AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Friday, July 05, 2019

The floodgates have opened Socialist Alternative

Socialist Alternative<newsletter@socialistalternative.org>

1:40 PM

To alfredjohnson34@comcast.net

Please see below a message from the campaign to re-elect Socialist Alternative Councilmember Kshama Sawant. Corporate PACs are already spending an unprecedented flood of corporate cash against Kshama Sawnt, the socialist who makes things happen.

Friends,

The Chamber of Commerce’s mammoth corporate PAC has unleashed its first wave of spending for the 2019 Seattle City Council elections, and campaign finance disclosures confirm exactly what we’ve been warning: the PAC has already spent over $100,000 against Kshama Sawant, spending more on District 3’s race than on any other in the city.

Let’s follow the money. The CASE PAC’s war chest of over $850,000 consists of:

$250,000 from Amazon, the world’s biggest retail corporation, with $200,000 of that coming in this Spring. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the entire world, with over $100 billion and growing, while Seattle has the highest rate of homelessness of any city in the country. Bezos has already given a live demonstration of how far he’s prepared to go to stop the fight for affordable housing in Seattle with his bullying tactics to force through last year's Amazon Tax repeal. Kshama Sawant was one of only two votes to stand up against him.

$155,000 from Vulcan, the huge for-profit luxury housing development firm, with $80,000 coming just last week. Vulcan has repeatedly flexed its weight against progressive movements. They were another of the big donors who pressured City Council to repeal the progressive Amazon Tax, which could have funded thousands of affordable homes. Vulcan is deeply afraid of our movement for rent control.

$30,000 from Comcast, which has fought hard to maintain their virtual monopoly on internet in Seattle with their overpriced and slow services, even using illegal schemes to scam millions in profits. Comcast is afraid of our call for Municipal Broadband in Seattle and wants to pull the plug on our movement.

30,000 from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) corporation, which has opposed even modest initiatives to curb fossil fuel emissions at the state level and is currently constructing a controversial liquid natural gas (fracking) export terminal in Tacoma on ancestral lands for the Puyallup tribe. PSE doesn’t like the sound of a Green New Deal for working people and wants to stop Kshama Sawant, the socialist who makes things happen, from being re-elected.

This year, Comcast, PSE, Vulcan, and Amazon are all hellbent on driving out the socialist who is organizing for municipal broadband, a Green New Deal, a tax on Amazon and big business to fund a massive expansion of affordable housing, and universal rent control. These big business bullies have deep pockets, and they are used to getting their way. It’s clear that they are deeply threatened by Kshama Sawant, one of the most effective fighters for working people to ever to sit in City Hall.

Corporate PACs are on track to shatter records for campaign spending, without the same limits as the voucher program or individual donors. Our grassroots campaign must shatter records too.

We’re proud that we've already raised $195,000, which puts us only $5,000 away from cancelling out Amazon’s massive $200,000 PAC donation from earlier this year! Donate to #TeamKshama today to cancel out Amazon’s first huge PAC donation of the year.

Where do our donations come from?

A median donation of just $20

Over twice as many donors as any of our opponents

The most District 3 donors of any campaign

Working people like yourself — we don’t take a penny from corporations, CEOs, business lobbyists, or big developers

What’s at stake this year is who runs Seattle: Amazon and big business, or working people. Donate today to cancel out Amazon’s $200,000 PAC donation. If 250 people chip in $20, our median donation so far, we can do it.

Donate today: Cancel out Amazon's $200,000 PAC donation

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