On May 23, the Party for Socialism and Liberation held a conference with the theme, “Billionaires, Your Time is Up—We Need Socialism!” Frances Villar, a PSL member, tenant organizer, and student activist announced the launch of her mayoral campaign at the conference: “I’m here because we need a new system! This city’s wealth—and the wealth of this whole country—needs to be put at the service of the people who created it. We may be today’s poor and working people, but we are the only ones that can get us out of this system of poverty, racism and war.”
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The conference attracted New Yorkers from all walks of life. They came to discuss what it will take to bring about real people’s power and change to this country. PSL members also attended from upstate New York, Boston, Connecticut and Washington, DC.
The conference covered a range of topics, from the ridiculous fare hikes to the oppressive budget cuts, police brutality, and the rising rate of foreclosures and evictions.
In the opening plenary, Lauren Kellner, a New York City teacher, detailed New York’s striking inequalities: “Although Bloomberg, his billionaire friends and their lap dogs in the media would like us to think we’re all in this together, we are not. Think of it as two crises. The first crisis was the one of the billionaires and the corporations felt when they lost a bunch of their profits last year. When the public treasury, our tax money, was handed over to them by the billions of dollars.
“The second crisis is the one they forced upon us, the workers in an attempt to save their own skins. The vast majority of people in this country are responsible for neither of these crises.”
After the opening round of speakers, conference attendees then participated in workshops. The workshop “What is Socialism” introduced the basic concepts of socialism as a system that empowers workers and puts their needs first. The workshop on the “ABCs of organizing” provided useful tips to potential activists who are looking for a way to fight back. It was facilitated by Ed Felton, an experienced labor organizer; Frances Villar, a student organizer at Bronx Community College and the PSL’s mayoral candidate; and Eddie Pages, an ex-Marine and member of March Forward!, which organizes service members and veterans against U.S. imperialism.
The last workshop, “Challenging the Billionaires in the 2009 Elections” provided an opportunity for attendees to share thoughts about what they hope to see from the PSL’s socialist mayoral campaign.
The closing plenary featured presentations on police brutality; lessons from the socialist projects in Cuba and Venezuela; and a presentation on what it means to become a member of the PSL.
Cassie Regan, an organizer and student, summarized the conference: “Today we’ve spoken about a lot of things, but what all of these talks had in common was the sense of hopefulness felt by the fact that a different world is possible, free of capitalist oppression. We know that the vast majority of working class people, Black, Latino, Arab, Asian, Indigenous and white will partake in a revolutionary struggle against capitalism. But most importantly, a revolutionary political party, a disciplined fighting organization is necessary in order to mobilize the hundreds of millions of people in this country to defeat a well-organized class enemy.”
Conference attendees left with a sense of optimism and enthusiasm to begin the Frances Villar for Mayor 2009 Campaign. Many pledged to help Villar secure ballot status by petitioning in New York, and promised to help spread the word in their neighborhood and workplace. For more information on the campaign and to volunteer, visit VotePSL.org.
