BOSTON – Jill Stein, Green-Rainbow Party candidate for governor, lamented the legislature’s inaction on a number of important bills as the legislative sessions headed for summer recess. But she praised the work of grassroots advocacy groups whose “sustained, significant pressure” led to the passage of measures that the Legislature would otherwise have let die.

Noting the extent to which money propelled legislation forward, Stein commented that “The people of the Commonwealth are being poorly served by the legislature, whose leaders are turning over heaven and earth to satisfy their lobbyist friends at the expense of working men and women, whose needs are being ignored. With just a few more days left in the session, the CORI reform bill that promises to open the door of opportunity to hundreds of thousands of Bay State residents is poised to fail yet again. We are contributing to our near record unemployment by allowing the CORI system to erect unnecessary barriers for job-seekers. After years and years of suffering under the current system, it’s disturbing that the leadership on Beacon Hill would even think about deferring the dream of a new, more just system to another session.”

Stein was relieved to see the passage of H4595, a bill that will stop lenders from evicting rent-paying tenants after foreclosure. “This bill is about as straightforward as they come – it allows people who have been paying their rent to stay in their home even if the landlord gets foreclosed on. The only interests who opposed it were the banks. Getting the Legislature to act took sustained efforts from the grassroots – from groups like City Life/Vida Urbana and the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending. But I am saddened that so many people lost their homes while the Legislature took care of other interests. The struggle to stop foreclosures is not over, and we continue this fight.”

The reason that badly needed legislation faces an uphill battle on Beacon Hill is clear, Stein declared. “On one side, you have the citizen-based advocacy groups, who know the issues and are trying to come up with common-sense solutions that help people. On the other side, you have wealthy special interests that are profiting from the status quo, so they dump money into the legislature to stifle reform. We’ve seen it time and again, and the only way to get positive change to happen is for citizens to pose a fundamental challenge to business-as-usual on Beacon Hill. “

Looking ahead, Stein said that as governor “I’ll be lobbying aggressively for long overdue reforms, and using all the political leverage I can muster to get good bills through the legislature. And I’ll refuse to take payoffs from special interests. Imagine how fast things would move if Governor Patrick didn’t just say he supported CORI reform, but said he wouldn’t sign a casino bill unless the CORI bill was passed? People struggling under CORI can’t afford to pony up $500 each to curry favor with the governor. Casino lobbyists can. So the bills that move are those with money behind them. Until we elect some candidates who will are independent of the big campaign donors, our government really doesn’t belong to us.”

GRP Candidates Unanimously Support Bill and Decry Legislative Inaction

The Green-Rainbow Party calls on the Massachusetts Legislature to adopt, without delay, H4595 “An Act to stabilize neighborhoods” (a.k.a. “the foreclosure bill”). With foreclosures across the state forecast to top 12,000 this year, the bill requires immediate action, as the legislative session expires July 31.

This bill would prevent banks from abruptly evicting tenants living in foreclosed properties. It would require that banks make a good faith offer for a loan modification to prevent foreclosure. Otherwise the bank would have to wait an additional 60 to 150 days before it can foreclose. This process would provide incentives for more good faith negotiation by banks. The legislation would also make mortgage fraud a criminal action and assist localities in rehabilitating foreclosed properties.

Green-Rainbow candidate for State Auditor, Nat Fortune, noted that “Petty power politics within the legislature and a Governor absent-without-leave have needlessly delayed passage of this basic protection for families facing foreclosure.”

Michael Horan, Green-Rainbow Party co-chair, urged state legislators to “focus on matters of real and pressing importance to the citizens of the commonwealth. As the legislative session draws to a close, the Governor elected to visit the Mideast and to issue `hopeful’ statements about the wars. We’d prefer the Governor issue a statement demanding immediate action on this bill and that our Representatives worry less about housing for slot machines and more about housing for people. “

“This bill was favorably recommended by the Housing Committee on April 8th,” Horan states. “Then our lawmakers squandered the spring and summer bogged down in endless backroom arguments about the inclusion of racinos in a casino bill. The House should follow the Senate’s lead and pass this legislation.”

Gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein pointed out that “This year the legislature worked overtime for the casino lobbyists, and managed to pass new tax breaks for financial services and multinational corporations. But their priorities haven’t yet extended to families facing the threats of foreclosures, unemployment, or bankruptcy. This is no way to run a legislature.”

Stein’s sentiments were mirrored by running mate (for Lt. Governor) Rick Purcell , who warned that “The bill is an attempt to fix one of the many wrongs government should have been watch-dogging all along. Those already foreclosed on have paid the price for delay – Voters should be prepared to make the current administration pay the price for their irresponsibility.”

The GRP is supporting other organizations, including City Life/Vida Urbana and the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), who are coordinating a vigil at the Statehouse commencing Wednesday, July 28th, at noon, to urge Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo to schedule a vote in the House this week. The Green-Rainbow Party endorsed the vigil and called upon all Party members to attend.

BOSTON – Governor Deval Patrick’s recent visit to Iraq and Afghanistan, which kept the Governor out of state during the critical closing days of the current Legislative session, came under fire from leaders of the state’s Green-Rainbow Party. They characterized the visit as shameless election year opportunism which revealed that Patrick has no intention of facing up to the realities of the damage the Iraq war is doing to our soldiers and to the state of Massachusetts.

According to Gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein “ Before President Obama took office, the Democratic Party campaigned against “Bush’s War”. They criticized Bush for getting troops killed looking for weapons of mass destruction that never existed. But now Governor Patrick is promoting the troop surges and engaging in shameless attempts to use the troops as props for his election year photo ops. He’s dishing out upbeat descriptions of our military adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, and seems oblivious to the damage that the war is doing to the troops, our Commonwealth, and our nation.”

According to Stein, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are costing Massachusetts 3.4 billion dollars per year. “That’s a 9 million dollar expenditure each and every day that we just can’t afford. That money could go a long way toward creating jobs here in Massachusetts, avoiding teacher layoffs, and avoiding health care cutbacks. It’s nine times more than the gross tax revenues that would be produced by the Governor’s gambling casino scheme. The Governor of Massachusetts should be telling President Obama that we need to end this war, bring our National Guard home, and heal our economy.”

Stein’s Lieutenant Governor running mate, Rick Purcell, who is a decorated veteran of Operation Desert Storm, commented that “It looks like they staged a few events where the governor could be photographed with some smiling soldiers from Massachusetts. Our Governor reported that spirits are high in the war zone. But if you let the troops speak off the record, they’d tell you the truth. They’ll tell you that they’re being asked to do the impossible, and that what they really want is to get home in one piece, and find a good job in civilian life waiting for them when they return. Patrick used his visit to talk about how well things are going in Iraq and Afghanistan, of how inspiring it all is. That’s hogwash. He’s helping them paper over the fact that we’ve got an all time high suicide rate among the troops. It’s time for some truth, because continuing this establishment spin is going to get a lot more guys killed without accomplishing anything.”

Candidate Q&A from The Metro

Would you support graduated (or another form of more progressive) income tax for Massachusetts?

Read answers from Jill here

BOSTON – Recently released Federal unemployment statistics underscore the need to change Massachusetts’ floundering approach to job creation, according to gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein. “We need a new approach for today’s new economic realities. We can’t afford to lose four more years while the Patrick Administration pursues more of the same failed policies.” said Stein.

Stein noted that the June numbers showed an anemic growth of only 3400 jobs statewide. “We have over 312,000 unemployed workers looking for work, with new people entering the workforce every month. That rate of job growth is completely unacceptable. It will never get us back to full employment.”

Only 7000 private sector jobs were created in May, and this declined to 3400 in June. Massachusetts remained mired in high unemployment, despite a slight drop in the official unemployment rate from 9.2% to 9.0% – which most analysts attributed to job-seekers becoming discouraged and stopping their search for work. Noting that the Patrick Administration was spinning the downward tic as an encouraging sign, Stein commented “When people are so discouraged that they stop looking for work, it shouldn’t be taken as a sign that your policies are succeeding. It’s not an argument for staying the course.”

“Our communities can’t wait four more years while the Governor talks about some hypothetical recovery that never seems to come. Whole communities are disintegrating under unemployment, foreclosures, and business failures. The longer this recession drags on, the weaker the foundation upon which we must build. We can see clearly that the usual Beacon Hill approach of cutting deals for the well-connected and the big campaign donors – and helping Wall Street exploit Main Street – is just not going to create the jobs we need. It’s time to get moving in a new direction.”

Stein has been pushing for retooling state economic programs to create a surge of new green jobs in order to jump-start the economy. “We can do this without waiting for some national turnaround that may never come. All it takes is pulling our economic development money out of the Beacon Hill sweetheart deals, and putting it where it will do real good for real Massachusetts-based businesses. These are the businesses that will provide a solid foundation for our future prosperity.”

“Furthermore, we can create jobs in every community in the state. And they will be jobs that can’t be lost in an investment bank meltdown or swept away when gasoline prices spike. They will keep wealth in our communities instead of sending it overseas to buy oil. They will keep profits in Massachusetts rather than sending them to Wall Street. This is the kind of economy that will really work for people and for our communities. It’s within our grasp if we just insist that it be done.”

Jill with Tom and Todd, WRKO 7/15/10

www.jillstein.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SteinCrossley7-13-10.mp3

WGBH

BOSTON – The multitude of deals being made behind closed doors on Beacon Hill this year are bad news for the people of the Commonwealth, according to Jill Stein, a veteran observer of the policymaking process on Beacon Hill. “It’s getting worse” said Stein. “The politicians have just about perfected the process of black-box government. No one knows what’s happening until it’s too late. “ Stein called upon citizens and journalists to keep their attentions trained on the final hours of the budget process and hold incumbents accountable for the deals they cut.

“The low point of this year’s session was when the casino bill was pushed through the House without even a public hearing being held. The Legislature has not yet conducted an objective study of how many non-casino jobs are going to be lost when gambling starts draining money out of our economy. A very important change to our Commonwealth is being decided with no balanced analysis and real public deliberations.”

“Although the language is often obscure, I hope the press will pay some attention to the tax giveaways being introduced as part of the Economic Development legislation. This bill seems to be the vehicle for this year’s sweetheart deals that will shift the tax burden further from the well-heeled insiders onto the backs of ordinary taxpayers. And a little-discussed provision to create private taxation districts has been handed off to an obscure state panel. If this moves forward, local property owners could find themselves paying taxes to fund projects for real estate developers rather than for schools and public safety. I’ve been opposing this abuse of the power of taxation since 2006, and it’s troubling to see it advance without proper debate. “

“Last week, the conference committee that is negotiating the plans to bring gambling casinos to the Bay State closed their deliberations to the public and the media, kicking out of the room some legislators who were there to look out for their constituent’s interest. It is telling that legislation with such far-reaching implications for our state’s well-being has to be finalized in secrecy, hidden from the citizenry who must live with the consequences. The public interest is not well-served when the public’s business is conducted behind closed doors. It’s a recipe for the hijacking of democracy by the big money interests who hire lobbyists and fund political campaigns. “

Stein noted that today at 5:30 p.m., dozens of well-heeled lobbyists will file through the doors at Tecce’s Restaurant in the North End for a fundraiser for Senate President Therese Murray, whose position of power decides the fate of the bills the lobbyists are promoting. “ It’s a sad day for democracy in Massachusetts when one of the legislature’s most time-honored traditions is to throw a fundraiser on the eve of a critical vote or deliberation. There seems to be no sense of shame. I’m planning on getting through the electoral season without taking a single check from a lobbyist. If others would join me, we could raise the standards a little bit. “

“One glaring flaw in our ethics laws is that the Massachusetts Legislature has conveniently exempted itself from the state’s Open Meeting Law. They say it has to be applied to city councils and boards of selectmen, but they refuse to abide by it themselves. One of my campaign commitments is to introduce a bill to make the Legislature live by the same laws they impose on others. It would put us one step closer to a government that serves the people and not just the well-connected insiders .”

By Glen Johnson, AP Political Writer  |  July 1, 2010  | Boston.com

BOSTON –Trailing Democratic incumbent Deval Patrick, independent gubernatorial candidate Timothy Cahill launched a six-figure advertising campaign Thursday, while Republican Charles Baker called for five televised debates this fall.

The fourth person in the race, Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein, also issued a news release lamenting continued corporate tax breaks amid the start of a new budget year that includes a 4 percent cut in state aid to cities and towns.

Patrick, displaying a front-runner’s confidence, responded with a call for eight debates, including two in western Massachusetts, though he did not specify they be televised. He also specifically urged that the debates include both Cahill and Baker, underscoring the benefit he believes will come through a three-way race in which Cahill draws from Baker’s potential conservative vote.

Cahill’s ad brought to the airwaves a message that had been confined to the Internet for the past two weeks. His television commercial offered the simple imagery of him standing in a backyard, speaking to the camera and decrying the $2 million in negative ads aired against him by the Republican Governors Association.

A series of polls have shown a precipitous drop in his political standing, down to 9 percent in a weekend survey published by The Boston Globe.

“Washington insiders attacked me, while I was working for you,” Cahill says in the ad. “When they attack me, they attack all of us.”

Cahill, a former Democrat who serves as state treasurer, has been zealously guarding a $3 million campaign kitty. His fundraising has fallen off since he dropped out of the Democratic Party, and he has been using the Internet and a short televised commercial during the Super Bowl to try to remain viable without tapping that reservoir.

Democratic political analyst Mary Ann Marsh said the ad is good “but you have to wonder if it’s too little, too late.”

Patrick tried to set the tone of the debate, e-mailing to his supporters a letter that complained Baker refuses to detail his proposed plans for cutting the state budget. Patrick labeled it “reckless” as the Republican continues to talk about up to $2 billion in tax cuts.

“The simple difference is that he has not been straight with the public,” Patrick said in his e-mail. “This goes beyond thoughtlessness: It’s reckless.”

Baker bristled at the criticism during an afternoon news conference outside the Statehouse.

“I think he’s been reckless,” Baker said of Patrick. “He’s the guy who’s increased spending by $3 billion over the course of the past several years.”

Baker said such differences bolstered his call for five gubernatorial debates.

The former health insurance executive said with more than 300,000 unemployed in the state, a structural budget deficit yet to resolve and federal stimulus support for the state expiring, “This is a time when the voters desire a full airing of these issues.”

He proposed five televised debates between Labor Day, on Sept. 6, and Election Day, which is Nov. 2.

Baker said, “I would love to have the opportunity to debate the governor one-on-one,” but he would leave the format up to potential debate sponsors. Baker and Patrick continue to lead by a wide margin in the four-way race.

Baker said if two candidates were ahead of the pack near November, they should debate one-on-one. He recalled the epic series of head-to-head debates between his boss, former Gov. William F. Weld, and Sen. John Kerry during their 1996 U.S. Senate showdown.

Stein said the important issue isn’t what Baker wants, it’s what the voters want.

“We’ve heard over and over that voters want change, so the business-as-usual candidates would like nothing better than to exclude real voices for change from the debates,” Stein said in a statement. “It would be a terrible disservice to voters and our democracy to shut down debate before it’s begun — especially in these difficult times when new ideas are so desperately needed.”

Patrick said debates fit into his strategy of running a grass roots campaign.

“The governor hopes that Tim Cahill and Charlie Baker will join him in one debate a week between Labor Day in September and Election Day in November, for a total of eight debates overall,” said a statement from spokesman Alex Goldstein.

Baker has already accepted a Sept. 8 debate proposed by WBZ-TV. He, Patrick and Cahill also recently competed in a radio debate, and more are scheduled. But Baker said multiple televised debates were his preference.

Meanwhile, Stein complained in her statement that movie producers and biotech companies continue to receive breaks amid the national recession while state aid to cities and towns is cut.

She said voters “are looking for some way to end the giveaways” and redirect spending to town budgets.

“Charlie Baker and Deval Patrick are ducking debates already,” Stein said. “Governor Patrick has refused to appear on stage with other candidates on multiple occasions, allowing only forums without cross-candidate dialogue and real challenge. Often Charlie Baker is not showing up at all. Their fear of real debate is telling.” 

Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein issued the following statement in response to a call from Republican candidate Charlie Baker – later echoed by Governor Deval Patrick – for a series of debates that would exclude Stein:

“The important question is not the kind of debates that Charlie Baker or Deval Patrick want to gain an edge for their campaigns, but what the voters want. We’ve heard over and over that voters want change on Beacon Hill.  The business-as-usual candidates feel threatened by debates that include candidates who are advocating for real change.  It would be a terrible disservice to voters and our democracy to let them shut down that debate before it’s begun. Pay-to-play favoritism on Beacon Hill has brought us an economic melt down, rampant job loss, devastating budget cuts, schools in crisis, and escalating taxes and fees.  Now more than ever, people want to hear about alternatives, and not have discussion limited to advocates of the very political parties that created our problems.”

“It’s clear that the two candidates whose party machines have been in charge of Beacon Hill for the last several years want nothing to do with a candidate who is an honest-to-goodness outsider and who is coming to the debates with criticisms of Democrat/Republican failures. They want a strictly controlled dialogue – such as the recent three-man pseudo-debate on WRKO radio, hosted by disgraced former House Speaker Tom Finneran.  That was nothing more than an excuse for the business-as-usual Beacon Hill boys’ club to get together and continue to ignore the very real problems we’re facing. We are not going to see real, enlightening debates unless I am included.”

“The candidates proposing these exclusionary debates have already shown their disinterest in truly informing voters about their choices. Governor Patrick has refused to appear on stage with other candidates on multiple occasions, attending only forums without cross-candidate dialogue or real challenge. Often Charlie Baker is not showing up at all, or is sending a surrogate. Their fear of open dialogue is telling.”

“As a matter of fairness – every candidate who qualifies for the November ballot should be invited to debate.  It’s outrageous that polls are being used as excuses to prevent some candidates from being heard – especially when you consider that these polls only ask where likely voters are leaning at the moment, and are being conducted before the broader public has had a chance to hear all the candidates.  Even voters who lean toward one candidate want to hear about their other options. Debates should drive polls, not the other way around.”

“Exclusionary debates limited to Governor Patrick and Charlie Baker will destroy any hopes for the breath of fresh air that the people of Massachusetts so desperately want in their political life.  Responsible journalists and the people of this Commonwealth should insist upon open and inclusive debates.”

BOSTON -   Green-Rainbow gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein decried the Massachusetts state budget  signed by Governor Patrick yesterday as a  ‘’tragedy of misplaced priorities, declaring that “This budget signifies Beacon Hill’s accelerating abandonment of critical services that people need now more than ever.”

Stein challenged Governor Patrick’s assertions that the painful cuts were unavoidable.  “The Governor cannot duck his responsibility for the cuts or for the tax and fee hikes” according to Stein.  “These cuts are there because of deliberate decisions made by the Governor and the Democratic Party leadership.  They decided to protect powerful special interests and put the burden of balancing the budget on the backs of those least able to defend themselves. “

“This budget hits struggling education programs with another $180 million in cuts, including cuts to public schools, and higher education – already cut more in Massachusetts than any other state over the past five years. Programs that provide for our elders, at risk youth, the disabled, the mentally ill, disadvantaged children and distressed families are all under attack. State and municipal workers providing essential services are being fired.”

“Incredibly,  big  tax giveaways to the well-connected continue to enjoy protection. Favored corporations like Raytheon and Fidelity have actually been CUTTING  jobs,  but continue  to receive job creation tax cuts that cost the taxpayers $300 million a year.  Movie producers still get $150 million and biotech still gets $25 million. These are just some of the $1.7b in economic development tax expenditures that would be better directed towards local aid, essential services, and tax relief.”

Stein noted that “While increased taxes and fees have been imposed on ordinary working families, Massachusetts corporate income taxes – already second lowest among the New England states – are being lowered by hundreds of millions of dollars. That says who is really important to the leadership on Beacon Hill.”

Stein rejected attempts of the Democratic Party leadership to pin the budget pain on Republicans or on Congress.  “This budget is completely under their control.  We have to look at how the Democratic leadership is using its virtual monopoly power here in Massachusetts.  They are responsible for this devastating budget.  That’s why so many people in Massachusetts are hungry for a change on Beacon Hill.  They’re looking for some way to end the giveaways and entitlement programs for the wealthy few, redirect spending to town budgets and schools, and begin the transition to the green economy that is essential for our common wealth, our common health, and our common future.”

Click on the calendar link above  ( or here: http://www.jillstein.org/team-jill-signature-gathering-opportunities/ ) to find out where supporters around the Commonwealth will be gathering signature to help get Jill on the ballot! For more information please e-mail Omar at omar@jillstein.org. Hope to see you out there soon!

WBZ-TV – Jon Keller with Gubernatorial Candidate Jill Stein – June 27th