|
|
Dear Friends,
A year ago tomorrow, Common Cause and our democracy lost a strong leader and wonderful friend.
|
Bob Edgar
1943 - 2013
|
Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause, died suddenly last April 23rd. As we mark the first anniversary of his death, I want to reflect on the legacy of Bob's service, and how Common Cause is building on it.
Bob took charge of Common Cause at a particularly challenging time, as the nation sank into the Great Recession. He made tough, necessary decisions to trim the budget and then led a successful drive to restore and enlarge it. He expanded and strengthened the staff in Washington, DC and in the states, opening or revitalizing offices in Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Nebraska. He took on ethical lapses at the Supreme Court, challenged the Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council, and put Common Cause at the head of a movement to make Congress work again by fixing the filibuster.
Bob infused everyone around him with what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his personal hero, called "the fierce urgency of now." We've seen that spirit at work during the past 12 months, as our staff and supporters across the country have built on the foundation he left behind.
Bob spoke often of moving Common Cause to the next level, and we are determined to do just that. We were fortunate to have Miles Rapoport take the reins of Common Cause earlier this year. Miles' long career in public service -- as an elected official, organizer and institution builder -- has been devoted to strengthening democracy and achieving economic fairness at every level. Miles already is sharpening Common Cause's focus on the alarming economic gap between the richest Americans and the rest of the country, and highlighting the deepening gap in political power between those same groups.
In addition, we've embarked on ambitious efforts to more than double our base of supporters, thanks to the help of several particularly generous donors. We're crafting a "Blueprint for a Great Democracy" that we hope will help guide the democracy reform movement.
America is at a pivotal moment. Our national vision of government "of the people, by the people and for the people" is in need of vigorous defense. The energy, idealism, and determination we see all around Common Cause makes us optimistic about the future. I am certain Bob would be as well. As he often reminded everyone, "We are the leaders we've been waiting for."
Thanks for all you do,
Robert Reich
and the rest of the team at Common Cause
|
一年前的明天，共同的事業和我們的民主失去了一位強有力的領導者和美好的朋友。
鮑勃·埃德加，共同事業的總裁，突然死了去年4月23日。在我們紀念他逝世一週年之際，我想反映Bob的服務傳統，以及常見的病因是如何構建它。
鮑勃主持共同事業中的一個特別具有挑戰性的時刻，作為國家陷入大蕭條。他做了艱難的，必要的決定，削減預算，然後帶領一個成功的驅動器來恢復和擴大它。他擴大和在華盛頓特區和國家加強了工作人員，打開或振興在夏威夷，伊利諾伊州，俄勒岡州，密歇根州，明尼蘇達州，俄亥俄州和內布拉斯加州設有辦事處。他承擔了道德淪喪在最高法院，挑戰科赫兄弟和美國立法交流委員會，並把共同事業在運動的領袖，使國會通過固定阻撓重新工作。
鮑勃注入身邊的人都用什麼馬丁·路德·金博士，他的個人英雄，被稱為“現在正是萬分緊急。 ”我們已經在過去12個月中看到這種精神在工作中，作為我們在全國各地的員工和支持者都建立在他留下的基礎。
移動共同的事業更上一層樓，往往鮑勃說話，我們決心做到這一點。我們很幸運地擁有數拉波波特採取共同事業的韁繩今年早些時候。 Miles的漫長的職業生涯中的公共服務 - 作為一個民選官員，組織者和機構建設者 - 一直致力於加強民主和在各個層面實現經濟公平。萬里已經被銳化共同事業的專注於最富有的美國人之間，以及驚人的經濟差距在全國其他地區，並強調不斷加深的差異在政治權力的那些相同的群體之間。
此外，我們已經踏上了雄心勃勃的努力將增加一倍以上我們的基本支持者，這要歸功於幾個特別慷慨捐助者的幫助。我們正在製作一個“藍圖為一個偉大的民主” ，我們希望將有助於指導民主的改革運動。
美國正處在一個關鍵時刻。我們國家政府的遠見“的人，由人民和為人民”，是需要積極防禦的。能源，理想主義和決心，我們看到各地常見原因使我們對未來感到樂觀。我敢肯定鮑勃將也是如此。因為他經常提醒大家， “我們就是我們一直在等待的領袖。 ”
感謝所有你做什麼，
羅伯特·賴克
與團隊的共同事業，其餘
本城市首頁
等級：8
Join on Facebook 
Follow on Twitter 
