for the Action Agenda, Party building, and Grassroots Organizing
Dear Delegates:
I look forward to welcoming you to the 2007 Massachusetts
Democratic Convention in Amherst. This convention will give us a
chance to celebrate our victories, to look forward and to begin to
develop a mission worthy of our heritage and our vision of the
future. I hope you will come for the day and encourage other
Democrats to come as well. I promise to you that it will be worth
your while.
Recent months have given our party – and our Commonwealth –
some important historic “firsts.” Senate President Therese Murray,
the first woman elected to lead a legislative body in Massachusetts
joins Martha Coakley as the first female Attorney General in
Massachusetts history and Deval Patrick as the first African-American Governor. Traditional barriers
continue to fall and we are all better for this progress.
We are fortunate in Massachusetts to be represented in Washington and on Beacon Hill by capable
and effective leaders. Senators Kennedy and Kerry and our 100% Democratic Congressional
delegation – now in power as the majority party in Washington, DC - are making a difference on
issues that are important to the citizens of the Commonwealth. Secretary of the Commonwealth
William Galvin, State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, State Auditor A. Joseph DeNucci and Lieutenant
Governor Timothy Murray join AG Coakley and Governor Patrick in an all-Democratic team of
constitutional officers. Speaker Sal DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray are leading an
aggressive Democratic majority in both houses of the state legislature in proposing and enacting
an agenda that will make us all proud.
Even with all this success, there remains much to do. This convention is going to focus on the
actions that we can all take to stay engaged in the political process and to encourage others to join
us. The culmination of civic engagement is an improved quality of life that is enjoyed by every
person in the Commonwealth, an effort that must be ongoing. I hope that you are looking forward
to participating in the break-out sessions that are of interest to you. Whether it is examining the
best practices to improve your local Democratic committee, or how to use blogs to spread the
word, we have talented presenters who have agreed to conduct these sessions who are experts in
their field. I am sure you’ll find many sessions interesting. Further details, including room assignments,
will available at the convention.
I want to acknowledge the strong leadership that past Chairman Phil Johnston has provided. Phil
has been a good friend of mine and I hope you’ll join me in thanking him for everything that he
has done to promote the good of the party.
In my travels across the Commonwealth these last few months, I have heard concerns about the
high cost of convention. For the 2007 Convention much of the budget had already been set before
I became Chairman. I agree that $75 is an excessive fee – particularly for an off-year, one-day convention,
but I pledge to you that in the future I will do everything possible to reduce the cost for
delegates to attend. The grassroots are the strength of our party and it is counter-productive to
make the cost of participation prohibitive for many. For this year, if you or any delegate is finding
it difficult to afford the delegate fee, I am happy to extend the deadline to apply for a fee waiver.
Just call party headquarters and we’ll get the process going for you.
In an effort to open the Action Agenda Convention to many grassroots activists, every paid delegate
will be allowed to bring a guest at no charge. I am asking that delegates who choose to invite
a guest please register at www.massdems.org or contact the party office at (617)776-2676.
I look forward to seeing each and every one of you in Amherst as we welcome Governor Patrick
and Lt. Governor Murray for a convention that signifies the next step in an historic journey.
