[candidate-development] [Platform] BALLOT INITIATIVES UPDATE. Consider putting them to work in your community! Join the ABWG.

[Merelice]

Thanks, Jill, for a wonderful update and thanks, too, to everyone who
has been involved so far.

It's good to see what devoted people can accomplish and an inspiration
to all of us to get more and more people involved. What's the saying
about a journey starting with a step? This effort is several steps on
the way to making the GRP relevant to people's lives.

Just curious: It was suggested that all regional conventions put the
ballot idea on their agendas. Wonder how many remembered to do so.
Would be interested in any feedback from the various organizers. I've
shared the results of the Suffolk/Norfolk Convention with some folks
and will send them to the Platform Committee. The current initiatives
pretty much reflect what was prioritized among the nine possible
topics we identified.

Merelice


On 3/31/08, Jill Stein <jstein at massmed.org> wrote:
> Dear Platform, CDLC, Locals, GRPers et al,
>
>  This is to update folks on the status of the local ballot question
>  initiatives, which State Com voted to explore at the last meeting. The
>  proposal suggested considering what ballot questions would have a base
>  of support that would make them successful and enhance our presence in
>  existing issue-oriented networks. Several volunteers, partly based in
>  subcommittees of Platform, have been exploring this and have reported
>  exciting progress on four possible initiatives, some of which is
>  described below. The proposed initiatives thus far (that I'm aware of)
>  are: Secure Green Future (Green Jobs and Fossil Fuel Phase-Out), Health
>  Care, Housing Foreclosures, IRV. (Note, you'll have to scroll to the
>  bottom of the discussion below to get to the health care proposal.)
>
>  Platform is also asked in the State Com ballot initiative proposal to
>  establish an Advisory Ballot Working Group, (ABWG). We encourage anyone
>  who is, or would like to commit to working on ballot initiatives, to
>  consider volunteering for the ABWG. Members of locals who are interested
>  in using one or more initiatives to do issue-based organizing in their
>  communities are especially encouraged to join. One of ABWG's tasks is to
>  consider how many such initiatives can be supported by the Party, what
>  resources are available to do so, and what districts would be most
>  productive to target.
>
>  We'll consider where the various initiatives stand at our next full
>  platform phone meeting, (TBA). If you are interested in participating in
>  the ABWG, please let me know and we'll keep you posted on upcoming
>  meetings.
>
>  Thx.
>  jill
>
>  UPDATE ON 4 DRAFT INITIATIVES CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON:
>
>  I. IRV - Being explored by Dave England and Eli Beckerman. Potential to
>  work jointly/co-sponsor with the World Citizens Party which is also
>  committed to advancing IRV and other likely partners.  Here is rough
>  draft language for the IRV question. There is an open question at this
>  point on which offices to include:
>
>  Shall the Representative from this district be instructed to vote in
>  favor of legislation or a Constitutional amendment establishing a system
>  of ranked choice voting (also know as instant runoff voting) for all
>  general and primary elections to statewide, state district, or federal
>  office (including the United States President, Senate, and House of
>  Representatives, the Governor, Treasurer, Auditor, Attorney General, and
>  Secretary of the Commonwealth, as well as State Senator, State
>  Representative, and Governor's Council).
>
>
>  II. HOUSING FORECLOSURES - Spear-headed by Merelice along with members
>  of the Rainbow Caucus and MAAPL (Chuck, Gary, Grace, Eva etc.).
>  Legislative language is in the process of being adapted to ballot
>  question format.
>
>  III. SECURE GREEN FUTURE (Green Jobs/Fossil Fuel Phase-Out) - Platform
>  fossil fuel subcommittee (chaired by John Andrews) is coordinating.
>  Getting extensive input on draft language from advocacy groups,
>  especially State Com members fighting the coal plant expansion in Fall
>  River (Nancy Lee Wood, Dave Dion, Joe Carvalho). Latest draft language:
>
>  DRAFT
>  Secure Green Future
>  2008 Local Ballot Question
>  Summary
>
>  Shall the representative from this district be instructed to vote in
>  favor of legislation that:
>
>  1) redirects taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuel energy, road and airport
>  construction, and other carbon-intensive development, to an urgent
>  carbon-reducing community-based green-jobs initiative, creating jobs in
>  energy conservation and efficiency, non-nuclear local clean energy
>  generation, recycling, and local sustainable food production; and
>
>  2) phases out existing fossil fuel based power generation facilities in
>  Massachusetts, beginning with the closure of coal-fed power plants, with
>  a goal of 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020?
>
>  ****************************************
>  Long Version
>
>  Shall the representative from this district be instructed to vote in
>  favor of legislation to create a secure green future for the people of
>  Massachusetts, such legislation to include:
>
>  1) An EMERGENCY MOBILIZATION to address the severe triple-threat of job
>  losses, sky-rocketing fossil fuel and food costs, and climate crisis
>  with a green jobs initiative and a green energy transition plan, as
>  described below, with a goal of ensuring full-employment and an 80%
>  reduction in CO2 emissions by as early as 2020;
>
>  2) A GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE redirecting taxpayer subsidies for fossil
>  fuel energy production, over-development and corporate welfare
>  (including subsidies for gambling casinos, dog-tracks, high-end housing,
>  weapons manufacturing, road and airport construction and expansion and
>  pharmaceutical companies) to the urgent development of energy-efficient
>  local businesses and cooperatives that provide jobs which protect the
>  environment and create a secure green economy, increasing jobs in
>
>  --local energy-conserving businesses (including home and business
>  insulation, energy efficiency, and recycling)
>
>  --local renewable, clean, energy sources, (including wind, solar,
>  geothermal and wave energy, but excluding nuclear, LNG and all other
>  fossil fuel-based technologies), and
>
>  --local sustainable food production (including CSAs [Community Supported
>  Agriculture], community gardens, food cooperatives, school and workplace
>  gardens), and
>
>  --green community education to assist citizens of the Commonwealth in
>  actualizing personal, household, neighborhood and community changes
>  toward a sustainable future through public media campaigns, educational
>  extension services and citizen information-sharing networks.
>
>  3) A GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION PLAN for phased closure of existing fossil
>  fuel based power generation facilities in the Commonwealth of
>  Massachusetts, beginning with the closure of coal-fed power plants, in
>  order to achieve the 80% CO2 reduction by 2020.
>
>
>
>  IV. HEALTH CARE EMERGENCY BALLOT INITIATIVE - The language and content
>  are still very much in flux. Members of several health care advocacy
>  groups promoting single payer and fighting the mandate, are providing
>  input and strategic advice, including MassCare and the
>  Franklin/Hampshire Health Care Committee and an informal group of
>  mandate opponents. Two prototype proposals being considered follow.
>
>  FIRST PROTOTYPE HC EMERGENCY BALLOT INITIATIVE
>
>  DRAFT 3/17
>
>  Ballot Initiative: An Emergency Plan For A Healthy Massachusetts
>
>  Possible Summary for the ballot
>  Shall the representative from this district be instructed to vote in
>  favor of a Healthy Massachusetts Plan consisting of :
>  1)      the URGENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASS. HEALTH CARE TRUST (MHCT)
>  - a streamlined Medicare-like "single-payer" insurance system that
>  provides comprehensive affordable health care for all without the costly
>  overhead, bureaucracy, care gaps and inequities of the current system of
>  private insurance - and
>  2)      the simultaneous PHASE-OUT OF THE MASS. HEALTH MANDATE (CHAPTER
>  58), a health plan with unsustainable sky-rocketing costs and an unjust
>  mandate that forces working and middle-income families to pay
>  unaffordable premiums for stripped-down coverage which does not protect
>  health or financial security.
>
>  Full Text
>  Shall the representative from this district be instructed to vote in
>  favor of the emergency passage of the Healthy Massachusetts Plan
>  consisting of:
>
>  --The URGENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASS. HEALTH CARE TRUST (MHCT) - a
>  streamlined Medicare-like "single-payer" insurance system that provides
>  comprehensive affordable health care for all without the costly
>  overhead, bureaucracy, care gaps and inequities of the current system of
>  private insurance. The MHCT eliminates wasteful administrative expense
>  and consolidates health care costs into one tax-based charge
>  proportional to income. [accurate?] The plan controls cost inflation,
>  ensures comprehensive coverage, and extends insurance to all without
>  increasing current costs, as demonstrated in the actual performance of
>  such systems in developed countries around the world, and affirmed by
>  analyses of the Congressional Budget Office, the US General Accounting
>  Office, and others.
>
>  --The simultaneous PHASE-OUT OF THE MASS. HEALTH MANDATE (CHAPTER 58), a
>  health plan with unsustainable sky-rocketing costs, including
>  multimillion dollar CEO pay. It is predicted to bring a $400 million
>  overrun next year alone. Chapter 58 also includes an unjust mandate that
>  forces working and middle-income families to pay unaffordable premiums
>  for stripped-down coverage that fails to provide protection for health
>  or financial security. Under the proposed "Emergency Plan For A Healthy
>  Massachusetts", this complex, costly and inadequate plan will be phased
>  out as comprehensive, universal insurance becomes operational under the
>  Mass. Health Care Trust.
>
>
>  SECOND PROTOTYPE BALLOT HC EMERGENCY BALLOT INITIATIVE
>  >From Ben Day, MassCare. An abbreviated version of this (appropriate for
>  appearing on the ballot) is under development.
>
>  "WHEREAS access to health care should be a right for all residents of
>  Massachusetts and should be provided as a public good by the
>  Commonwealth Massachusetts; and
>
>  WHEREAS health care sold as a commodity leads to unaffordable health
>  care costs and high levels of discrimination in access to care based on
>  one's place of residence, income, race, gender, age, and other social
>  identities; and
>
>  WHEREAS it is unfair to penalize the uninsured for the failings of the
>  current health care system, or to tie the health care crisis to the
>  responsibility of individuals;
>
>  WE INSTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS DISTRICT to support the
>  implementation of a single payer health care system for Massachusetts,
>  and to repeal individual mandates for Massachusetts residents."
>
>
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