Forever Blue Blog

In the coming weeks, President Obama and Congress must decide how to avoid going over the “fiscal cliff,” which is a combination of tax increases and spending cuts that would send our economy back into recession.

CDM has compiled talking points on the fiscal cliff that we hope you will use when discussing the situation with peers or when contacting your representatives in Congress.

Young Americans should be as invested in solving staving off this fiscal cliff as any other demographic in the country. If nothing is done, the average middle-class family will see their taxes go up by $2,200 dollars next year. This would make it more difficult for struggling families to send their kids to college–and more difficult for recent graduates to find employment.  For the 37 million Americans that have already taken out student loans in the face of the rising cost of higher education, that is simply unacceptable.

So take action: Write an OP-ED or LTE for your local or student newspaper; talk to your peers about why the decisions our elected leaders are making now are so important for your future; and let your congresspeople know what is at stake for you.

Finally, join the conversation on Twitter. The White House recently started a social media campaign called #My2K.  President Obama wants us to tweet about what the $2,200 tax increase would mean for our family. Tweet to @CollegeDemsofMA with the hashtag #My2K and we will highlight your tweets in the coming weeks.

• Under Gov. Romney, Massachusetts fell to 47th out of 50 in job creation:  Before Romney’s time as governor, Massachusetts ranked 36th out of 50 in job creation, but over the course of his tenure the state ranked a dismal 47th out of 50—even as the national economy was growing. The Bay State only beat Michigan, Ohio, and Louisiana—which was still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
• Gov. Romney created or raised over 1,000 taxes and fees: Though he promised he wouldn’t raise taxes as governor, he increased taxes and fees by as much as $750 million per year, leaving the average taxpayer to pay an extra $1,227 in state and local fees and taxes. During his first year in office, Romney raised fees on milk, driver’s licenses, hospitals, nursing and barber licenses, and even on the blind.
• Gov. Romney left behind a huge budget deficit: Romney broke his pledge to balance the budget and left his successor, Gov. Deval Patrick, with a $1 billion budget deficit. Long-term debt increased by 16% over Romney’s four-year term, and he left Massachusetts with the highest debt per person in the nation.

A more complete list of Romney’s Massachusetts record can be found here.

But President Obama needs allies in Congress like Elizabeth Warren, who will fight to move his agenda forward. Elizabeth shares the president’s commitment to health care reform, which is already helping 3.1 million young Americans by allowing us to stay on our parents’ health insurance until we are 26 years old.  Elizabeth Warren also joins the president in supporting the Dream Act, which would allow thousands of young immigrants—our peers—to stay in the only country they have ever called home.

Mitt Romney and Scott Brown want to roll back these reforms, kicking millions of kids off health insurance and denying many aspiring young immigrants the possibility of experiencing the American Dream.  For young people, the stakes in this election are high—and personal.  There is simply too much on the line not to get out and vote!

This Fall, the College Democrats of Massachusetts held two successful campaign invasions in two critical swing cities in Massachusetts.  College Democrats from across the state knocked on a combined 8,100 doors in Taunton and Plymouth.

Over 100 students descended on Taunton, MA the weekend of September 15-16 for the two-day, one-night invasion.  State treasurer Steve Grossman, state senator Ben Downing, state senator Marc Pacheco, and MA Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh addressed the volunteers before they began their campaigning. The speakers emphasized the importance of this election to young Americans and praised the students for their commitment to Democratic values and willingness to get involved.  The College Democrats in attendance knocked on an impressive 6,000 doors over two days of canvassing, engaging with voters about the importance of electing Elizabeth Warren, Joe Kennedy and Democratic state representatives.

In Plymouth, 56 College Democrats knocked on 2,100 doors on behalf of Elizabeth Warren, congressman Bill Keating, and state senate majority leader Terry Murray.  Those in attendance got the chance to hear from MA Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh and launched their canvass with local SEIU members. The invasion was held on October 20th.

Pictures from both events can be found on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CollegeDemsofMA

In tonight’s debate, Paul Ryan continued the Romney campaign tradition of lying to the American people. Mr. Ryan refused to explain the math behind the Romney-Ryan tax plan, made misleading and false claims about Obamacare, and displayed his lack of knowledge of international affairs.

But what wasn’t mentioned in tonights debate? Romney and Ryan want to cut funding for Pell Grants and deny thousands of young Americans the possibility of pursuing higher education. Romney and Ryan want to repeal Obamacare and kick 3.1 million young Americans off health insurance. These platforms are unacceptable.

For Immediate Release                                                                         Contact: Jonathan Dame
September 18, 2012                                                                              (617) 605-1148

MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE DEMOCRATS HOST CAMPAIGN INVASION WEEKEND 

Over 120 Massachusetts College Democrats will conduct a coordinated campaign operation for MA Democrats in Taunton this weekend.

TAUNTON, MA – This weekend, more than 120 college students from 11 colleges and universities across Massachusetts will be knocking on doors, making phone calls and campaigning in Taunton as part of the College Democrats of Massachusetts (CDM) Campaign Invasion Weekend.

The College Democrats will be campaigning for President Obama, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Kennedy III, and all other state and local Democratic candidates.

“The students participating in this weekend’s activities recognize that President Obama and the Democratic Party understand the needs of young Americans and have presented tangible policies to help them secure jobs, afford college, and obtain health insurance.  Massachusetts College Democrats will be out in full force this weekend to ensure Democratic victories all across the state this November,” said CDM President Taylor Barnard.

“College students in Massachusetts can really make a difference by getting involved at the grassroots level and talking about the clear choices in this election,” said Elizabeth Warren, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. “Young people who have worked hard and played by the rules are getting crushed by student loan debt, and many recent graduates are struggling to find work in a difficult economy. College students know what’s at stake in this election, and I’m thrilled that there are so many young men and women who are committed to making a difference here in the Commonwealth.”

“Since the beginning, my campaign has been fueled by incredible grassroots energy. Student activism is at the cornerstone of this effort. I could not have gotten where I am without the participation of engaged, enthusiastic, and organized students throughout the 4th District,” said Joe Kennedy III, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 4th district.

The College Democrats will arrive in Taunton Saturday morning and return to their respective colleges and universities on Sunday afternoon.

Taylor Barnard can be reached for further comment at barnardt@macollegedems.org or (435) 840-3943

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In 2001, Mitt Romney testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee conerning the “cooperation between federal, state, local and private agencies to address public safety concerns” for the 2002 Olympic Games. Romney lauded and highlighted the important role that federal spending and services played in making the Games possible:

Without question, we simply could not host Games in Salt Lake if it were not for the enormous spending and services of the federal government.

Ironically, yet not surprisingly, Mitt Romney supports President Obama’s belief that nobody achieves greatness without a little help along the way.  The Romney campaign has recently been attacking President Obama for supposedly suggesting that American business owners did not actually build their own buisnessess. Of course, President Obama said no such thing; nevertheless, since truthfulness and integrity are of little concern to the Romney campaign, Romney has been spewing misleading rhetoric accusing President Obama of hating our system of American enterprise.

The most telling quote from the President’s frequently misquoted speech is as follows: “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.”  Mitt Romney affirmed that very sentiment during his testimony before Congress a decade ago. Share this blog post on your social or traditional media sites if you think it is time for Mitt Romney to stop attacking President Obama for saying the same thing Romney himself said ten years ago.