Members of several San Fernando Valley progressive groups met on August 23, 2018, at Toolbox LA for a presentation introducing the idea of forming a San Fernando Valley-based, non-partisan Progressive Alliance to elect corporate-free political candidates and support issue-based campaigns.
The meeting was organized by Ankur Patel, LAUSD School and Community Coordinator, District 3, and former candidate for Assembly District 45.
Attendees included representatives of Health Care for All – San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Progressive Alliance, Our Revolution West San Fernando Valley, North Valley Democratic Club, Public Bank LA, San Fernando Valley Democratic Socialists of America and Erika Alvarez, candidate for LAUSD School Board District 5.
Gayle McLaughlin, Richmond Progressive Alliance
The keynote speaker was Gayle McLaughlin, co-founder of the Richmond Progressive Alliance and 2017 candidate for California Lieutenant Governor. McLaughlin has been traveling the state to encourage the formation of local progressive alliances modeled on the Richmond alliance.
McLaughlin’s ultimate goal is to eventually bring all the local progressive alliances together into an emerging, nonpartisan California Progressive Alliance, which seeks to “elevate progressive ideas, promote the creation of local political alliances and coalitions for political power; support corporate-free progressive candidates and issue-based electoral campaigns and expand the communication and dialogue” among California progressive groups.
To that end, she’s been traveling the state, meeting with local progressive groups and sharing her vision of transforming California by taking back the power from corporations. When it comes to taking back power, McLaughlin knows what she’s talking about.
After co-founding the Richmond Progressive Alliance in 2003, McLaughlin ran for Mayor against the Chevron Corporation-backed candidate and won. She later won a second term as Mayor, in spite of more than $1 million spent by Chevron Corporation to defeat her. She then went on to serve five years on the Richmond City Council before stepping down to run for Lieutenant Governor.
First as Mayor and later as city council member, McLaughlin fought against the grip held on Richmond’s municipal government by Chevron, owner of the city’s largest employer and polluter, the Chevron Richmond Refinery. Notably, she led efforts to hold Chevron accountable for the impact of their operations on climate change and public health, and to force Chevron to pay their rightful property taxes. She also raised the minimum wage in Richmond and worked to save local families from mortgage foreclosure by purchasing (or appropriating by eminent domain) their mortgages from the banks.
Vision: A Statewide, Non-Partisan Progressive Alliance
For the future, McLaughlin envisions a statewide progressive alliance focused on non-partisan issues that will improve the lives of all Californians. These include repealing Costa Hawkins to enable cities to better control rents, and reforming Proposition 13.*
*Proposition 13 was California’s 1978 constitutional amendment that limited taxes both on personal residences, but also on commercial real estate owned by oil companies and other corporations who have benefited enormously. Fixing Prop 13 would increase state revenues by an estimated $10 billion a year, monies that could potentially be used to restore infrastructure, fund schools and community services.
In addition, McLaughlin has established a non-connected federal PAC called The Incorruptibles to support the formation of progressive alliances with cutting-edge, in-person and distance training opportunities in movement building and electoral success for grassroots teams in California and across the country.
San Fernando Valley-based organizations could potentially opt to join the Los Angeles Progressive Alliance, or establish their own local alliance.
Current local California-based progressive alliances include:
- Alameda Justice Alliance
- Concord Communities Alliance
- Los Angeles Progressive Alliance
- Orange County Progressive Alliance
- Progressive Alliance of the Inland Empire
- San Diego Progressive Alliance
- San Francisco Progressive Alliance
- San Gabriel Valley Progressive Alliance
- South Bay Progressive Alliance
- The New Progressives of Del Norte
- The North Coast People’s Alliance
- Northern California Progressive Alliance
- The Pacifica Progressive Alliance
- The Pinole Progressive Alliance
- The South Bay Los Angeles People’s Alliance
—Georgia Brewer
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