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Progressives in Madison, unite!
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Also by Jackie Lantz:
- Students overlooking diversity (March 11, 2005)
- Progressives in Madison, unite! (February 25, 2005)
- Legislation harmful to voters (February 11, 2005)
- Dean wrong for chairmanship (January 18, 2005)
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Progressive Dane has a lot to be happy about. This left-of-center alternative to the Democratic Party was able to advance all its primary candidates into the general election April 1, as well as more than half a dozen candidates who were not challenged in the Feb. 15 primary.
The biggest landslide of the primaries was by Progressive Dane incumbent Ald. Austin King from the predominantly student-based District 8, who received 78.5 percent of the vote, over 10 points higher than any other winner.
One of the reasons Progressive Dane is so appealing to voters is its social-justice platform. Working toward equal rights for the LGBT community, pay equity, universal health care, affordable housing and workplace democracy, Progressive Dane has a unique agenda where the priorities of the candidates are geared more toward social issues rather than economic and business interests. Their membership base is also unique, where their members-at-large — not just political heavyweights and party leaders — approve policy initiatives and agendas. Yogesh Chawla, a member of the Progressive Dane steering committee, remarked, “The nice thing about being a member (of Progressive Dane) is that you can take on as much responsibility as you want.” Chawla became active in the party about five months ago and is now the party’s webmaster and helps set the message and agenda of the party.
Progressive Dane prides itself on its accessibility and attachment to the communities its candidates serve. Michael Jacobs, chairman of the Elections Committee with Progressive Dane, noted how the candidates and voters share a connection to the community: “[We endorse] the kind of candidates that are well connected to the districts they serve.” Jacobs elaborated on the appeal of how their campaigns are run: “Progressive Dane candidates run campaigns with one-on-one contact [and have a] personal nature to them … our elected officials and membership has extra teeth and energy for local policy.”
Ald. Austin King remarked on the membership of the organization as being “a rag-tag group of volunteers who care about the environment” and are gaining in popularity and influence in the city. This unorthodox organization has led to criticism from both the Democratic Party and Republican Party. Former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin was quoted in the Wisconsin State Journal as saying, “They’re ignoring people who pay the bills … [and] creating an economic doughnut hole in Madison.” Soglin was defeated in 2003 by Dave Cieslewicz, a member of Progressive Dane.
This criticism is a scare tactic, says Michael Jacobs: “The party works toward supporting the entire community through community-based economic development [by providing] jobs that support working families and preserving the character of our community.”
King said the candidates did “exceptionally well” last Tuesday and is proud Progressive Dane is doing its part to increase the number of competitive races in Dane County. “We went from six contested races two years ago to 10 or 11 this year,” continued King, who believes more competition is good for the city.
As far as the future of the party is concerned, members seem optimistic. Yogesh Chawla remarked, “The national trend is going conservative, but we have a strong progressive base that will solidify.” It is the commitment to the community that is the party’s strong point, and voters are starting to notice. “The Progressive Dane model appeals to helping people understand the role of local government in everyday lives and presses upon people that, at the City Council in particular, it is the place they can have the close connection to people they elect,” observed Jacobs. By building a bridge between politicians and voters, interest in local elections will grow, which will lead to a more responsive, more accountable city government.
Progressive Dane is a great opportunity for liberals disillusioned by the Democratic Party or those who wish to truly be involved in a political party and have real responsibility. There are a myriad ways in which a member can be involved, and by getting involved now, there is the ability to grow and help shape the party to be responsive to your needs and concerns.
Jackie Lantz (jslantz@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in political science.
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"The national trend is going conservative, but we have a strong progressive base that will solidify."
Translation: "The national trend is a quest for more sensible, balanced ideas and solutions, whether they come from liberals or conservatives, but we have a totally demented liberal populace here that refuses to grow up.
Progressive Dane is indeed growing and kicking ass, and people are noticing!
Check out www.prodane.org for more info.
Soglin is bitter, old, and irrelevant. I really wish people would stop quoting him as though he mattered. He doesn't.
I'd like to give Wayne Bigelow a shout-out for helping to grow PD's influence.
What's so progressive about Dane County? That's the part they don't tell us about.
Impressive coordinated media campaign by PD this past week. At least the Badger Herald put its piece on the opinion page.
Progressive Dane is about as progressive as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is democratic.
"What's so progressive about Dane County?"
Um, the voters? Yeah, the voters. And the elected officials they elect and the policies said officials enact.
Ah yes. Democrats, split! split! split! While Republicans win, win, win!
It would be a great experiment to remove the UW, its students, and all their parents money they spend, remove it all from Madison, and watch the south and east sides consume the city. Watch the progressive/socialist policies turn the whole thing into a big ghetto.
If it werent for the UW, Madison would be just like Milwaukee, a big ghetto dump surrounded by freeway and a ring of weathly suburbs where the taxpayers escaped from the confiscitory/progressive policies in Madison.
You mean Madison isn't a big ghetto dump already? I have a countdown calendar for when I graduate and get to leave this place.
Otherwise, ditto to everything you just said.
Leave now. Who needs you?
"Um, the voters? Yeah, the voters. And the elected officials they elect and the policies said officials enact."
That's progressive? Sounds like run-of-the-mill politics to me.
You should expect that Wayne Bigelow-brow would say such stupid things in the Isthmus. He was probably drunk off his ass. He's been busted for DUI's like a hundred times.
You liberas suck. the only reason that there is a strong progressive party is because the democrats are too conservative for you, believing that you should work instead of smoking pot.
Ha, ha, ha, ha...
Keep pushing your liberal agenda PLEASE!!! That will ensure that we conservatives continue to win elections!
You people are out of step not only with the majority of Americans but with most of the human race.
Your Anti-America, Anti-everything President Bush proposes agenda alienates you and demonstrates that you don't actually have any real ideas or solutions. You are just a bunch of unimportant noise makers.
Keep up the good work. :)
Tomorrow belongs to you, no doubt?
Man oh man, it sucks being a liberal these days. I just read where one of the guys in Korn converted to Christianity. Not since Cat Stevens's conversion has there been such a monumental defection from moral decadence. Next thing we know Britney Spears will become a nun. So pluck out those nose rings, fix that hair, shave that beard-and those legs and armpits-and REPENT!! REPENT!!
CARLSON: You're going to be on the National Mall [in Washington, D.C.] soon performing for Pepsi and the NFL and also to support our troops. A lot of entertainers have come out against the war in Iraq. Have you?
SPEARS: Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens.
CARLSON: Do you trust this president?
SPEARS: Yes, I do.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/03/cnna.spears/
Thanks for the Britney comment...Thinks that Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon and Barbara Streisand say are so much more valuable and important.
why do you need the mendota beacon again? conservatives have overrun the BH like the bubonic plague in europe.
considering your status as an "oppressed minority" on campus, from the media influence i feel like a minority.