AFTER LOSCOCCO'S DEFECTION, STEIN/PURCELL EMERGE AS THE TRUE INDEPENDENTS
BOSTON - As news spread of Paul Loscocco's decision to abandon Tim Cahill's campaign and join the Republican camp, Jill Stein, Green-Rainbow candidate for governor commented that "The Cahill campaign has never really established its independent credentials with voters who are looking for change. At this point its becoming clear that my campaign is the only one that is really independent of the Beacon Hill machines. We're not going to surprise everyone by suddenly deciding to join the business-as-usual parties. We're in this race to offer a true alternative, and the only alternative that really stands for change."
Stein also reminded voters and political leaders that a solution exists for the so-called "spoiler" problem.
"The news around the high-profile defections from the Cahill campaign have focused primarily on how Cahill's candidacy helps Deval Patrick and hurts Charlie Baker. The truth is there is a voting reform that gets rid of the problem that voting for the candidate you truly support might have unintended consequences - like helping a candidate you don't like."
The Boston Herald's Hillary Chabot finishes her State House Insight series with this interview of Jill Stein. See the article here. All 4 videos below.
YOU DID IT! YOU blew past the $100,000 we needed to ensure our place in the media consortium debate. Our voices will be heard! Voters will get to hear real vision and practical proposals for our common wealth and common health - not just the petty bickering of Beacon Hill insiders avoiding real issues.
AND THAT'S NOT ALL! Today just before the 5 p.m. deadline campaign staffers turned in qualifying contributions of over $129,000 to the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) - exceeding the required threshold for state matching funds. We are optimistic that the application will be approved, and we will keep you posted. If it is approved, we will have qualified our campaign for public financing, and every dollar we raise between now and the end of October will be matched by the state.
No matter what happens, though, it's clear that a groundswell for democracy is rising up in this campaign. People sacrificed, people dropped everything, people put their lives on hold to make sure that we reached the threshold for debate inclusion and would not be silenced by the corporate press - and that we qualified for public finance matching funds. Your hard work and inspiration made it happen. Money is continuing to come in from all over the commonwealth, from everyday people who are fed up with the bailouts, layoffs, ripoffs and payoffs, and who are ready for the healthy, secure green commonwealth that's within our reach today!
Jill Stein's campaign has about 24 hours to raise $25,515 in order to ensure that Jill's voice will be included in these debates that are so important to the future of the Commonwealth. She has expanded the public dialogue and political discourse, and the media drumbeat to shut her out from future debates is raging. If Jill can qualify for state matching funds, however, the media will have a hard time trying to justify excluding a candidate receiving public funding for her campaign.
Boston public radio station WBUR entered the debate this week over whether or not ballot-qualified candidate Dr. Jill Stein was worthy for inclusion in the gubernatorial debates.
Because Jill Stein will get one quarter of the time and camera and she has not a million-to-one chance to become governor. For her to be given a seat at the table is unfair to the voters, who will then have to wade through the clutter of a fourth candidate in the race.
My question to WBUR: care to hire me as your Green-Rainbow Party political analyst? Who the hell appointed him as a guardian and protector of "the voters"?
BOSTON - A campaign song written for gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein was released today in order to boost Stein's push to meet her September fundraising goals. The song, entitled "Follow the Money", was donated to the campaign by songwriter Tom Neilson from Greenfield, Massachusetts. The song pokes fun at Stein's gubernatorial rivals while urging listeners to show support for the Green-Rainbow Party candidates, "Purcell, Fortune and Stein." Rick Purcell is Stein's Lieutenant Governor running mate and Nat Fortune is the Green-Rainbow candidate for State Auditor.
"Now when Tim, Deval, & Chuck think of casinos
Their hearts go pitter, pitter, pitter, pat
And their legs take off like palominos
For casino lobby money's where it's at.
Just follow the money and you'll find your money where
Your money is like honey in the corporation lair.
But if business as usual you want to redefine
Put your check on the ballot for Purcell, Fortune, and Stein."
The 9-member Boston media consortium sent a letter to Jill Stein today telling her that they intended to exclude her from their upcoming televised debates. The letter, signed by Jen Peter of the Boston Globe, said that "Jill Stein does not meet the criteria for participation".
Upon being informed of the letter, Stein responded "The people of this Commonwealth deserve to hear about how badly the Beacon Hill establishment has failed them under both Democratic and Republican governors. They deserve to hear from the one candidate who isn't taking money from the lobbyists or from the favor-seeking CEO's. They deserve to hear from the one candidate who is advocating for secure jobs across the Commonwealth - not just low wage casino jobs in three communities - for universal health care, for comprehensive fair tax reform and for ending the wars that consume 10 million Massachusetts federal tax dollars each day. These badly needed solutions will assuredly be ignored in the debates if we let the three establishment candidates crowd me off the stage."
(Another dead-on editorial by Jason Pramas of Open Media Boston. - promoted by eli_beckerman)
I am forwarding this excellent editorial from Jason Pramas from OMG.
Mike Heichman
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Let Jill Stein Debate
by Jason Pramas (Staff), Aug-13-10
• OMB Editorial
It's really something to watch the mainstream media in our fair state close ranks around the mainstream candidates in the Mass. gubernatorial race. On Tuesday, Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein was contacted by a consortium of nine major local media organizations and (to quote her press release) "invited to participate in two major televised debates, providing she met certain criteria including raising $100,000 in campaign funds and achieving at least a 5 percent score in election polls." I would have to agree with Stein that the media outlets in question are setting the bar for entry to the debates too high to easily allow qualified third-party candidates to participate.
I would also agree with her campaign position on the matter, "All candidates that have qualified for the ballot under the election laws of the Commonwealth should be invited to participate in debates that use the public airways. We also think that fair treatment of all candidates is to be expected from the media corporations that are taking advantage of the privileges our society accords to journalistic enterprises. Those privileges are based on an assumption that journalists will contribute to the free and open dialogue that is essential to a healthy democracy. Journalists should refuse to be parties to any attempt to restrict the flow of information that voters need and deserve."
It's Democracy Day today, and Massachusetts voters have a clear choice before them. They can support the one candidate who refuses to take corporate money to fuel her campaign, or the 3 candidates who swim through lobbyist-fueled campaign coffers like Scrooge McDuck. They can support the one candidate who unequivocally stands up for justice and sustainability, or the 3 candidates who treat ill-fated and harmful get-rich-quick schemes as though they were sensible, thoughtful, and helpful policy. They can support the one candidate who is standing up for real democracy -- clean elections, open meeting and public records laws that apply to the legislature, and meaningful transparency and oversight of government spending -- or the 3 candidates who laugh at real democracy as though it were a joke.
With the Green-Rainbow Party putting 3 candidates for statewide office on the ballot November 2nd -- Jill Stein for Governor, Rick Purcell for Lt. Governor, and Nat Fortune for Auditor -- Massachusetts voters have some real choices. These candidates will unwaveringly support, and fight for, government of, by, and for the people. They have great ideas to strengthen the Commonwealth and a compelling vision of our common future. While Bill McKibben laments the shameful collapse of the mainstream environmental movement's ability to push climate legislation, the Green-Rainbow Party's leadership never held out hope that our government -- nearly entirely beholden to corporate interests -- would have the answers.
I am increasingly disheartened by the Boston Globe's apparent dismissal of Jill Stein's gubernatorial campaign, in the opinion pages and news coverage alike. The Op-Eds ignoring her are mounting. Whether Adrian Walker's glaring omission was mindful or mindless, and whether Joan Vennochi's dismissal was ignorant or spiteful, these biased actions deserve to be countered. I submitted a letter to the editor in response to Walker's column, but the Letters editor called me to ask whether I was a paid staffer for Jill's campaign. I told him that I've been working on a grassroots fundraising campaign that is poised to turn into a paid job, but that it's message is an important one for Globe readers to learn about.
The following is an Op-Ed I submitted as a counterweight to their bias, but I didn't hear back from them and wanted to get this out before August 10th. I think I'll create a section on Green Mass Group called "What the Globe won't print" and just start collecting people's Op-Eds and LTEs that don't make the paper. What do you think?
Sucks that a candidate like this -- by all indications more serious than any of the other gubernatorial contenders (though without the resources that come from being a corporatist candidate) -- has to waste her breath saying she should be included in the debates.
But despite the hurdles, Stein lit up Greater Boston last night:
Patrick, displaying a front-runner's confidence, responded with a call for eight debates, including two in western Massachusetts, though he did not specify they be televised. He also specifically urged that the debates include both Cahill and Baker, underscoring the benefit he believes will come through a three-way race in which Cahill draws from Baker's potential conservative vote.
...
"The governor hopes that Tim Cahill and Charlie Baker will join him in one debate a week between Labor Day in September and Election Day in November, for a total of eight debates overall," said a statement from spokesman Alex Goldstein.
...
Meanwhile, Stein complained in her statement that movie producers and biotech companies continue to receive breaks amid the national recession while state aid to cities and towns is cut.
She said voters "are looking for some way to end the giveaways" and redirect spending to town budgets.
"Charlie Baker and Deval Patrick are ducking debates already," Stein said. "Governor Patrick has refused to appear on stage with other candidates on multiple occasions, allowing only forums without cross-candidate dialogue and real challenge. Often Charlie Baker is not showing up at all. Their fear of real debate is telling."
It's official, Deval Patrick and Charlie Baker are afraid of real debate, and afraid of the people's candidate, Jill Stein!
While the Herald chooses to ignore Jill Stein's voice on the issues, the Stein campaign calls out the Governor for protecting Raytheon, Fidelity and biotech while slashing critical services left and right:
Stein Decries State Budget As A "Tragedy Of Misplaced Priorities" by FRIENDS OF JILL STEIN on JULY 1, 2010
BOSTON - Green-Rainbow gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein decried the Massachusetts state budget signed by Governor Patrick yesterday as a ''tragedy of misplaced priorities, declaring that "This budget signifies Beacon Hill's accelerating abandonment of critical services that people need now more than ever."
Stein challenged Governor Patrick's assertions that the painful cuts were unavoidable. "The Governor cannot duck his responsibility for the cuts or for the tax and fee hikes" according to Stein. "These cuts are there because of deliberate decisions made by the Governor and the Democratic Party leadership. They decided to protect powerful special interests and put the burden of balancing the budget on the backs of those least able to defend themselves. "
"This budget hits struggling education programs with another $180 million in cuts, including cuts to public schools, and higher education - already cut more in Massachusetts than any other state over the past five years. Programs that provide for our elders, at risk youth, the disabled, the mentally ill, disadvantaged children and distressed families are all under attack. State and municipal workers providing essential services are being fired."
Is it possible to replace the "money bomb" with a "Democracy Day?" Can we stem the tide of unjust, profit-driven policy, controlled by big-money corporations and their lobbyists? What would it take in Massachusetts to build a viable political alternative that is NOT beholden to special interests, and is instead truly accountable to the people of the Commonwealth, driven by the needs and desires of ordinary citizens across the state?
One mechanism I've been working on to help us organize our money is a remix of Ron Paul's "money bomb." Hating that term, we've been cooking up a more positive spin, called "Democracy Day":
Today is Democracy Day in Massachusetts, and so far, I have to say that I am moved by this very grassroots action. I see startling signs of life in an otherwise morbid political discourse. It's dark and wet out my window but the sunshine is breaking through over at DemocracyDays.com.
The WRKO petition just reached 50 signers, and Democracy Day has seen over 50 small donors pool their contributions to raise their voices in unison for a functional, vibrant democracy in Massachusetts.
Here's my little take on Democracy Day:
But please add your own, and think of creative ways of spreading this around, of capturing and articulating our deepest hopes for our communities and the Commonwealth as a whole. Please help this grassroots effort make a big splash. If you haven't already, please sign the petition, and make a small investment in a healthy democracy for all of us.
The major media outlets have been working overtime to silence the one gubernatorial candidate who refuses to take money from corporate lobbyists and from corporate executives who hire lobbyists. Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein has launched an impressive grassroots attack on politics-as-usual, and has recently surged from 3% in the polls to 8% despite an overall media whiteout. Major newspapers are excluding her from coverage, and the first broadcast gubernatorial debate held by WRKO-AM's "Tom and Todd" show is trying to keep her off the roster.
Prepared Remarks of Jill Stein
Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts February 8, 2010 at the State House, Boston, Massachusetts
INTRODUCTION
Thank you so much for being here today. This is the year we the people regain control of our Commonwealth and our common future. It's time for a Commonwealth that listens to the people, works for the people, and answers to the people. It's time to bring the voices of ordinary people into this election and into the halls of power. It's time to break the stranglehold of lobbyists and insiders, and get Beacon Hill back to work for the families and communities of the Commonwealth. It's time to start building the healthy, secure green future we so urgently need, richly deserve, and is within our reach. My name is Jill Stein and that's why I'm running for governor.
Green Mass Group is an online forum for Green thought and collective action in Massachusetts. It is a community forum for justice, sustainability, democracy and health in the Commonwealth and beyond.
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Quotes
"Now, is this the deal I would have preferred? No. I believe that we could have made the tough choices required - on entitlement reform and tax reform - right now, rather than through a special congressional committee process. But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year. Most importantly, it will allow us to avoid default and end the crisis that Washington imposed on the rest of America."
--President Barack Obama on the debt ceiling "deal"
"Despite Democratic control over the White House, despite Democratic control over the Senate, despite overwhelming opposition from the American people, a small minority of the members of the Republican-controlled House have successfully pushed an extreme right-wing agenda onto the American political landscape. It is an ideology which believes that despite the fact that the rich are getting richer, the middle class is shrinking, and poverty is increasing, all - all of the burden for deficit reduction should rest on working people."
--Independent Senator Bernie Sanders on the debt ceiling "deal"
"Last year Evergreen, a Massachusetts company, agreed to establish their first-ever United States based manufacturing facility here in Massachusetts. They did so, or are doing so, at Devens. They have now agreed and chosen to triple their size at Devens. Their next phase of expansion, right here in Massachusetts, a signature company in a signature sector, and we congratulate all of the folks at Evergreen and look forward to continuing to work with you...
We made a personal commitment to Evergreen for the sake of Evergreen, but also because we wanted to show that there are ways in which state government, in working together with private industry and with the utility companies, could begin to create a different kind of environment, a different kind of business climate here, to grow that sector, and it is happening. It's happening. Evergreen is one of the most prominent examples, but there are a whole host of examples."
--Governor Deval Patrick, April 7, 2008, boasting about state investment in Evergreen.
and Now...
"Evergreen Solar Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday, completing a stunning reversal of fortune for a high-flying alternative-energy company that once seemed to herald a new era for the Massachusetts economy... At its peak, Evergreen employed roughly 900 people locally and attracted more than $50 million in state support, as its stock price soared above $100 a share.
Yesterday, Evergreen's stock closed at 18 cents. The company shuttered its manufacturing plant in Devens earlier this year and now has only 85 employees left. Massachusetts is one of its top creditors, owed $1.5 million in rent."
--Erin Ailworth, Boston Globe, August 16, 2011
