[Boston/JP GRP] Fwd: [MECCorganizing] Legislation in Mass. State House Requiring Divesture from Iran

[David Rolde]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "marilyn levin" <MarilynL at alumni.neu.edu>
> Date: July 22, 2007 2:22:12 PM EDT
> To: "ME Crisis Coalition" <mecrisiscoalition at yahoogroups.com>,  
> "MECCorganizing" <MECCorganizing at yahoogroups.com>, "UJP I-P Task  
> Force" <ujpi-p at yahoogroups.com>, "Community Education"  
> <CommunityEducation at yahoogroups.com>, "Arlington UJP"  
> <ArlUJP at yahoogroups.com>
> Cc: "Rostam Pourzal" <torke at verizon.net>
> Subject: [MECCorganizing] Legislation in Mass. State House  
> Requiring Divesture from Iran
> Reply-To: MECCorganizing at yahoogroups.com
>
>
> Apparently Israel and the rightwing Jewish establishment are  
> pushing states, including Mass. to divest pension funds from Iran,  
> as they are pushing to divest from Sudan.  This needs to be fought  
> by contacting your state reps/senators.  If they go forward, we  
> should demand public hearings on these issues with all views being  
> presented.  I'm forwarding several articles on this topic.  State  
> Treas. Galvin seems to be reconsidering given that billions of  
> dollars in pension funds would be involved, however, legislation is  
> still being presented to divest.
> Marilyn
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Nancy Murray
> To: BCPR
> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 6:32 PM
> Subject: [BCPRmembers] Legislation in Massachusetts State House  
> Requiring Targeted Divesture from Companies Doing Business with Iran
>
> Hello everyone — Charles Glick works with the JCRC which appears  
> to the main mover behind this divestment bill aimed at Iran — can  
> people contact their state reps and senators and ask them to OPPOSE  
> this legislation as part of a neoconservative agenda that is not in  
> the interests of the American people?  Nancy
>
> Dear Representative/Senator,
>
> I would like to call your attention to bi-partisan legislation that  
> will soon be filed, “An Act to Protect the Massachusetts Pension  
> Fund from the Risks of Investment in Iran”, and to encourage you  
> to sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill.
>
> This legislation comes on the heels of legislation requiring  
> Massachusetts to divest from Sudan. During the course of the debate  
> on that bill in the Senate, many policy makers expressed interest  
> in ensuring that pension money not be used to fund countries  
> engaged in either genocide or terrorism- a sentiment that is most  
> assuredly supported by your constituents and the vast majority of  
> the residents of the Commonwealth.  This separate legislation will  
> accomplish that goal and I would urge you to take a lead in the  
> effort to pass the bill. The Jewish Community Relations Council,  
> one of the key groups working on the Darfur legislation, has  
> communicated its strong support for this bill and its gratitude to  
> the four co-sponsors who initiated it.
>
> A copy of an email sent by the four co-sponsors is below. They have  
> asked that if you wish to co-sponsor you contact Mark Merante  
> (mark.merante at state.ma.us  
> <blocked::BLOCKED::BLOCKED::blocked::">mailto:mark.merante at state.ma.us 
> > <mailto:mark.merante at state.ma.us>  ) in Rep. Cabral’s office by  
> 5:00 PM tomorrow, Thursday, July 19th.
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Charles Glick
>
> Charles Group Consulting
> Government Affairs Consulting and Issue Management
> 8 Winter Street 12th Floor
> Boston, MA  02108
> (617) 423-2231
> (617) 451-2449 FAX
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Merante, Mark (HOU)
> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 1:36 PM
> To: HOU-DL - HOUSE REPS; HOU-DL - HOUSE STAFF; HOU-DL - HOUSE  
> AIDES; SEN-DL-SENATORS; SEN-DL-ALLSTAFF
> Subject: Opportunity to Co-Sponsor
>
> Dear Colleague:
>
>
>
> We will soon be filing An Act to Protect the Massachusetts Pension  
> Fund from the Risks of Investment in Iran, a copy of which is  
> attached.  This legislation is modeled on the Sudan divestment  
> legislation which has recently passed the Senate and is awaiting  
> House action.  We hope you will consider joining us as a co-sponsor.
>
>
>
> This legislation directs the PRIM board to sell securities of  
> companies with active investments in the Iranian petroleum industry  
> and to refrain from directly investing in such securities in the  
> future.  We believe Iran is both a risky and inappropriate  
> investment for the Commonwealth.
>
> Iran is the world's  leading state sponsor of terrorism, funding  
> terrorist organizations  across the Middle East and terrorist acts  
> around the world, from Lebanon to  Argentina.
> Iran brutally  mistreats it's own people.  Women face  
> discrimination across a  wide range of issues, from divorce to  
> inheritance rights.  Gay  Iranians are routinely executed.  Ethnic  
> and religious minorities are  actively suppressed.
> The  Iranian government denies the  Holocaust.  Last year, the  
> Iranian President, Mahmoud  Ahmadinejad, publicly described the  
> Holocaust as a “myth.”
> Iran is usingits oil  revenues to manufacture nuclear material and  
> technology in  direct violation of United Nations Security Council   
> Resolutions.
> These securities are likely to  face growing price pressure as some  
> of the largest institutional investors  divest. Recently, Florida  
> became the first state to enact legislation to  direct its pension  
> fund to divest from these stocks and similar  legislation is  
> advancing in several other states, including  California, as well  
> as in other countries.
> Iran's government is reliant on revenue generated from exporting  
> oil and gas and its petroleum industry functions only with the  
> expertise of foreign oil companies.  Massachusetts currently has  
> hundreds of million of dollars invested in these companies which we  
> believe is an unwise investment for our Commonwealth.
>
>
> If you would like to co-sponsor this legislation, or if you have  
> any questions, please contact Mark Merante in Rep. Cabral's office  
> (mark.merante at state.ma.us  
> <blocked::BLOCKED::BLOCKED::blocked::">mailto:mark.merante at state.ma.us 
> > <mailto:mark.merante at state.ma.us>  ) no later than 5:00 PM this  
> Thursday, July 19.
>
>
>
>
>
> Rep. Antonio F.D.  
> Cabral                                                                 
>     Sen. Joan M. Menard
>
> House  
> Chairman,                                                              
>                    Majority Whip
>
> Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
>
>
>
> Rep. Bradley H. Jones,  
> Jr.                                                                    
>  Sen. Richard R. Tisei
>
> Minority  
> Leader                                                                 
>                     Minority Leader
>
>
>
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