Framingham Democratic Town Committee

Minutes of January 22, 2006

Held at Framingham Green from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.

Attendance

Members: Bob Berman, Randy Black, Debby Blumer, Nancy Coville Wallace, Carlos Cunningham, Jerry Desilets, Linda Fields, Esther Hopkins, Donna Howard, Chris Lorant, Waldo Lyon, Dave Magnani, Stephanie Mercandetti, Terene Micciche, Cesar Monzon, Joan Rastani, Chris Ross, Norma Shulman, Alan Silver, Rochelle Sivan, John Stefanini, Parwez Wahid

Associate Members: Pam Roberts, Steve Robinson, Shelley Strowman

Guest speakers: Mayor Tim Murray, John Bonifaz, AG Tom Reilly, Secretary Bill Galvin, Rep. Mike Festa

Elected Officials: Senator Karen Spilka, State Rep. Tom Sannicandro

Guests: Cecile Robinson, Fred Wallace, Marvin Siflinger, Laura Medrano, Stan Berman, Phil Jack, Steve Joyce, Stas Gayshan, Lloyd Kaye

Treasurer’s report

There is 1 member owing dues for 2003-04, Rev. Faith Tolson.

Members owing dues for 2004-05: R. Berman, C. Cunningham, L. Fields, E. Hopkins, C. Monzon, F. Tolson

There are 5 paid associate members.

Minutes for the November meeting were accepted.

PROGRAM:

Tim Murray, candidate for Lt. Governor.

Mayor Murray recalled his entry into the political system back in 1996 when he was involved in the campaign to elect Congressman McGovern. Here he learned how to work with other Democrats. This experience led him to seek and win the office of Mayor of Worcester; Murray is now entering his 3rd term as Mayor.

Tim Murray is the oldest of five. His father was a teacher and his mother a nurse. He recalls how his parents had concerns on family finances. He sees that more and more families are feeling the burden to make ends meet. Today he sees that cities and towns across the state are having difficulties in making their budgets. Murray stated that Massachusetts is falling behind the rest of the country. It is losing people and jobs. He wants to turn this around. As Mayor of Worcester he played a significant role in the city’s revival. He successfully expanded commuter rail service from Boston to Worcester, an act that helped in his city’s revival. He believes he can carry this experience forward as Lt. Governor.

Murray states that his candidacy offers strategic value to the Democratic ticket. He believes that he has the ability to reach voters along the Rt. 495 belt and further west.

The Democratic Party did not fare well in this region of the state during the 2002 elections. Tim Murray believes he can deliver votes in this region.

John Bonifaz, candidate for Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Mr. Bonifaz is a resident of Jamaica Plain. He became involved in politics as the young age of 18 when he was the Scheduler for Ted Kennedy. He founded the National Voting Rights Institute in 1994. He points out that the Secretary of the Commonwealth is the Chief Elections Officer of the state and if elected he hopes to create a model of fair voting rights. He would seek to advance a Voters Bill of Rights on three issues:

(1) Count every vote

(2) Make voting easier with reforms such as Same Day Registration

(3) End big money dominance

On item 3, he feels it is important that candidates speak to voters’ concerns rather than solely seeking fund raising.

Mr. Bonifaz believes that there have been voting violations in Boston under the watch of the current Secretary. He wants to correct any such occurrences.

In commenting on the 2004 elections he referred to a study that was conducted to observe the vote process. Thousands did not get to vote and were left with uncertainty as to whether their provisional ballot was correctly counted. He would like to add an amendment to the US Constitution that would guarantee all citizens the right to vote. (Currently the Constitution has no such direct language, although the Constitution does prohibit denying a person from voting based on race or gender. This was part of the Supreme Court ruling in the 2000 elections controversy.)

Tom Reilly, candidate for Governor.

Mr. Reilly recalled his previous campaigns for District Attorney and Attorney General and he appreciated the support he received each time from the Metrowest region. He stressed the need to focus on winning in November. Tom Reilly was born in Springfield and today lives in Watertown with his wife and their three children. He is the son of Irish immigrants.

Reilly told of his youth when he lost his father while he was at age 16. Also he lost his brother in a tragic accident. He found himself in difficult times with an uncertain future, but with guidance from a friend’s father he ultimately gained admission to American International College. He had actually been recommended to trade school. He was insistent to attend college and was initially admitted to night school. With good grades he was able to get admitted to day school.

Reilly went on to BC Law School then started a law firm in Boston. He went on to serve as District Attorney for two terms. While serving as DA, Reilly would visit high schools to keep them safe and to identify students who were considered at risk.

Under his watch as AG he put Harvard Pilgrim into receivership and still maintained its services and payments to doctors. He took on the clergy during the sex abuse scandals and was able to gain an 8.7% reduction in auto insurance.

Tom Reilly offers that he knows the state of Massachusetts and every sector of its economy; he knows the people of the state. He understands the people do not expect miracles – they expect the truth.

Reilly feels the 2006 elections are important for our children and grandchildren. He stresses that Democrats must reach out to independent voters and stay together to win in November. The party must stay united through the primaries and general elections.

On a question regarding health care, Reilly stated that rising health costs can be addressed by identifying appropriate care early on.

Bill Galvin, incumbent candidate for Secretary of State.

Mr. Galvin described his accomplishments as Secretary of the Commonwealth in addressing voter concerns. He recalls how back in 2000 he was contacted by the Gore Campaign during the Florida re-count. (Galvin stated that he had advised the Gore Campaign to ask for re-counts state-wide rather than in just selected counties of Florida.) He described how the punch-card ballots that were at the core of the 2000 election controversy had been outlawed by his initiative back in 1997. As Secretary he has introduced election equipment that helps disabled persons to vote.

Galvin commented on the state of Massachusetts, where jobs are being lost due to the high cost of living. He feels the state has not had a viable economic plan for nearly 20 years. Health care reform is needed as today health costs are higher and benefits are fewer.

He stated that while the Governor claims to have held the line on “no new taxes”, communities have had battles on Proposition 2-1/2 overrides. Mr. Galvin also added that he was designated to be liaison for the census in 2000.

Mike Festa, candidate for District Attorney.

This was Mike Festa’s second visit to the Framingham DTC (he appeared in April 2005). Mike spoke only briefly to talk about his race. He contrasted his own background against those of the two opponents he is facing in the race. One of the opponents is a reputable prosecutor but has no experience in legislation or policy making. The other opponent is respected for his abilities as a policy maker and legislator but has no experience in prosecution. Mike stated that his own background offers experience as both a prosecutor and a legislator. He feels this unique combination of skills put him ahead of his opponents in the race.

BUSINESS:

The Framingham Caucus will be on Sunday February 5th. Registration at 12noon, caucus starts at 1pm. Registration closes at 1:15pm. Volunteers are needed for setup and various tasks such as registration, handing out and collecting ballots, counting ballots.

The Nominating Committee was formed to identify candidates for the DTC Officers Election that will take place in April. Any current officer not seeking election will be on the nominating committee. (If any current officer chooses to run for election, he/she must be recused from the Nominating Committee.) Archie Lyon, who had expressed interest in helping to find a candidate for the Affirmative Action officer, will also serve on the Nominating Committee.

Reports From The Hill, given by Debby Blumer:

The House is taking up the question on the required financial reporting of religious institutions.

Governor’s budget proposal is going out during the week.

The mandatory seat-belt law was passed in the House and has now been moved to the Senate.

Framingham Democratic Town Committee

Minutes of November 13, 2005

Held at Framingham Green from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.

Meeting was chaired by Debby Blumer as Norma Shulman was not in attendance.

Attendance

Members: Debby Blumer, Jerry Desilets, Donna Howard, Chris Lorant, Waldo Lyon, Tom Mahoney, Kathie McCarthy, Sarah Micciche, Terene Micciche, Valerie Mulvey, Mary Murphy, Joan Rastani, Chris Ross, Alan Silver, Rochelle Sivan, John Stefanini, Cheryl Tully Stoll, Parwez Wahid

Associate Members: Pam Roberts, Steve Robinson, Sue Elwyn, Carrie Daley,

Recent Associates: AJ Mulvey

Guest speakers: Rep. Peter Koutoujian, District Attorney Martha Coakley

Elected Officials: Senator Karen Spilka

Guests: Bob Cassidy (DSC), Martin Mulvey, Ilma Paxicon

Treasurer’s report

There are 2 members who still owe dues for 2003-04, R. Black and Rev. Faith Tolson.

There are 20 paid regular members.

17 members owing dues for 2004-05: R. Berman, R. Black, R. Blum, C. Cunningham, L. Fields, E. Hopkins, R. Litter, D. Magnani, T. Mahoney, S. Mercandetti, T. Micciche, C. Monzon, M Murphy, B Muto, C. Ross, J. Stefanini, F. Tolson

(Several of the members owing dues paid during the November meeting.)

There are 3 paid associate members.

Treasurer’s report was accepted.

Concerning the overdue membership fees, Jerry Desilets motioned to authorize the Treasurer to issue reminder notices to those members still owing dues. Motion was passed with the understanding there will be mailing expenses incurred.

Minutes for the October meeting were accepted with one correction to include Joan Rastani in the attendance.

PROGRAM:

Martha Coakley, candidate for Attorney General, introduced by Rochelle Sivan.

Originally from North Adams, Ms. Coakley resides in Medford. She began her presentation by promising to be brief and quipping that “a lecture is a long answer to a question that was never asked”! She regards herself as an “accidental politician”. After several years as a prosecutor, she made the decision to try for the office of District Attorney. Middlesex County has about 25% of the state’s population making the job of District Attorney all the more challenging. An important lesson she learned as the County DA was that after offenders have been caught many of the cases show that there were lost opportunities for earlier intervention that might have prevented the individual from going the path of criminal offense.

Coakley stated her experiences in serving as the District Attorney now position her to be the next Attorney General for the Commonwealth. Addressing the needs of homeland security, assuring the preparedness of the local police and fire departments and working with Federal agencies. Also the need to be prepared for potential disasters such as the hurricane in the Gulf or locally, the dam in Taunton.

Through her experience in the DA office, Ms. Coakley feels she can work with other departments of government in addressing the most pressing issues that citizens face. Identifying a matter as legislative or needing financial support are the types of questions that Ms. Coakley believes she is capable of handling. She states that she has been successful in working with the state’s legislators on subjects such as sex offenders and child/elderly safety.

Consumer protection, assuring health insurance coverage, fair credit protection, environmental concerns are all areas where the Attorney General’s office becomes the voice for the people. On the subject of environmental protection, Ms. Coakley commented that the Federal Government had nearly abrogated this responsibility to the states; as such the Attorney General’s office becomes a key agent in addressing environmental issues. The AG’s office address civil rights issues concerning discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender and gender orientation.

Another area for the Attorney General’s office concerns business development. Ms. Coakley described how Massachusetts has one foot in the 21st century and one in the 20th century. By this she meant that new businesses pursuing bio-tech often encounter archaic laws that are not directly applicable. Until recently the District Attorney would decide on such matters, however that was not the true function of the DA and it requires that the Attorney General be able to intervene and provide the leadership needed.

Ms. Coakley commented that all of these areas that the Attorney General addresses become vital for the on-going development of the state. Massachusetts has become an expensive state to live in and the Attorney General can play an important regulatory role in making the state more affordable so that population and jobs do not leave the state. Keeping the hi-tech jobs in Massachusetts would be vital to take advantage of the state’s tremendous education and research base.

Her last remark was concerning the Corner Office at the State House. As the Democratic Party has not won a gubernatorial election in almost 20 years, Ms. Coakley feels this is because most voters see the opposing party as more “competent”. She felt it important that Democrats demonstrate their competence in order to win the Corner Office in 2006.

Peter Koutoujian, candidate for Middlesex County District Attorney, introduced by Debby Blumer.

Mr. Koutoujian, currently State Rep for the 10th Middlesex, is from Waltham and grew up in a family that took pride in public service. His mother was a teacher and his father a city clerk for over 30 years. He graduated from Bridgewater State and New England School of Law and earned an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government. As a former prosecutor he has handled thousands of cases, many in the Framingham District Court.

Mr. Koutoujian believes his career path has prepared him to be the County’s next District Attorney. In his estimate the District Attorney’s office can impact peoples lives more than any other elected office in the state, in particular where it comes to dealing with offenders and predators. He feels the DA should have 3 priorities: (1) Public Safety, (2) Working with victims and families, and (3) Work with local police authorities.

His background as a experienced legislator, trained manager and proven legislator has made him ready to be the next District Attorney for Middlesex County; he asked the Committee members for their support in his campaign.

BUSINESS:

The Democratic Caucus in Framingham will be on February 5th at Cameron Middle School. Registration is at 12noon, the caucus proceedings commence at 1:15pm. There was some discussion to move the caucus date to February 4th since the Super Bowl would be on the 5th, thus potentially reducing participation. Donna Howland, who had attended a caucus training session earlier that day, reported that the State Committee prefers all caucus across the state to occur on the same date. (Contrary to the caucus window of Feb 4 to Feb 12 announced several months ago.)

The decision to hold the caucus on the 5th was a Committee decision made at a previous meeting as an agenda item. Also the date was selected within the established window. Debby Blumer took a poll of the members in attendance to get a sense of the date preferred. (This was not an official vote to change the caucus date.) More members indicated preference to go with February 4th.

Further reporting on the training, Donna stated that following the caucus the DTC Chair would be able to enter the caucus results information on-line (speeding up the reporting process). The number of delegates remains at 35 for Framingham with the DTC Chair as an automatic (included in the count of 35). Alternates is reduced to 3. Those who wish to participate in the caucus must be registered by December 31, 2005 unless the individual is serving in the armed forces.

There will be a roll call vote for delegates at 11am on the Saturday of the convention. Delegates must be present in the area designated for their Senate district. Delegates who may be working for a candidate can be excused from the roll call by checking with the teller upon arriving at the convention hall. There will be simultaneous voting for more than one office. If there remain only 2 candidates for Governor, then the voting will first be for Governor and Lt. Governor. If there are more than 2 candidates for governor, the voting will first be for Lt. Governor and Secretary of State, followed by voting for Governor. Convention registration fee is $75.

Alan Silver mentioned how during the last nominating caucus there were questions on how the proceedings were being conducted with regards to slates. He asked if there would be any attempt to form a unity slate at the caucus and if so would there be any efforts to clarify such a process ahead of time. Debby Blumer replied that a special meeting would be needed for the purpose of forming a unity slate, however there had been no such discussion among the DTC on this subject. She added that a sub-committee will be needed to organize the logistics of conducting the caucus itself. Those interested in serving on the caucus organizing sub-committee should express their interest to the DTC Chair.

The nominating committee to fill the Affirmative Action/Outreach Advisor position currently has only one person serving: Archie Lyon who was appointed at the October meeting. No additional volunteers were willing to serve this committee. The Chair will be asked to approach the membership.

Bob Cassidy announced the MNW Alliance meeting for November 29th in Ashland, with Mike Festa (candidate for DA) and Andrea Silbert (candidate for Lt. Gov) as the guest speakers.

Also Bob Cassidy announced that a House Bill on health care is being considered. This is a bill similar to what had been proposed during the Dukakis Administration during the 1980s but was dismantled by the Weld Administration during the 90s. Bob urged the Committee to become familiar with the bill and ask their legislators to support it.

In connection to this bill, Senator Karen Spilka announced a health-fair taking place at Keefe Tech.