Santa Cruz was once deemed "The Leftmost City," celebrated as a "deviant case" from the typical real estate and development interests power that permeates the United States. 30 years on, that vision of Santa Cruz has all but vanished: ever-increasing rents, pervasive housing insecurity, and dwindling community culture have been the consequence of a city council controlled by establishment Democrats–and by proxy–the real estate industry.

Now, more than ever, we need to build socialist organization that is not beholden to Democratic Party donors and capitalist class interests. That means building worker power! Tenant power! Student power! Community power!