NWLC Labor Picnic - Merkley, Kitzhaber interviews, pictures

The Northwest Labor Council’s Labor Day Picnic in Oaks Park is the biggest Labor Day event in Oregon, and the turnout of electeds leaves no doubt to that fact. Sen Jeff Merkley and once-and-future Gov John Kitzhaber led what was literally a parade of state and local elected officials. More importantly, perhaps, labor activists and supporters got the chance to spend the day with other union members and their families. At a time in our nation’s history when unions continue to considered by many to be antithetical to economic success, getting together whe folks from as many unions as showed up for the event has to be encouraging.

I sure enjoyed seeing all the different unions that were represented, along with groups like the Multonomah County Democrats and Bus Project who have been (long-time and recent) allies with the labor movement. I could have collected enough interviews with the electeds to fill a 2-hour podcast, but, since I have no podcast, I stuck with just interviews: Sen Merkley and Gov Kitzhaber.

Senator Merkley thinks supporters of Obama and his change agenda are frustrated because expectations are so high; he also said what is need is to move 3 or 4 votes in the Senate, something Oregon activists will be able to little about directly.

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You know me, I’m a grassroots activist. The thing that’s making me crazy right now is: Obama’s been in office a little over six months and people are already — and we’re talking about supporters — talking about how he’s failed, how he’s fallen short. There seems to be this typical — the Democrats get in power and they immediately start fighting with each other, and fighting … .

What do you, as our Senator, need from the activists and supporters in Oregon to, not only to push through a good strong health care reform, but the entire agenda the country voted for last year?

JM

If people look at what’s already passed this year…. For example, in health care, we finally regulated tobacco and took on products that tobacco companies are going to be trying to hook the next generation with. We proceeded to expand children’s health insurance program so that far more children will have access to health care. In a normal year, that would be incredible health care accomplishments. But indeed, our expectations are high, and we want to reach that goal of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. And I just tell people, Stay the course. Keep working with us. We’re going to get it done; the next two months will be critical.

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Do you need to get letters from constituents? Do you need phone calls? Does that stuff help you? Does it serve as ammunition?

JM

I certainly appreciate the input from all Oregonians. I think in terms of accomplishing affordable, accessible health care, we need to move 3 or 4 votes that we don’t have yet. That’ll be the challenge.

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Is Sen Wyden one of those?

JM

Sen Wyden has done an excellent job on health care, and I think he has help set the stage for taking the model of creating a gateway and having affordable, accessible health care. I think he’ll be there when we need him to complete this picture.

Gov Kitzhaber is one of those who is frustrated by the progress and direction of the health care reform debate in Congress. He believes real change will come when citizens take control of the change agenda at home, in their communities.

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What’s the secret to getting the people who went out and busted their butt last year to elect Obama and Merkley and others, to get them to get out there and do anything to support the agenda on an on-going basis? How do we convince people to break out of the every-2-to-4 year cycle that ….

JK

I think you put your foot in a real challenge. I think a lot of people sort of view the responsibility of citizenship ends at the ballot box. That’s important, but it actually starts there because Obama can’t solve these problems, neither can Senator Merkley; we’re going to have to do it together. One of the frustrations I’ve had about the national health care debate is there really isn’t a plan. It’s being put together. There isn’t a clear target for us to advocate for. Now hopefully that’s going to be changing here in the next couple of weeks. I think having clear goals for people to organize around is absolutely essential. Policy goals as well as candidates.

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And I’m guessing because of your work with the Archimedes Movement that you think that begins at the local level.

JK

It really does. What we’ve tried to do with the Archimedes Movement is to get people to understand that the objective here isn’t just coverage; it’s what we’re buying. We want to be healthy, not just have health care. I think when people understand that change in the health care system really does start at the local, community level, we’re a long way down the road towards fixing this problem, this challenge.

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Simply getting, for instance, the public option: that’s one step. That’s not a goal.

JK

Yeah. It’s really a means to an end. The public option is a different way to pay for something. Having been in the profession, the real question is what we’re buying and the relationship that has to health. Because a lot of the stuff you pay for in your premiums doesn’t go to anything that actually adds to your overall health. We need to thin that out and make sure what you’re paying for are services that actually improve the health of individuals in the population.

The labor movement is about people taking control of their local situation. One of the speakers during the afternoon spoke of the need for the labor movement to democratize and let leadership move up from the bottom, not be imposed at the top. This is the signal identifier of progressivism, and it’s good to see it emerging within labor as it is in many other areas where grassroots activism can do so much good for the nation.

Here’s a selection of what I saw on the day. (More photos below the break.)

the junior Senator and the next Governor

Reyna, 2009 Bus Politicorps Fellow & new Bus staffer, from Salem (working the money-maker)

2 Bus volunteers, the names of whom it shames me i did not find out

Shirley Vandermosten & KC Hanson, Mult Dems

Shirley & KC

"Mad as Hell Doctors" who are heading cross-country to advocate for single-payer

Mult County Commission Chair Ted Wheeler, shmoozing; Katrina stands by, patient

Clackamas Co Commissioner Lynn Petersen (big Bus supporter; yay Lynn) with UFCW Scty/Trsr Jeff Johnson (i think that's him; i need to send him pictures from the health care rally)