Fusion is powerful. Voting in the Working Families column is no wasted
gesture--every ballot counts. It sidesteps the Nader Effect, since voters can
show their support for a progressive party agenda without spoiling the chances
of a candidate--usually a Democrat--who has a shot at winning. And if there's an
opportunity to take out a bad Democrat, like former Albany DA Paul Clyne,
Working Families can run its own candidate...Working Families has become a fixture in local political races in the state's bigger cities and in the suburbs of New York City, delivering a get-out-the-vote apparatus and its progressive WF brand label in exchange for influence over candidates' policy agendas. Some of those relationships spawn legislative breakthroughs, including a 2002 living-wage law in Westchester.
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1 comment:
Now this is what I like to hear. As someone who left the Democratic Party to join the future of the progressive movement the WFP, I could not be more happier.
I'll say it again and again. The Democratic Party is divided between the activists and the establishment. The activists want the change and care about the progressive issues. The establishment DLC and "party of me" only care about self promotion and the "what's in it for me" factor.
Locally in the town of Greenburgh and in Westchester County that's even more clearer. In a Democratic dominated state like NY, it's important to point out problems with the party that's in power even if they are supposed to be the good guys.
The county party is a skelton crew. They don't fund it, and they got rid of their most hard working executive vice chair last year. There's no paid staff, and they have faced getting evicted from their offices in the past due to lack of funding. It basically existed to promote the county wide Dems and that was it. It surely does not fit into the Dean mold of what a party needs to be in the 21st century.
This is where the Working Families Party comes in. They realize that people in NY care about the issues. They care about the cost of housing, crime, education, and healthcare. They care about good jobs. The party represents the working people of NY and wherever else there is a chapter out of state.
I'm totally committed to seeing this party grow, and I will volunteer my time to see it happen. I would love to solidify the presence of WFP in Westchester County for starters. The future is the labor movement and the future is WFP.
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