Why Am I Wasting My Time?

I heard this on Democracy Now this morning (a repeat) – and all I could think – was
I heard this before – I've  written about it before
Same message - different speaker - different radio show. 

I’m hearing it again.
Fool me once
Fool me twice

This is exactly what is happening with the move against ALEC.

TIM DECHRISTOPHER: I don’t think it’s the way to go, but I think it has to be part of social movement strategy. I think we need to be building power as a social movement. And, you know, I think one of the weaknesses for the climate movement, even though we’ve made a huge amount of progress in the past few years in building a stronger movement, we still have this huge divide between the political side of the movement, that focuses on Washington, and the grassroots side of the movement, that’s been building real power in front line communities in places like West Virginia and places like that. And they don’t really talk to each other. And I think that’s why we end up with things like, you know, the Waxman-Markey bill, that the big Green side of the movement focused on Washington, you know, thinks is the answer, and there’s no support behind it whatsoever, because all the grassroots people in the movement aren’t behind them. So I think there has to be that connection there to make both sides of that more powerful. And I think that’s the next step for the—one of the next steps for the climate movement.

Unfortunately for me - my job puts me in contact with a lot of suits.
In one instance - a Wahsington lobbyist said the following about someone I respect a lot who writes on HuffPo
"outside the Beltway"
"considered part of the fringe"
"no influence"

And unfortunately for me - I'm coming to the conclusion that it's the truth.
The suits vs. the grassroots and the suits think they know more than anyone and the suits think that they are the only ones who count and the suits piss me off - every time they denigrate the work of the grassroots people.  The suits let their egos and need for power get in way of working with others.  They treat others like we are dirt on the bottom of their shoes.  They forget without us, they don't f#cking exist.

And I wonder deep in my heart of hearts - why I'm wasting my damn time.

When you work at the grassroots level - you have to take a good hard look sometimes.
And most of the time - you don't like what you see (and hear).

UPDATE: The next day
From Common Dreams:

RE:  Faux "Grassroots"

Organizing for Action, the so-called 'grassroots arm' of the Obama administration, was designed to harness the youthful and hopeful energy of its members,

SNIP

“If you’re going to be a grass roots, you have to actually listen to the grass roots,” said Daniel Kessler, spokesman for 350.org, in an interview with Politico on Monday.

SNIP

"But those people aren't going to knock on a single door or make a single phone call if the president sells them out to Big Oil."