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To the Editor:

I have wondered why very progressive areas like Silicon Valley/SF Bay do far better economically than very conservative areas like the lower south.I thought it was because places like MIT and Stanford were in progressive areas. After chatting with some very conservative people in this area, I have drastically changed my opinion. They do not recognize how much of a factor luck and being in the right place at the right time is. They feel business success is all based on smarts and skill. They believe that companies are benign entities engaged in perfect competition. Every company I ever worked for always took advantage of any situation that presented itself. They find it hard to accept that private health insurers distort the healthcare market. For providers, healthcare insurers are pots of money to have the stuff sucked out of. I always had the image of conservatives as hard nose business types. But it is now clear that they have rose colored glasses on when it comes to business. Progressives have a far better idea of how businesses actually work.

Herbert LovelessChester, Va.

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Progressives have a far better idea of how businesses actually work - Villages-News

In a defiant ChristmasEvepress rally, the Poor People's Campaign and other progressive leaders vowed to continue to fight for the Build Back Better Act, despite opposition from West Virginia Sen.Joe Manchin.

"Sen.Manchin is playing a Caesar or at least a King Herod in today's Christmas story," said the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, a co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign. "He's saying there's no room in this democracy for the 140 million poor and low-income Americans, including the 700,000 West Virginians who've been locked into poverty and low wages under his watch. He wants to limit poor children's lives just so he can hold on to his power and wealth. On Christmas Eve, doesn't this indeed sound like Herod?"

The Poor People's Campaign has held numerous rallies and acts of civil disobedience over the past year in support of the Build Back Better Act, while acknowledging that the legislation would be just a first step towards a moral economy.

RELATED:Biden doesn't need Manchin: 5 executive actions he can take right now to build back better

Campaign co-chair Rev. Dr. William Barber II zoomed into the Christmas Eve press event from a church in Charleston, the capital of Manchin's state. He introduced several local affected people and community leaders who lambasted their senator and others who've stood in the way of the landmark public investment bill.

"We don't have a scarcity of resources," said Alexandra Gallo, a community activist from Charleston. "We have a scarcity of will to address inequality."

Barber also introduced two members of Congress, Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.,and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who were instrumental in getting the Build Back Better Act through the House. Jayapal took particularly intense heat over the past several months as she used her caucus's power toprevent her own party's leadershipfrom holding scheduled votes on the bill until progressives won certain concessions.

With support from every Democrat in the Senate needed for passage, Manchin's recent announcement that he won't vote for the bill is a major setback. But Jayapal, who has a history in the immigrant rights movement, remains positive.

"If the things we're fighting for were easy," she said at the press event, "we would've gotten them a long time ago. And because we're organizers, we don't give up. Our strength comes in these moments. Our job as progressives is to push on the borders of what others think is possible."

Barber, who hasrelentlessly criticized Manchin for blocking the bill, brought uprecent news reportsthat the senator has privately told colleagues that parents would spend Child Tax Credit money on drugs. "Doesn't he understand that opioid use is connected to poverty?" he asked.

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A year-long extension of this tax credit, which has slashed U.S. child poverty byan estimated 40 percent, is a key component of the legislation, along with other major investments in child care, home care for the elderly, public housing, universal pre-K, expansion of Medicare to cover dental services, clean energy jobsand more.

Rep. Lee shared that she finds a lot of hope in Christmas. "It reminds me that Jesus Christ was born homeless, born in a manger. But it also reminds me that his life was about fighting for the most vulnerable, fighting for justice."

"Sen.Manchin's comments in opposition to Build Back Better were incredibly disappointing," she continued. "But we're not giving up. Because when we fight, we win."

The Poor People's Campaign is planning to mobilize a surge of calls to Manchin's office in early January and, while not giving details, Barber hinted that the day after the country marks theanniversary of the Jan.6 "insurrection," the Campaign will be organizing a "resurrection."

"We would've loved to have gotten Build Back Better and voting rights passed earlier this year," Barber said. "But our deadline is victory."

Read more on the battle for Build Back Better:

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Poor People's Campaign, progressive members of Congress vow to fight on for BBB - Salon

Evidence over the last seven years supports the assertion that entitlements work well only when those who are entitled are also empowered

File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ANI

The evolution of Indian society post-pandemic has been analysed by many authors over the last several decades. Many of them have also expressed concerns regarding several social ills that have plagued our society.

In 2013, during a discussion, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen talked about the problem of open defecation. Fast forward to 2021 and the problem has been largely resolved. The same discussion also talked about lack of electricity or modern cooking fuel each of which has been addressed since 2014.

These achievements are not small as they are ensuring a minimum standard of living for all where necessities which were deemed as for the urban elites are now reaching even the remotest of villages.

While distributive justice has been a feature of our public policy, there is also a silent push towards a more progressive legislative agenda. This has been supported by the judiciary with its decision to strike down Section 377 in what was a historic judgment.

The legislative agenda has indeed been progressive given its focus in strengthening the rights of various stakeholders. Let us begin with the banning of triple talaq, a practice which was prevalent across the country even though most Islamic countries had banned the same. By overturning the Shah Bano judgment, the legislative aided by the executive effectively denied a proper procedural divorce to Muslim women in India.

There was a demand by several stakeholders to correct this historic injustice and eventually, a law banning the practice was passed by both the houses of Parliament.

Another progressive legislation is the 2020 amendment to the 1971 Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act. The amendment raises the upper limit of MTP from 20 to 24 weeks for women, including rape survivors, minors victims of incest, etc. Moreover, now any woman or her partner can medically terminate a pregnancy, which is a departure from the erstwhile law with the provision only for a married woman or her husband. The amendments in many ways are forward looking as they address issues such as failure of contraceptives, issues regarding maternal mortality, and also ensure that women dont need to seek any permission from courts in order to terminate a pregnancy.

The progressive drift is not just with regards to the legislative or the judicial agenda, but is also very much a part of the executive branch in India. Menstruation, a topic that was a taboo and often avoided, was mentioned by no less than the prime minister himself in one of his Independence Day speeches. The speech was geared towards ensuring greater acceptance of a natural biological phenomenon and spreading greater awareness regarding hygienic practices.

As a matter of fact, the progressive outlook is not just restricted to social issues but is also manifested in the economic policy decisions of the government. Take, for example, Jan-Dhan Yojana which is the worlds largest financial inclusion programme till date. Jan-Dhan enabled what is the worlds largest accidental insurance programme and the largest voluntary pension programme. That it was subsequently combined with Direct Benefit Transfers for subsidy and income support further makes it an enabler of what is the worlds largest poverty alleviation or subsidy support mechanism. The government has already made gains of Rs 2.22 lakh crore by reducing leakages due to implementation of the DBT.

The worlds largest health insurance programme Ayushman Bharat is also another example of progressive policy interventions. The programme allows patients to pick a public or a private healthcare facility and provides them with insurance cover up to Rs 5 lakh for in-patient treatment. Then there is the worlds biggest affordable housing programme the PM Awas Yojana under which over 2 crore houses have already been constructed and handed over to beneficiaries.

A lot of these interventions find their parallels with the progressive discussion on affordable housing in key urban metropolises in advanced economies. Similarly, the liberal discourse on expansion of public healthcare insurance essentially would lead to something of the form of Ayushman Bharat in their respective country.

Despite such interesting parallels, many who champion such progressive causes have failed to acknowledge the developments in India since 2014. Their reluctance to acknowledge, however, does not change the fact that for the first time more than 40 percent of Indian households in rural areas have received a tapped water connection or that women now spend less time gathering wood to cook food thanks to the Ujjwala scheme.

Each of these interventions have meant real tangible empowerment of the forgotten, more so for women, which partly also explains their increased participation in the political process.

The progressive drift in Indias social discourse also gives us much food for thought as far as the debate on entitlements versus empowerments is concerned. Evidence over the last seven years supports the assertion that entitlements work well only when those who are entitled are also empowered. Indias experience, therefore, provides a good template for many other less developed countries that are looking for good policy interventions to aid their development.

Karan Bhasin is a New York-based economist. Somya Luthra is a student of law. Views expressed are personal.

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How past seven years of Narendra Modis regime show who the real progressives are - Firstpost

Dont let the fact that New York Citys Mayor-elect Eric Adams is an outspoken vegan fool you.

The Brooklyn native and former NYPD captain has cultivated a working-class coalition more likely to prefer barbecues instead of the kale smoothies he often champions.

New York, like many cities, is facing serious challenges, from rising crime to stressed businesses and schools. Its new mayor sees a path forward in building an inclusive and broad coalition and an ethos thats more pragmatic than ideological.

After he takes office Jan. 1, Mr. Adams will offer a challenge to the ascendant progressive wing of the Democratic Party, bringing a personal style of governance more pragmatic than ideological.

Labeling himself a practical progressive, Mayor-elect Adams won with a platform that emphasized public safety, decrying Democratic efforts to defund the police. He proclaimed that New York will no longer be anti-business. And as he fills out his administration, hes eschewed Ivy League degrees for what he calls emotional intelligence.

Ramon Tallaj, a member of the Adams transition team and founder of SOMOS Community Care, says the focus will be on the larger challenges the city is facing.

Before, when people from the Dominican Republic would tell him they got a visa, it meant, Im going to New York! says Dr. Tallaj. Now I say, Oh, where are you going? To Austin, to Miami.

I believe we have to go on that path to be sure that New York continues being the capital of the world. And I believe the mayor has his heart in doing so.

New York

Dont let the fact that New York Mayor-elect Eric Adams is an outspoken vegan fool you.

Make no mistake, after being diagnosed with diabetes, Mayor-elect Adams embraced a plant-based diet and talks, often, about losing 35 pounds and seeing his health improve. The former state senator and then-Brooklyn borough president has become something of a public health evangelist, promoting a vegan lifestyle.

At the same time, New York Citys incoming mayor, a Brooklyn native and former captain in the New York Police Department, has cultivated a working-class coalition more likely to prefer barbecues and cream in their coffee instead of the kale smoothies he often champions.

New York, like many cities, is facing serious challenges, from rising crime to stressed businesses and schools. Its new mayor sees a path forward in building an inclusive and broad coalition and an ethos thats more pragmatic than ideological.

After hes sworn into office on Jan. 1, Mr. Adams, who will become the second Black mayor in the history of the nations largest city, will in many ways offer a challenge to the ascendant progressive wing of the Democratic Party, bringing a personal style and vision of governance more pragmatic than ideological, observers say.

Labeling himself a practical progressive, Mayor-elect Adams won a crowded primary with a pragmatic platform that emphasized public safety, decrying Democratic efforts to defund the police. He proclaimed during the campaign that New York will no longer be anti-business. And as he fills out his administration, hes been less impressed with Ivy League degrees and establishment credentials than he has been with what he calls emotional intelligence.

He is inclusive; he is pragmatic. It doesnt matter the party; it doesnt matter the race, the domestic group, or the power of money hes not going to be antagonizing or polarizing, says Ramon Tallaj, a member of the mayor-elects transition team and founder and chairman of SOMOS Community Care, a nonprofit health network that serves Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

Over eight years ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio vaulted unexpectedly into the national spotlight, a relative unknown with what many considered radical progressive views after 20 years of the tough-on-crime and pro-business administrations of Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Mr. de Blasio effectively described New York as a tale of two cities, promising to both rein in the citys yawning wealth disparities and radically reform the NYPD at the height of the stop-and-frisk era. After taking office, his first priority focused on animal rights, and he spent a significant amount of political capital trying to ban the citys horse-drawn carriages in Central Park an effort that famously flopped.

In the course of constructing his administration, de Blasio made it more representative demographically, and moved it to the left ideologically, says Ken Sherrill, professor emeritus of political science at Hunter College in Manhattan. But its not clear that he addressed many of the everyday concerns of people living in the outer boroughs and I say that as a kid who was born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn.

Professor Sherrill also points out the deep cultural differences between the former officer born in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn and Mayor de Blasio, whose administration, he says, was in many ways made up of highly educated ideas people who frequent progressive study groups.

What progressive people who call themselves progressive dont understand is that lots of people who are excluded from society in the outer boroughs dont hold views that coincide with progressive ideology, Professor Sherrill says. And this may be a shock to some people on the left.

Incoming New York Mayor Eric Adams appointed Keechant Sewell, show in Queens on Dec. 15, 2021, as the first Black female NYPD commissioner.

One of Mr. Adams first appointments was to name Keechant Sewell, chief of detectives in Nassau County, as the first Black woman to head the NYPD. And Mr. Adams has said he wants to bring more everyday New Yorkers into the police department, promoting those in what he calls the minor leagues of law enforcement, including hospital police, homeless service police, school safety officers, over 70% of whom are people of color and women.

Even though Mr. Adams has defended certain measures of qualified immunity and has spoke out forcefully against the defund the police movement, he has nevertheless been committed to reforming police departments.

When he was 15, he and his brother were arrested and then assaulted by a New York police officer. The experience left him shaken and bitter, but the pastor at his church encouraged him and other young Black men to join the police department and work for change from within. In 1984, Mr. Adams graduated second in his class at the Police Academy.

Indeed, over the course of his 22-year career as a New York police officer, Mr. Adams became a leader in efforts to change the NYPD from within, co-founding the advocacy group100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, which focuses on police brutality and racial profiling.

But hes also focused on issues surrounding Black violence and high rates of homicide in certain communities.

Back then, when it was not a slogan painted on the streets, I was talking about Black Lives Matter, Mr. Adams said in an interview in The Atlantic. You cant say Black lives matter and have outrage when a police officer shoots someone ... but ignore shootings in our city the same day when 15 people are shot.

In keeping with his emphasis on emotional intelligence over establishment credentials, the mayor-elect also tapped New York educator David Banks, who heads a network of all-boys schools that focus on students of color, to be chancellor of the nations largest school system. Mr. Banks founded the unionized Eagle Academy for Young Men in order to serve Black and Latino boys who often struggled in school, even as teachers many of them white women struggled to help them.

In some ways, the mayor-elects choices represent a return to some of the emphasis in the Bloomberg administration, says Amy Zimmer, editor-in-chief of ChalkBeat, a nonprofit news organization that covers education issues across the country.

Both Mr. Adams and Mr. Banks have expressed support for charter schools in stark contrast to the de Blasio administration, which imposed caps on the number of such nonunion schools. Whether they make a push in Albany to lift the charter cap remains to beseen," says Ms. Zimmer, noting a change in leadership in the state legislature.

But Adams has talked about replicating excellent schools, and we just saw that Bloomberg Philanthropies isinvesting $750 million over the next five years to expand charter schools across the nation, including in New York City, she says.

But the recent spike in crime and the citys ongoing economic crisis remain New Yorks most pressing problems, says Dan Biederman, president of Biederman Redevelopment Ventures Corp. in the city.

Mayor Adams challenge is to turn that around, says Mr. Biederman, citing the changed views of the electorate that brought him to power. So far, hes saying all the right things on this issue.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Biederman helped spark the revitalization of areas near Times Square, then a red-light district of sex shops and drug sales, creating organizations such as Bryant Park Corporation and34th Street Partnership to form public and private partnerships that helped reshape these blighted areas into tourist destinations that brought billions to the city.

Hes still appalled at how progressive politicians and activists helped scuttle Amazons plans to possibly build its global headquarters in Queens, a move that would have brought thousands of jobs to the borough. Mr. Biederman says that one of Mayor-elect Adams biggest challenges will be to influence City Council members and state legislators to support his agenda, even as more progressives join their ranks.

Companies like Amazon should be welcomed with open arms by his administration, he says. Despite being rejected for an HQ by legislators, theyve stuck around in a less prominent way and have become a great force for good in this city.

Like former Mayor Bloomberg, a former smoker who was also something of a health zealot, banning trans fats and famously failing to ban the sale of big gulp-sized sodas, Mayor-elect Adams has promised to revamp city-funded food programs. He wants to end processed school lunches, ban sugary drinks in public hospitals and city jails, and extol the benefits of plant-based eating.

Dr. Tallaj, whose network serves the poorest of New Yorkers and has been on the front lines of the pandemic, has been helping shape the health policies of the incoming administration. But he also sees the larger challenges the city is facing.

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I was just telling the [transition] group today, he says. In my country, Dominican Republic, when somebody says ... I got a visa! it means, Im going to New York!

Now I say, Oh, where are you going? To Austin, to Miami, Dr. Tallaj continues. I believe we have to go on that path to be sure that New York continues being the capital of the world. And I believe the mayor has his heart in doing so.

View original post here:
Can New Yorks new mayor put the practical in progressive? - The Christian Science Monitor

Sen. Joe Manchin's(D-W.Va.)defection from the Democrats' big spending bill has produced a lot of talk about whether states like West Virginia should have this much power in our constitutional structure in the first place. Complaints about the influence accorded to smaller states are no longer limited to progressive academics. They'vegone mainstream.

But the argument that institutions like the Senate (balanced by the House), the Electoral College, and federalism among states with populations of vastly different size are anachronistic is wrong. Our polarized country needs more space for team red and blue to get away from each other, not less. Allowing one to impose its will on the other by the smallest margins will only make our divisions more bitter.

To be sure, much has changed since the Constitution was originally ratified. But the valuein how the House and Senate were structured hasnot. Wyoming and West Virginia residents would no more consent to be in a political union where everything was decided by California and New York than New Englanders and Southerners would strike the same deal at the founding.

"One person, one vote" is an important principle. But so is the ability to escape the tyrannies of majority rule, something our system has always tried to balance, however imperfectly. If the issue was gay marriage circa 2004, liberals would see this fact as clearly as conservatives do now. The contempt members of each political tribe feel for the residents of states dominated by the other is evident.

And for all the talk by big-d Democrats about small-d democracy, everything liberals have ever accomplished, from the New Deal to ObamaCare, they have achieved through the existing constitutional system. They are failing to achieve more now because they have less popular support than they did when those programs passed. Yes, President Biden won 81 million votes and the barest 51 percent majority, not the landslides of Presidents FDR or LBJ, much less Ronald Reagan or Richard Nixon. Even Senate rules like the filibuster require consensus, which our existing political moment surely lacks.

Greater ability to retreat to red and blue enclaves, voting with one's feet, could do more to lower the temperature on our country's politics than letting 51-50 Senates pass "transformational" legislation, then lose the next election. The Founding Fathers, for all their faults, understood this better than Bette Midler does.

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The Senate isn't what's holding progressives back - The Week Magazine