News release from Budgetforall.org. The referendum will appear on the November ballot in a number of MA districts including the 7th Norfolk District which covers part of Milton.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has approved the placement of a non-binding public policy question with a strong “anti-austerity” message regarding the budget debate in Washington on the November 6 ballot in House and Senate districts across the Commonwealth.
The “Budget For All” ballot question seeks to send a message to Washington: No cuts to Social Security, Medicare and other vital programs; Invest in useful jobs; End offshore tax havens and tax cuts on the highest incomes; Reduce the military budget and bring all troops home safely from Afghanistan NOW. It will be on the ballot in 24 state representative districts and 8 state senate districts – approximately one third of the entire state – meaning that about one million voters can cast a ballot regarding these critical matters of national policy. Evidently there has never in Massachusetts history been a non-binding referendum with more extensive statewide ballot placement.
The “Budget For All” non-binding referendum was placed on the ballot by a feisty group of people who have heard enough of the one-sided debate. “The federal deficit is almost entirely the result of reckless tax cuts, unfunded wars, and Wall Street speculators,” remarked Carolyn Federoff, HUD employee and Vice President of AFGE Local 3258 and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “But the debate in Washington always puts the burden for solving the problem on the people who neither caused it nor profited from it,” Federoff continued. In a massive effort carried out largely by volunteers, well over 25,000 signatures on legal petitions were collected and 17,565 were certified as valid signatures of registered voters in cities and towns across the Commonwealth.
“Here in Massachusetts we believe in democracy,” commented Gerda Conant, a member of Milton for Peace who collected many signatures in Milton. “So we decided to take these matters of Social Security, jobs, taxes, public services and military spending directly to the public. Everybody’s voice needs to be heard during this critical election, whether Democrats, Republicans or independents. We need to remind Congress that they work for us.”
The “Budget for All” referendum campaign is sponsored by 43 Massachusetts based community, labor, low income, social justice and peace groups. (See attached list of official sponsors)
You can find the BudgetForAll Referendum web site here.
Related links
Budget4All Signatures Tally.doc
Budget4All Referendum Sponsors.doc
Budget4All Referendum on ballot.doc
Budget for All Map.jpg
Sponsors of the Ballot Initiative
Action for Peace Working Group/Occupy Boston
AFGE/Local 3258/AFL-CIO
American Friends Service Committee
ARISE for Social Justice (Springfield)
Arlington Fund Our Communities/Reduce Military Spending 25%
Arlington United for Justice with Peace
Boston 25% Coalition
Boston Workers Alliance
Brookline PAX
Chelsea Collaborative
Chelsea Uniting Against the War
Chinese Progressive Association
Democratic Socialists of America – Boston chapter
Dorchester People for Peace
Eastern Massachusetts Coalition to Fund our Communities/ Reduce Military Spending 25% (aka: 25% Campaign)
Fund Our Communities Not War/Massachusetts
Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts
Lexington Justice and Peace
Majority Agenda Project
Mary Ellen McCormack Tenant Task Force
Massachusetts Alliance of HUD Tenants
Massachusetts Global Action
Massachusetts Peace Action
MassOccupy/Brookline
Merrimack Valley People for Peace
Metrowest Peace Action
Neighbors United for a Better East Boston (NUBE)
New England United for Justice (NEU4J)
Newton Dialogues on Peace & War
North Shore Coalition for Peace & Justice
Occupy Arlington
Occupy Fall River
Occupy Newton
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
Quequechan Alliance
Right to the City Civic Action Alliance
Survivors Inc
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
United for Justice with Peace
United National Antiwar Coalition
Veterans for Peace – Smedley Butler Brigade
Walpole Peace & Justice Group
Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice and the Environment