[Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory ballotquestions?

Mon Mar 31 15:10:12 EDT 2008

Hm, well this doesn't say anything one way or another to me, about running candidates for any office. I was not attracted to the advisory question "strategy" when Ron put it forward, and am not now attracted to it just as a thing for people to do. But it might work for our Mystic local this year. We've been dealing with some housing questions already and an advisory question might work as a common focus around which we could show films, do forums, and so on. 

As for the big election, the more we can build our up local work the better hosts and advocates we can be for that campaign. Remember, the degree of support GRP locals gave to the 2006 slate was proportional to   the strength and consistency of their local work.

-----Original Message-----
>From: John Walsh <john.walsh at umassmed.edu>
>Sent: Mar 31, 2008 11:54 AM
>To: BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net>
>Cc: Platform Committee <platform at green-rainbow.org>, Discussion List for StateCom members <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>
>Subject: Re: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory ballotquestions?
>
>Hi Bill,
>My concern about this is that we are conceding that we cannot win  
>elections - so we will slip back into something else.
>And as one who has done so many of these things over the years and  
>seen them come to nothing, I am not sure about all this.
>jw
>
>
>
>On Mar 31, 2008, at 11:48 AM, BillCunningham wrote:
>
>> Grace,
>>
>> The district advisory questions are in the form of "instructions"  
>> for the state legislators concerned. Should the binding tax  
>> question pass, what could the legislators do about it?
>>
>> To counteract the income tax abolitionists, we need a tax program  
>> of our own. My favorite is abolition of the residential property  
>> tax and its REPLACEMENT by a local income tax. (We have talked  
>> about this in Cambridge electoral campaigns.)
>>
>> As the economy shakes down and particularly in housing, people will  
>> bve desperate for relief. The libertarians may get more traction  
>> for the income tax question under these conditions. We have to  
>> insist on the income tax more than ever because of the crisis,  
>> renew the argument for making it progressive (the Dems abandoned  
>> that after 1994), and go after the property tax instead. I think  
>> that will make sense to a lot of people.
>>
>> Linking in the property tax makes the connection with our the  
>> housing priority, and may help us formulate a tax "instruction" or  
>> advisory that legislators could cope with....
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com
>>> Sent: Mar 31, 2008 10:49 AM
>>> To: etwee at earthlink.net, Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com, platform at green- 
>>> rainbow.org, statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>>> Subject: Re: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider  
>>> advisory ballotquestions?
>>>
>>> Bill - I know Merelice was seeking a question through our new  
>>> coalition on
>>> the sub-rpime lending crisis - but I am wondering about a question  
>>> to address
>>> the problems underlying this binding ballot question on a complete  
>>> repeal of the
>>> income tax which will be on the November ballot statewide...
>>>
>>> Thanks, Grace
>>> In a message dated 3/31/08 10:16:20 AM, etwee at earthlink.net writes:
>>>
>>>
>>>> I could work on one, especially if it's about housing issues.  
>>>> There should
>>>> be a buck-stops-here party contact for this project?
>>>>
>>>> I'm sure the details have already been discussed, and correct me  
>>>> if I'm
>>>> wrong:
>>>>
>>>> 200 valid signatures will place a question in a state rep  
>>>> district, around
>>>> three times that for a state senate district. Sigs must be  
>>>> submitted to local
>>>> election officials by the first week in July.
>>>>
>>>> After drafting a text it's a good idea to submit it to the AG's  
>>>> office for
>>>> vetting. Not required but fends off legal challenges. Two I  
>>>> worked on in 2006
>>>> were submitted in early April. Vetting and rewrite might take a  
>>>> week or two.
>>>>
>>>> The State limits advisory questions per district per election. No  
>>>> more than
>>>> three can appear and they are placed as they are submitted to the  
>>>> Elections
>>>> Division, Secertary of the Commonwealth.
>>>>
>>>> In other words, the sooner, the better.
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com
>>>>> Sent: Mar 31, 2008 9:44 AM
>>>>> To: platform at green-rainbow.org, statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>>>>> Subject: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory  
>>>>> ballot
>>>> questions?
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi, Jill & John Andrews & whoever else might know about this -  
>>>>> It has
>>>> become
>>>>> apparent that some advisory questions are being formulated.
>>>>>
>>>>> as was decided at the last statecom meeting and Merelice has  
>>>>> reminded us,
>>>>> advisory ballot questions content was to be created and vetted  
>>>>> by the
>>>> platform
>>>>> committee.
>>>>>
>>>>> However, no language for questions has been posted or discussed  
>>>>> on this
>>>> list
>>>>> serv.
>>>>>
>>>>> Can the possible topics please be posted so we can begin this  
>>>>> discussion?
>>>>> Thanks, Grace
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> **************
>>>>> Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video
>>>>> on AOL Home.
>>>>>
>>>>> (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&
>>>> ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Platform mailing list
>>>>> Platform at green-rainbow.org
>>>>> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bill Cunningham
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> **************
>>> Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
>>> Home.
>>>      (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&
>>> ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
>>
>>
>> Bill Cunningham
>> _______________________________________________
>> Platform mailing list
>> Platform at green-rainbow.org
>> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>
>John V. Walsh, MD
>Professor of Physiology
>University of Massachusetts Medical School
>55 Lake Avenue, N.
>Worcester, MA, 01655-0127
>Phone (work): 508-856-3360
>Phone (cell): 508-868-1653
>email: john.walsh at umassmed.edu
>
>

Bill Cunningham