2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumWhen to Say No. Make That "Hell, No!"
Mitt Romney did not invent predatory capitalism. Its been around for a while.[br /]
Predatory capitalism was already alive and well in 1978, in Cleveland. That was when the One Percent who controlled the banks, and pretty much everything else of value, decided that they wanted to steal the local power company from the people of Cleveland.[br /]
By way of background, Cleveland Public Power was founded by the Mayor of Cleveland, more than a century ago. It provides the people of Cleveland with electricity -- without the price gouging, poor service, pollution and monopolization for which Big Energy seems to strive.[br /]
The One Percent didnt like that idea at all. So they invested in a private company called Cleveland Electric Illuminating. They wanted to steal Cleveland Public Power from the people, and then jack up the rates, and make lots and lots of money.[br /]
They then issued this ultimatum:[br /]
(1) hand over the assets of Cleveland Public Power to us, or[br /]
(2) we will pull the plug on Cleveland.[br /]
By which they meant that they would boycott the City of Clevelands bonds as they came due, and drive the City into bankruptcy.[br /]
Which they then did. The One Percent forced the City of Cleveland into bankruptcy.[br /]
But they didnt anticipate one thing. What the 32-year-old, first-term Mayor of Cleveland would say.[br /]
That was Dennis Kucinich. And Dennis said no.[br /]
No matter what the banks said, Dennis said no.[br /]
No matter what the City Council said, Dennis said no.[br /]
No matter what the bankruptcy court said, Dennis said no.[br /]
A newspaper on December 22, 1978 quoted Dennis as follows: They are maneuvering to offer the city terms so bad that we will feel pressured to beg. And Dennis would not beg.[br /]
No. Just no.[br /]
And Dennis paid a price for that. The Boy Mayor of Cleveland went down to defeat that year. The One Percent made sure of that. But the people of Cleveland kept their power company.[br /]
Twenty years later, the Cleveland City Council honored Dennis Kucinich for having the courage and foresight to stand up to the banks, for the sake of the people. They calculated that Dennis had saved the people of Cleveland $195 million in one decade alone. And Cleveland elected Dennis Kucinich to Congress.[br /]
Let me tell you something. There is not one person in a hundred -- Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, male or female, white, black, red or brown -- who would have the courage to do what Dennis Kucinich did. For the good of the people.[br /]
Thats why we need Dennis Kucinich in Congress.[br /]
Thanks to Republican gerrymandering in Ohio, Dennis is facing the fight of his career. His election is on March 6. And absentee ballots in his district will be mailed out next Tuesday.[br /]
Dennis needs your help. He needs to contact thousands of absentee voters, and that costs money. If you helped him before, then help again. If you didnt help him before, then help now. Please click on [strong]this special ActBlue link[/strong], and make a contribution to Dennis Kucinichs campaign today.[br /]
Because Dennis has guts. And thats what we need in our leaders.[br /]
Courage,[br /]
Alan Grayson
Muskypundit
(717 posts)But it doesn't surprise me in the least. You two are both great men.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)It is one of the favorite memes the "Centrists" use to attack and marginalize one of the best Progressive Democrats in the House.
It is common, even on DU.
They regularly use this meme to imply that Kucinich (and Liberals in general) lacks the pragmatic business sense and sensible "Real World" experience to "compromise", and be an effective leader.
I am glad that Grayson set the record straight here.
[font size=5 color=green][center]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
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Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)Love ya Dennis!
annabanana
(52,791 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)Bake
(21,977 posts)It's great when we don't have to make sh*t up about OUR heroes (unlike the Rethugs and their Reagan worship)! And Dennis is certainly in that number!
Bake
countryjake
(8,554 posts)As someone who lived in Cleveland when Mayor Kucinich brought Power to the People, suffered thru the forced default, and watched the 1% try to destroy our little big man, I thank you for this piece!
When he was considering giving up on my home state of Ohio, to bring his principles out here to the Pacific NorthWest, I had very mixed feelings. While it would be great to see him serve in wa and many many people would like for him to come here, I was quite relieved that he made the decision to fight it out to the end in Ohio, where the love and respect for him runs deep and long. I believe that there is not one politician in a million who has the courage to stand up for his people and his country, like Dennis Kucinich has, consistently, throughout his entire life!