Framingham Democratic Town Committee
Minutes of May 22, 2005
Held at Framingham Green from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.
Attendance
Members: Debby Blumer, Nancy Coville Wallace, Jerry Desilets, Esther Hopkins, Donna Howland, Chris Lorant, Kathie McCarthy, Stephanie Mercandetti, Sarah Micciche, Terene Micciche, Valerie Mulvey, Joan Rastani, Norma Shulman, Alan Silver, Rochelle Sivan, Cheryl Tully Stoll, Parwez Wahid
Associate Members: Pam Roberts, Shelley Strowman
Guests: Deborah Goldberg, Jonathan Sclerzic, Stacy Schwartz
Other elected officials: Senator Karen Spilka
Treasurer’s report
Previous Balance
$1222.14
Dues received
$0.00
Dividends
$2.22
Postage
-$14.04
Webpage
-$71.60
Bal as of 4/10/05
$1138.72
There are 2 members who still owe dues for 2004-05.
There were 12 paid associate members during 2004-05.
All members should pay dues for 2005-06 starting with the May 2005 meeting. (Several members paid their dues during the meeting.)
Minutes for the March meeting were accepted with corrections to include the names Joan Rastani and Shelley Strowman in the attendance.
A letter will be sent to the Town Election Board containing the names of 3 members from which the Board will select 1 as the Democratic member serving on the Election Board. Linda Fields, who had served in this capacity the previous four years, expressed interest in continuing. The DTC will send the names of Linda Fields, Norma Shulman and Parwez Wahid with a strong suggestion to that Linda Fields be the selection.
Valerie Mulvey added that Precinct 18 needs clerks and wards for the Town Elections.
Schedule for 2005-06: Parwez Wahid will prepare a draft of proposed dates for meetings during the 2005-06, this will be presented during the June meeting for approval by the Committee.
Parwez Wahid read announcements for the May 24th MW Dems meeting with Martha Coakley and Charlie Murphy taking place at the Nixon School in Sudbury. Also State Rep. Peter Koutoujian will be holding a public hearing on May 23rd at Framingham State College, Dwight Auditorium. This hearing is for the special commission established to better understand the size and scope of OxyContin drug addiction.
Chris Lorant announced the following:
May 23rd, Metrowest Singles meetup, 8pm at Tin Alley Grill
May 25th, Democracy for America meetup, 7pm Framingham Library
May 31st, Metrowest Alliance meeting in Ashland
Jun 18th, Coffee for Mike Festa, hosted by Parwez Wahid
Jun 2-3, 2006, State Convention in Worcester
(Parwez added that the coffee he is hosting will be at 10:30AM on Saturday morning 6/18 and his home is about 2 miles away from the Framingham Green at 14 Waveney Road.)
Chris also mentioned supporting efforts like Flag Day in Framingham.
PROGRAM:
Stacy Swartz from SEIU (Service Employees International Union) that represents healthcare workers. They are currently working on a project to improve the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program. This program provides elderly and disabled persons with personal care in their homes. There are about 20,000 PCAs in the state who are paid $10.64 per hour through the Mass Health Care Program. There are few benefits to these workers, they have no health insurance through their employer. The PCAs have never had a collective voice to speak our for better work conditions. SEIU is hoping to partner with Disability Rights organizations and organizations for the elderly to have a collective voice in the state house that can speak for the rights of PCAs.
The program has other problems such as placement and matching PCAs with clients. A potential client has to advertise their need for a PCA in the newspaper. The SEIU would like to create a work force council that could identify PCAs from a centralize list to a requesting individual.
The SEIU represents about 11,000 health care workers. The have not yet formally had PCAs join the union as they are in the early planning of their programs.
Deborah Goldberg, candidate for Lt. Governor, was in attendance. Ms. Goldberg was Chair of the Brookline Board of Selectmen and had worked for the Stop&Shop company. She attended Boston College and Harvard University. Deborah described her candidacy as being about “all the communities of Massachusetts”. She stated how the current Lt. Governor had missed opportunities to establish ties between the State House and the cities and towns of Massachusetts. She described her own efforts to meet with Lt. Governor Healy and how Healy canceled the meeting after it had been arranged.
Ms. Goldberg stated that the Lt. Governor should be the direct link for cities and towns so that local governments can have clear access to the Corner Office at the State House. She feels Lt. Governor Healy has not fulfilled this obligation adequately. Ms. Goldberg believes she can be the voice in the Corner Office for the state’s cities and towns because she has already been traveling across the state and establishing contact with the various communities of Massachusetts.
Deborah feels the role of government is to help the people, not manage wealth, of which she criticizes the current Republican administration. She feels that as Lt. Governor, it would be her role to bring together conservatives and progressives to form an agenda that serves the greater people. She believes that lack of leadership from the current Governor and his staff has prevented the legislature from working effectively. As an example, Goldberg cited how the Governor claimed the state had a surplus (as mentioned in his State of the State Address), yet cities and towns were not getting the funding needed for their budgets.
When she was on the Brookline Selectmen Board, Ms. Goldberg described how the Board has prepared a list of proposals to the Lt. Governor that would allow the town to get funding relief from the mandates issued by the Governor. These proposals were never heard. Deborah Goldberg stated this was another example of missed opportunities on the part of the Romeny Administration.
In closing she described the state from when she was growing up as one that presented opportunity. Today she reflected on how many, especially young professionals are leaving the state. She hopes to restore Massachusetts to become a place that again offers opportunity and a bright future to its young and talented people. She is prepared to work with any Democratic nominee for the Governor’s office.