PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES WEALTH for the COMMON GOOD
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW WEALTH FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
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PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES WEALTH for the COMMON GOOD
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES 1010 Wisconsin Ave NW Suite 705B Washington, DC 20007 info@patrioticmillionaires.org 202-446-0489
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The 2016-2017 Campaign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Patriotic Millionaires at a Glance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 History of the Patriotic Millionaires. . . . . . . . . . 26 How to Join the Patriotic Millionaires . . . . . . 34 Leadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Advisory Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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MISSION
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The Patriotic Millionaires is a group of high net worth Americans who are committed to building a more prosperous, stable, and inclusive nation. Their work centers on advancing three core values in the public debate: 1 A ll citizens should enjoy access to political power equal to that of millionaires, billionaires, and lobbyists; 2 E very citizen who works full time should be guaranteed a wage sufficient to cover his/her basic needs; 3 T ax receipts from millionaire/billionaire citizens and major corporations should comprise a greater proportion of federal and state revenues. The values championed by the Patriotic Millionaires enjoy broad support from Americans across the political spectrum, over geographic boundaries, and regardless of economic circumstances. If realized, they could form the basis for a powerful, just and prosperous new era in American history.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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During this pivotal moment in American history, the Patriotic Millionaires are aggressively leveraging their unique position to promote a set of core principles – a positive and profoundly American vision of political equality, just wages, and a fair tax system – in the public debate. America is in a period of extraordinary transition. Like other transformative moments, this time is fraught with tension and conflict, angry rhetoric and gridlock. For decades, wealthy elites – and the elected officials they control – have advanced their own self-interests with little or no regard for the negative consequences such policies predictably wreaked on the vast majority of Americans. The result is a destabilizing concentration of wealth and political power not seen since the Gilded Age. Simultaneously, right wing extremists have fomented hate, fear and divisions in our citizenry in an attempt to unleash the worst elements of human nature. These two dynamics combined pose an enormous threat to the well-being of our country and its citizens. The Patriotic Millionaires’ goal is to create an overwhelming public demand – a true mandate – for economic policies that serve regular Americans and political process policies that ensure everyone participates fully and equally in our democracy. The group first came together in 2010 to demand an end to the Bush tax cuts for millionaires, an effort that instantly sparked the public imagination. Since that time, the Patriotic Millionaires have generated hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of media attention. Coverage ranges from the Daily Show with John Stewart to the PBS NewsHour to the front page of the Boston Globe. The influence of the Patriotic Millionaires work is so great it has extended beyond our country’s borders. The President of the Czech Republic referenced the group in an address to the Czech Parliament. The largest television station in Japan and a major Swedish magazine both did special features on the group. In addition to actively shaping the media narrative, the Patriotic Millionaires are also working diligently to pass specific pieces of legislation, which when enacted into law, will help realize a nation defined by both prosperity and community, by abundance and virtue. In the last five years, the Patriotic Millionaires have met with dozens of lawmakers from both parties. They had the honor of joining President Obama at the White House in 2012 for his Tax Day address, and in 2014 for the signing of the Executive Order to raise the minimum wage for federal contract employees. By both shaping the public debate and by generating lawmakers’ support for critical legislation, the Patriotic Millionaires can help make this challenging period of transition the beginning of America’s greatest era. Working hand in hand with our fellow citizens, we can move our country ever closer to the vision of our founders: a just, peaceful, free and prosperous nation.
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MEDIA
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MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS:
+ The PBS NewsHour (twice!), + The Daily Show with John Stewart, + The New Yorker, and + Front page feature in the Sunday Boston Globe. WEALTH FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
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LOCAL
INTERNATIONAL
COVERAGE INCLUDES:
COVERAGE INCLUDES:
New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, US News, BC News, Bloomberg, MSNBC, NPR, Business Week, CNN, PBS News Hour, CBS News, National Journal, Reuters, Salon.com, Huffington Post, Roll Call, The Wall Street Journal Blog, Forbes, CBS Sunday Morning, Business Insider, The O’Reilly Factor, Politico, CBS Radio, NY Magazine, The New Yorker, The Weekly Standard, Daily Kos, MSNBC’s Ed Show, Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Mother Jones, CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, and TIME among others.
Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, Sun Sentinel, Planet Washington, Daily Press (Hamptons Roads Virginia) The 33 TV (Dallas/Fort Worth), Portland CW, wdbj7.com (Virginia), The Morning Call (Lehigh PA), WGNTV Chicago, Hartford Courant (Hartford CT), Pasadena Weekly, WTOP (Washington DC), Star New Online (Wilmington NC), The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC), Topeka Capital Journal Online (Topeka KS), Sacramento Bee, Kansas City Post, and UT San Diego.
“Rich Man, Poor Man”, major feature article in Dagens Nyheter, a Swedish newspaper; The Hindu, United Press International, Al Jazeera, MercoPress, International Business Times, Quoi?, and The Guardian, among others.
NATIONAL
COVERAGE INCLUDES:
Notably the President of the Czech Republic referenced the Patriotic Millionaires in his May 2013 address to the Czech Chamber of Deputies.
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THE 2016-2017 CAMPAIGN
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One of the most powerful media brands in American politics and a relentless force for the common good within the halls of power, the Patriotic Millionaires offer an unmatched – arguably unrivaled – opportunity for like-minded people to influence the direction of the country at a moment when the stakes are almost immeasurable.
2016-2017 ACTIVITIES: + Daily media booking on national, state, and local media;
+ Education of other wealthy Americans through member-hosted events;
+ Aggressive state-based marketing in partnership with allies;
+ Op-ed drafting and placement in large and small publications;
+ A robust national media campaign that will include: 3-5 videos on tax policy; 3-5 videos on minimum wage; and 3-5 videos on political power and the corrupting influence of money on public policy;
+ Wide promotion of the Patriotic Millionaires eBook RENEGOTIATING POWER AND MONEY IN AMERICA; + Creation and promotion of three companion volumes:
+ One presence at each of the 2016 Party Conventions;
+ EQUALIZING POWER IN AMERICA: a volume focusing on democratic process issues including money in politics;
+ A series of public events in key states; + A daily presence on Capitol Hill to share our vision for the country with lawmakers and to advance specific legislative priorities;
+ MAXIMUM IMPACT: a volume on Why Smart Capitalists, Moral Americans and Small Government Conservatives All Support a Higher Minimum Wage;
+ Patriotic Millionaires’ annual Conference on Power and Money in America with partner organizations;
+ S PLITTING THE TAX TAB: a volume offering a new framework for a fair tax system.
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PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES AT A GLANCE
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+ In late 2010, several dozen “Patriotic Millionaires” published a public letter to the President urging him to let the Bush tax cuts for incomes over $1 million expire. A few weeks later, they issued a public call to action and effectively shut down the White House’s switchboards. The initial media coverage was immense (generating 5,440+ news stories). Since then, the Patriotic Millionaires have generated hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of media attention, locally, nationally, and internationally; + In June 2011, the Patriotic Millionaires sent a video message on the 10th anniversary of the Bush tax cuts to Hon. Boehner and Members of Congress. The video went viral, receiving 305,574 YouTube hits; 2,951 ‘likes’; and 774 comments; as well as extensive earned media coverage; + In November 2011, nearly two-dozen Patriotic Millionaires descended on Washington to testify at a hearing called by the Congressional Progressive Caucus and to hold a press conference demanding that Congressional leaders “kill” any Super Committee bill that did not include increased taxes for millionaires. They spent the day meeting with Super Committee Members and their staffs, Congressional leaders, and Tea Party Caucus members. The event
garnered millions of dollars’ worth of media impressions; +T he Patriotic Millionaires engaged in a lengthy debate with tax lobbyist GROVER NORQUIST–famously urging him to “move to Somalia” where there are no federal taxes. The debate was filmed and shared online, resulting in dozens of news stories; + I n April 2012, PRESIDENT OBAMA invited the Patriotic Millionaires to the White House for his annual tax day address. Several PM’s and their assistants stood on the podium with the President to highlight the disparity between the tax rates on capital gains and ordinary income; + I n May 2012, the Patriotic Millionaires launched a private call series, featuring exclusive in-depth briefings from top economic experts. The series served as an intensive prep course for the issues at play during the pre-election budget battle and post-election “Fiscal Cliff” tax debate in Congress. Some prominent figures from the call series include: former Chief Economist of the IMF SIMON JOHNSON, the Honorable DAVID M. WALKER, Special Counsel to the AFL DAMON SILVERS, former White House Chief of Staff ERSKINE BOWLES, and the office of Leader JOHN BOEHNER among others;
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+O n February 12th, 2014, President Obama invited the Smart Capitalists to the White House to witness the signing of the Executive Order to raise wages for federal contract workers. CNN filmed the visit for a special on income inequality. The visit was featured in a special episode of CNN’s Inside Man, hosted by director MORGAN SPURLOCK;
+ In November 2012, in the face of the fiscal cliff, the Patriotic Millionaires once again descended on Washington, DC to reissue their call for higher taxes on wealthy Americans. They had many productive meetings on both side of the aisle. On the Republican side, they met with the offices of: Sen. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA), Sen. ORRIN HATCH (R-UT), Sen. JIM DEMINT (R-SC), Sen. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R-GA), Sen. JEFF SESSIONS (R-AL); and on the Democratic side: House Minority Leader NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), Sen. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT), Sen. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO), and Sen. MARK PRYOR (D-AR), Sen. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI), Sen. DICK DURBIN (D-IL), Sen. MARK WARNER (D-VA), Rep. XAVIER BECERRA (D-CA), Rep. SANDER LEVIN (D-MI), and Rep. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD) among others;
+ I n March, the Smart Capitalists partnered with Business for a Fair Minimum Wage to meet with dozens of senior lawmakers to demand federal legislation raising the minimum wage; + I n June 2014, the Patriotic Millionaires hosted a landmark public policy discussion between Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN (DMA) and world-renowned economist THOMAS PIKETTY. The event was produced by the Huffington Post; +T he Patriotic Millionaires were active participants in a minimum wage coalition organized by the National Employment Law Project. Participating organizations include Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Small Business Majority, and the Economic Policy Institute among many others. Through this coalition, the group organized and financed a national signage campaign for small business owners to raise awareness on the benefits of a higher minimum wage. They also created a web video “Just Like the Sign Says” featuring small business owners from across the country explaining the benefits of a higher minimum wage;
+ The group also met with several senior level administration officials including VALERIE JARRETT, Senior Advisor to the President, and members of the White House staff in Communications, Legislative Affairs, and the Treasury to discuss a longterm strategic plan for tax reform as well as other budgetary issues including the economy, jobs, and sequestration; + The Patriotic Millionaires enlisted dozens of top business leaders for their “Smart Capitalist” initiative supporting a higher minimum wage;
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+ In February 2015, Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires MORRIS PEARL was the featured guest on The Daily Show with JON STEWART in the segment: The 99% of the 1%. In that segment, Mr. Pearl promoted a fairer tax system for all Americans;
(D-WI) and Representative SANDY LEVIN (D-MI) to participate in a press conference in the Capitol building to support the closing of the carried interest tax loophole; they joined Senators CORY BOOKER (D-NJ) and SHERROD BROWN (D-OH) in support of raising the minimum wage by participating in a #BrownBagBoycott in solidarity with low paid cafeteria workers; and they met with Republican and Democratic Senators to build support for fairer taxes and a higher minimum wage;
+ In early 2015, the Patriotic Millionaires merged with Wealth for The Common Good, a network of high net-worth individuals and business leaders who share the Patriotic Millionaires’ goal of a fairer tax system. Founded by CHUCK COLLINS, Wealth for the Common Good has worked to close billionaire loopholes curb tax haven abuse, and prevent the repeal of the estate tax on inherited wealth and much more;
+ I n 2016, the Patriotic Millionaires launched a multi-pronged campaign against Money in Politics using one of the most egregious tax loopholes in the federal tax code as a foil. A clear example of Wall Street’s undue influence on policy, the carried interest loophole gives preferential tax treatment to fund mangers over regular Americans for no discernible reason other than campaign contributions. That campaign is challenging federal lawmakers who refuse to close the loophole, the Private Equity Growth Capital Council (the industry group’s lobbyist) and PEGCC’s new president, MICHAEL SOMMERS, the former Chief of Staff to Speaker JOHN BOEHNER. The campaign includes significant state level activity as well.
+ During the summer and fall of 2015, the Patriotic Millionaires worked to support the successful efforts in Maine and Seattle to pass campaign finance reform measures, including releasing the web video “Support Maine’s Question One”; + In Fall 2015, we released our first eBook with a launch party in Washington, DC. Renegotiating Power and Money in America won high accolades from political and thought leaders including Democratic Leader NANCY PELOSI, Sen. JEFF MERKLEY (D-OR) and Gov. TED STRICKLAND among others; + In November 2015, two dozen Patriotic Millionaires traveled to Washington, DC at the invitation of Senator TAMMY BALDWIN
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HISTORY OF THE PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES
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THE BEGINNING The Patriotic Millionaires first came together during the lame duck session of Congress in 2010 to demand higher taxes on themselves and other millionaires for the good of the country. The group instantly sparked the public imagination and became an overnight media sensation. The Patriotic Millionaires quickly grew from a few dozen participants to more than 200 members. The group generated literally hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of media attention here and abroad. Over several trips to Washington, members of the group met with dozens of lawmakers of both parties to argue for the moral and fiscal imperative of higher taxes on millionaires. The reach of the campaign was so vast that the President of the Czech Republic referenced the group in an address to the Czech Parliament about that country’s tax policy. In April 2012, the President invited the Patriotic Millionaires to stand with him on the podium for his annual Tax Day Address. In late 2012, the President signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act which, among other things, raised the marginal tax rate on incomes over $1 million.
STRATEGIC APPROACH: TAX POLICY The Patriotic Millionaires used a very narrow policy area—marginal tax rates on incomes over $1 million–to amplify a much broader worldview–that paying taxes is fundamentally part of one’s patriotic duty. In so doing, the group challenged the root premise of conservative tax policy–that wealth is created solely by individual effort and that taxes are government theft. By amplifying the stark differences of perspectives on a narrow and easily understood policy issue, the Patriotic Millionaires were able to effectively define and magnify the fundamental difference between the conservative perspective on taxes and the perspective of the vast majority of American. In essence, they challenged their fellow Americans to “pick a side.” By clearly articulating the difference between the two basic premises of tax policy, the Patriotic Millionaires laid the groundwork for a fundamental rejection of conservative tax policy and created an opening for the adoption of rational tax policies that serve the American people as a whole rather than a small number of self-interested actors.
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EXPANSION TO WAGE POLICY: CHALLENGING TRICKLE DOWN With a critical victory in hand, the Patriotic Millionaires launched a pivotal second front in their battle against destabilizing inequality. In 2014, they turned their attention to ensuring a basic level of decency – and a stable level of aggregate demand - in our country’s economic structure. Working people deserve the dignity of self-sufficiency and corporations must pay the people whose work generates the profits corporate leaders so enjoy. The Patriotic Millionaires are deeply committed to significantly raising the minimum legal wage permitted in the wealthiest country in the world. As with their work on taxes, the Patriotic Millionaires use a specific policy to amplify a much broader worldview. The Patriotic Millionaires want not only to raise the wages of millions of Americans, but also to directly challenge residual adherence to trickle-down economics among the public, the media and elected officials. This new front on inequality was launched under the battle flag: Smart Capitalists. The narrow policy goal of the campaign is to increase the federal minimum wage and index it to inflation. The narrative goal is much larger–to proactively assert a powerful vision about the basic structure of capitalism and to contrast that philosophy against conservative dogma. This new effort attracted the attention
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of dozens of business leaders across the political spectrum from Ron Unz, publisher of the American Conservative; to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. Over the next year, the Smart Capitalists group grew significantly, forming part of a rising tide of bipartisan public support in favor of a higher federal minimum wage. In February 2014, President Obama invited the Smart Capitalists to the White House to meet with leading policy makers and to witness the signing of the Executive Order to raise wages for federal contract workers. CNN covered the visit to Washington in a special report on inequality. In March, the Smart Capitalists met with dozens of senior lawmakers to explain the importance of raising the federal minimum wage. The group worked in close partnership with the National Employment Law Project coalition, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, the Main Street Alliance and others to educate the public about the economic benefits of a higher minimum wage. Among other things, they engineered a signage campaign for local businesses and produced a web video. Their work and that of allies led to a number of important legislative victories in 2014 and to the passage of numerous state ballot initiatives raising the minimum wage.
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THE NEXT CHAPTER: DEMOCRACY / MONEY IN POLITICS Despite important victories in both tax and wage policy, the gap between America’s rich and poor continues to grow, reaching levels last seen in the late 1920s. A recent study showed that by next year 1% of the world’s population will own more wealth than the other 99% combined. Last year, the World Economic Forum called the global gap between rich and poor “the single biggest risk to the world,” warning that it could “easily boil over into social upheaval” and to the “dissolution of the fabric of society.” While some level of inequality is the expected result of natural causes, the problematic degree of today’s inequality is due largely to the systematic expansion of the political power of the super wealthy and corporations. The result is “legislative capture”–a mostly legal form of political corruption that ensures that the government operates on behalf of an elite interest, rather than for the good of the whole. Over several decades, a deliberate and successful campaign to deregulate the country’s campaign finance system has resulted in unprecedented levels of political spending by a small cadre of selfinterested actors. This spending has allowed elites to promote their own agendas and to drown out the voices of ordinary Americans. The result is tax policies that clearly favor corporations and the very wealthy and wage/work policies that cater to the interests of large corporations rather than reflecting the will of the majority of Americans.
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New laws have made it more difficult to vote and have diminished the influence of regular Americans on the legislative process. These laws combined with Supreme Court decisions like Buckley v Valeo and Citizens United together exacerbate inequality, depress the economy and reward crony capitalists. Politicians spend most of their time raising money and even the most wellmeaning elected leaders eventually shift their agenda to suit their financial backers rather than regular Americans. Notably, the majority of Americans support higher taxes on corporations and millionaires and a higher federal minimum wage, but both policies remain stalled in Congress because of the central cancer in American life, money in politics. The Patriotic Millionaires recognize that political inequality exacerbates economic inequality and that economic inequality in turn leads to greater political inequality. This vicious circle has become an existential threat to the long-term stability and prosperity of our nation.
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A POWERFUL MERGER AND THE ROAD AHEAD In 2015, the Patriotic Millionaires merged with Wealth for the Common Good, a powerful network of more than 5,000 business people, high-networth individuals and partners. Founded in 2008, Wealth for the Common Good is perhaps best known for mobilizing a vocal group of millionaires and billionaires against the repeal and “reform” of the federal estate tax. Wealth for the Common Good worked with Warren Buffett, Bill Gates Sr., George Soros, Agnes Gund and many others to advocate for the closure of “billionaire loopholes” and a plan to reduce college debt by increasing estate taxation. In 2009, the group created Business and Investors Against Tax Haven Abuse to draw attention to the unlevel playing field between domestic businesses and transnational companies that use secrecy jurisdictions to avoid accountability and taxation. They enlisted hundreds of business leaders to publicly speak out, write op-eds, and support the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act in Congress. From 2010-2012, the group worked closely with the Patriotic Millionaires to force the expiration of the 2001 Bush tax cuts and a restoration of top tax rates. In 2013, the group launched DivestInvest, enlisting high net worth individuals and philanthropies to divest from the fossil fuel sector and invest in the transition to a low-carbon energy future.
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The merger of these two influencer powerhouses marked a pivotal moment in the fight to build a stable, prosperous future for our country. Together they represent thousands of the country’s wealthiest, most influential citizens who recognize the incredible threat posed by today historic levels of inequality. Proudly “traitors to their class,” the members of the group are deeply committed to advancing the well-being of the country as a whole and to generating prosperity for all American citizens rather than a small elite. They fundamentally believe that meeting today’s challenges requires understanding economic and political inequality in relation to each other and committing to making changes in both areas simultaneously.
The combined organization has built a powerful membership and a dedicated board of advisors. In 2016-17, the group will double its budget, and significantly expand its media and legislative capacity. We will continue to aggressively partner with likeminded organizations and good American citizens. Together we can help lead a movement to ensure a more prosperous and just nation.
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HOW TO JOIN THE PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES
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REQUIREMENTS OF MEMBERSHIP In order to join the Patriotic Millionaires, one must have or have had an income of more than $1 million per year and/or assets of more than $5 million, which can include assets held by a family foundation.
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION + Each member supports the public education campaign with a financial contribution; the level of contribution is left to the discretion of the individual member. Contributions range from $1,000 - $100,000 per year, with an average annual gift of $5,000 per year. + Contributions may be made to either the 501c3 or the 501c4. + Members are asked to commit to at least 2 years.
TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP + Members are welcome to be either Public or Private members. + Public members are recognized on the website and may be asked to speak to members of the press or to provide quotes for news releases. + Private members are fully engaged in the group, but their participation is anonymous. Please note: persons who do not meet the requirements of the Patriotic Millionaires or who are not interested in joining for whatever reason, are invited to support the goals of the group through a contribution as a Friend of the Patriotic Millionaires. www.PatrioticMillionaires.org/donate
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PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPACT There are many ways to participate in the Patriotic Millionaires effort including:
+D iscussing Patriotic Millionaire priorities with legislators either in person through one of our frequent “Hill Days” or via phone/ email; +S peaking to the press (print and television); +H osting an event or policy discussion with other influencers;
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+A ppearing in a video or television ad; +W riting op-eds or opinion pieces; +E ngaging in policy discussions with experts; + Writing for the blog; +J oining our member social media team; +J oining one of our member committees (policy, marketing and membership). For more information about joining the Patriotic Millionaires, please contact Erica Payne at epayne@patrioticmillionaires.org or 202-446-0489.
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LEADERSHIP
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PRESIDENT AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
ERICA PAYNE is the President, Chief Creative Officer and a member of the Board of the Patriotic Millionaires.
A fearless advocate for economic justice, Erica has appeared on dozens of media outlets from NBC to Fox News. She is the author of The Practical Progressive: How to Build a 21st Century Political Movement which Jonathan Alter of Newsweek called “a blueprint for a progressive conspiracy to help save the country.” She is the co-editor with Dr. Rob Johnson of ‘Make Markets Be Markets,’ an in-depth analysis of financial regulation and the U.S. banking system. Once described as someone who “could teach a master class in speaking truth to power,” Payne is the creator of some of the most powerful political messaging campaigns of the last decade. Her creative portfolio includes Granny Off the Cliff, a powerful indictment of conservative plans to destroy Medicare, Granny has been compared to LBJ’s famous Daisy and the Mushroom Cloud ad; Romney Girl which created an international incident with the Swiss government; and Republican Cuts Kill—a series of ads which blame GOP budget cuts for everything from Ebola to the lead poisoning crisis in Flint, MI. Erica is the Founder and a member of the Board of the Agenda Project. Prior to founding the Agenda Project, Payne was the Principal of the Tesseract Group, a boutique consulting firm for the progressive intellectual and communications infrastructure. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2000) and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1991).
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CHAIR OF THE BOARD MORRIS PEARL is Chair of the Board of the Patriotic Millionaires, a full-time position he assumed after retiring from a successful career in the financial services industry. Previously, Pearl was a Managing Director at BlackRock, one of the largest investment firms in the world. In this role, he worked on the Maiden Lane transactions and assessing the government’s potential losses from the bail outs of CitiBank and AIG. He also advised Her Majesty’s Treasury on the bailout of Lloyds and RBS, as well as similar projects for the Central Bank of Ireland and the Bank of Greece. Prior to BlackRock, Pearl enjoyed a long tenure on Wall Street where he invented some of the securitization technology connecting America’s capital markets to consumers in need of credit. He is a CFA Charter Holder, a member of the CFA Institute and the New York Society of Securities Analysts.
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ADVISORY BOARD NAOMI ABERLY is a political activist and civic volunteer who focuses her efforts on women’s health, is currently a Vice Chair of DNC’s National Finance Committee, an Advisory Board Co-Chair of Organizing for Action, and most recently served as a Co-Chair of Wendy Davis’ campaign for Governor of Texas. Aberly also serves on the boards of both the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF). She is a member of the Planned Parenthood Leadership Council, the Women Donors Network, and the EMILY’s List Majority Council. She is also an active supporter of the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Center for American Progress and the Texas Organizing Project. LAWRENCE BENENSON is a Principal of
the Benenson Capital Company and a member of the company’s Investment Committee, involved in developing and implementing the company’s investment strategies and internal operations as well as guiding the company’s short and long-term planning. He guides the Company’s near-term and long-range planning and has helped Benenson Capital Partners grow to become one of the nation’s premier owners of net-leased properties. He has been involved with the Benenson family business since 1990. Benenson is the Chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy and Head Co-Chairman of the Lincoln Center Real Estate and Construction Council. He serves on the Boards of the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center in the Bronx, the Museum for African Art, the Center for Arts in Education, American Folk Art Museum, the ART/OMI International Arts Center, the New York Junior Tennis League, Al Hirschfeld Foundation and the Ad Reinhardt Foundation. He also serves on the Boards of the Inner-City Scholarship Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Previously, Benenson worked for Rose Associates, a real estate investment and development company specializing in Manhattan properties. Benenson holds a BA from Duke University. He is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York, Vice President of the Realty Foundation of New York, and a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
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DAN BERGER is a Philadelphia lawyer specializing in complex litigation from the plaintiff’s perspective including antitrust, securities, consumer protection, employment, environmental and civil and human rights. Mr. Berger’s firm has been a pioneer in the field of class action litigation and was one of two firms who filed the original class actions starting in the 1960s. For his long career in the law, Mr. Berger was recently named as a “Titan” in the field of complex litigation by the publication, Law 360. Mr. Berger is also very politically active and is the largest supporter of progressive political causes and groups in the Philadelphia area. He is currently a sponsor of the Progress Project which is being co-sponsored with the Brookings Institute and which is investigating the nature of social, economic and political progress in the historical sense and how to re-start and enhance historical progress. CHUCK COLLINS is an author and senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, where he directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good. He is coauthor, with Bill Gates Sr., of Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes. Chuck is the co-founder of Wealth for Common Good. ALAN DAVIS is president of The Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund, a private family foundation. Alan is the Director of the WhyNot Initiative, the foundation’s program to support social change efforts that have the potential to significantly address problems with the democratic process, income and wealth distribution, universal healthcare and tolerance. He was founder and CEO of Conservatree Paper Company, the leading distributor of recycled paper, and founder and CEO of ASDavis Media Group, a publisher of more than 40 travel guidebooks. DAVID DESJARDINS was employee number 20 at Google, where he worked as a software engineer from 1999 to 2005. He is a member of the board of the Tigerlabs technology incubator, a member of the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a trustee of the University of California at Berkeley Foundation, a consultant at the Center for Communications Research at Princeton, a member of the steering committee of the Scholars Strategy Network, and a member of the board of the Democracy Alliance. WEALTH FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
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PHILIP EDMUNDSON is the Northeast Area
Chairman of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance broker. Phil is a Director of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers in Washington, DC. He is a Trustee of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, on the board of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, and Chair of the Board of Overseers of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He is Chair of the Alliance for Business Leadership, a group of progressive business persons. He is a Trustee of the Trustees of Reservations, an environmental group and a member of the Administrative Board of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
JERRY FIDDLER is founder, CEO and Chairman of Wind River Systems, a software design and consultancy firm with a market cap of over $1 billion. Jerry founded Wind River out of a rented garage and by 2009, the company was the leading provider of embedded software worldwide; its operating systems could be found in millions of devices and was used in historic projects including the NASA Clementine moon probe and all of the Mars rovers and landers. Fiddler is currently the Chairman of Solazyme, a biotech company doing groundbreaking work in renewable energy, and the Principal of Zygote Ventures, a privately held venture capital fund. Fiddler serves on the UC President’s Advisory Board on Science and Innovation, the foundation board of Chabot Space & Science Center, and is a trustee of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and The California Jazz Conservatory. DR. GAIL FURMAN is a leading child and adolescent psychologist in Manhattan. She has been in private practice treating children, adolescents and their families for over 45 years and was the psychologist at both the Fieldston School and the Dalton School from 1973-1990. Furman serves on the executive boards of Human Rights First, Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), The Brennan Center for Social Justice at NYU Law School, and Auburn Seminary. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is an assistant clinical professor at New York University, where she is a consultant to the Child Study Center. Furman is also one of the founders of the Family Academy, a model experimental school in Harlem providing academic, social and mental health services for students and their families. She has been instrumental in developing collaborations and innovative partnerships to provide more competent, comprehensive service to inner-city children and families.
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KEESHA GASKINS is the director for the Democratic Practice–United States program at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Gaskins is a long-time organizer, lobbyist and trial attorney. Prior to joining the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, she was Senior Counsel with the Brennan Center for Justice, serving as the director of the Redistricting and Representation program. Gaskins is a frequent lecturer and writer on issues related to women and politics, movement building, and democratic reform. JEFFERY GURAL is Chairman of Newmark Grubb
Knight Frank, an international commercial real estate firm covering 320 offices worldwide. Prior to joining Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, Gural was a member of the staff of Morse-Diesel Construction Co. Gural is recognized as an invaluable member of the Greater New York community, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Real Estate Board of New York, member of the Board of USO, member of the Board of Directors of the UJA-Federation, and many more.
KEITH MESTRICH is the President and CEO
of Amalgamated Bank. He joined the bank in 2012 after serving four years as the CFO of SEIU. A 25 -year veteran of the labor movement with Workers United, UNITE HERE, UNITE and the AFL-CIO, he started at Amalgamated as Director of the bank’s Washington D.C. office. In addition to working at the bank, Keith serves on the Board of Directors of the Democracy Alliance, the Roosevelt Institute, the D.C. Employment Justice Center, the Union Health Center, Hot Bread Kitchen and the labor incubator known as The Workers Lab. He is also an Advisory Board member of the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition.
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SCOTT NASH is the founder of MOM’s Organic
Market, an organic grocery that promotes environmental justice. Started in 1987 out of his mom’s garage, with an initial investment of $100, MOM’s has grown to become one of the nation’s premiere chains of family owned and operated organic grocery stores. With approximately 800 employees and $130 million in annual revenue, MOM’s operates 12 stores in the Washington/Baltimore/Philadelphia region and plans to expand into the NorthEast corridor over the next several years with revenues anticipated to grow to $250 million.
STEPHEN PRINCE is a businessman who founded
National Business Products, now known as Card Marketing Services, in 1993. Prince focused the company’s attention on finding innovative print solutions for the credit, debit and prepaid card industry. As the gift card phenomenon began to evolve in the late ‘90’s, he switched the company focus from one that provided heavy paper print offerings to one whose primary product line was plastic cards and support materials for them. Today, as gift and loyalty card programs have proliferated and grown, Stephen is invited to deliver his “gift card gospel” to sales staffs, merchant clients as well as potential platform partners all over the U.S.
JAMES S. “GREAT NECK” RICHMAN is
President and CEO of Richloom Fabrics Group, a textile convertor, designer, and distributor of home furnishing fabrics located in New York, with subsidiaries offices in Shanghai and Gurgaon. Richman runs the Richloom Family Foundation, which has set up the Endowed Scholarship at George Washington University and Case Western Reserve University, the Richman Visiting Professorship at Brandeis University, and given major donations to Jewish Philanthropic America and other organizations. Richman serves on the Board of Overseers at the New York University Stern School for Business, the Advisory Committee at Case Western Reserve University, and the Board of Trustees of the Atlanta High Museum of Art. He is also associated with several New York City Local Charities, such as the Association to Benefit Children and Publicolor.
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ERIC SCHOENBERG is Chairman of
CampusWorks, Inc., a provider of technology leadership services to universities and colleges. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches a class on Family Wealth, and Dr. Schoenberg also conducts research on the psychology of money and asset market bubbles and has taught behavioral economics, decision making, and leadership at Columbia Business School, NYU’s Stern School of Business, and the Haas Business School of the University of California at Berkeley. Previously, he was Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of Broadview International, a boutique investment bank offering merger and acquisition advisory services to Information Technology companies. Before that, he served as a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State. Dr. Schoenberg holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University, an MBA from the Wharton School, where he was a Palmer Scholar, an MSE in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and an AB in Biology from Harvard. He is a Trustee of the Rubin Museum of Art; an Overseer of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology; and Chairman of the Investment Committee of Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern and Central New Jersey.
RYAN SMITH lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ryan has worked in the Venture Capital/Angel Investing space for the past 15 years. Ryan is the founder of Variance Ventures and a partner in startup incubator Boomstartup and mainly invests in the software/hardware space and in health diagnostics. Ryan became involved in progressive political issues via the Obama campaign and has continues to work with groups such as Democracy For America, Organizing For Action and Mew Media Ventures to name a few. Ryan is proud to support the Patriotic Millionaires movement as he sees most issues through the economic lens. TRELLIS STEPTER is the Program Associate for the Piper Fund. He was the 2011-2012 Proteus Fund Diversity Fellow hosted by Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation and the Proteus- Piper Fund. Before the fellowship, Stepter worked in public service in both the executive and legislative branches. He served as the Director of Government Affairs for the Secretary of Transportation in the administration
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of Governor Deval Patrick. He also served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Policy Analyst in the Massachusetts House of Representatives with a focus on education, affordable housing, and social and economic justice policy.
JOE ZIMLICH is the Chief Executive Officer of
Bohemian Companies. Bohemian Companies, a private family financial office, includes the Bohemian Foundation, a family foundation; and Bohemian Asset Management, an investment management company with public equity, fixed income securities and private equity holdings. Joe has held board of director level positions in the following industries: technology, semi-conductors, water filtration, trust, private & commercial banking, food service, and venture-capital funds. Joe served previously as a manager in mergers and acquisitions and as a specialist in the not-for-profit and banking industries, both at an international accounting firm. He currently serves as a Board member for Bohemian Foundation, First Western Trust Bank, Third Way, Committee On States Executive Committee, America Votes Executive Committee, Colorado Democracy Alliance Executive Committee, Colorado Donor Alliance and the Colorado State University System Board of Governors Executive Committee (where he previously served as Board Chair).
GEORGE ZIMMER is Chairman, CEO and Founder of Generation Tux, an online rental platform for tuxedos and suits, and zTailors, an on-demand tailor network. He is also the founder and former CEO and Chairman of the Men’s Wearhouse - the largest retailer of men’s tailored suit and dress casual clothing in the U.S. and Canada and has been included in Fortune’s “The 100 Best Companies to Work For” list since 1999. He is the father of four children and self-described in his LinkedIn profile as a “Business Warrior Monk who roots for the underdog.” George serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and the Oakland Zoo.
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