3 Strikes Updates

For now, rounding up some notes/musings from some intel/info coming in at me today... Will hopefully smooth out the rough spots to these notes as I go along. Pardon the roughness for the time being; don't want to lose some of this stuff by fretting over its perfection or not.

Meanwhile, Looking for information/action?:
LINKS to more information here: http://hmny.me/3strikesbill
TAKE ACTION, 10 minutes, 3 calls:  http://hmny.me/3strikes3callsRECORD
---
There is a narrative shaping up on Beacon Hill, with legislators crafting a narrative that serves a political purpose --lets them create a feel-good "get tough" law THAT DOES NOT AFFECT ACTUAL CRIME-- whiel letting themselves off the hook for "fixing" a "worse" version of a bad bill.

What? I detail how it goes, below... and updating to add a youtube video of the Governor talking about the bill.  He is inhabiting that narrative... pretty well... but as I outline after, there are questions that need to be addressed (like, why would we be talking about ANY 3 strikes when IT DOES NOT WORK?).


Where he is SPOT-ON is the issue of SENTENCING REFORM, which he starts discussing at 2:00.  We would do well to call legislators to express support for reforming mandatory min. laws (favoring treatment over incarceration) and reductions of school zones (which targets people in city more than other places).

Jan 12, 2012: Latest email

a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world -m.mead think big. act local.

events, news, plans IN THIS EMAIL A loss in our community Needham: Elizabeth Warren phone banks 10 minutes on Tue.: Push back against toxic legislation (3 strikes)  Other great local events coming up   Working on anti-corporate personhood amendment Running for town meeting Needham Community Farm benefit Newton: Obama Fundraiser: Feb 23 (limited “cheap seats” available!) Organizing for Obama in Needham Beer Party!: Save the date! April 1 CUTTING TO THE CHASE: quicklinks

Need Action Now: 3 Strikes Provision is Bad Policy

UPDATE: Conference committee released its bill--it's not great. It passed both house and senate. Next stop Governor--he can amend and veto if it comes back to him still bad. So time to call the Gov. Read more here: http://progma.us/3X_2012Jul


UPDATE: drafting NOTES of what I learned yesterday, from your calls and my visit to Rep. Linsky's office: http://hmny.me/3xUpdate1. THEY NEED TO HEAR THAT EVEN 'BETTER' 3 STRIKES IS NOT GOOD--because 3 Strikes DOESN"T WORK  


(don't need convincing? Get on the phone, today, 1/17 Tue!: http://hmny.me/3strikes3callsRECORD - 10 minutes, 3 phone calls; easy peasy lemon squeezy. 
[shortlink to this blog: http://hmny.me/3strikesbill])

As I write (1/11/2012), there is very bad policy working its way towards law--the "Three Strikes" provision in the so-called "habitual offenders" bill which passed both chambers of the MA legislature in November.  It is now in Conference Committee, where the Senate version and the House version of the bill will be reconciled, and then go to an up-or-down vote once out of committee (in other words, no opportunity for further changes).  After that, (if passed), it would go to the Governor for signing into law.

SKIP TO: WHY IT'S BAD - THE GOOD NEWS - TAKE ACTION - QUOTE - RESOURCES
SKIP TO: Actions: timeline - places to pressure - check in, suggested script

Occupy Needham! (Needham News Channel)

Needham Channel coverage of last month's standout in Needham:

Regulating Money in Political Campaigns: Where are the MA leaders?

From the Washington Independent:

Sen. Al Franken and 16 other senators are proposing a constitutional amendment that would return the authority to regulate money in political campaigns to state and federal governments, an ability that was partly undermined by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision. The Senate amendment, which has a recent House counterpart, would give Congress and states the authority to regulate money spent in federal and state political campaigns.

Only one of our MA congressmen--Jim McGovern-- has signed onto this.  Where's Stephen Lynch?

Blue Massachusetts and Better Democrats

34% of Needham's registered voters are Democrats (2010).

This Boston Globe article has a great graphic and town by town breakdown of registered Democrats: Snapshot: Democrats as percent of voters 2010 - Boston.com

With a state this blue, why don't we have universal health care (not just mandated health insurance)? Why do we have regressive state taxes? Why is the legislature voting against union bargaining rights?

Occupy Politics/Occupy the Burbs coverage

It's a MAIN STREET movement. (Natick MA 11/2011)

This is a new thread (instead of cramming more and more into old ones) for coverage on "phase 2" of Occupy tactics (engaging politics) and a running list of press coverage of MA Burb'ish Occupations.

(click here for other posts on this blog re: Occupy)

*****