A progressive's last words

An editor from CityLife called and said, "Hey, I hear you're moving to Washington, D.C. Why don't you write a column telling all of the state and local government officials who've pissed you off over the years to go screw themselves?"

Actually, the editor used a more earthy term than "screw," but I've never been comfortable with that word. Besides, I rather not write about elected officials; they get enough ink as it is. I'd rather talk about some of the lesser-known people I've worked with over the last 11 years as an organizer with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN).

PLAN's first president was Lee Madsen. He had HIV/AIDS and zero T-cells but somehow he found the energy in 1995 to help me get PLAN going in Las Vegas. PLAN, a coalition of left-leaning groups began in Reno the year before, the brainchild of Bob Fulkerson and Jan Gilbert.

Lee used to stop by my office once a week to help me strategize on issues and he never complained about his health. He'd say to me, "Do you know what you're doing yet?"

"Hell no," I'd answer. "By the way, you look like shit."

"That's an improvement," Lee would say. "Yesterday, I looked like dog shit."

He died before we had a chance to organize the first HIV/AIDS Awareness Day at the Nevada Legislature, which was a collaborative effort with Dr. Jerry Cade, AFAN and other organizations. The Awareness Day resulted in the state funding life-saving drugs for people with HIV/AIDS.

In the late 1990s, I worked with Anne Golonka, of Southern Nevada National Organization for Women. Anne always dressed in black, kind of Johnny Cash in drag. She was great. She attended just about every progressive rally we ever held. Come hell or high water, Anne would show up. And, she could fire off a letter-to-the editor faster than you could say, "right-wing fanatic."

One of my favorite labor leaders was Blackie Evans, who carried himself like someone who just won a bar fight, not overly cocky but confident. He retired a few years back as Secretary-Treasurer of the Nevada AFL-CIO. When the Legislature decided to cut back workers compensation benefits, the AFL-CIO, PLAN and others organized a protest rally, and 500 workers showed up.

The speakers at the rally included a couple of long-winded attorneys and the crowd was losing interest. Blackie took the microphone and said, "Here's the deal. The chairman of the Commerce and Labor Committee is a son of a bitch. He wants to screw you out of your benefits." The crowd sprang back to life.

Some say activists in Nevada are like the desert tortoise or the pup fish -- an endangered species. I disagree. There are many more activists in Nevada today than there were 10 years ago. They're savvy and energetic and they're working on important issues such as economic justice, racial justice, environmental justice and civil rights. It's been great working with you. Goodbye.

PAUL BROWN WAS SOUTHERN NEVADA DIRECTOR OF THE PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE OF NEVADA FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. HE LEAVES FOR WASHINGTON, D.C. NEXT MONTH.