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Grass Roots Is Key To Social Change
8 • io
Introdxiion
Huse
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ennis Muchmore has
an idea he promises
will help the Jewish
community gain po-
litical clout.
A Lansing-based lobbyist
who represents the Jewish
Federation and other
ated agencies in the state
capital., Mr. Muchmore be-
lieves the community must
become more involved in
grass-roots activities.
This means writing let-
ters, asking questions, or-
ganizing community forums,
working on political cam-
paigns and running for local
and state offices.
"If you are interested in
politics local and state pol-
politics,
I 1. • A
les . i s where the action is,"
c he recently told an adult ed-
ucation class at Temple
(‘) Emanu-El. "This is where
you get things done."
Problems facing Michi-
gan citizens are becoming
more complex. Topping to-
day's list are a budget
crunch, high taxes, exorbi-
tant health care costs and
unemployment. And most
persons look to state gov-
,, ernment to address prob-
lems and promote social and
economic welfare of individ-
ual citizens as well as the
I entire state.
Add to this financial
dilemmas for some Jewish
institutions, which certain-
ly are not immune from gov-
ernment budget cuts.
Jewish-sponsored agen-
cies like JARC, Jewish Vo-
cational Service, Kadima,
Sinai Hospital, the Holo-
caust Memorial Center and
the Jewish Home for Aged
continually look to the gov-
ernment to supplement bud-
i gets and help keep them
afloat.
"The battle here is to
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keep the grass (roots) grow-
ing and growing," says state
Sen. Lana Pollack, D-Ann
Arbor. "The Jewish commu-
nity needs to know all legis-
lators, Republicans and
Democrats, and members (of
the legislature) need to in-
vite these people to meet-
ings, to visit social service
agencies and congregations."
Ms. Pollack agrees that
the Jewish community must
better understand its po-
tential for grass-roots orga-
nizing.
Most important these
Nbate aid Amdmerit
by Mole -tuse
days, Ms. Pollack says, is
developing a keen aware-
ness of the Christian right
movement. "They (Chris-
tian right) are trying to take
over this country from the
bottom up, and they under-
stand the potential for
grass-roots organizing," Ms.
Pollack says. "They have
formed a plan to take over
school boards and other lo-
cal offices. Our interests
must go well beyond our un-
derstandable commitments
we all have to a solid Israel
policy."
During the past 28 years,
state Sen. Jack Faxon, D-
Farmington Hills, has
earned himself the title of
the longest-serving elected
Jewish state representative.
Mr. Faxon has served con-
stituents in both houses,
and like other politicos, he
believes education is the key
to understanding the com-
years ago. The act, passed
into law five years ago, lim-
its places in public buildings
for people to smoke.
Standing in the way of
this law's supporters was
strong opposition by power-
ful tobacco industry lobbies,
who, Mr. Faxon says, were
heavily organized.
"Issues
come and go.
Process, however,
is crucial."
Rep. Maxine Berman
Even bills legislators
agree upon can take a few
months before they are
signed into law by the gov-
ernor. Just a dose of contro-
versy prolongs the process.
The state's medical self-
determination law, which al-
lows a person to designate
another to make life or
death decisions on one's be-
half, took 14 years to become
a law.
And informed consent for
women diagnosed with
breast cancer, which forces
doctors to give these women
a booklet listing options,
took three years to become
a law.
"There were a lot of peo-
ple lobbying against it," re-
calls Rep. Maxine Berman,
D-Southfield, who first spon-
sored the bill in 1983 (it
passed in 1986). "Doctors
felt it was an intrusion on
the part of the state. But the
issue was that women were
not being told about all of
their options, other than
mastectomy.
"We were arguing for
people being given all of the
information available," Ms.
Berman says.
Ms. Berman fought for
the bill because constituents
requested it. And she be-
lieved in it. The idea went
through a complicated
process before it was signed
into law by then-Gov. James
Blanchard.
"The process is the whole
thing," Ms. Berman says.
"Issues come and go.
Process, however, is crucial
to our whole system of gov-
ernifent. What we ulti-
mately end up doing about
auto insurance reform or
property taxes is not nearly
as important as the process
itself.
"That's the American
way," she says. "People re-
ally need to try to under-
stand the process." ❑
Nbate aid Arnerfirnert
by entire Sere*
plex political system.
In fact, he explains, laws
in Michigan do not come out
of nowhere. And it often
takes longer than many
would expect to take an idea
and turn it into a law.
Mr. Faxon cites the ex-
ample of the Michigan Clean
Indoor Act, which he says he
first considered almost 25
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slirec by Goverror,
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GOVERNOR