Know Them by Their Acts.
By Jim Conley • Oct 28th, 2006 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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Today’s mail drop at home featured a newsletter (addressed to My Dulcinea) from the Brookline Greenspace Alliance urging a yes vote on Question 4. Hmm, a non-profit organization sends out their newsletter (one whose previous issues I don’t remember having received) endorsing a referendum question a week before the vote.
This is not a public education activity, that would mean you look at both sides of the question and let the voter decide. This is electioneering, pure and simple.
Wouldn’t that mean that the Alliance needs to register as a political organization with the Town Clerk, and then report on who financed the mailing? The Clerk’s office tells me they have no such filings.
We’ll let the State’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance decide this one.
Update: Here’s the legal bulletin from the OCPF on the reporting requirements concerning civic organizations endorsing ballot measures. Now why wouldn’t the Alliance form a ballot committee and report on who is financing their work? Maybe it has to do with what their real agenda is, and your definition of green. As they say, this story is developing.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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Keep in mind that a non-profit organization CAN make a profit; it’s just that the profit generally cannot (should not) be used for other than the non-profit purposes of the organization and in compliance with applicable laws that may impose limitations. Non-profits are controlled by individuals, some of whom may have personal profit/benefit motivations (other than merely building up their resumes or just doing their civic duty). Thanks for pointing out the legalities. Perhaps an examination is in order to determine the extent to which this non-profit is governed and motivated by the professional preservationists in our Town. Can someone do a cross check of the endorsers of CPA and the powers in this non-profit?
[...] Remember back in October when I objected (see previous post) to a mailing from the Brookline Greenspace Alliance in advance on the local referendum question on a 3% tax surcharge to fund community preservation in Brookline. [...]