Fair Play Spring 2003

SPRING 2003 FAIR PLAY Project provided content, several popular educa- tion organizations including the Center for Popular Economics, Dollars and Sense, and THE WAR Project South contributed to workshop design. Labor Against the War (unions that have passed anti-war resolutions and which represent 4.5 mil- ECONOMY lion US workers) will use this workshop to help FROM WAR AND ECONOMY WORKSHOP. solidify their new network. By Meizhu Lui sions, and their jobs. Schools are closing, class Other organizations including War Times, (a sizes increasing, subsidized childcare slots are There is, indeed, a “new world nationally distributed newspaper led by activists vanishing. These cuts jeopardize our futures and order” in the making. Will it be of color), Pax Christi (a Catholic organization our children's future. one of greater democracy and eco- dedicated for peace), United for Justice and More money pumped into the military means nomic prosperity for all – people Peace, and Jobs with Justice will all help to get less money spent on human needs and environ- in the United States, in Iraq, in the the workshop into the hands of activists who will, mental protection. President Eisenhower – a Middle East, and beyond? Or will in turn, bring it to thousands of people. Republican and a General - said 50 years ago that we see the economic divide pulled We truly appreciate the collaboration of so many “every gun that is made, every warship launched, wider apart and fairness thrown every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a Liz Roll organizations to ensure that the workshop is onto the rubble of history? These timely. And with the financial support of many theft from those who hunger and are not fed, MEIZHU LUI questions are on the minds of people, we will also be able to make it available those who are cold and are not clothed…We pay many. What will be the cost of war? Who will pay? for free from our website, to translate for and dis- for a single destroyer with new homes that could Who will benefit? seminated in Spanish language communities, have housed more than 8,000 people.” ® As the Iraq war drew closer and as President and to be distribution as a PowerPoint presenta- How different our leadership is today! While state Bush promised an endless “war on terror,” we tion. budgets suffer a $75 billion dollar shortfall, began to receive requests for a workshop that President Bush is asking for $75 billion extra dol- War, the Economy, and Democracy would address the impact of war and militarism lars to pay for the first phase of the Iraq war. on the economy. Even before the war with Iraq started, states were There are no words coming from the already suffering their worst budget crisis since We immediately formed partnerships with several Commander-in-Chief acknowledging the hardship the 1930s, according to the National Governor's organizations that offered help with research, cur- suffered by people here at home, such as those Association. People –including readers of Fair riculum, and outreach. The National Priorities referenced by General Eisenhower. Why this Play –are losing their health insurance, their pen- silence? continue next page continue from page 1 ough media research and practice, the unexpected voices of wealthy people, and creative action. The real Bush agenda is to redefine and downsize MEDIA MATTERS government. The democratizing functions of gov- Q. Say more about media research and practice. ernment – safeguarding people from poverty, pro- A. UFE has never sent two press releases to An interview with Betsy Leondar-Wright, viding opportunities for all to participate equally, exactly the same press list. Our media database UFE’s Communications Director and sharing the nation’s resources – are being now has over 11,000 print, broadcast and on-line systematically dismantled. contacts, coded by their beats and interests. We Q. What is UFE's track and record our coverage so that we can go John and Jane Q. Public are being squeezed in a approach to the media? back to the journalists that are interested in our vise consisting of big increases in military spend- A. From its beginning, work. ing on one side, and tax cuts to the wealthy on UFE has made a concert- UFE monitors news trends and piggybacks our the other. ed effort to get our mes- media efforts on current news hooks. Progressive How is it that so many people have been con- sages into the main- taxation may seem like a boring topic to most vinced to support policies that are against their stream media. We had talk radio producers, but when states are in budg- Ellen Shub own interests and those of their neighbors? When media relations staff et crisis, or when the Wall Street Journal calls low- John and Jane Q. Public ask what’s going on, they even when our staff was wage taxpayers “lucky duckies," then there’s an learn the myths that illegal aliens are stealing very small, we’ve includ- BETSY LEONDAR-WRIGHT opening for our message. their jobs and lazy freeloaders on welfare are sap- ed media strategy dis- Q. Tell us about using the unexpected voice of ping government resources. As usual, people of cussions in all of our program planning, and wealthy people. The estate tax campaign comes to color are portrayed as the problem. Soon enough, we’ve invested in media consultants to help us mind. John and Jane are screaming for tax cuts, and vot- sharpen our skills. The reason for this effort is A. Yes. The old journalism saw is “Dog bites man ing to cut social programs. because we assume our outrage at growing inequality is shared by millions of people who – that’s not news. But man bites dog – that’s It is no wonder then that the results of current don't belong to organizations that sponsor UFE news!” So when a multi-millionaire or a business economic policies would widen the racial wealth workshops and who don't see alternative media. owner criticizes policies that benefit rich people gap. According to the Federal Reserve’s recent and corporations – that’s news! Survey of Consumer Finances, the wealth gap Q. Has this investment paid off? United for a Fair Economy created the between white families and families of color grew A. We have been remarkably successful! We’ve Responsible Wealth (RW) project in 1997 to take by 21% between 1998 and 2001. The net worth of reached literally millions of people through the advantage of this element of surprise. Dozens of the typical family of color fell to $17,100, while media. In the last five years, UFE’s work has been wealthy people have given hundreds of interviews white families’ net worth rose to $120,900. The covered in the media over 3,000 times. We have over the past five years, set up by UFE media typical white family now has a net worth seven prioritized talk radio shows, which have been staff. times as large as the typical family of color. called “the town meeting of our time,” and which In 1991, RW’s “Call to Preserve the Estate Tax” reach people who might not read newspapers. At United for a Fair Economy, we know that grow- had hundreds of signers personally affected by The issue of growing economic inequality has the estate tax – and hundreds of media hits as ing economic inequality can be stopped. We hope become a far more widely known trend than it that our "War and the Economy" workshop will well. Currently, the Call has over 1,400 wealthy was five years ago, and our media work has signers, and has been credited with preventing provide additional tools to those looking for alter- played a role in making that happen. natives to the future vision of “permanent war on two bills for immediate estate tax repeal, in 2001 terror.” Q. Breaking into the mainstream media is consid- and 2002. ered very hard—especially if your message isn’t sup- Another world is possible. Q. Describe how UFE/RW uses creative action to porting the status quo. How did you do it? grab media attention—the third key to success. A. There are three secrets to our success: thor- A. UFE uses arts and humor to engage people on 2 issues of fairness. I'll describe one of our earliest Meanwhile, the well-dressed UFE members on raising taxes on the extremely wealthy could bring stunts – now a classic in UFE lore! the boat began to chant, “Throw it! Throw it! Sink in needed revenue for states in crisis. That is our On Tax Day, 1998, two Republican members of them with the sales tax! Flatten them with the flat message. Congress came to Massachusetts to promote tax!” The Congressmen froze, unsure what to do. Q. How bad are the states’ fiscal problems? replacing the progressive income tax with a flat After a moment, they threw the box, which A. States face an unprecedented $70 billion in tax or a national sales tax. Their press conference upended the dinghy and dumped its occupants budget shortfalls in the coming year. In many took place on the Boston Tea Party ship, and their into the chilly waters. states, discretionary spending has already been plans were to put the US tax code into a box The image of the capsizing boat – and the story cut to the bone. Further cuts will not only marked “Tea” and throw it into Boston harbor. of how the little band of protestors flipped the increase human suffering in the short run, they Two UFE staffers rowed a rubber dinghy marked meaning of the Congressmen’s press conference will lead to greater expenses down the road, as “Working Family Life Raft” behind a nearby boat.

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