Editorial: Progressive Mass.
I read a personal email late Friday from Avi Green, (who works for Mass Vote), announcing the beginning of Progressive Mass titled "the future of our state begins here." Avi's note went on to ask:
Are you frustrated that progressive state legislation - like universal health care, fair taxation, and the bottle bill - never sees the light of day?
Do you despair that your individual efforts, or even the efforts of your local activist group, don't carry enough clout to have a statewide impact?
Do you want to be part of a unified, statewide, grassroots movement that can make Massachusetts a model of progressive policy?
....Then come to the first organizational meeting of Progressive Mass!
When: Sunday, October 2nd, 2 to 6 pm
Where: Lasell College, Newton, MA
(near Mass Pike, Rt. 128, and 8 min. walk from the Green Line)
Progressive Mass. is a new, statewide, diverse organization built from the ground up by organizers and activists like you.
We believe that to create meaningful changes in public policy, progressives in every corner of the state must work together to hold elected officials accountable to progressive values.
As I look back over 9 years as Executive Director and lobbyist for the DPC, the most unrewarding part of the job has been trying to move good legislation through the State House. Legislation that costs nothing or very little goes nowhere: identification cards for PWD, changes to AAB enabling statutes, getting PCA services for people getting out of hospitals which would actually save money, etc. etc. etc.
Or, 25 years of allowing JRC to "torture" people with disabilities because legislators think it's a "parent's right". Can I do it to my dog 70 times in weekend and not get arrested?
Also on Friday, former Speaker Sal DiMasi's lawyer characterized the Speaker's action soliciting a kickback of $65,000 as "the mother's milk of politics." My mother's been dead for 5 years but the civics lessons I learned from her didn't include bribery to get things done.
Gambling? Why do you think ¾ of the "NO" votes in the Legislature are now "YES" votes. There's money flowing and it won't show up on Secretary Galvin's lobbyist reports.
I'm old enough to remember at least three other attempts at organizing progressives in Massachusetts. Dead efforts. Accomplished little. Organizing liberals is harder than herding cats!
Despite changing my party affiliation to "UnEnrolled" last month, this time I'm going to get involved.
First, I'm inviting you to join me on October 2 at Lasell College in Newton from 2 - 6 PM.
Second, I'm activating my Twitter account and devoting it to notes on Massachusetts politics such as "Why do we have to sue Mass. on ADA issues when Gov. Patrick ran the the DOJ Civil Rights Div? What am I missing? Are we "chopped liver"?
Find me as @wfallan.
Third, some of this will carry over on MY Facebook page "Bill Allan".
Lastly, this effort will be personal based on my life experiences and my work at the DPC. HOWEVER, it will never represent the Disability Policy Consortium, it's Board or its members. And this will be the only time you hear me on this subject in this publication.
Bill Allan
Disability Policy Consortium
P.S. I don't know how my wife, Mary Lou Maloney, ever did this work for 20 years. God bless her!
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