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November 6, 2005--The Elected Progressives Network (EPN) is a new PDA project, coordinated by Michael Engel, designed to link progressive state and local elected officials to each other and to our local chapters. Its ultimate purpose is to help them do their jobs, get them re-elected, and increase their numbers.
Around the country, these individuals are fighting an often lonely battle for political change. Many of them do so in environments that are not particularly friendly to progressive ideas.
The first step was a request sent out to chapters to "nominate" officeholders they knew of who might be interested in becoming part of EPN. The initial responses to this request yielded some inspiring community "profiles in courage":
--Town Commissioner Joan Morrissey Ward (Bel Air, MD) has spent her 11 years in office fighting for what she calls her "passion": land use, smart growth, and quality community design. In Leon County, Florida, Commissioner Bob Rackleff works for "smart growth" by supporting local urban transportation programs that reduce dependence on automobiles.
--Alderman Joe Moore (Chicago, IL) applies progressive principles to fighting crime by supporting community policing, battling slumlords, increasing funds for public education, and promoting neighborhood revitalization.
--Senator Deborah Ortiz (CA) places a priority on public health. She sponsored legislation to establish the first state-funded program for gender-based cancer research (ovarian, breast, and prostate), as well as laws to protect patients from unfair hospital billing practices.
--Lt. Governor Pat Quinn (IL) takes an office which often has little significance and makes it a base for progressive initiatives, such as establishing the Cesar Chavez service learning program, promoting "green solutions" to workplace and home environmental problems; and sponsoring free tax advice for low-income families.
--Rep. Therese Berceau (WI) and Sen. Bill Hilty (MN) have fought to make the "BIg Box" retailers pay higher wages and provide better benefits. Rep. Berceau introduced a "Job Retention Act" imposing a sales tax on these stores to reimburse the state for their employees’ health benefits; Sen. Hilty proposed a tax on retailers that do not provide a living wage or rely too heavily on part-time help.
--Town Supervisor Paul Feiner (Greenburgh, NY) works hard to democratize the governing process. He has been cited for town board meetings so widely recognized as models of good government that they were profiled in a C-SPAN special report, and initiated a "Dial Democracy" program where residents have phone access to board meetings in progress. He even sets performance standards for himself and accepts or forfeits part of his salary based on his achievement of those standards!
And there are even some progressive Republicans still around--Judge Executive Carroll Smith (Letcher Co., KY) fought for a local increase in minimum wage, and has tried to control the environmental degradation created by the coal industry, which is supported by a corrupt local Democratic party establishment. He therefore has enemies in both parties.
Many local officials take outspoken positions on national and international issues as well: City Councilman T. J. Johnson (Olympia WA) brought forward a resolution for the mayor to add his name to those of 500 other mayors calling for a worldwide ban on nuclear weapons by 2020. He also introduced a bill to make Olympia a nuclear-free zone. As a result of her antiwar and progressive stances, City Commissioner Linda Coates of Fargo, North Dakota, found herself on Bush’s "do not admit" list for a speech he gave there. Could there be any greater honor?.
But we have just scratched the surface. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands more of these local heroes. To make the EPN effective, we need to know about as many of them as possible, at which point we will begin to contact them directly. Once again, we are asking PDA chapters to tell us who they are. Send your recommendations to .
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