May 4th, 2023 Meeting

Meeting to be held via video conference: https://ca.meet.coop/mas-ub4-8ox-vtj.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XajYtk-TVkM

Decisions/Endorsements

Pro-Cash Plank

Make suggestions for plank text at https://etherpad.pp-international.net/p/CashPlank

Tentative Cash Plank:

Cash is the first P2P service

People have used cash for over twenty five hundred years. While cash is created by governments, it exists as an anonymous form of personal exchange around the world. Unlike many cryptocurrencies, which use vast amounts of electricity often generated from dirty power plants, the use cost of cash is trivial. Other digital payment systems, such as Paypal or Venmo, are centralized, charge a fee and are not anonymous. Cash is a true peer-to-peer form of exchange and we oppose businesses requiring payment using digital means. We urge everyone to support local businesses by cutting out financial intermediaries, such as credit cards, and the predatory cut they take, and to instead use cash.

Projects

Local Outreach

Upcoming events:

• June 3rd, Trans Resistance March and Festival
• June 17th, 12:30pm, Boxborough Fifers Day, Flerra Meadows, 400 Stow Road, Boxborough, MA. Setup starts at 7am.

Video Newsletter/Podcast

Leader: Joseph

• Pirate news recording scheduled for Sundays, 7pm with go-live at 7:30pm. Unless changed
• Interview with MickyM this Sunday

Other To Do

• Application to PPI

Upcoming Events

• May 13th, noon-2pm, Spring Conference, 3 Foundry Industrial Street, Lowell, MA 01852
• June 3rd, Trans Resistance March and Festival
• June 17th, 12:30pm, Boxborough Fifers Day, Flerra Meadows, 400 Stow Road, Boxborough, MA. Setup starts at 7am.
• Red Umbrella Summer Event?

Participants

• Micky Metts
• Joseph Onoroski
• James O'Keefe

Summary

Reports:

• Email update sent out
• Registered for Trans Resistance March and the Boxborough Fifers Day

Adopted the "Cash is the first P2P service" Plank. Will post soon:

"People have used cash for over twenty five hundred years. While cash is created by governments, it exists as an anonymous form of personal exchange around the world. Unlike many cryptocurrencies, which use vast amounts of electricity often generated from dirty power plants, the use cost of cash is trivial. Other digital payment systems, such as Paypal or Venmo, are centralized, charge a fee and are not anonymous. Cash is a true peer-to-peer form of exchange and we oppose businesses requiring payment using digital means. We urge everyone to support local businesses by cutting out financial intermediaries, such as credit cards, and the predatory cut they take, and to instead use cash."

USPP national conference (May 29th - June 4th). It will be on-line. Nominations form: https://support.uspirates.org/vote

Discussed the idea of an EARN IT/RESTRICT Act protest. Decided to put up a sign up form and see if we have enough people to organize it.

Still looking for National Privacy Bills to review.

Local Outreach:

• Will setup sign up forms for our two upcoming events and notify supporters via the blog and email.
• City of Cambridge's Public Safety Committee will review Cambridge city agencies' reports on their use of surveillance technologies on May 23 at 12:30pm-2:30pm. Details at https://www.cambridgema.gov/citycalendar/view.aspx?guid=f1c73fec99614c3fb3361b460a1821fa. If you are interested in speaking against surveillance at it, please contact us at info@masspirates.org to coordinate.

May 13th Conference Planning: Will discuss:

• running for office with an itemized plan
• planning upcoming protest and other events
• planning candidate outreach for city elections and 2024 state/US House elections

Will bring paper copy of PPI application to fill out and review so Joe can submit.

Pirate News scheduled to go live this Sunday at 7:30pm.

Micky gave updates about Big Blue Button.