ORGANIZING NOTES
September 29, 2026
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Win Round 1, Lose Round 2 and the Fight?
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Last week the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s leadership group, the Democratic State Committee, passed an historic resolution that effectively ended the use of Dark Money and Super PACs in Democratic Party primaries. However, if Ballot Question 3, the Top Two Primary, passes, candidates will have no obligation to follow Democratic Party rules: because the state, not political parties, will run primary elections. It has been shown that in California and the state of Washington, the two states with these so-called “Jungle Primaries”, money plays an outsized role in determining which two candidates are successful in moving on to the final election. Further, there is no clear evidence that Top Two Primaries increase the racial, ethnic, gender or political diversity of winners. It would be the height of irony if, just as the Democratic Party constrains the use of Dark Money in Democratic primaries, the state moves to primaries where the Party has a greatly diminished role. There are other reasons to oppose Ballot Question #3, including the persistent risk that heavy spending will allow two candidates from one party to defeat three or more candidates of a party that collectively got far more votes. To oppose jungle primaries, join the “No on 3 Campaign” now. A debate on the ballot question will be held in Haverhill on Oct 13.
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The United States Bullies the World into Destroying Cuba
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The US siege against Cuba is cruel and affects the most vulnerable on the Island. The US has bullied most other countries into breaking off all relations with Cuba and infant mortality has soared to 14.1 deaths per 1000 live births, up from 4 per 1000 eight years ago and 9.9 per 1000 just a year ago. Only 65% of children are surviving cancer now, whereas 85% were surviving just a year or so ago. Eight in 10 families are experiencing extreme poverty and want. There is a critical need to mobilize against this war on what was one of the most developed countries in the region and certainly perhaps the only that had developed without reliance on the US or the IMF or the World Bank. Cuba is a developed country with one of the most advanced social systems certainly in the hemisphere. Cuban physicians are respected throughout the world and their medical research resulted in the development of Covid vaccines at about the same time as in the United States. Learn more about the situation in Cuba from the Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister being interviewed on “Breaking Points”, an internet based news program. RSVP if you wish to join others in working to change US policy toward Cuba.
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Interlink Foundation presents the third annual Read + Resist Fest, co-hosted by Interlink Publishing, a Palestinian-owned book publisher in Northampton, on Saturday, October 3rd, from 10am to 4pm at 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA. This outdoor social justice festival will include a book sale, QTBIPOC vendors, children’s activities, teach-ins, workshops, screen printing, performances, music, food and more. It is free to the public and open to all ages. Masks are required.
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In 2024, Massachusetts passed its strongest gun safety law in a decade, cracking down on ghost guns and modernizing safety regulations. Now, the gun lobby wants to overturn this updated law with a repeal referendum on the November 2026 ballot. Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts is building a powerful state-wide response to protect this law on the 2026 ballot and keep our communities safe. Join us to defend progress and save lives from gun violence. The phone banks occur every Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm, including this Wednesday, September 30, as well as Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, and Oct. 28. Register for any or all of these phone banks at this link.
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Tell Beacon Hill To Fight For Progressive Policies in the Economic Development Bill
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In July, the MA House and Senate passed their respective versions of an economic development bill. This omnibus bill (called “eco-dev” in the State House) has become a major vehicle for each chamber to attach policy priorities at the end of the session. Each chamber had some important proposals in it, and as the House and Senate negotiate the final details of a bill throughout the fall, it’s important that they hear about why the good ones need to stay in a final bill.
SIGN HERE
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Local Visibilities Schedule
Watch for weather and wind chill cancellations here! But another good way to keep up with day to day and weekly changes is to join a Signal Group
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Folks can sign up for De-ICE Hanscom’s contact list at this link.
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Join us on Sunday, October 4, from 2pm to 4pm for our backyard cookout in Somerville! (This event was rescheduled from Sept 13 due to rain)
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20th Annual Boston Palestine Film Festival
The 20th Annual Boston Palestine Film Festival is happening October 16 to 25.
BPFF showcases the diverse and creative work of all filmmakers exploring both historic and contemporary themes related to Palestinian culture, experience, and narrative. BPFF also offers ancillary cultural programming including concerts by Palestinian musicians and art exhibits by or about Palestinians.
Go to https://bostonpalestinefilmfest.org/festival/ to learn more and to see the program schedule.
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For more than a year, hosts like you have organized millions of people to come together to take action and say one thing: in America, we have no kings. Now, we are taking the next step, turning people power into voter power with No Kings: Vote Early, scheduled for October 17. Vote Early is not purely a protest. It is a day of nonpartisan voter participation. We know voting is a local action, so we need to activate our own communities to participate where we live. That’s why we’re prioritizing hyperlocal engagement over mass gatherings and focusing on voter participation over volume. Because no one person gets to decide our leaders before voters do. We decide who represents us. We decide what comes next.
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Teens Set World Record for Most Sports Balls Recycled in One Day Diverting 2,675 Pounds from Landfills
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In March, GNN reported on the attempt by teens to set a Guinness World Record for the most racquet sport balls recycled in a single day, and we’re happy to tell you: they pulled it off. It took awhile, but last weekend a group of teen environmentalists from California collected about 22,000 mostly pickle and tennis balls—a haul weighing 2,675 pounds—and saw them trucked off to a special recycling facility. Calling themselves Another Bounce, and working under the US-based 501(c)3 Habits of Waste, the teens hope to take a point off the 500 million tennis, pickle, and racquet balls sold, served, and tossed in the US every year. Read More HERE
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If you would like to work with ORMA Members on
- Climate Change
- Housing Justice
- Medicare for All
- Communications/InformationTechnology
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ORMA depends on your support to continue Bernie’s Political Revolution to create a society, a politics, and an economy that works for everyone, not just billionaires, corporations and the political elite.
If you value Organizing Notes and its twice a month distribution schedule, please make a donation to ensure its continued existence.
Invest in Change Now!
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Please send requests for action items, articles or upcoming events
for the next Organizing Notes to
beccobrien.orma@gmail.com by October 10th.
We’d love to have you send us your favorite pictures of Bernie here in MA!
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Campaigns End, Movements Endure
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