Welcome once again to a $27-group / Political Revolution open thread — a weekly place where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy some inspiring quotes, good music, and (most importantly) a picture or two of Noble Fur.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
I see there’s a new These Revolutionary Times diary up, by elenacarlena (which I haven’t read yet since I was busy typing up this diary, but which I’m about to head over to read as soon as I press publish on this diary).
I encourage anyone reading this note who hasn’t already read that diary to head over there to read it first. These quotes will wait; the TRT diaries are always excellent and thought-provoking, and deserve to be a high priority.
There are a lot of really good people coming forward and speaking out in recent weeks! Let’s see how many quotes we can fit into tonight’s edition of $27 Quotes.
Tonight’s diary features a challenge: can you figure out who said the title quote, before I reveal the answer at the end of tonight’s diary?
But before we start on tonight’s quotes, perhaps a little music to listen to while reading...
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My earliest experience was organizing my own building. I lived in a building in Harlem that was owned and run by an abusive and neglectful management company that wouldn’t adequately heat the building in the winter, failed to make urgent repairs that were necessary to make tenants’ apartments livable. I was twenty-one with no legal training, and I went on the city’s website and determined we could legally withhold our rent. So I talked to my roommates and my neighbors and we organized a rent strike.
We withheld our rent for three months. Finally, the management company took us to housing court. I showed up at housing court with a thick manila folder documenting conditions in the building. And we actually won concessions from the landlord. But of course, the management company did not invite me to renew my lease, and it was not a rent-stabilized unit, so they raised the rent and forced us out. To me, however, that experience exemplified and drove home the need for systemic change.
That’s a quote from Julia Salazar in a recent interview by Jacobin magazine. In that interview she also said:
Broadly speaking, what it means to be a democratic socialist is to have a vision of a world where everyone is taken care of. We’re fighting for a society in which people are valued over profit, in which everyone has access to the things they need not just for basic survival but to thrive.
If you’re not already familiar with Julia Salazar you can learn more about her in the Jacobin interview, in this recent NY Magazine story about her, and at her campaign website. She’s running for a seat in the New York state senate, and she looks to be a candidate well worth supporting. Here’s a little bit about her to get you started:
Julia Salazar is running for senate in District 18 to bring the concerns of working people to the halls of Albany. As an advocate, a tenant, a feminist, a democratic socialist, a union member, and a proud daughter of working-class immigrants, Julia has spent her life fighting for social justice in her community. By bringing people together to demand change, Julia is the leader we need to make New York City a safer, more just, more welcoming place for everyone.
A daughter of working-class immigrants, Julia was raised by a single mother, attended public schools, and began working at a local grocery store when she was 14 to help make ends meet. She supported herself through Columbia University as a nanny and is now a proud staff organizer for Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, a key partner in the Communities United for Police Reform coalition, and a leader in the Democratic Socialists of America. As a member of the Bushwick community, she has been a tireless advocate for her neighbors and fellow tenants.
Julia’s decade of experience as a local community organizer has brought her from the streets of Bushwick to the halls of Albany. She has protested, picketed, lobbied, and organized to achieve a more just New York. From working with her neighbors to fight for their legal right to safe housing to demanding criminal justice reforms at the city and state levels, Julia has been at the forefront of campaigns for social justice in New York...
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Another good candidate, this one in Texas, is Dayna Steele, who is running for congress in TX-36. Here’s a recent quote from her about her campaign:
If you listen to the "experts" and the "political pundits," I am in a very red district and they don't give me much of a chance of winning Texas Congressional District 36. If I listened to these so-called experts and political pundits, I would not have even bothered to run in the first place. But here I am, the first Democratic woman ever to run for Congress in this Southeast Texas district. I won the primary with 72% of the vote and just crossed $500,000 raised for this campaign. That is nearly 100 times more than any previous Democratic candidate in the district. In fact, I just had the best fundraising quarter of any TX-36 Democrat since the district was drawn.
Those of you who enjoy spending time online may have seen that quote already but I suspect most of you missed it, since the site where she posted it isn’t as well-trafficked as it could be and often focuses on things other than exciting new candidates. Here’s a link to where you can read her full posting if you did miss seeing it before, and here’s a little more of what she said in that posting:
When I first started to run, the advice was fast and furious:
"Don't ever talk about guns."
Then multiple school shootings happened and a host of parents and sensible people joined me in talking about common sense gun legislation.
“Medicare For All is too socialist, just say healthcare."
Announcing I am 100% in support of Medicare For All gets the loudest cheer everywhere I speak.
"Stop saying you support Planned Parenthood."
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And perhaps my favorite Dayna Steele quote:
Trying to be Republican-lite is a losing strategy.
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Heading back up to New York state, most of you are probably familiar now with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who’s running for congress in NY-14. I am pleased to have featured quotes from in previous diaries and I’m pleased to feature several more quotes from her tonight.
The longer we delay real action on climate change, the more dramatic our inevitable response will have to be.
Acting now gives us precious time over waiting for another administration.
We are in a climate crisis. Future generations are counting on us for a Green New Deal.
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It seems that the GOP is so emotionally committed to keeping children in detention centers that they equate the stance of abolishing ICE with “open borders.”
Don’t let their hysteria get to you. A humane, responsible immigration system is possible.
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The fact that my platform is called “radical” is more a reflection of our current political moment & how far we’ve strayed from our bold, visionary past.
Luckily, we can correct course.
Besides, smart, compassionate radicals have made this nation better.
- Slave abolitionists were radical.
- Suffragettes were radical.
- Civil Rights organizers were radical.
- Labor organizers + the 40-hour workweek were radical once, too.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a number of things to say about the other wonderful women candidates who have come forward to run this year:
There’s a secret little word used to dismiss political candidates: “viability.”
I want these women to at least have a shot, to be seen as legitimate -- because they are.
Ultimately, what makes a candidate viable is our individual choice to believe in them.
For my entire race, I wasn’t “viable” enough for any established groups or people.
I had all the numbers. We shared the “perfect storm” factors. And we had already knocked on tens of thousands of doors by JANUARY.
We need to look at more than just $ to determine viability.
There’s a vicious cycle between lack of perceived “viability” and willingness to support.
If you’re not willing to support a candidate with time or a few dollars, then that candidate isn’t “viable.” But too often, we wait for a candidate to be “viable” before we do those things.
When I talk about Cori Bush, Zephyr Teachout, Linsey Fagan and other incredible candidates, it’s because I know them. I have met them. They are knockout leaders. And they helped me when I wasn’t “viable” either.
We must have the courage to MAKE viability, not WAIT for viability.
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And here’s perhaps my favorite $27 quote of the week:
If you think the GOP is terrified of my politics now, just wait until they find out about public libraries.
~ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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From the New York Times, here’s a quote from a story they ran recently about a new group devoted to supporting good candidates, Our Revolution(ary) Women:
Our Revolution, the progressive organization led by alumni of Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, is planning to unroll a project, called Our Revolution(ary) Women. The effort is designed to help the female candidates in New York it has endorsed, including Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Salazar and Ms. Nixon, amplify each other’s platforms.
Rebecca Katz, an adviser to Ms. Nixon’s campaign to unseat Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in New York, said such a spirit of partnership was previously unthinkable in the transactional world of politics.
“Do you know how long it takes for someone to send an email on your behalf?” said Ms. Katz, a veteran strategist who has worked for Mayor Bill de Blasio and the former Nevada senator, Harry Reid. “For women candidates, especially, that has been extremely hard. There’s usually so much back and forth, back and forth, please, can I have an endorsement?”
Ms. Nixon had struggled to attract the endorsements of prominent elected officials. But since Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s win, she has secured the support of several...
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Alas, no time to include Cynthia Nixon quotes tonight. Lots of other good quotes at hand, though — such as these, from another very good New York state candidate, Zephyr Teachout:
I am running to be the next Attorney General of New York. I accept no corporate PAC money, and no LLC money.
This is not complicated: No Attorney General should take money from corporations she is charged with overseeing and investigating, and whose lawbreaking she may prosecute.
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It can be hard to believe, but in New York corporations can give money to candidates directly, not through PACs, and individuals can set up multiple LLCs to give unlimited money. I will not take corporate money. Corporate money leads to corruption and corruption leads to poverty.
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Want to talk about Congressman Jim Jordan? In New York State, powerful insiders have been covering up sexual misconduct for years, enabled by an ethics agency (JCOPE) that protects instead of investigates power. Last month I called for the head of JCOPE, Seth Agata, to resign.
The disaster of JCOPE is a walking wound for the women who have been harassed, lost jobs, whose complaints have been shut out by Albany insiders. None of my AG opponents in this race have joined me in calling for Agata to resign. He is too deeply politically connected.
Sexual misconduct from harassment to rape to forced kissing have been rampant in Albany. Not for a few minutes, but for decades. I can promise you that I'll be independent AG who will make sure that #MeToo becomes #TimesUp in Albany. No more impunity and sweeping under the rug.
My opponents may agree with me that we should reform or end JCOPE. I have been outspoken about that. But too often, the call for "later reform" or "reform JCOPE" means that the people in charge NOW, responsible NOW, don't take responsibility, and the misconduct continues.
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Environmental justice requires starting with truth-telling: When big polluters are not held accountable, it is too often communities of color and low income communities that bear the brunt. We can't change that trend without getting off fossil fuel $$ and corporate cash.
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So much injustice is perpetrated by large corporations who put profits over the health of people. I do not accept -- not as a citizen, lawyer, expectant mother, or the next AG -- that we fear for kids to drink water, play in our streams, or sleep in a lead contaminated rooms.
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The EPA, that is supposed to protect our land, air, water, and health, the EPA, has been corrupted from within. It is run by dirty energy insiders and lobbyists.
When you can’t trust the Federal Government to protect our land, our water, our air, and our health, the role of the New York State Attorney General becomes crucial. No matter who runs the EPA, its current mission is not Environmental Protection.
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And here’s one which deserves special attention:
We, as lawyers, and candidates for law enforcement in NY, need to lead the call to Abolish ICE. This is inhumane and horrifying, and not the law that we must stand for.
Please, my fellow AG candidates, join the call to Abolish ICE.
The other three candidates for the Democratic nomination to be New York attorney general are Leecia Eve, Letitia James, and Patrick Maloney.
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Since all of the quotes so far are from women, and I have quite a few more quotes I want to include tonight which are also from a woman, here are some quotes from a male to balance things out a little. (I’ll let you guess which male it is, but as a hint: it’s someone whom I’ve quoted in some previous $27 Quotes diaries.)
The United States must lead the world in transforming our energy system by moving aggressively to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. When we do that, we protect the planet, create jobs and save consumers money.
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In 2002 I voted against the creation of DHS and the establishment of ICE. That was the right vote. Now, it is time to do what Americans overwhelmingly want: abolish the cruel, dysfunctional immigration system we have today and pass comprehensive immigration reform.
That will mean restructuring the agencies that enforce our immigration laws, including ICE. We must not be about tearing small children away from their families. We must not be about deporting DREAMers, young people who have lived in this country virtually their entire lives.
We must not be about forcing over 10 million undocumented people, many of whom have been here for decades, to continue living in fear and anxiety. Congress must do what the American people want. Let us create a humane and rational immigration system.
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We cannot risk a Supreme Court that would put in jeopardy a woman's right to control her own body.
Our job: mobilize Americans to demand the Senate must not vote on any potential Supreme Court justice until people have had a chance to make their voices heard in November.
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No parent should have to worry about outrageous medical bills while their child is sick. We must pass Medicare for all so that health care is a right for all people in America, not a privilege for a few who can afford it.
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Scott Pruitt was the worst EPA administrator in the history of the agency. Not only has he acted, time and time again, in an unethical manner, but he has led the agency in exactly the wrong direction.
Instead of protecting our environment and combating climate change, Pruitt has worked to protect the interests of the fossil fuel industry and polluters all over the country. His resignation is a positive step forward for our country.
I will do everything possible to see that the next EPA administrator actually believes in environmental protection.
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Let your friends, family and co-workers know. If Trump nominates a right-wing reactionary to the Supreme Court, as is widely expected, we must mobilize the American people to defeat that nomination.
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This last set of quotes is from Elizabeth Warren. First a short one:
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The Trump Administration ripped hundreds of children away from their parents long before announcing the "zero-tolerance" policy. Reuniting these families is just the first step in rebuilding an immigration system that reflects our values.
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Here’s a medium one:
Climate change denier Scott Pruitt has become the poster boy for corruption in Washington – repeatedly using his government office to benefit himself, his family, and his Big Oil buddies. He should have resigned 28 scandals ago.
It looks like 29 was the magic number. Scott Pruitt has finally resigned. The American people deserve a new EPA chief who’s focused on protecting our environment, instead of someone intent on doing the bidding of Big Oil donors while wasting taxpayer dollars.
Andrew Wheeler may not have the same stink of blatant corruption as Scott Pruitt – but he’s just as dirty. The EPA's new Acting Director is a former coal lobbyist who will work to poison the agency – and the environment he’s supposed to protect – from the inside.
And this one’s a bit long, but I’ve bolded one key sentence I thought was especially worth sharing:
Like me, Stacey Abrams didn’t grow up wealthy or well-connected. She’s the daughter of a librarian and a shipyard worker, and she knows what it means to have to work hard to get ahead.
Maybe that’s why Stacey has never shied away from a tough fight. When she served as the top Democrat in the Georgia House, she fought to level the playing field for women, students, seniors, veterans, and working people.
I know that as governor, Stacey Abrams will build a Georgia where more families like yours can get ahead…
I was already a grandmother when I decided to run for the U.S. Senate for the first time. I had never run for anything before, but I knew I had to step up and fight on behalf of the issues that I cared about and working families like the one I grew up in.
Stacey Abrams shares that commitment for Georgia, and she's got a real shot at winning this thing.
But she can't do it alone. It's going to take strong grassroots support to stand up to Georgia's powerful Republican establishment and defeat the powerful interests that are sure to line up against us…
I'm all in for Stacey Abrams because she fights from the heart. She has the ability to bring feuding parties to the table to get good done, but she's not afraid to stand firm in her values. And you can bet that Governor Abrams will always put you and your family first.
Team Abrams relies on grassroots supporters like you to fund the hard work it’ll take to win in November – knocking on doors, reaching out to voters, and spreading Stacey’s message to every corner of the state. When we all work together for progress, everyone wins.
So there’s the answer to the puzzle I posed at the start of tonight’s diary. Tonight’s title quote is from Elizabeth Warren. She had never run for any other public office before running for the US senate. I think that’s worth keeping in mind when people talk about the need for “experienced” candidates. There are many kinds of experience which are valuable, and having run for office before or having filled a rolodex with the names of a lot of large donors aren’t high up my list of things which make someone worth supporting.