Truthout
Taking Back the Public Commons
Reporting, analysis, and ideas from the movements pushing to spend public money on public goods and services.
Series Introduction
The Trump administration and its allies in state and local governments are working to defund everything from health care to education to climate justice initiatives. Fortunately, people around the country are pushing back, defending not only our existing public services, but expanding the horizons of possibility.
In Taking Back the Public Commons, a collaborative project with YES! Media, we shine a light on the innovative organizing to win control over public funding and defend public goods. We document efforts — from the federal level right down to the neighborhood — to shift power away from the ultra-wealthy and corporations and toward the rest of us to decide how the government operates and how public dollars are allocated. And we share bold ideas from organizers trying to ensure that all of our needs are met. In this authoritarian moment, we’re spotlighting the people transforming their communities with the goal of helping everyone lead a full and healthy life.
Tenants Unions Anticipate Housing Policy Gains After Progressives Win in RI
Reclaim Rhode Island demonstrates the power of tenant organizing to effect change in local politics.
California Is Home to 200 Billionaires. Organizers Say It’s Time to Tax Them.
If passed, California’s Proposition 40 would generate funding for health care, education, and food assistance programs.
New Mexico’s Challenges Hold Lessons for the Struggle for Universal Child Care
New Mexico is finding out that successfully providing universal child care requires giving teachers a living wage.
Massive Public Transit Win in Chicago Shows the Power of Grassroots Coalitions
The upcoming overhaul of the Chicago region’s transit system shows how potent organizing around public services can be.