“If the 99% voted, the 1% wouldn’t matter” – West Philly bumper sticker, spotted on Sunday afternoon just off Woodland We here at the Bulletin know that, between stalled applications, restrictive voter ID laws, and voter roll purges across the country, it’s unfortunately not that simple.
“If the 99% voted, the 1% wouldn’t matter” – West Philly bumper sticker, spotted on Sunday afternoon just off Woodland
We here at the Bulletin know that, between stalled applications, restrictive voter ID laws, and voter roll purges across the country, it’s unfortunately not that simple. The Democrats don’t want you voting for a socialist candidate (“We’re capitalists, and that’s just the way it is”). The Republicans don’t want you voting at all; voter outreach efforts “continue to concern us,” Georgia gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp told a ticketed crowd of “Georgia professionals” on Friday, “especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote.” As for the Bulletin? Well, seeing as it’s too late to establish residency and re-register in Delaware County, we ask only that you vote your conscience; first, though, come to Media, PA on Saturday October 27 to knock doors with Elizabeth Fiedler and Sara Innamorato in a final get-out-the-vote push for Philly DSA member Kristin Seale’s state house campaign in the 168th district.
To borrow from the readings from this week’s Socialist Night School (standing reminder: go to the Night School; it’s good, folks), socialists have a long and complicated history with electoral politics. We win some, we lose some. And, going into the midterms, it’s important to remember that our primary goal is not to win 50% plus one votes by moderating, but to, through contesting elections, build the working-class power that we need to defeat the capitalist class.
That’s why we’re so excited about Kristin Seale’s campaign: not only does she have a chance to unseat Republican hack Chris Quinn, but also, she shares our goals. Class consciousness is “absolutely” rising in America today, Kristin told Meagan Day in an interview this week with Jacobin; we see evidence of this in socialist electoral victories and the widespread popularity of social-democratic policies like tuition-free college and Medicare for All. “Coming out of 2008 was a real awakening for a lot of working people,” Seale continued, “and I think that if the conversation (on economics) is changing, it’s changing because working people are finding some extra ounces of fight in their bandwidth.”
Campaigns like Kristin’s make DSA relevant in the lives of those working people in Delco with whom we hope to build power. After all, if the 99% voted, the 1% might not matter; but if the 99% were class conscious, the 1% wouldn’t exist.
Neoliberal of the Week: Tom Wolf, the Small Business Governor
“We’re getting stronger! We’re revved up and ready to grow. Because we have a small business governor working for us.” – three fictional small business owners, quoted in “Drive,” a fall campaign ad from Gov. Tom Wolf
There’s a Difference Between Us and Them
“I would like to see instead workers sharing in the wealth that they create, sharing in what their labor bears.” – Kristin Seale, from the same Jacobin interview; read the rest, if you haven’t already!
Speaking of Kristin Seale…
Our full event list can be found here. Here are some highlights from what’s coming up:
Seale the Deale! Canvass with DSAers Elizabeth Fiedler and Sara Innamorato
Saturday, October 27 | 1:00 pm | Headroom | 24 Veterans Square, Media, PA
Post-Canvass Happy Hour
Saturday, October 27 | 5:00 pm | Iron Hill Brewery | 30 E State St, Media, PA
Phonebanking for Canvasses
Mon-Wed, October 29-31 | remote | Email [email protected] to request a phonebank list and instructions.
City Council Hearing for a Fair Work Week
Tuesday, October 30 | 2:00 pm | Philadelphia City Hall
Pre-Election Happy Hour
Thursday, November 1 | 6:30 pm | American Sardine Bar
GOTV Canvasses for Kristin Seale
Saturday, November 3 - Tuesday, November 6 | Headroom | 24 Veterans Square, Media, PA
BuxMont: Halloween Social
Friday, October 25 | 6:30 pm | Bald Bird Brewing Company | 970 Rittenhouse Road, Suite 400 Audubon, Pennsylvania
November 17 General Meeting
Saturday, November 17 | 12:30 - 4:00 pm | First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia | 2125 Chestnut Street
At General Meetings, the local assembles to hear reports from projects and committees, set local policy and work priorities, and to debate and vote on resolutions. The assembled membership is the ultimate decision-making body of the local, so participation is crucial.
The general meeting is open to all, but you must be a member in good standing (have paid national dues) in order to vote. Voting members are those who are on the the list provided by national DSA one week in advance of the meeting. Visit www.dsausa.org for more information on becoming a member. Currently, quorum stands at around 200 members. Please make every effort to attend so that we can vote, and encourage all other members that you know to join you!
Resolutions for November 17 General Meeting
The resolutions for our November General Meeting are now available. We encourage all members to familiarize themselves with the resolutions, as well as with the current work of Philly DSA, and to plan to attend the November Meeting as an informed voter. We are excited by the wide range of resolutions that were submitted, which testify to our active membership. Please follow the link below to see resolutions that will be on the agenda in November:
November GM Resolutions
Some resolutions conflicted with our bylaws or rules and thus cannot advance to the agenda for November, but may be reworked and re-submitted for our December General Meeting. You can find those resolutions and rationales here. As always, the Resolutions Commission encourages members to reach out early and often when they have an idea they would like to draft into a resolution by writing to [email protected].
Amendments to resolutions are due on Thursday, November 1. Amendments can be submitted through this form.
Committee & Branch Meetings
Steering // Outreach // Pol Ed // EEC // LILAC // OCOS // Social // Canvassing // Delco // Buxmont // Labor
Support 👏 Philly 👏 DSA 👏!
Local Dues - support our campaign work and cover everyday operating costs like meeting space // Contribute to Philly DSA PAC - help fund our independent electoral campaigns // Accommodations, Accessibility, Childcare - let us know what you need to stay involved // Moved away from Philly? - update your address on the DSA national database
In Solidarity,
Philly DSA Outreach Committee
Inquiries: [email protected]
Website: www.phillydsa.com/
Isn’t it time to do something? Get involved with the Local.
