Ride on, Jonathan
Topic: politics
Sometimes a bike ride is a lot more than, ah, a walk in the park. Take the 600-mile ride that US Senate hopeful Jonathan Tasini, a freelance writer-activist, completed late last month.

Tasini rode across New York State – from the Big Apple to Buffalo, that is, generally gaining elevation and fighting the prevailing wind – to highlight his uphill campaign against incumbent Senator Clinton.

Well, not against her personally; Tasini is no hormonally-charged Hillary Basher on a gender-vendetta (you know the type; if not, consult the nearest talk radio). He’s going after Clinton’s stands on the issues, particularly these three: her initial and ongoing support for the Iraq War; her support of NAFTA and similar “free trade” scams; and her failure to offer a cure for corporate health care. Tasini offers a clear alternative: He says the troops must be brought home now. He wants “new rules for the economy” that favor fair trade and labor rights (and as a longtime union organizer, he knows the ropes). And he supports “Medicare for All,” single-payer health coverage that will save both money and lives.

I had the privilege of riding with Tasini from Black Creek Park in the town of Chili to Buffalo just before the Democratic convention (coronation?) that tapped Clinton for a second term. The route took us through fertile farmlands whose beauty disguises an ailing ag economy, the declining small city of Batavia, the hideous and wasteful sprawl of eastern Erie County, and finally the all-but-terminal Genesee Street corridor leading to downtown Buffalo. Our ride ended only blocks from the convention site.

But it ain’t over. Campaign volunteers are now gathering signatures to get Tasini on the primary ballot. It’s a long shot, of course, but it’s one of the best ways to keep Clinton’s feet to the fire on war, trade, and health care.

For more information, go to www.tasinifornewyork.org.