Thursday, July 19, 2007

Gotta Pay to Play

As someone who has $50k in school debt and a passion for justice, I frequently wish that progressive activist jobs paid considerably more. In fact, because of the lack of scratch attached to these jobs, I went back to get my Masters. At the time, I lived in Austin, Texas, where everyone in progressive politics is over-educated and over-qualified. So you know what that means. Exploitation of the young and politically aware. The land where internships are unpaid and entry-level positions barely hit the $25,000 mark. Ah…doesn’t it feel good to give back to your country?

So you can imagine how I related to the article, After College Ends, So Does Activism. It talks of the canvassing that young progressives are forced to do to break onto the political scene, the lack of health insurance, the shitty hours and the even shittier pay.

What does it mean for our country’s future when we don’t mentor the younger generation and give them an opportunity to learn about politics? The author notes, and I wholeheartedly concur, “The importance of engaging and gainfully employing young progressives is hard to overstate, both for its immediate practicality and the long-term sustainability of the left. By ignoring progressive grads' economic constraints, the progressive movement -- activists and funders -- are squandering an immense opportunity to utilize the ideology, size and energy of the post-graduate generation.”

So, those of you with decision-making abilities start paying better and provide a little health insurance. It’s the least we can do for our future.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

magda,

what an important post & a topic so many folks shy away from. i'm in the same boat as you... struggling to make it w/ loans while trying to do good, positive community work. but i watch year after year, as many of my law school colleagues sell out for the dollar. forced w/ no choices to pay the bills... or no time to volunteer. same goes for my americorps vista colleagues. we all started w/ great intentions... to be teachers & activists in empoverished communities... but many (not all thankfully) had to change tracks... i refuse to believe that's just the normal progression of things!

Anonymous said...

I totally agree. I don't want even tell you what my debt is...but it does dissuade good people from doing really good work. And it is so needed. there is a loan repayment bill in Congress.

http://thesubversivegarden.blogspot.com/2007/07/house-passes-legislation-for-loan.html

Call your Congressman!!

magda flores said...

or Congresswoman! :)

I hope the pass that bill. It sounds great!

Anonymous said...

touche. My apologies.