Nick Licata

Nick Licata, was a 5 term Seattle City Councilmember, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials. Author of Becoming a Citizen Activist. http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/changemakers/ Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Urban Politics http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/

Trump’s Firing Of Officials Puts a Dangerous Loyalty Test in Place

Congress failed to fix this ability to bypass Congress’s authority back in 2009 by stripping out a key provision in the House version of the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008. The final bill became law, but it did not include the House’s “for cause” requirement for removing an IG for 9 specific reasons.

Why Authoritarian Leaders Minimize COVID-19

Once the death toll can no longer be denied, these leaders shift to blaming others for the pandemic. Consider the cases of Xi, Putin, Bolsonaro, and Trump

What the Record Shows So Far: Trump’s Pandemic Performance

President Trump’s attitude to the approaching pandemic has not been one of optimism but of denying the probability of its existence and of deflecting responsibility for appropriately responding.

Does Bernie Misunderstand Scandinavian ‘Socialism’? No, We Do.

Sanders needs to grasp how he is crippling his own message by clinging to terminology that older generation voters have identified as poisonous to our freedoms.

Case Study: How Seattle Banned Winter Evictions

Passing the new law on evictions is a good illustration of how citizen commissions can originate and help pass progressive legislation. But you have to play the game smartly.

Bickering Wonks

Amazingly, there was no mention of Trump firing multiple public civil servants who he could no longer “trust” as being loyal to him.

How Democrats Can Best Exploit The Senate’s Failure To Convict Trump

Republicans are stuck with a tortured explanation of impeachment, while Democrats have a simple message: trials need witnesses.

Rules, Rules, Rules: Senate On Trial (Not Just Trump)

Winning their general elections could be severely jeopardized if the public perceives the trial as phony or not taken seriously by the Republicans.

A Grassroots Guide to Boosting Local Minimum Wages

Local and state actions have become necessary because Congress, under the control of either party, has up to now been unwilling or unable to increase the minimum wage.

Republicans’ Rigged Senate Trial? It Might Be Democrats’ Best Option

A lengthy trial, without a damning quote from Trump, will allow him to play the victim, at which he is a master of portraying himself. The sympathy vote could turn out critical independent voters.

Latest