Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Support Deval, meet Barack! (version 2.0)

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This post has been modified from its original version.  Just FYI.

As you may have heard, President Obama is coming to Boston this Friday afternoon, Oct. 23 (12:45 p.m.), for an event supporting Governor Patrick’s reelection.  And you can be there!  We are entitled to one ticket for every $500 we can raise for the Gov’s reelection campaign.  We’ll give each ticket we earn to one randomly-selected entrant.  

You can enter our little contest in either of two ways:

  1. You can donate to support Governor Patrick’s reelection, or

  2. You can leave a comment on this post on either of the following two topics:

    (a) “They’re My Guys”: Why you want to support the Governor and meet the President; or

    (b) “Who’s Your Nanny?”: The delicious irony of EaBoClipper piously calling our attention to one of the most nanny statish of Massachusetts’ many nanny state regulations, namely, the one that makes it nearly impossible to hold a raffle.  “The law is the law,” says EaBo.  Is EaBo your nanny?  đŸ˜€

You do not have to donate money to win — this is a promotion, not a raffle.  But obviously, we won’t have anything to award if we don’t hit at least $500.  So make your donation here, if you’re inspired to do so.  Any amount is welcome — in fact, small donations are especially encouraged, since if we raise $500 from 20 or more donors, the ticket will be in a special front-row section.  We’ll announce a winner each time we earn a ticket.  Let’s see how many BMGers we can send to this event.

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Comments

  1. But not with OPCF. Eabo busted you. You owe him a big fat apology for nipping your idea before it could get off the ground.

    • EaBo pointed something out.  I thanked him, and we are looking into it.  What more do you want?  Why should I apologize to him?

      • I’m pretty sure other political committees have done this and I didn’t realize it was a problem.  As for rationale, I’m refering both to the discrimination against political committees and the need to get a permit to hold raffles in the first place.

        • I can’t believe I’m citing him as a source, but here ya go:

          <

          p>

          One randomly selected donor means you’ve got to pay to play. Which means they are selling in effect tickets. This is not allowed, in fact I’ve had to dissuade multiple town committees from doing this. The law is the law.

          • …but I still don’t see the problem.  Why can’t they just require that the same information be collected from the person purchasing the raffle ticket as they would for a straight donation?

            • In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must go through the state. They want to make sure they get their cut. No snark intended. That’s the way it is.

    • Didn’t you know? What do you think the whole point of “Red Mass Group” is?

      <

      p>He’s just doing his job for heaven’s sakes.

      <

      p>;-)

      • As I’ve already said, I appreciate EaBo’s calling this rule to our attention, and we’ve altered the rules accordingly.

        <

        p>Honestly, if EaBo had simply sent me an email instead of making a big fuss out of it at RMG, this all could have been much simpler.  But I’m sure he enjoyed writing his post.

  2. <

    p>John Walsh and the campaign have been saying that one day they want organizers to be as powerful as donors. John has been saying that he is looking forward to the day that 500 organizers have as much power
    as the 500 top donors. At a recent meeting several of us organizers were told that there would be special access to this event for us organizers. Come to find out the special access goes to those of us that can organize our friends to donate. Some of us do other work as organizers that does not include fundraising. Why not reinforce the people who do the door knocking, the phone banking, the visiability.

    <

    p>Right now, while waiting to find out about the 9c cuts most of the people I know are not in the place to be donating money. They are concerned about whether or not they will have jobs. They are wondering if their clients will still gets services.

    • has got a great point.

      <

      p>It’s easy to measure the quality of donors — just add up the checks.  How do you determine the top 500 organizers?  I dunno.

      • How many people did you pursuade to support the campaign?  It seems to me people were tripping over themselves to distribute supporter cards to sign and return in 2006.  There were prizes for those who reached various thresholds, up to having Deval cook for you!

      • Just an FYI, the original plan was to have the event at Matthews Arena at Northeastern, the secret service shut that idea down, they wanted a smaller venue. Hence the re-location to the Westin Copley.

    • Shortly after I posted this he emailed me and asked me to call him. I did. We had a very nice conversation. I continue to be impressed by his efforts to have open communication. This was true to when Bean and I were concerned about the party platform too.

  3. If so, that’s too bad because I wanted to meet Governor Patrick to ask him the following:

    <

    p>1) What is actually causing the delay and clogs the in getting the Bay State’s federal stimulus money flowing through Massachusetts’ economic arteries?

    <

    p>2a) When specifically does the Governor expect to deliver that 2006 promised state-financed property tax relief to local homeowners? Sometime in his desired second term?

    <

    p>2b)Alternatively, will Gov. Patrick just leave that 2006 campaign promise to be fulfilled by Lieut. Gov. Tim Murray in 2012, if he is re-elected by the citizens of Mass.

    <

    p>I assume Gov. Patrick who clearly finds many of the political aspects of his job unpleasant to manage will be leaving for either a corporate counsel position or Attorney General, if   President Obama is re-elected in 2012.

    • I think you would know the answers to your questions.  

      <

      p>Unfortunately, I don’t think Baker or anyone else can provide property tax relief while we are digging ourselves out of a historic recession.  I don’t think anyone knew that was in the cards in 2006.  I do believe that Patrick does feel that property tax should not have the role that it plays now in running municipalities.  There were alternatives on the table to raising revenue and those were still on the table.  But in the short run, I don’t think a reasonable person has that expectation given the circumstances.

      <

      p>Given that MA is ahead of the curve in job creation and unemployment I think Patrick in doing well in managing this crisis, and it is a crisis.  By your questions I don’t think you “get it”.  The questions are hollow.  Stimulus dollars are being spent in MA, through your narrow prism of transportation funding, Patrick has clearly addressed long term economic growth and job creation from his approach.  But what about non-transportation stimulus money?  The last report had MA ranked 7th overall in stimulus spending.  Is that not good enough for you?  

      •  Another ignored campaign promise. But I do feel municipalities should not be so reliant on state aid.
        Deval is hiring his friends and relatives at six figure salaries, but laying off 2,000. I don’t call 9.3% unemployment (and rising) ahead of the curve.
         

  4. For the first time ever the CT crowd has pre-emptive knowledge of the political talking point punditry for this Christmas season!  What better time of the year to start talking about SERVICE!

    <

    p>I love knowing already so I don’t have to watch what TeeVee is going to tell me, make me do!  Yeah, like I’m in any capacity to help anybody.

    <

    p>http://bighollywood.breitbart….

  5. because I believe he’s genuine.  The question is, can he salvage his term — realign agencies, improve regulations, and at the same time serve the people some cake?

  6. but I would also like to attend to help bring more awareness to the lack of action on LGBT rights promises by President Obama.  

  7. I spoke to the Attorney General’s office this morning, and apparently even our original plan (to randomly select one donor from among those who got us to $500) would not have constituted an illegal “raffle.”  So EaBo’s concern for our well-being, although appreciated, appears to have been misplaced.

      • I talked to them too.  But they are not willing to opine on whether something is or is not a “raffle” – that is not within the campaign finance statutes, and therefore outside their bailiwick.

  9. If you’re one of the 9.3%, you’re not excited. Happy talk don’t give you shelter or food.

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