ustxtxb_obs_2002_06_21_50_00023-00000_000.pdf

COPS rally, 1994 Ernesto Cortes. Warren zooms in on their carefully constructed efforts to build and nurture leadershipa critical aspect of their strength that is often overlooked. From the inside, he helps deconstruct the view from the outside of the organization as controlling, rather than empowering poor people. However, Warren’s efforts to convince non-Texans \(he is an assistant professor that salvation could be found in Texas are rather funny. \(“Many Americans would not normally look to Texas for cutting-edge democratic initiatives,” he writes. “As it turns out, though, Texas presents an excellent setting for studying democratic renewal. Texas has a more varied political tradition than most peostantive criticism, he can be defensive: “Any serious effort to empower the poor and people of color is likely to have its detractors; the IAF is no exception.” It is unclear whether Warren met any of those detractors, be they angry rightwingers, bitter ex-employees, or burned-out former members, or even local political activists, reporters, and business people with mixed experiences and feelings. IAF tactics are about power and how less powerful people can marshal it. As the organization matures, it would be worth exploring the potential benefits of less scripted interactions and more nuanced relations with powerful people, the media, and even politicianssome of which already is happening but isn’t discussed in the book. Dry Bones reminds Texans why we should lose the irritation and be thankful for thelAF’s contribution to making Alan Pogue our democracy livelier. I think it is fair to see IAF as a piece of the puzzle to restoring American democracyif not the sole missing piece. Indeed, Warren’s thesis seemed stronger in San Antonio this spring when COPS and Metro helped pack the city chambers here and citizens noisily demanded we stand against corporate welfare. While they are inclined to take much of the credit for the anti-PGA movementand indeed, they have energized itit would be unfair to ignore the recently formed Smart Growth coalition. That said, in recent months we saw the best indication that democracy is alive in San Antonio that we have seen in close to a decade. Jeanne Russell is a reporter with The San Antonio Express-News. 6/21/02 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 23