Page 4
News
Ralph Nader says Americans have
the potential to reclaim political clout
from corporations. H e’ll visit
Portland to promote his new book
- and a Multnomah County
campaign finance measure.
Street Roots • Oct. 14-20, 2016
■ah
I
I W
B l
BY E M ILY GREEN
at the First
Unitarian Church
*
of
Portland.
elentless consumer advocate and frequent
Nader recently
presidential candidate Ralph Nader is
spoke with Street
coming to Portland to discuss his new
book, “Breaking Through Power: It’s Easier Roots by phone
from - .
Than We Think.”
Washington,
At 149 pages, his new release from City
D.C., where he
&
Lights Books is a quick and captivating read that
had just hosted
*'
seeks to enrage its audience before motivating
a four-day
' nf
readers toward a pragmatic solution.
conference
where
Nader succinctly lays out the ways Americans
91 prominent civic
have handed over their common properties and
leaders from across the
constitutional rights to corporations and corrupt
nation joined him in
politicians, giving way to what he says is now a
giving lectures under the
tiT
plutocracy featuring two parties beholden to
banner of “Breaking
special interests, not the people.
Through Power.”
He also willfully weaves in instances when
He said it was one of the
\
*
relatively small movements of committed
broadest gatherings of civic
«;
4’
citizens have won major victories against
leaders the nation has ever seen
j
seemingly insurmountable corporate power.
- and not one major media outlet
.
* I
For example, he points out that the fight for a
covered it. Even The Nation, an
$15 minimum wage made headlines and has led
event sponsor, failed to send a
1»
to wage increases in some areas because fewer
reporter. The independent media’s
than 73,000 people spent a few hours each week
failure to prop up progressive leaders,
promoting the idea. To put that in perspective -
the junk-filled abyss that dominates our
.¿¿ x S sm KEB
that’s a major victory for millions of workers,
public airwaves, and his new book were
resulting from the efforts of a group whose size
among the topics we discussed.
equates to about 3 percent of the Portland
Emily G reen: In “Breaking Through
metro area’s population.
Nader ends “Breaking Through Power” with a Power,”you write, “Our country
bipartisan-supported agenda and a blueprint for
has more problems than it should
how a small number of dedicated Americans
tolerate and more solutions than
H ie little
could easily work to take back the country for
it uses. ” How did we get to a
measure th at could
everyone. He argufes that if just 1 percent of the
place where we are so
population worked together to put pressure on
complacent?
Measure 26-84 supporters say the
Congress from each district, it could make all
Ralph Nader: Well, that’s
Multnomah County campaign
the difference.
what happens when you have
finance reform initiative could
One example of citizens attempting to take
inequality of power.
ultimately be used to overturn the
back power will be on the ballot in Multnomah
There’s a lot of talk about
Citizens United decision. Page 7
County this November, he said.
inequality of wealth - greater
Measure 26-184 seeks to limit campaign
than any other Western country
contributions in county commissioner races, but
- but there’s not enough talk about inequality of
because it includes a provision on independent
power - power in the hands of the few deciding
expenditures, its proponents say it could
for the many. When you have that kind of
ultimately be used to overturn the U.S. Supreme
situation, then you have the few, who have
Court’s notorious Citizens United decision.
vested interest in fossil fuels and nuclear,
Nader will be at Powell’s City of Books at
thwarting for decades the onset of energy
noon Saturday, Oct. 22, to discuss his new title.
efficiency and renewable energy, so
Later that day, he’ll deliver a speech at a
even though the solutions are on
fundraiser for the campaign finance reform
ballot measure. The fundraiser begins at 7 p.m.
See NADER, page 5
STAFF WRITER
R
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