2017 Coordinating Comm. Candidate Statements

Anna Gyorgy
Bram Moreinis
Dave Cohen
Ken Eisenstein
Marti Hobbes
Maryelen Calderwood
Patricia Williams
Paul Demarco
Sharon Tracy
Sheila Gilmour

Anna Gyorgy

Over the past year I have been impressed with the energy, dedication — and successes — of this new organization and movement in our local area, and would like to support the work by running for a seat on the enlarged Coordinating Committee.

At home and nationally we face critical challenges, but in Franklin County we have a lot to offer in community action and solutions. I’m interested in how progressive people in our area can reach out more widely and work even better together. I would like to focus on political education (“learn and teach-ins”) and networking, rather than one issue area. A possible start could be reading and discussing Naomi Klein’s latest book: NO IS NOT ENOUGH

My on-going political work centers on the multilingual Women & Life on Earth internet project at www.wloe.org, now a project of the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice, of which I am a board member. Locally, I am on the Wendell Energy Committee and enjoy working with North Quabbin Energy, for example on the annual North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival. I do some editing and translation as a free-lance consultant, and want to write more this coming year (as I say every year!).

A member of the Franklin Community Coop and Quabbin Harvest in Orange, I love to garden and cook for friends. I’m glad to be back in western Mass. after many years abroad. I used to live in Montague, am now a happy Wendellite.

Bram Moreinis

Bram Moreinis is a career educator and technologist, bringing fluency with writing, digital communications tools and marketing strategies to FCCPR.  Also a database designer and web developer, Bram has been supporting FCCPR with its website, as he has with Our Revolution Massachusetts (ORMA), our state body. Bram is motivated most by racial justice and Civics education, and helped found a Green Party chapter in New York.  Bram coordinated FCCPR’s Electoral Politics Task Force for six months.

Since last winter, Bram has been helping ORMA with communications and technology logistics, first preparing for and coordinating its presence at the Democratic Convention, and then documenting the progress of the transition from interim to democratic organization.  As co-chair of the Mission, Structure and Planning team, Bram helped formulate and facilitate the transition.  If selected for the FCCPR Coordinating Committee, he hopes to represent FCCPR on the new Representative Council.

Dave Cohen

My name is David Cohen and I’m running for re-election to the FCCPR steering committee.  I’m a resident of Greenfield. 

I’m a retired union organizer for the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE) which over the last 70 years represented many factory workers in Franklin County, along with public employees in Greenfield.  I also worked for my union in training workers how to deal with racism and sexism, not only from the boss, but within our ranks.  I have been a socialist most of my adult life, and worked from the beginning with the Pioneer Valley for Bernie group, which is now FCCPR.

Helping build FCCPR, a multi-issue activist organization that also runs candidates for office has been truly exciting and I would like to continue to help in this effort.

Ken Eisenstein

I would like you to consider me for the Steering Committee. In working on the Endorsement Committee and Electoral Politics Task Force I’ve learned that just a few dedicated people working together can have an impact politically. I believe that FCCPR is just beginning to realize its potential and that if more of us step up our game, we can truly accomplish great things. This is not just another organization looking for dues, financial contributions, and signature on yet another useless petition. Like many of you, I joined and came to those first general assemblies motivated by Anti-Trump anger and fear of what might lie ahead and wanting to do something positive, not just rant and complain.

I am semi-retired. My wife and I own Boswell’s Books in Shelburne Falls. I also am a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA volunteer), a Guardian Ad Litem appointed by a Juvenile Court judge to report to the court and advocate for children at risk with open cases with DCF– most of whom are in foster care. I worked on Elizabeth Warren’s campaign in the Greenfield office and, for several years, was an Escort Captain at Planned Parenthood in Boston, helping patients to enter the building with a minimum of delay and harassment by the protesters who gathered there every Saturday.

FCCPR has moved beyond what you saw at those meetings as it was just getting organized and into action. Whether or not you vote for me, I urge all of you, who have been inactive and those of you who can participate more, to increase your involvement.. Not only can you make a difference, you will feel better about yourselves.

Marti Hobbes

My name is Marti Hobbes, and I live in Millers Falls. I am finishing my one-year term on the FCCPR Coordinating Committee.

Until Bernie Sanders declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president, my involvement in politics amounted to showing up for the polls and not much more.  Bernie’s passionate commitment to a government for and by the people inspired me to get off the sidelines and participate actively in my government.

The last 11 months as a member of FCCPR and as a member of the FCCPR coordinating committee, I have paid attention and participated in politics like never before, and it has given me hope and a sense of purpose and community.

I’ve learned so much from my fellow coordinating committee members and from the entire FCCPR membership, and I look forward to applying those lessons and learning more as we continue the political revolution in Franklin County and beyond.

Please consider voting for me for the FCCPR Coordinating Committee.

Maryelen Calderwood

Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.” – Lucy Parsons: labor organizer, socialist.

“Together, my friends, we have begun a political revolution to transform America, and that revolution, our revolution, continues!” – Senator Bernie Sanders

I believed that candidate Sanders would change the world. Senator Sanders, however, believes it is you and I that can change the world. Parsons and Sanders agree on this: it is deep within the roots of social injustice that movements emerge and it is within that movement that change is made. We, the members of FCCPR, are participants in a revolutionary movement that centers on positive, progressive change.

As an organizer for the Massachusetts Teacher Association, feminist, mother, social justice activist and eight-year member of the Greenfield School Committee, I am committed to a political revolution. As an active member of FCCPR, I believe in the power we have, as a movement, to create a greener, cleaner world; to have health care for each of us; to have quality, publicly-funded education; to preserve the rights of workers to organize; to eliminate racial lines; to provide sanctuary for immigrants; to support radical ideas and conflict; to insist that women are at the forefront of all of this! Today, I sit on two task forces: Education and Labor. In addition, I sat alongside my FCCPR colleagues on the endorsement committee that recommended the candidates for Greenfield town elections. Now, I would like to expand my commitment to FCCPR by being a member of the Coordinating Committee.

I ask for your continued commitment to change and your support for my candidacy.  

In solidarity.

Maryelen Calderwood

Patricia Williams

I have been involved in social justice for 50 years, 30 of which has been, and continues to be, in the Labor Movement.

We are now witnessing a ruthless attack against all of the progressive gains we have fought for and won since the 1960’s.

I believe that we must, on the local level, organize both defensive and offensive strategies, to maintain and improve the lives of the 99%.

I think I can offer my years of experience to this effort.

Paul Demarco

I am running for election to the FCCPR Coordinating Committee because I want to play a larger role in the future of this organization. I believe that real change in our local, state and national politics and necessary and I believe it is achievable, but to have an impact FCCPR needs to be constantly engaging the public and the process.Toward that end I have skills and experience in organization building and electoral politics that I believe could serve FCCCPR well.

Sharon Tracy

Sharon Tracy lives in New Salem, the easternmost town in Franklin County. An early member of FCCPR, she was active in the Bernie Sanders campaign. She is Chair of the New Salem Democratic Committee which is also part of a regional group of Democratic Committees  working to educate and engage people in support of progressive policies (most are also those of FCCPR). Sharon has been an activist for decades on issues ranging from non-violent resistance to war, to energy, labor, education, veterans concerns, and others. She works at Quabbin Mediation in Orange. That organization’s program Training Active Bystanders teaches skills that encourage students and community members to step forward and interrupt harm and injustice when they are witnesses to it.  Sharon would like to see more east county participation in FCCPR, and more youth participation.

Sheila Gilmour

My name is Sheila Gilmour and I am running for a spot on the Coordinating Committee because I am interested in playing a bigger role in local politics. Several months ago, FCCPR endorsed my candidacy for Greenfield Town Council and I won by a large margin. In fact, every FCCPR-endorsed candidate whose name appeared on the ballot won their election due in no small part to FCCPR’s organizing efforts. I want to see FCCPR build on this momentum and create a more just social and political landscape in Franklin County.