Blue Mass. Group

[cos]

My first post on Blue Mass. Group is up!
It's my favorite blog covering Massachusetts politics, and I'm happy to join them - even though it took more than a month from when they gave me a posting account, until I managed to actually write something. Anyway, I wrote about the candidates forum in Somerville last week, with the four senate candidates. Here's my post:

Impressions from the Candidates Forum

Pass it on, link to it, send me some traffic. Comments on how to make my writing better are welcome (here on LJ :). As abilouise reminded me at the end of the forum, if only Jake had been there! I'd love to have seen his writeup.
(yes, the troll is always ornery like that, we've learned to tolerate him and he does bring in a useful perspective sometimes)

Comments

[lil-brown-bat.livejournal.com]

Cool stuff, cos. Thanks for putting me onto this site.

Too bad there's not much focused on the western end of the state, or on energy issues, though.

western mass

[cos]

Sometime soon (though probably after August 30th), I do plan to post about Pat Duffy, who is running for Holyoke City Council at-large. I had her speak at the most recent Pioneer Valley DFA meeting in Amherst a few weeks ago. Peter Vickery is involved in her campaign and I think his campaign manager is managing her campaign.

I thought about posting something about the drug case with those kids in Great Barrington, but I doubt I'll have time to get to it. Maybe something snarky about how the Eagle has gone downhill under new ownership? :)

Re: western mass

[lil-brown-bat.livejournal.com]

Western Mass is a pretty big place; none of those places are close to me. The drug case is pretty old news at this point.

What's a little more relevant to us here, although not too new, is the wind farm bizniz (Nantucket no way, Montague okay) and home heating issues, which no political person gives a small rat turd about.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

not entirely relevant, but: i may be outta town on the 30th. can i get an absentee ballot?

over the country absentee voting

[cos]

Rather than wait for the back-and-forth mailing delays, you could vote over the counter at Somerville City Hall any time during their regular business hours. They're actually open late on Thursdays, I think 'til 7pm (and the close at noon on Fridays). Go to the elections / city clerk desk, downstairs, and you can fill out your absentee application and your ballot all in one visit.

Is anyone else from Andor possible going to be away on the 30th?

Re: over the country absentee voting

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

thanks! i am not sure what other people's schedules are, but i'll forward this info to the house.

Re: over the counter absentee voting

[cos]

(of course that should be "counter" not "country" - oops!)

[dpolicar]

Actually, I thought it was pretty well-written. It could stand some tightening of the "eliminate every third word" variety, but it's clear and cogent.

Is there some reason...

[darth-velma.livejournal.com]

the troll doesn't spell your username correctly?

Re: Is there some reason...

[cos]

I never asked him, so I can only guess. You could ask him if you want :)

Special election

[(Anonymous)]

THANK YOU for pointing out that Jehlen supports nonpartisan redistricting and paper ballots. As far as I'm concerned the REAL issue in this whole country is the way that elections have become polarized because politicians draw the districts. KEEP AT IT!

Margie

Re: Special election

[cos]

You're welcome! Voting reform is actually where you'll find the clearest difference between traditional Massachusetts liberal Democratic politicians, and the ones we're calling "progressives" (such as Pat Jehlen). For example, Joe Mackey is running on the left in this election, pro-choice, pro-gay, anti-death penalty... but he said in the PDS questionnaire that he opposes requiring paper ballots, opposes instant runoff voting, and he didn't sound enthusiastic about nonpartisan redistricting. Pat Jehlen is not only co-sponsoring bills for nonpartisan redistricting and instant runoff voting, she also volunteered that we need same day registration, which the questionnaire didn't ask about.

[(Anonymous)]

Hey Cos -- thanks for pointing out the deadline for registering on the various communities -- I had just moved to Medford, and would have missed it. (I had a voter registration form, but didn't know there was a special election coming up, so I hadn't been in a hurry.)

[cos]

You're welcome, and thanks. Who is this BTW?