Vote NYYY on 2014 Ballot Questions

Some of our friends have asked us for information on this year’s ballot questions and where we stand.  We have researched and are recommending votes on all four of them, with our reasoning and background information below.

Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office provides a summary of the ballot questions with arguments for and against.  You probably received it in the mail, but you can also read it here.   The independent web site Ballotpedia also provides a summary and background on all of the questions, as well as a list of the questions that did not make it to the ballot this year. 

Our recommendations are:

#1: NO

#2: YES

#3: YES

#4: YES

Question 1 proposes to repeal the 2013 law that indexes the gas tax to inflation. The revenue from the gas tax, which is dedicated to maintaining transportation infrastructure, will only keep pace with costs if it rises as costs go up.  In Massachusetts our roads and bridges have been neglected for years.  The American Society of Civil Engineers identifies about 53% of our bridges as structurally deficient or obsolete.  Investment in transportation both creates jobs and makes it possible for workers to get to them.  The ballot question was proposed and is supported by hard line anti-tax crusaders who still think there is such a place as “Taxachusetts” and do not recognize the consequences of decreased revenue.  Such mainstream groups as the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, the American Automobile Association, and the Chamber of Commerce are urging a no vote.  Here is the explanation from the Mass. Taxpayers Foundation.  Vote NO on Question 1.

Question 2 proposes to expand the Bottle Bill, to include containers of beverage products that accounted for a much smaller percentage of beverage containers when the original bill was enacted.  Plastic bottles from water, juice, teas, sports drinks, and other on-the-go beverages litter parks, roadways, and streams, creating hazards to wildlife and cleanup costs to towns and cities.  Only 23% of these containers are recycled, while 80% of the containers which do have deposits are returned and recycled.  The measure would also reinstate a dedicated funding stream to aid recycling programs from any unclaimed deposits.  Opponents of the ballot measure – mostly large beverage and retail corporations – have poured millions of dollars into the advertising campaign to defeat it.  Many of their claims are misleading or blatantly false, but they hope to drown out the real story by flooding the airwaves.  Here is a basic fact sheet about what Question 2 would do, and here is an editorial supporting it.  Vote YES on Question 2. 

Question 3 proposes to “Repeal the Deal” that allows casino and slot parlor gambling in Massachusetts.  The original proposal was a hot issue in 2010 when I (Margot) was running for office, as it was working its way through the Legislature at that time.  I felt a responsibility to take a thoughtful and credible position, and researched the issue at that time.  I learned how the gambling industry operates on a business plan that is inherently predatory on its customers.  I came to the conclusion that most of the promises of the casino industry are illusory and that any boom from establishing casino gambling in a community is inevitably followed by a big bust.  Jobs are lost, promised revenues to the states decline, and there is pressure from the industry to relax the conditions that made the siting of the casino acceptable to communities.  We were influenced by this article, penned by one of the legislators who we most respect.  You can watch a former legislative staffer reporting on what he learned at that time about how casinos affect communities.  And here is a recent letter to the editor discussing this year’s ballot question. 

We realize that many of our friends in organized labor are opposing this ballot question and see the casino industry as a provider of much needed jobs.  While we recognize the urgency of job creation and economic recovery, we believe that there are other, more reliable ways to revitalize our economy and that reliance on an industry with such a bad track record for keeping its promises is unwise.  We need to get serious about investing in clean technology and energy efficiency as well as increasing investments in renewable energy.  We urge our friends to vote YES on Question 3. 

Question 4 proposes to allow employees to earn sick leave.  We have joined with a broad coalition of faith-based, labor, and community organizations to pass this measure.  It sets a basic standard that all employers must meet, prohibiting employer retaliation against workers who take time off due to illness. It provides a basic level of dignity for all workers, instead of forcing them to choose between a sick loved one and their job.  At companies with 11 or more employees, workers would earn up to 40 hours of paid sick time.  The proposal is sensitive to the needs of small business:  workers at companies with 10 or fewer employees would earn up to 40 hours of unpaid sick time to recover from illness, visit a doctor, or take care of a sick family member.  Both full-time and part-time workers can earn sick leave based on numbers of hours they work.  Enacting this proposal has benefits to public health as well as to the economy.  When workers go to work sick, or children go to school sick because their parents can’t take time off, they endanger other people around them.  The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center has documented how earned sick leave supports healthy and thriving communities.  Please vote YES on Question 4. 

Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 4th! If you are not sure about your polling place, look it up here. Reminders about your rights as a voter: you do NOT have to show ID unless it is your first time voting in Massachusetts; if your name is on an inactive list, you might have to show proof of residence.  You MAY bring literature into the polling place with you for your reference.  You MAY NOT hand those materials to any other voter within the polling location, because that is considered electioneering in the zone where it is prohibited.  You MAY bring the person of your choice with you to help with voting when there are barriers due to language or disability.  If you will be out of town on Election Day, you can vote absentee on Monday at your city or town hall.  

Many happy returns,

Margot and David

Next Steps in the 2014 Elections

A little over a week after the primary, we are catching our breath!  September 9^th gave us the nominees in both parties who will face off in the general election on November 4^th.  In our previous post we endorsed seven candidates, some statewide, some local.  Primary night brought us mixed results, but we batted better than .500:  four of our endorsed candidates were victorious.  Our GOTV (get out the vote) efforts the weekend prior to the primary and primary day itself were devoted to Mary Keefe’s campaign, and we were delighted with her decisive win.  She does not have an opponent in the general election, so her re-election is now assured.  Dan Donahue also won his primary, and has no general election opponent.  Harriette Chandler won her primary handily, but faces a formidable Republican opponent in the general election.  We urge all of you who live in the 1^st Worcester State Senate district to vote for her on November 4^th and to work to support her if you can.  

Except for Attorney General candidate Maura Healey’s resounding win, our statewide endorsed candidates were less successful.  Nevertheless, we urge all of our friends and fellow travelers to support the Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor as well as the rest of the Democratic ticket.  While Martha Coakley and Steve Kerrigan were not our first choices, we feel that they offer a vision that we can enthusiastically support. 

Here is some of what Martha Coakley said in her speech on Primary Night:

“I’m in this fight for people who don’t have money or power…

Now it’s time to get to work. This election is going to be won on successful ideas and organizing – on our vision for a stronger Massachusetts, and with your voice.

We will provide earned sick time for all our working families.

We will deliver universal pre-K for all our children.

We will invest in regional economies and create jobs across all of Massachusetts.

We will increase clean energy sources and will continue to address climate change.

We will continue to ensure Massachusetts is a leader on LGBTQ rights.

And we will reduce the stigma around mental and behavioral health.”

She also pledged to fight for the rights of all workers, including the right to organize and closing the gender pay gap. 

At a unity event in Worcester the evening after the primary, we heard Steve Kerrigan give an inspiring speech embracing this same vision and outlining the differences between it and what we could expect from Charlie Baker and Karyn Polito, the Republican nominees.  Steve Kerrigan, who we really hadn’t gotten to know before, is a native and resident of Central Massachusetts and showed himself to be a person with a big heart and a sharp mind and an ability to speak to what is important to people.  

When Steve Grossman spoke to his supporters last Tuesday night he said, “I told Martha Coakley that I will do everything I can, and I hope everyone of you will do everything you can to make sure that Martha Coakley becomes the next governor of Massachusetts…I want to be sure that a Democrat is in the 3^rd floor corner office and I will do everything I can to make that happen.” 

We admire Steve Grossman tremendously and we worked for him in the primary.  He is a visionary as well as a mensch and a problem solver.  We join with him, and urge you to join with us, in making sure that we elect Martha Coakley as Governor.  After that we will work together to move forward his long range vision:  “I have a commitment to lifting every person up and giving them the tools to be everything they want to be…There is a breach in our society,” Steve said; and told us it is our job to work to heal it:  to work for social and economic justice, for opportunity for all, and for everyone being able to live with dignity. 

Some of our friends, we realize, voted for Don Berwick for Governor.  This is what Don wrote to his supporters yesterday: “To all of you, I have one request now:  join me in full support of Martha Coakley and the Democratic ticket on November 4^th.  Although we do not agree on all of the issues, I have no doubt at all that the Commonwealth’s future will be in excellent hands in a Coakley Administration.  I cannot say the same about the prospect of four years under Charlie Baker and the Republican Party.”

You can watch and listen to both Steve Grossman's speech and Don Berwick's speech on primary night, reflecting their progressive values and urging unity.  Take a listen! 

We hear a lot of people say, “I vote for the person, not the party,” and say Charlie Baker is a nice guy.  It really doesn’t work that way.  If you elect Baker, you get a Republican administration and a government driven by conservative and reactionary policy objectives.  You get Republican operatives, often losers in local elections, appointed to key positions running agencies whose mission they don’t believe in.  Nowhere will you find a commitment to the social, economic, and environmental justice agenda cited above.  We have work that isn’t finished.  It is no time to roll back the progress we have made. 

We have also come to admire Deb Goldberg, Democratic nominee for Treasurer.  She comes with extensive experience in business and a commitment to continuing Steve Grossman’s legacy of using the Treasurer’s office to increase economic opportunity for those who need it.  And we reiterate our support for Maura Healey for Attorney General, committed to becoming the people’s lawyer and knowing how to use the office to fight for justice. 

We remember well what it was like to lose a primary after Margot's campaign for State Representative in 2010. It was clear at that time, and still is, that we could make an important contribution by uniting behind the primary winner and using our influence to fight for the values that impelled us in our campaign.  

So join us; let’s elect a Democratic ticket in November and hold onto our progressive visions for the long haul.  And stay tuned; in future posts we will address several of the initiative questions which will be on our November ballots. 

Again, Many Happy Returns!

Margot and David

September 2014 Primary -- our recommendations

This coming Tuesday, September 9^th, is Primary Election Day for statewide and state legislative offices.  We believe that it really matters who we elect, as many of the policies that affect all of our lives are determined at the state level in both the executive and legislative branches.   This year there is an unusually large number of contested primaries.  As we have talked with voters we have found that many don’t know much about the candidates, even in the races at the top of the ticket.  So, as very active participants in and observers of the political scene, we are sharing our thoughts and recommendations.

A little of how the process works:  you can vote in a party primary if you are registered in that party or if you are registered to vote but not enrolled in any party.  If you are unenrolled, you need to ask for a Democratic ballot to vote for the candidates we are recommending. 

We are making suggestions for several of the statewide races and also some local races.  If you are not sure what district you reside in, you can visit www.wheredoivotema.com to find out.  The site is very simple to use. 

We are Democrats – both of us serve on the Worcester Democratic City Committee – so at this time we offer recommendations for the Democratic primary.  A key criterion for candidates we choose to support is their commitment to public service rather than ambition or personal advancement.  To put our recommendations in context, we are sharing an explanation of our foundational philosophies and the reasoning behind some of our most strongly held opinions. 

Our worldview is liberal (some prefer to call it progressive) on both social issues and economic policy.  We believe that government delivery of services is the expression of our communal obligation to one another and that a fair system of taxation is the price of civilization.  The values and philosophies of the candidates who we support or oppose are understandably colored by those views. 

Through our activism and connections with other activists all over the city and state, we have gotten to know candidates who are running in districts other than our own.  We have been impressed by some of them and for this reason are making recommendations for those races.  In some of these cases we have been playing active roles in the campaign.

Ever since Margot ran for public office four years ago, we are even more acutely aware than we already were of the enormous personal sacrifice involved in standing for office.  Every person who puts herself or himself forward as a candidate deserves our respect and admiration.  That said, we have carefully considered who would be the best person for each office.  We are making recommendations only where there are contested primaries; and we are omitting one statewide race where we do not have a strong preference.  Each candidate's name is hyperlinked to her or his web site, so you can click to learn more about them.  

Statewide races:

Our choice for Governor is Steve Grossman.  First of all he is a mensch.  (For those of you who don’t know any Yiddish, this means the best of what a human being can be.)  His commitment to fairness and his commitment to uplifting each person are totally genuine.  Steve listens exquisitely.  We have seen him connect with all kinds of people, from idealistic young people to struggling small business owners, hand the person his card, and say, “I may not be able to help you directly but I will find someone who can!”  One of our political allies tells a story of how Steve helped a friend of hers develop a successful business plan after she had sought help to no avail from many other sources. 

Steve is not afraid to take controversial positions.  At our local Labor Day breakfast, he said, “if wrong is done to working people, I will be on the picket line.”   We believe it because he has been there.  One of the provisions of his agenda as Treasurer, right on his official web site, is “hold corporations accountable.” 

In his current position as State Treasurer, Steve Grossman has kept his promises and has found innovative ways to boost the state’s economy and protect the assets of the taxpayers.  When he ran for Treasurer, Steve pledged to enhance government transparency by putting the state’s checkbook online, and to bring Massachusetts’ assets, some of which resided in foreign banks, into small community banks to enable loans to small businesses.  He has followed through on both of these pledges, with the Small Business Banking Partnership  showing an impressive track record of strengthening both small business and the communities where they reside.  We believe Steve is the kind of creative problem solver, as well as courageous and effective politician, that we need as Governor. 

We endorse Mike Lake for Lieutenant Governor.  Mike has a vision of how to use the office of Lieutenant Governor to address issues and challenges faced by all of Massachusetts’ cities and towns. Currently aiding cities and towns as CEO of Leading Cities, Mike has the experience to promote the innovation economy and market the assets of our state in national and international settings.  He is committed to social justice at all levels. 

Maura Healey is our choice between two undeniably progressive candidates for Attorney General.  We first learned about Maura’s strengths from a couple of our friends who have worked for and with her in the Attorney General’s office.  One of them told us how Maura, with her background in civil rights law, has great judgment and knowledge of how to use the office to pick the fights that will move important issues in the right direction.  A key example is the challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), for which Martha Coakley claims credit but it was really Maura who brought the issue up and managed the case.  We believe that her experience, judgment, and willingness to take risks, along with her inclinations toward justice and fairness, place Maura Healey in the best position to use the Attorney General’s office as a force for progressive change. 

Local races:

State Senate, 1^st Worcester:

Harriette Chandler has represented the 1^st Worcester District in the State Senate with dedication and competence for 14 years and has now risen to the position of Deputy Majority Leader.  No one works harder for her constituents.  We have found Harriette open to learning about and becoming an effective advocate on issues that were not originally her strength.  For example, she has become a strong environmental justice advocate after being educated on the issue and hearing from constituents about it.  She has always fought for women's health – it was Harriette who introduced legislation to keep women safe and free from harassment at reproductive health clinics after the recent Supreme Court decision that struck down Massachusetts’ buffer law.   Harriette faces tough opposition in both the primary and general elections this year, and so your vote will really matter in this race. 

State Representative, 15^th Worcester:

Mary Keefe served as Executive Director of the Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center, and has been a key leader in Worcester Interfaith, fighting for neighborhood improvement, empowerment of residents, and jobs for youth.  She translated 15 years as a community organizer in her neighborhood to being a tireless advocate for her district and the whole city as State Representative.  She stands up for justice and fairness every day and is not afraid to challenge the leadership in the State House.  Her colleagues characterize Mary as delightful to work with and a highly effective legislator, even in her first term.   We have known and worked with Mary for over a decade and consider her one of our closest friends and allies.  Mary faces tough opposition in the primary this year and so every vote will count significantly. 

State Representative, 16^th Worcester:

Dan Donahue is a young man whose grasp of a broad range of issues and dedication to public service  impressed us very favorably when we first met with him.  He grew up in a union household and experienced fighting for economic justice from a very early age.  He is the first in his family to attend college.  Dan has been doing a great job representing the 16^th Worcester district since he was elected in a special election last year.  Three of his four former opponents have endorsed him in this year’s race.  The fourth chose to run against Dan again, drawing on some of the most reactionary elements in the district. 

State Representative, 17^th Worcester:

Moses Dixon is a young man whose record of experience in government service would be impressive in one twice his age.  He was an aide to a US Senator, served a year-long internship with District 4 City Councilor Sarai Rivera, and served as the legislative aide for Mary Keefe in the Massachusetts State House.  The district he seeks to represent includes areas that have long been disenfranchised, and Moses is in a unique position to give voice to this part of the city because he knows it intimately from his time working with Councilor Rivera.  Moses is dedicated to wholehearted representation of the semi-rural, small town parts of the district as well as the urban areas, having traveled extensively in Leicester during the campaign, getting to know residents there.   His legislative experience and knowledge positions him to hit the ground running as a new legislator and represent his district effectively from day one. 

Thank you for taking the time to read through this!  Most importantly, please vote!

As we say in the campaign business, Many Happy Returns!

Sincerely,

Margot and David