Twenty years ago today

[norepubsin08]

In Tacoma, Washington twenty years ago today a group of citizen activists commenced a campaign called the 10% Solution. It was in response to the massive military build up by Ronald Reagan and also the looming huge budget deficits. It asked that the city be required to send out a proclamation to the state's congressional delegation requesting a 10% reduction in military spending and apply that to social services, mass transit, education and health care and deficit reduction. I was the working chair of that campaign.

We were told by professional pollsters that we didn't have much of a chance to get on the ballot because Tacoma is surrounded by military installations. The major newspaper in town, The Tacoma News Tribune, recommended a no vote.

Not only did we get on the ballot, but we won with 64% of the vote, the most of any candidate or issue that election cycle. We worked very closely with unions, mainline churche peace organizations and the National Conference of Mayors. Granted, we didn't get our reduction, but what we did get was a huge discussion among the voters as to our national priorities. It woke some people up to how we as a society spends it's money. While already starting to lean liberal...this helped push the city over the edge. Tacoma is decidedly more liberal today than it was 20 years ago. The other big value of this initiative campaign had was that it trained a whole group of citizens in how to run and work on campaigns. Out of that campaign came a challenge the next year to our DINO US Representative and that race although not won at the primary level moved our representative to the left. We did all on $19,000. (1989 Dollars.)

IMHO I think we need to have some more of these types of campaigns. Stoke up the dialogue and train more activists in the art of electoral politics. If there was a groundswell of cities doing this perhaps we could make Congress take notice and listen.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Dear norepubsin08:

I applaud your invovlement, your effort, and anything/everything you have done to bring Tacoma into the light.....

from :

a former Washington state native ........

:yourock:

[norepubsin08]

2. Where in Washington did you live?

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Primarily Puget Sound area.

We moved a lot, so I lived in various parts of both sides of the state.
Not in Tacoma, tho.
I was quite active as a community organizer in Seattle/Snohomish County in 70's.
Therefore I appreciate how much energy and sustained commitment it takes.

[norepubsin08]

4. Hey that's cool.

I was the one who a year later in 1990 ran against Norm Dicks from the left. I was projected to get 9% of the vote and wound up with 41% of the primary vote. I had an electoral yard sign case as a result of that campaign "Collier et al-vs-City of Tacoma" which went to the Supreme Court and we won the case 9-0. We made Dick's change his vote on the funding of the SOA.