farrell from the Working Families Party (WFP) gave a brief outline of the WFP agenda.  She emphasized that WFP focuses only on the domestic agenda and cross-endorses those candidates that support its platform for (among other things) minimum wage, publicly funded ‘clean’ elections, healthcare reform and paid sick days.  Working Families also promotes its own candidates for local and State office and, particularly in Bridgeport, has been very successful at getting those candidates elected. For other endorsed candidates, the WFP votes have made the difference between winning and losing.

Ned Lamont

In his introductory remarks, DFA moderator John Hartwell recalled that in 2006, despite being an unknown ‘outsider’, Ned Lamont took on the political establishment of Connecticut by running for, and winning, the Democratic nomination for United States Senate on a message that our nation’s fiscally reckless Iraq war policy was distracting us from the pressing issues here at home. Unfortunately, Lamont received less than enthusiastic – or financial - support from either the State or National Democratic parties both of whom failed to recognize that his principled stand against the Iraq war was one that resonated not just with Connecticut citizens, but throughout the United States.

Hartwell continued by noting that the Bush administration was so concerned about losing the seat held by conservative “Blue Dog” Democrat Joe Lieberman - a war proponent - that poured Republican funds into Lieberman’s campaign.

In the next few weeks Ned Lamont will decide whether or not to run for Governor of Connecticut and has contemplated that possibility because he sees the immense fiscal crisis facing Connecticut as the result of years of unfocused leadership in Hartford with Democrats as well as Republicans ducking the immediate financial problems facing the State.  It was a bit like the movie “Ground Hog Day” he complained, the legislature and Governor Jodi Rell keep trying unsuccessfully to get it right.  Ned believes that, like the conclusion of the movie, he has the experience and knowhow to not only ‘get it’ but get it right.

As an entrepreneurial businessman, Lamont founded (and still runs) an educational television company that now serves over 200 campuses and over 1 million college students across the country.  He believes that the key to doing good business is setting strategic goals, long-term fiscal planning, paying workers well and respecting their importance to a prosperous business climate.  Success means moving with the times and Lamont noted that if he still did business the same way he did 25 years ago – well, he would be out of business. In his presentation Ned made the following points:

• In effect, we now face a worse crisis, both moral and fiscal, than we have faced before and we must ask ourselves “where – and what - are our priorities?”
• The systemic problems facing CT must be addressed with the same moral urgency that existed when many of us joined him in confronting the catastrophe of a misguided war of choice in Iraq.
• Leadership in the State has been indifferent and poorly implemented. For years, CT has lacked the type of entrepreneurial leadership that sees government as a constructive partner in creating good paying jobs and making a real difference in people’s lives.  The recession may not be as glaring a problem as the Iraq war but it is, in the final analysis, even more important to the wellbeing of our state and nation.
• Daunting as the State’s economy and governance may be, we can no longer “kick the can down the road.” Everything boils down to how the State pays for its services and programs.  As governor, Ned would personally review every State expenditure, eliminate unproductive or duplicated programs, reduce waste in others, and focus on like a laser on making sure that CT gets its fair share of Federal funding and grants.
• Accessing available Federal funding to the State has been either ignored, delayed or underused and this avenue of funding needs to be vigorously pursued.
• Connecticut needs to “sell” the benefits of living and working here.  In this regard CT is being out-bid and out maneuvered for decent jobs.  Job creation in CT has lagged far behind that of other States. For example Sikorsky moved its research branch to Bozeman, Montana because Governor Schweitzer offered a better deal. Another CT company was persuaded to move to Texas by Governor Rick Perry.  Unlike those states, CT has been lax in promoting this as a better place to live and work.
• Connecticut has some of the finest educational intuitions in the country and we need to do everything in our power to convince those graduating from those institutions that it is worth their while to stay in CT.  We can begin by asking employers nationwide “what is it that you need?”  And then provide a workforce educated to fill those jobs. Connecticut’s economy will not improve until the State makes it its business to create jobs, and stem the “brain drain” from our educational institutions.
• Connecticut is a “talent state” and a leader in the fields of fuel cell, solar energy, biotechnology and medicine.  It is in CT’s best interest to attract, train and develop more “green energy” industries and workers.  The governor of the State must aggressively seek out ways to make living and working in this State financially feasible.  High housing costs and property taxes need a radical overhall.
• Education is pivotal to CT’s development and updating the way students are taught is vital. For example, as a volunteer teacher at Harding High School in Bridgeport Ned found that many teenagers started out believing that they “didn’t have a chance” They asked “Why do we need to learn business accounting?”  By bringing business and labor leaders’ right into the classroom to present the students with real-life problems and asking them to come up with practical answers, Ned demonstrated that this hands-on approach produced many surprising, clever and practical solutions that employers could actually use.  His students found out that accounting skills apply to everyday life and that accounting was a measure of how successfully they coped with problems.  Most importantly, the students were engaged and interested in the idea of accounting.
• Addressing other areas of concern, Ned described being at the Convention Center in Hartford a few days previously, where hundreds of working families, unable to afford a doctor, spent many hours in line to get free healthcare.  A priority as governor would be to support more affordable healthcare.  Sick workers are bad for the economy.
• Overcrowded prisons with many inmates incarcerated for relatively minor offences costs the taxpayers enormous amounts. Minor offences are more effectively and inexpensively dealt through rehabilitation and community service – a far less costly alternative and more productive alternative.
• When government encourages businesses leaders, citizens and labor organizations to work together, they become a driving force in helping to solve many of the problems that affect our communities. In this latter capacity, Ned brought many such leaders together in order to outline a workable and practical jobs strategy for Connecticut. This latter effort produced a “Blueprint for Connecticut” that lays out a platform for better governance in the state.

In conclusion, Ned said that although he understands that the road would be rough, that many decisions would be difficult, and sometimes unpopular, he believes that he has the experience, ideas and solutions that will get Connecticut back on a fiscally responsible and stable track.

************************************************************************************************************************

Buying Congress

Following Ned Lamont’s presentation those present discussed the conundrum of continuing to support Democrats who, many felt, had betrayed their campaign promises, and the problems that would result if support, in the form of volunteer effort, financial contribution and votes were withheld for any Democratic candidate beholden to corporate financing. The Scott Brown victory notwithstanding, Democrats still maintain a 57 (plus 2 independents) seat advantage in the Senate and a significant majority in the House. Yet the mere threat of a Republican filibuster appears to have virtually paralyzed Democratic action on significant and vital legislations, such as reform on healthcare and oversight of the financial system.  Democrats who want to be elected (or re-elected,) even those of a conservative stripe, can no longer afford to thumb their nose at the progressive base who worked so hard to elect them in 2008.

The ideological split between Democrats who are unduly influenced by corporate money and those who are not is splitting the Democratic Party apart and this dissention may have devastating results for the November elections.

All present were disturbed by the recent Supreme Court decision regarding corporate funding of political parties. A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words so take a look at the one below!  The Corporate takeover has spread from Congress to the Supreme Court and many present at the MeetUp expressed their anger, frustration and fear at an ‘activist’ decision by right wing judges that overturned recent precedent on this issue. Judges Alito and Roberts had sworn to respect such precedents at their confirmation hearings.  With a bought and paid for Congress and a Supreme Court that rules in favor of corporations rather than ordinary human beings we must ask ourselves, as Ned Lamont had done earlier, “What (and where) are our priorities?