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Weekly Roundup
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February 17, 2009
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Greetings!
This has been an exciting week at ONE Massachusetts!
With our partners, the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, and the Demos Center for the Public Sector, we have been holding a number of Connecting the Dots trainings in Boston, including a legislative training last week hosted by the new House Chair of the Revenue Committee, Representative Jay Kaufman.
Advocates and organizers from a variety of backgrounds came together out of a sense of care for the value in supporting the public structures that create opportunity and improve the quality of life in Massachusetts. The sessions focused both on how we - as a state - have gotten into the financial situation we are now in, and how we can more effectively communicate about budget and policy decisions in your community or organization.
We are planning statewide events for the next few months!
If you were not able to make it to one of these sessions, and are interested in attending or hosting a training or workshop in your community, please feel free to contact us!
Here's what's going on within the three long-term strategic goals of ONE
Massachusetts:
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Goal: By 2013, the voice and input of the state's multi-racial, multi-ethnic communities will create a counterweight to the currently dominant voice and will be tangibly reflected in the public decision making process.
Recent Developments
- There are now 50 co-sponsors for the Election Day Registration legislation sponsored by state Rep. Gloria Fox and Senator Cynthia Stone Creem. There are now 50 co-sponsors for this bill.
Background
The ONE Massachusetts Leadership Team has endorsed election
day registration, a measure being advanced by our partner organization Mass VOTE. The measure is aimed at increasing voter participation by allowing
residents to register on the same day they vote. Currently, residents must
register 20 days before balloting. Eight states currently have EDR in place.
The measure is reputed to boost voter participation by between 3 and 12
percent.
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Goal: By 2013, a fair, adequate, and stable tax system will be implemented. It will raise sufficient revenue so that state and local governments can fund the array of services needed.
Recent Developments
- In a move hailed by progressive activists and human services advocates, newly-minted House Speaker Robert DeLeo tapped State Representative Jay Kaufman to head the Revenue Committee. Kaufman hosted a ONE Massachusetts Connect the Dots training for legislators and their staff last week. Also appointed as Revenue Chair is State Senator Benjamin Downing, who hosted a ONE Massachusetts training in Pittsfield last May.
Milton resident Julio Ricardo Varela started a facebook page called Milton Budget 2009
as a place for "concerned citizens of Milton to view and share
information
about the current budget challenges facing our beloved town." The 106
members on this page post news stories and other items documenting the
town's struggles facing the budget gap.
Background
Governor Patrick's budget - released January 28, 2009 - attempts to close a multi-billion dollar structural deficit. A detailed analysis of the Governor's FY10 budget, and an analysis of why the state faced a budget gap before the current economic downturn even started, can be found
on the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center website.
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Goal: By 2013, a transparent, accessible and accountable state and local policy-making process will be in place.
Recent developments
- Governor Deval Patrick has appointed real estate developer Jeffrey Simon to bring impartiality to the process of distributing the more than $700 million in federal stimulus money Massachusetts is expected to receive. To add transparency to the process, the state has established a website where it will list details on every federally-funded project. The site will list all bidding contractors and feature progress reports.
Background
ONE Massachusetts
submitted testimony during a hearing on reforms proposed by the Governor's Public Integrity Task Force. The task force has submitted a bill
that would increase requirements for reporting on lobbying in Massachusetts and increase penalties for
violations of state lobbying laws. We supported the task force recommendations
and also called for greater transparency in the state's budget and budgeting
process.
ONE Massachusetts has also testified at a hearing on transparency within the Boston City Council.
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March Connect the Dots trainings in Western Mass:
Wednesday,
March 11
- 1:00pm - 3:30pm Franklin County
Location TBD
- 6:00pm - 8:30pm Lenox
Location TBD
Thursday,
March 12
- 9:30am - 12:00pm Northampton
Hampshire Educational Collaborative, Conference Room A/B
97 Hawley Street, Northampton MA
01060 [Map]
Friday, March 13
Time and Locations TBD
Stay tuned for more information on Connect the Dots trainings in April, and throughout the year! For more information on scheduling a training in your community or organization, please contact us at info@onemassachusetts.org.
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Stories are coming in from all over our state: Local citizens are working with friends and neighbors to rebuild the
public structures in their communities. Submit stories from your local paper, or straight from your street!
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