Mar. 24, 2010

Recent events

     3/20 Iraq event in Boston – 50 ppl - no press.   Globe coverage for Bridgewater and Natick events.

      today – AFL-CIO jobs rally 120 – Boston Teachers rally 1000

 

Tab Attack 

   Scurrlous attack on NDPW, UJP, CP in Tab.   Terrorist on tree-lined street.

   Newton Dialogues is writing a response op-ed

   UJP should write a letter - Cole to draft

   Each group identified should write a separate letter

   

25% task force report – Mike P

    3 levels of work

 

    local… organize thru UJP community groups, connect w/budget cuts (library closings, teacher layoffs) – mayor’s letter initiated by Boston 25% Coal. – find more institutional allies – e.g. labor teach-in; New England United for Justice (formerly ACORN)

 

   national/ legislative – find outlet for this work nationally.  Common vehicle, also focus for demand.   Barney Frank drafting Dear Colleague Letter for Obama, shift $ from mil to domestic.    Also est ablish intellectual/policy foundation, convene mtg of defense policy experts, Prasannan driving economists’ letter via Barry(?) Epstein.   Budget … move the money to domestic.   spending.   Mil. Contractors bill – move the money home.   Specific weapons system – move the money home.

 

   Inbetween – Identify networks, orgs with base around the country – knit together.   

 

   Organizational: Raising $ to hire part time staff person.   $15k in commitments.   Hire someone temporarily, then another search for permanent once we have enough $ for that.   Peace Action as fiscal sponsor.  Also provide financial info UJP; continue to be tf of UJP; set up bank acct using UJP’s tax# if that doesn’t conflict w/fiscal sponsorship.  Might locate in Democ. Ctr – at AFSC if office more comfortable.   Also AFSC location not that great. 

 

Discussion 

   Cole – move to accept task force’s report and commend its work.

   Paul – move $ to specific jobs pgms that have popular support.   Dovetails with crisis.   Give Deval Patrick something to run on other than cut, cut, cut.   Statewide level.

   Shelagh – commend this work

   Carol – Natick event coming up with NPP.   Q: How legislatively we transfer the money?

   Nike, A – Matter of power and reality.  They’ll figure out how to do it if there is pressure.

   Marilyn – accept report, but don’t commend work.  25% formulation gives impression of improving the 75%.    Also question working with Barney Frank who is not an antiwar force.   Maine campaign doesn’t use that formulation or support it.

   Mike P – We continue to look at that formulation and will check what the rest of the country thinks.

   Carol – 25% always bothers me because it seems arbitrary.   Bring the war $$ home.

   Mike P – By raising a specific demand we are signaling that we are serious.  Later an anti-imperialist analysis can be infused into unions, N2N type groups, thru a concrete campaign.   We want to hear from outside the peace mvt about this.

   By consensus, the task force report was accepted.    We withheld action on the motion to commend because some have critiques of the campaign's framing.

 

Organizing items

 

Medea Benjamin event, 3/31. 

 

Obama Protest, 4/1.   Ann talked to STWC.   We sent an alert to a lot of groups.   However, the committee appointed last time did not meet.

  Shelagh – concern that O. getting hit by Tea Party, by AIPAC.  Don’t want to attack O. right now. 

  Duncan – We had agreed on 3-4 slogans (healthcare not warfare, jobs not drones, bring our troops and war $$ home).   We’re not going to attack O. but his policies.

  Paul – expect a huge tea party presence – that will be the media story.  Would be good for peace mvt. to tussle with TP.   Call out a big presence.  

  Reorganize committee – new committee is Sarah, Ann, Cole, Lois. 

  Discussion of whether to call the police (Sgt Ridge) or not.  No resolution.

 

Tax Day action, 4/15.  Suggest to community groups.   Cover the post offices.   Check with 25% group and NPP.

  Distinguish ourselves from the right.  We’re not anti-tax.

 

Nuclear Abolition event.

   May 2- will send fundraising letter.  Initially email, then selected by postal.

 

 Reviewing UJP's endorsement process,specifically a proposal drafted by Paul.

   We need to define voting members of the planning group as defined in the structure document.

   Quorum needs to be defined, no resolution yet.

   We need to inform the larger UJP how we’re operating

   Code in email should lift out REQUEST FOR ENDORSEMENT in subject line.

   Discussion to continue.