Blue Mass Group

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Partial update from tonight’s State Democratic Committee Meeting

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Suggest this be an open thread.  Here are a few highlights:

The Platform Committee has five co-chairs – one of whom is David Kravitz, one of the BMG guys.

John Walsh, the chair of the State Democratic Committee announced that ANY Democrat who wants to organize a Platform Meeting may do so – the only requirement is that the State Democratic Committee be notified.  That is what I heard and wrote in my notes – someone please correct me if this is not accurate.  [It’s accurate. -David]

The window is time-limited.  The printer’s deadline for the final platform is April 27, 2009.  The first platform committee hearing is tomorrow [2/11/09] at the Portueguese Club in Hudson [Kate – what time?] – Platform  meetings must be completed and the results/consensus/comments e-mailed to the State Democratic Party not later than March 27, 2009 [I am not certain as to what the preferred e-mail address to use to do this is – can someone add that in the comments?]

If THAT is not a call to transparency – not to mention a “put up or shut up” – I do not know what is.  This is a major change in several ways.  I can remember when there were only five such meetings, statewide.

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Comments

  1. a bmg/blog left platform meeting?

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    p>anyone want to host one? I’ll definitely come. If no one wants to host it, but there’s interest, I know a few inexpensive restaurants (with good bars! LOL) that we could host one around Lynn and the NShore.

    • And how about one in Boston?  Lots of us folks live/work/study in Boston or Cambridge, so we’d get a fair amount of folks who could show.

      <

      p>In fact, I think it would be elegant to have a few BMG meetings simultaneously.  Bob’s in NYC, but we could split up the remaining two musketeers and send one to each meeting…

      • I just don’t have any access to a location where I know we could host. I don’t even know the restaurant/bar scene that well. But, I agree, it would be the preferable place to have one if we only do one.  

        • but like you, I don’t know a location that would work.

          <

          p>Sometimes we get into this Boston/128/WeMa/CCod geography dilemma, and of course the best answer is to do many things.  So, how bout it?  Who’s in Boston who could start to set this up while Rye works the Lynn/NS angle?

    • Along with other venues.  He wants people to go where you are comfortable and where you talk to people.  

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      p>Whether it is people gathering informally at a Starbucks, or the formal agenda of your Drinking Liberally chapter, or meeting at your library meeting room you too can host a platform hearing.

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      p>See below for details.

      <

      p>Kate

      • My Drinking Liberally’s formal agenda is:

        <

        p>1.  Arrive
        2.  Order drink
        3.  Talk to somebody
        4.  Go to 2.

  2. Deb, Thanks for the shout out.   Actually it is THURSDAY!

    <

    p>Platform Hearing in Hudson
    Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 PM
    Hudson Portuguese Club
    13 Port Street, Hudson, MA

    <

    p>The Coalition intentionally scheduled this event early in the Platform window so as to give local town and ward committee chairs an opportunity to attend a hearing, and we hope schedule one in their own communities.  Sue Kennedy is the Chair of the MW Dems Coalition.  Senator Jamie Eldridge and Kathleen O’Connor are the Vice Chairs.

    <

    p>I encourage BMGers who might be thinking of hosting a hearing to come to Hudson.  You can testify and observe.  When you host your own event you may not want to testify.

    <

    p>This is the information that was given out at Tuesday’s meeting.  There may be refinements as we move forward.
    To host a hearing…
    1) Send an e-mail to platform2009@massdems.org with the time, date and location of your hearing.  Indicate if it has a special focus.  Hearings must be posted at leadt 48 hours in advance.  NOTE FORM KATE: You can post events directly to the calendar on http://www.massdems.org
    2) Hearings must occur and testimony must be submitted by March 29.
    3) Platform hearinf Chairs must coordinate all logistics – moderator, timekeeper, etc.
    4) ALL TESTIMONY MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY.
    5) All testimony submitted to the massdems.org website and posted in the proper location will be available for anyone to read and comment on.
    6) Platform hearing chairs must be registered Democrats.
    7) Platform hearing participants an contributors must indicate their party affiliation.
    8) Anonymous testimony will be accepted, but will be regarded as such.

      • is near the center of Hudson (intersection of Route 85 and Route 62).  It is a little out of the way. If you need help in the last mile, just give me a call.   But unlike the BTU, there are not multiple locations with the same address in the same municipality.  My cell is 508-404-8531.  Kate

    • Just asking.  If I can nab a ride, I may be able to go but otherwise not as I am still having vision issues, and my night vision is not up to par.

  3. Platform Co-Chairs: David Kravitz, Cathaleen Ashton, Janet Beyer, Barry Lawton and Jarrett Barrios.  

    <

    p>Public Policy Co-Chairs: Senator Jamie Eldridge and Elaine Kamarck.

  4. John Doogan gave an inspiring speech last night at the DSC mtg. regarding democrats responsibility to the victims of the economic crisis. Surely most of us got involved with the Democrats to work towards other Democratic issues: education, environment, equality, etc. In this time of economic crisis we must ensure that we do not ignore the pain of our neighbors and add that to our top priorities and Democratic Platform. If the crisis is not addressed and we continue on with business as usual we will look more like the party of Herbert Hoover. The BMG’ers have been extraordinarily articulate on these issues and hopefully they will bring new in sight and specific goals for the Democratic Platform that addresses the current crisis.
    Hope to see folks at the Hudson Portuguese Club, 14 Port St., Hudson 7:30pm. Also great practice for other platform hearings!

  5. Last night I summarized the guidelines for hosting a hearing.  Here I’ll list some additional information.

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    p>

    “The 2009 Platform will be crafter using similar principles that were used in crafting the National Platform that was adopted at the 2008 National Convention.  In that spirit, we are empowering every registered Democrat in Massachusetts to host a platform hearing.  Hearings may be constituency-based, issue-based or organized by geography.  All testimony we receive by the hearing deadline will be posted on our website for anyone to access and comment on.  Our goal is to make the drafting of the platform as inclusive and transparent as possible.

    Process:
    1. From February 11th until March 29th Democrats around the state will have the opportunity to host public hearings and post input online at http://www.massdems.org.
    2.Following the public hearing process the 16 member Platform Drafting Committee will begin drafting.  This draft will be voted on and approved by the full Platform Committee on April 16th.
    3.The Democratic Platform draft will be divided into three key components.
      a. A one page summary of our values and principles;
      b. A summary of where we stand on priority issues;
      c. An online, comprehensive list of all of the testimony and feedback provided during the hearings.
    4. The State Committee will review the draft at the DSC meeting on April 25th.
    5. The Platform will be presented to the state convention on June 6th.

    We would ask you to consider hosting a platform hearing, on your own, with some friends or possibly in collaboration with your town or ward committee.  We look forward to working with in the coming months and we hope to see you at the convention in Springfield on June 6th.

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