ANDREW GILLUM

29, Vice Mayor and Commissioner of the City of

Tallahassee, Florida and the founder of People For

the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected

Officials Network

2006: “In my capacity as a local elected official, I have had the opportunity to affect policy at the

most basic level. I am particularly proud of the leadership and support I was able to lend in the

fight to achieve more affordable and diverse housing communities through the Inclusionary

Housing Ordinance. Through this ordinance, developers are given incentives to build low to moderate income housing in newly developed neighborhoods. The initiative ensures that our most fundamental

workers—teachers, police officers and firefighters—can afford to live in neighborhoods where they work.”

2007: “Local communities are facing major funding shortages to support local homeless initiatives, affordable housing, and low-income assistance programs, among the many national issues affecting all

communities. Domestic policy in 2007 should include initiatives to expand federal assistance to local communities to address education, security, low income housing assistance, economic development and

other local and state issues that have been neglected by the federal government over the past several years.”

NATHAN NEWMAN

Policy Director for the

Progressive States Network

2006: “Through building the Progressive States Network of activists and state legislators around

the country, we’ve been able to highlight and support some of the most innovative policy proposals

around the country, from the large retailer living wage law in Chicago to promoting clean energy

proposals. We’re very proud to produce a twice-weekly Stateside Dispatch that promotes the best practices that progressives are proposing and enacting into law across the country. Our goal in our first year has been to bring together labor unions, environmental groups, ‘netroots’ online activists, health care advocates and community organizations to work together with state legislators to create a multiissue agenda that can reach new voters and new coalition partners.”

2007: “A lot of our work has been aimed at working with activists and legislators to reframe the progressive agenda in ways that accomplish that goal of expanding progressive coalitions. Issues like

Paid Sick Days bring many “ family values voters” into our coalitions, just as ‘smart growth’ urban planning policies help recruit exurban voters frustrated by long commutes. Progressives also need to be

proactive in reforming our state tax systems to expose hidden tax subsidies, increase fairness, and hold businesses receiving government money accountable for creating decent-paying jobs that strengthen

local economies.”

AMY L. BESAW

Director of Honoring Nations at the Harvard Project on

American Indian Economic Development

2006: “The Harvard Project aims to understand and foster the conditions under which sustained, self-determined social and economic development is achieved among American Indian nations…Honoring Nations provides an important place for people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to talk about important policy issues while holding up examples of excellence—on-the-ground-work—for others to learn from. From a nation that built a justice system that restores offenders to the tribal family, to a tribally designated non-profit (similar to a federally designated non-profit) that manages educational funds for a nation, American Indian nations are building stronger, healthier communities while considering the future generations to come.”

2007: “In 2007, it is important to continue to encourage and engage in better discussions on Indian Affairs throughout the U.S. The base of those discussions must be the understanding that American

Indian nations are individual political entities. With this foundation, the government-to-government relationships can be strengthened. I see this as doing two important things: the first is enabling tribal

governments to better serve their citizenry; the second is deepening U.S. domestic policies to include the perspectives and needs of American Indian people. As far as specific policies, it is hard to create a ranking. Education, health care, law enforcement, child welfare, etc. are all important and each Native nation has its different priorities.”

SENATOR TED KENNEDY

Massachusetts

2006: “Immigration is about who we are as Americans —whether we are bold enough to look

to the future with confidence and open our doors to those who contribute to our progress, just as we

have at important points throughout our history. It’s a complex challenge that can’t be solved by

building fences. There is no doubt that comprehensive immigration reform is urgently needed, and I was proud to join Senator John McCain in sponsoring the bill that passed the Senate and enjoys the support

of religious leaders, immigration experts, Latino organizations, the business community and many, many others.”

2007: “We have a real opportunity to stand up for American families and workers after six long years in which their concerns and their values have been ignored. Economic progress may be seen on

Wall Street, but it has left Main Street America behind. I look forward to making jobs pay by fighting for an increase in the minimum wage, helping families afford a college education for their children, bringing

the miracles of modern medicine to average families through stem cell research and by making health insurance more affordable and available.”

JARED BERNSTEIN

Director of the Living Standards program at the Economic

Policy Institute and author of the book All Together Now:

Common Sense for a Fair Economy.

2006: “The main 2006 focus of the project I direct here was to raise awareness of the gap between

the nation’s impressive productivity and the wages and incomes of working families. The issue became a major focus of policy makers and candidates on all sides of the political spectrum. It showed up in the

media, and was discussed and debated by everyone from Ben Bernanke (Fed chief) to Robert Rubin to successful midterm Senate candidates like Jim Webb and Sherrod Brown.”

2007: “I’m most interested in setting up a litmus test for domestic economic policy: does this idea help to close the gap between productivity and earnings; will it help ensure more broadly shared prosperity, pushing back against economic inequality? In this regard, raising the minimum wage is a no-brainer. But, despite the fact that many in the electorate favor a more progressive approach to meeting our economic challenges, the political climate probably won’t be very conducive to passing much legislation in 2007. So, our best plan is to start building and framing an effective debate on these issues for the 2008 presidential election, including restoring fiscal sanity, universal health care, pension reform, and a more balanced approach to globalization.”

MEWELAU HALL

Senior at the University of Miami, Fellow at Young People

For the American Way, People of Color Caucus

Representative for Students United Against Sweatshops

2006: “In 2006, I have led and contributed to various actions, including The University of Miami

Workers Campaign and The Shanty Town— ‘Take Back the Land’ Anti-Gentrifying Development. [On] the Worker’s Campaign, I learned and taught the student community a great deal about the differences between Card Check and Secret Ballot [methods of creating a union in a given workplace], also I clarified the same information to many of the workers interesed in getting involved with

the strike. In the fight against Gentrification in late-August 2006, several community youth (including myself) and many more helped in the building of free housing for the homeless from materials found

in your local dumpster.”

2007: “Since I was raised in Miami, it’s apparent to me that any policy that helps the victims of slum-lord communities, children in low-income communities who are going through schools that are simply unequipped to educate them, or the necessity of creating jobs should be a concern and a priority. Though I made it through, it should not be a struggle for everyone in my situation; also it should not have to be labeled as a ‘triumph’ because everyone deserves the basic necessities and rights to evaluation of Department of Housing and Urban Development and Category 8 housing that will include surprise inspections and a better tool for reprimanding slum-lords.”

MELANIE SLOAN

Executive Director of Citizens for Responsiblity and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

2006: “CREW is most proud of two accomplishments. First, CREW made corruption a major issue in the 2006 congressional elections, and second, CREW played a significant role in cleaning Congress of corrupt members. CREW targeted and exposed members who betrayed their constituents through illegal and unethical activities. From its report Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch), to the countless articles published based on CREW’s investigations and analysis,

CREW’s efforts led to voters holding public officials accountable for their actions. Eight of the members of Congress listed in CREW’s report lost their elections and exit polls showed that corruption was the number one issue for a majority of voters on election day. Eleven members whom CREW has criticized are now under federal investigation. We hope that CREW’s work this past year will persuade the newly elected members of Congress to work for the public interest rather than on behalf of special interests.”

2007: “Every member of Congress must be held accountable for his or her actions. In recent years, however, Congress has refused to police itself. As a result, ethics reforms—particularly new oversight and enforcement mechanisms—must be implemented in the new Congress.An ethics reform package should include the creation of an Office of Public Integrity staffed by former prosecutors with public corruption experience to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by members of Congress. This would ensure fair and impartial investigations and work to de-politicize the ethics process." 

JEFF BLODGETT

Executive Director of Wellstone Action

2006: “Wellstone Action is a national training center running eight different programs for people involved in moving progressive policy and politics forward. Our most proud accomplishment in 2006 was training over 4,000 people around the country to be involved in progressive policy and political work of all different kinds. This included training 78 people who went on to win election to public offices. Progressive policy can be advanced when enough like-minded people step forward with strong skills and make change happen.”

2007: “In terms of 2007, we cannot forget that the elections were as much about family economic issues—the cost of health care, the cost of college and stagnant wages—as they were about Iraq. Serious action on health care costs for those insured is as critical as it is finding ways to cover more people. We also should radically re-think how higher education, the backbone of the American dream, stays within reach for most families and young people. The other progressive, visionary policy front we should be on is moving toward a new energy future. This is an area that has so many issue fronts; new jobs, the economy, foreign policy, the environment, even farm and rural policies.”