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Dear John,
It’s been one year since I’ve had the privilege of stepping up as LAANE’s third executive director, during a moment in our shared history when the word “unprecedented” feels like it’s starting to lose its meaning. Reflection is important in any leadership role, but with the current cadence of events, it’s doubly important, so I wanted to share a bit of my thinking and solicit your reflections in return. [[link removed]]
I’m also excited to share LAANE’s first-ever impact report on our 2024 accomplishments [[link removed]] , which includes our wins by the numbers but also profiles some of the community members who make our work possible and critical.
We have our work cut out for us moving forward, but as I mentioned at the end of 2024, as long as we face these challenges together, clear-eyed and united, we’ll never be defeated.
The United States is an Oligarchy
In a time when misinformation is meta stasizing across our co-opted government and media, it’s more important than ever that we call things as they are: ultra-rich corporate interests have hijacked our democracy and replaced it with an oligarchy. Punto. Our economy has become their economy. So what do we do? For LAANE, it means having an even sharper articulation of what we’re up against and what we’re for. It means naming the villain. And it means holding elected officials accountable to fighting corporate power where it has broken the law, degraded working conditions, and stolen wages from those doing the work. We must, and we will, continue to ensure our strategies are building power for working families to counter the greed and lies, both on the job and on the ballot. It is the only pathway back to Democracy.
AI: More Money, More (of the Same) Problems
State Senator María Elena Durazo once wrote [[link removed]] , “Ford was Amazon before Amazon, and when Amazon goes, something will take its place. Players change, sectors change, and our tactics will need to change with them, but those powerful economic forces will always be there and LAANE’s essential strategies … will always be necessary.” It’s easy to see why innovation is attractive and, in turn, receives a pass from scrutiny. It creates convenience. But while the age (and integration) of AI and other technological tools is new, the aims are all too familiar – to aid in the accumulation of wealth and power at the expense of working families. LAANE is committed to building the institutional power needed to ensure workers have what they need to fight the roll-out of dehumanizing technology designed not for efficiency, but for control. That means going back to the basics. LAANE will bring renewed rigor to our organizing, research, communications, and policy. We are committed to the type of power-building the late Jane McAlevey centered [[link removed]] as critical to forming winning strategies.
Being a Good Leader and Raising Good Humans
All of us have the capacity to lead, and are called upon to lead in multiple ways every day. Good leaders take risks, but put in the work to create stability. They build bridges to meet people where they are at, but not leave them there. And they are responsive and open, but grounded in core principles and a vision for change. I have worked to reflect these values over the past year, but jumping into this leadership role as a young father of two has been arguably the toughest part of this transition. Although it is something that is widely experienced, it often feels invisible, likely because of how parenthood is gendered, and how men in leadership (and generally) don’t discuss challenges that come with balancing it all. I’ve learned a lot of important lessons – in patience, in impatience, but also the value of being consistent, showing up, and leading with love. It’s not always perfect. But the change we seek is one that will require great love – not just for our children, but ourselves and our communities. And leadership – everyone’s leadership – is more important than ever.
The Sun Will Rise
The COVID pandemic awakened working class consciousness around worth and dignity. Workers demanded better pay, better protections, and better prioritization of their own health and livelihoods. Meanwhile, we saw firsthand how their economy viewed working families: as disposable. The pandemic also gave us a glimpse of what a more robust social safety net and economy could look like. And it worked. Expanded job protections, direct income payments, and eviction moratoriums, to name a few, provided critical bridge relief for families during the worst of the pandemic. Government did its job. And so there’s hope that it can happen again, and that people understand the role that good government, divorced from corporate interests, can play in creating an economy that works for us all.
As LAANE continues into 2025, I invite you to learn more [[link removed]] , to engage [[link removed]] , and to deepen your relationship with us as we build power with community to realize this hope.
[[link removed]] Saludos y Adelante,
[[link removed]]
Víctor Sánchez
Executive Director, LAANE
LAANE is a leading advocacy organization dedicated to building a new economy for all. Combining dynamic research, innovative public policy and organizing of broad alliances, LAANE promotes a new economic approach based on good jobs, thriving communities, and a healthy environment.
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LAANE
464 Lucas Ave Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90017
United States
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