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Miles Rapoport

Miles Rapoport is the president of Demos, a national research and advocacy organization. He was secretary of the state of Connecticut from 1995 to 1998 and served 10 years in the Connecticut legislature.

Recent Articles

Winning With Tax Reform: The Connecticut Story

Miles RapoportDec 19, 2001

In October of 1991, 40,000 furious citizens massed

in Hartford at the State Capitol, protesting Connecticut's new income tax,

cursing and spitting on Governor Lowell Weicker, and threatening legislators

with political extinction. One month later, Democrats in New Jersey were routed

by an irate electorate in retribution for the passage of changes in the state's

tax structure coupled with increased aid to education. Republicans took control

of both houses of the New Jersey legislature by veto-proof margins.

Both events reflected the crippling dilemma faced by progressives and Democrats

in recent years: increased revenues and fair tax structures are necessary to

Democracy's Moment

Miles RapoportDec 19, 2001

If nothing else, the 2000 election mess has
begun to produce real political engagement and debate about democracy.
For some this debate will focus narrowly on improving election equipment
and modernizing election administration. Conservatives may even try to
turn the debate to one that restricts voting opportunities under the
guise of efficiency, racial neutrality, and eliminating fraud. But for
progressives, this is a moment to expand the debate into one about
making democracy as inclusive and vibrant as possible. This means fusing
disparate strands of a pro-democracy movement into a multiracial
coalition that honors and supports the agenda of communities of color

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