I got an email from the Progressive Democrats of America, New York chapter, a few days ago, and I’ve been sitting on it ever since, considering.
At first I was interested in attending. Sure, it would require a drive into New York City, but the December 9th event would be featuring a former member of Congress, Cindy Sheehan, and Bob Fertik, the founder of ImpeachPAC, in a discussion of a plan to impeach Bush and Cheney. That sounds like a good event to attend, right?
But then, my eyes were caught by one line in the message:
Event fee: USD10.00 per person.
Event fee? Since when do political organizers charge a fee for people to attend a discussion of a grassroots political effort? The answer: Since the event is organized through Meetup.com.
Thanks for the offer, but I won’t be attending. It really isn’t the money itself. I’ve got ten bucks to spare, no problem.
It’s the principle of the thing. It’s obvious to anyone who’s paying attention that the impeachment movement is up against the ropes right now. Its members have worked for two years to restore a Democratic majority to power so that impeachment could take place, and now the Democratic leaders of Congress are saying that impeachment will not be considered. Sure, a Democratic-led investigation could turn up new impeachable offenses so outrageous that impeachment could not be stopped, but the clock is ticking. Would there really be much point in Congress impeaching President Bush in August, 2008?
In such circumstances, the impeachment movement ought to be welcoming anyone who wants to attend any pro-impeachment meeting. Charging a fee for attendance at such a meeting is an arrogant maneuver, no matter how small that fee is. There are too many important meetings for too many important causes for progressive activists to waste time with an event at which they’re asked to pay up just for the privilege of walking through the door.
I helped organize a similar forum in Sacramento. We charged $10 per person. We sold every seat and had a very enthusiastic crowd. The money from the gate was used to pay for the expensive rental of the auditorium and for transportation and lodging for the speakers. Most of the organizers paid out of pocket.
We are all in this together. Why should the organizers have to pay for everything on top of donating all their time? I was very grateful that the people who attended the forum helped cover the cost.
And what did the event accomplish to help promote impeachment that could not have been accomplished outside of an auditorium environment where people are charged money to attend?