By Joe Mariano

In 1978, Dennis Kucinich, the candidate for Mayor of Cleveland, was in a church basement at a candidates forum sponsored by the Buckeye Woodland Community Congress (BWCC). Also sitting at the front table with the organization’s leadership, was the front runner candidate, Ed Feighan. Kucinich was the outsider and populist, while Feighan had the backing of the regular and established Democrats.

The BWCC leadership team outlined their neighborhood agenda, which included abandoned housing, Community Development Block Grants coming into the neighborhoods rather than going to downtown revitalization schemes, and getting a handle on the increasing numbers of stray dogs plaguing many of the neighborhoods and running wild in the east side Buckeye-Woodland neighborhoods.

After the leaders asked each candidate a question, other leaders would mark a large “scorecard” – hanging on a wall in back of the candidates. There was a spot for yes and no answers and a drawing in the middle of a wooden rail fence, which was meant to be used if the candidates gave an wishy-washy answer.

“If elected mayor, will you hire two dog catchers for each of the city’s 30 wards – for a total of 60 dog catchers - to get the stray dogs under control?” asked Sharon Bryant, a BWCC leaders.

“I would have to study the situation and then figure out where to deploy the current dog wardens,” responded Feighan. The leaders put his answer as being “on the fence.”

“You want 60 new dog catchers? You got them!” responded Kucinich - to the thunderous applause of 300 residents who were in the room.
Diann Yambor, BWCC president, asked both candidates: “If elected Mayor, will you meet with a delegation of leaders from the BWCC to discuss our neighborhood agenda within 30 days after your election?”

“I certainly will try but I do not know what my calendar will be like, so while I can’t say absolutely ‘yes’, I will do my best to meet with you,” Feighan said.

While the audience gave polite applause to the answer, the leaders put his name in between the ‘on the fence’ and ‘yes’ answer spots on the scorecard.

“I will do you one better,” Kucinich said. “If elected Mayor, I will meet with your leadership the next morning after I am elected!”

Kucinich was elected and Yambor reached him by phone the night that he won and asked for the meeting the next morning.

“I am really tired since I have been non-stop campaigning,” Kucinich responded. “How about next week?”

“No, that is not what you promised,” Yambor said.

Kucinich relented and met with Yambor and a few other leaders for breakfast the next morning

Kucinich told the BWCC that they could stop doing community organizing and “hits,” because they could trust him to make the right decisions in office.

“Like hell – we are not going to stop,” exclaimed a fired up Yambor.

“In fact, we are going to do more community organizing to make sure that you deliver for the neighborhoods. We are doing this because we know that corporations will be putting enormous pressure on you to do what they want you to do!”

This is the same Dennis Kucinich, now a Member of Congress from Cleveland’s west side, who is campaigning to become the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party this year.

The lesson here is that NPA - both with local groups and nationally, is seeking to gain support for our issues, and not endorsing any specific candidate. If any and all of this year’s presidential candidates are willing to supports us – good! If that candidate got elected, we would hold them to their promises.

I cast my fist vote in a presidential election for Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1964. I voted for Johnson because of his promises and the Democratic Platform. He was against advancing the war in Viet Nam. He was for civil rights and voting rights for Blacks and wanted to wage a “war on poverty.”

I figured I was voting for peace. Johnson’s opponent, Barry Goldwater, the conservative Republican, was portrayed as a “hawk,” who would get the United States into a nuclear war. I certainly learned my lesson about voting as a means to make social change as I watched the Johnson administration draft record numbers of young people into the armed services to fight the war. Johnson’s Democratic Party platform was long forgotten.

I believe that while there is great hoopla and controversy about “planks” in political party platforms, the platforms are - in general - forgotten immediately after the election.

National People’s Action started the idea of a People’s Platform in 1976 during the Jimmy Carter-Gerald Ford presidential election. NPA has been steadily fighting for the same housing and banking issues over the years, which were a part of its original platform. We have also added new issues to our platform such as immigrant rights, support for family farms and predatory lending.

While I do not know who will be elected president in 2004, I do know that NPA – both locally and nationally - will be steadily organizing around its Peoples Platform 2004 - with whomever is our country’s next President.

2004 NPA People's Platform

Reclaim quality jobs
Youth demand safe schools and jobs
Family farms YES, Factory farms NO
Make BIG banks work for US
Safe and secure neighborhoods
Build schools, fund IDEA and NCLB
Immigrant children deserve a chance to DREAM!
Hold HUD Accountable
Ban Bad Lending

Stopping the Credit Crooks

Also in this issue:

*Sunflower Brings 1,500 People to the State Capitol

NPA action on HUD leads to local housing victories across the

*LNO Turns the Heat Up on CTA President to Restore Night and Weekend Train Service

*SUN Wins $100,000 for Mortgage Prevention Program

*Speak United Wins Victory Over Local Workforce Center

*ADP Demands Justice from Mount Holyoke

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