Connecting the Dots
Revenue decisions made over the past 20 years have left a structural deficit so large that our public structures — from education to social services — are crumbling.
9C cuts in FY 09 and threatened cuts in the FY 10 budget have exacerbated the crisis. All sectors of government are feeling the effects and it is difficult to explain why state budget priorities or tax policies have a direct impact on the local and state systems upon which we depend.
Research by the Demos Center for the Public Sector shows that the way you talk about these issues, and about government itself, can dramatically change the conversation and help to rebuild people's confidence in what we can accomplish together.
Our elected representatives are now struggling to close a $3 billion budget deficit through a combination of deep budget cuts, tax increases and fees.
Now more than ever it's important for local activists to weigh in on these important decisions that will have profound implications on our communities for years to come.
ONE Massachusetts is hosting a series of trainings designed to give you an understanding of the current fiscal crisis and practical techniques to increase the effectiveness of your communication.
Our next three trainings will be held Feb. 12 and Feb 13 at 30 Winter Street in our 9th floor conference room. On the 12th, we will offer two trainings: the first from 9:30 a.m. to 12 and the second from 1 p.m. to 3:30. On the 13th we will offer one training from 9:30 to 12.
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction Yawu Miller, Deputy Director, Public Policy Institute/ ONE Massachusetts
Budget and Tax briefing: The state budget, taxes and how they affect our communities and our economy. A representative of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.
Talking about Government, taxes and public structures Patrick Bresette; Associate Program Director, Public Works: the Demos Center for the Public Sector.
First come, first serve at any of the trainings to Carmen Arce Bowen at carmen(at)reaclout(dot)org at ONE Massachusetts.
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p>Seems like they are closing it with a projected infusion from the Stimulus package and sucking from our rainy day fund which is not bottomless…
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p>Info from story
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p>In addition to the “communication” training mentioned above, I’d like to suggest the book How to Lie With Statistics for any organization trying to bambuzzle request money from the state or local municipalities and show how their cause is far more important than other funded projects. Had the House Democrats read this book, maybe they could have saved the $300 million item in the Stimulus package to reseed the Washington Mall (stimulating grass to grow). After I heard Pelosi trying to defend the “birth control” item in the Stimulus package, I knew she must have read the book.
Because the debate about birth control was all about…false statistics?
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p>What?
Sketchy – you are so close to what ONE Massachusetts does, and Demos does [etc] that it is obvious to you – but not to me or others reading your post.
on the Get Informed page to go deeper on our work. See A Taste of ONE Mass Curricula on the right hand side.
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p>Amber I urge you to join this learning community of civic, social and political activists who come together in their community, neighborhood or civic association for training and sharing sessions that includes budget and tax policy literacy, advocacy and strategic communications based on the research of the Demos How to Talk about Government Project. In short we got no formal course outline or syllabus. It’s all about building the capacity of community based organizations and individuals to talk with confidence to their public officials about ways to work together to resolve the Commonwealth’s so-called budget crisis.