The Democratic Party candidate, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, in the special election for 3rd Berkshire District State Representative witholds support for Medicare For All because it would put institutions ‘in jeopardy.’  This revelation occured at a debate last night among the four candidates.  The Democrat’s statement was in response to Green-Rainbow Party’s Mark Miller’s clear call to move forward with Medicare For All.

MassCare is the leading statewide advocacy group for Medicare For All.  Although its non-profit status prevents it from joining the MA Nurses Association and others in endorsing Miller, it occasionally takes part in voter education by publishing responses to candidate questionnaires.

Today I sent the following message to MassCare’s Executive Director, Ben Day, strongly suggesting that this election is such an important occasion.  Mr. Day responded very quickly letting me know he would bring this up with his co-chairs.

If MassCare acts on this it may be the first time that it sends a questionnaire out in a partisan election where a Green-Rainbow Party candidate was challenging a Democrat.  MassCare failed to send questionnaires out in last year’s gubernatorial election and in state rep elections in the 3rd and 4th Berkshire Districts.

Two prominent Democrats on the town of Lenox’s Select Board proposed and seconded a formal motion in a ‘new business surprise’ item on August 31, 2011.  The motion, if passed, would have closed public discussion of wind energy at upcoming public forums that were intended to focus on both wind and solar plans, thus limiting the municipal energy options that the public could learn about.

It so happens that the town’s Democratic Party Town Committee is meeting this evening.  Might the Democratic Town Committee address and publicize its position on wind energy?  One of the Select Board members who advanced the anti-wind motion is the Democratic Town Committee Chairman.

The Case for a Green-Rainbow Party Town Committee.

The established power brokers are not pleased at the mobilization of the Green-Rainbow Party, which  is a way of saying that they are taking notice.  A brief mention that I made in an article about how green party membership bolsters ones activism elicited a response on the Green-Rainbow Party’s Facebook page from an official within a competing political party, who pleaded against registering with a green party, saying that a voter who did so loses his or her influence because that voter could no longer participate in Democratic Party or Republican Party primaries.

Our influence is growing because our numbers are growing.  We don’t increase our influence by participating in other parties’ primaries.

People around the country have worn this button in solidarity with protesters who peacefully occupied the capitol building in Madison in February and March of this year.

A foreign journalist asked me at the time to comment on the Madison uprisings.  She supposed that such a thing that happened in Wisconsin couldn’t happen in Massachusetts.  “Sure it could,” I replied, to her surprise, “after all, regressive trends in taxation and the cutting of public benefits have been advancing all over the United States under both Republican and Democratic Party leadership for at least a couple of decades.”

This was quite a popular note on my Facebook page.

Following major bank failures in 2008, both the US and Iceland elected new governments. One of the new governments fired the bank presidents and began criminal investigations. Guess which one.

This was quite a popular note on my Facebook page.

Following major bank failures in 2008, both the US and Iceland elected new governments. One of the new governments fired the bank presidents and began criminal investigations. Guess which one.

This was quite a popular note on my Facebook page.

Following major bank failures in 2008, both the US and Iceland elected new governments. One of the new governments fired the bank presidents and began criminal investigations. Guess which one.

My hairdresser in Iceland receives paternity leave benefits from his country’s social security system.

Here in the US neither of the prevalent points in the bi-partisan debate paints an encouraging picture of the future.  The quality of benefits such as sick time, parental leave (if it even exists), and health care are declining.

We are essentially saying to the next generations that they can expect lower living standards into the future.   The solutions, though, are within the reach of dedicated organized citizens who see successful models that operate outside of the bi-partisan paradigms.

Now back to Iceland …

I am in Iceland this week, preparing for a Thursday afternoon interview the Minister of the Environment, Svandis Svavarsdottir.

(Interview published in April)

Svandis is with the Left-Green Party, which is part of the nation’s ruling coalition together with the Prime Minister’s Social Democratic Party.  Here is her official profile.

I find it interesting that the green parties in Iceland and in Massachusetts both have hyphenated names which represent a merging of social justice and environmental groups. The Left-Green Party was formed in Iceland in 1999, while the Green-Rainbow Party formed in Massachusetts in 2002.

My interview will lead to an article that I will publish in the US sharing learnings and insights that can assist parties such as the Green-Rainbow Party increase its membership and candidate strength.  I have received suggestions for questions to ask Svandis from all over the Commonwealth.  If any reader would like to share insights or suggested questions that will assist me in my preparation for this interview, please post them here or e-mail me directly.

scott@scottlaugenour.org

Here are some additional profiles of women active and successful in the green political movement.  I shared Svandis’ and these other profiles recently in an e-mail bulleting, and I share them here.