Remembering Paul Cellucci
Rest in peace Paul Celluci ,who always responded to poor people’s advocates— as a State Rep, as State Senator, as Lt. Governor, as Governor, as Ambassador. We called his official office in Canada and told a Secretary that an immigrantion lawyer from GBLS needed his official intervention to facilitate a Mother’s visit to her child....
Refocusing Our Lens: Domestic Workers’ Rights Are a Neglected Feminist Issue
Fom RH Reality Check Domestic Workers Rights The attention gap for this issue is particularly unfortunate in light of how hard domestic workers are toiling not just in their jobs, but also to advocate for themselves. The successful campaign for a New York Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights which passed in 2010, and the campaign in California which...
Commonwealth? 0f Mass. to end placing of homeless in motels – But you can’t do something with nothing
According to the Globe The state government plans to eliminate a controversial emergency shelter program that places about 1,700 homeless families in motels and hotels paid by taxpayers, but housing advocates are worried officials will not be able to come up with better alternatives. The money quote came from Chris Norris, executive director of the...
16 Candles and a Ballot in Lowell
Vote 17 Lowell — still working at setting an example for the rest of the country. We were very happy to be featured in the The New York Times Upfront magazine for students all across the country to read about our efforts to lower the voting age in Lowell! from the Free Library In 2009, city...
And Then We March!
A Call to Action from our friends at Rosie’s place – Let’s take it to the streets! On Wednesday, December 12, at 12:00 noon we will gather at the (closed) gate of the Massachusetts State House, right across from the famous Robert Gould Shaw Monument, and march around the block to the DHCD office, 100...
Taxes for Transportation — Human Services Chopped Liver?
News : Nearly six years after a bipartisan commission sounded the alarm about a transportation system in a crisis so severe that it carried a shortfall of nearly $1 billion a year, Governor Deval Patrick will ask lawmakers to solve the problem with a plan that includes higher taxes. Comment: Are we serious about fulling funding...
Dance the Aadvo- cats 2 Step for the Homeless on Black Friday
You remember Tommy Finneran? He was forever complaining about the “aadvo-cats two step” that started off by lobbying to create new public programs that helped our poor elderly and disabled “clients” get health care, affordable safe housing, job training and placement, nutritious food and warm clothing for their families, and then — and THEN — taking...
Organizing for Change – Reorganizing Your Internal Resources
I bet you can think of 10 MORE reasons why your organization might not want to spend the time and energy to reorganize you existing resources in order plan and implement a campaign to promote positive policy change in your town, in your county or in your state. I can hear the groans from here–...
The Remarkable Redistricting Coalition of Color Works Hard and Wins!!
Here they are, led at this event by the remarkable Cheryl Crawford of Mass Vote Back in June , they sent this memo ““Stop the Packing and Cracking in Boston” From: The Redistricting Coalition of Color: Chinese Progressive Association, MassVOTE, NAACP, Oiste? and Project Hip-‐Hop Chairmen and Members of the Redistricting Committee: There is no ...
Renee Loth on the Value of Public Sector Jobs
In an excerpt from her excellent op-ed in the Sept 1 Globe Renee Loth reported If public employment had held steady during the recovery period, according to some estimates, today’s unemployment rate would be 7.8 percent instead of the current 8.3. Why is a tennis pro at a private club any more useful to the...
DeLeo said “They are tough, they are knowledgeable, and they are respectful. They’re great.”
Adrian Walker in the Globe: Saturday July 21 “Bob DeLeo has served in the Legislature for a long time, and he isn’t easily impressed by a group of lobbyists. But the House speaker grows rapturous when he talks about a group of teenagers from Lowell who have stalked him and his House members all summer,...
Mass Leadership Academy & One Mass Go Up and Down at the Same Time!
Announcement — The Public Policy Institute and it’s two projects,ONE Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Policy and Leadership Academy have moved out of our incubator at 30 Winter St where we have happily shared space with Health Care for All and Community Catalyst for many years. Lew Finfer’s MCAN will stay right where it is. As of July 1 , PPI,...
