I've already talked about the other tactics currently being used by the people in Wisconsin (elections, recall petitions, legal challenges, and protests). It's time to talk about boycotts.
I first heard the idea of a boycott come up on February 24th, after Scott Walker's call with a fake David Koch was published. The initial calls were for a boycott of all companies owned by the Koch brothers. At the time, there was a huge outpouring of conspiracy theories involving Walker planning to give away our state to the Koch brothers (to paraphrase in a cynical sort of way).
Eventually, the conversation shifted to boycotting all Walker campaign contributors, or all major contributors. A police union issued a letter to M&I bank (http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/March11/0310/0310wppa.pdf), as well as one to Kwik Trip, requesting that they clarify their position on collective bargaining, lest a boycott begin. Now, there are some definite problems with M&I, as there are with many banks that took stimulus funds and still somehow managed to very nicely compensate their executives with paychecks that are substantially larger than what the overpaid state workers make. That said, in the case of M&I and most other corporations, money is *technically* given by individuals, not by the company. Obviously, when several of the executives or board members at a major corporation give money to a conservative cause, it's pretty clear that the company is conservative...but they can honestly deny that the company supported a candidate. (Note: This will all change as a result of Citizens United, I daresay).
The two major forces behind the boycott effort seem to be unions and social networking sites. There are several Facebook groups, each with links to websites that provide instructions of how to find out who supported Walker (or, simply list those companies), and how to boycott. See an article at http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_5bab503a-4aab-11e0-ae93-001cc4c03286.html.
Several of the companies (Kwik Trip and M&I, at least) that were specifically asked to comment publicly in support of collective bargaining, were not willing to do so, but said that they were not taking a stance one way or another: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_2f1e9c9e-51a3-11e0-b7d2-001cc4c002e0.html. And also, http://host.madison.com/business/article_85d909a8-4c4d-11e0-a141-001cc4c002e0.html.
This opened up a very practical argument from the conservative side of things, which is that in a time of recession, we actually need to support our businesses, lest the Wisconsin economy collapse (subtext: collapse further, so that we no longer seem open for business. personally, i think it might be a bit late for that...). Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, a business interest group (who hosted a speech by Scott Walker shortly after this all started...) was particularly vocal: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_dae2c8dc-514b-11e0-9a2f-001cc4c002e0.html.
They brought up the idea of a "buycott", where instead of refusing to support businesses, we insist on supporting businesses we like (which, for them, means supporting Walker donors). They also tried to cast the movement as union intimidation: this is always a theme with conservatives, just as on the left, we cast everything as controlled by corporate interests.
The most recent piece of the boycott story comes from my own union, WSEU/AFSCME Council 24. Sometime last week, one of their field organizers, speaking on behalf of the union, sent a letter to businesses in southeastern WI, saying that if they did not hang signs in support of unions, they would be targeted for boycott. He explained that they had all been offered signs, and had refused them. (The signs, by the way, apparently had an AFSCME logo: I'm a *member* and I still feel weird about having their logo in my window!). The Journal Sentinel reported on this: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/118963234.html. The interesting part, or one of them, is that even though I'm a member of this council, theoretically one of the people who would be *doing* the boycott, this was the first I'd heard of this.
And another interesting part is that for many small business owners, taking a political stance in any direction can have a devastating impact on their business. Depending on the location, they could potentially end up losing just as many customers for supporting unions, as for not supporting unions. Regardless, many of these were small businesses, which in my mind are incredibly important to our economy: these are the very businesses that we could support with our purchasing, and with small businesses, it is much easier to have a conversation with an owner or worker to find out what their thoughts are, without needing a public declaration. Finally, a boycott has the intention of economic harm. It seems highly counterintuitive to focus that on local businesses - if you don't like the politics of a local business, simply don't shop there. It doesn't have to be a full boycott.
Finally on Friday, the WSEU leadership said that there was not actually a threat, that this was not sponsored by the union, and that it was just one staff member's campaign. http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_6bee6a90-5c99-11e0-a0d5-001cc4c03286.html. And that may be...and that may not be. And we'll never really know.
Some time in between the last week of February and the second week of March, a friend asked me to take on the issue of boycotts. I think she was hoping that I'd provide links and resources, but instead, I'm going to write a guide.
Here it is:
The Rek Tangle Guide to Boycotts and Buycotts
1. Clarify why you are boycotting, and WHO you are boycotting. This is important because you will need to be able to explain it both to the targets of your boycott, and to the people who you hope will join your boycott. Stick to a list of points that are as straightforward as possible. Remember that there are people who may not agree with all of your politics but who may agree with your boycott in this specific instance. (For example, there are plenty of people who aren't too concerned with the negative impact of globalization, but they may be interested in boycotting a company that takes advantage of free trade zones to operate sweatshops).
Do research into the various subsidiaries of the companies you are boycotting so that you don't accidentally break your own boycott. Many companies own unexpected brands and companies. There are some very useful "Who owns?" charts on the internet.
2. Get people or organizations to sign on. The point of a boycott is to have an adverse financial effect on a business which will force it to consider your point of view. Therefore, the more customers (or more major customers) who sign on, the better. However, do not sign on people without their agreement. If you are talking to an organization, make sure that the person you are talking to has the authority to do so, and get their commitment to help get their individual members signed on.
3. Notify the company that you are boycotting, why you are boycotting, and who you are. This is a critical but often forgotten step. There's nothing wrong with simply not shopping somewhere, but it's unlikely to have any impact on a company's business practices or politics. A boycott necessitates that you inform the company of what you would like them to do differently.
4. Spread the word, and remind other people to practice Step 3.
5. At some point, it is worth discussion what your end-point is. Will you stop boycotting when the company indicates that it is willing to speak with you further about the issues you are protesting? Are there specific actions the company needs to take? And what will you do if they take some, but not all, of these?
6. Find a positive action, too: Choose where you will "buycott." These will be companies that you endorse and where you intentionally spend your money while you are boycotting. This has three impacts: it supports businesses with positive financial feedback, it demonstrates to your boycott target that your boycott is feasible in part because you can obtain comparable goods/services elsewhere, and it makes it easier for people to join your boycott without feeling like they will be deprived.
7. For your "buycott," do the same steps as above. Clarify why you have chosen these businesses. Are there particular positive things you can highlight, such as livable wages, proactive working conditions, strong unions, community involvement?
8. Encourage people to sign on; some people who don't want to formally boycott may be more willing to "buycott."
9. Notify your "buycott" targets. Explain why you are buying from them, and remember to THANK THEM for their specific actions that have made you choose to spend your money at their business. (See step 6).
10. If your boycott is successful, remember to patronize those former boycott targets as a way of thanking them, and making it clear that your boycott was for that purpose. Continue to buy from your buycott targets, too. Divide your purchasing power among however many comparable businesses meet the criteria you have set.
At every step:
At each and every step, think about the impact that your action will have on workers. Look into the ownership structure of a company, look into who specifically has made donations, look into the local economy. If a national corporation donates to conservative causes, but the local franchise owner doesn't, think about whether the adverse effect on the local franchise, and the workers at the local franchise, will help achieve your goal of changing the national level.
In particular, make sure that you communicate your boycott to the people with the POWER. Going in to a big box store and telling the cashiers about your plan to boycott has very little impact. For particularly large corporations, while it is important to communicate to local management, they may have very little control over the corporate policies, so make sure you write to the CEO, CFO, various executives, and the board or shareholders.
Remember that depending on the laws in your area, and whether workers are unionized, regular folks working regular jobs can be subject to adverse effects such as pay cuts, layoffs, work hour reductions, etc. Work *with* these folks - hell, they may even want to join your boycott.
Boycotts have a lot of potential. We have seen this in the Civil Rights movement, we have seen it in farmworker justice movements, and we have seen it in the anti-sweatshop movements. The more we can maximize the efficiency of our boycotts, the more powerful they will be, and the more alliances we can build.
And that, my friends, is the Rek Tangle Guide to Boycotts/Buycotts. (Yes, I have been slightly inconsistent with the use of quotation marks around "buycott" - it doesn't feel like a real enough word to not have quotes. I've also remained with the sexist "boycott" rather than trying to create a new word that doesn't have the word "boy" in it).
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thoughts on Recalls
Two opinion posts in one night, with not a source to be cited!
There have been 4 recalls in WI history, of which 2 have been successful. There are currently petitions underway to recall 16 state Senators (in WI, someone must be in office for a full year before they can be recalled). There are recalls for 8 Republicans (mostly sponsored by the Dem Party, I believe) and 8 Democrats (many sponsored by a group from Utah, as far as I understand it). There is also a "pledge to sign a recall petition for Walker when it is time" movement.
Ever since WI Act 10, the Budget(less) Repair Bill, passed, the emphasis has been on recall petitions (as well as the April 5th Supreme Court Justice election).
Recall is a powerful thing. I'm glad we have it, and I'm glad there is a one-year waiting period, even though it can be frustrating. As we have been seeing, a major swap of political power can result in an emphasis on un-doing, and if recalls were easier or could happen more quickly, I think we would make a lot less progress, and would spend a lot of time going over the same issues, back and forth and back and forth. A recall is a vote of no-confidence. It can be a vote against a specific individual, or a vote against a particular party or set of political beliefs that have been in power.
I absolutely support recalling Walker. And I am very certain that I will still support his recall in November/December when the petition is circulating.
I support the recalls of some of the Republican senators, as well. And yet, I'm not volunteering my time to help with the recalls. I'm not making phone calls, I'm not collecting signatures, I'm not even talking much about them.
Recall is the tool of constituents. It is a way for us to express to our elected officials that they have not represented us, and that we insist on representation, or at least, on being heard. I am not the constituent of a Republican. My state Senator is a Democrat, and I like him.
Who am I to go into someone else's district and tell them that they have not been represented, or that their Senator doesn't care about them, doesn't listen to them, works against their interests? There's no way for me to know that. And I don't just mean "Well, clearly, they got elected there so someone must like them". There is no way for me to know what issues are important in all of the other districts in the state. There is no way for me to judge whether these Senators have failed people. The budget, collective bargaining, consolidation of power, these are all big issues. But they also aren't the only issues.
I am thrilled to hear that people in these districts are mobilizing to recall, to protest, to attend town meetings. I'm thrilled because it means that people are expressing their opinions and becoming involved with the system beyond just at the ballot box. I'm thrilled that people are angry about what their Senators have voted on. Those votes have already had an adverse effect on me as an individual, but my voice doesn't need to matter to their Senators. Their voices do.
We know that the Republicans have already tried to characterize the major protests as the result of "out-of-state people". And that Madison has a reputation and is scorned for, being super liberal. A recall effort is where there is no longer any dispute over who is standing up against their representatives. The more the process is run by people in those districts, the less argument there can be about who's behind it.
So yes, I'm in favor of the recalls. And I'm not going to criticize you for going door-to-door in Green Bay. But I'm not going to join you. And you can bet that if the petition against my state Senator gets enough signatures, I'll be voting for him again (unless someone better runs!).
There have been 4 recalls in WI history, of which 2 have been successful. There are currently petitions underway to recall 16 state Senators (in WI, someone must be in office for a full year before they can be recalled). There are recalls for 8 Republicans (mostly sponsored by the Dem Party, I believe) and 8 Democrats (many sponsored by a group from Utah, as far as I understand it). There is also a "pledge to sign a recall petition for Walker when it is time" movement.
Ever since WI Act 10, the Budget(less) Repair Bill, passed, the emphasis has been on recall petitions (as well as the April 5th Supreme Court Justice election).
Recall is a powerful thing. I'm glad we have it, and I'm glad there is a one-year waiting period, even though it can be frustrating. As we have been seeing, a major swap of political power can result in an emphasis on un-doing, and if recalls were easier or could happen more quickly, I think we would make a lot less progress, and would spend a lot of time going over the same issues, back and forth and back and forth. A recall is a vote of no-confidence. It can be a vote against a specific individual, or a vote against a particular party or set of political beliefs that have been in power.
I absolutely support recalling Walker. And I am very certain that I will still support his recall in November/December when the petition is circulating.
I support the recalls of some of the Republican senators, as well. And yet, I'm not volunteering my time to help with the recalls. I'm not making phone calls, I'm not collecting signatures, I'm not even talking much about them.
Recall is the tool of constituents. It is a way for us to express to our elected officials that they have not represented us, and that we insist on representation, or at least, on being heard. I am not the constituent of a Republican. My state Senator is a Democrat, and I like him.
Who am I to go into someone else's district and tell them that they have not been represented, or that their Senator doesn't care about them, doesn't listen to them, works against their interests? There's no way for me to know that. And I don't just mean "Well, clearly, they got elected there so someone must like them". There is no way for me to know what issues are important in all of the other districts in the state. There is no way for me to judge whether these Senators have failed people. The budget, collective bargaining, consolidation of power, these are all big issues. But they also aren't the only issues.
I am thrilled to hear that people in these districts are mobilizing to recall, to protest, to attend town meetings. I'm thrilled because it means that people are expressing their opinions and becoming involved with the system beyond just at the ballot box. I'm thrilled that people are angry about what their Senators have voted on. Those votes have already had an adverse effect on me as an individual, but my voice doesn't need to matter to their Senators. Their voices do.
We know that the Republicans have already tried to characterize the major protests as the result of "out-of-state people". And that Madison has a reputation and is scorned for, being super liberal. A recall effort is where there is no longer any dispute over who is standing up against their representatives. The more the process is run by people in those districts, the less argument there can be about who's behind it.
So yes, I'm in favor of the recalls. And I'm not going to criticize you for going door-to-door in Green Bay. But I'm not going to join you. And you can bet that if the petition against my state Senator gets enough signatures, I'll be voting for him again (unless someone better runs!).
The Rek Tangle Endorses...
There is an election in five days in Wisconsin, on Tuesday, April 5th.
It is crucial that we all cast our ballots. No matter what our thoughts on the current system are, it is the system we have, and it is a system that is meant to function with participation from everyone. (And, my take on things has always been that if we can't motivate ourselves to participate in *this* system, then how the hell do we think we're going to motivate ourselves to participate in a more fully democratic system post-revolution?)
Since this is a blog, which is a vaguely journalistic endeavor, and also a very opinionated endeavor, it seems like endorsements are in order. After all, the Major Bloggers endorse people.
So, we here at the Rek Tangle would like to throw our political clout behind the following:
For Supreme Court Justice, we endorse using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Supreme Court Justice David Prosser is the incumbent. He is fairly conservative, and has served in the State Assembly in the past. Joanne Kloppenburg is the challenger. She is viewed as fairly liberal, and has worked as an Assistant Attorney General until both Democrat and Republican AGs. The Supreme Court Justice has a 10 year term, so there are lasting impacts. Additionally, many of the current and future challenges to the Budget Repair Bill are very likely to end up with the state's Supreme Court.
For Dane County Executive, we endorse using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Current Democratic State Rep Joe Parisi is running against conservative Dane County Supervisor Eileen Bruskewitz.
For Madison mayor, we again endorse using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Paul Soglin has been mayor in the past, Dave Cieslewicz is the current mayor. Both are liberal. Since they have both been in this position previously, their past records are particularly useful to examine.
If you are in Madison Ward 6, as I am, there is an election for Alder. Marsha Rummel is the incumbent, and Twink Jan-McMahon. Unsurprisingly, we are endorsing using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Marsha Rummel has been the alder for a number of years; Twink Jan-McMahon runs the Sustainable Atwood organization/group.
Finally, there are two referenda (yes, I was a Latin geek). One from Dane County, one from Madison. Both regard the Citizens United decision. For this one, we endorse thinking about whether you actually want corporations to be voting in our elections. And also, doing some reasearch.
But most of all, what we endorse, is that you get out there and vote. Vote for someone who you actually believe in, who you genuinely believe will do the right thing. Don't vote for the lesser of two evils, or vote along strict party lines. If you don't like any of the candidates, you should still go to the polls and vote. You can abstain from any races in which there is no candidate you support. You can write in your own candidate (this is most powerful, of course, if you coordinate it with other people). It may not change who wins the election if you abstain from a race, but it demonstrates that there are people who are motivated, who care about our local government, and who are dissatisfied with the options (remember, in addition to telling us what percentage of the vote, and how many votes, the different candidates get, elections also tell us how many people went and voted).
Representative democracy is based on people expressing their opinion through elections. Particularly in the current political climate where there is so much effort to disenfranchise people, those of us who can vote need to do so. The only way towards a more equitable society is for a more participatory society, and we need to be practicing participation. We can only change things when we all get involved and refuse to be silenced.
If you have lived in Wisconsin for 10 days, you are eligible to vote. You can register or change your address at the polls. There is really no good excuse to not vote.
To see if you are registered, and to check your polling place, visit https://vpa.wi.gov/. (You will need to know your name and birthdate. Hopefully, you know those things, right?)
You can also view a sample ballot at the link above, so that you can be prepared for what to expect.
For information about registering at the polls, and what identification/proof of residence will be accepted, visit http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/voters/registration-voting.
If you or someone you know needs help getting to a polling place, Union Cab (a worker owned co-op) and Badger Cab are both offering free rides to and from the polls! Visit http://www.unioncab.com/opencms/opencms/news/ElectionDay.html for more information. Please note, they do advise signing up ahead of time to help with scheduling.
It is crucial that we all cast our ballots. No matter what our thoughts on the current system are, it is the system we have, and it is a system that is meant to function with participation from everyone. (And, my take on things has always been that if we can't motivate ourselves to participate in *this* system, then how the hell do we think we're going to motivate ourselves to participate in a more fully democratic system post-revolution?)
Since this is a blog, which is a vaguely journalistic endeavor, and also a very opinionated endeavor, it seems like endorsements are in order. After all, the Major Bloggers endorse people.
So, we here at the Rek Tangle would like to throw our political clout behind the following:
For Supreme Court Justice, we endorse using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Supreme Court Justice David Prosser is the incumbent. He is fairly conservative, and has served in the State Assembly in the past. Joanne Kloppenburg is the challenger. She is viewed as fairly liberal, and has worked as an Assistant Attorney General until both Democrat and Republican AGs. The Supreme Court Justice has a 10 year term, so there are lasting impacts. Additionally, many of the current and future challenges to the Budget Repair Bill are very likely to end up with the state's Supreme Court.
For Dane County Executive, we endorse using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Current Democratic State Rep Joe Parisi is running against conservative Dane County Supervisor Eileen Bruskewitz.
For Madison mayor, we again endorse using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Paul Soglin has been mayor in the past, Dave Cieslewicz is the current mayor. Both are liberal. Since they have both been in this position previously, their past records are particularly useful to examine.
If you are in Madison Ward 6, as I am, there is an election for Alder. Marsha Rummel is the incumbent, and Twink Jan-McMahon. Unsurprisingly, we are endorsing using your own free will and research to make up your mind. Marsha Rummel has been the alder for a number of years; Twink Jan-McMahon runs the Sustainable Atwood organization/group.
Finally, there are two referenda (yes, I was a Latin geek). One from Dane County, one from Madison. Both regard the Citizens United decision. For this one, we endorse thinking about whether you actually want corporations to be voting in our elections. And also, doing some reasearch.
But most of all, what we endorse, is that you get out there and vote. Vote for someone who you actually believe in, who you genuinely believe will do the right thing. Don't vote for the lesser of two evils, or vote along strict party lines. If you don't like any of the candidates, you should still go to the polls and vote. You can abstain from any races in which there is no candidate you support. You can write in your own candidate (this is most powerful, of course, if you coordinate it with other people). It may not change who wins the election if you abstain from a race, but it demonstrates that there are people who are motivated, who care about our local government, and who are dissatisfied with the options (remember, in addition to telling us what percentage of the vote, and how many votes, the different candidates get, elections also tell us how many people went and voted).
Representative democracy is based on people expressing their opinion through elections. Particularly in the current political climate where there is so much effort to disenfranchise people, those of us who can vote need to do so. The only way towards a more equitable society is for a more participatory society, and we need to be practicing participation. We can only change things when we all get involved and refuse to be silenced.
If you have lived in Wisconsin for 10 days, you are eligible to vote. You can register or change your address at the polls. There is really no good excuse to not vote.
To see if you are registered, and to check your polling place, visit https://vpa.wi.gov/. (You will need to know your name and birthdate. Hopefully, you know those things, right?)
You can also view a sample ballot at the link above, so that you can be prepared for what to expect.
For information about registering at the polls, and what identification/proof of residence will be accepted, visit http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/voters/registration-voting.
If you or someone you know needs help getting to a polling place, Union Cab (a worker owned co-op) and Badger Cab are both offering free rides to and from the polls! Visit http://www.unioncab.com/opencms/opencms/news/ElectionDay.html for more information. Please note, they do advise signing up ahead of time to help with scheduling.
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