Stuff that matters

Last night was The Wheelies, the Bus Project’s “Awards Show for Stuff that Matters” extravaganza. The winners are listed after the break, but the list on nominees is what really matters. There were, in most categories, numerous finalists from across Oregon and across multiple policy areas. What this means is that not only did the Bus Project have rich pickings for Wheelies nominees, it means the state has a wealth of citizens doing what they can to make things better for us all.

And a lot of those folks are succeeding.

The 4th graders from Sunset Primary were recognized for getting the Legislature to name the Dungeness Crab “State Crustacaen”. New Seasons was honored for how it treats employees. DemoForum was awarded the “Legend Award” for four decades of discussion about democracy that has produced not only thoughtful discourse but thoughtful, active leaders. Nominees were as deserving as the winners; while “Farm to School” won the “Best Campaign for the Public Good”, the other nominees did work just as strong and just as much for the public good. It’s not so much that one nominee won and the others did not. It’s more like one nominee was selected to represent the work all the groups were doing.

The progressive movement is not about particular issues. It’s not even about being successful at the ballot or in the Legislature. Those honored at the Wheelies are not outstanding because they have achieved certain goals; they have achieved the goals that earned them recognition because of how they achieved those goals: grassroots activism. Even those whose recognized work was based in the Legislature, such as State-Based Health Reform, were successful because a broad and energized coalition of citizens was behind the work. Mitch Greenlick and his colleagues did heroic work in the Leg, but without citizens showing up in Salem, at town hall meetings, and on lawmakers’ desks (phone calls, letters, emails), the ability of politicians to get substantial reform done shrinks drastically.

The upcoming battle to save the tax fairness measures is a case in point. The Leg had horribly difficult choices to make regarding what to cut, what fees to raise, etc. They sucked it up and made the cuts, and then the faced down the corporate lobby and passed what were, by any fair measure, modest tax increases. But they did so knowing the increases would be referred to the voters — which means the Leg acted with the belief that the supporters of tax fairness in the state would validate the Leg’s actions.

Without grassroots activism, the work of the 2009 gets a big hole blown in it.
This is what the post-millenial progressive movement is about: Citizens taking responsibility for the nation. Politicians are citizens, too, of course; they have an important role to play in their elected offices, but they are being knocked down the ladder, bit by bit. “Ordinary” citizens grow increasingly important. The organizations that won Wheelies, and those which were nominated, all depend on volunteers — grassroots activists — to make their success possible. Corporations, lobbyists, entrenched powers: they can rule the state and the country only to the extent citizens allow them. The Wheelies celebrated what happens when people say No and then get busy doing something positive.

They change the world by doing stuff that matters.

2009 Wheelies Awardees

The Big Deal Award
Lucy Palmersheim
Garrett Downen

Courage Award
Oregon Food Bank

Legend Award
DemoForum

Best Supporting Activist (The Training Wheelie)
Gerik Kransky

The Ben Fain Award (Volunteer Award)
Andrea Cooper
Rick Ray (on behalf of Onward Oregon)

Not Left, Not Right, But For(A)ward (Bipartisanship Award)
Tuition Equity

High-Road BUS-iness Award
New Seasons

Best Campaign for the Public Good
Farm to School

The Six-E-iest Award
State-Based Health Reform

Best Citizen-Driven Campaign
Sunset Primary School 4th Graders