Mass. Version of KFP for FSP

[Russell Kanning]

It will go out under the "New Hampshire Free Press" name with "Massachussetts Edition" below.

You can also advertise in this issue to help pay for more copies/more pages.

[Kat Kanning]

Oh, BTW....I already have two general recruiting articles lined up.

[JonM]

Prop 2 1/2 is an initiative petition that was passed in 1980 59-41 by the state's voters.  The 1970s saw tremendous increases in property tax rates, so in 1979 Citizens for Limited Taxation collected signatures for this bill.  The legislature gets to review such petitions and vote on them.  They rejected it 155-5, so CLT collected more signatures and got it passed in the November election.

It limits property tax increases to 2.5%, hence the name.  A town can hold an override vote to allow an increase beyond 2.5%, in what is known as a Prop 2 1/2 override.  Of course thanks to skyrocketing property values, towns have taken to re-assessing homes in order to increase property tax rates.

Proposition 2? cut property taxes in communities with tax rates higher than 2.5 percent of fair market value, then limited increases to 2? percent a year; cut the auto excise rate from $66.00 per thousand assessed value to $25.00 per thousand; forbade unfunded state mandates on the cities and towns; repealed two existing mandates for school board fiscal autonomy and compulsory binding arbitration for police and fire unions; created the Division of Local Services in the Department of Revenue and the Division of Local Mandates under the state Auditor.

http://www.cltg.org/cltg/Prop_2/index.htm

The legislature has been looking to repeal prop 2 1/2 lately, but there have been Republican governors here for the last 16 years, so not enough of them want to go on record in a veto-override to do it.  If a Democrat gets elected this November, they may kill it outright in a voice vote, as I don't think there will be enough Republicans in the legislature to force a voice vote if no Democrats are willing to stand up with them.

[Lloyd Danforth]

It looks like this will be able to happen   The FSP is going to buy an ad, and I have donations from two people.  Does anyone want to help?

I would like articles:
Comparing doing business in MA and NH
Comparing freedom in MA and NH
MA health care article
MA tax article
Or many of the other article ideas listed in this thread.  (what is prop 2 1/2?)

How can all this be worded so that we're attracting people interested in freedom, and not all of MA.

Maybe I can do a simultaneous article in the Keene Free Press encouraging welfare recipients to go to MA 

Right now, we're looking at being able to print about 5000 copies to be distributed around MA.  But more donations would mean more copies.  If you want to help this project, you can send donations to

Paypal:   bookish_lass (at) yahoo (dot) com
88 Sparrow St.  Keene NH 03431

www.paypal.com

[Kat Kanning]

Can anyone help me find an image of a nagging woman that I can use for an ad?  It can be a photo or drawing.  Larger is good, since it'll be a full page ad.  I'm thinking of having "Mommie Massachusetts" telling her dear babes all the things they need to do...wear their seatbelts, helmets, get health insurance.  I'm just having a hard time locating a good graphic with permission to use in an ad.

[YeahItsMeJP]

Do you still need an article on Proposition 2 1/2?

Also, I might be able to get some advertisers, btu I can't promise anything.

[Kat Kanning]

Yes on the article.

Thanks!  on the advertisers.  All money I get for it goes to extra copies.  $3/square inch for ads.  Circulation will be at least 5000.

[YeahItsMeJP]

Ok, I sent an email to my friends at Massachusetts Citizens for Limited Taxation & Government and to Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League for ads and to my friend Kamal Jain at Liberty Dollar of Lowell for an ad.

[Kat Kanning]

   Thanks, JP!

[Atlas]

Can anyone help me find an image of a nagging woman that I can use for an ad?  It can be a photo or drawing.  Larger is good, since it'll be a full page ad.  I'm thinking of having "Mommie Massachusetts" telling her dear babes all the things they need to do...wear their seatbelts, helmets, get health insurance.  I'm just having a hard time locating a good graphic with permission to use in an ad.

Great idea!

[steve22]

If KFP Mass edition is a a recruitment effort might I suggest distributing it in  areas that elect republican house members. The left right ratio is better in those districts and more freedom oriented people live there. Most who flee the state head south . It is best to let liberals and neocons go to Florida.

I don't think there are any Rupublicans in the Mass. State House or Senate, seriously. That's why they get these ridiculous bills get through and then the legislature overrides the governor's veto.

One issue to possibly bring up:
Massachusetts residents voted through petition initiative to repeal the state income tax to 5 % from its current 5.8%. The legislature ignored or passed a law to disregard the will of the people and the income tax rate remains unchanged. That bothers the heck out of me.

The Pioneer Valley is most likely where one would find jaded conservatives. But, being that it is a hotbed of socialist activity, I would be wary of our movement becoming vicitimized by a counter-movement, which, if it were to arise, would surely come from this area. I went to school at Umass-Amherst and witnessed their strength and fervor, and they should be considered before a recruitment effort is made.

Cape Cod is a place where there is strong anti-tax sentiment. We face prop 2.5 overrides in almost every town on an almost yearly basis. They are close votes every time.

I've been lurking for a while, so I thought I'd chime in, as I am unfortunately a Mass resident.

[Tom Sawyer]

Can anyone help me find an image of a nagging woman that I can use for an ad?  It can be a photo or drawing.  Larger is good, since it'll be a full page ad.  I'm thinking of having "Mommie Massachusetts" telling her dear babes all the things they need to do...wear their seatbelts, helmets, get health insurance.  I'm just having a hard time locating a good graphic with permission to use in an ad.

This is the best I can come up with... I took two different faces and merged them then turned into a b/w illustration.


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[Tom Sawyer]

The Pioneer Valley is most likely where one would find jaded conservatives. But, being that it is a hotbed of socialist activity, I would be wary of our movement becoming vicitimized by a counter-movement, which, if it were to arise, would surely come from this area. I went to school at Umass-Amherst and witnessed their strength and fervor, and they should be considered before a recruitment effort is made.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[d_goddard]

It looks like this will be able to happen

Yaaaay!
I love this idea, and I love what you folks are doing with the KFP.

Given what's going on in Vermont, how about a Vermont-targeted KFP edition, hot on the heels of the Mass edition? I'm happy to help...

[Kat Kanning]

That'd be fun.  I'm sort of overwhelmed at the moment, but maybe I can make it happen.