[statecom-discuss] Common Local Ballot 2008: Reminder Saturday Brunch, Update, DOOR PRIZE !

Thu Mar 8 09:03:40 EST 2007

Hi Folks,

    Reminder:  
  The CLBQ2008 Meeting Saturday March 10th, will be at noon and is not a potluck !   Bread and roasted vegetables will be served.    Drinks would be nice to bring however if you like. There will be a DOOR PRIZE for the person who can guess the top three "vote" getter among issue, just for fun !  

  Please invite friends !!! who you think are intereted in using this long-term plan to seriously expose the corporate parties and build a Green-Rainbow social justice alternative.

    Address of Saturday meeting:  44 Benton Road #1, Central Somerville
  617 230-2835 (DIRECTIONS BELOW).  We may have Charlene from Watertwon as a facilitator for the meeting.

  It's been great to hear from people that I don't know about the Common Local Ballot Question 2008.  As of this morning 4 people have each sent in their 3 issue preferences and others have expressed interest in participating in the initiative.  For more about reasoning behind CLBQ2008, see the end of this email.  Please send in your 3 issue preferences by email or phone 617 230-2835 if you would like to.

  Recall however that the initial vote is only designed to help us choose an order in which we analyze each issue with the Question Formulation guidelines process (see your mailing...)... We are encouraging not to advocate for any particular issue at this time,... and instead we seek to anaylze each issue separately.

  Other updates:
  I have received an email suggesting that we talk with folks from the labor party and other folks who worked on state Rep ballot questions in the past:  I plan to call these folks and see what we can learn.  In addition the recent Question 5 and Question 6 ballot questions in somerville that I participated in during 2006 should also provide useful information.

  Another Greater Boston area meeting:  
  A couple of folks called saying that they would like to participate but cannot make this Saturday.  I am considering another meeting on a weeknight about 10 days from now for those who were not able to make Saturday.  If you are such a person then please let me know which date (Wednesday the 21st or Thursday the 22nd) would work better for you)

  Also note that the Western MA noon time meeting will be on Saturday the 24th in hopefully sunny and spring-like conditions in the oh-so-beautiful Pioneer Valley !  Eastern MA folks are allowed to attend the Western MA meeting !  and vice versa... Hopefully a Central Mas meeting can occur as well.

  That's all for now folks

    PREVIOUS EMAIL:

  Common Local Ballot Question 2008 Notes, Saturday March 10th & March 24th Meetings

  Dear GRP folks,

  The next meeting of the Common Local Ballot Question 2008 initiative (CLBQ2008) will be Saturday March 10th at noon in Somerville (44 benton Rd #1) and then Saturday March 24th , noon, in Western MA.  The meeting after that will likely be Thursday April 12th at a place to be announced.

  For more info about the CLBQ2008 draft proposal, see end of this email or call 617 230-2835 to get a copy sent to you.   Also see footnote (1) at end of this email.

  In brief the CBQ2008 calls on GRP local entities and individuals to carry out State Rep. level local Ballot Questions in as many State Rep districts as possible on one common issue that has a root cause wording that definitively distinguishes the GRP from other parties.  

  The proposal is based on an analysis of a GPUS and GRP-endorsed local ballot question in Somerville in 2006 that used root-cause language and generated 45 % vote despite being strongly opposed by all Democrats and Republicans !  For questions on this matter please call me at 617 230-2835.  

  The proposal is also based on the need for significantly increased LOCAL organizing as the key to building the GRP into the future.  The plan is for 2008 so that it can be well thought out and so that there is enough time for solid mobilizing.  Let’s build our GRP from the bottom up and systematically create the socially, economically and ecologically just world that we all need !

  WHAT DO WE WANT ? 

Local Organizing  !
  WHEN DO WE WANT IT ? 
..Now ! 

.(actually 2008.. Oooops !)

  Please plan to attend the March 10th meeting.  We need asmany people on board as possible (!) to grow this initiative.  Let’s build our GRP at the local levels and clearly expose the ever-so-clear bankrupt policies of Dems and Repubs.

  Here are the notes from last Thursdays (March 1st) informational meeting:

  Last Thursday we held an informal informational meeting for folks interested in Common Local Ballot Question 2008 (CLBQ2008).   Three of us met and reviewed the draft proposal and then sprinted (!) into an energetic discussion about next steps.  The original intention of the meeting was to just explain the draft proposal and answer questions about it but we wound up going further as there was good synergy.   Two of us were from Somerville, one from Watertown and a fourth called in from Plymouth and contributed over the phone.

  Notes from March 1st Preliminary Informational session and Next Steps:

  We covered 4 items for moving forward which we hope people will agree with, more or less.

  ITEM #1:  Initial Questions for each issue that one might consider
  ITEM #2:  Brainstorm of Issues
  ITEM #3:  “Question Formulation Technique” for considering and gathering data for each issue
  ITEM #4:  CLBQ2008 Meetings and Organizing Ourselves

  Here each item is described one at a time:

  ITEM #1:  Initial Questions for each issue that one might consider

  We talked about what were the goals of the CBLQ2008 in general and generated some preliminary questions to think about.  They were:

  Will the ballot question be able to get at least 35 % of the vote ?
  Will the ballot question capture voters’ and volunteers’ imagination ? (a good idea attracts people  thus we can grow through the interest of new folks)
  Will the ballot question clearly distinguish us from other parties ?
  Will the ballot question be applicable to each State Rep district ?
  Will the ballot question be phrase-able in terms of a root cause analysis matching our Key Values ?

  ITEM #2  Brainstorm of Issues

  We brainstormed 13 different issue areas where ballot questions might be done (realizing that there might be others
.) and decided to do a preliminary poll to see which issues people might be interested in:

  A) Decriminalization of Marijuana
  B) Electoral reform (Instant runoff voting and proportional representation)
  C) No Child Left Behind (exposing it as an attack on public education)
  D) Living Wage for Public and Big Box stores (or other abolish poverty related issue)
  E) Right of Return of Palestinian Refugees and Divestment
  F) Single payer health care that eliminates health insurance companies
  G) Global Warming emission / alternative energy
  H) Public Transportation initiatives
  I) Immigrants Rights (right to vote for residents, reform of laws)
  J) Anti-War related such as high school recruitment issue
  K) Genetically Modified Food Reduction or Elimination
  L) Gay marriage
  M) Reparations

  By email, each person is asked to identify the their 1st, 2nd and 3rd Choice: "1" for first choice, "2" for 2nd Choice and "3" for 3rd choice.  People receiving physical mail are also invited to “call-in” their 3 choices at 617 230-2835.  Please feel free to choose an issue not listed. (email ronwf777 at yahoo.com)

  The poll will not be used to make any long term decisions ! one way or the other.   The spirit of the process that we agreed to would be that we would just ask questions and not advocate for any issue ! (see below).   At this point we are collecting questions and information and de-emphasizing advocacy for any particular issue
.. We GRP’s are so cooperative, .. aren’t we ?!  We hope you share the spirit that the three of us are suggesting.

  Instead of thinking of the poll like a vote, the 3 of us thought that the results could be used to decide which two issues would be the first to go through the “Question Formulation Process” that we came up with, at our March 10th Meeting. 

  (Charlene from Watertown has used  techniques similar to the Question Formulation Process many times, and suggested it as a vehicle to help bring out as much information on each issue – see below for the “Question Formulation Technique” – and the rest of us agreed that it seemed like a good technique for what we were doing.”).  

  We can use the March 24th meeting for the next two issues.

  ITEM #3  “Question Formulation Technique” for considering and gathering data for each issue

  At our March 10th meeting we will review the overall plan and thinking behind CLBQ2008 for folks that have particular questions, and then collectively choose two issues to subject to the “Question Formulation Technique” guidelines.

  The Question Formulation Technique was explained to us as a method of drawing out the critical questions that revolve around a decision that one intends to make.  The spirit of the technique is to not advocate but instead to ask questions and share information.  We actually did a trial run of the process at our meeting and we all liked it !

  The way the Question Formulation Technique works is simple.  First an issue is chosen.  Then participants asks questions about the issue (such as “Do we know the Democratic position on the issue ?”)  Then three questions are collectively prioritized.  For each of the top 3 questions, more related questions are asked.   By the end the group has honed in on key questions for each issue and can plan to get the answers to help with decisin-making.  We will use this technique as a guideline.

  The Question Formulation Technique is one simple way of developing a lot of questions about any choice one faces, prioritizing those questions, and honing in on answers.  Emphasis is on formulating questions and getting info.  Thanks Charlene for sharing this technique,... which she noted might be useful for any decision one faces.

  ITEM #4  Meetings and Organizing Ourselves
  We decided that we would try to have several meetings around the state at different locations and at each meeting choose a few issues to take through our versions of the Question Formulation Technique.  After several of these meetings we would be in a better position to collectively decide on an issue using the GRP’s consensus decision making process.

  The dates are:
  Saturday, March 10th, Noon  
  44 Benton Road #1 (off of Highland Ave) in Somerville
  Home of Ron Francis 617 230-2835

  Saturday March 24th Noon:  
  Western Mass location (stay tuned
we will inform you of the meeting place
.)

  Sincerely Yours folks,
  Ron Francis

  (Ron Francis was the male co-chair of the Green Rainbow Party in 2004-2005 and in 2005-2006 and was a coordinator for the GPUS and GRP-endorsed Question 5 and Question 6 campaigns in Somerville)

  Footnote referenced earlier:
  (1) Please note also that the CLBQ2008 is NOT meant as a substitute for the strategic planning being done at the state level of the party.  CLBQ2008 has a local organizing focus and gets it's energy from locals and individuals.   One of the state level strategic planning coordinators noted  “The Strategic Plan (statecom approved) is not supposed to place any official limitations on what GRP members decide to work on.”)

  Background

  Feb 5th email:
  Common Local Ballot Question 2008 Draft Proposal

  Dear Statecom folks,

  One of the models that the membership committee (circa 2005) explored was the idea of a Party-led local ballot question(s) as a way of developing local chapters.  It is high time that this strategy be tried.  (Note that a related strategy is being tried in Somerville in which the party - State and National - got behind a ballot question led by a community group (... a different strategy but clearly related.))

  For several reasons I believe that this strategy (Party led, Party-signature local ballot questions - probably on one but maybe on two issues max - for 2008 leading to statewide in 2010) is the best strategy for the GRP to pursue at this time and look forward to discussing the reasons why at upcoming strategy sessions.  (Also see arguments below).

  In the meantime I invite people to help out with the preparation work necessary to get this strategy moving before it is too late.  If a critical mass of people would like to pursue this strategy then perhaps it will happen.

  Some people might feel that this is jumping the gun on our strategy sessions.  It is not.  What this effort represents is a doing the homework to develop one possible strategy to the point where it is ready to go if enough GRPs want to do it.

  In four weeks two meetings will be held, one in Eastern MA and one in Western Mass for people interested in this strategy.  Both will be potlucks held on Saturday March 3rd and Sunday March 4th respectively.  Times and places to be arranged.

  One thing that needs to be done is to begin suggesting specific ballot question language that scores well on each of the following criteria and submit the text of the ballot questions on this newly established thread.  People can then begin to edit the ballot question

  The local ballot questions would have the party signature on it and would call for a specific instruction to be given to the State Rep in the district as most ballot questions do.

  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 be clearly distinguishable from any intiatives that would be supported by Progressive 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, and instead throw out for general discussion and as an example.

  "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."

  I would like to see other ballot question language as well on other issues such as IRV or health care and then let the issues compete based on a variety of factors including the degree to which we can make this issue a party signature issue

  Below is some of the background for this initiative:
  Please call if you are interested in discussing this or would like to help in the process.
  Ron Francis 617 230-2835

  Background and rational for this strategy:

  Our party needs to be identified with a particular issue that we have a passion about.

  It is essential that we choose ballot question that clearly exposes the root causes of the system of power that elites and corporations in the US hold over ordinary people.   It is also essential that the established Democrats and most of the Progressive Democrats be unable to support the ballot question.  This can be done by choosing an issue that exposes the Democrats (supposedly the party of the working person) so that people will choose GRP over Democrats because they see the Democrats for what they really are.

  The Someville ballot Questions on Palestine met the above requirements:  They got to the root cause of a social problem and had language that could not be supported by Progressive Democrats in Somerville since the upper echelons of the Democratic Party made it clear to local Democrats that the Party is zionist and that these local Democrats (some of whom are even Progressive Democrats) would go no where if they were openly anti-zionist.  These Progressive Democrats in Somerville must now answer to voters who in fact voted at a 45% level for the Right of Return of Palestinian Refugees. 

  A similar effort is needed for a poverty-related issue.

  This propsal is intended to develop a dozen or so local ballot questions in 2008 that lead to a 2010 statewide ballot question that firmly plants in the public's mind what the party stands for.  This could be coordinated with a Statewide candidacies if the party is at that level of development and has a candidate in place by Summer of 2009.

  If this plan works it sets up the party to win a substantial percentage of the vote in A) many local races or B) in just a few local races and then connected to a statewide candidacy anchored on the ballot question issue.

  Feb 18th email:
  Common Local Ballot Question 2008 based on Somerville experience and other factors.

    Dear GRP's

(Quick Note: Local Ballots 2008 phone conference is sunday night 9:30 pm.  
  To participate call, 641 497 7002 code 724655.  I look forward to getting feedback on the plan and discussing in detail the thinking behind the 2 year Plan)

Some people are interested in how I came up with Local Ballots 2008 - a two year plan to do State Rep Ballot Questions in every district using root cause politics.

It all has to do with a little experiment in Somerville:

In Somerville in 2006 I helped a group do two ballot questions:  one of our ballot questions read something like " .... support the right of return for all refugees, including Palestinian refugees, to return to their homes".  Now how could you be against that !  

Yet Deval, "Bomb Lebanon" Patrick and the other racists (Capuano, Healey and Somerville Mayor Curtatone) came out visibly against us ! with their photos all together.  WE obviously struck a cord !   The state GRP and national GPUS supported the ballot questions of course.  We got 45 % overall and 50% in my home precinct !   Now if that 's not a set-up for the GRP then I don't know what is.  

It is a perfect set-up because the ballot question, by the nature of its wording, showed the difference between GRP social justice politics and racist politics. 

(Also note that The Dems and Republican racists fell into the trap we laid for them and did us a big additional favor by all coming together on one large campaign poster-board used by the zionists to campaign against us at each polling station.  Thus helping making it very clear the difference between GRP politics and racist Democratic and Republican politics.  It was a dream come true as far as a strategist is concerned ! )

Among other things the 45 % percent shows concretely that the Dems and Republicans are out of step with ordinary folks sense of human rights.  The zionists (racists) are still recovering, although they won't show it and neither would I.

(Also note that a Plymouth county GRP respondent noted that the ballot questions are mainly for concepts and shouldn't be too specific.  That's perfect !  It is exactly a concept that we are trying to get across by using the ballot question mechanism to have people appreciate why GRP is the way to go.)

OK, so that was Somerville.

Lesson learned was clear:  Craft a ballot question that clarifies the difference between Dems, Repubs and us.

The next step in my thinking followed straightforwardly:  Let's just do the same thing in all State Rep districts and really draw out the distinction.   If we are lucky, and all goes as planned, then we can run candidates in 2010 based on the distinction and get big percentages.   With the Somerville work the distinction was between human rights and racism.  With the Local Ballots 2008 initiative the distinction needs to be between GRP social justice values and Dem, Repub corporate values - that's what ordinary people need: a clear difference. 

The issue that we use doesn't have to be Palestine but it needs to be something that hopefully Deval and other prominent Democrats, local Progressive Democrats (who opposed us in Somerville by the way), and Republicans will all come out against !   Let's pray that they'll do us that favor.

And that means that the issue has to strike right at the root and it has to be done in 3 or 4 sentences and it would be better if there was some passion behind the issue (like refugee rights).  We want a voter to say "hmmm... that makes a lot of sense..." when she/he reads the ballot question and begin to wonder why the Dems, Prog Dems, and Repubs are all against it.  (if you were against our refugee ballot question then you had to, logically, be a racist !)

And thus the idea of Local Ballots 2008 was born.

The main problem with Local Ballots 2008, going forward, is that we have to find the appropriate issue and the appropriate wording.  When I realized that we needed careful thinking and careful wording, I knew that there was no time to waste because it will take a lot of education and 1.7 years is not a lot of time - although I would settle for 10 or 12 districts rather than all 160 state rep districts.

Realizing that time was of the essence, I drafted Local Ballots 2008 and sent it out to as many GRP lists as I could find to set up some discussions and see if people want to do it.  I'll only go forward if a critical mass wants to do it.

The other parts of my thinking are this:

a) We need to do more local organizing.  Too high of a percentage of GRP work is spent at the State level. If you add up the person-hours at one Statecom meeting you get about three new chapters that could have been formed.   We need a plan that strongly encourages local organizing and encourages us to meet ordinary people more often than meet with ourselves.

b) Local State Rep ballot questions are easy to do (only 200 signatures !) and encourage local organizing.

c) We aren't ready for a Statewide ballot question and it may not fit with the "concept" idea mentioned by the woman from Plymouth.  It also would not encourage local base-building.

d) We need to rely on direct democratic means: that is use ballot questions rather than trying to lobby Dems and Republicans: the "mainstream" parties have shown their colors... I'm not going to try to get their elected officials to vote for social justice (takes too long and they'll waffle forever anyhow) - I would rather strategize to boot them out of office.  I think that single issue pressure groups are better at forcing concessions out of elected officials than the GRP would be, anyway.

So that's most of the thinking.

I hope it is clear, but if not I'm happy to answer questions (at conference call or individually if you prefer)

Ron 617 230-2835

  DIRECTIONS
   to 44 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

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