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October 8, 1999/28 Tishri 5760, Vol. 52, No.6
Coalition nears possible demise
TAMI BICKLEY
Staff Writer
Mainstream Arizona, a 5-year-old coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to addressing what they call "the growing threat of the radical right," may become defunct by Tuesday, Oct. 19, due to dwindling interest on the part of its members.
Rabbi Robert Kravitz, area executive director of the American Jewish Committee, the organization that spearheaded Mainstream Arizona, sent out letters last month generically addressed to "Mainstream Arizona members and interested parties," requesting their attendance at a meeting scheduled for Oct. 19 to discuss two legal matters. If members decide to continue forward with Mainstream Arizona, the organization must renew its trade name, which is registered and patented with the Secretary of State's office, Kravitz said. But if members choose to end the organization's existence, they must decide how to distribute funds totaling $872.87, which came from dues and proceeds from the sale of a book, Kravitz said.
Valerie Richter, past president of the AJC, who said that she gradually has become less and less involved with Mainstream Arizona, recalled that when the organization was in its infancy, nearly 30 people would attend monthly meetings. Those meetings usually were led by a community member who has since moved out of state, she noted.
The purpose of the meetings was to educate members and other interested parties regarding anything that was happening at the time "with the conservative far-right and the effects of such organizations as the Christian Coalition as they impact(ed) our lives," Richter said. Education has been the organization's main focus, although representatives also made some efforts to shape public policy.
Mainstream Arizona would occasionally invite guests to speak at public forums about church-and-state separation issues. David Berliner, author of "The Manufactured Crisis," a book concerning public education and school vouchers, was one such guest.
On at least three occasions, said Richter, Mainstream Arizona members lobbied the state Legislature opposing school vouchers, which would allow families to use public tax dollars to send their children to any school of their choice, including private and religious institutions; and opposing a bill that would have established a state Constitution Day holiday, which Richter said was promoted by the Christian right.
Mainstream Arizona members - who have been both Jewish and non-Jewish - have met with various politically liberal groups for discussions when those groups felt that their agendas were being threatened. One such group was the Arizona Education Association, which represents public school teachers and also opposes school vouchers.
"Mainstream is a good organization with important goals," Richter said. "It's a communications center. And we learned that some of the groups on the far right have really strong agendas that (call for breaking down) the church-and-state wall.
"We were watchdogs, and when (we didn't feel) issues were getting (enough publicity), we would lobby or go to the newspapers. We were behind the scenes."
But over time, members dropped out of Mainstream Arizona, and attendance at monthly meetings has dropped to no more than eight people, she said.
"(Mainstream Arizona) needs to have a very strong (group of people) who are committed to its cause, and maybe people are worn out," she said, referring to the possibility that people felt the organization wasn't making much of a difference in squelching the right-wing agenda.
Richter also pointed to two additional reasons for declining interest. One, she said, is that nearly all members of Mainstream Arizona were involved with other organizations in which they were more interested as individuals. Another factor has been a lack of public relations.
"A lot of people just really didn't know about it," she said.
But Kravitz noted other reasons: "If the organization ceases to exist, it's probably because there are other entities out there better handling the challenges that Mainstream was facing. It's not that there is a lessening of interest. In fact, ... there is a heightened interest, but it's more segregated into specialized organizations."
Kravitz said that although questioning and challenging right-wing agendas has been important, Mainstream Arizona may not be the organization best suited for the job anymore.
"There are other organizations that are specifically addressing these issues now, and we don't need (Mainstream)," he said. "It's just one of those things."
Whether or not Mainstream Arizona will continue to exist "remains to be seen," noted Richter, but heavily depends on "if someone is inspired, wants to take over some leadership and programming activities ... and has the time. ... It's the (lack) of people who are active that is the problem - (not) the idea."
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