“My task is not to debate whether I’m a Jew or not, but to figure out what kind of Jew I am. For me, finding a secular Jewish community with progressive politics fits my version of that identity.”
GBIO May 12th Action
Over 1800 energized and raucous GBIO members and allies gathered on May 12th at Trinity Church on Copley Square for GBIO’s Mass Assembly and Action, including 20 members of Workmen’s Circle. Those assembled made up a very diverse group of people spanning the range of racial, class and geographic differences that make up Greater Boston, and were there to speak truth to power and build working relationships with them.
Governor Baker, Boston Mayor Walsh, Mass Speaker of the House DeLeo, and Attorney General Healy were there to respond to GBIO’s action agenda for the next few years centering on Health Care Reform, Gun Violence, Public School Reform, Gentrification, Affordable Housing and Criminal Justice Reform.
By the end of the evening GBIO had received the following commitments:
Governor Baker-
- To meet and work with GBIO to help stem the tide of Gun Violence. To work together to implement the new Gun Safety Law, and work to hold Gun Manufacturers and Dealers more accountable. To improve gun registration and use national back ground check registries, along with having government officials purchase newer, safer gun technologies.
- He committed to work with us to eliminate Mandatory Minimums for drug offenses, and to implement policies in the state designed to treat drug abuse as a disease, not purely as a crime.
Boston Mayor Walsh-
- He committed to work with GBIO to increase affordable housing in Boston and working to prevent further gentrification of our neighborhoods.
- He committed to work with GBIO to ensure that the approved and already funded Dearborn STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school for the Roxbury community be built without further delay.
Attorney General Healy-
- Committed to examine the affects of our large Health Care institutions and do what she can to prevent further mergers which raise health care costs for all of us.
Speaker of the House DeLeo-
- He committed to work with GBIO to make criminal justice fairer and less discriminatory. He will work with GBIO to explore eliminating Mandatory Minimums for drug offenses, implementation of Pre-Bail reform- allowing people who are accused of a crime who are deemed to be non violent, to be out on bail, and review driver’s license revocation laws.
If anyone is interested in learning more, or become more involved in GBIO work please contact – Steve Vogel – strongvog@rcn.com, or call 617-738-5310.
