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People's Lobby Newsletter - Special Issue - May/June 1976 ED KOUPAL: "DREAM BIGGER!" BY DWAYNE HUNN Member of
People's Lobby Ed
Koupal, fresh from failing to recall Reagan in 1968, came into the smoggy
Los Angeles skies like a breath of fresh air. Out of their ramshackle house, he
and his wife gave teach-ins while they learned of smog. Around them gathered a
group of "Crazies" and from that mind track came the first
successfully sponsored grassroots initiative in California's history. Millions
of oil and nuclear industry dollars defeated that initiative, but it only
toughened the Koupals and their still "crazy'' but "wiser" Lobby. The
"Crazies" worked harder, laughed louder at their nastier political
jokes, and vowed deeper to get the vested interests out of the political
process. Because Ed felt it deeper, cared more, and worked harder, he became
the super crazy, the giant among the lion cubs. By election night in November of
1974 those crazies became a power to be reckoned with in the state. Their
Political Reform Initiative won with the largest plurality in California
history. Most
people will remember Ed Koupal for his political accomplishments -- the Clean
Environment Act, Political Reform Initiative, numerous lawsuits. They will
remember him when they continue To
hundreds of blue jeaned populists he was a loved father, friend, rabble rouser,
troublemaker and joker. His wicked, cutting jokes and his quick hands kept
everyone laughing, on their toes, and sometimes embarrassed. His vocabulary
could make Richard Nixon's expletive deleted tapes a Sunday sermon in comparison.
His insights, organizing, and energy excited one to the successes that are
possible
in a sick political system. Ink and paper will never capture Ed Koupal. How does one capture a man who, with no name recognition or money, builds what Ralph Nader calls the "strongest grassroots political organization in the nation"? What was it in the man that brought tears to Governor Brown? What kind of man is it that keeps his cancer down and secret till the inevitable end because he has "too much to do and no time for dying"? What kind of man chooses to die on his own terms -- without pain killing drugs and life support systems? How do you measure one who plays Benny Goodman tapes, drinks wine and cracks jokes in his last days and buoys the grieving around him? The concentrated economic powers, the vested interests, and jealous sniped at him till the end. In the confines of that hospital, he confessed how they could have taken him out of his crusades. "If they would have given me a 21 piece band to conduct, I would have been out of their hair the next day," said the grinning, diehard Dorsey trumpeter. Burly
Ed Koupal is gone now. His legacy is the accomplishments and goals of People's
Lobby. It is the footprint he's left in the butt of many politicians. It is the
hope he's given many that the system can be changed. It is the indelible
impression
he has left on the minds and hearts of hundreds who were privileged to rub
shoulders with him “in the trenches – out in the streets, getting signatures
- where the people are." I
spent April 3rd listening to eulogies. Listened to Tom Quinn say, "I've
heard people say, 'Ed Koupal is crazy, obstinate, stubborn.' I agree. I've heard
them say, 'He is the most demanding and just about the nastiest man.' I agree.
The special thing about Ed that makes that okay is that Ed Koupal cared. He
cared enough to do something. If you care, do, and fight enough, you will
accomplish something. Ed accomplished something and now Ed's fight must be our
fight, if we care." I
listened to State Senator Roberti say, "If Ed were looking down now, he'd
be wondering what we were doing. He'd want everyone here getting signatures. His
message to each of us was to churn up hell, in our own way. Ed would rather see
us doing that than this." Hijinio
Romo repeated Ed's parting words to Joyce, "We've got it made - you don't
have to cry." That, however, has not held the tears back. Those who
frequented
his machine-strewn house knew the loss. The loss was one of God's great, angry
men. Society
lost more, if they never knew this giant who was fighting the good war for them.
Society never got to rub shoulders with him. Those of us who did - we cry
because we wanted more time for more of him to rub off on us. Ed
had no time for movies. Instead, his life was an award winning movie- riddled
with excitement, vigor, and courage. Ed had no time for reading books. Instead,
he lived so he knew more than any college professor I had ever met. Koupal's
words should be captured in movies, in books, and for college professors. They
show where Koupal was going and where he wanted to take you and I.
Culled from Steering Board Meetings, from the circuit, from company - some of
these words I'd like to share with you: During
one of People's Lobby's many financial straits: "I'd rather put social justice in the bank than money." On
coming back from setbacks: "Grass keeps growing out of freeway cracks. If you don't drive on
it for three hours, it keeps trying to get through." Berating
us at a Steering Board Meeting:
"Dream bigger. Think bigger, and things will get bigger. No room
in a strong organization for devil's advocacy. We need positivism." Nader
introducing the Koupals at the 1974 Critical Mass Conference in Washington: "The Koupals, who face adversity as children face chocolate ice
cream." Between
the defeat of the Clean Environment and the victory of the Political Reform
Initiative: "Success is failure analyzed. Success is staying power." Lecturing
Steering Board on the need to keep a head of steam: "If you don't have any goals, anything to go for - you'll go flat, go broke." On
how Ed keeps his crusading energy: "I get up in the morning and read the Times. I see some more people
getting screwed, and I'm peeved and have to do something." On
how People's Lobby was and should be seen: “The
California Reporter wrote that anyone against Proposition 9 -- People's Lobby
will investigate. We're known as
bastards. We want that reputation. Want to be known as honest, but hard bastards.
That's what they respect out there." On
initiative campaigns: "Doing good is like fighting a war. When it starts, you can't leave
the war for casualties. Nothing takes precedence." On
public financing of elections: "Politicians
don't trust the poor and needy - they give them food stamps. People's Lobby
suggests the same for politicians. Instead of giving them money, give them
public services - give them media, office space, etc." On
the victorious election night for the Political Reform Initiative, telegram sent
to the opposition, the-Public Relations Firm of Whitaker and Baxter: Dear Clem The people have won. Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks, On
KCBS, San Francisco, after the Political Reform Initiative was law: "We voted political reform into law... We, we
the voters of California, voted to clean up campaigning. Well, there are
campaigns going on right now and nothing is being done to police them. The
nuclear initiative campaign is running in high gear and the opponents of
this thing are not following the law we voted in… "The problem is Dan Lowenstein has the mind of a social worker... He
believes you can reform these politicians, get them to be good... Well, we've
been trying that since the days of Arti Samish and it hasn't worked... What you
need to do is throw a couple of these politicians in jail... whomever they
might be. Throw them in jail when they break the law and then you'll see all
those politicians reforming. Unfortunately, that requires more than the mind of
a social worker -- that takes the mind of a cop." On
what's wrong: "Freedom
to do your own thing is not 'freedom'. What we need to insure freedom is
accountability. "Our politicians confuse freedom with license. The proper
business of business is business, not government. The proper business of people
is government." On
involvement: "Americans
are conditioned... Conditioned to go to a movie for $2.50 a week. Yet they won't
give $100 a year to clean up politics. "Talk to groups with a mission in your mind, with blood in
your eye. Living in this country isn't free. If there is no accountability --
there is license. Get that point across to them." On
making points in the media: "Don't
let your mouth overtake your mind. Talk of what you know. Talk slow and
deliberately. Use as few words as possible to make your points" Don
Koch on Ed and Joyce Koupal and People's Lobby: "Ed
and Joyce are a national resource - they are not mere humans. I challenge
anyone to find anyone in the last 50 years who could’ve formed this lobby. It
is fundamental democracy. "Don't sell this country short. No country is capable of
containing this fantastic notion that the Lobby has now. It's involved in the
second American Revolution. It's a high stepping organization -- but it's not
elitist because no one is good enough. It's most serious requirement is money
- we need one-quarter to one-half
million dollars to swing this national initiative. Ed
again, on the national initiative: "The erosion of public confidence is due to the misuse of money
and power. We're creating the missing institution in the U.S. We're putting
checks and balances between the legislature and the people. "Marking a ballot every couple years is absentee management.
Therefore we need the national referendum, recall, and initiative to be passed
on in sacred trust to be proficiently used." Ed's
often-heard parting instructions: "Don't
let your meat loaf. We gotta get boogieen ...... " Many
of us will remember Ed - his thick hands, his bushy white sideburns, his strong
voice that always cut to the heart of the issue - "Let's quit the bull-shit
and get to it!" Many will remember he cared - not for himself with his two
worn suits, holes in shoes, boiled potato dinners - but for a country "out
there." He wasted no time telling you he cared -he spent all of his time
and energy proving it. We
loved you, Ed. We'll miss you. Watch over your Joyce. Only in having had such a
giant as you, could she carry the loss. “Ed
Koupal was a rare spirit who followed his vision with a joy and relentless
energy that this practical world finds hard to understand.”
Edmond G. Brown. Jr. Governor |