[act-ma] ASAP, and thru Nov 20: Help PassMassAmendment! - PLEASE folks, help lighten the load, from now to Nov 20

Thu Oct 3 17:16:19 PDT 2013

Hi folks;

  <http://passmassamendment.org>PassMassAmendment
  <http://passmassamendment.org> [PMA]has been on the move now for just
  over a week, and gaining steam.

*We need your help*, to try and be sure that those volunteers working 
tirelessly for this initiative are not doing so in vain. MA voters are 
SO on board with this issue (of out-of-control corporate influence in 
our 'democratic' process). Voters are eager to sign the PMA petition, 
and extremely appreciative that we are doing this.  So, signatures for 
the PMA petition are out there, ripe for the picking!  We just need ALL 
OF US to get out there and get them; how many more we could get with 
more hands on board! Time is of the essence; we have only till Nov 20th 
to collect 90,000 signatures.

if you can help, please let us know: passmassamendment at gmail.com 
<mailto:passmassamendment at gmail.com>

    Summary/recap:

from PMA:
*PassMassAmendment* is a State Ballot Initiative Committee registered 
with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, advocating for a 
clarification to the Massachusetts Constitution.  We cite that under the 
Massachusetts Constitution and the Massachusetts General Laws  
corporations have no rights except for those granted by the 
Massachusetts Legislature, which can be taken away. We also cite that 
money has never been considered speech in the Massachusetts Constitution 
and the Massachusetts General Laws. We fear the corrupting influence of 
money in our government and that we want to make it clear that 
corporations are not people, money is not speech.

PMA is a "Grassroots" movement. This is all about the people. We are 
trying to make a change that has not been accomplished in well over 100 
years, since the Union movement began. There will be major forces 
against us. That is, if we accomplish our first goal of collecting the 
needed signatures. Folks, we need help. We need to prove that the people 
have regained their voice. We need to thank the people in Wisconsin for 
putting Madison into our consciousness. We need to thank the people who 
marched with and supported Occupy for amplifying the voices that the 
people recovered in Madison. We now need to amplify our previous 
progress and get something done.

Our message is non partisan and a benefit to all people.

    Tools and support are ready for you; its EASY to get started:

 1. Spend a few minutes reading the Legal Discussion
    <http://passmassamendment.wikispaces.com/The+Legal+Discussion> at
    PassMassAmendment. The whole spiel is in it except for Article LIX
    of our Constitution which states that the Legislature has control
    over corporations.

    NOTE, from Nick: the difference between CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS and
    the rights that the Legislature may give corporations: 
    Constitutional rights are "constitutionally protected
    rights"...those which can not be taken away.  Legislative rights are
    those that can be taken away by the legislature without a vote of
    the citizenry.

    Some equate "the battle" to that of "the commons" or that of
    "natural rights".  There is a whole history to the concept of
    "natural rights"...those rights which are naturally occurring, as
    opposed to "man-made".  You may hear people speak of "corporate
    rights" as being a "man-made fiction".  It seems that they are
    saying that "corporate constitutionally protected rights are not
    natural".  A lot of people said that to me yesterday at the
    festival..."corporations are not people? yes, that makes sense".
    "corporate rights? that doesn't sound natural".  Self-evident is
    another thing that is referred to what we are doing.  What we are
    doing is clarifying the self-evident...the natural, so that lawyers
    don't use legal trickery to defile our communities, and courts don't
    allow them, because they don't understand what we mean by "a person".

 2. Watch this short video
    <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8OJ7URBZvQ&feature=youtu.be> (from
    MassPirg) that explains how to collect signatures - very important.

 3. Print copies of the 2-sided petition
    <http://passmassamendment.wikispaces.com/PRINT+THE+PETITION+FORM> or
    find a pick-up location
    <http://passmassamendment.wikispaces.com/PICK-UP+PETITIONS> in your
    area.

 4. Print out the 3-page petitioner packet
    <mailbox:///C:/Users/pfsoto/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/i825yi4k.default/Mail/Local%20Folders/Drafts?number=8950765&part=1.4&filename=Petitioner%20info%20for%20Casual%20Petitioner.pdf>,
    which has *Instructions* for signers and answers to*FAQs*

    Tips, notes:

There is a limit of 17,000 signatures "per county".  We can't focus just 
on the larger cities; we especially need help in outlying towns and cities.

Having a prop (like the PassMassAmendment poster, 
<http://passmassamendment.wikispaces.com/file/view/Poster%20PassMassAmend%2011x14.pdf/450486184/Poster%20PassMassAmend%2011x14.pdf>  
11x14) is extremely helpful; while you are approaching people, others 
will see the poster and most are likely to stop and be eager to sign.  
You can also download other aids: flyers and handouts 
<http://passmassamendment.wikispaces.com/Posters%2C+Flyers+%26+Hand+Outs>.  
Expected soon: laminated posters.

Do NOT call the Election Division with questions: they want all 
questions to be routed thru Nick: nbokron at gmail.com 
<mailto:nbokron at gmail.com>

Completed petition forms should be photo-copied. Later, when sufficient 
numbers are collected, they will be turned in to the cities and towns.

Check out PassMassAmendment <http://PassMassAmendment.org>; it has lots 
more info and resources.

    Suggestions, where to petition:

  * MA festivals <http://festivalnet.com/state/massachusetts/ma.html>
  * Farmers markets (these are great venues for this issue)
  * Any place where there is decent foot traffic
  * MA events; try the Rule19 Calendar
    <http://rule19.org/ActionCalendar/index.asp?size=large> and ACT-MA
    <http://act-ma.org/pipermail/act-ma_act-ma.org/2013/date.html#start>

    Folks, this is sometime concrete that YOU can DO! Please offer a few
    hours - as many as you can - before the Nov 20 deadline.

    Help PMA with this petition drive - nothing could be more important
    or more useful. Do this, and take a step towards regaining YOUR VOICE.

Email passmassamendment at gmail.com <mailto:passmassamendment at gmail.com> 
and let us know you'd like to help.

best, pf

"/What's the use of a fine house if you don't have a tolerable planet to 
put it on?/"  ~Henry David Thoreau
(a signature quote from one of our volunteers; i like it!)

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