Disclaimer: The following are the thoughts of the author – Daniel Crawford – alone and are not reflective of the thoughts of the Licking County Progressives, its core membership, or its supporters.

First and foremost, I liked Cordray and always have liked him. He speaks clearly and respectfully. There’s a reason why I was happy to support his bid for Treasurer in 2006 and his dual bids for State Attorney General in the 2008 special election and his unsuccessful reelection effort in 2010. I was also happy when he joined the Obama Administration as the chairman of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Honestly, I would have no real problem supporting his bid for Governor should he win the nomination.

Having said that, I did have some concerns after his visit to our county on Tuesday, January 23rd. Look, I get it, he’s a skilled politician and he – as he proudly noted – holds the record for winning more votes in Ohio (when he won in the 2008 Special Election to replace Marc Dann for Attorney General) than anyone who wasn’t a presidential candidate. So, he has experience in winning statewide. Still, a great deal of his responses this evening were too measured and overly vague for someone who wants a champion of the working class ready to go to bat for them.

On numerous occasions he avoiding expressing a specific policy position that what he would advocate as Governor with the slight exception of placing education at the top of our state’s priority list. With healthcare, he didn’t directly answer the question of whether he supported or opposed a state “public option” or if he preferred a “market approach”. Instead, as seen in the “For Your Information” update, he merely said he was open to hearing suggestions from anyone with a better idea while indicating he may try to improve the status quo. With a “living wage”, he simply said that he strongly supports such as chained to inflation and said that he feels it needs to be raised…but raised to what?

In response to the “working class”, all he had to offer was that he and his runningmate – Mrs. Sutton – represent the best ticket for the working class of Ohio and then he touted his expectation that same said ticket will soon receive broad support from organized labor. This begs the question: HOW is your team the best for the working class? He gave lip service to the need to address the growing algae bloom in Lake Erie and noted that we need to be more careful with our environment – even highlighting support for green energy -, but he offered no specifics as to where he stands on reigning in on the sources of pollution in more than a moderate manner. Where does he stand on fracking, for example?

Then, on the controversial issue of guns, he arguably took the coward’s way out. Yes, it is understandable that avoiding the issue of gun control is the default stance of Midwestern Democrats, but that should be no excuse in an era with a growing focus on the epidemic of gun massacres on a nearly-weekly basis. It is admirable to try and avoid the wedge issues, especially since Republicans use such to split the aforementioned working class and prevent us from focusing on economics, but just flat-out saying that you oppose further regulations on guns because it would not help – or even claiming that it is solely a problem for the federal government to tackle – is not acceptable. This makes one wonder what he will do if there is a Sandy Hook-style event in Ohio during his tenure as Governor. Will he just hide behind his desk and hope that it goes away?

Sometimes doing what is right is NOT the popular action. We need courageous leaders, not a careful politician. Yes, I can see myself working to elect Cordray after the primary – with more enthusiasm than I did on behalf of Hillary in 2016 -, and I appreciate his recognition that being a Trump voter doesn’t equal automatically being “deplorable” or unreachable as well as his statement suggesting that we need to give voters something to believe in (in other words, EARNING their vote). However, I am very concerned that he seems unable or unwilling to clearly state a position on a number of issues and am seriously disappointed with his lack of will to confront the gun lobby.

In one last critique, I want to express my discontent with the fact that a young lady in the audience was directed to stop recording Cordray’s comments. The Party Chair stated that it was not permissible to record the proceedings without the expressed permission of the candidate or his campaign. The young lady cooperated without a fuss. Still, why the lack of willingness for transparency? This was a public meeting featuring a candidate for public office. Doesn’t the public deserve to know what was said and HOW it was said?

Again, these are just my thoughts. Thank you for reading.

Former State Treasurer and State Attorney General, and former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Chairman Richard Cordray – a candidate for Governor alongside his runningmate, former Congresswoman Betty Sutton – came to speak before the Licking County Democrats on January 23rd, 2018. In that meeting, he answered a series of questions. Here are some highlights as to his responses (paraphrased as best as I can, according to memory):

1. He said that his campaign is “the best ticket for the working class”, made it a point to highlight that this includes both “organized” and “unorganized” labor. Later, when asked where he stood on a “living wage” and whether he supported such being attached to inflation, he expressed that he strongly believes in a living wage and likewise feels that it should be chained to inflation. He pointed out that the current minimum wage standard in Ohio is far too low and that another measure may need to be placed on the ballot. Also, he expressed his solid opposition to “Right to Work”.
2. In response to a question which asked whether he supports an Ohio approach to a “Public Option” or if he prefers a market approach he said that he is open to “suggestions” on how to improve our healthcare in Ohio. Expressed his belief that healthcare is a “right” and that he would like to focus on preserving the Medicaid expansion, work on “affordability”, and improve our presentation of the “Healthcare Exchange”. He repeatedly mentioned throughout his visit the need to deal with the opioid epidemic.
3. On local issues and how the state impacts such: Cordray expressed his opposition to what the Kasich Administration has done to the local government fund – for example, the changes stripped $2 Million annually from the city of Newark – and that he believes educational funding needs to be the number one priority. He then went further on education, highlighting the recent scandal involving ECOT and how the current State Auditor’s office seemingly dragged feet in dealing with such. Finally, he said that he and even a growing number of Republicans feel that some serious changes are needed for our educational system to help deal with the “skills gap” and perhaps to reduce the immense pressure for constant testing.
4. Responding to a question pertinent to how he would go about working with the likelihood of a Republican-controlled legislature, he referenced his track record of working with Republicans and noted that he will have to find common ground. He also noted that it will be easier if we can flip a handful of State Senate seats to give him leverage to eliminate the veto-overriding supermajorities the Republicans presently enjoy.
5. With respect to his answers on questions relating to winning over the voters; Cordray conveyed that he doesn’t see people as “Trump voters” or “Cordray voters”, but as “Ohio voters”. He assured the audience that he feels a segment of citizens whom voted for the current president can be persuaded if we reach out to them and hear them out. Also, he noted that engaging younger voters largely requires exploring “strategies” to “inspire” them, by giving them something to turn out and vote for.
6. On party unity, he simply noted his belief that the party will – and MUST – come together, because a united party is a party which can win. He also took a moment to respond to a question which involved a reference to Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s campaign. In this respect, Cordray noted that he acknowledges Kucinich’s passion for the issues, but he sincerely believes Kucinich is unelectable.
7. On wedge issues: Cordray was not hesitant in conveying that he is pro-choice, and he pledged to fight for restoring state funding for Planned Parenthood. Regarding guns, he said he believes in the Second Amendment and opposes the idea of any state-oriented gun control as he believes it would be virtually ineffective. In his opinion, implementing measures to deal with the gun show loophole and to create stronger background checks are the territory of the federal government. He expressed his desire to stick to economic issues and to avoid the divisive politics which accompanies these more controversial cultural debates.

Immediately following this post will be a SEPARATE opinion critique regarding this meeting, as composed by the author: Daniel Crawford.

So, the first few weeks of this new year have led to a number of new developments which we are proud and excited to share:

1. January 20th: A Women’s March (which we contemplated at our January meeting and which is now a reality thanks to the hard work of fellow local progressive leader, Jen Kanagy) in Downtown Newark, starting at the old location for the Gazebo. It will transpire from 2-4pm and will include some speakers. Hope you can partake!
2. The official launch of the new “Working Families First” initiative. This was also discussed at the January meeting, as some of our core members are helping to build this movement. In many respects, it has overlap with the “99% of Newark and East Central Ohio” subgroup of the Licking County Progressives with its message of uniting the working class and abandoning our needless and divisive labels. There is currently some talk about bringing this initiative partially or wholly under the umbrella of the Licking County Progressives as another “nonpartisan” or “trans-partisan” project thereof. In the spring, the initiative will take on an exciting new phase as we go door to door in an outreach effort to build this into a transformative grassroots movement. Stay tuned!
3. Dates have been chosen for a complete “Summer of Labor” series and will be revealed sometime shortly after the next two business meetings of the Licking County Progressives! Some of the details (such as whether we are able to partially partner with the Freedom School of Licking County) for this series in its inaugural year still has to be ironed out, but this is an important first step. Of course, one event of the series will be the 2nd Annual Newark Democracy Day on September 17th, and more will be unveiled about that event as the year progresses.
4. We will be contemplating – at our next business meeting – another opportunity for civic and community engagement. An idea was brought to the attention of one of our core members by a leading member of the Newark Think Tank on Poverty. This stemmed from a conversation about empowering the working class and empowering it to recognize its common struggles. A model emerged for going forward – at least initially – with a series of community discussions consisting of an overarching theme supported by a number of subthemes. This will be briefly discussed at our February business meeting as we attempt to put the final touches on the details and the exact framework so that we can begin the series at the outset of spring.

As you can see, we have much to be excited about! Stay tuned and get involved!

Agenda for Monthly Progressive Business Meeting

2/6/18

7-9pm

24 Mill St., Newark, OH

Subject to Change

• Introduction (5 Mins. 7:00-7:05)
• Fair Districts = Fair Elections Update  (5 Mins. 7:05-7:10)
• Summer of Labor (5 Mins. 7:10-7:15)
• Democracy Day (5 Mins. 7:15-7:20)
• Gazebo and Related Activism (5 Mins. 7:20-7:25)
• Open Discussion (If Desired) (95 Mins. 7:25-9:00)
• Adjourn (9:00)

Review of Progressive Meeting

1/2/18

• We discussed the current progress on the Fair Districts = Fair Elections effort, with noting that some in the state legislature partook in a Committee – as covered in the local newspaper – to consider forwarding an amendment to the people of Ohio to make our redistricting for Ohio’s Congressmen nonpartisan and fair as is the case with the redistricting for our State Legislative districts. Our job is to keep an eye on this, keep pressure on the elected officials to follow through and maintain transparency, all the while we continue to collect signatures just in case they fail us.
• With respect to the Summer of Labor: we will pick at least 12 dates from June-September (3 events per month) in the coming weeks, and perhaps try to organize alongside the Freedom School and others. If the Freedom School finds it suitable to host some of these events, the events they’d host MUST remain nonpartisan, since it is a nonprofit organization created for educational purposes. In those cases, the Licking County Progressives can help promote the event and possibly co-sponsor the event via our nonpartisan/“transpartisan” subgroup, the 99% of Newark and East Central Ohio.
• As part of the Summer of Labor, the 2^nd Annual Democracy Day will be held again on Constitution Day, we will begin promoting it with a smaller event to be held on May 10^th, which is the official (132^nd, to be exact) anniversary of the Court precedent establishing corporate personhood. On the September 17^th Democracy Day event, we will focus more on what the call to action is, and a little less on the historical background of the issue.
• We then shifted focus to the Gazebo group. It was noted that they are still – through some good detective work – digging in to the details to find out what happened and why. It is arguable that their pressure for information helped compel the administration to reveal that a local construction company tore down the Gazebo free of charge for the time being until it is rebuilt. The group is continuing to ask questions, make their presence known, explore where dots may or may not be connecting, and planning their next move over the spring.
• In open discussion, it was noted that rumors are abound of a possible independent PAC for local progressive candidates being developed right now, and that this may well coincide with the creation of a new likewise independent initiative – dubbed “Working Families First” – which is being developed via a grassroots campaign to help provide progressive candidates with a reliable database and healthy network with which to capitalize on in future campaigns.
• We also discussed our ongoing consideration on hosting a debate/forum for the 12^th Congressional District Candidates as well as contemplated whether we should host a Women’s March in Newark at the old Gazebo location on the one year anniversary of Trump’s Inauguration (January 20th).
• Additional note: we affirmed in this meeting that the agenda from now on will officially set the bulk of our actual business for the first half hour with open discussion being an option if the attendees would like to remain and talk afterwards. This will be the goal so as to make for a faster regular meeting which gets right to the point, with the bulk of our organizing occurring via social media, text, phone, and email. Effectively, the business meetings will now serve as a report on the progress of each project and maintain – via the open discussion section – an opportunity to ponder new ideas for projects moving forward.

Well, Progressives, it has been an incredible year. At the beginning, as we reeled in reaction to the election of Donald Trump and the chaos he was readily creating, we came together and immediately got to work this year on charting a course for the future. Numerous progressive-minded groups formed at the outset of 2017, and this particular group – the Licking County Progressives – was officially forged as the next step of the former “Occupy” movement from which it evolved.

No, not every battle we waged was won, but we enter 2018 with an eye towards victory. The Revolution is far from finished. Rather, it has only begun. A great many projects will be announced for 2018 in the coming weeks, and we will be truly excited to see you all contributing to the victories that we WILL enjoy. The arc of history bends towards justice and it is hard to argue that progressivism is anything but the pursuit of justice…for all.

Now, we can’t wrap up 2017 without first addressing at least one turn of events which happened this month: December 2017. This month there was an important meeting at the Licking County Democratic Club wherein an election of officers had been held for 2018. A founding member of our movement – Daniel Crawford – had placed his name up for consideration in this election (for the second year in a row). Now, when the Election was held at the December meeting, Mr. Crawford was not the victor. However, he did make a pitch to the Club membership for the unity of the progressive movement, and in that pitch he asked that we do more than simply “Resist”. The Resistance to Trumpian Fascism is important and vital to the survival of our Republic, but we can not expect to change the course of this County or this great Nation by serving as an opposition alone.

Instead, what we need is a strong message promoted by this Resistance. We need to offer the people something to believe in, something to support, something to get out and vote for. Yes, compelling the electorate to reject the Trump agenda can win in some elections, but it is not a recipe for lasting success at the ballot box. Why? Well, Trump will not be around for eternity. The people need to believe that their support matters for more than just rejecting one option over another. They need to have a reason to hope for something bold…something different (but in a collectively beneficial way).

Daniel’s closing remarks in his concession speech called for unity in promoting a vision of hope – a progressive vision, if you will -, coupled with the appropriate contrasts of that vision with the societal rot offered by the Oligarchs and their pets in the Republican Party. If we achieve this unity and effectively tear down the shroud of deception and selfishness with a progressive alternative, then – as Daniel put it – “there’s nothing that can stop us.”

Happy New Years, Progressives! The Revolution takes its next leap…in 2018!!!

Please remember that we are meeting on Tuesday, the 2nd, at 7pm: 24 Mill St. in Newark. This will be a short meeting and a final agenda will be made available for those planning to attend. Also, as the headline suggests, a final update for 2017 will come by the end of the night, reviewing events that have unfolded throughout the year and especially here in December. Stay tuned and stay strong!

Agenda for Monthly Progressive Business Meeting

1/2/18

7-9pm

24 Mill St., Newark, OH

Subject to Change

• Introduction (5 Mins. 7:00-7:05)
• Fair Districts = Fair Elections Update  (5 Mins. 7:05-7:10)
• Summer of Labor (5 Mins. 7:10-7:15)
• Democracy Day (5 Mins. 7:15-7:20)
• Gazebo and Related Activism (5 Mins. 7:20-7:25)
• Open Discussion (If Desired) (95 Mins. 7:25-9:00)
• Adjourn (9:00)

Review of Progressive Meeting

12/5/17

• There was no update on the Fair Districts-Fair Elections effort.
• On the “Summer of Labor”: we will take a look at some dates for June-September for events and set them. This is based on the notion of “if you build it, they will come”. We will try to reach out to organized labor in the area to see if they are willing to help or at least if they want us to highlight any of their events. Additionally, we will see if the Freedom School would be interested in helping as well, since this is up their alley. Democracy Day planning to start in January.
• Regarding the Newark Gazebo group: we are looking into how we can keep the momentum going. Create a website? Create a semi-regular newsletter? Do both and call the effort something such as “Newark Remembers”? Use this effort to not only promote bringing the Gazebo back – like with circulating the petition demanding as much – and holding those responsible for its removal accountable, but also to maintain consistent public pressure on local elected officials (reminding them that the people are watching as they conduct unpopular business such as with the Gazebo, the footbridge by St. Francis De Sales, and even the council pay-raise). Keeping the people informed is paramount to this effort.
• Relative to the debate between progressives getting into the Party or going independent: the election for Democratic Club President is on the 12^th, the Party/Club must offer progressives and others a reason to affiliate with and work hard for the Party/Club instead of remaining independent. The Party/Club must make an effort to support/promote the work of local (not just in Newark, but Countywide) efforts/events and to be bold enough to take a stand even when an issue is controversial. Being civil is crucial, but we must be assertive in promoting our ideals.
• We discussed the emerging effort called the “Working Families Initiative” which will seek to create a network with registered voters, register more voters, and help progressive candidates reach out to and fight on behalf of the working class without the distraction of “labels”.
• Looking ahead, we will try to resolve to make our meetings shorter, more fun (maybe including food and drink), getting straight to action (people want to do something, not talk about it), and utilize online communication more effectively so that we can organize swift action and not waste time in boring meetings rehashing the same points repeatedly.

Agenda for Monthly Progressive Business Meeting

12/5/17

7-9pm

24 Mill St., Newark, OH

Subject to Change

• Introduction (5 Mins. 7:00-7:05)
• Fair Districts = Fair Elections Update  (10 Mins. 7:05-7:15)
• Summer of Labor (10 Mins. 7:15-7:25)
• Gazebo and Related Activism (50 Mins. 7:25-8:15)
• The Party v. Independence Discussion (30 Mins. 8:15-8:45)
• Miscellaneous (15 Mins. 8:45-9:00)
• Adjourn (9:00)

Review of Progressive Meeting

11/7/17

• We discussed the angry response in the community to the nontransparent removal of the Gazebo via a unilateral decision by the Mayor, and the rumors of what was then some serious talk of a recall effort. We noted our experience in getting a measure on the ballot, discussed the strong possibility that a recall movement would fail, and noted that we would like to help these citizens figure out what their next plan of action should be in the most productive way possible. Also discussed was how the Mayor lashed out at the people asking questions and demanding answers and even suggested that he received more calls supporting his actions than in opposition.
• We also, again, discussed our frustrations with the current state of the local Democratic Party, including the apparent lack of truly equal and high-quality help for ALL candidates. We reviewed the chaotic Club meeting in October and noted that the Club and the Party need reform. Included in this part of our discussion was the fact that the next Club officer election is in December and we covered the fact that the biggest reforms will have to transpire via the Central Committee of the Party, which includes positions elected by registered voters affiliated with the Democrats.

Recent bullet points of local information you might want to know, but may have missed:

• Today marks the 6^th anniversary of the creation of the 99% of Newark and East Central Ohio as inspired by the Occupy Movement. This group was the forerunner of the Licking County Progressives and had made history in 2016 when the small membership thereof successfully got the first ever citizen’s initiative on a ballot in Newark which itself was aimed at creating a Democracy Day to advocate for a U.S. Constitutional Amendment to overturn the Citizens United ruling. Earlier this year, the 99% group voted unanimously to merge with the Progressive group as the “transpartisan” branch/subgroup thereof in continuing the fight for our democracy and to combat the issues of inequality in our democracy, justice system, and the economy. Last month, this subgroup hosted the first annual Democracy Day event on Constitution Day.
• A potentially critical debacle occurred at the October meeting of the Licking County Democratic Club. Most of the meeting was relatively peaceful, but things fell apart when a proposed amendment to the Club constitution to open up voting and elected officer qualifications to all residents of Licking County, regardless of citizenship. The proposal had been inspired by one particular activist whose contributed a considerable amount of his own time and money to the club’s efforts even though he is a Canadian citizen and is thereby barred by the aforementioned Constitution from being a full member of the club. The debate on the amendment quickly devolved into a shouting fest. There were some valid concerns expressed on the opposing side, but the proponents argued a change was essential to open the club to those currently without a voice in our community. Furthermore, it was pointed out that we are in serious danger of losing a chance at retaining the gains in membership of this year, let alone growing past it (especially since the above-noted activist has been a crucial part of that membership growing effort). A majority voted the proposal down with some calling for the next Club administration to take up the proposal again in an extensive effort with an eye towards making whatever changes must be made to satisfy all sides.
• Licking County Democratic Club elections for officers to serve in 2018 are at the December 12^th meeting at 2054 Cherry Valley Road in Newark. To vote in this election you must join the Club by Sunday, November 12^th (per the Club Constitution’s rules). You can join by contributing $25 in person at the above-noted location (though, there is no November meeting for the Club) or by visiting https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/licking-county-democratic-club-1
• On the elections of Club officers, this group would like to keep promoting progressive reforms within the party and the system overall. One way to achieve said reform is to attend these meetings and join these groups so that you can be heard. Staying home and otherwise refraining from active participation in person (as opposed to just doing so via social media) will do nothing to advance the cause of progressivism. We, the Licking County Progressives, strongly urge this membership to join the Club and prepare to support progressive reforms via progressive candidates for these offices.

Agenda for Monthly Progressive Business Meeting

11/7/17

7-7:30pm (7:30-9pm = Election Night Party!)

24 Mill St., Newark, OH

• Introduction / Fair Districts = Fair Elections Update  (5 Mins. 7:00-7:05)
• Summer of Labor Update (10 Mins. 7:05-7:15)
• Miscellaneous (15 Mins. 7:15-7:30)
• Adjourn (7:30)

Review of Progressive Meeting

10/3/17

• We discussed the progress for the Fair Districts Fair Elections effort: we have advised the local effort’s steering committee (based on our experience in collecting signatures) that polling locations are excellent places to get good signatures, and more counties have reportedly met their signature thresholds.
• We discussed party/system reform beyond the issue of gerrymandering: noted that an open primary would be preferable (highlighted how it works in California and other states and how James Madison and the other founders established a nonpartisan system via our Constitution), in conjunction with the gerrymandering issue a partisan system produces an atmosphere where representatives adhere more to the will of their donors than the people’s or even their respective parties and that there is an exorbitant amount of time expended on raising money instead of reaching out to constituents, there are currently several ongoing efforts to bring reform to the party which will benefit everyone, one key issue is that the party must do more to establish a genuine choice for the people, presently the party is bogged down with discussing/promoting issues or causes that the average person doesn’t prioritize (in other words, noneconomic issues).
• Continued reform discussion: we’ve allowed the people to be convinced that the tax debate is too complex, we must revitalize the party’s “backbone” in fighting for the working class (stop with the abstract issues, focus less on long meetings and direct more short activist briefings, acknowledge that the revolution is still coming and figure out how to shift it towards a progressive direction, fight for automatic voter registration, fight for Election Day as a holiday, and expand early voting with a special emphasis on assisting essential workers such as police, nurses, firefighters, etc. in their need for an opportunity to vote), the party must do a better job of supporting the activism of supporters and supporting organizations (where were they on Democracy Day? Where’s the visible, in-person support for all the candidates and all the important issues?).
• Democracy Day 2017 was briefly discussed. We will begin planning/promoting for 2018 Democracy Day sooner. More time will be spent talking about the solutions instead of just outlining the problems.
• We discussed the influence of big money in ethanol’s history as well as marijuana’s and how the future looks for both of those issues as well as similar fights.
• Summer of Labor discussed: letters have been prepared (and have since been mailed out) to local labor leaders asking for their assistance in developing this program. Further discussion on Summer of Labor: we must convey that labor issues are family issues, stability in life is “pro-life”, the Republican Party is pro-division, even the abortion issues is defined in large part by economics.
• Discussion on growing our membership: more short and fun events in the mold of campaign-style events, seasonally-themed events, voter registration drives, canvassing activism, less emphasis on fundraisers and more outreach to the community.