With 2017 ending this weekend, I know that we’re all getting end of the year requests from our favorite non-profits, community organizations, politicians, and charities. As the Senate chair of the Senate Progressive Caucus, I’m asking you to please consider becoming a member of Progressive Massachusetts.
For those who are unfamiliar with Progressive Massachusetts, it was founded in 2011, with the goal of being a statewide, multi-issue grassroots, members-based progressive organization, focused on moving the Massachusetts Legislature to the left, by helping elect more progressive legislators, holding elected officials accountable for their positions and votes, advocating for a Progressive Legislative Agenda, and the belief that unless there is outside pressure on Beacon Hill, too many progressive policies will not see the light of day.
As a progressive legislator, I find it valuable to not only to have the support of Progressive Massachusetts on legislation from the Safe Communities Act to single-payer healthcare to minimum wage to paid family medical leave to criminal justice reform to free college, but also that I am being held accountable for what I’m advocating for on Beacon Hill.
Progressive Mass now has 23 chapters, often in communities where progressives can feel a bit alone, which helps support that statewide progressive agenda. The organization is a member of the Raise Up Mass Coalition, with members collecting thousands of signatures for the #Fightfor15 and #PaidFamilyMedicalLeave ballot initiatives, and has a Statewide Grassroots Coordinator, to support Raise Up Mass, but also strengthen Progressive Mass chapters, help elect more progressives to office, and support the chapters in their support of a legislative priorities. By becoming a member of Progressive Mass today, you can be part of a growing organization that is having an impact at the State House, and in communities across Massachusetts.
With right-wing Republicans and President Trump in charge in Washington, DC, the role of state policy, and grassroots activism, at the state and local level, has never been more important. Please consider joining Progressive Massachusetts today, and strengthening your voice on who represents you, and what Massachusetts stands for in its laws, budget, and representation.
Thanks for reminding folks about Progressive Mass and all of their hard work. They can get overlooked at times because they are an organization that is about doing the work and not taking the credit.
(I don’t know how to do +1s anymore on #NewBMG, so <3 instead)
Or go real old school and say six 6’s!
Heh – I’ve tried a couple of ratings plug-ins out-of-the-box, and none are really that great (or actively cripple the site). To be honest, I’m finding that it may be better to require people to *comment* in approval or disapproval rather than just click the up-or-down thumb. Better content and richer discussion. 🙂
I for one don’t like to comment to hear myself talk and would prefer to be able to quickly register my approval or disapproval even when I don’t have anything more substantive to add.
As I just posted on FB, it should be noted that Sen. Eldridge is basically asking for us to fund an organization that is built to push him harder–and we should really take that seriously!
The work from the grassroots has been extraordinary this year and there is so much more to do. For everything shitty about 2017, a galvanized and nuts-and-bolts committed Left has been a saving grace.
Thank you to the BMG’ers who are already supporters. If we don’t fund it, we’re leaving activism on the table (or waiting for Generous Benefactors to kindly bestow their largesse, which…. c’mon).
Hope everyone who isn’t already will consider becoming a monthly contributor! And thank you again, Senator.
http://progressivemass.com/recurring
I would like to personally add Harmony Wu to my 2017 Persons of the Year comment. She worked tirelessly to stop an anti-sanctuary cities referendum in Salem and is working to fight the Mass Fiscal Alliance on similar campaigns in other districts and towns. The scorecards are the only public record we have of votes that our officials take, and unlike the industry funded Fiscal Alliance, they are the work of tireless volunteers. Particularly Jonathan Cohn who has been a lead on this years scorecards.
All the money anyone donates will go directly back into supporting these grassroots campaigns, field operations, valuable research and data, and progressive candidates. We constantly complain about how regressive Beacon Hill can be, and PM is the strongest antidote we have to changing it.
!!! Oh my! Thank you so much. It’s truly a community effort– when we organize and collaborate, we can get so much done!
If you share my mistrust of Mass Fiscal Alliance or need reasons why you should, check out this article in CommonWealth Magazine by Jonathan Cohn, co-chair of the issues committee at Progressive Mass.
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/fiscal-irresponsibility-mass-fiscal-alliance/