MVOC Questions

[northside lurker]

I think these are fair questions.  So, even though I'm not associated with MVOC, and I'm afraid I'll regret participating in a political thread, I'll give my answers to your questions.

I happened to be looking at the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative's website today, and read the following two paragraphs that are confusing to me:

"MVOC sees electoral politics as a key piece of a long term strategy for social change. We subscribe to Wellstone Action's basic model as Jeff Blodgett describes, "We subscribe to a model of successful social change that has three fronts—community organizing, electoral politics, and progressive public policy. All three components are necessary for lasting political change to happen. The process of campaigning, of running for elected office, is but one side of that triangle, but it is crucial."

MVOC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. We are also connected to the Ohio Faith and Democracy Collaborative organization."

Isn't promotion of "progressive public policy" partisan?  I define progressive as meaning liberal, or by extension Democrat.  Non partisan means not favoring one political ideology over another.  Clearly these two statements are in conflict with one another.

Progressive public policy doesn't have to be partisan.  Lincoln was a Republican, and was anti-slavery, for example.

In the same vein, here is another passage on their website:
"Led a broad non-partisan Get Out the Vote Campaign in the fall of 2008. MVOC registered more than 500 voters, knocked on over 2,200 doors, and made 17,000 phone calls to encourage voters to support the local WRTA levy and put an end to predatory pay day lending in Ohio. "

So the MVOC is just trying to get people to vote and considers its actions non-partisan even though they are advocating certain positions on issues.  That is not "non-partisan" to me.

IMO, the WRTA sales tax was a non-partisan issue.  I remember even ytowner (though I think he/she went by a different name back then) was in favor of the WRTA sales tax, despite being a staunch Republican.

I also must question the entire premise behind get out the vote campaigns.  The MVOC must subscribe to the notion of quantity over quality, whereas I would tend to want informed voters making important voting decisions.  THe MVOC appears to be masquerading as a non partisan organization, however its actions, policies and tactics all seem to benefit left wing politics over right wing politics, clearly wiping away the notion of being non-partisan.

Everyone has the right to vote, and "informed" is a relative term.  There are probably many Democrats who feel that most Republicans are uninformed, and vice versa.

[Youngstownshrimp]

Recently I have been bumping into former supporters of the MVOC and I couldn't believe the disgust and outright betrayal these individuals are decrying concerning the agenda of this nonprofit.  One of those disgusted is even a board member of an MVOC affiliate.  Here are some of the questions I have heard:

1.  How much funding has the MVOC rec'd from the Wean Foundation to date?
2.  What are the salaries of Noden, Kidd and the rest of the staff?
3.  What percentage of the funds have been applied to salaries in lieu of projects?
4.  Have all the raised funds for affiliates been dispersed as requested or appropriated elsewhere?

I'm beginning to see cracks in this ACORN patterned entity as with many other hard working Americans in our midst.  Community organizing is now a subject of recent national publications revealing the deep rooted Socialist and Marxist dogma embodied by these organizers.  Ironically, the Wean money was amassed long ago by one of the Valley's staunchest capitalist and now his money seems to be in the hands of anti-capitalist. 

[Rick Rowlands]

I happened to be looking at the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative's website today, and read the following two paragraphs that are confusing to me:

"MVOC sees electoral politics as a key piece of a long term strategy for social change. We subscribe to Wellstone Action's basic model as Jeff Blodgett describes, "We subscribe to a model of successful social change that has three fronts—community organizing, electoral politics, and progressive public policy. All three components are necessary for lasting political change to happen. The process of campaigning, of running for elected office, is but one side of that triangle, but it is crucial."

MVOC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. We are also connected to the Ohio Faith and Democracy Collaborative organization."

Isn't promotion of "progressive public policy" partisan?  I define progressive as meaning liberal, or by extension Democrat.  Non partisan means not favoring one political ideology over another.  Clearly these two statements are in conflict with one another.

In the same vein, here is another passage on their website:
"Led a broad non-partisan Get Out the Vote Campaign in the fall of 2008. MVOC registered more than 500 voters, knocked on over 2,200 doors, and made 17,000 phone calls to encourage voters to support the local WRTA levy and put an end to predatory pay day lending in Ohio. "

So the MVOC is just trying to get people to vote and considers its actions non-partisan even though they are advocating certain positions on issues.  That is not "non-partisan" to me. 

I also must question the entire premise behind get out the vote campaigns.  The MVOC must subscribe to the notion of quantity over quality, whereas I would tend to want informed voters making important voting decisions.  THe MVOC appears to be masquerading as a non partisan organization, however its actions, policies and tactics all seem to benefit left wing politics over right wing politics, clearly wiping away the notion of being non-partisan.