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On February 26th, Suffolk University released their latest polling data [PDF] regarding the race for governor. This was the first poll to be conducted after Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein's announcement that she would be throwing her hat into the race for governor. Among the 500 voters they surveyed, 3% indicated that they would vote for Stein if the elections were held on the day they did their polling. The other candidates had higher figures, but no one breached the 50% mark.

Even more interesting, though, was the next question:

If it was apparent that your first choice could not win the election, which candidate (or party) would be your second choice? 

Continue reading Instant Runoff Voting still worth the effort

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Have you heard about the speech given this morning by Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo to the Boston Chamber of Commerce?  Sounds like it’s going to be a very good year on Beacon Hill for the business lobbyists.   But the news isn’t so good for the rest of us.  Here are some highlights of the speech:

1) Remember all that talk about how casino revenues would be devoted to worthy purposes like education?  Now DeLeo has a different idea: the priority is doling casino revenues out as gifts to corporations.  You know, building infrastructure for businesses.  It’s NOT graft – it’s economic stimulus.  The recent Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to spend unlimited money in campaigns seems to be having its effect already.  The politicians aren’t even waiting for the money to appear before they sell out.

Continue reading DeLeo’s Speech: A Disturbing Vision for Massachusetts
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In support of the recent adoption of a master plan by the Town of Amherst, the Pioneer Valley Relocalization Project submitted this essay to the Amherst Planning Board to highlight a critical issue confronting community planners and town executives everywhere: the looming crisis of peak oil and climate change.  These are civilization-threatening processes caused by human action and must be confronted now – not later – by all planners sharing the goal of a sustainable economic and social future.  Scientists throughout the world, including James Hansen of NASA and Rajendra Pachauri of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have reached fundamental consensus regarding the climate threat while Richard Heinberg of the Post Carbon Institute and others in the academy and in the oil industry have articulated the same with regard to peak oil. Because the crisis is imminent, far-reaching, and human-caused, it can be avoided only through planned action, and must be a first-order objective at every government level – municipal, state, and nation.  

Continue reading A necessary frame for the local master plan
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Fall Elections:

The deadline is February 23, 2010, to become an unenrolled voter if you’re presently registered with Democratic, Republican or Libertarian Party, in order to run in the fall election under the Green Rainbow designation.  Best to check your registration today, if you’re thinking of running for office. See the Schedule link. (Un-enrolled candidates indicate their designation on their nomination papers before collecting signatures.)

Election Schedule 2010

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/schedule_10.pdf

Candidate Guide 2010

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Candidates_Guide_10.pdf

Map of all Massachusetts Senate Districts

Map of all Massachusetts House Districts  

Continue reading Feb 23 Last day to register as Un-enrolled voter for GRP candidates, November 2010 election
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I note that there has been zero mention of GRP participation in three wide-open special elections that have already started their election calendar. The district formerly held by Anthony Galluccio has seven announced Democratic Party candidates.

Why not a Green/Rainbow presence in the General Special Election for May 11?

Note that residency for a Senate district is only required at the time of election, unlike House districts.

Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex Senate District

Parts of the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett,  Revere, Saugus and Somerville.

Three Hundred certified voter signatures are required for nomination.

Deadlines:

• December 9, 2009, date to have been an un-enrolled voter, to run under the Green/Rainbow designation.

• March 2, 2010 – Last day for Nomination papers to local voter registrars for signature certification.

• March 9, 2010 – Last day for certified nomination papers to be filed at the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

• April 13, 2010 – Party Primary for party candidates (not Green/Rainbow)

• May 11, 2010 – General Special Election

Link to the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex Senate District special election calendar: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elespeif/msecal.htm

Here are the links to current elections info:

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Elections Division

Fall Elections:

The deadline to become an unenrolled voter, to run in the fall election under the Green Rainbow designation is February 23, 2010. Best to check your registration today, if you’re thinking of running for office. See the Schedule link.

Election Schedule 2010

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/schedule_10.pdf

Candidate Guide 2010

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Candidates_Guide_10.pdf

Map of all Massachusetts Senate Districts

Map of all Massachusetts House Districts  

Continue reading Not too late to run for Galluccio’s former Senate seat (Middlesex, Suffolk Essex district)
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Climate change is moot.  If we halt air and water pollution (using the zero emission standard of such treehugging radicals as DuPont), end our dependence on foreign fuels (through systemic efficiency coupled with cogeneration and renewables), and create new energy jobs here at home, then we can save ourselves.  The planet can take of itself.

For instance, the Home Energy Efficiency Team of Cambridge, MA  began doing monthly weatherization barnraisings in the summer of 2008. Today they are in contact with about 20 other communities in MA, RI, and NY which are doing something similar and there are other groups in MA, NH, ME, CA that are doing solar barnraisings.

Just for a change, we should spend some of the time and media real estate on a few of the ready solutions like that (weatherization, insulation, efficiency, renewables) instead of the phony debate about global warming, global weirding (a term Friedman got from Hunter Lovins, I believe), and climate change we have been indulging in for years.  I don’t care if you believe in anthropogenic climate change or not.  If you insulate your band joist and attic hatch or install a setback thermostat, you’re going to save money and energy and reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants whether you trust the science or consider it a liberal conspiracy.

Continue reading Climate Change Is Moot
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I’ve posted on this subject previously, but this is so critical–and it crystallizes so perfectly the absolutely insane freaking gap between rich and poor in Boston–that I can’t refrain. City Life Vida Urbana held a series of demonstrations over the weekend in an attempt to get big-time Boston hotelier/restarateur Paul Roiff to end his own attempt to evict residents from 22 Princeton St in East Boston. They hit his hotel on Beacon St on Thursday night; on Friday night, we, we gathered in front of his fancy-ass restaurant Teatro, next to Loews on the Common; and on Saturday night we’ were at at Mistral on Columbus Ave in the South End.

Why?

evictees

(Oh, about that hotel of his: rates START at $295–but include a “complimentary overnight shoe shine.” A burger’s a bit pricey at $16, but a bottle of Heidsieck Monopole, ‘Gout Americain’ is a bargain at $14,000. Yeah, you read that right).

To hell with that. And to hell too with the paid infiltrators who showed up–and who were pretty quickly chased away (you’ll see some of their signage in the clip–the tenants are not “refusing to pay,” nor are they demanding to be “paid to leave.” Never underestimate the lows to which our high-rollin’ “betters” will stoop to discredit the very best among us).

Here’s a slideshow from the Friday and Saturday night demonstrations.

And a short video:

And an excerpt from a note from from CLVU:

Continue reading No Nos Moverán

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I’ve posted on this subject previously, but this is so critical–and it crystallizes so perfectly the absolutely fucking insane gap between rich and poor in Boston–that I can’t refrain. City Life Vita Urbana held another in a series of demonstrations last night in an attempt to get big-time Boston hotelier/restarateur Paul Roiff to end his own attempt to evict residents from 22 Princeton St in East Boston. They hit his hotel on Beacon St Friday night; last night, we gathered in front of his fancy-ass restaurant Teatro, next to Loews on the Common; tonight we’ll be at Mistral on Columbus Ave in the South End.

(Oh, about that hotel of his: rates START at $295–but include a “complimentary overnight shoe shine.” A burger’s a bit pricey at $16, but a bottle of Heidsieck Monopole, ‘Gout Americain’ is a bargain at $14,000. Yeah, you read that right).

Fuck that. PLEASE JOIN US TONIGHT!!!!!!!

[Here’s a slideshow from last night ]

Short video:

And an update just in from CLVU:

Continue reading No Nos Moverán

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I’ve posted on this subject previously, but this is so critical–and it crystallizes so perfectly the absolutely fucking insane gap between rich and poor in Boston–that I can’t refrain. City Life Vita Urbana held another in a series of demonstrations last night in an attempt to get big-time Boston hotelier/restarateur Paul Roiff to end his own attempt to evict residents from 22 Princeton St in East Boston. They hit his hotel on Beacon St Friday night; last night, we gathered in front of his fancy-ass restaurant Teatro, next to Loews on the Common; tonight we’ll be at Mistral on Columbus Ave in the South End.

(Oh, about that hotel of his: rates START at $295–but include a “complimentary overnight shoe shine.” A burger’s a bit pricey at $16, but a bottle of Heidsieck Monopole, ‘Gout Americain’ is a bargain at $14,000. Yeah, you read that right).

Fuck that. PLEASE JOIN US TONIGHT!!!!!!!

[Here’s a slideshow from last night ]

Short video:

And an update just in from CLVU:

Continue reading No Nos Moverán