MASS ALLIANCE GLOSSY MAILING & HORSE MANURE
The Mass Alliance....whoever they are....spent a bucket sending out a misleading glossy postcard...did anyone scrutinize the PROPAGANDA?
MASS ALLIANCE is fighting to conceal their DONORS....Does anyone winder WHY the secrecy?
Did ya notice it came from VIRGINIA?
If you understand how Massachusetts functions, you'd know that MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS supported a ballot question to remove lawmakers' pay raises from a legislative vote.
The PROPAGANDA mailed by MASS ALLIANCE is a LIE!
Are they that DESPERATE?
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Complaint seeks to force Mass. Fiscal Alliance disclosure
By Michael P. Norton
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
BOSTON -- Lawmakers who say they've been targeted recently in their districts by the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance plan to call on state regulators Tuesday to force the non-profit group to register as a political committee and disclose its donors.
A complaint, obtained by the News Service and signed by Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and Rep. Natalie Higgins (D-Leominster), cites an alliance mailer sent to Leominster voters that was critical of Higgins. Letters were also sent to selectmen and city councilors in Eldridge's district knocking his support for the Safe Communities Act and urging local officials to take positions against the bill, which is an immigration law enforcement bill pending on Beacon Hill.
The Massachusetts Democratic Party joined the lawmakers in filing the complaint with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, which asks the independent agency to conduct an investigation and also to fine MassFiscal for failing to disclose the top five donors behind the flier campaign.
The complaint alleges MassFiscal is improperly concealing its donors while "distributing communications for the purpose of influencing Massachusetts elections."
MassFiscal is organized as a 501(c)(4), a non-profit designation that has reportedly grown in popularity among groups that favor keeping donors private. The group previously shielded the identity of its donors by never explicitly advocating for the election or defeat of a specific candidate.
Following passage of 2016 law that mandated greater reporting, the group starting using mail to direct voters online to its legislative scorecard, characterizing the voter contact as educational and not meant to influence an election.
The group's leaders also said it would avoid electioneering communications, which are defined by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance as those that refer to a "clearly identifiable" candidate and are distributed within 90 days of an election in which that candidate is running.
Paul Craney, of the Mass Fiscal Alliance, has said that the disclosure of the group's donors could chill fundraising efforts.
According to the complaint, MassFiscal has also delivered fliers in 29 House districts and nine Senate districts that were critical of lawmakers who approved legislation giving themselves and their colleagues steep raises at the outset of the 2017-2018 session.
"MassFiscal specifically aimed at only Democratic State Representatives and Senators up for re-election with a targeted leaflet campaign designed to influence voters," the complaint says, alleging a "persistent concerted campaign" against Democrats.
In their complaint, Eldridge and Higgins note alliance materials urge voters to call State House offices and lobby lawmakers to change their positions.
"MassFiscal distributes what it describes as 'educational fliers,' which purport to be informational pamphlets that reveal legislators' voting history," the complaint says. "In reality, these fliers skew the facts surrounding legislation and selectively highight issues MassFiscal perceives to be damaging to the Democratic Party."
The lawmakers, noting the recent MassFiscal communications were timed to coincide with special legislative elections, say "there is no other reasonable interpretation of these fliers and letter other than an appeal to vote against Democratic candidates."
MassFiscal last week testified against proposed OCPF rules governing when the names and addresses of donors to 501(c)(4) and other tax-exempt entities must be publicly disclosed, alleging the agency was proposing to "give itself broad discretion to require donor disclosure."
The group also supports a lawsuit targeting what it calls the "union loophole" that enables unions to give at amounts beyond the individual limit of $1,000.
MassFiscal was founded by Rick Green. Green is a Pepperell resident who is seeking the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional District.
Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_31680933/complaint-seeks-force-mass-fiscal-alliance-disclosure#ixzz57h3XWA3a
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Mark Cohen, Board Chairman
Mark is CEO of OPRSystems, Inc., which he co-founded from scratch in 1989. The company is now one of the largest independent commercial recyclers in New England, with its 76,000 sq. ft. plant in Wilmington. He also co-founded Waste Focus LLC 14 years ago, now a leader in the waste minimization industry and managing thousands of facilities’ trash and recycling across the U.S.
Mark has been on the board since 2012 and served as past treasurer. On September 11, 2017, Mark was elected Chairman of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. On January 10, 2018, he was reelected.
Originally from suburban Washington, D.C., Mark is a 1982 graduate of Cornell University and a 1986 graduate of Harvard Business School. Mark and his wife Theresa have three children and live in Concord.
Cindy Terwilliger, Treasurer
Cindy Terwilliger is a Cambridge resident and a Senior Vice President at Boston Private bank in Boston. Previously, she was a Senior Vice President at Citizens Bank. Cindy earned her undergraduate degree from Bucknell University and her MBA from Boston College, the Carroll School of Management. Cindy has served on the board since 2015.
Michael Kane, Clerk
Michael Kane is a Framingham resident and an entrepreneur of several businesses. His company, 126 Self Storage, is located in Ashland, and is a co-plaintiff to a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to eliminate the union loophole in state campaign finance law. Kane is active in his community, as he serves on several small business boards including the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and the Massachusetts Self Storage Association. Mike first joined the board of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance in 2012 and has been the clerk since 2014.
Jim Rappaport, Finance Chairman and Board Member
Jim is a real estate developer, entrepreneur, attorney, and political activist. He currently serves as Chairman of Specialty Hospitals of America, LLC and Chairman and CEO of New Boston Fund, Inc.
After graduating from the Wharton School in 1977, Rappaport earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law. In 1985, Rappaport was elected Chairman of the Mass Taxpayers Committee, an organization that provided political education for fiscally responsible Massachusetts legislators. In 1990, Rappaport was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. He was Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party and a member of the Republican National Committee from 1992 to 1997. In 2002, he ran for the Massachusetts Republican nomination for Lt. Governor.
Rappaport is a past member of the Board of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Jewish Vocational Service of Boston, as well as the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Social Planning and Allocations Committee of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies. Rappaport was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, as well as previously serving on the Board of Overseers for Children’s Hospital. Rappaport and his wife, Cecelia live in Boston. He has three children, James, Jessica, and Joshua and two grandchildren, Wylie and Lucy.
Jim Curtis, Board Member Jim is President of Cooperstown Environmental LLC in Andover, Massachusetts, which he co-founded in 2004 after leaving MIT. The firm engages in environmental engineering with a focus on hazardous waste sites assessment and remediation, and is also the acknowledged authority on the Massachusetts Brownfields Tax Credit program. Jim has also developed several solar energy facilities in the eastern part of the state.
Jim is the long-time owner of several hundred acres of forestland and serves on the Board of the Center for Northern Woodlands Education, a non-profit working to advance a culture of forest stewardship in the Northeast and to increase understanding of and appreciation for the natural wonders, economic productivity and ecological integrity of the region’s forests. He is also a longtime supporter of the Institute for Justice (IJ).
Originally from Cooperstown, NY, Jim is a graduate of Princeton University (BS-Civil Engineering) and Northeastern (MS-Civil Engineering). Jim and his wife Sue have two children and live in Andover.
Paul Diego Craney, Spokesperson and Board Member
Paul graduated from Gordon College and is a first generation American, his mother immigrated to the United States from Mexico City. Paul is the spokesperson and serves on the board. He previously was the Executive Director, and was the first hire of the organization. He has been quoted in numerous media outlets including the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Business Journal, Taunton Daily Gazette, Fall River Herald, Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Lowell Sun, Eagle Tribune, Salem Daily News, Cape Cod Times, Sun Chronicle, Milford Daily News, Metro West Daily News, Springfield Republican, State House News, Associated Press, NECN, and WGBH. Prior to his role at Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, he worked in politics in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. You may follow him on Twitter @PaulDiegoCraney.
Danielle Huntley, Esq., Board Member
Danielle is Principal of Huntley Inc - Immigration Law a full service immigration law firm. She helps her clients in matters ranging from routine filings to complex federal litigation all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. Danielle represents businesses, investors, families and exceptional individuals in front of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration Customs & Enforcement, Customs & Border Protection, the Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Department of Health and Human Services and in Federal Court.
Danielle brings over 10 years of non-profit board experience to the Fiscal Alliance Foundation. She has been involved with non-profits in all stages of development - from start-up to well-established. She believes in creating non-profits that are efficient and results driven.
Danielle is a life long resident of Massachusetts and grew up in Andover. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her law degree from Boston College Law School. She currently lives in Walpole where she enjoys quilting, flying airplanes and playing with her dog Ginger. You may follow Danielle on Twitter @DEHuntley.
David Parker, Board Member
David has spent over 40 years living & developing property in the South End of Boston. His company Old Boston Restorations Inc. owns and manages apartments in the south end, and has developed infill housing using modular construction -which is a unique and affordable method of building historically compatible structures, especially in the inner city.
David and his wife Karen raised three children in the South End of Boston during the 1980sand ‘90’s. He became very involved in city politics while trying to live, work and raise a family in the city. His experience with rent control and urban renewal, compelled a 180 degree shift in his political understanding and disposition.
David feels strongly that our government - local and state and federal are over regulated and fiscally insoluble in part because of redistribution and subsidy schemes. He finds that the role of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance of advocating for fiscal responsibility and accountability in state government is a very worthwhile cause.
Wendy Wakeman, Board Member
Wendy Darwin Wakeman is a writer. Currently, she's pursuing a master of fine arts degree at Stetson University in Deland, Florida. Her resume includes stints reporting and editing at The Haverhill Gazette, editing publications at Merrimack College, and working both in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and for the United States Congress. An avid political operative, she managed successful campaigns for Congressman Peter Torkildsen (R-Danvers) and state representatives Gary Coon (R-Andover) and Donna Cuomo (R-North Andover) and consulted with dozens of other local and statewide candidates. She herself was elected to her town's Board of Selectmen. Wendy received a bachelor of arts from Merrimack College. She and her husband Brad live in North Andover. Wendy has served on the board of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance since 2015.
Brad Williams, Board Member
Brad Williams is the Founder, and currently the President and CEO of Boston Portfolio Advisors. With more than 15 years of professional experience, Brad provides expert financial planning to families, endowments and foundations. The upstate New York native joined Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance board in 2013 and again in 2018, with the hopes of fighting for a better small business climate in MA. Brad earned his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and his MBA from Northeastern University.
Carl Copeland, Interim Executive Director
Carl spent 25 years in corporate management, working his way from junior assistant to partner, yet assisting others in the political process has always been one of his greatest pleasures. A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, Carl feels that the success achieved to date can be replicated and expanded throughout the Commonwealth. As past Political Director, he assisted many that have considered a career in public service. Prior to his role with Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, he was the chief of staff to Representative Kevin Kuros and Senator Ryan Fattman. Carl is married, has three children, and lives in Sutton.
Laurie Belsito, Legislative Director
Laurie currently works as the legislative director at Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. As the legislative director, she closely follows relevant pieces of legislation that fall under the organization’s scope, as well as tracking votes and managing the online scorecard. Laurie also leads policy briefings for state lawmakers and their staff regarding top policy issues in the state. Prior to her role at Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, she spent five years at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., working in the government relations department.
Anne J. Bresnahan, Finance Director
Anne J. Bresnahan is an entrepreneur and well-known political and nonprofit fundraiser with broad national and international experience. Her political background includes serving as Finance Director and Campaign Manager of Peter Torkildsen’s (MA-06) successful U.S. Congressional campaign. She also managed Bob Maginn’s campaign for MA State Treasurer and served on the Mitt Romney for U.S. President Massachusetts Finance Committee.
Her international experience includes almost a decade living and working in Africa. She served as Country Director in South Africa and Nigeria for the International Republican Institute and conducted political campaign skills and executive-legislative relations training. In South Africa, she instituted the country’s first ever political debate in KwaZulu-Natal with representatives from 13 political parties. Her work was instrumental in strengthening communications between elected officials and administrators in the post-apartheid era.
Anne’s risk-taking style and passion for embracing change and cross-cultural exploration led her to put her entrepreneurial skills and business savvy to work and she founded a telecommunications company in Nigeria and was instrumental in shaping government policy. She has been recognized for her outstanding leadership, resource development, strategic partnerships and start-up direction.
Since returning to Boston, Anne has consulted on multiple start-ups and flourishing nonprofits, guiding them through expansive growth and change and creating sustainable fundraising operations. Anne is a graduate of Northeastern University. She lives in Danvers and when she is not raising money for worthwhile organizations, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing golf and tennis.
Paul Gangi, Program Director
A lifelong resident of the Merrimack Valley, Paul Gangi joined MassFiscal as Program Director in January of 2018. Paul is a 2010 graduate of Boston College, and served as director of the office of State Representative Jim Lyons for seven years between 2011 and 2018. Representative Lyons has consistently been the highest scoring legislator on the MassFiscal scorecard. While at the State House, Paul worked extensively on policy issues related to government reform, reducing state spending, and the state budget.
A veteran of over a dozen state and local campaigns across New England, Paul has extensive experience working to elect fiscally responsible candidates at all levels of government. He has held senior leadership positions in Representative Lyons’s campaigns since 2010, when Lyons defeated Barbara L’Italien, the then Vice-Chair of Ways & Means Committee and the highest ranking legislator to lose office that cycle.
A veteran of over a dozen state and local campaigns across New England, Paul has extensive experience working to elect fiscally responsible candidates at all levels of government. He has held senior leadership positions in Representative Lyons’s campaigns since 2010, when Lyons defeated Barbara L’Italien, the then Vice-Chair of Ways & Means Committee and the highest ranking legislator to lose office that cycle.
EXCEPT IT'S NOT TRUE!
MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS PASSED A BALLOT QUESTION - DOES ANYONE REMEMBER?
Our Latest Advocacy Campaign
This week, our latest advocacy campaign began hitting mailboxes across the state. Following the 2016 election, the very first thing legislators did was vote themselves an average 40% pay increase. Then Senate President Rosenberg saw his pay go up by some 62%, while some lawmakers saw an increase of as much as 130%! To top it all off, they filed the pay bill as “emergency” legislation so they could begin collecting their raises immediately. There’s no shortage of critical issues facing our state in recent years, but the House and Senate decided to make this issue their number one priority. We think this was the wrong approach for the legislature to take and if it weren’t for our advocacy, constituents would be left in the dark. When completed, over 500,000 households across 18 different legislative districts will have received this mailing. Here is a sample of one mailer from this week: Thank you for being a supporter of MassFiscal. If it weren’t for your support and grassroots advocacy, the public would have forgotten about this important vote.
http://www.massfiscal.org/
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