|
|
|
|
Send in the Peace Lobbyists
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Polly Mann, W A M M
|
The newspaper headline about the “lobbying muscle by NWA” (Northwest Airlines) confirmed what I've known for a long, long time. It's no mystery as to why the needs of the underserved poverty-stricken groups of people within our society are so often ignored or, at best, dealt with so grudgingly. They are without lobbyists! Northwest Airlines, for example, spent $2.6 million in 2004 and another $976,000 in the last part of this year seeking government handouts and I doubt that anybody has made this the subject of a diatribe. The Minnesota congressmen listed in the Star Tribune article as receivers of campaign funds from NWA are Rep. Jim Ramstad who received $5000 over the past three years, and Rep. Mark Kennedy, who received $10,000 and later $9,000 for his senate campaign.
Without question a lobbyist - even better, a lobbying firm - could greatly benefit the Welfare Rights organization. It might be difficult for the organization to afford such, but if they sought out other groups focused on the needs of the underserved they could form a coalition composed of representatives of the homeless, the disabled, college students, nursing homes, immigrants, and countless others. Of course, they could never compete with the arms manufacturers, but at least they'd be in the game.
I have never been able to understand the justification for lobbyists. “They do educate,” I'm told, but at what cost to the rest of us? How can the peace movement impact the Congress? We write letters; we even personally visit the offices of our elected officials. But we cannot contribute to campaigns. This is most unfair. If all the peace organizations in the country hired a lobbying firm to promote peace, you might think we'd be able to bring the U.S. troops home from all over the world. But the cards, that is, the dollars are stacked against us. Arms manufacturers hire people who vote, have stockholders who are influential, and have friends in the Congress.
Peace organizations are popular, however, during political campaigns, and our members are solicited to host fundraisers, endorse candidates, write letters of support to friends, and staff campaign offices for candidates who assure us they are for peace. After being elected, however, too many of these pro-peace friends are not as accessible as when they needed our votes. As they remain in office they vote to support measures that maintain the “balance of power,” that balance tilted to the rich, i.e., corporate interests, maintaining that the poor will be with us always.
Another strategy that has never been tried might be to solicit those men at the top of the corporate ladder for funds. For example, William McGuire, the CEO of United Health Group, Minnesota's highest-paid executive, made $228 million in 2004. Perhaps the peace groups could convince all executives making over $50 million to donate a million to a fund for hiring a lobbyist for the peace movement. 2006 might be The Year for such action. President Bush's original 2001 tax cut will kick in this year, reducing federal income taxes by $27 billion over five years with 97 percent of the benefits going to those making at least $200,000 annually. Surely these people would be anxious to share their gains with the less-advantaged. To encourage them to feel part of the peace movement, we might let contributors to our lobbying fund serve on an advisory board - no voting power, of course. If you'd be willing to call on these executives and explain our need, call me. Even if the project failed, you'd be meeting a lot of influential people. |
|
|
International Conferences
The 11th Annual International Women's Day Celebration
Saturday., March 4
Coffman Memorial Union, U of M, 300 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis
Free and open to the public.
Keynote Speaker: Maria José Alcalá, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Presented by MN Advocates for Human Rights and
the Human Rights Program at the U of M,
FFI: online.
National Conference on Venezuela
March 4-6,
Washington D.C.
Learn from Venezuelans who are shaping the Bolivarian process; Connect with a wide range of activist organizers, academic minds, and religious leaders who care deeply about Venezuela; and Create a national network of North Americans in solidarity with the people of Venezuela.
FFI: online.
Faith, Values, Women, and Politics Series
Sunday., March 5 to Monday, March 6.
Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, peacemaker, author and founder of the Center for Nonviolent Communication, visits the Twin Cities for the first time to offer a workshop at the College of St. Catherine. Dr. Rosenberg's interactive workshop demonstrates how to communicate across polarized differences gracefully.
Bring your toughest situation to the workshop and find out how nonviolent communication works.
FFI: 651-690-6926 or online.
Global Network: World Peace Forum
June 23-28, 2006
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
"Cities and Communities: Working Together to End War and Build a Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World."
FFI: online.
|
|
|
|
|
© 2006 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
|
 |
|
Complete February 2006 Index - click here
|
|
 |
|
|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
