federal stimulus

Every organizer's challenge is to leverage a current public policy debate into a moment of political theatre in order to illustrate and illuminate a related injustice and to advocate for their proposed solution.

Props to two grassroots membership based organizations who have been smart and savvy enough to insert themselves into the debate around our share of the federal stimulus money, get some good press and do some good public education at the same time.

First the Disability Policy Consortium has forcefully reminded the Patirck Administration that 20 years of hard work improving access by the Commonwealth's disabled citizen activists improve access  to our public spaces might go down the toilet. All they have to do is comply with current law regarding accomodations for the disabled. 

Second, the the ON The Move Coalition, the T Riders Union and Mass PIRG held a cake sale at the front of the State House yesterday to point out that if somebody didn't do something soon about the $161 million hole in the T's budget Greater Boston T riders would be faced with drastic fare increase and draconian cuts. Hence a bake sale featuring home made cookies and cakes that raised $200. The T hasn't decided whether to accept it or not.

Pay attention to the state policy process kids. Federal $$$ are coming to town in about 17 different buckets, and who decides where it goes?

I recommend a very straight and sharp analysis of the current situation from Massachusetts Liberal Blog that problably mirrors what is going on in all the other 49 states.

My advice to worried advocates for the poor the elderly and the disabled and anybody else who is hoping the federal stimulus dollars will help restore programs that have been slashed by 9C cuts and the Governor's FY 10 budget proposal, was to quote César Chávez's advice to his workers during the grape boycott; "Keep your eye on the grape". He was warning his organizers not to get distracted by the glamour of boycott and keep their focus on organizing the workers picking the grapes.

Translated to advocacyspeak it means get yourself on record with our Congressional delegation during the debate, but keep talking about the impact of the 9C and the potential FY 10 budget cuts to the elected and appointed Massachusetts officials in the Administration and in the Legislature who will be deciding where the federal stimulus dollars go. 

All we need is transparency and accessability to the decision makers. Updates below the fold.