Over 250 students, staff and public interest advocates
celebrated the California Public Interest Research Group’s
30-year anniversary on campus Thursday night.
The event featured speakers Ariana Huffington and Assembly
Majority Floor Leader Marco Firebaugh.
Firebaugh has been a past supporter of CALPIRG’s Water
Watch program, which cleans up local water bodies including the Los
Angeles River.
Firebaugh called CALPIRG one of the most effective lobbying
groups in the state.
“There is nothing more powerful and effective than people
power, and California is better for it,” he said.
Firebaugh mentioned that the Latino Caucus, of which he is the
head, is also coincidentally turning 30 this year.
“I think we have a great future together,” he
said.
“I work in the sometimes forgotten East L.A. Folks in my
neighborhood have to live with the pollution that comes from a
thriving economy,” he said.
Firebaugh said CALPIRG has helped remove thousands of pounds
from the Los Angeles River in recent years.
Ariana Huffington expressed her commitment to CALPIRG
issues.
“Every cause I take up in my column and activism,
you’ve already been there. You here are really the
pioneers,” she told audience members.
Huffington emphasized that she feels CALPIRG is especially
important now, while referring to her recent book.
“This country needs you, because we have never had so many
“˜pigs in the trough,’ we have never had so many
powerful lobbyists working to undermine public
interests.”
Huffington said CALPIRG is so effective because it uses the
power of grassroots activism.
“People should stop looking to Washington and Sacramento
to solve their problems and look in the mirror,” she
said.
Student board member Mark Thornton said he thinks many young
people are taking on the role of grassroots activism, especially on
college campuses.
Thornton said CALPIRG has become significantly more active on
campus this year than in previous years.
“There is a lot more activism on campus (in general) with
the war going on. The atmosphere of campus activism makes it easier
for CALPIRG to recruit students,” he said.
From only three remaining active members at the beginning of
this year including himself, he estimates there are now 60 active
students on various campaigns.
Thornton said CALPIRG teaches students the skills to be
effective activists.
Jolene Mitchel, a first-year student and CALPIRG member, said
CALPIRG has made her more aware of the political process both on
and off campus.
“If I wasn’t in CALPIRG, I wouldn’t know
anything about student government or the administration,” she
said.
Mitchel said working on the Youth Vote campaign last fall made
her more politically conscious while registering other students to
vote.
“I became more aware on the bills than the general
population because I was constantly thinking about them and being
asked (to explain them),” she said.
UCLA chapter chair Erin Walsh said increased size of the chapter
this year has helped CALPIRG plan much larger events such as the
upcoming Earth Day celebration, and this month’s Hunger
Clean-up and Los Angeles River Clean-up, which she expects to
double in participation from last year.
“We have a lot more unity and events this year,” she
said.
Thursday’s celebration was one of three events held in San
Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles for local CALPIRG students
and staff.
Thursday was also declared “CALPIRG Day” by the Los
Angeles City Council and by a USAC resolution.