[statecom-discuss] Re: Local Ballot initiative process

[BillCunningham]

OK, but there is no Feb 29 this year. Thursday is Mar 1.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Ron Francis <ronwf777 at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Feb 12, 2007 9:39 PM
>To: BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net>, Discussion List for StateCom members <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>
>Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] Re: Local Ballot initiative process
>
>Thanks for the info Bill.
>
>Having attempted both a local initiative and a State Rep one in the last two years, I would say the State Rep one is 10 times easier and covers the same geographic area.
>
>If the main goal is to expose the progressive Democrats as one way of building the GRP, then State Rep is just as good.
>
>And by the way BIll, the "Local Ballots 2008": inttiative which now has 3 to 5 people interested could use your help !  The first meeting will be at my house on the Feb 29th (a change since I had a union meeting scheduled for the 28th.. I will post this soon).  I hope you can come.  It's a Thursday night.
>
>Ron
>617 230-2835
>
>BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net> wrote: 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 registrationâ??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  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:
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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:Â  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.
>>> >Â 
>>> > Here are some criteria that should be considered in developing the
>>> > text.
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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.
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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.
>>> >Â 
>>> > Just to get the ball rolling I will throw out one example that I am
>>> > not particularly wedded to;Â  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.
>>> >Â 
>>> > "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. 
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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. 
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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.
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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 44â??a white house with green trimming and swing on a
>>> > porch. If you get lost call 617 230-2835 or 617 666-4343
>>> >Â 
>>> > Six Models to Develop GRP local entities from 2004, 2005 membership
>>> > committee work.
>>> > A) Candidate based approaches
>>> >Â 
>>> > 1)Â  Â Â  Candidate campaign turns into an issue based campaign
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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.
>>> >Â 
>>> > 2)Â  Â Â  Candidate campaign turns into another candidate campaign
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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
>>> >Â 
>>> > Any of these below can turn into a candidate campaign with the right
>>> > circumstancesâ?|.
>>> >Â 
>>> > B) Issue based approaches
>>> >Â 
>>> > 3)Â  Â Â  State level or Local level issue-based campaign run by other
>>> > organizations but supported by Green-Rainbow Party
>>> >Â 
>>> > e,g, An organization is running a Statewide initiative campaign or a
>>> > local campaign based on the issue of â??bear baitingâ??.  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
>>> >Â 
>>> > 4)Â  Â Â  Issue based campaign initiated by the party
>>> >Â 
>>> > e.g. The Party becomes affiliated with a local campaign or statewide
>>> > campaign that truly bears the Parties name
>>> >Â 
>>> > 5)Â  Â Â  â??Concerned Citizen Groupâ??
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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
>>> >Â 
>>> > C) Common Project ideas
>>> >Â 
>>> > 6)Â  Â Â  Common Project Community Building approach
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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
>>> > â??communityâ?? of the involved people
>>> >Â 
>>> >Â 
>>> >Â 
>>> > Organizing Practices
>>> >Â 
>>> >Â 
>>> > A) Recruitment
>>> >Â 
>>> > 1)Â  Â Â  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)Â  Â Â  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
>>> >Â 
>>> > B) Retention
>>> >Â 
>>> > 1)Â  Â Â  Set achievable goals and objectives for the organization.
>>> > 2)Â  Â Â  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)Â  Â Â  Plan meetings well in advance so that people can attend.
>>> > 4)Â  Â Â  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)Â  Â Â  Have social settings that allow people to get to know each
>>> > other personally. Food can help at meetings (limit time of eating
>>> > though)
>>> > 6)Â  Â Â  Have a â??new membersâ?? meeting now and then
>>> > 7)Â  Â Â  Have meetings that involved some active component
>>> > 8)Â  Â Â  Facilitate communication between people.
>>> >Â 
>>> > C) Growth & Sustainability
>>> >Â 
>>> > 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.
>>> >Â 
>>> > D) Other ??
>>> >Â 
>>> >Â 
>>> >Â 
>>> >Â 
>>> >Â 
>>> >
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
>>> 
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>>> 
>>> 
>>
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>
>Bill Cunningham
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Bill Cunningham