EXCLUSIVE: Video From Morales NY Fundraiser Unveils Effort to Make Providence a “Laboratory for Municipal Socialism”

EXCLUSIVE: Video From Morales NY Fundraiser Unveils Effort to Make Providence a “Laboratory for Municipal Socialism”

 

A video from Providence Mayoral candidate David Morales’ New York fundraiser last week was secured by GoLocal, and it unveils that he and his supporters see his victory in Providence as an effort to create “a laboratory for municipal socialism.”

Morales, during his speech, pronounced that “the ideals of Democratic Socialism are the future of this country.”

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Podcaster and close associate of Morales, Daniel Denvir, led the introduction of Morales in New York.  Denvir told the fundraiser’s crowd, “We are going to have full control over Providence government. And David is going to turn Providence into a laboratory for municipal socialism.”

Morales cheered on Denvir’s comments in the video.

GoLocal asked Providence Mayor Brett Smiley about the comments at the Morales fundraiser.

"It should concern every resident of Providence to hear that, behind closed doors, my opponent is promoting a plan to turn Providence into a 'laboratory for municipal socialism.' Being mayor is a serious job in which consequential decisions are made every day, and using this office to run experiments with our safety, with our schools, with our neighborhood businesses, and with our future does a disservice to the people and families who depend on us every day,” said Smiley.

Providence is not some test case for a national movement to prove a point - we are a living, breathing city full of people who care deeply about our community and want to see it succeed,” Smiley added.

Besides his role as a podcaster, Denvir is one of the organizers of the group “Reclaim Rhode Island,” which has been active in tenants' rights and supporting rent control initiatives.

Denvir says he operates out of his garage on the East Side of Providence — his podcast is a mainstay among the progressive and socialist movement.

 

“Socialist Project”

At the fundraiser, Denvir also describes the campaign as “the socialist project in Providence, Rhode Island.”

Morales opened his comments with, “Brothers, sisters, non-binary comrades, how we doing this evening?”

“Thank you for standing in solidarity with our movement,” he added.

For the next six minutes, Morales talked about the difference between his campaign and that of sitting Mayor Brett Smiley. WATCH HIS FULL COMMENTS BELOW.

He cited the success that the socialist movement has had in Rhode Island: “We elected a cohort of state legislators that were going to fight for the needs of working people and stand up to the corporate interests that had dominated our state for too long.”

“We are shown that the ideals of democratic socialism are the future in this country,” said Morales.

GoLocal called Morales for comment, and he did not respond.  This is the second consecutive time Morales has refused to answer questions from GoLocal.

Then, GoLocal reached out to his spokesperson, Ben Shanahan, and asked about the idea of creating a “laboratory for municipal socialism.” Shanahan said Morales, as mayor, would have a very different path to governing than Smiley.

“I think what it means is David is prepared to take a different approach to governance than we've seen from the establishment. And I guess in Rhode Island, it would be just the Democratic Party establishment because this is really a one-party state. But he's going to take a different approach to government. I think that, you know, for a long time, and David feels that for a long time, government officials, elected officials have told us that we can't try things to materially improve working people's lives because of technicalities,” said Shanahan in a phone interview.

“And I think that there is David feels that there is a lack of political courage among elected leadership, particularly at the city level right now, particularly in the mayor's office when it comes to the pilot agreement, for example. The mayor loves to brag about what a good pilot agreement he negotiated, but …there used to be a phase out… and that went away,” said Shanahan, in a reference that when colleges and hospitals bought taxed property the taxes phased out over time, and now, under the Smiley agreement, the payment of taxes ends immediately.

“You know, can we bring them back to the negotiating table if we have a leader with political courage?” Shanahan added.

GoLocal also reached out to Denvir, who said the idea of a socialist laboratory was based on a throwback reference to leaders in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee is the only major American city to elect three Socialist mayors, famously nicknamed "Sewer Socialists" for their pragmatic focus on public health, infrastructure, and honest government. The three served at the early portion of the 20th century — Emil Seidel (1910–1912); Daniel Hoan (1916–1940); and Frank Zeidler (1948–1960)

"So municipal socialism in some ways refers back to the socialist party mayors of Milwaukee who governed the city for decades through the mid-20th century and their brand of sewer socialism…High-quality public services turning on its head, this conservative idea that government is the problem, by showing that. The government can actually deliver,” added Denvir.

The language of Morales’ New York fundraiser is a clear articulation of a dramatically different approach to government, rather than a commitment to making Providence an experiment in socialism.

There are fewer than two months before the September 9 Democratic primary, and early voting begins on August 20.