Time To Say Good Bye To Kshama Sawant

For some folks in Seattle, and particularly in Seattle’s Third Council District which encompasses the traditional LGBTQ+ stomping grounds of Capitol Hill and the adjacent Central District (plus some richy tits area by Lake Washington) it’s gonna be a sad day on Thursday December 14 when Councilperson KSHAMA SAWANT says good-bye to local politics at her farewell party at Sole Repair at 1001 East Pike Street. After 10 controversial years on the Seattle City Council, Sawant chose to not run for re-election in 2023 and to focus her time on national political organizing and advocacy for socialist causes.

But, for others, including some LGBTQ+ folks (mainly older men with some money…) it’s gonna be a celebration party. Sawant managed to win 4 elections over those 10 years as well as a recall campaign despite the fact she had a lot of people who couldn’t stand her or the things she stood for. Again, she tended to anger people with money who were convinced that socialist Sawant was the devil in disguise while wracking up the majority of her support among working class people in Capitol Hill and Central District neighborhoods.

To be honest, I also think she had haters because:

1. Stong, opinionated, vocal woman rub idiots the wrong way
2. Socialism = Communism in the eyes of those same idiots
3. She was a woman of color with a “funny” name. Again, idiots tend to not like that
4. She wasn’t a “smiler” which really irritates the mostly older men who love to tell non-smiling women: “Hey! Give us a smile, honey!!!”

Mouthy, brown, socialist, female frowner = Troublemaker

Now, to be fair, Kshama Sawant did make mistakes. She had a bad habit of putting her foot in her mouth at times. Maybe letting a peaceful mob into City Hall during the Floyd riots wasn’t the best idea (though, nothing actually happened). But, frankly, as a gay person of the liberal, socialist persuasion I welcome the political presence of anyone who “rattles the cages” of the status quo. Kshama Sawant’s presence on the City Council helped it from being the bland, mealymouthed, not accomplishing much, dull as ditch water body that it mostly is. Despite all the cries of Seattle being some sort of Socialist Shangri La where the Far Left control every aspect of our society, the truth is this city is dully centrist and “liberal” in the meekest sense of that word. Pot shops and a casual attitude on naked bicyclists in parades is nice but doesn’t do much for people suffering under crippling inflation and housing costs and property owners and developers largely responsible for both of those of things.

So, a Toast to Kshama Sawant!

Salud!

More info on her farewell party:

10 YEARS OF A SOCIALIST IN OFFICE

Featuring musical guest Smokey Brights!

Thursday, December 14

Doors open 6pm | Program starts 7pm

Location: Sole Repair Shop (1001 E Pike St)

ALL AGES WELCOME – CASH BAR for 21+

If you’re not in Seattle, or otherwise unable to attend, you can follow the speeches live at the Workers Strike Back Facebook page at 7:00 PM Seattle time.

https://www.facebook.com/workersstrikeback

While we celebrate all the important victories working people have won through struggle alongside our office, we will also discuss how to continue our fight through Workers Strike Back, both in Seattle and nationally

Since launching Workers Strike Back earlier this year, we have stood unambiguously with workers fighting to unionize their workplace, rank-and-file union members striking to win fair contracts, and working people everywhere fighting back against big business and its political representatives. We are also helping support the crucial union drive at the KCVG Air Hub in Kentucky, Amazon’s largest air hub in the world.

Workers Strike Back uses the same strategies that my socialist City Council Office has used to win the first $15/hour minimum wage in any major city in 2014, the Amazon Tax in 2020, landmark renters’ rights victories, and the nation’s first ban on police use of so-called “crowd-control” weapons against peaceful protests. By basing ourselves on building powerful movements, Workers Strike Back was able to help win the world’s first ban on caste discrimination outside South Asia, and to make Seattle the largest city to win a cease-fire resolution demanding an end to the Israeli state’s war on Gaza.

Our socialist office has set an unparalleled example of what accountable elected working-class leadership should look like, and these victories belong to all working people. Now we need to continue this kind of organizing and build such movements across the country.

When I first ran for City Council in 2013, I pledged to take only the average worker’s wage, and after taxes, donate the rest of my six-figure city council salary to a solidarity fund for worker organizing and social movements. I did so because for me, political office was never about a career but about fighting alongside other working class people against the rotten status quo.

In my inauguration speech in 2014, I said, “… Let me make one thing absolutely clear: There will be no backroom deals with corporations or their political servants. There will be no rotten sell-out of the people I represent. I wear the badge of socialist with honor.”

I have kept these promises.

Now I pledge to continue working with ordinary people to fight for and win things we desperately need like free healthcare and affordable housing for all, good union jobs, a $25 an hour minimum wage, and an end to racism, sexism, and all oppression.

Join us to celebrate ten years of working-class politics in action, ten years of victories, and rally to take our momentum forward with Workers Strike Back to rebuild a fighting labor movement!