The Justice

Ari Fertig '08 speaks at the Brandeis Democrats' meeting last week.

Two political organizers, one, an up-and-comer and the other, an established veteran, addressed a meeting of the Brandeis Democrats Wednesday evening to present their experiences in local government and to encourage participation in a letter-writing campaign set to kick off next week.

Members of the Democrats said they hoped Brad Dye, a legislative aide for Massachusetts Representative Ellen Story of the Third Hampshire district and Ari Fertig '08, who led 'Deis for Deval last year, a club supporting Governor Deval Patrick's campaign, would inspire enthusiasm for the letter-writing initiative to end a controversial shock therapy technique used at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, Mass.

The Judge Rotenberg Center, a non-profit school for individuals with life threatening behavioral disorders, treats around half of its 230 students with aversive shock therapy techniques. The school has received national attention as the only school in the country that uses electric shocks to treat children.

"Due to our stance of supporting human rights, we believe that the Judge Rotenberg Center must be shut down or greatly reformed.  The Brandeis Democrats will be working very closely with the anti-JRC group to ensure that action is taken to stop the use of aversive therapy and to promote awareness of this issue on campus," a statement from the Democrats read.

Ari Fertig '08 spoke about his efforts last year to spearhead 'Deis for Deval. Fertig said his group began on Facebook and snowballed into a large student movement reaching out to the greater Waltham community. 'Deis for Deval befriended local labor groups like the Carpenters Union and canvassed throughout Waltham, Fertig said, noting that last year's primary election resulted in the largest voter turnout in Waltham in recent memory.

Fertig also described Patrick's first 9 months in office and several of the hurdles that have impeded his administration's efforts to generate new revenue and balance the state budget. Recently, cities and towns have been forced to raise their property taxes to fund education, the police department and the fire department, Fertig said. To alleviate these costs, Patrick has proposed several solutions, all rejected by the state legislature, he said. Patrick proposed giving cities and towns the option of taxing restaurant meals and getting rid of a "corporate loophole," Fertig said in a follow up interview Monday night.

Continued...

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