Greetings!
 It's that time again, folks. Voting starts in just five short days.
And since you're reading this newsletter, I'll assume that you already know why it is so important it is that we all vote yes for our our communities by voting NO, NO, NO on the three ballot questions on Tuesday.
But you don't have to take our word for it. In addition to the impressive (and still-growing) number of local and statewide nonprofit organizations urging their members and communities to vote NO, NO, NO, just some of the cities, towns, and local committees across the state endorsing NO, NO, NO include:
- Arlington Democratic Town Committee
- Boston City Council
- Cambridge City Council
- Dorchester's Ward 15 Committee
- Medford Democratic Committee
- Newton Democratic City Commitee
- Progressive Democrats of Somerville
- Worcester Mayor's Office
There have also been some great op-eds out there in the past few weeks, including these:
- Potential Harm of Upcoming Ballot Questions by Myriam Ortiz, Executive Director, Boston Parent Organizing Network
[Full Letter: Bay State Banner] - Hidden Costs of Tax Cut by Lewis Finfer, Executive Director, Massachusetts Community Action Network
[Full Letter: Boston Herald] - Saving Lives by Taxing Alcohol by Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe
[Full Article: Boston Globe]
But it's not enough for each of us as individuals to vote NO, NO, NO.
We must make sure that each and every one of our friends and neighbors make it out to the polls. They need to know - before they arrive at their polling sites - how critical it is that we all demonstrate that we are ready and willing to support all of our communities. I couldn't put it better than Franklin D. Roosevelt did when he said, "Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country."  So get out there! Read through our talking points on all three ballot questions [PDF] (or check out the other multi-language ballot question materials on our website) and start talking to your family members, friends, and neighbors!
Feel more comfortable sending an email? Here is a short, informative email template that you can copy and send to all of your Massachusetts contacts. It'll be even more effective if you take a minute to customize it for your community!
And while it is critical that we defeat these ballot questions on Tuesday, but we must also continue to explore our options in addressing our structural deficit long after this election season is over. If you are interested in participating in a discussion in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving - or have a large space and are willing to host a discussion - please let us know! We'll see you at the polls!!
Sincerely,
Harmony Blakeway
Director of Operations, ONE Massachusetts
harmony@realclout.org | 617-999-8469
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Free Training to Organizations Statewide
 The staff and Leadership Team at ONE Massachusetts would love to come out to your community or organization for a free on-site training.
We can focus more closely on the three upcoming ballot questions, or you can request a more broad introduction to how our state ended up in this fiscal situation, how and why we make certain budget and revenue decisions, and how we can talk to our friends and neighbors (and public officials!) about these issues.
Contact us today for more information!
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