How Bernie Sanders Shaped the Northeast Punk Scene (a bit of Bernie history)

[azurnoir]

n Burlington, Vermont, 242 Main Street was originally the location of the city's water department. A nondescript building situated near the campus of the University of Vermont and across from a jewelry store, it would look more like an old middle school if not for the graffiti covering the front door and the sign next to it that reads, "Celebrating 25 Years of Art & Music."

It isn't a household name like the now-defunct CBGB in New York City, and it doesn't get the same recognition in the punk rock history books as a spot like 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley. But 242 Main Street is special in its own way: Nearly 30 years after opening its doors, it is now one of the longest running all-ages music venue in the country, beginning as an offbeat government-funded effort to overturn a draconian city ban on live music that resulted in the transformation of an old administrative building into the municipal youth center that exists to this day.

Run by a mix of volunteers and public servants, the Mayor's Youth Office set about implementing new programs: launching a Burlington public access TV show run by kids; opening a sliding-fee scale daycare that's still running; helping the elderly with snow shoveling; and starting a newspaper run by teenagers that published stories on issues ranging from teen suicide to the school budget.

One of the main goals of the new office was to build a youth center in Burlington—and local teenagers made it clear that they wanted it to be an all-ages place where they could see and perform music. The problem was that a local ordinance passed during the previous administration prohibited live music performances on public property.

http://www.vice.com/read/how-bernie-sanders-242-main-street-shaped-the-northeast-punk-scene-515

[Paka]

1. Thanks for the article. n/t

[Cheese Sandwich]

2. So cool!

[BrotherIvan]

3. +1 Exactly

Can you imagine how much vibrancy we could bring back to public life with leadership like that? Wow.

[Cheese Sandwich]

5. Yes! Just by campaigning he is bringing back vibrant public debate and energizing millions of people

As President he will work to keep the people energized and engaged in public debate.

And the OP article is fitting because the Bernie 2016 campaign has a very DIY, no-frills, grassroots aura about it.

[BrotherIvan]

6. Agreed

P.S. every time I see your moniker, I crave a grilled cheese sandwich. mmmmmm

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Here's what this story reminded me of--

Milwaukee Sewer Socialism

While early twentieth century politics were largely associated with the Progressive party, it was also the era of Socialism in Milwaukee. Often referred to as "sewer socialism" for their back-to-basics strategy, Milwaukee Socialists sought to reform the legacy of the Industrial Revolution on the local level by cleaning up neighborhoods and factories with new sanitation systems, municipally-owned water and power systems, community parks, and improved education systems. Progressivism and Socialism had different leaders and spoke different languages, but were, in many ways, remarkably similar in practice. Socialists rejected the Progressive idea of government regulation of industry. Instead, they sought to replace the capitalist system with a planned economy of state-owned industries that would protect workers from business monopolies. Socialists believed that this change would be inevitable as the working class became increasingly oppressed by powerful businesses. Although they believed in a type of class warfare, Socialists did not advocate a violent revolution as a means of achieving their goals. Rather, Socialism was to come by ballots. Until that time came though, Socialists supported measures to improve conditions for the working class and to achieve a more efficient administration of government.

The first formal manifestation of Socialism in Milwaukee came with the establishment of the Social-Democratic Party in 1897. After the violence and chaos of the eight-hour day campaign in 1886, Milwaukee's laboring classes had turned to political action. A Labor or People's Party ran candidates for governor and Congress in 1886. Labor candidates continued to run for city and state offices, and the Populist or People's Party, under the leadership of labor leader Robert Schilling, gained much of its support from Milwaukee labor in 1892 and 1894. In 1897, Milwaukee Socialists joined with labor to form a new political party, the Social-Democrats, and Milwaukee became the first Socialist city in the United States.

Just as Robert La Follette came to symbolize Progressivism in Wisconsin, Victor Berger became the symbol of Milwaukee Socialism. An Austrian immigrant, Berger developed a program of political action that, while operating under the name of Socialism, was really a variety of moderate reform. Berger organized the Socialists into a highly successful political organization by drawing on Milwaukee's large German population and active labor movement.

For years, Berger published both a German and English newspaper, distributing free editions to all Milwaukee homes on the eve of elections. Milwaukee Socialists played down social theory and, like the Progressives, emphasized the need for honest government, a popular appeal in a city long notorious for corruption and administrative inefficiency. In 1910, with three parties in the running, Socialists won major electoral victories in Milwaukee. Emil Seidel became the nation's first Socialist mayor. The party also got most other city offices as well as a majority of seats on the city council and the county board. Most significantly, Victor Berger went to Washington as the first Socialist Congressman.

Both Seidel and Berger lost in 1912, but by 1916, Milwaukee citizens had elected another Socialist mayor, Daniel Hoan. Although the Socialists never again completely controlled city government as they had in 1910, Hoan remained in office until 1940 and Socialists continued to exert a powerful influence in Milwaukee politics.

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-043/?action=more_essay

[daleanime]

7. Always nice to learn a little American history....

[Jackpine Radical]

8. History, hell.

I think it's a great model for a livable future.

[daleanime]

9. That too....