Franke Wilmer: 9 Questions with Montana’s Progressive State Representative about Occupy, Organized Labor, and Petitioning John Boehner on behalf of the 99%

Point Nine Nine does not and will not endorse political candidates. This includes Montana State Representative Franke Wilmer currently running for the U.S. House in 2012. That said, Rep. Wilmer is a Professor of Political Science at Montana State University and was recently part of a contingent of progressive politicians barred entry into the office of Speaker John Boehner while trying to present a 35,000 signature petition of grievances proudly branded ‘We Stand with the 99%’. We thank Rep. Wilmer for sharing her insight.

1. Recently the AFL-CIO announced its support of Occupy Montana and you personally came out in support of the so-called 99% Movement, clearly Occupy is on the radar in Montana. Can you tell us what this means for a Legislator from your state politically?
I think we have enough politicians that make decisions solely for political expedience.  I support the Occupy movement because it is the right thing to do.  The middle class in this country is disappearing; I know it and the Montana AFL-CIO knows it.  The labor community has led the way when it comes to protecting middle class working people for years, and labor now has new ally in the Occupy movement.  As someone that was a waitress for 16 years, I will be a voice for the middle class in congress.

2. Among your many issues, you communicate a real support for organized labor. Could you comment on what seems to be an assault on collective bargaining and organized labor in general that seems to be on the rise in America?
The assault on organized labor has been going on for over 30 years now. The first target was the private sector unions, and now the public sector has come under attack as well.  As we have recently seen in places like Wisconsin and Ohio, the attacks have become bolder and more extreme.  Unions are responsible for a lot of things we take for granted; a 40-hour work week, overtime compensation, safety standards in the work place, child labor laws, and the right to organize.  Even the demand for affordable health care benefits started with labor unions. Overall what organized labor does, is help ensure workers get an honest days pay for an honest day’s work.  People who work should be able to meet their basic needs and the needs of their families, including aspiration and hope for a better future.  It is unbelievable to me that there are people out there who think this unreasonable. The greatest economic driver America has ever seen was creating the strongest middle class in the world.

3. On your website you mention leveling the playing field for workers and businesses as well as discouraging companies from shipping jobs overseas. How?
We can start by looking at our trade practices.  We don’t need free trade we need fair trade.  Agreements like NAFTA need to have labor and environmental standards.  We do not need trade agreements that reward countries for having poor working conditions, no minimum wage, and no environmental accountability.
We can also work by closing tax loopholes for companies shipping job overseas.  I have no problem providing tax incentives to companies that are creating good jobs here in America.  We have too many companies paying little to no taxes, making billions of dollars in profits, and exporting our jobs overseas.

4. Could you tell us a bit about the petitions presented by yourself and others to the Office of the Speaker?
Myself and six other progressive candidates from around the country delivered, a petition signed by 35,000 people, to Speaker Boehner.  The petition was in support of the 99%.  We not only wanted to bring the 99% to Speaker Boehner, but we also wanted him to know that it was time to stop playing partisan games and it is time to pass the jobs bill.  It amazes me that during a time of record unemployment, he would rather win political points with his base than put people back to work.

5. What do you feel is the most productive ‘within the system’ legislative venue for those motivated by the Occupy Movement?
It is hard to say.  It’s no secret that our political system is broken. It seems that with so many of our politicians money brings access.  I think this is the root of the Occupy Movement.  We have a political system funded by the top 1% and that works on behalf of the top 1%.  The one thing that gets a politician’s attention more than money is votes.  We need to see the energy behind the Occupy Movement at the ballot box.  We need to vote for candidates that will support the 99%.
I am trying to run a truly grassroots campaign to help fight this problem.  My campaign is in a very close second place in fundraising, but I am proud to say we have more donors than any other campaign in the race; democrat or republican. My goal is to raise a little bit of money from a lot of people.

6. You are that rare combination of academic and politician but with a blue-collar history that is steeped in self-reliance. Do you see an influx of New Deal type projects and government generated programs as a likely or acceptable part of putting this country back to work?
Absolutely, the programs worked once, why wouldn’t they work again?  There are people out there that will say we can’t afford it, which could not be further from the truth.  It is a matter of prioritizing our spending.  Instead of giving tax breaks for corporations that export jobs overseas or spending billions of dollars on wars with unclear (or no) objectives; we could be using that money to put people back to work and have money left over to put toward reducing the deficit.  In addition to that, it makes business sense.  Our infrastructure is crumbling all around the country and putting people at risk – Katrina is the starkest example.  A strong infrastructure is a crucial component of economic development.

7. America is currently in the midst of perhaps the largest populist uprising of the last half century, at its core there is a widespread distrust of politicians in general. Do you understand this/ find it vital or counterproductive?
I think distrust is an honest reaction to betrayal.  I’m proud of the Occupiers for their commitment to non-violence.  There is a lack of trust in politicians and an abundance of frustration towards the work they do (or the lack there of).  I think this populist uprising is vital for our democracy.  Throughout history when people feel disenfranchised with the political system, when they feel the normal channels for participation are closed or unresponsive, they take direct action.  We saw this with the suffrage movement, the civil rights movement in the 60’s and we are seeing it now with the populist movement to protest the undermining of the middle class today. I think anytime people take direct action to promote positive change it is a productive endeavor.

8. You mentioned ending the wars now, how big a part do you see American foreign policy playing in our current economic predicament?
Well I can do the math.  The direct costs of the two wars are $1.2 trillion.  The cost of unfunded prescription drug plan for Medicare Part D was another $1.2 trillion, and the Bush tax cuts were unfunded every year after 2001 at an approximate cost of $90-$100 billion a year, so that’s another $1 trillion.  Let’s say about 1/3 of the deficit added since 2001 is from the two wars.  So that’s literally how big.  But we cannot overlook the critical role of irresponsible (and in my view unethical) lending practices that, with the sub-prime crisis, began to unravel and sparked the recession.
9. Given the opportunity of guaranteed success, what one piece of legislation would you introduce tomorrow? If it was guaranteed to succeed and if that included the States ratifying it, I would propose a constitutional amendment saying that money is not speech.  Our democracy was created to work the same for the bottom 1% as it does for the top 1% and with money playing such a large role in our democracy the voices of the 99% are drowned out by the voices of 1%.  Money not only buys access to our politicians, it also buys policy.  The policy coming out of Washington looks more like an auction selling our laws to the highest bidder than a democracy working on behalf of everyday people.