[Equal Marriage] Fwd: Sneak Peek at Press Release| Declaration of Candidacy

[Owen Broadhurst]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Owen Broadhurst <owen.broadhurst at gmail.com>
Date: Feb 5, 2006 2:07 PM
Subject: Sneak Peek at Press Release| Declaration of Candidacy
To: ariseaction at yahoogroups.com

This shall be released to the media once I take nomination papers out
tomorrow:

=======


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Local activist Owen R. Broadhurst, an official of the Green-Rainbow Party
(GRP), has taken out nomination papers and announced his candidacy for the
Third Hampden District seat being vacated by six-term State Rep. Daniel
Keenan (D-Southwick).



Broadhurst, 35, of 96 Elbert Rd. in Agawam, was a 2003 Town Council
candidate and has served on Agawam's Community Preservation Committee since
April of 2002. Departing Secretary for the GRP, Broadhurst is seated on both
the National Committee for the Green Party of the United States and the GRP
State Committee. He was Town of Agawam coordinator for both the 2002
gubernatorial campaign of Green-Rainbow Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein and
the 2004 presidential campaign of national Green Party candidate David Cobb.
Broadhurst was a GRP delegate to the Green Party's 2004 national nominating
convention in Milwaukee.



He has served on the Board of Directors of the Agawam St. Patrick's
Committee both as its Clerk and public relations chairman; and he has been a
long-time civic activist, serving as Treasurer for the Town of Agawam's
Taxpayers for Positive Change political action committee from 1997 until its
dissolution in 1999. Retired after having been employed nine years as a
certified nursing aide, Broadhurst worked at the Sabis International Charter
School in Springfield as a substitute teacher prior to becoming a full time
caregiver for his late mother. The 1988 Agawam High School graduate earned
his B.A. from Westfield State College, and plans to pursue his Master's in
History there.



Broadhurst intends to call attention to several issues throughout the course
of the campaign. Active in both the GRP Lavender Caucus and National
Lavender Green Caucus, Broadhurst was instrumental in the creation of the
GRP's Equal Marriage Rights taskforce and promises that opposition to the
proposed ballot initiative against equal marriage rights shall be one major
focus of his campaign. "Attorney General Thomas Reilly violated his oath of
office in certifying Petition K", Broadhurst argued. "If the Supreme
Judicial Court does not invalidate the petition, I will fight it tooth and
nail in a door to door campaign throughout the district."



Observing how tax loopholes for lobbying interests, massive cuts in income
taxes, and tax breaks for mutual fund companies and defense contractors
within the state has resulted in higher property taxes, regressive fees, and
an oppressive burden on cities and towns to maintain municipal services and
schools, Broadhurst is also calling for tax fairness. "Those earning the
least now pay the most to maintain state and municipal services. The state
can increase revenue by more than 15% while lowering the tax burden for more
than 80% of its citizens. The wealthiest 1% pays only 4.6% of its income in
taxes, so why should 80% of the population pay more than 8%? The
Commonwealth is starving its communities to provide welfare for Raytheon and
Fidelity. Presently the less one earns, the larger the bite on one's
paycheck through property tax, sales tax, and fees."



Noting how monstrous cuts to MassHealth have led to staffing shortages in
hospitals and nursing homes, and have an adverse impact on care, Broadhurst
also promotes single-payer health care. "Declining vigilance in infection
control, greater falls, and malnourishment in nursing homes is not a fable.
It is a fact of life. Single-payer health insurance, higher staffing ratios,
and the proposed affordable health care Constitutional amendment must be
mandated and implemented immediately for the sake of the most vulnerable,
and for the sake of us all. Health care's a human right. We need affordable,
equitably financed health insurance. We require universal coverage, a Health
Care Trust."



Broadhurst also contends that the state has a role to play facilitating
community directed sustainable development. "Town of Agawam voters beat back
a major big box shopping complex, and I have urged a retail size cap and the
mandating of fiscal impact studies. Cities and towns, however, cannot long
hold out against the very rending of their social fabric unless the state
steps in and assists them. We need increased and improved mass transit, tax
credits for small local independent enterprise, and discounts on worker
compensation insurance for businesses with excellent safety records. We need
incentives for locally produced renewable energy, food and agriculture. We
need to process agricultural preservation restriction requests, and repeal
the section 548 auction law."



"Rosemary Sandlin and Joe Mineo, two candidates for the Democratic Party
nomination," Broadhurst noted, "are both exceptional public servants who
have each served the Town of Agawam well. I consider both to be good
friends, and it is has been my pleasure to support and vote for both in
their prior campaigns. I have urged Mrs. Sandlin to seek the Mayor's office
in Agawam on several occasions, and I would certainly be thrilled if Mr.
Mineo someday sought that office. For both, I confess immense respect and
admiration. I strongly believe, however, that their party has failed our
state and is beyond reform; and I strongly believe no Democratic candidate
from this district shall endorse the program for social and economic justice
that I champion."



"This candidate endorses rule reform in the House, opposes capital
punishment, urges real reimbursement rates for providers, supports full
reproductive freedoms, urges indexing of the minimum wage to the rate of
inflation, and seeks the re-establishment of Clean Elections. I would oppose
informal sessions and unannounced hearings, urge formal session schedules,
and insist on formal roll calls. Cities and towns should be restored 100% of
lottery revenues, and equitable disbursement of Chapter 70 funds. I support
full restoration of funding for family planning, card check neutrality
legislation, doubling of the personal and dependent-care income tax
exemptions, doubling of the low-income tax credit and rental deduction, and
raising the state income tax rate to 6%."



"I condemn the Jones-Stanley bill, oppose expedited permitting, urge 40Q's
repeal, and support reform of 40B to raise the fraction of affordable units,
provide real oversight, and keep developers from hiding their profits. I
deplore so-called outside sections that shield legislators from
accountability, support the program of the Massachusetts Coalition for
Healthy Communities, and oppose cost/benefit analysis requirements on
environmental and public health agencies. Throughout the months ahead, I
shall expound on this program for social and economic justice, democratic
oversight and transparency, community based sustainable initiatives, and
real tax reform. I look forward to real debate about real issues impacting
real lives in our communities."