Vermont Progressive Party
The Vermont Progressive Party is a third party independent of corporate sponsorship and organizes on a grassroots level. They seek social justice and political equality for all Vermonters and hope to provide a successful model for the United States political system as a whole.
Origins
In 1985, Bernie Sanders (now Vermont’s junior Senator) was elected mayor of Burlington, beating a conservative “old boy” Democrat. Bernie brought the best and the brightest in to City Hall and implemented many reforms that were simply modern good government. He empowered a range of citizens to have a direct voice in city government: from students, to the poor, to the elderly.
Progressives started running for the Burlington City Council and getting elected from the poor, student, and middle class areas of Burlington. They cleaned up the waterfront left trashed by industry, started city-wide recycling, and established a public/private partnership with a land trust to make low and moderate rental and home ownership available. The Progressive Administration started a women’s small business technical assistance program and an affirmative action ordinance for the awarding of city contracts. The city-owned public electric utility created nationally-recognized efficiency programs, developed a wood-burning electric facility, and provides Burlington residents with the lowest electric rates in the state. <ref> http://www.progressiveparty.org/organize/model </ref>
Recent History
Progressives began to run for the Vermont Legislature from Burlington districts which elected one, then two, then three, representatives. In 2000, they attained major party status and elected their first legislator outside of Burlington. In 2002, their Lt. Governor candidate received 25% of the vote in a statewide race, the largest of any third party candidate for statewide office in the country in recent history. In 2004, they elected three new legislators, all from rural, traditionally Republican areas of Vermont. Although some of the names have changed, Progressives kept their Statehouse numbers steady in 2006 and 2008.
In Burlington, Progressives have won the mayor’s office in every election but one since 1985, and remain a strong presence on the City Council. <ref> http://www.progressiveparty.org/organize/model </ref>
A Model For Change
The VPP is the most successful independent party in the U.S. They have six members of the Vermont Legislature currently. Progressives have been elected to the Vermont Legislature, without interruption, for 20 years.
This is not a traditional third party. They pick the races they enter strategically. They recruit candidates who are entrenched in their communities. They do not run against other “progressive” candidates.
They challenge the status quo, and this puts pressure on both of the other major parties. "The Republicans and Democrats have achieved a comfort zone. They are entrenched in business-as-usual and big-money politics. They need each other and do not want competition from anyone with new ideas. They define themselves in opposition to each other, rather than articulating what they stand for." <ref> http://www.progressiveparty.org/organize/model</ref>
In Vermont, the VPP presence pushes the envelope on many fronts. As they speak out on issues and provide leadership, the voters express their support for VPP positions. This puts pressure on the other parties in campaigns, and in legislation. Their strong voice keeps progressive issues on the forefront and forces all the candidates to take positions on them. As VPP legislators speak out on the House floor, they provide cover for those progressive Democrats, and Republicans, who are unable to speak out against their party leadership.
Progressive leadership in the Vermont Legislature resulted in the opposition to utility deregulation in Vermont and in passage of rBGH growth hormone labeling laws and Medical Marijuana legislation.
They are strongly pro-labor and supporters of small agriculture. They have backed issues such as Universal Health Care, Opposition to No Child Left Behind, comprehensive Tax Reform, and many other issues which have forced the other parties to take public positions on these items and to move toward the Progressive positions.
This has proven to be a viable model for change in Vermont. "As our hard work and measured pace pay off with state policies more in needs with working Vermonters, these successes point to a way forward for organizers and activists in other states unable to work within the two-party duopoly or on third parties focused on national, rather than local, races." <ref>http://www.progressiveparty.org/organize/model/ref>
Statement of Principles
These are the VPP's stated principles as listed on the VPP website.
- The purpose of the Progressive Party is to promote economic, social and environmental justice and sustainability through electoral and other democratic political activities, and to become the majority political party, while protecting minority and individual rights and opportunities.
- Our country, state and localities can reach their highest social and economic aspirations through truly representative democracy.
- All people have a right to equal participation in society.
- Democracy requires empowering people not only in government, but also in the workplace, schools and in the overall economy.
- Society's wealth should not be concentrated in the hands of a few, and a wealthy minority should not control the conditions under which we live.
- Collective organizing is essential for people of low and moderate income to attain economic justice.
- Everyone is entitled to decent work at a living wage in a safe working environment.
- We need to create an economy that is sustainable and reverses the destruction of our global environment.
- The burden of taxes should be shared based on ability to pay.
- Basic needs, including housing, food, health care, education and energy should be affordable to all and not the means for private profit.
- Directing more resources toward the care and development of children is essential to a health and prosperous society.
- Our society's deeply rooted racism and white privilege, whether overt, subtle or institutional, need to be abolished wherever they exist.
- The prevalence of sexism, both overt and subtle, limits and damages us all. More than merely encouraging women to fully participate, we must affirmatively assure their inclusion in all aspects of economic and civil society.
- Seniors and people with disabilities should be able to participate fully in society without economic deprivation or social isolation.
- All people, regardless of sexual orientation, should be able to participate fully in society without interference. We must affirmatively ensure their inclusion in all aspects of society.
- Our society's deeply rooted discrimination against low-income people, whether overt, subtle or institutional, needs to be abolished wherever it exists.
- Consistent with the rights and equality of others, religious and cultural minority groups deserve respect and freedom from governmental interference.
- Community members should be fully integrated into decision-making about the economic destinies of their communities. Those who operate a small business or farm, or are self-employed, must be protected from the overreaching power of mega-corporations.
- Human labor is the key to creation of wealth. We challenge the assumed right to derive vast wealth from ownership or position.
- No nation should exploit the labor or resources of another nation or people.
- Human survival requires the elimination of nuclear weapons and the redirection of military spending to human needs.
Resolutions
As articulated on the VPP website, these are their resolutions
Whereas: Job displacement that results from economic, ecological or social imperatives must be dealt with as the other side of the “social good” coin, and not cost workers or communities their health, wealth or assets. The cost of such changes should fall on those who can afford it; and
Whereas: The Vermont Progressive Party understands that climate change, the preservation of the environment and the danger of nuclear pollution are issues that directly affect working people because they are the most vulnerable and have the fewest resources to deal with these problems; and
Whereas: It will take the united efforts of all affected Vermonters to cope with these problems, especially those workers most directly affected by environmental protection measures and the closure of Vermont Yankee including their Trade Unions to bring about real change; and
Whereas: While it is true that a state-based single-payer or self insurance system is the only effective mechanism for controlling skyrocketing costs by saving millions annually wasted on administrative costs and insurance company profits while covering all Vermonters, it is also true that this will result in job losses for those currently employed by health care providers and insurance companies in processing insurance claims.
Therefore be it resolved: That the Vermont Progressive Party strongly advocates a “Just Transition” to a sustainable economy, always demonstrating a deep concern for both jobs and the environment.
Be it further resolved: That the closing of Entergy’s Vermont Yankee plant must include provisions for a “Just Transition” for the local community which faces the loss of revenue, and the VY workers who lose their jobs, and may, in this economy, never have a family wage job again. A “Just Transition” includes a firm commitment to guarantee jobs (at union wages) or income, as well as necessary retraining.
Be it further resolved: That the Vermont Progressive Party’s fight for a state-based single-payer system include provisions for a “Just Transition” for all those who lose their jobs because they are employed by health care providers to process insurance claims.
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