Thank you for your coverage (JP Gazette, Aug. 14) of Jamaica Plain Progressives’ three forums on July 29, Aug. 3 and Aug. 6. These forums were very exciting, and it was empowering for all us involved to get such a strong response from the candidates running for mayor and city councilor at-large in Boston. It confirms for us that JP’s progressive political influence should be taken seriously; the fact that a grassroots group got candidates on record on critical issues facing the entire city underscores politicians’ recognition of our significance.
We are a new group in Jamaica Plain working towards progressive values, which include a shared commitment to equality for all people and a strong conviction that government has an important role to play in our lives and communities. While the Gazette article states that there are members of our group that work in government, our group also includes other members of the local community, including artists, teachers, advocates, ministers and journalists who share our values.
We meet every third Thursday at Doyle’s, and our next meeting is Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. The meetings are informal. Early on, we decided to learn more about local issues, inviting neighborhood activists to tell us more about housing, public education and youth violence. More recently we focused on the upcoming city elections. Residents of JP may soon meet us at their doorsteps, as we plan to distribute the candidates’ responses to our questionnaire. We hope to involve more people in these exciting races.
Readers may go to our web site at www.jpprogressives.com to read more about the values we share and to learn more about the fall elections. If anyone has questions about our group, they may send an e-mail to [email protected].
Heather Ross Schwab, Co-Chair
Nancy Sableski
Jamaica Plain Progressives