[statecom-discuss] Re:

liveinamerica at cctvcambridge.org liveinamerica at cctvcambridge.org
Thu Feb 8 12:35:38 EST 2007 

  Hi Folks,We may have hit tne 'mother lode'of all organigizing tools with
  this one!Eli how about putting this on our agenda for further consideration
  in Cambridge?Lloyd




> -----Original Message-----
> From: BillCunningham [mailto:etwee at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2007 10:55 AM
> To: 'Discussion List for StateCom members', statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] Re:
> 
> Binding local initiatives are a great idea, but there are a few snags with it in practice.
> 
> The State Constitution provides a process for nonbinding initiatives at the municipal level. But binding initiatives are provided only by individual city and town charters. A few cities, like Somerville, do not allow binding intiative or referendum.
> 
> Most cities and towns do provide for binding intiatives, but in recent years it has become virtually impossible to win a local binding initiative vote. 
> 
> This is a consequence of the 1993 "Motor-Voter Law." By increasing the number of persons on voting rolls and retarding their removal after they move away, Motor-Voter enrolls a phantom contingent on every municipal list. Commonly this contingent amounts to more than one-third of a town or city's total voter registration.
> 
> The laws require that, for an intiative to be binding, the number voting for it must be equal to at least one-third of the registered voters. Under these conditions, it is now practically impossible to win local binding initiatives or referenda.
> 
> Two items explaining this situation further are posted on The Bridge website. The first is an article from 2004 and the second is a background paper prepared in 2003.
> 
> http://bridgenews.org/news/072004/motorvotertrouble/view?searchterm=motor%20voter
> 
> http://bridgenews.org/background/votercharts.pdf
> 
> What neither of these items says is that same-day registration would solve this problem with the stroke of a pen. Motor-Voter does not apply in states with same-day registration—of which there are six now.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com
> >Sent: Feb 8, 2007 12:49 AM
> >To: statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> >Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] Re: "Local Ballot 2008" Plan !! ...Please	respond
> >
> >Since, we agreed to a strategic planning process - perhaps this planning 
> >oculd be a subgourp of the process we already agreed to.   I still think it woul 
> >dbe interesting to look at local initiatives that are actually locally binding 
> >rather than advisory to a rep/senator - and I think we have lots of things 
> >that distinguish us so the options are a multitude - Love, Grace
> >In a message dated 2/7/07 10:52:47 PM, ronwf777 at yahoo.com writes:
> >
> >
> >> One more thing...
> >> 
> >> I don't think the Dems are really passionate about anything actually, and so 
> >> I think we would in fact distinguish ourselves by showing some resolve about 
> >> some issue.
> >> 
> >> Too many people can't identify us with any passionate issue... that makes it 
> >> tough if not impossible to organize efficiently
> >> 
> >> ron
> >> 
> >> Ron Francis <ronwf777 at yahoo.com> wrote: Hey Elie,
> >> 
> >> Thanks for the thoughtful response.
> >> 
> >> I like the constitutional amendment idea as a way to distinguish us.    
> >> That's just the kind of idea that I was thinking of but hadn't thought of !
> >> 
> >> .... something that strikes at the core...
> >> 
> >> Would you try to draft some language ?
> >> 
> >> This draft is not supposed to be a strategic plan... it's one proposal to 
> >> build us locally that fits into several strategic plans....
> >> 
> >> Ron
> >> 
> >> Yarden  wrote: Ron,
> >> I will not question, nor do I see any need to questions the schematics
> >> of what you propose.  I do believe that choosing issues fails to
> >> distinguish us from the parties of the Duopoly, or especially the Dems,
> >> who go around, especially in Cambridge, trying to create constituencies
> >> for themselves, asking, "What's your issue?"
> >> 
> >> Living wage, abortion rights, single-payer health plan, local control
> >> of land use, low-cost housing, equal marriage rights, protecting the
> >> environment, the Charles River geese, provision for disabilities.  We
> >> could go on and on.  And you will find that there are plenty of people
> >> associating about a given issue, and well-heeled duopoly candidates to
> >> support the issues that get them the votes.  Once elected they find it
> >> easy to retain their seats through the proper disposition of 'services'
> >> and patronage to those who will get them the votes, but mainly the
> >> money to run.  It is difficult to unseat a sitting Rep on the 'issues.'
> >> 
> >> Perhaps something that is not an 'issue,' but a different vision might
> >> be a good way to convince the potential electorate that it is
> >> worthwhile to vote for us.  Rights, is one area. Another might be
> >> education.  It is all very well to talk about the environment in terms
> >> of "open space" or pollution, but the social ecology of diminished
> >> resources is untouched by candidates for office.  I do not know why it
> >> is that liberals and progressives believe so fervently that all people
> >> are motivated by enlightened self-interest rather than a vision of what
> >> might be for those who come after them.  The Republicans have done very
> >> well selling themselves as supporters of Millennialists, and
> >> sectarians.  I am not suggesting that fire and brimstone of ecological
> >> disaster be our message.  I am suggesting that ou political imagination
> >> has to get out of the most well-worn ruts of electoral politics if we
> >> are to be considered an alternative to the Duopoly.
> >> 
> >> What about a constitutional amendment to create a Right of Domicile, or
> >> some other such broad principle that everybody except real-estate
> >> speculators might support.  Here it might distinguish us.  Or some
> >> other item from the U. N. Commission on human rights.
> >> Have Massachusetts sign on to the Kyoto accords!  Anything we attempt
> >> should be co-ordinated with legislative actions while we are outside
> >> the legislature along the lines that have engaged Grace, Jill, and
> >> others.  There is much internal education that is needed to develop
> >> strategy.  I sat with you for some time on the Membership and Diversity
> >> Committee, and we all kept coming up with schema.  But that is not
> >> strategy.
> >> Peace,
> >> Elie
> >> 
> >> 
> >> On Wednesday, February 7, 2007, at 09:43 PM, Ron Francis wrote:
> >> 
> >> > (please circulate widely to folks interested in building the GRP from
> >> > the Ground Up...)
> >> >
> >> > Dear Green-Rainbow Party folks,
> >> >
> >> > I am sending this email out to about 200 folks who are GRP members
> >> > around Massachusetts.   I have used blind cc (bcc) so that folks don't
> >> > have their private emails exposed.
> >> >
> >> > The purpose of this email is to develop a grouping of GRP people who
> >> > are interested in putting forth a coherent GRP message using the local
> >> > ballot mechanism (for State Rep districts) in the year 2008, as a way
> >> > of growing our party as local levels.
> >> >
> >> > Background:
> >> > 
> >> > One of the models that the 2004, 2005 Membership Committee of our
> >> > State Party explored (based on research of how GRP's were being built
> >> > around the U.S.) was the idea of Party-led local ballot question or
> >> > questions as a way of developing local chapters. 
> >> >
> >> > As the elected male co-chair of our State party in 2005 and 2006, I
> >> > participated in this research as part of the Membership Committee
> >> > during those times.  (I'm no longer on the current Membership
> >> > Committee having shifted to another committee and also mainly focusing
> >> > on local organizing in West Somerville where I live....)
> >> >
> >> > The idea of Party-led ballot questions was one of six Models that the
> >> > 2004,5 Membership Committee investigated for building the GRP at local
> >> > levels.  (For the other 5 Models, please see the end of this email).
> >> >
> >> > It is high time that this Party-Led Ballot Question strategy be
> >> > tried.  It might just work !
> >> >
> >> > For simplicity I will refer to the plan as Local Ballots 2008.
> >> >
> >> > Here's the basic plan: "Local Ballots 2008"
> >> >
> >> > In order to help the public identify one or two key issues that the
> >> > GRP really cares about, and
> >> >
> >> > in order to have us distinguish ourselves from the corporate
> >> > controlled Democratic Party, and
> >> >
> >> > in order to push us gently to focus on local (State Rep) level
> >> > organizing as the key to sustainable growth,
> >> >
> >> > We would aim to have local ballot questions on one key issue in as
> >> > many of the 160 State Rep districts as possible.  We would ask local
> >> > GRPs and the state GRP to endorse the ballot question so that the
> >> > party logo could be used and help establish the widespread geographic
> >> > coherency of the campaign.
> >> >
> >> > We would choose language that helps the public distinguish the GRP
> >> > from so-called "progressive" efforts by corporate controlled Democrats
> >> > using a root-cause analysis to formulate the language of the ballot
> >> > question
> >> >
> >> > The same question would appear on all 160 local ballots instructing
> >> > our State Reps to vote a certain way on legislation.    Note that it
> >> > takes only 200 signatures to do such a ballot question in each State
> >> > Rep district - so it is relatively easy to do if a team of 4 or 5 can
> >> > be established in each district.
> >> >
> >> > This Spring and we would use a process to identify the one or two
> >> > issues that we think that many people would be willing to work on,
> >> > including non-GRP people.
> >> >
> >> > It is tempting to think that we could do this using many different
> >> > issues simultaneously since we are a multi-issue entity but the
> >> > problem would be that no coherent message would come through as that
> >> > particular passion of the GRP.
> >> >
> >> > Of course in choosing one issue (outside chance of two issues .. but I
> >> > think one is better right now), we might lose some people but on the
> >> > other hand there might be many people out there who aren't involved
> >> > with the GRP who would get involved because of the power and clear
> >> > focus of the issue and campaign.  So, if we had 20 or 30 people
> >> > willing to push the idea we would grow, and possibly rapidly, as
> >> > single issue efforts sometimes do when the general public is engaged.
> >> >
> >> > In collecting the signatures we could highlight our full social and
> >> > ecological justice platform of course, but the focus would be the
> >> > ballot question issue.
> >> >
> >> > We would write the language so that everyone is clear on what
> >> > education work needs to be done over the next 18 months so that we can
> >> > make a decent showing at the polls.  (By starting now it really gives
> >> > us the time to develop the issues and educational materials so that
> >> > the public will support us
> >> >
> >> > We can do it !
> >> >
> >> > If 45 percent of voters in Somerville can support  the Right of Return
> >> > as a fundamental human right for Palestinians using sustained
> >> > education, then certainly we can educate people to support some other
> >> > closer to home domestic issue at a high percentage.  Think positive !
> >> >
> >> > Maybe it's living wage, or a root cause housing ballot question, or
> >> > maybe some ballot question having to do with money in politics, or
> >> > maybe some ballot question that has already been used.  It's not the
> >> > particular issue that is paramount here.  The point is that the public
> >> > will no longer be confused about where our passion lies.
> >> >
> >> > (Looking forward to 2010:  This propsal is intended to develop a dozen
> >> > or so local ballot questions in 2008 that lead to a measurable vehicle
> >> > that local State Rep candidates or even better municipal candidates
> >> > can run on in 2008 and 2010.   It is also a setup for a 2010 statewide
> >> > ballot question that firmly plants in the public's mind what the party
> >> > stands for. If this plan works it sets up the party to win a
> >> > substantial percentage of the vote in local races)
> >> >
> >> > So that's the basic plan.  Here is the tentative timeline:
> >> >
> >> > Early Spring 2007:
> >> > Put together the Local Ballot 2008 planning committee and develop
> >> > ballot question language for 5 or 6 issues.
> >> >
> >> > Spring 2007:
> >> > Use some process where we choose which issue we will work on,
> >> > recognizing that not everyone will agree... that's ok.  If the issue
> >> > is compelling and outreach is done then we will grow.
> >> >
> >> > Develop educational materials and hold several forums to interest GRP
> >> > members and the general public on the issue.  Perhaps culminate in a
> >> > few large well organized forums, that are organizing driven meetings,
> >> > in September with big name speakers.
> >> >
> >> > Summer 2007:
> >> > Start distributing the educational materials in public places, forums
> >> > and wherever.   Use usual outreach techniques with colorful flyers,
> >> > automated phonecalling and email to bring people to organizing
> >> > meetings.
> >> >
> >> > Immediate Steps:
> >> >
> >> > 1) In two weeks I will hold an informal gathering at my house so that
> >> > people can discuss this idea.  Probably Wednesday evening 7pm on the
> >> > 27th of February.  My house is at 44 Benton Road in Somerville. 
> >> > (Directions below)
> >> >
> >> > 2) In four weeks two meetings will be held, one in Eastern MA and one
> >> > in Western Mass for people interested in this strategy.  Both meetings
> >> > will be held on Saturday March 10thrd and Sunday March 11th
> >> > respectively.  Times and places to be arranged but probably noontime
> >> > snack meetings.
> >> >
> >> > 2) We will need two people to host the meetings.  I am willing to host
> >> > one meeting at my house on Somerville on either the 9th or 10th of
> >> > March.
> >> >
> >> > 3) We will need someone to host a noontime snack meeting in Amherst /
> >> > Northampton Area on the other date.
> >> >
> >> > 4) We will need some individuals who commit to writing ballot
> >> > questions on a few issues.
> >> > 
> >> > Here are some criteria that should be considered in developing the
> >> > text.
> >> > 
> >> > a) The ballot questions must be such as to challenge the ROOT
> >> > causes of a particular social change issue and possibly associated
> >> > with abolishing poverty but not necessarily.
> >> > 
> >> > b) The ballot question must try to clearly distinguishable from any
> >> > initiatives that would be supported by reform minded corporate
> >> > Democrats - our competitors for social justice minded people.
> >> > 
> >> > Just to get the ball rolling I will throw out one example that I am
> >> > not particularly wedded to;  I am putting it out so that people can
> >> > see an example.  I won't commit on any issue until I can evaluate each
> >> > one on its merits.
> >> > 
> >> > "Shall the State Represetative from this district be instructed to
> >> > vote in favor of a living wage law that covers state employees that
> >> > work over 500 hours per year, the employees of state service
> >> > contractors that hold contracts worth over $25,000 per year, and
> >> > employees of large retailers with gross revenues over $1,000,000.  The
> >> > law would call for payment of $10.00 per hour if the employer provides
> >> > health insurance of at least $2.50 an hour, or $12.50 per hour if not
> >> > and all amounts are indexed annually."
> >> >
> >> > (Numbers to be adjusted....with more research)
> >> >
> >> > So that's it folks.
> >> >
> >> > I don't know if this will work but it should and I'm willing to put
> >> > energy in to make it a reality.  I will need help however.
> >> >
> >> > Please call if you are interested in spreading the word and helping
> >> > out.  I'm at 617 230-2835.  I will send out another email in one weeks
> >> > time to let people know who has responded and where we are at.
> >> >
> >> > Some specific tasks have been identified that people can help out with
> >> > immediately.
> >> >
> >> > I believe that if there are 25 people willing to commit themselves to
> >> > participating in this plan by late Spring then some form of this plan
> >> > is worth initiating.
> >> >
> >> > I need to hear from people who AT LEAST want to discuss this plan and
> >> > see if it makes sense for them.   I am willing to assemble a database
> >> > of interested persons.
> >> >
> >> > Please respond to this email if you are interested.   I need your
> >> > name, physical address (for physical mailings), email and phone.
> >> >
> >> > I'm willing to coordinate initially by assembling the data base and
> >> > hosting the first preparatory meeting on Tuesday Feb 26th at my house.
> >> >
> >> > Yours in struggle,
> >> > Ron Francis 617 230-2835
> >> >
> >> > Directions to Benton Road:
> >> > By Bus or Walking:
> >> > Benton Road is off of Highland Ave in Somerville.   To get to the
> >> > house you need to go to either Porter or Davis. 
> >> > 
> >> > Davis:
> >> > If you go to Davis you can stand in front of the Somerville theatre
> >> > and wait for either the 88 or the 90 bus down Highland Ave to Benton
> >> > Road (about 15 blocks in the bus).  You can also walk 15 blocks down
> >> > HIghland Ave. if youlike). When you get off the bus, take a right and
> >> > go one block. The house is on the right on a corner. It is white with
> >> > a porch and swing. 
> >> > 
> >> > Porter:
> >> > If you go to Porter, then cross the parking lot to Elm street and walk
> >> > up Hancock Street until Summer St. Take a right and walk about 8
> >> > blocks up hill. Take a left on Benton (just after the church) and go
> >> > down 3 small blocks. The house is on the left. It is number 44 , a
> >> > white house with a porch and swing.  If you do get lost, call at 617
> >> > 230-2835 or 617 666-4343.
> >> > 
> >> > By Car:
> >> > Need to get to Highland Avenue in Somerville. Benton Road is off of
> >> > Highland Avenue about halfway between Davis Square and City
> >> > Hall. Dunkin Donuts on Highland Ave is close to Benton Road. The House
> >> > is one block South at the intersection of Bento Road and Gibbens
> >> > St. Number 44—a white house with green trimming and swing on a
> >> > porch. If you get lost call 617 230-2835 or 617 666-4343
> >> > 
> >> > Six Models to Develop GRP local entities from 2004, 2005 membership
> >> > committee work.
> >> > A) Candidate based approaches
> >> > 
> >> > 1)     Candidate campaign turns into an issue based campaign
> >> > 
> >> > e.g. a candidate runs for office for State legislature focusing on two
> >> > or three issues. After either winning or losing the race, the local
> >> > campaign organization turns its attention to working on a local issue.
> >> > 
> >> > 2)     Candidate campaign turns into another candidate campaign
> >> > 
> >> > e.g. a candidate runs for State representative with the intention of
> >> > building an organization which will be available for the next run of
> >> > the same office two years later
> >> > 
> >> > Any of these below can turn into a candidate campaign with the right
> >> > circumstances….
> >> > 
> >> > B) Issue based approaches
> >> > 
> >> > 3)     State level or Local level issue-based campaign run by other
> >> > organizations but supported by Green-Rainbow Party
> >> > 
> >> > e,g, An organization is running a Statewide initiative campaign or a
> >> > local campaign based on the issue of “bear baiting”.  The
> >> > Green-Rainbow Party endorses the campaign, makes some resources
> >> > available to the lead organization and develops connections with these
> >> > organizations that in turn leads to people eventually becoming active
> >> > with the Party
> >> > 
> >> > 4)     Issue based campaign initiated by the party
> >> > 
> >> > e.g. The Party becomes affiliated with a local campaign or statewide
> >> > campaign that truly bears the Parties name
> >> > 
> >> > 5)     “Concerned Citizen Group”
> >> > 
> >> > e.g. Local group of people that is always on the lookout for issues
> >> > that come up before local city councils and challenges the council to
> >> > take progressive views on a variety of issues
> >> > 
> >> > C) Common Project ideas
> >> > 
> >> > 6)     Common Project Community Building approach
> >> > 
> >> > e.g. Local groups of people are involved in some non-issue,
> >> > non-electoral activity that may have a social component. This could be
> >> > a Potluck discussion group about Green Party values, or the production
> >> > of a newspaper. In all cases, attention is paid to building a
> >> > “community” of the involved people
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> > Organizing Practices
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> > A) Recruitment
> >> > 
> >> > 1)     Use accessible politics (start where people are at on the issue
> >> > and bring them forward, or if a candidate try to connect to an issue
> >> > that constituents are aware of and can connect to)
> >> > 2)     Have an activity for people to do soon after they have first
> >> > encountered the Party so that they can immediately begin to
> >> > participate.
> >> > 3) Tabling in Public places is a good way to get new people involved
> >> > but follow-up is critical.
> >> > 4) Ask people what they like to do and have a range of activities for
> >> > people to get involved in
> >> > 
> >> > B) Retention
> >> > 
> >> > 1)     Set achievable goals and objectives for the organization.
> >> > 2)     Break up tasks into manageable parts so that people can do them
> >> > in short time period.  Be realistic about the time commitments that
> >> > people are able to do.
> >> > 3)     Plan meetings well in advance so that people can attend.
> >> > 4)     Remind people about the need to complete objectives and how
> >> > these objectives fit into the overall mission of the organization;
> >> > reinforcing the commitment that they are making
> >> > 5)     Have social settings that allow people to get to know each
> >> > other personally. Food can help at meetings (limit time of eating
> >> > though)
> >> > 6)     Have a “new members” meeting now and then
> >> > 7)     Have meetings that involved some active component
> >> > 8)     Facilitate communication between people.
> >> > 
> >> > C) Growth & Sustainability
> >> > 
> >> > 1) Include people in leadership tasks.  Teach people how to use
> >> > database or how to run the table, or how to speak about the issues
> >> > comfortably.
> >> > 
> >> > D) Other ??
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> >
> >> 
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> >> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> >> 
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> >> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> >> 
> >> 
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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> 
> 
> Bill Cunningham
> _______________________________________________
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