An Update from the Campaign Trail

The weather has finally begun to turn and Martha and our outstanding volunteers have been incredibly busy this month! A quick update from the last month:

We’re pleased to report that we are making progress towards collecting the 10,000 signatures we need, thanks to our Days of Action over recent weekends.  Each Saturday, Martha has met up with volunteers at Headquarters and then ventured out to high-traffic areas in the community to collect signatures and say thank you to voters.  Throughout the month, Martha made visits to supermarkets in West Roxbury, Porter Square, Fresh Pond, and Arlington. Check out photos on our Flickr site.   We have more Days of Action coming up on March 27, April 3, and April 10. Sign up to join us for a couple of hours by emailing volunteer@marthacoakley.com.

Earlier in the month, Martha visited Malden, South Boston, and Lowell to enjoy local St. Patrick’s Day festivities. She also made appearances on Greater Boston with Emily Rooney (watch online), Nightside with Dan Rea on WBZ 1030AM (listen to the podcast online), and FOX25 Morning News for “Ask the AG” (watch online).

Martha has also been busy at work as Attorney General.  Earlier this week, The Boston Globe wrote an editorial about Martha’s work combating the faulty marketing of antipsychotic drugs, and her participation in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.  Also earlier this week, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the Massachusetts buffer zone law – a law which Martha has defended over the last year. The statute protects public safety and patient access to reproductive health care facilities by creating a 35-foot buffer zone around clinic entrances and driveways.  And this week, Martha announced a settlement with Countrywide Financial Corporation that provides an estimated $18 million in loan modifications for Massachusetts homeowners, $3 billion in loan modifications for homeowners across the country, and a $4.1 million payment to the Commonwealth.

Make sure to follow Martha on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook for all the latest news and events.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Martha

I hope you all are enjoying your St. Patrick's Day!

I am excited to seek re-election as Attorney General and my campaign team is out working hard every day. Over the past month, we have been out traveling the state, visiting local Democratic caucuses and working with volunteers to collect signatures at supermarkets, coffee shops, and commuter rail locations. I’ve been happy to join our volunteers at many of these stops and I appreciate the positive responses that we’ve received from people.

The Boston Herald joined me this Saturday, and wrote a piece on our work out on the campaign trail. You can read it on the Herald website.

This past Sunday, I joined State Senator Jack Hart for his traditional St. Patrick's Day breakfast in South Boston. You can view photos from the event online.

Today, I saw old and new friends in Lowell at the City Manager’s annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast.   

We are a little over halfway to our goal of gathering the 10,000 signatures necessary to secure my place on the ballot. With your help, we can complete this drive soon. Can you join us this Saturday March 20th, or next Saturday, March 27th, for one of our Days of Action? I will be at campaign headquarters at 10:00 a.m. to say hello and then will join some teams out in the area.  If you can dedicate one or two hours on an upcoming Saturday, please RSVP online or email Kate Foster at foster@marthacoakley.com. 

It’s been great to see so many of you out around the Commonwealth, and I hope to see more of you soon. Again, thank you for all that you do.

         

Martha Coakley

More Days of Action THIS WEEKEND

Our Days of Action these last two Saturdays were a great success thanks to the dozens of volunteers who signed up to hit the streets and collect signatures in the community.  With each weekend, we are that much closer to the goal of 10,000 certified signatures by May 4.

We're hoping to build on this success with another strong weekend. Like previous Days of Action, a number of volunteers will be meeting at Coakley Headquarters (529 Main Street, Charlestown) at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, and then will be heading out to targeted locations in Boston, Cambridge, Medford, and Brookline.  We will also have staging areas in Newton and Arlington:

• Newton - meet at Starbucks, 85 Wells Ave in Newton Center; to RSVP, email coordinator Katie Sullivan (ksullivan@marthacoakley.com)
• Arlington - meet at Starbucks, 270 Broadway in Arlington; to RSVP, email coordinator Kate Foster (foster@marthacoakley.com)

 We have selected locations where signatures can either be collected inside or underneath an overhang, so we will be collecting signatures rain or shine.  You can still RSVP to join us!

International Women's Day

Throughout my life many have asked me who I consider to be a role model, and I have noted many times that I am an admirer of Eleanor Roosevelt.  Mrs. Roosevelt spent her life advocating for fairness in wage and hour laws, equal treatment for all, and access to the tools working families needed to emerge from the Depression. She also made progress for women in creative and effective ways. For example, as First Lady, she began calling press conferences, but would only permit female reporters attend.  The media scrambled to send women to cover the First Lady’s remarks, and the result was a strong, active women’s press corps covering White House activity for years.

Eleanor Roosevelt's work and mission align with the messages of International Women’s Day, which we recognize today as a celebration of “the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.”  The focus of this year’s International Women’s Day is standing united to end violence against women and girls.

Every single day around the world, women and girls are victims of verbal abuse, domestic violence, stalking, sexual and physical assault, human trafficking, and so many other acts of violence that many choose to ignore.  While progress has been made, there is much more that needs to be done to ensure the safety, well-being and respect of all women and girls.

On this International Women’s Day, consider giving your time and talents to an organization with this mission in mind.  Spend an hour on a weekend volunteering at a women’s shelter, or use your skills to organize a food drive for a local food bank, or donate a few extra dollars to a worthy non-profit organization dedicated to ending human trafficking.

Upon Mrs. Roosevelt’s death, she was remembered by the words of Adlai Stevenson -  “She would rather light candles than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world."   Join with women around the globe and make an impact this International Women’s Day to end violence against women.