Sex, Football and Politics

I went to a meeting last night and was completely frustrated. I hate non-profit organizations who deny the role that politics plays in the governance of their organizations and mission.

Fucking tired of it. Shit, if the Dems don’t win, there won’t be a system to save. The GOP will not pass any legislation to protect housing. Who will your clients be?

I live in a battleground district. My state senator has sent me an ad a week. I have not heard one mention in any of the ads has he protected affordable housing via stabilized or subsidized housing.

He is a Republican, and the Republicans have not done anything positive for NYC tenants in over 2 generations.

They have had control of the State Senate since 1965.

The Housing Advocates in NYC will have to take down their shingles, shudder their doors,  and update their resumes if the Democrats do not take control of the State Senate in November.

Period. End of Sentence. Stop.

Yet, when you ask him how they are getting the people that they serve, the poor and working poor people who provide the human grease that makes this city and state go, you get pregnant pauses. They claim to be helping people, yet in the very action that could make a difference, the very action that establishes our country, our democracy, you get silence.

Or bullshit that you will endanger your function.

Memo to tenant advocates: if the Dems don’t win, you will not have funding. At least not for tenant assistance.

I will say this about everyone except John Raskin. You might remember wild man John Raskin. He works at Housing Conservation Coordinators in the Hell’s Kitchen section of NYC. He was the first Community Organizer who took bold action in respone to Palin and Rudy’s comments about the profession.

In the new issue of City Hall News, John is profiled in the 40 under 40 feature, and here are his comments that allow me to give him major applause this week:

(crazy John Raskin, 3rd from the left)

John Raskin
Community Organizer, Housing Conservation Coordinators; Board of Directors member, ACT NOW
Age: 27
Karaoke Song: “Don’t Turn Around,” by Ace of Base

By day, John Raskin is a community organizer for Housing Conservation Coordinators, a non-profit affordable housing advocacy group.

By night (and weekends), he and the rest of the people in ACT NOW canvass and make phone calls on behalf of Democratic candidates throughout the state and country.

Though he stressed the nonpartisan nature of his housing advocacy, Raskin, a Manhattanite on the West Side, was pushed to publicly condemn national GOP figures who mocked Sen. Barack Obama’s (D) time as a community organizer during the Republican National Convention. He has since started a blog detailing the responsibilities of community organizers.

Even before his profession was attacked in front of the national media, Raskin often found partisan politics seeping into his advocacy, as he feels Democrats more often support similar issues as Housing Conservation Coordinators.

“If I’m successful in the partisan stuff,” Raskin said, “it makes my day job easier.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “John Raskin, experienced organizer.”

I hope his boss doesn’t bother him. I pray that the other ED’s will follow suit, and soon!