[Platform] BALLOT INITIATIVES UPDATE. Consider putting them to workin your community! Join the ABWG.

[BillCunningham]

Hi Jill and Platform,

I don't have much time but it's possible that my experience with the process can be helpful. You never know, eg, I've worked with Peter Sacks (assistant AG) on vetting ballot initiatives a few times. Maybe I can be useful on housing stuff.

Let me know.


-----Original Message-----
>From: Jill Stein <jstein at massmed.org>
>Sent: Mar 31, 2008 1:52 PM
>To: platform at green-rainbow.org, State Com <statecom-discuss-bounces at green-rainbow.org>, Cdlc <candidate-development-bounces at green-rainbow.org>
>Subject: [Platform] BALLOT INITIATIVES UPDATE. Consider putting them to work	in your community! Join the ABWG.
>
>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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Bill Cunningham