July 8th, 2020 IRC Meeting

Decisions/Endorsements

Extend the Eviction Moratorium

Reps Connolly, Honan and Jehlen filed a Housing Stability bill:

• Tenants unable to pay rent due “directly or indirectly” to the effects of the pandemic could not be evicted for 12 months after the expiration of the current moratorium.
• Unlike the current moratorium, it would apply to only those who are unable to pay due to pandemic. The bill would also freeze rents at their March 10 level for a year after the emergency.
• The bill includes measures for homeowners and small landlords as well. It would ban foreclosures for mortgage nonpayment for a year after the current moratorium expires and would extend the mortgage deferment program for homeowners and landlords with fewer than 15 units.
• The bill would establish a fund to reimburse landlords for lost rental revenues and an oversight board to oversee the disbursement of the money.

Do we want to support this bill? Does it go far enough?

More at: https://thesomervillenewsweekly.blog/2020/07/06/extend-the-eviction-moratorium/

Projects

Goals for Q3 2020:

• Organize meetups
• Organize Fundraiser
• Organize candidate trainings
• Revise platform

Video Newsletter/Podcast

Leader: Joseph

• Next pirate news recording scheduled for Sunday, 7pm unless changed

Boston Sex Worker Event

Tentative Red Umbrella day on July 25th or Aug 22nd. JoeO send dates around for feedback.

Computer donations

• Rules
• Sign up form

Regional Meetings/Events

All meetings on hold due to Covid-19.

Leader: jokeefe

• Boston (jokeefe)
• Worcester (Malt)
• Lowell (Joe)
• Boston Pride Festival (emailed them that we transferred our table to 2021)
  • table booked
  • setup signup sheet
  • Announce
  • Need to purchase insurance
  • Need volunteer sign up form
  • Tie to an activity, mapping the CCTV cameras in Boston or along the Pride parade route?

Bills

No clue where things are now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Right to Repair

• out of committee
• next email will urge supporters to call their state senator/rep. and urge them to support it
• see if people willing to setup meeting with reps.

Facial Recognition and other bills still in committee.

Platform Discussion

Moved to 2020 Platform Discussion

Other To Do

• Application to PPI
• Conference survey
• Statement on Archive.org Suit

Tabled Projects

FOSS Tutorials

Worcester farm group is interested in having some FOSS tutorials. Perhaps:

• how to do basic labels in GIMP,
• work through a few sample spreadsheets related to seed cost and
• similarly applicable real-world situations, depending on the needs of the group

Basically how to do graph design & product management with open source tools. Malt will put together a one paragraph description of what we need and we can mail it out to ask pirates to help.

Upcoming Events

• Summer 2020, ?, Boston Meetup
• Summer 2020, ?, Worcester Meetup
• Summer 2020, ?, Springfield Meetup
• ?/?, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNet Tech Meeting, Culture House, Harvard Square
• ?/?, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNe Tech Meeting, Encuentro 5, Boston
• ?/?, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNet Tech Meeting, Democracy Center, Cambridge
• ?/?, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNet Tech Meeting
• 5/?, 2pm-4pm, Democracy and Dogfood (Tech) Meeting, on-line

Participants

• srevilak (Steve Revilak, Arlington)
• jokeefe (James O’Keefe, Somerville)
• Joe (Joseph Onoroski Lowell)
• Malt (sam capradae, worcester)

Observers

• davidd
• ChanServ
• hvxgr
• Deffy
• mikey

Summary

Discussed eviction moratorium bill in MA legislature. See https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/SD2992. Favorable vote to endorse.

Pirate News. Next recording Sunday 7pm.

Minutes

 
21:09 <@jokeefe> Agenda:
       https://masspirates.org/wiki/July_8th,_2020_IRC_Meeting
21:09 < davidd> we have all been there Joe
21:09 <@jokeefe> ids
21:09 < Joe> Joseph Onoroski Lowell
21:09 < davidd> but i was about to head out for sports
21:09 < srevilak> Steve Revilak, Arlington
21:09 <@jokeefe> Any changes?
21:09 < davidd> have a good meeting guys
21:09 < Joe> Ty
21:09 <@jokeefe> James O’Keefe, Somerville
21:09 <@jokeefe> thanks!
21:09 < srevilak> thank - nice seeing you!
21:10 <@jokeefe> have a great night
21:10 <@jokeefe> Decisions/Endorsements
21:10 <@jokeefe> Extend the Eviction Moratorium
21:10 < srevilak> endorse
21:11 <@jokeefe> Does it go far enough?
21:12 <@jokeefe> The part I am wondering about who would decide who is
       unable to pay due to pandemic.
21:13 < srevilak> Perhaps criteria would be more important than who
       decides
21:13 < srevilak> Friend who is self-employed applied for one of the
       earlier aid packages
21:14 < srevilak> Basically had to show income in non-pandemic time,
       and no income now
21:14 < srevilak> and that was the basis for reimbursement.  IIRC
21:14 < Malt> hi pals
21:14 < Malt> sorry i'm late
21:14 < srevilak> Hi Malt
21:15 < srevilak>
       https://masspirates.org/wiki/July_8th,_2020_IRC_Meeting#Participants
21:15 < Malt> sam capradae, worcester
21:15 < srevilak> discussing eviction moratorium
21:15 <@jokeefe> ahoy
21:15 <@jokeefe> looks like Section 2 of the bill text for
       https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/SD2992 covers it
21:15 < Malt> oh good
21:15 < Malt> i'm so glad there's legislation on that
21:15 < Joe> Half a loaf is better than none. Endorse
21:16 < Malt> agreed
21:16 < Malt> i haven't heard anything more exciting coming down the pipe
21:17 < srevilak> I like they way that (2)(b) is worded.
21:17 < srevilak> Presume failure to pay was due to pandemic
21:17 < srevilak> Burden of proof falls on the party making a claim to
       the contrary
21:19 <@jokeefe> True, but it sounds like it would favor the tenant in
       court, but it still has to go to court.
21:19 <@jokeefe> which would tie up the courts, which might cause the
       courts to expedite the proceedings in a way that hurts tenants
21:20 < srevilak> Practical meaning: landlord can go to court, but it
       only makes sense for them to do so if they can meet burden of proof
21:20 <@jokeefe> reminded of the foreclosures 2008-2011 and how some
       states did their best to expedite those
21:20 < Malt> ugh
21:20 < Malt> but still, given how unprogressive mass is
21:20 < Malt> that's not bad
21:21 <@jokeefe> As Malt noted, there may not be a better bill
21:21 < srevilak> In mortgage forclosures, I think the lenders generally
       had the befit of the doubt, and homeowners were saddled with burden
       of proof
21:21 < Malt> if sanders was still in the race there'd be pressure
21:21 < srevilak> (i.e., that they should not have been foreclosed on)
21:22 < Malt> it was massively stacked
21:22 < Malt> the lenders would show up without a shred of proof and
       they'd still win
21:22 < Malt> the agencies helping evictees basically tried to gum up
       the process to slow them down as much as possible so they'd renegotiate
21:22 < Malt> because the lawsuit would be hopeless otherwise
21:23 < srevilak> (6)(a) is kind of strong too
21:24 < Malt> worcester alone has a pending 6K-10K evictions
21:24 <@jokeefe> Any more need of discussion or are we ok with supporting
       this bill?
21:24 < Malt> i'm ok
21:25 < srevilak> also okay
21:27 < srevilak> motion to endorse?
21:27 <@jokeefe> all in favor?
21:27 < srevilak> aye
21:27 < Joe> Aye
21:28 <@jokeefe> aye
21:29 <@jokeefe> any opposed?
21:30 < Malt> wtf
21:30 < Malt> i support
21:30 <@jokeefe> thanks
21:30 <@jokeefe> motion passes
21:31 <@jokeefe> Projects
21:31 <@jokeefe> Video Newsletter/Podcast
21:31 <@jokeefe> The videos languished in private, but I had one out
       today and the next goes out tomorrow. sorry about that
21:32 <@jokeefe> Sunday, 7pm still good for recording?
21:32 < Malt> hope so
21:33 < Joe> Have camera for solo but have yef to upload. Just started
       in peak season for work but I will crank out a few for review when I
       have a chance.
21:33 < srevilak> Sunday 7pm good for recording
21:33 <@jokeefe> thanks, Joe. Will be good to talk with you all then
21:33 < Malt> :)
21:33 < Joe> 👍
21:35 <@jokeefe> Boston Sex Worker Event - Joe, did you get a chance to
       email the list about a date?
21:35 < Joe> Unfortunately not. I will do so tonight.
21:37 <@jokeefe> thank you
21:38 < Malt> wtffffffff
21:39 <@jokeefe> webclient?
21:39 < Malt> i think i'm going to reach out to worcester pirates about
       a digital meetup
21:39 < Malt> yeah
21:39 <@jokeefe> I think it is having stability issues.
21:39 < Joe> 👨‍💻
21:39 < Malt> that's understandable. IRC is cutting edge tech
21:39 <@jokeefe> Might try getting a local IRC client
21:39 <@jokeefe> lol
21:40 < Malt> but they were too hard for me when i was 16 and not paying
       attention
21:40 < Malt> now i'm intimidated
21:40 <@jokeefe> Could be that it is connected to a server that isn’t
       stable
21:40 < Malt> who knows
21:40 <@jokeefe> worcester meetup is a good idea
21:40 < Malt> either way, i'm seeing some reports that MA is poised for
       an outbreak soon
21:40 < Malt> so i'm hesitant on in person contact
21:40 <@jokeefe> I need to setup a Somerville one.
21:41 <@jokeefe> yeah
21:41 < Malt> frankly i'm horrified of what's going to happen when
       schools open
21:41 < Joe> 🌐
21:41 < Joe> 🌋
21:41 <@jokeefe> the kids will likely be alright. their teachers,
       parents and grand parents on the other hand
21:41 <@jokeefe> ...
21:41 < Joe> Agree, my son goes back tomorrow.
21:42 < Joe> He's the first because of the situation with him.
21:42 <@jokeefe> Remote learning can be tough on kids, though not as
       tough as losing a parent
21:43 < Joe> True.
21:43 <@jokeefe> Good luck!
21:43 < Malt> we goTTa change the subject
21:43 < Malt> i'm fgetting agita
21:43 <@jokeefe> PPE for everyone!
21:43 <@jokeefe> You get a mask, and you get a mask, ….
21:44 < Joe> He's special needs, sry Malt if I said something that
       bothered you.
21:44 <@jokeefe> I have no other updates. Will send email to democracy
       list about setting up an on-line meetup
21:44 <@jokeefe> Life has taken some of the wind from my sails of late
21:46 <@jokeefe> though here is a nice picture of a blue jay:
       https://www.flickr.com/photos/9468132@N05/49923726396/in/album-72157713749846151/
21:46 < Joe> Motion to adjourn?
21:46 < srevilak> nice picture
21:46 < srevilak> aye to adjourn
21:46 < Malt> oh no i;m just bleh
21:46 < Malt> aye
21:46 < Malt> that's a really cool photo!
21:46 < Malt> love the detail
21:48 < srevilak> will post transcript
21:48 < Joe> Gn everyone!