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
Socialist Alternative candidate Ginger Jentzen’s campaign has broken records for grassroots fundraising and put issues like rent control and taxing the rich on the agenda in Minneapolis. But with only 3 days left until election day on November 7, big business and the Democratic Party establishment are coming out in full force to attack Ginger. Can you donate $50 right now to #CancelOutThePAC money that’s trying to buy the election in favor of big business?
Friends,
Did you see that Ginger Jentzen made national news again, with a feature in The Nation?
John Nichols writes about how “A Socialist Thanks the Local Paper for Not Endorsing Her:”
“In Jentzen’s [Ward] 3 City Council race, the Star Tribune praised the three contenders it was recommending—including candidates backed by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) and Green parties. Then a curt final line noted: “The other candidate in the race is Ginger Jentzen, 32, the Socialist Alternative Party candidate and rent-control advocate.” (Read the full editorial here.)
In fact, Jentzen is a high-profile activist in the community who served as the executive director of 15 Now, a grassroots campaign that championed enactment of the city’s groundbreaking $15-an-hour minimum-wage law. (The weekly City Pages newspaper describes her as“the face of the movement to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15” and says of her council run that, “much to the chagrin of Minneapolis’ reigning power structure, she just might win.”)
Jentzen is an anti-establishment candidate. She is not running with the backing of the DFL, which has dominated local politics for decades, and she’s certainly not a favorite of the Republican Party. But she is backed bythe Minnesota Nurses Association, the Minnesota State Council of the Communications Workers of America, the United Transportation Union’s Minnesota Legislative Board, Democratic Socialists of America, and the Twin Cities branch of Our Revolution.”
The Jentzen campaign is highlighting all those endorsements.
The campaign is also highlighting its biggest non-endorsement.
“We’re proud to be the only campaign not endorsed by the billionaire-owned Star Tribune,” announced the Socialist Alternative candidate’s website after the Star Tribune ran what the campaign terms an “Anybody But Ginger” editorial.
This Minneapolis City Council election is one of thousands of local contests in cities, villages, and towns across the country this fall. But, as with the 2013 Seattle City Council race that saw the election of Socialist Alternative candidate Kshama Sawant,this one could send a powerful signal regarding the ability of anti-establishment candidates who embrace “the S word” to upset the traditional political calculus—and the traditional media calculus.”
Electing Ginger to Minneapolis City Council Ward 3 will demonstrate that it’s possible to run viable campaigns that don’t take a dime from big business and the super rich, and that fight unapologetically in the interests of working people.
But Ginger’s campaign is under attack. A corporate PAC called “Minneapolis Works!” is sending out daily mailers in Ward 3, all with the aim of stopping Ginger from winning a seat for working people in City Hall.
No comments:
Post a Comment