Glenn Burleigh

From KeyWiki

Glenn Burleigh is a Consultant at Independent Campaign Management Consultant, St. Louis Missouri.

Education

Saint Louis University

ACORN

Burleigh was head Organizer at St. Louis ACORN, St. Louis Metro Political Director at Missouri ACORN, Organizing Director at Forefront Organizing^[1].

Hands off Venezuela!

In May 2005 Hands off Venezuela! circulated an internet petition: "from American trade unionists and workers to the appeal to the U.S. government to stay out of Venezuela." Glenn Burleigh a member of the CWA endorsed the petition.^[2]

Communist Party USA

In 2005, Glenn Burleigh was chair of the Missouri/Kansas Communist Party education/ideology committee and an organizer with the Communication Workers union.^[3]

In September 2006 the Peoples Weekly World listed several members or supporters of the Missouri/Kansas Communist Party USA.^[4]

Colan Holmes, Garon Foxx, Glenn Burleigh, Jim Wilkerson, Jocelyn Cochran-Biggs, Joey Mooney, John Pappademos, Julie Terbrock, Katrina Molnar, Kaveh Razani, Margarida Jorge, Mary Barbur , Nafisa Kabir, Phil Webb, Quincy Boyd, Russ Ford, Steve Johnson, Tony Pecinovsky, Yvette Harris, Zenobia Thompson.

Suppporting Claire McCaskill

In the 2006 election, Claire McCaskill tried to woo rural support against her Republican opponent Jim Talent.

According to the Communist Party USA paper Peoples Weekly World:^[5]

McCaskill is challenging conventional wisdom though, spending more time in rural areas than ever before. While working the traditional Democratic base, her connection with rural voters is forcing Talent to spend time and money on what was once thought of as solid Republican turf.

Communist Party USA affiliate John L. Bowman co-ordinated the McCaskill campaign.

Is McCaskill’s strategy working? According to Missouri state Rep. John Bowman (D-70), who is coordinating the McCaskill campaign for the St. Louis city and county area, the answer is yes. He told the World, “We are running one helluva ground campaign. So far it has been planned out and executed very well, even in rural areas.” He added, “That Talent, the incumbent, isn’t ahead in the polls is uniquely strange. Missouri voters are ready for a change.”

Reaching out to rural voters hasn’t changed McCaskill’s stance on key issues, though. She is a strong supporter of raising the minimum wage (Proposition B), authorizing stem cell research (Amendment 2) and changing the administration’s course in Iraq. Prop. B is supported by more than 70 percent of Missourians, while Amendment 2 is supported by over 60 percent. These two ballot initiatives are expected to help McCaskill gain at least 3 percentage points on Talent.

The McCaskill campaign also received support from state-level races. For example, state Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, another Communist Party USA affiliate, told the Peoples Weekly World, “Higher turnout in the Jane Bageto (D-94) and the Bob Burns (D-85) races, which are strong Republican areas, will help the McCaskill vote in those areas as well.”

Missouri Progressive Vote targeted state representative races in the Jefferson County area, about 45 minutes outside of St. Louis, with the hopes of solidifying Missouri House candidates Mike Frame (D-105) and Sam Komo (D-90), both card-carrying union members, and increasing the McCaskill turnout in those areas.

According to Pro-Vote organizer, Communist Party USA Glenn Burleigh, “These are tough races in areas where choice, LGBT rights and guns can make or break a campaign. We are working to turn the tide against the right wing, but a lot more work needs to be done.”

Increased voter registration is also a big part of the statewide turnout strategy. ACORN and Pro-Vote have collectively registered nearly 40,000 new voters in St. Louis and expect a higher than usual turnout in November.

About St. Louis, Bowman said, “We are knocking on almost 5,000 doors a day, passing out ‘Claire facts’ and talking to voters about the minimum wage and stem cell initiatives. We’re pushing for a big turnout.”

With just a few weeks left before the elections, Missouri’s progressive forces are united in their efforts to beat back the right wing, make gains for working-class families and send a clear message to President Bush.

CPUSA Missouri/Kansas District Executive Board

In 2007, members of the Communist Party's Missouri/Kansas District Executive Board were;

• Jim Wilkerson
• Zenobia Thompson
• John Pappademos
• Glenn Burleigh
• Margarida Jorge
• Quincy Boyd
• Tony Pecinovsky^[6]

Communist manager

In 2008 Missouri State Senate candidate Robin Wright-Jones' campaign manager was Communist Party USA member Glenn Burleigh.^[7]

Communist Party Herschel Walker award event

The Missouri Communist Party USA's Friends of the People’s World hosted their 18th annual ‘Hershel Walker Peace and Justice Awards Breakfast’ Saturday, May 8, 2010, at the CWA Local 6300 Union Hall, 2258 Grissom Drive (in the Westport area), St. Louis.

Newspaper Guild International President Bernie Lunzer was the main speaker for the event.

The honorees were:

• Tony Harris, President American Postal Workers Union (labor)
• Martin Rafanan, Ex. Director Gateway Homeless Services (community)
• State Senator Rita Heard Days, D-14 (public service)
• Clem Smith, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (civil rights)

The awards honor the memory of late Communist Party USA member Hershel Walker, a Missouri labor and civil rights activist, who died in 1990 at the age of 81. Walker’s life – which spanned 60 years of activism – ended tragically when hit by a car on his way to deliver petitions to save 4,000 jobs at the Chrysler Plant.^[8]

Known attendees included Communist Party USA affiliates, Tony Pecinovsky, Jim Wilkerson, Zenobia Thompson, Lew Moye, Glenn Burleigh, Julie Terbrock, John Bowman, Joe Thomas, Jeanette Mott Oxford, Democratic Socialists of America member Joan Suarez, plus Mahrya Monson, Don Giljum, Jessica Pace, Jason Kennedy, Jennifer Rafanan, Solveig Paulson, Dr. Greg Miday, Roosevelt Stewart, Michael Vossler, Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Richard Von Glahn, Shannon Duffy and State Rep. James Morris. ^[9]

Managing Lewis Reed

In January 2013, the mayoral campaign of St Louis aldermanic President Lewis Reed hired a new campaign manager.

Former ACORN director and Communist Party USA member Glenn Burleigh was named to the post.

Former manager Matt Teter is on permanent absence from the campaign. (Burleigh says Teter was "fired;" Teter says he stepped down.)

Teter became Reed's manager after stepping down from his job with the Democratic Party, on the heels of his arrest on suspicion of domestic assault.

After saying originally that the management duties would be split between him and former state Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, Burleigh later said he had been named to the post.

In a following interview, Reed said he and Burleigh had been negotiating terms when Burleigh was first asked to describe his role in the campaign.

"Now, he is the manager," Reed said. "Robin has no decision-making or leadership role" in the campaign.

Wright-Jones was defeated in the August 2012 Democratic primary after a year of legal and financial battles over her use of campaign funds, which sparked a state Ethics Commission investigation.

Burleigh, a St. Louis U. grad, worked as a union organizer for Communication Workers of America and the Service Employees International Union. In 2008 and 2009, he was the political director and head organizer for the STL branch of ACORN. He has worked on numerous election campaigns, including the successful senate run by Wright-Jones in 2008 and state Rep. Michael Butler in 2012.

"Basically, I get people to vote," he said.

Burleigh chuckled when asked about his membership with the Missouri/Kansas Communist Party. "I don't (belong) anymore. Everybody has had their wild side; I was younger then," he said.^[10]

References