No More Shaking Hands and Kissing Babies

Friends,

Like everyone else, the steering committee for Future901 is attempting to adjust to COVID-19.  Now that the initial shock of this crisis has subsided, a few things are coming into focus. 

First, the past few weeks have underscored why it matters who we send to government.  The policy decisions of the State and Federal government have come home to roost in a painful way this month.  Every city in Tennessee (like the rest of the country) is scrambling to figure out what to do with the coming influx of patients into our hospitals.  The closing of 13 hospitals in Tennessee may well cost lives when, as now, those beds are needed.   Similarly, the 8.6% of Tennesseans without health insurance (or the larger number of people without high deductible policies) that are pushing off preventative care because of cost, may well mean that the virus spreads.

Even more dramatically, we see the difference that leadership in the Nashville makes.  Gov. Lee has been widely criticized for his slow response to the crisis.  Compare that to that of Gov. Andy Beshear (D KY) who responded aggressively.  The results are eye opening.  Where forward thinking leaders were present in Kentucky, lives will be saved.  Where we lacked state leadership in Tennessee, we can only hope and pray for the best.  (See attached Chart).

So, if Gov. Lee is fumbling, what are the rest of our leaders doing in response?  They are debating eliminating gun permits.  They are killing Rep Gloria Johnson’s paid family leave bill.  They are tabling even Republican efforts to expand TennCare.  Heck, they won’t even make it easier for us to vote absentee ballot to avoid crowed polling places.  Just look at the media accounts for Representatives Mark White, Chris Hurt, or John DeBerry.  Where are they? What are they doing to help their communities during this? Nothing

The bad policy choices from Nashville over the last decade now make it harder to save lives and prevent hardship for our state. The current policy bungling only worsens it. 

So, leadership matters, but this leads us to the other lesson we have learned. This virus changes everything about how we are able to support candidates and push for change.  We have to rethink our tactics.

This month we are set to disperse another $10,000 to State House candidates, bringing us to $20,000, so far this year.  However, most of that money was raised with a series of house parties and fundraisers.  Though that method has worked well for us, it isn’t going to make sense to use until this crisis has passed.  At the same time, it remains exceedingly easy for Republicans to raise money.  They only need a couple of dozen “mega donors” to drop money into their PAC funds and all of their vulnerable candidates are funded.

So, we have to do things differently.  In response, we are cancelling our house party events for the next two months.  In their place we are going to attempt to organize a series of issue events (on topics like TennCare expansion and fully funding our public schools) for June and July.  We are going to need your help to make these events successful.  Additionally, we are going to push to get increased help from recurring donors.  We have to stand up and get your help.  Now, more than ever, your support matters. 

We live in truly extraordinary times, but with your help we can send leaders to Nashville that are equal to the challenges we face.   

Robert Donati

Attorney and Life-long Tennessean

Treasurer and Co-Founder of Future901