2019 Membership Renewal
It’s time to once again renew your membership in FCCPR. Membership renewal is $10 per year. If you cannot afford this, please just write to us and your membership will be renewed. People who joined in November and December of 2018 will be considered as having paid their dues for 2019.
You can send your dues to FCCPR, P.O. Box 216, Greenfield, MA 01302 or pay online at FCCPR.us, using either PayPal or CommonGood (if you are a member of CommonGood)
If you have questions please email Dave Cohen at davidjc@comcast.net
If you are not yet a member please join!
Fundraising Appeal
For the first time we are asking for FCCPR member to make additional donations to FCCPR, if you can. Our thanks to those people who have been contributing monthly to help pay the office rent. We would not an office without these special donations.
Where does the money go? Most goes to paying for the office rent and utilities, about $7,200 per year. The rest goes to printing FCCPR brochures and campaign literature (pamphlets on Medicare for All, the ballot questions, etc.), and for renting meeting spaces.
Look at What we Did in 2018
* We organized the first public meeting for Tahirah Amatul-Wadud and her campaign to run against Richie Neal for Congress. We marched with Tahirah in the Shelburne Falls Parade, and played an active role in her campaign. This has led to the formation of a CD 1 Progressive Coalition.
* The Single-Payer Task Force organized the collection of several thousand signatures to place on the November ballot a question to show support for Medicare for All (Single Payer) in Massachusetts. We produced and distributed over 3000 pieces of literature about Medicare for All and in Franklin County Question 4, the question won with 77 percent support!
* . FCCPR pulled together the first Gubernatorial debate in Franklin County in anyone’s memory. Over 200 people attended, despite freezing temperatures.
* Democracy Here, FCCPR’s TV show was launched, and now has 12 shows which you can watch here..
* We successfully organized to stop the Mayor of Greenfield from privatizing trash pick-up.
* . The Peace Task Force organized a tax day rally against a bloated military budget.
* . We helped organize the large “Families Belong Together” rally in June on the Greenfield Common.
* . We produced the FCCPR Cookbook “Stiring the Pot”. Well over 100 copies have been sold. You can still get yours by clicking here or coming to the January 27 General Assembly..
* . We sent out questionnaires to all candidates running for the State Senate and State Rep. seats in Franklin County. We used rank choice voting for the first time and worked hard to elect Jo Comerford.
* . The Labor Task Force held the first annual Labor Schmooze in September.
* . We held a several day Hiroshima to Nagasaki Vigil on the Greenfield Town Common in August to draw attention to the need to abolish nuclear weapons
This is just a partial list of what FCCPR members did in 2018. It takes money to put on all these events, so please give what you can.
Save these Dates
Municipal Socialism Conference – Expanding Democracy by Expanding Public Ownership
March 30, 2019 Greenfield Community College
8:30 am to 1:30 pm
How Towns can build solar power, broadband, hydro power, affordable housing, support worker owned coops, and non-profit banks, all under the democratic control of people, not corporations.
Next FCCPR General Assembly
Jan. 27th 2-4PM
Guiding Star Grange, Greenfield
Want to see what FCCPR is Doing and Has Done?
Here are some easy links to access information about FCCPR
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Change the Flag
FCCPR has endorsed a resolution to change the flag and seal of the Commonwealth. We are collaborating with others to build a statewide, grassroots effort to bring resolutions to Annual Town Meetings and City Councils in the Spring of 2019 from the Berkshires to Cape Cod. We hope to pass legislation that has been stalled at the State House for the past 34 years to change the Massachusetts Flag and Seal.
Mississippi has the Confederate Stars and Bars on its state flag.
Massachusetts has the invidious image of a Colonial broadsword hanging over the head of a Native American man for its official state symbol.
To learn more, and get involved, please visit: www.changethemassflag.com or contact David Detmold at daviddetmold@gmail.com
News from the Single Payer Health Care Task Force
The Task Force accomplished a huge amount last year. Besides the overwhelming support for the ballot question, we now have a solid Western Mass Legislative delegation who are in favor of Medicare for All in Massachusetts. Lindsey Sabadosa from Northampton will be the lead sponsor in the House. Jo Comerford, our State Senator, is solidly in favor of Single Payer legislation. Paul Mark is another strong legislative supporter and we need to keep a conversation going with Natalie Blais.
Single Payer supporters from the FCCPR and WMM4All groups are working to rebuild the statewide coalition – Mass-Care. We hope to bring the union movement back into the coalition.
We hope to help create new committees in the Berkshires and in the Eastern Franklin County towns.
Next up will be signing up sponsors for the Medicare for All bill in the new legislative session.
There will be a Lobby Day at the State House later in January. Meanwhile there is also a national movement for Medicare for All called Health Care Now.
In addition we want to hold more film showings and forums to keep up the educational work.
This work is exciting and we could use more people on our task force. We meet on the third Wednesday of the month at 5:30 in the FCCPR office. The meeting time is up for discussion if there is a better time to meet. Everyone is welcome. For more information email Judy Atkins, judithga@comcast.net