donations

First this:

http://articles.boston.com/2012-06-15/news/32257240_1_grand-jury-investigators-authority-employees

Now this:

By Steven R. Maher

Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray, and Treasurer Steven Grossman are among the Massachusetts Democratic leaders who received campaign donations from employees of Bain Capital, the investment company Republican nominee Mitt Romney presided over.

Patrick, a long time political ally of President Barack H. Obama, shocked many in the political world when he told CNN Bain was not a “bad company”. Patrick’s comments have reportedly appeared in Romney campaign advertisements in battleground states.
Obama and most of the Republican candidates had portrayed Romney’s Bain as a corporate predator, taking over and selling off other companies’ assets, or leveraging them to the hilt for profit. In the process, Bain was alleged to have devastated entire communities with massive layoffs.
State law requires campaign donations over a certain amount to include the name of the donor’s employer. So we went to the website of the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) which allows a search of campaign donations by a donor’s employer, and then sub-search by candidate. We searched Contributor Employers containing the name “Bain,” sorted by candidate.

Like start up

Deval Patrick received 31 donations from Bain employees totaling $11,500. The fascinating thing about this support is that 65% of it came at the time Patrick needed it most: prior to his first election as Governor in 2006. Patrick received 14 donations totaling $4,900 prior to the September 26, 2006 Democratic primary and another 7 donations totaling $2,500 before the November 2006 general election. It may not sound like much, but for a struggling gubernatorial candidate without spectacular personal wealth of his own, such amounts go a long way in the early stages of a campaign.

Romney received only two Bain donations worth $700 in 2007, the same amount in 2008, one Bain donation of $200 in 2009, $1,200.00 in five donations in 2010, and none at all in 2011 and 2012.
Bain looked at Patrick the way an investment company looks at a start up company with an attractive new product: a good investment, providing seed money for a struggling political entrepreneur. For Mitt Romney, the payback he received from the Bain donations was enormous: staggering under the blows from Obama’s attacks on Bain, he got a rebuttal from an African American supporter of Obama. It was a return on investment, in political terms, that was priceless, a working man’s equivalent of having a winning Power Ball ticket.

Other notables

Patrick was not the only high level Massachusetts Democrat to benefit from Bain employees’ largesse:

• Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray received ten donations worth $4,350 from Bain employees, all but one of which were made in 2006.

• Treasurer Steven Grossman received six donations totaling $2,350.• Boston May Thomas Menino received $500 in 2005 from a Bain employee.

• In 2008 Massachusetts Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi, now in jail, received a $250 donation from a Bain employee.

• The Massachusetts Democratic State Committee received $35,000 in donations from Bain employees.

• Former Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly received $1,000 in contributions from Bain employees.

• Former State Senate President Robert E. Travaglini received $700 from Bain employees.

From Bill McManus:

“Go to OCPF and

“1. put in last name of donor Sargent for town of Clinton in 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007

“2. also run everyone who gave money to Murray in 2008, 2009, 2010 who list employer as UMASS and then again UMASS MEDICAL and also UMASS MED it must be run specifically for each spelling variation YOU THEN HAVE TO RUN THE DONORS NAME AGAINST THE EMPLOYEE TO SEE WHEN THEY WERE FIRST HIRED AND WHEN THEY GOT THEIR LAST PAY RAISE. THE TIMING BETWEEN THE DONATION TO MURRAY AND THE HIRE OR PAY RAISE DATE Click to continue »

The Clark University community sends heartfelt thoughts to all of the people who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The loss of lives and livelihoods is devastating.

“We are saddened by the events that have occurred in Japan,” said President David Angel. “We reach out to all our students, faculty, staff, and alumni with family and friends who have been affected by this disaster.”

Clark has been in touch with their student studying abroad and a number of alumni and friends in Japan, who all have reported they are safe.

“The residents of Japan have been highly distressed by the chain-reaction multiple disasters of a historic proportion, but the outpouring of support from around the world has given them hope for recovery,” said Geography Professor Yuko Aoyama.

Illustrating the effect of the disaster, she continued, “Ten days after the earthquakes and tsunami, 9,000 are known to be dead, 14,000 are still missing, and a quarter of a million people are displaced from their homes and are living in temporary shelters in 16 out of 47 prefectures.”

One way that Clark University is offering support is through the efforts of Clark Labs, directed by Professor Ron Eastman. The Clark Labs team has volunteered to help the Government of Japan and others in their response to the massive earthquake and tsunami by processing satellite images of the Japanese coast. One of the lab team’s before-and-after image analyses revealed a giant SOS on a playing field.

Donate-a-Meal:
More than 250 students have donated a meal swipe from which $2 will be donated by Clark Dining Services.

Gala and After-Party:
Organizers of the International Gala on April 1 plan to station people at the entrance to collect donations. Major publicity for the popular and free event will also notify attendees of the opportunity to donate money at the door. Also, all proceeds from the International Gala After-Party on April 2 will go to Japanese relief efforts. These efforts are expected to raise thousands of dollars for recovery relief in Japan.

T-shirts Sales:
Eiji Miura ’12 and several other students plan to sell T-shirts as a part of a nationwide initiative called “Action Now Japan.” This initiative provides artwork to be used by college student groups who then sell the T-shirts for $20 apiece. The Clark students will “table” at the Higgins University Center during the next few weeks to take pre-orders. The office of Student Leadership and Planning, under director Michael McKenna, will also email an order request survey.

Student Club Events:
Miura and the students he is working with are accepting donations at various student events by selling baked goods and “passing the hat.” They collected $250 during the “Acappellooza” event March 19, which featured the Clark Bars, Counterpoints, and International Achords student singing groups.

Several other opportunities to help out with disaster relief can be found at this website: http://www.japansocietyboston.org/donatejapan

As you gather this holiday season to spend time with friends and family and your own beloved furry family members, take just a moment to think of those dogs and cats who sit alone and unwanted, with just the barest of necessities.

Gather up some old blankets and towels, maybe grab an extra bag of treats or food or a few toys when you’re out shopping and take that few extra minutes to drop them at your local animal shelter. You can do this anytime of the year, but at this special time of love and caring and sharing, please, take just those few extra minutes and make this holiday a little more special for a few lonely shelter animals.

Or make a small donation to a wonderful charity such as “ Mel’s Stray Cat Fund.” Based out of Weymouth Landing Cat Clinic and Hotel, phone number 781-337-0400. Money raised gives good Samaritans the option of seeking care for an injured or sick cat, rather then relinquishment to a shelter for euthanasia. The fund was started in memory of Mel who was found many years ago after a house fire, alone and very sick. She was a stray who paid back her rescue with many years of love and loyalty to her rescuers.

And take a minute or two to share this with friends and family, spread the word, spread the message. Every little bit of help counts! Share the love every day but most especially now!

Happy Holidays to humans and their furry family members!

- Deb
Autocats

We have a slogan here at WCCA TV 13: “PUBLIC ACCESS is more than just TV, it’s a community resource.”

The PUBLIC ACCESS mission stands tall with the PEOPLE participating as THE message. PUBLIC ACCESS television is an empowering solution that is most needed today. Here is a brief list partly explaining why:

1.The product of Public Access cablecast and programming is powered by franchise provisions, community partnerships, and donations, and NOT tax dollars, while it is empowering our communities with a profound , tangible and quantifiable impact.

2.In exchange for the humble amount of franchise dollars, Public Access centers return millions of dollars of media services back, each year, into their communities Click to continue »