Sponsorship and Organizing of statewide anti-poverty march
Monday June 09, @11:05PM, by Lisa Richards, via Daniel Melnechuk for the State Committee
Subject : anti-poverty march
Summary :
NOTE: This was given to me (Daniel Melnechuk) on Sunday the 8th, technically late. But the person who is submitting it on behalf of Mel King, and other, was misinformed that they had until June 10th to submit proposals. We do not have to technically accept it as submitting late but will leave it up to the statecom to decide.

Sponsorship and Organizing of statewide anti-poverty march proposed dates 9/19-10/03/03

As part of our commitment to fight poverty in Massachusetts, the GRP agrees to be a primary sponsor of a fourteen day, history-making march through the lowest income communities of Massachusetts to help bring together anti-poverty activists, educate the public, register voters, provide visibility for the platform of the Green-Rainbow Party.
Text :
As part of our commitment to fight poverty in Massachusetts, the GRP agrees to be a primary sponsor of a fourteen day, history-making march through the lowest income communities of Massachusetts to help bring together anti-poverty activists, educate the public, register voters, provide visibility for the platform of the Green-Rainbow Party. We will focus on such issues as welfare and the safety net, homelessness and lack of decent affordable housing, loss of jobs and of health coverage. Proposed dates of 9/19 – 10/03/03.

We would march for 5 to15 miles per day. Proposed route from Hyannis through New Bedford, Fall River, Worcester, Southbridge, Ware, Springfield, Holyoke, S. Berkshires, Pittsfield, North Adams, Greenfield, Northhampton, Amherst, Orange/Athol, Gardner, Fitchburg, Lowell, Lawrence, Salem, Lynn, Chelsea, Somerville, Cambridge, to Boston.

Green-Rainbow locals would help organize turn-out, sites, press coverage, food and sleeping arrangements in their communities.

WHY?
A) With the recession and budget cuts and the unwillingness of the majority of elected officials to vote for progressive taxes, poverty in Massachusetts continues to worsen beyond many people’s not only awareness but belief. This is a moral issue we need to take a stand on.

B) This is a critical time for public education on issues that the major parties will not even address. The voices and struggles of these communities are not even being heard.

C) This is an opportunity for the Green-Rainbow to be an active force on these issues. Members of these communities, especially the activists, are potential party members and we would be providing the political vehicle for justice on these issues. This could bring together a number of constituencies like labor, religious, etc. that do not usually stand together and we will have created more credibility for the Party by helping bring them together.

D) Locals assisting in organizing:
o could highlight the local impacts of poverty issues (sever cutbacks in welfare and the safety net; homelessness and lack of decent affordable housing; loss of local job base and health coverage)
o would have an excellent vehicle for reaching a wide range of constituencies and activists on other issues in their communities;
o would build local coalitions;
o would receive local press coverage and be visible on core Green-Rainbow issues.

E) A march like this would be extremely unusual especially bringing visible activism and press coverage to poverty in many local communities usually ignored because they are outside Boston. By starting outside of Boston, we will build visibility over the days and by the time we reach Boston, we should be able to garner decent press coverage even in Boston’s tight media market.

F) For candidates running in the November election, the timing of this march will be a perfect visibility vehicle for them.

GRP anti-poverty march. 29KB (30208 bytes)

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