In less than 2 minutes, Gil Friend, CEO of Natural Logic, Inc and author of The Truth about Green Business, makes a clear business case against coal:
http://www.youtube.com/v/Eqifc…
Continue reading The Business Case Against CoalThe 2010 Jill Stein campaign, tucked away in this powerful comparison chart between her policies and those of incumbent Democrat Deval Patrick’s, showed Massachusetts where our governor truly stood, all rhetoric aside.
Make a difference. Vote Jill Stein on November 2.
Endnotes with citations for each of the issues on reverse side
• Strengthening & Protecting Public Education. 1. Deval Patrick cut education by $198M in this year’s budget (FY11) hurting programs from pre-k through college.
This added to his 37% reduction in higher ed made in the prior two years, which put Mass. near the bottom of the 50 states in funding for higher ed (#46 of 50). 2. In
this year’s budget Patrick also preserved his 40% cuts to special ed made last year.(www.phenomonline.org, http://www.massbudget.org/docu…
doc_id=690&dse_id=1261 ) 3. Gov. Patrick’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 includes a 41% cut to the funding for special education and a tuition rate freeze of
private special ed schools for the second year in a row. Patriot Ledger 4/24/10, “Commentary: MA Legislators Must Protect Special Needs Students From Cuts”, by L Sauer.
4. Cut funding for state and community colleges by about 37% over the past two years. http://www.masslive.com/news/i…
massachusetts_commissioner_of.html
• Health Care as a Human Right, “Single Payer” 1. Patrick applauded the administration and the legislature for taking “a step in the right direction with the health care
reform bill”. Boston Globe, 10/4/06, Debate Transcript. 2. The budget, which kicks in July 1st, would cut $56M for adult dental services for adults covered by Medicaid.
Masslive.com, 1/27/10, “Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposed $28.2 billion budget contains $800M in cuts to human services and other areas”,Dan Ring. And “Stop the
elimination of all MassHealth Adult Dental benefits” Facebook page. 3. Cut mental health funding by $12.2 million compared to FY 2010 current budget levels. This is $22.3
million less than the total amount appropriated for mental health services at the beginning of FY 2010. The Governor’s budget includes only $134 million for inpatient
facilities, a 20 percent cut from estimated spending in FY 2010, and a 7 percent cut from what the department estimates it would need to maintain services in FY 2011.
Budget Monitor: The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget (Updated) MassBudget.org 4. 3000 eligible elders are waitlisted for home care. 40,000 seniors were cut from
Prescription Advantage assistance, after a series of cuts from $110 million funding in fy06, down to 32.4 million in the fy2011 budget. Deval Patrick preserved cuts
originally made by Mitt Romney, and then further cut the program by another $38 million dollars. This has cut 72% of the original $114 million annual funding for
Prescription Advantage when it was created in 2002. http://browser.massbudget.org 5. Gov’s budget represents a 2% cut in public health funding compared to current
FY10 budget totals. Compared to funding levels in FY01, after inflation, public health programs have been cut 25%.
• Big giveaways for corporate entitlement programs. 1. Governor Deval Patrick will spend up to $200 million in state funds this year to get 50 building projects
around Massachusetts off the ground…Among the projects are a 17-acre shopping complex in New Bedford, a new medical office building in Hingham for South Shore
Hospital, and [parking lot for] an expansion of offices at MathWorks, a Natick software maker….Some economists said, however, that Patrick’s initiative will have a limited
impact and suggested the funds would be better spent trying to get businesses to expand in Massachusetts and fill the large amount of vacant commercial space already
available here….”They are targeting the symptom rather than the disease,” said Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics for Moody’s Economy.com. He argued that the
“disease” was really caused by job losses in financial activities and other sectors..”Boston Globe, May 6th, 2010, “Patrick pledges up to $200m to jump-start construction”,
by Casey Ross 2. $58 million for Evergreen Solar (taking jobs to China). ON THE HOT SEAT “could potentially eliminate 150 to 200 jobs in Mass. starting in mid-2011.” http://
www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/03/12/struggling_evergreen_solar_gives_ceo_six_figure_bonus/ Struggling Evergreen rewards CEOPayout wasn’t tied to financial
goals, solar firm says By Todd Wallack, Globe Staff | March 12, 2010
• Casino gambling. 1. Gov. predicts a jackpot, Boston Globe, September 18th, 2007, by Frank Phillips & Andrea Estes http://www.boston.com/news/loc…
2007/09/18/governor_predicts_a_jackpot/
• Increasing Aid for Cities and Towns. 1. Direct local aid to cities and towns received a substantial cut of 27.4 percent in the Governor’s House 1 budget. In addition to
this cut for FY 2010, the Governor also reduces lottery and local aid for FY 2009 by $128 million (9.74 percent) in his 9C cuts. In FY 2010, the Governor’s budget reduces
each community’s total lottery and additional assistance amount by 28.5 percent from the FY 2009 GAA level, a total cut of $369 million. http://www.massbudget.org/
documentsearch/findDocument?doc_id=716&dse_id=1050 2. Gov. Deval L. Patrick on Monday approved a budget for the next fiscal year [fy2010] that slashes
unrestricted aid to cities and towns by nearly 30%. By DAN RING 6/29/09 Gov Deval atrick signs budget, cuts local funds http://www.masslive.com/news/i…
2009/06/gov_deval_patrick_signs_budget.html
• Restoring Funding for Human Services. 1. $34.5m the state spent to get kids off street & into paying jobs & safe places last year has been slashed to $16.6m this yr.
YAbraham No money to save lives. Globe 4/11/10 2. The Governor’s Budget for FY 2011 (House 2 version) Jan. 28, 2010 $40M cut is reflected in the DDS budget inclusive
of annualizing the earlier 9C cuts this year… In MassHealth, the PCA and Day habilitation programs have no reductions while the adult dental program is reduced with an
exception for those served through DDS. http://www.arcmass.org/StateHo…
tabid/874/Default.aspx In FY10, the final budget approved by the gov. cut the Dept. of Disability Services over $80M compared to the FY09. From chart entitled: FY10
Final Budget Chart 3. The Gov’s FY11 initial budget included ..funding for human services, ….[totaling]] $3.35 billion. This represents a $14.4M reduction when compared
to FY10 GAA funding levels. Gov’s budget recommends cuts to services for children and families, child care financial assistance, and the Dept of Youth Services; community
day and work programs for adults, transportation services, and respite and intensive family supports …. A reduction in funding for the Employment Services Program (ESP)
by … $12.M, or 49%, relative to the FY10 GAA….When adjusted for inflation, the Gov’s funding recommendation represents a 58% reduction in funding when compared to
FY01. The Gov’s budget maintains $4.4M in FY10 9C cuts and proposes an additional $4.9M cut to DYS representing an $8.4M total reduction in funding from the FY10
GAA. http://www.massbudget.org/docu… 4. Patrick’s vetoes [to fy2010 budget] include $7.6M to the
administration and other expenses of the state’s Trial Court, $1M in emergency food assistance, $2M for secure treatment facilities for opiate addiction, $2.8M for subsidies
to housing authorities and $1.5M in grants to local tourism councils for marketing and promotion.
• Stopping waste of billions on wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. 1. Patrick’s Iraq spin ignores war’s real impact, Jill Stein for Governor, July 26, 2010 http://
www.jillstein.org/content/patricks-iraq-spin-ignores-wars-real-impact 2. Gov. Patrick avoids questions about whether U.S. should be in Iraq and Afghanistan, MA Gov.
Deval Patrick arrives in Afghanistan as part of Middle East war zone tour, Associated Press, Friday, July 23, 2010, http://www.masslive.com/news/i…
massachusetts_gov_deval_patric_21.html
• Stopping hikes in regressive taxes and fees. 1. Patrick stresses upside of tax hikes, Boston Globe, June 27, 2009, Matt Viser http://www.boston.com/news/local/
massachusetts/articles/2009/06/27/patrick_upbeat_on_1_billion_in_tax_increases/
• Transparency on Beacon Hill. 1. Mass. Green-Rainbow Party candidate releases taxes, Wed. May 19, Associated Press, Gov. Deval Patrick refused to release his returns
to the AP, as he did in 2006, http://www.bostonherald.com/ne…
• Cleaning up Influence-Peddling on Beacon Hill. 1. New life for Patrick fund raising: Aides defend use of lobbyist as campaign coffers grow. Boston Globe, June 3,
2010, by Frank Phillips http://www.boston.com/news/loc…
• Effective Climate Action. 1. Biomass or Biomess? The state forges ahead with many questions unanswered. The Valley Advocate, June 30, 2009 by Mary Serreze
http://www.valleyadvocate.com/… 2. Mass. plant will make natural gas from coal. Boston Globe, October 25, 2007 by Robert Gavin. http://
www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/10/25/mass_plant_will_make_natural_gas_from_coal/
The Canadian Greens and the voters of the Saanich-Gulf Islands BC riding made history yesterday by electing Green Party leader Elizabeth May to Parliament. May, who was excluded from the national debates (as a national party leader) on the argument that they did not have an elected Member of Parliament, became the first Green MP in Canada’s federal government. They excluded her despite the fact that May participated in the 2008 debates and did very well, resulting in significant federal funding of the Green Party annually. The Greens also fielded MP candidates in 304 out of Canada’s 308 total ridings.
Asked what just one lone MP can do, May responded “Just watch me!”
Watch her victory speech and post-election interview (below the jump):
Continue reading Greens make history in Canada
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.”
Continue reading We Are All WisconsinCome one, come all!
Come to a hearing on Thursday, May 5, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, State House Gardner Auditorium, Boston, to support “An Act to Invest In Our Communities”
by John Andrews, Nat Fortune, Shirley Kressel, and Jill Stein
{ Cross-posted at Open Media Boston and Blue Mass Group }
Dear GRP supporters and activists,
Please join us at a hearing on Thursday, May 5, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, State House Gardner Auditorium, Boston. Come tell the Governor and legislature to stop slashing critical health, education, social and environmental services in order to protect billions in useless corporate tax giveaways and subsidies for the massive, needless health insurance bureaucracy!
Raise the bar for a better budget and real tax reform. As a first step, we’re supporting “An Act to Invest In Our Communities” (SB1416 / HB2553) at the hearing. Supporting this revenue bill is one part of our commitment to stop the cruel, needless cuts that the governor and legislature are making to critical programs.
Continue reading Join us May 5th to stand against needless and cruel budget cuts!Jeff Crosby of IUE-CWA Local 201 in Lynn, Massachusetts has written an insightful post on the abandonment and demonization of both the public sector and the public good by our own legislative leaders.
http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/04…
He proposes union rank and file take 5 steps to better “protect both public workers’ living standards and public services for the rest of us” — should be all of us there, Jeff! — but in my opinion, these are 5 principles we all need to adopt. As Jeff notes,
Continue reading Public Sector, Public GoodEither we change the public perception of government-equating the public sector with the public good with each word we speak-or we lose public jobs and services. And that hurts us all.
This is a great tool to get a quick glimpse of the effect of money in state legislative races. What did Bob DeLeo need $895,000 for? Well, it’s one way to funnel money around to your Democratic buddies who do your dirty work. And it’s sure gotta be nice to have $446k in the bank.
Continue reading follow the money[Update: Read the comments to see the Committee of Seventy’s response. -ed.]
Hello from Philadelphia, Green Mass Group! Here we’ve got a VERY strong candidate for Sheriff running on a “no evictions” platform, promoting ideas like community land trusts and greening the sheriff’s fleet. Her name is Cheri Honkala and she’s a longtime activist in Philadelphia and around the country.
But an important civic organization here in Philadelphia, the Committee of Seventy, is ignoring her candidacy. They won’t give her a spot on their website alongside the duopoly candidates (although here in Philly it’s really one-party rule by Democrats), and they pretty much won’t even acknowledge she exists.
So we’ve got an online petition that we started yesterday, and all that I’m asking now is that you sign the petition and pass it along to your Green friends and any friends in Philadelphia. This is an incredibly easy thing to do and one instance where an online petition could actually make a difference!
Here it is: http://www.change.org/petition…
[And keep us in mind in the coming months, because the campaign is having events all over the country to support Cheri!]
Continue reading Green solidarity: two seconds of your time to help Cheri Honkala, candidate for Philly SheriffFrom the Green-Rainbow Party
4/29/2011
Dear GRP supporters and activists,
Please join us at the hearing Thursday, May 5, anytime between 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM, State House Gardner Auditorium, Boston. Come tell the Governor and legislature to stop slashing critical health, education, social and environmental services in order to protect billions in useless corporate tax give-aways and subsidies for the massive, needless health insurance bureaucracy!
Raise the bar for a better budget and real tax reform. As a first step, we’re also supporting “An Act to Invest In Our Communities” (SB1416 / HB2553) at the hearing. Supporting this revenue bill is one part of our commitment to stop the cruel, & unnecessary cuts that the governor and legislature are proposing.
In addition to asking the rich to pay their fair share, the GRP is also calling for single-payer Medicare-for-all health care and the elimination of unjustified and ineffective corporate subsidies – saving at least $2.5 billion a year. The Green-Rainbow Party alone brings it all together into a “Better Budget,” which will not only prevent new budget cuts, but will allow us to restore essential public services that have been severely compromised over the past decade.
Continue reading Join us May 5th – Stop the needless cruel cuts!{Note: it appears that this subpoena was served on David House of Cambridge, who was detained last year in connection to an investigation of WikiLeaks.}
FBI serves Grand Jury subpoena likely relating to WikiLeaks
Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2011
In the wake of a massive disclosure of Guantanamo files by WikiLeaks, the FBI yesterday served a Grand Jury subpoena in Boston on a Cambridge resident, compelling his appearance to testify in Alexandria, Virgina. Alexandria is where a Grand Jury has been convened to criminally investigate WikiLeaks and Julian Assange and determine whether an indictment against them is warranted. The individual served has been publicly linked to the WikiLeaks case, and it is highly likely that the Subpoena was issued in connection with that investigation.
Notably, the Subopena explicitly indicates that the Grand Jury is investigating possible violations of the Espionage Act (18 U.S.C. 793), a draconian 1917 law under which no non-government-employee has ever been convicted for disclosing classified information. The most strident anti-WikiLeaks politicians — such as Dianne Feinstein and Newt Gingrich — have called for the prosecution of the whistle-blowing group under this law, and it appears that the Obama DOJ is at least strongly considering that possibility.
Continue reading FBI serves Grand Jury subpoena re: WikiLeaks to Cambridge resident