Coalition Change

Monday night I attended a meeting of the Waterbury Coalition for Better Government at the WOW Learning Center. The attendees voted unanimously to become the Waterbury Coalition for Economic and Social Justice, a branch of the national organization.

The Center for Economic and Social Justice is based in Washington, D.C. and is "dedicated to a free enterprise approach to economic and social justice for all, through equal opportunities to capital ownership for every person."

Here's the press release issued today about the change:

Jimmie Griffin said he has been thinking about the creation of a local chapter of the National Center for Economic and Social Justice for years, but finally closed the deal last week in a phone discussion with Norm Kurland, a prominent lawyer and economist out of Washington, DC who founded the center some years ago.

Griffin, who founded the local Waterbury Coalition for Better Government in 1995 here in Waterbury to support his efforts to promote the idea of “Electing Alderman by District” some years ago, said he elated that we can now use the educational and research abilities of CESJ to enhance that idea, among others, with direct community involvement of this new improved tax-exempt national education center.

The first thing to do is launch a local membership drive, as we are a membership organization of volunteers. The dues are meager at $25 a year, and provides the chapter the needed support and resources from the national level, to achieve our mission of individual economic independence and social justice. Griffin added, “ one of the most impressive things I see in the formation of the Waterbury Chapter is its ability to be the most diverse non-partisan effort that will cross all political, educational, religious and ethnic bounderies as I envision it as being the true melting pot for success in developing both our neighborhoods and the people who live in them."

Finally, as membership grows and we develop a strong base in the community will surely become a voice for the voiceless and those who seek information or would like to can involved in the transition of the WCBG to the WCESJ can call 203-577-8084 or visit our face-book or website at cesj.org.