Points delivered by Bill Drew at a gathering of IPOs on August 13th at Rudy Lozano Library. The featured speaker was Anna Rius a council woman from Terrassa which is near Barcelona, Spain. She is a member of Podemos, the broad political movement in opposition to Austerity.

•  Our group is heavily oriented toward electoral politics. We have a special emphasis on developing a precinct structure which has been evident and effective particularly in the Mayoral/aldermanic race of 2014/15 and the 2016 primary.
•  Our IPO is descendent of the legendary 22nd ward IPO. Draw inspiration from their principles and history. Rudy Senior is the father, Jesus is the son carrying out his work, and our señora de Guadalupe is the best precinct captain in Chicago, Lupe Lozano. We take their 3 letter acronym seriously – Independent, Political and Organized.
• One key to our growth is a conscious effort to collect and cultivate dedicated campaigners – people who have strong ties with neighbors and family, people who are not involved for fame or personal gain. Mainly Latinos, mainly working class with a recent emphasis on youth. The place to find these members is in exactly the struggles – both electoral and around issues. Binding them into a group is done through periodic meetings, educational forums, social events, and issue organizing.
• We face 6 main challenges.

1. Building strong cores in all 3 neighborhoods – McKinley Park, Brighton Park, and East Little Village.
2. Including the most marginalized – non citizens particularly non English speakers, elderly, and disabled.
3. Finding the right balance of activism around local issues versus broader policy and electoral issues
4. Consistent functioning and communication because we are 100 per cent volunteer
5. Developing close working relationships with kindred organizations – other IPOs as well as non profit advocacy groups.
6.  Candidate recruitment and training.

• To gain perspective is may be necessary to consider the nature of the present period. Make no mistake. We are in a time of DEFENDING the standards of living and democratic rights of our hard pressed neighborhoods. Like an army being relentlessly back by an advancing enemy, we always have to analyze where to re-group, stave off encirclements, and counter attack.
•  Sometimes the period is defined as resisting austerity. Other times as countering neo-liberalism. These are useful categories. Defending democratic rights should be elevated as co-equal to these two concepts. School councils, police review and CAPS, electoral integrity, transparency, and accessibility to policy makers should be on our agenda.
• There is no need to concoct or divine the correct demand, the most winnable demand, nor the
  “perfect” springboard to our access to localized power. It is not time to bemoan how apathetic and passive are the people. Look around. There is no end to issues and grievances which spontaneously arise in the populace. Our job is to plunge in and give what leadership we can. We do not have to be the organization that gets the credit. Other issue and neighborhood based organizations have far more capacity, expertise, and connections.
• It is said (David Harvey) that the kinds of organization which arise reflects a direct response to the kinds of organization which has been created to control us. And in a chaotic, profit-driven system, those forms of control are constantly changing – even on a daily basis. In earlier times of more dominant mass industrial production and injustice, our people developed massive unions to resist. Now as we find ourselves increasingly in a gig economy, the forms of resistance are more localized. Now that the effort to squeeze us is coming more in the form of taxation and inequality of services and benefits. Coming more in violence, deportation, and neglect of those considered to be superfluous and unprofitable. We see organizations like Black Lives Matter, myriad expressions of resistance to deportations and depreciation of undocumented people, the mental health movement, trauma center, wage theft, privatization, environmental racism, school closings. IPOs don’t need to be the main organizers. We need to slip stream that momentum—publicize, give up our organizers, advocate with politicians, threaten electoral reprisals.  https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/07/david-harvey-neoliberalism-capitalism-labor-crisis-resistance/
• Neo-liberalism has more than 18 carat facets. All in the name of freedom for capital to achieve its yearly growth target – privatization, de-regulation, elimination of government services, financialization, globalism, concentration of ownership, division and picking on the weakest, rewards to political enablers. There is one other that we – the people on the ground – need to be award of: misdirection. The democratic tendency is still strong in our country. To pull the wool over our eyes, guys like Bill Clinton and Rahm have become experts at giving a penny with one hand and stealing a dollar with the other. We have to be astute to publicize and call out the plans which are devised to confuse and contuse.
• Minority nationalities are the bullseye of the neo liberal target. Effective resistance cannot be mounted unless we take on these attacks for what they are – a cataclysm of exclusion for people of color. In the political life of urban areas like Chicago, we have social and political forces which base their future on giving commercial and political leadership to minorities as minorities. They haven’t always sided with every progressive and/or working class cause. In times like now we have to build such a broad tent as to take advantage of what the center brings. By our expertise at the grass roots we can be the dog and not the tail.
• Learn from everyone. Mistakes are an essential part of learning. Coming up with the right approach is an iterative process. Adopt a line. Test it in practice. Tweak and repeat. Or junk it and rethink it.
• Unity of IPOs and all resistance organizations and stirrings is paramount. We have a good start – particularly as witnessed in our cooperation in Chuy’s campaign. Don’t let turf lines or lazy rivers separate us. Though each of the SW side wards has particular and different historical political, class, immigration, and nationality characteristics the plight of our residents is quite uniform.

Warm winds smiled softly. Far from the whirling rancor that rips at leaves in faraway forests.

What better a contrast! The unifier, the patient listener, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, the victor, our next state rep, a woman of warmth and justice. Here in the gateway to the Southwest Side.

At a time when a red faced devil, an abuser, a cynical divisive psychopath glares from TV.

At Dr. Mah’s outpost in the Chuy Garcia district headquarters, we were pleasantly surprised by a full house for her campaign kickoff. The first Asian American in the Illinois General Assembly knows you can never let your guard down. Though victory is assured because she faces no opponent, she is running a robust November operation. Regular Dem challengers will resurface trying to unseat her in 2018.

Meet several characters in the pageant. More threads than a brilliant tapestry. Conversations elbow to elbow, spilling out to the sidewalk.

Tireless Rebecca Shi — always looking for something positive and in common, “I want to meet your wife because we really enjoyed visiting Oaxaca.”

David Li — a Chinese expert on British/Japanese history. I told him that I had been interested in the Chinese Revolution 40 years ago, something I usually hesitate to share. You never know how people will react. The guy knows nuance and lots about the various affects of cataclysmic world events.

A few guys from Chuy’s most loyal Pilsen crew. I told them my idea of sharing costs of our IPO palm cards for election day since we generally support the same candidates — both north and south of the river.

Reverend Tom told me that there is visible Trump activity in Bridgeport. Blue ribbons on trees east of Halsted, hateful comments on community web sites, Republican registration. All the more reason to hit hard at Trump this election. “But we’ll win Bridgeport.” “That’s not the point,” I said. “We win big to isolate the backward. Why were people with racial envy afraid to speak before? Because civil rights was dominant – big enough to shame haters.”

Meeting Kam Liu. A happy, effervescent guy. All these years, I’d considered him to be some unapproachable real estate mogul. Far from it, another friend to add my legion of acquaintances.

Highlights kept coming when the rally began. Three leaders of the Whitney Young Honor Society announced that special service hours will go to their members who volunteer.

A group from Theresa’s surprising victory in the St. Pius neighborhood in Pilsen. A couple of my ESL students showed up with them. I told myself, “I don’t remember inviting them.”

Chuy’s final words targeted the main enemy, “That’s why we have to defeat Trump and defeat him big.”

Pete Mendoza raised the rafters with his gravelly baritone, “We are the grass roots.”

When my son and I returned to our own precinct, we engaged with neighbors. In my opinion that’s where campaigners are most valuable — on our own home turf.

Harry on the corner cataloged the plant by plant departure of local industry. He did the books for companies and their workers. Not that happy with Hillary. Not happy with the empty industrial buildings and the departure of old time friends. Yet totally for Theresa. We think he’ll vote against Trump. We reminisced about the sad passing of Mike Holland — alone in his home.

In our alley we bonded with men who make a living with their hands. Sometimes political discussions slide to the side after you get a wink for Theresa or a willing signature on the mayoral term limits petition.

The alley is an ecosystem of Latino families who help each other — dry wallers aiding roofers. auto body men tackling jobs for plumbers. This fabric of community is the basis for progress on November 8th and beyond.

Our unity will be evident when we vote. It is not like the old days when Daley’s city workers insincerely thanked residents “for coming out.” Time to celebrate new alliances and bury Trump in a blizzard of ballots.

Dark clouds in the September skies yielded to bright October bundles. I rang bells along South Leavitt — the block I’ve lived on for over 25 years. “I’m your captain. What’re going to do this political season?”

Meet my neighbors. Think about them and tell me that we should stay on the couch, that it doesn’t matter because we are in a “safe” state, that nothing matters, that we should ignore this heightened political environment.

We started at Theresa Mah’s office. Walk sheets of the frequent voters. Me and Danny Ferrales. He is the first inspiration, “I love walking precincts. Been doing it my whole life.” Not shy. Goes quickly for signatures on the “Term Limits for the Mayor” petition.

Retired Latino homeowner. Wouldn’t repeat his hopeful comment about Donald Trump from 3 weeks ago. Disgusted with rising property taxes and the Mayor’s favoritism toward downtown. A smile at the mention of Theresa. A scowl for alderman George Cardenas.

White guy in his 40s whom I had never seen. Didn’t seem to be down on his luck. “Do you live here?” “Yes, just renting.” Positive for Mah, for making corporations pay, and for access to higher education for all.” It gave me a lift.

One of the older sons of a family with 6 votes. “Help for college, yes. Maybe I could of gone. I couldn’t afford it.” I double checked his first name. “Same as my dad.” I knew his old man had passed from cancer last year. “Que Descance en Paz”. “Thanks” he said, sincerely.

A Chinese man about my age. I told him I lived across the street for 25 years. He pointed to his breast, “Thirty for me”. We shared a smile that said. “what a crazy world. Where neighbors are unknown, anonymous and nothing more than a closed front curtain.” He didn’t seem to have a clue about Theresa. But it could have been a language problem.

Another neighbor who’d never blipped my radar — this one directly across the street. I told her that her father, a retired CTA bus driver, had given me first aid the time I opened up a gash on my palm 25 years ago. Another signature on the term limits petition. In return she got my business card, “Neighbors need to watch for neighbors.”

The friendliest Puerto Rican this side of San Juan. Thirty one years in an industrial springs plant that no longer exists on Western. Lots of head shakes and jokes about Trump. Concern for grandchildren coming of age. “If you need any help with your wife, you still have my card?”

Younger dude who’s getting by tutoring Calculus. “Hey if you need a list of union job openings in hotels, talk to my wife.” And “What do you think of the 3rd survey question about affordable college.” “Are you kidding?” he grinned.

Retired couple – both from CPS. The wife: “If I have to I’ll drive 40 miles to get my son and bring him to vote against Trump.” The husband: “We went to hearings on cutbacks of help for the disabled. My heart goes out. Wanted to cry.”

Latino college student. “My brother shocked me saying he’d vote for Trump. I started yelling did he realize that could mean their own mother and father could be deported”

Another house with multiple Latino voters. After she signs the term limits petition, “Make sure your brother comes to our IPO meeting, Tuesday. We’re deciding on endorsements. You can come too, if you want.”

This is just a sampling of what you can find on any single block on the Southwest side. There is a key task for us progressives — even more important that how exactly we express ourselves on our independent palm cards and election outreach. Hyper local organizing among the people most affected and most threatened. Stand as a leader. Express what they realize.

This is a time of realignment, of peril, of opportunity, and danger. Uniting against Trump is the clarion call. Be there in your own precinct with all the like minded people to send a clear message. We are the yeast in the loaf, but not smarter the the whole.

Aggregate our forces to take on the battles which will surely come. Cultivate your own block captains. The grassroots is the soil for democracy. Treasure, protect, and uplift. Vote Democratic emphasizing not Hillary but the planks that our Sanders movement forced into the platform.