Campaign for Public Alternatives - with Che and Deacon Dan in October Country

People come to the country to get out of the city then hang out 24/7 in town. That's the story of Che and Deacon Dan. You couldn't get them off the streets of Emerald City, except when they went up to Taft to run some scam door to door. I mean hustle. No, how about campaign. That's a really good word. Che prefers it to all others now to describe the pair' activities: the Campaign for Public Alternatives.
Take Transportation, privatized to death in a car culture. The pair kept a 93 supercharger Volvo monstrosity, luxury interior, cracked windshield and no high beams known as the Ghetto Cab Company. They would hang around after Emerald's bars closed and take drunks home at 20 bucks a pop (3 at $10 each)
Deacon Dan drove and Che would lean over the front seat and talk. He was a self-styled post-commie commie and presently was pushing a product called Market Socialism. Not the old lefty version of apostasy for onetime true believers, but Obama inspired - a la "the public option." This was what Che had redubbed "Public Alternatives."
The Zeitgeist is blowing in our sails now, Che would say. Obama is one of the helpless mouthpiecesk, seized by the loa of real change. His Public Option idea points back to a civil society in which "public" was all but eradicated in favor of privation for the poor and the near poor while there is monopolization for the haves and the have-mores.
Che called the Ghetto Cab Company an example of the growing radicalization of the economy thru social entrepeneurs providing services without serving a profit margin.Che like to point out all the areas that could use a public option. Transportation, of course, but others like housing, education,health which has become all wheal and no heal,with social welfare stripped to its barest atoms and even "defense" itself completely mercenaried.
"Obama has his problems," Che would explain, although now he would be benefiting with a well-paid "massage dollar" - one of the pair's attempt to provide a public alternaitve to money. 'Ask me if I want a massage' says the button that enrollees wear. What he said next was obliterated by sustained groaning but then, loud and clear: "Obama's delusion is that he can rule from the center when his opponents will only accept rule from the right. However, keep false hope alive. Without a center, Obama and the neoliberals he represents will soon however have to merge left. That's where they will run into our Campaign for Public Alternatives."
Che and Deacon Dan took their campaign seriously. One of their finest accomplishments was the creation of Hospitality Houses. Thanks to Deacon Dan's hacking talents, they had access to info opn every house, cabin, trailer and lean-to in the country. For a modest, one time only fee, they could place people in need of housing with an empty dwelling to suit their tastes. For a bit more each week, squatters would be assured warning of any approach by realitors, owners or law enforcement. "The service is now available in 212 counties, 193 cities and 18 Nation states," according to Deacon Dan's website.
There's more to tell about the Campaign, but here's an event that happened to the pair at the beginning of the month. They were on the street with several others. Deacon Dan as usual was playing his guitar and singing, about the only vocalizing he did. "Nobama Pakistan, Nobama Afghanistan, Nobama Iranistan, Not even Palis - stan."
Che was making an argument about Afghanistan, with Obama as the all-knowing guru. "He set the standard on War for time: it''s not all wars, it's dumb wars. This definitely place Afghanistan at the top of the dumbest war possible. Obama the pragmatic pacifist!" Che as a postcommie-commie always wanted reality over pragmality. "Without a moral center, or rubber plug, pragmatism is down the drain."
This was just after noon and Che noticed people streaming from a tour bus. All the polyster overwhelmed for an instant, then he seized up one of the signs near the bottom of the sidewalk stack. "SAVE JESUS FROM THE REPUBLICANS" He fished into Deacon Dan's coat pockets for the clutch of holy cards that showed Jesus in beard and business suit on one side and a long quote from Matthew 21 all about white sepulchres, pharisees and hypocrites - i.e. Republicans. He offered these to the bristling clean mob, one by one, only to be contemptuously refused. In desparation, he borrowed one of Lady Fingers bags of brownies, put a couple leaflets near the bottom and dropped it into the shopping bags which was undergoing tourist trick or treat. This was October after all.
The bus driver got a big brownie all her own and when exit time came the bus was stalled.the driver explained that the fragen bolt had bolted and couldn't be recovered. By the time she was ready to find, the bus had scarffed down desert plus. Thoroughly stoned the leaflets were read aloud. A couple of the ladies descended from the bus to grab up Che and Deacon Dan. The bus ride went rogue and before it returned to Taft where it had started, and three of the town's most fundamental churches were seized as Gospel Outposts. Che had Deacon Dan had a hell of a time escaping back to Emerald City.