In reponse to the Disaster Election, I am hoping to start a movement for “More Public!” and “Great Public!” in America. We need to celebrate, defend, and extend all things “PUBLIC” – so follow and share via BlueSky -> https://bsky.app/profile/morepublic.bsky.social.
Join me on Wednesday, November 6 at 7:30pm at Temple Sholom Chicago where I will be talking about the book in the context of fighting mega-projects that seek massive public subsidies of land and dollars. Right now, in Chicago, three billionaire sports team owning families want to build three new stadiums and are pushing hard for up to $6 billion in public dollars to help them build these private projects! Hell, no! There is no charge, and the event will be in person plus streamed. Registration is required.
I am thrilled to announced that my book on the No Games Chicago campaign from 2009 is now on sale from Routledge Press! Use this link (feel free to share widely)-> www.tinyurl.com/Get-NGC-book. It’s a dramatic story with international intrigue, a few Davids going after many Goliaths, daring tactics, civic thuggery, attempted bribes, and a real-life spy! Although the organizing took place in 2009, the lessons learned and unlearned are striking for Chicago and the rest of the country. For one thing, three white billionaire families who each own a sports team are all angling for BILLIONS of public dollars to build new stadiums! Sound familiar? And, across the USA, another eight cities are proposing massive public subsidies for stadiums – over $10 billion for those places. The price tag for Chicago’s greedy team owners has been estimated to be at least $3 billion and perhaps DOUBLE that! Buy the book. Sign the petition demanding NO PUBLIC SUBSIDIES for stadiums.
Read my op-ed from Crain’s Chicago Business from July 29, 2024, “Let the billionaire owners pay for their teams’ stadiums themselves.”
Listen to “Outside the Loop” radio from March 18 for an interview discussing our first-ever all Illinois TIF Illumination! https://soundcloud.com/civiclab/wgn-3-18-23 – Special thanks to our funder, the Muckrock Foundation!
Hey, want to help stop a Right Wing White Supremacist Plutocracy from taking over America and completely pulverizing safety nets, public education, civil liberties, and other good stuff? The only solution is that people who stand for justice, peace, opportunity, and equity MUST run for local office and then GOVERN. Learn how to start down this path (or help others to do so) at our “Grassroots Campaigning 101” workshop. We had two amazing guests visit and drop knowledge – master campaigner Rebecca Reynolds Williams and Founder/CEO of My Block My Hood My City, Jahmal Cole. Click the image below to watch the video (1 hr. 43 min)>>>
Check out my first post for Medium, “Time To Embrace #More Public” and the related video at https://tinyurl.com/Great-Public-Hoover-Dam.
I’ve been thinking about “public” and working to define, defend, and expand it for the past 12 years. Here is the first of a new series of webisodes I’m calling the “Great Public Report” as a way to talk about and stimulate dialog around the concept of “public.” Please watch it at our YouTube Channel and subscribe. Follow me at @tomstee and post using #MorePublic. If we don’t protect the Public, it will be taken from us.
The utter failure of the Trump Administration to deal with the global pandemic is a stark reminder of why we need a strong, competent, nimble, and service-oriented PUBLIC sector – ready to act powerfully for the public good. Take a look at Douglas Amy’s book “Government is Good – An Unapologetic Defense of a Vital Institution.” If you want a great response to these times, then check out the movement for a Green New Deal and help make it happen!
I gave this speech at the CivicLab’s 2018 Civic Harambee. I sum up everything I’ve learned about fighting for justice in civics and public life in America. I call for MorePublic! and announce my second book and launch our first membership drive for the CivicLab! Whew!
Tom Tresser at 2018 Civic Harambee
Tom Tresser gave these remarks at the CivicLab’s second Civic Harambee on August 25, 2018 at the Lutheran School of Theology. If you are watching this video or have found any of Tom’s work useful or if you have ever attended a CivicLab event or public forum, then we are asking you to become a MEMBER today!
