Congressman Jim McGovern to meet with North Quabbin Democratic Coalition

Congressman Jim McGovern

Congressman Jim McGovern to meet with North Quabbin Democratic Coalition

On Saturday, December 3rd, the North Quabbin Democratic Coalition will host Congressman Jim McGovern for a meet & greet at the King Phillip Restaurant in Phillipston.

Congressman McGovern will be in the region as part of a day of visits throughout North Worcester County and Western Massachusetts.

“I’m excited to meet with residents and activists in North Quabbin,” said Congressman McGovern. “The North Quabbin region is one of our Commonwealth’s great treasures, and I’m eager to hear more about the issues that are important to those who call the area home.”

"For many years, the northern tier has been so blessed to have been represented by Congressman John Olver," said Brian Eno of the Orange Democratic Town Committee. "John's announcement that he will retire at the end of this session together with new district lines having been finalized means the North Quabbin is seeking new representation in Congress. Jim McGovern clearly has a strong record of representing residents and we are so glad he has made the North Quabbin an early stop on his campaign."

    About Congressman McGovern

Since his election in 1996, Congressman McGovern has been widely recognized as a tenacious advocate for his constituents and an unrivaled supporter for social justice and fundamental human rights.

Congressman McGovern has been a leading critic of U.S. military policy in both Iraq and Afghanistan, coordinating bipartisan initiatives focused on the human and financial costs of war and proposals for safely withdrawing U.S. forces from the country and promoting a political solution for Afghanistan and the region. In May, his amendment to exit the war in Afghanistan was defeated by a surprisingly close 215-204 vote, in a strong bipartisan demonstration of frustration with current policy.

Congressman McGovern recently introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, and end corporate personhood.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHO: Congressman Jim McGovern and the North Quabbin Democratic Coalition
WHAT: Meet and greet with Congressman Jim McGovern

WHERE: King Phillip Restaurant, 35 State Road, Phillipston

WHEN: December 3rd, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

DeFranco Wins US Senate Democratic Candidates Straw Poll at North Quabbin Forum

DeFranco Wins 
US Senate Democratic Candidates Straw Poll 
at North Quabbin Forum

Orange Town Committee -
Nic Guerra & Brian Eno

Despite a pre-winter snow storm that delayed the arrival of Tony Cignoli,  moderator for Thursday evening’s US Senate Democratic Candidates Forum, party faithful from Franklin County, Greenfield and the North Quabbin region arrived at the Ellinwood Country Club in Athol to welcome four of the remaining candidates hoping to win the primary and face off against Republican Senator Scott Brown during the 2012 election. 

Nicole LaChapelle

Immediately following the forum, a straw poll ballot was conducted which contained the names of each of the declared candidates, including the presumed front-runner, Elizabeth Warren. 

The results were as follows:

DeFranco – 43.4%     (23 votes)

Conroy      -   28.3%    (15 votes)

Warren      -  18.9%     (10 votes)

King            -   9.4%      ( 5 votes)

Left to right: Tom Conroy, Marisa DeFranco, Jim King and Herb Robinson

Moderator Tony Cignoli

Participants in the evening’s forum included Tom Conroy, State Representative for the 13th Middlesex District, Marisa DeFranco, an immigration lawyer, Jim King, a corporate lawyer and Herb Robinson, an engineer.  


After a five minute introduction each candidate answered questions that were largely audience generated. 

UMass College Democrats

Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law School professor and former Special Advisor for the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was not in attendance.

Thursday’s forum was sponsored by the North Quabbin Democratic Coalition and the Democratic Town Committees of Athol, Barre, Buckland, Greenfield, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Royalston, Templeton &Wendell.  Democratic State Committee member, Nicole LaChapelle served as Master of Ceremonies. 

AOTV Crew 

The forum and straw poll were filmed by Athol- Orange Community Television (AOTV) and edited by Greenfield Community Television (GCTV).   Public radio station WFCR was also on hand to record audio.

For further information, contact Orange Democratic Town Committee outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at telephone # (978) 544-1872, or by email at FraserGenevieve@gmail.com 

PHOTO CREDIT: Genevieve Fraser

Straw Poll to Follow US Senate Democratic Candidates Forum in Athol

President Gerald Ford and Tip O'Neill

Straw Poll to Follow US Senate Democratic Candidates Forum  As Massachusetts Congressman and legendary Speaker of the House Thomas "Tip" O'Neill once famously said, "All politics is local." Thursday's U.S. Senate Democratic Candidates Forum in Athol will put that axiom to the test with a straw poll of the audience immediately following the forum.  In addition, questions posed to the candidates will be drawn from audience members.  

The straw poll will include each of the declared candidates, even those who may not be present during the evening's forum.  The U.S. Senate Democratic Candidates Forum will be held at Ellinwood Country Club, Athol on Thursday, October 27 at 7 PM.  A public reception is scheduled for 6 PM.

Declared Democratic candidates hoping to win the primary and face off against Republican Senator Scott Brown during the 2012 election include Tom Conroy, State Representative for the 13th Middlesex District, Marisa DeFranco, an immigration lawyer, Alan Khazei, founder of City Year organization, Jim King, a corporate lawyer, Herb Robinson, an engineer and Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law School professor and former Special Advisor for the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Due to a scheduling conflict, Ms. Warren will not be attending the forum, but instead will send her campaign manager, Matt Patton.  According to Alan Khazei’s campaign staff, he is attempting to resolve a scheduling conflict and still hopes to attend.  The remaining candidates have committed to the event.

“I am pleased that most of the candidates have recognized the importance of coming to North Central Massachusetts,” State Senator Stephen M. Brewer commented.  “I look forward to the forum and to a discussion that focuses on the important issues that have an effect on the area.”

The U.S. Senate Democratic Candidate’s Forum will be moderated by political strategist Tony Cignoli of Springfield and is sponsored by the North Quabbin Democratic Coalition and the Democratic Town Committees of Athol, Barre, Buckland, Greenfield, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Royalston, Templeton and Wendell. 

For further information of the forum, contact the Orange Democratic Town Committee outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at telephone # (978) 544-1872, or by email atFraserGenevieve@gmail.com, or Joseph Gochinsli at jgochinski@yahoo.com

UPDATE: Thursday's US Senate Democratic Candidates Forum in Athol

UPDATE: Thursday's US Senate Democratic Candidates Forum in Athol

A straw vote containing the names of all declared candidates will be held immediately following the forum and the results will be announced. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        There is still a possibility that Alan Khazie may attend, according to his campaign staff.  He is attempting to work through a scheduling conflict.

  

Matt Patton will attend the forum as a surrogate for Elizabeth Warren. Matt is her campaign manager. Surrogates will not be invited to speak or participate in the forum, but they will be available for comments to the press and may distribute campaign material.

The confirmed candidates are Tom Conroy, Marisa DeFranco, James Coyle King and Herb Robinson.

Questions posed to the candidates will be drawn from audience members.  The event will be moderated by political strategist Tony Cignoli of Springfield and sponsored by the North Quabbin Democratic Coalition and the Democratic Town Committees of Athol, Barre, Buckland, Greenfield, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Royalston, Templeton and Wendell. 

 The U.S. Senate Democratic Candidates Forum will be held at Ellinwood Country Club, Athol on Thursday, October 27 at 7 PM.  A public reception is scheduled for 6 PM.

For further information of the forum, contact the Orange Democratic Town Committee outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at telephone # (978) 544-1872, or by email at FraserGenevieve@gmail.com, or Joseph Gochinsli at jgochinski@yahoo.com

Candidate's Vie for Kennedy's former Senate Seat in Athol on Thursday, October 27

Candidate's Vie for Kennedy's former Senate Seat in Athol on Thursday

Taking a page from the Ted Kennedy campaign playbook, local Democrats expect lively discussion on rural issues and issues facing small communities in the region such as the higher than average unemployment in the area and the need for outside investment at Thursday’s U.S. Senate Democratic Candidates Forum at Ellinwood Country Club at 7 PM.  A public reception is scheduled for 6 PM.  Ted Kennedy, the US Senator from Massachusetts from 1962 until his death in August 2009,  made Ellinwood one of his campaign stops as he campaigned in the 1980s.

Senator Stan Rosenberg

Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) commended the candidates for agreeing to share their views and ideas with the people of Central and Western Massachusetts through this debate. The event will be moderated by political strategist Tony Cignoli of Springfield who will draw questions from those in attendance.  “I urge people to turn out to hear them and to ask questions that will help us understand how they plan to help our local economy and communities,” Rosenberg stated.

The format for the evening will begin with opening statements from each candidate. The moderator will then follow with questions in a round robin format, allowing for one minute responses from each candidate.  Thirty second rebuttals will be allowed if one candidate mentions another by name in a response. Candidates will be given the opportunity to deliver two minute closing statements.

"One Democrat will be chosen in the coming months to run against Scott Brown in the fall,” Allen Young, the chair of the Royalston Democratic Town Committee said.  “It's not often that candidates for this very important post come to Athol, so this is a great opportunity for us to see the people who want to replace Brown.”

“As a likely delegate representing Royalston, I am uncommitted and this forum will help me decide," Young continued.  "It can also help every voter decide. I hope there will be a big turnout with lots of good questions. We need a U.S. Senator who will do what's right for America and what's right for Massachusetts."

Jeffrey Kovach, the Democratic Town Committee chair from Templeton concurred. "This region of the commonwealth is unique, and the challenges it faces are different from those of the rest of the commonwealth. To  hear our candidates speak to those issues that impact us the greatest, such as the economy and green energy, is a wonderful opportunity for all involved. It is refreshing to know that those candidates who took the time to attend this forum really do care about this region of Massachusetts."

Thursday’s forum is sponsored by the North Quabbin Democratic Coalition and the Democratic Town Committees of Athol, Barre, Buckland, Greenfield, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Royalston, Templeton and Wendell.

“Hopefully we will have a spectacular turnout Thursday night," William Caldwell of the Athol Democratic Town Committee commented. “This an important race and will speak a lot about the candidates and the Democratic platform."  

Nic Guerra, the Orange Democratic Town Committee chair added, "I am looking forward to this historic event on Thursday. This is the first step to improving our communities and education.” 

For further information of the forum, contact the Orange Democratic Town Committee outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at telephone # (978) 544-1872, or by email at FraserGenevieve@gmail.com, or Joseph Gochinsli at jgochinski@yahoo.com

Open Enrollment for Orange Democrats for Democratic Town Committee

Open Enrollment for Orange Democrats for Democratic Town Committee

Orange Democrats interested in serving on the Orange Democratic Town Committee are invited to sign nomination papers before the November 4  deadline.  Each political party may elect a town committee which is the basic legal organization of political parties in Massachusetts.  Members of town committees represent their party at the local neighborhood level;  promote the objectives of the party; and work for the nomination and election of party candidates.  The slate of candidates will be voted on during the Presidential Primary on March 6, 2012.  A slate of candidates may be between three and thirty-five individuals.

The nomination papers will be available during the October 27 US Senate Democratic Candidates Forum Meet and Greet reception which will be held at 6 PM, prior to the forum which will start at 7 PM.  The reception and forum will be held at Ellinwood Country Club,  1928 Pleasant Street in Athol.  

For further information, or to make special arrangements to sign the papers, contact the Orange Democratic Town Committee outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at telephone # (978) 544-1872, or by email at FraserGenevieve@gmail.com  

Information on the Orange Town Committee can be found at  http://orangemassdems.blogspot.com/

Democratic Senate Candidates Forum in Athol October 27

Democratic Senate Candidates Forum in Athol, Thursday, October 27

Save the date!! The Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate will gather at Ellinwood Country Club on Thursday, October 27 at 7 PM. This forum will see the candidates answer questions from the audience which reflect concerns facing central and western Massachusetts.  The event will be moderated by political strategist Tony Cignoli of Springfield and sponsored by a coalition of Democratic Town Committees from across the area. The event is free and open to the public.  For further information, contact the Orange Democratic Town Committee outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at telephone # (978) 544-1872, or by email at FraserGenevieve@gmail.com

Democracy Alive and Well at Democratic Senate Primary Debate at UMass Lowell

Democratic Senate Primary Debate at UMass Lowell 

Democracy Alive and Well 

Elizabeth Warren

UMass Lowell’s Durgin Hall was the scene of the first Democratic Senate primary debate Tuesday October 4th at 7 PM. For the first time in the 2012 senate race, all six of our Democratic candidates gathered together to discuss and debate the issues that face Massachusetts residents. UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan, the former MA-5 Congressman, moderated the debate while taking questions from students, panels, Twitter, and Facebook.

Click on: Watch the debate. 
Democratic candidates for Senate, including: Thomas P. Conroy, Herb Robinson, Elizabeth Warren, Alan Khazei, Marisa DeFranco and Bob Massie.

The Stakes of the Massachusetts Senate Race

By Kevin Franck, Communications Director, Massachusetts Democratic Party

Bob Maisse

It is clear that the stakes in the Massachusetts Senate race are much higher than Scott Brown might be willing to admit. With incumbent Democratic Senators locked in tough-reelection battles around the country, it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where the winner of the Massachusetts Senate race determines which party will control the Senate.

Since Tea Party Republicans took over the House of Representatives, the Democratic Senate has been a solid firewall against the spread of the Tea Party agenda. The Democratic Senate that stopped Republican Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare as we know it and the Tea Party’s Social Security-destroying “cut, cap and balance” scheme is at risk and the Senate race in the Commonwealth will have national implications.

The choice for Massachusetts is stark: Elect a senator who will be a voice for the middle-class or send Mitch McConnell the 51st vote he needs to give Tea Party Republicans control of the U.S. Senate.

Alan Khazei

A Tea Party-controlled Senate would double-down on the failed economic policies of the past, continuing tax breaks for Big Oil companies, CEOs and hedge fund managers while insisting that the full burden of getting our nation’s fiscal house in order be placed squarely on the shoulders of the middle class.

State Rep. Tom Conroy

Another poll last month from Mass Inc found that a majority of likely Massachusetts voters think Congress should prioritize Democratic policy initiatives like narrowing the gap between the rich and poor and making sure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share. In contrast, the same poll found that less than half of those surveyed thought Congress should place a high priority on cutting the size of the federal government and less than one-third said cutting taxes should be a high priority.

While Scott Brown is likely to highlight the few times he has broken from Tea Party Republican orthodoxy to vote with Democrats, it’s worth pointing out that those measures would hardly have had a chance to advance in a Republican Senate. Brown voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell after it was clear it would pass, but a Republican Senate would have never held a vote on the anti-gay policy. Nor would Republicans have pushed through the Wall Street reform bill that Brown voted for after making sure that the banking industry would not be on the hook for the cost of implementing new reforms.


In fact, a Republican U.S. Senate would no doubt move to repeal Wall Street reform and the Affordable Care Act. The new protections put in place to prevent another economic crisis and end abusive practices by the financial industry would vanish. President Obama’s Massachusetts-inspired health care reform law that has already provided access to health care for many Americans who didn’t’ have it before would vanish. Some Republicans started clamoring to reinstate the ban on gays and lesbians in the military just as soon as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ended.

In 2012, voters in the Commonwealth could very well decide which party will control the U.S. Senate. A Tea Party Republican Senate would roll back the progress we’ve made under President Obama and pursue a radical ideological agenda that will hurt middle-class families. That’s what is at stake in the Massachusetts Senate race.

Attorney Marisa DeFranco

Herb Robinson

Photo Credit:  Brian Eno

Orange Town Democrats Host Potluck Meeting Sunday, September 18

Nic Guerra

The public is invited to attend a pot luck meeting of the Orange Town Democratic Party on Sunday, September 18  at 5 p.m. at the Fiske-Murphy Mack North Quabbin's Community Funeral Home, 110 New Athol Road in Orange, MA.  The entrance to the community room is in the back of the building.

According to Nic Guerra, President of the Orange Town Democrats, "The statewide and national elections are fast approaching.  We're committed to providing a local platform for the US Senate race which is proving to be quite exciting as candidates line up to vie for a spot on the ticket opposing US Senator Scott Brown in the 2012 election."

"Based on our party's platform, Massachusetts Democrats have ambitious goals.  We want health care to be a basic human right.  We want everyone to be able to work for a living wage and have the right to organize.  We believe a high-quality education should be accessible to every person, and we want to play an active role in addressing climate change, "Guerra continued.  "We also believe it is important to get involved.  So please join us on September 18 as we plan for an exciting campaign year to create a solid foundation for the state's continued success."

In keeping with the spirit of the state Democratic platform, the Orange Town Democrats invite fellow Democrats and people outside the party to attend the event.  For further information, contact Genevieve Fraser at 978-544-1872, or email FraserGenevieve@gmail.com , and/or visit the party's website at 

http://orangemassdems.blogspot.com

Orange MA Democratic Party Cook-Out a Great Success

A great time was had by all...

Representative Denise Andrews (center)  To her left are
Joanie Cohen-Mitchell and Henry Ortel.  Ginny Porcari (right)

The Orange Democratic Committee recently hosted a cook-out and pot luck gathering at Bicentennial Park near 455 Holtshire Road in Orange.  The cook-out was open to the public.  

Joe Gochinski, Register of Deeds

Special guests included Joseph A. Gochinski, Register of the Franklin District Registry of Deeds and Patty Marcus, chair of the Franklin County Democratic Party.  The State Representative for the 2^nd Franklin District, Denise Andrews was also in attendance.

Brian Eno, aide to
Rep. Andrews

“The purpose of the Orange Democratic Committee is to build relationships to advance the democratic values, platform, party and candidates. Our intent is to advance a healthy democracy and a vibrant and sustainable future,” Nic Guerra, chair of the town Democratic Committee commented.

According to the Statement of Values of the Massachusetts Democratic Party:

Jane Mayo

"Massachusetts Democrats believe in the common good. We know that the strength of our democracy is dependent on the engagement of thoughtful citizens. That is why our party is organized around the basic notion that individuals working together can make a positive impact on their community. Massachusetts Democrats believe that government plays a vital role in the lives of individuals and communities."

As Governor Deval Patrick is quick to point out, it is important to get involved.   "Help push the politics of conviction. Help people understand what is possible through politics. Give people a reason to hope for the best and ways to work for it" the Governor stated.   

Mike Magee

In keeping with the spirit of the Governor’s message, the Orange Town Democrats invite fellow Democrats and people outside the party to attend meetings and learn more.  For further information, contact the outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at 978-544-1872, or email FraserGenevieve@gmail.com

Photo credit: Genevieve Fraser