2008 Massachusetts Ballot Questions

The Socialist Party of Massachusetts takes the following positions on the three statewide ballot questions in 2008.

• Vote NO on Question 1, which would eliminate the state income tax. Eliminating the income tax would require both severe budget cuts as well as increases to regressive taxes such as property taxes and sales taxes. In combination, this would further devastate our communities, already under pressure from harsh neoliberal economics and the mortgage meltdown. The Socialist Party calls for steeply graduated income taxes and other progressive taxes, to fund social services and a livable guaranteed annual income.

• Vote YES on Question 2, which would decriminalize possession of small amounts (one ounce or less) of marijuana. The Socialist Party calls for the decriminalization of all drug use and an end to the destructive and counter-productive “war on drugs”. We view drug abuse and addiction as medical, not criminal, problems, and call for treatment through comprehensive community-based, client-controlled rehabilitation programs.

• Vote YES on Question 3, which would ban dog racing. The Socialist Party recognizes the rights of animals to live free from unnecessary pain and suffering of the sort inflicted upon racing dogs. Opponents of Question 3 argue it would result in lost jobs. We call for full employment policies to create jobs in socially beneficial and non-exploitative industries.

10/26: Boston local meeting

The Socialist Party of Boston will meet on Sunday, 26 October, at noon in the Lucy Parsons Center. We'll discuss the results of the major antiwar mobilization on the Common a few weeks before, the upcoming elections, and our plans for the last months of the year. For more information, check out the preliminary agenda.

The Lucy Parsons Center is located at 549 Columbus Ave. in the South End, near the Mass Ave. T stop on the Orange Line, the Symphony T stop on the Green Line (E), and the #1 bus line. For more information, visit www.lucyparsons.org.

Minutes from our previous local meeting can be found here.

10/25: Spook the Wars -- Party Against the War!

Come Rock! Let's Jam!
Don't Be Fooled by Uncle Sam!

Join the Greater Boston Stop the Wars Coalition for a Halloween costume party and fundraising concert!

Come out as your favorite Washington creature, Warmaker, Gangster, Pirate or Politician!

Music, Food, Drinks, Fun, Music, and More Fun!

Starting at 7 pm at Encuentro5 (33 Harrison Ave., Fifth floor, Chinatown, by the Chinatown Stop on the Orange Line T). $5-$20 sliding scale.

For more information: StopTheWars.org -- info@stopthewars.org -- 617/230-9382

10/17: Boston De-Militarized Zone (DMZ)

Join the Socialist Party of Boston and the Stop the Wars Coalition on the third Friday of every month, 5 pm at the corner of Mass Ave. and Boylston St., to establish a De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) where all those who wish can congregate to denigrate and repudiate the war machine and celebrate the movement against war and oppression.

DMZ is our contribution to the Iraq Moratorium project, which complements large regional and national demonstrations with regular local actions, helping keep opposition to the war in Iraq alive and agitation against it active.

Bring your signs and minds, ready to chalk, talk, play music, paint art, and sing leftist songs with caring and sharing, in unity declaring that we are "chilling against the villins" in this zone to show our independence from the state.

10/11: Stop the War, Stand Up for Peace

Rally @ 11 AM, March @ 2 PM
October 11 -- Boston Common (Beacon St. & Charles St.)

On October 11th, 2002, Congress passed the "Iraq War Resolution", granting the Bush administration authorization to invade Iraq. Six years later, 1 in 3 Iraqis have been killed, wounded or displaced. Over 4,000 US soldiers have been killed, with tens of thousands more seriously wounded. $1 trillion has been spent on this criminal war.

On October 11th, 2008, join the Socialist Party of Boston on the Boston Common to demand:

• Stop the wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan


• Bring the troops home now


• Money for jobs, education, healthcare and housing -- not for war and occupation


• No sanctions or attack on Iran


• Stop the racist scapegoating of Arabs and Muslims


• Stop the assault on civil liberties and human rights

For more information: Oct11Boston.org, info (at) oct11boston (dot) org, 617-230-9382.