Needed: action to create a commission to stop bullying

We seek early action to pass a landmark bill, Resolve S.2329 188th (Current) Resolve creating a commission to study ways to prevent bullying of tenants in public and subsidized multi-family housing. The Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann has joined with the Stop Bullying Coalition to ask the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules that S2329 "be reported favorably from the committee and placed on the Senate Orders of the Day as soon as possible."

6 October, 2014

Stanley C. Rosenberg
Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Rules
Stan.Rosenberg@masenate.gov

Dear Senator Rosenberg,

I am writing to ask the Committee on Ethics and Rules to report S2329 favorably from the committee and place it on the Senate Orders of the Day as soon as possible.

This bill, Resolve S.2329 188th (Current) Resolve creating a commission to study ways to prevent bullying of tenants in public and subsidized multi-family housing, has earned the sponsorship of the Joint Committee on Housing, and addresses an urgent problem that affects life in subsidized housing throughout the Commonwealth, as well as nationally.

The proposed Commission would bring together major stakeholders, key legislative committees, and related executive departments, as well as citizens and experts in order to study the systems and situations that may lead to bullying, and to identify potential approaches to preventing bullying.

This legislation is important to me as a resident in privately-owned, HUD-subsidized housing where I have experienced, observed, and worked to organize against bullying. I realized that we lack the tools to overcome bullying, and have therefore turned, through Senator Joan Lovely, to the legislature seeking legislative remedies.

In the course of my efforts to coordinate the Stop Bullying Coalition, I have heard from advocacy groups and helping professionals as well as from residents from many parts of the Commonwealth, tales of the prevalence of bullying that impacts people living with disability as well as the elderly. I have been gratified and encouraged by the bipartisan, open, warm response to our efforts by many legislators. We all look forward to the work of the Commission which can bring relief and once again confirm Massachusetts as a leader in securing the rights of citizens.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jerry Halberstadt
Coordinator, Stop Bullying Coalition
email: jerry@StopBullyingCoalition.org
www.StopBullyingCoalition.org
http://photoluminations.com/drupal/?q=taxonomy/term/61
Twitter: @PhotoLumination
To prevent bullying of the elderly and of people living with disability

6 October, 2014

Stanley C. Rosenberg
Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Rules

Dear Senator Rosenberg,

I also request your support for this Commission per S.2329. The Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann, Inc. has been providing services for almost 27 years to those living with disabilities, and for over 10 years as part of the Aging and Disabilities Resource Consortium of the Greater North Shore to seniors who have and do not have disabilities. We hear many accounts of bullying in their subsidized and non-subsidized housing situations. Many are left with no alternative but to leave and go to nursing homes, shelters, or the streets. I urge you to support this bill, and we have been working closely with Jerry Halberstadt, Senator Joan Lovely, and others to have this bill come to fruition. Thank you for your time and consideration of this issue.

Mary Margaret Moore, Executive Director
Independent Living Center of the North Shore & Cape Ann, Inc.
27 Congress St, Suite 107, Salem, MA 01970
978-741-0077
mmmoore@ilcnsca.org
www.ilcnsca.org
www.facebook.com/ilcnsca
Services and Advocacy for an Independent Life

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