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Home » News » News » ‘In the Red’: Democratic Socialists of America Face 7-Figure Budget Cuts, Layoffs Due to $2 Million Deficit, Members Say
News

‘In the Red’: Democratic Socialists of America Face 7-Figure Budget Cuts, Layoffs Due to $2 Million Deficit, Members Say

Edward TomicBy Edward TomicJanuary 22, 2024Updated:January 22, 202415 Comments3 Mins Read
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The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are in a “financial crisis” amid a $2 million budget deficit which may require the organization to make seven-figure budget cuts and layoff staff, according to several members of the DSA’s Marxist “Bread & Roses” caucus.

[RELATED: Maine DSA Stages Pro-Hamas Rally in Portland, Calls Terror Attacks on Israel “Morally and Legally Legitimate”…]

In an article published last week in The Call, a news outlet run by the DSA’s Bread & Roses caucus, DSA members Alex Pellitteri, Kristin Schall, and Laura Waldin outlined their proposal to the organization’s National Political Committee (NPC) for sweeping budget cuts and staff layoffs.

“For 2024, DSA is projecting $5 million in income and $7 million in expenses. That means we eventually need to come up with $2 million to break even,” the Marxist caucus members wrote, suggesting “at least $1.1 million” in cuts.

“No one would be considering layoffs if the deficit weren’t so extreme,” they wrote. “But now that we are in this crisis, we can’t fix it by hollowing out the organization. If we don’t reduce staff costs, DSA won’t be a place where anyone wants to work — or organize.”

The Marxists accused the DSA’s “top directors” of mismanaging their dues, and of running the DSA “in the model of a progressive non-profit rather than a mass party that is capable of getting us closer to a rupture with capitalism.”

The DSA’s financial situation is so dire that without the cuts, the organization may not be able to afford a convention in 2025, the members wrote.

According to the Bread & Roses caucus members, $3.65 million — accounting for 72 percent of the national DSA’s income and 58 percent of its expenditures — goes to staff.

“Without asking volunteers to take severance and be laid off, we would have to give up other expenses that members are counting on,” the DSA members wrote.

The Marxist caucus members submitted a proposal to DSA suggesting seven-figure budget cuts, “volunteer layoffs” — beginning with their non-union director-level employees — and a $500,000 cut in staff-related expenses.

[RELATED: “It’s very real and very powerful”: Outgoing Portland Mayor Kate Snyder on the Influence of Maine Democratic Socialists of America…]

In justifying their proposal for layoffs, the DSA members wrote that “In DSA, ‘the boss’ is fellow working-class activists who contribute a portion of our salary to pay for staff’s, as well as our limited free time to build the organization side-by-side with them.”

“DSA exists to be a vehicle for these members to advance the cause of socialism, and budgetary considerations should always make that the top priority…DSA members and union members have the right to exercise control over how their dues money is spent. And not only do we have the right, but bottom-up leadership is actually essential for a vibrant socialist movement and labor movement,” they wrote.

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Edward Tomic

Edward Tomic is a reporter for The Maine Wire based in Southern Maine. He grew up near Boston, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Boston University. He can be reached at [email protected]

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TransphobicTony
TransphobicTony
2 years ago

Good! These @ssholes are the ones responsible for getting people to vandalize my property cause I didn’t let my 14 year old son date a transgender in his class. When he is 18 he can do whatever he wants! They have harassed me at work almost fired, they called my family members, and even contacted my son.

if they are going to call me a transphobe all over social media then I will just take the name shove it at them

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Connor
Connor
2 years ago

@Tony, you ARE transphobic. I’ve seen your posts. You’re also a racist, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, bigoted cis whyte man of privilege. Love is love and no one is going to stop pushing back at you. Who are you to control who your kids date? If your son wanted to date a PoC(Person of Color) then you’d have an issue too. It’s 2024. Your hate has no home here. I’d also watch what you are saying about Maine DSA. Fuck around and find out.

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ME Infidel
ME Infidel
2 years ago

Sorry to hear that the DSA can’t meet their expenses. It reminds me of an old Margaret Thatcher quote: “Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people’s money.” So true.

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TC
TC
2 years ago

No worries for our red friends; I’m sure our comrade Connor and his commie pals will pony up plenty of dough.

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M. L. Collucci
M. L. Collucci
2 years ago

Conner, as I said in one of my prior comments, there is no need for conservatives to get worked up about leftist because they are destroying themselves. Seems as though your socialist/marxist utopian illusion is crumbling; perhaps you should close your eyes, and click your heels together three times while repeatedly saying there is no place like home in hopes of getting back to your safe space. Better get use to these type of budget cuts because when President Trump is re-sworn in for the office of president he will be making these types of cuts on all the publicly funded leftist pet projects.

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Connor
Connor
2 years ago

@Collucci, you’re delusional. 9/10 news articles that come out are about Progressive policies that are successfully being passed. Let me know when you start “winning”.

Oh…looks like Supreme Court just sided with Biden against Texas.

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-immigration-texas-razor-wire-9daef6bd316211b6633ece718e505187

Abbot is walking back to his state with his tail between his legs. America won’t tolerate racism.

0
XXX
XXX
2 years ago

@Bonner,
You do realize that if you to eliminate the white privileged, who is going to take care of your black lazy asses.

0
M. L. Collucci
M. L. Collucci
2 years ago

Conner, just because a single, or multiple battles are won in a war does not mean that the war has been won. Look at the American revolution as an example of that, yet here America still is nearly two and a half centuries later. In the art of war it is said to look weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. The leftist have made great strides in their movement over the last few decades, but the pendulum has reached its far left travel, and is now heading toward the other direction. This is the way that it always works in politics.

The leftist party has dwindled in numbers such that it now has to import those from other countries to bolster its ranks because Americans are no longer buying what the left body politic is selling. Americans are waking up to the mass corruption that exist in the entire system, and as you have repeatedly said leftist hold these positions. You will soon have your Baghdad Ali moment, and when that time comes I am sure that your comments from this, and any other forums that you belong to will no longer be being posted as your movement will be to busy licking its wounds to be fearless keyboard warriors any longer.

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Sandy
Sandy
2 years ago

There is no free lunch.

0
RickyTickySavvy
RickyTickySavvy
2 years ago

“In the Red’: Democratic Socialists of America Face 7-Figure Budget Cuts, Layoffs Due to $2 Million Deficit, Members Say”

😂😂😂

0
Samantha Wilkinson
Samantha Wilkinson
2 years ago

George Soros might help them out, he makes it his business to interfere in other country’s affairs. Did you know his “open society foundation” owns the Portland Press Herald and a whole bunch of other newspapers in Maine… you gotta ask yourself why!!

0
Connor
Connor
2 years ago

Mark my words. When we help Nikki Haley win the primaries(which we will do), we’ll then defeat her with Biden.
You under estimate your enemy while you play checkers and we play 3d chess. Aren’t half of you still quoting Q?

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NORMALPERSON
NORMALPERSON
2 years ago

IN REPLY TO CONNOR, I GUESS WHAT HE IS SAYING IS HE WILL COMMIT CRIMES IF YOU OPPOSE HIM, OR HIS PHRASE COULD TRANSLATE TO MESS WITH PIGS AND GET DIRTY.

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NORMALPERSON
NORMALPERSON
2 years ago

IS CONNOR A “LEFTY LOSING IT”? LOL

0
Ken Capron
Ken Capron
1 year ago

I don’t see where they get this “bottoms-up” leadership. Just like any party, there are a few influencers who make out very well at the top, and then there’s the workers – the disposable workers. Severance? Right. Do they even qualify for unemployment?

0
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