OK, PDH has adopted our list of legislative priorities for this session. The challenge is how to advocate for them effectively. Unlike other groups who might just submit testimony, some of our core PDH members have extensive contacts in the legislature and will insist upon having a more hands on approach. So building partnerships with other advocacy groups is key. Last year, an excellent coalition of progressive and labor groups came together to help push through the minimum wage hike. The few of you who bothered to watch the video clip of my talk at the 2014 LaborFEST might remember how fulsome I was in singing the praises of the groups at the core of that effort. And might have seen my assumption such an alliance would be able to move forward into the 2015 session. Unfortunately, that alliance fell apart. Partly for OBJECTIVE reasons: meaning we were able to overcome organizational turf sensibilities, personality conflicts and different work styles for the common project, the minimum wage, which was a top goal for all of us. This year, so far, there has been no common TOP priority capable of uniting us. So those SUBJECTIVE factors, the tussle for turf and recognition, the different organizing styles, the uneven expertise and personality conflicts have yet to be overcome. We have a short time before the session begins and the first public hearings are held on any of these bills. Perhaps a dynamic will emerge which is favorable for re-establishing unity and suppressing ego. My fingers are crossed. This year will be dominated by the WE HAVE NO MONEY MANTRA. That mantra is untrue, but rarely challenged. It MUST be challenged and challenged early. There is plenty of wealth in Hawaii. And there is plenty of money in the budget. But successive generations of legislators have inserted into the budget things which serve to benefit special interests rather than the common good. For example, we are told there is not $27 million to adjust the tax credit for renters, a credit which has not been adjusted for inflation since 1981!!!! But there are over $1.1 BILLION in tax credits which almost all goes to the wealthier residents, even non-resident investors. That reflects a policy choice. There is more than enough money to fund the Tax Justice proposals being pushed by Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice . As well as to increase funding for our schools, for environmental protection, for job place safety, etc. But our legislators are not willing to stop giving the funds to the wealthy instead!
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:12:40 +0000
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