Budget for All!

The Budget for All referendum coalition of over 30 peace, community, and labor organizations is pleased to announce that we have collected enough signatures to put the question on the ballot in 6 state Senate districts and 17 state House districts.

That will allow some 769,000 Massachusetts voters to say yes or no on the question on November 6!

The Budget for All sends a message to Washington to bring the troops home from Afghanistan now, cut military spending, preserve benefits and services ordinary people depend on, create jobs, and tax those who can afford it.   The Congressional Progressive Caucus' Budget for All got 78 votes in March, including those of 5 of Massachusetts' 10 members of the House of Representatives.  But 5 of our Congress members voted against it.  Can we mobilize a strong enough coalition to turn those 5 votes around?

With 4 days to go until the deadline this coming Tuesday, we have 2 more Senate districts and 11 more House districts hanging on the brink.  With a final push we can complete signature gathering for those districts, too -- allowing an additional 356,000 Massachusetts voters to consider the question, and bringing the total number of votes that will be cast on it past the 1 million mark.  This message will tell you how we can do it -- with your help!

This message is a general appeal for 2 hours of your time this weekend or next week from the American Friends Service Committee, Mass. Peace Action, the Right to the City Civic Action Alliance and 20 other peace, labor and community groups – the sponsors of the statewide “Budget for All” statewide referendum campaign. (www.budget4allmass.org)

Somerville/Medford (Jehlen senate district)

Sofia Wolman: Eric and I have been committing a lot of time to Jehlen's district, mainly at the Shaw's in Porter Square. We each get about 10-15 signatures/hour there. We're going out now for another go at it. We were going to go to the Davis Square market, but the rain is keeping us away. Paul has our sheets so I've sort of lost track of where we're at, but I feel good that we'll make the 1200.

Today the secretary of state certified in writing that our referendum will be “on ballot unless otherwise notified” in the 2 Arlington districts – the 23rd and 24th Middlesex state rep districts. That's about 37,500 voters who will have the opportunity to support the Budget for All in November!

Congratulations to the Arlington volunteers for being the first to get the job completed. Hopefully it’s the first of many pieces of good news.

Four districts are finished! The two Arlington State Rep districts, 23d and 24th Middlesex (one of which also includes Belmont) are completely ready to file. The Senate districts in Newton/Brookline and Roslindale/West Roxbury/Dedham are essentially done and awaiting city/town certification. In those places we no longer need more signatures.

Congratulations to the Arlington 25% Campaign, Arlington UJP, Occupy Arlington, and their supporters (coordinated by Barbara Boltz); Mass Occupy/Brookline (coordinated by Frank Farlow and David Klafter); Newton Dialogues on Peace & War (coordinated by Ann Glick with star signature-collector Eileen Kurkoski), and Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants (coordinated by Michael Kane with star collectors Molly Hannon and Elaine Ruff)! These groups have shown us how to get it done -- let's follow suit!

We have three weeks to go to finish the rest of our districts. Here are reports from around the state.

Maryellen Kurkulos, Fall River

6/6: While there are three districts in Fall River, one (the 8th) which spills out to encompass all of Westport, we are concentrating on D7 and possibly D6. I have an interested Westport resident but I'm hoping to recruit her to work with us in D7. We start at Price Rite tomorrow, are attending 2 farmers markets this week as well as going door to door in some low income neighborhoods. Aiming for 100 signatures.

Sunny Robinson, Gloucester

6/7: We are coming along just fine here on Cape Ann. Getting signatures without too much difficulty. Will try to get a partial count for a Sat. update. Here in Gloucester we have turned in some sigs for verification and can get them back this afternoon, so we have a sense of how we are doing. Will get Rockport update tomorrow evening, thus a Sat. update.

I am sure others will have the same response as I to the comments of the concern from Marblehead etc. re the last item in the petition being a concern for the ballot. That item being the heart of the matter, this feedback I believe speaks to the need to be writing a really clear piece for the voter info booklet and developing materials that we all can use in our regions for a positive get out the vote campaign.

Updated July 2, 8am

The Jehlen and Petruccelli districts are DONE! The only Cambridge district that needs more signatures is DiDomenico's. We are getting close but still not there!

I’m here today to solicit your signature for a non-binding statewide referendum that more than 20 groups across Massachusetts are trying to put on the November ballot.

Let me read you the wording of this referendum (read from petition)

Many groups feel that there is a growing consensus among groups in our social movement around the message embodied in this referendum. And we feel that, given the chance to vote on it, most of the public – across the political spectrum – will support it.

Bette Keva (8th Essex - Marblehead, Swampscott, Lynn)

Looks like things are moving very well. I'm happy to be helping. My daughter, Anastasia, came with me to Stop & Shop and Swampscott and we collected 44 signatures, 39 from my district and the others from parts of Salem and Lynn. We will have a lot more by the time this weekend is over.

One person from the coalition will take the petitions in to the election department in each town. Turn in your petitions to the following people:

Boston - Michael Kane (MAHT), michaelkane@saveourhomes.org, 617-267-2949 or Becky Pierce, beckyp44@verizon.net

Brookline - Frank Farlow, frank.farlow@verizon.net, 617-232-9654

Cole Harrison:
Monday at Memorial Day for Peace new volunteers stepped forward to coordinate districts in Stoughton, Canton, Quincy, Hingham, Weymouth, and Waltham, as well as others to help with districts already being worked. So on the South Shore we have added this week the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Norfolk and the 3rd Plymouth.

On Wednesday, we held a North Shore kickoff which was attended by about 20 people. We have an active group working the 5th Essex and people starting on the 1st, 2nd, 8th, 15th, 16th and 18th Essex.