MassPirg: A Legacy of Advocacy

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MassPirg and some of the passionate folks involved!

As a college student, I’ve always just seen MassPIRG as a sort of nuisance at worst, and at best as easily ignored background noise. This past week however, I talked with the campus organizer at Umass Dartmouth and found that MassPIRG is so much more than that, and something that we perhaps have been taking for granted.

MassPIRG is an organization over 40 years old, based on college campuses and in communities throughout the state. Their primary goal according to Tess Geyer, the Campus Organizer at Umass Dartmouth is, “To get students involved in advocating for issues important to them.” It isn’t just students though, for MassPIRG boasts citizen membership in the thousands, and the organization advocates for them just as strongly.

MassPirg is an organization over 40 years old, based on college campuses and in communities throughout the state.

One of their biggest accomplishments is the Bottle Bill. Passed in the 1980’s this law took a 5 cent deposit from consumers upon the purchase of canned and bottled beverages, and when these cans and bottles are brought back the consumer gets a refund of that deposit. Those that didn’t claim their deposit would have their money recycled into the state’s Clean Environment Fund, but now the money goes to the state’s General Fund. The bill was created to support recycling efforts and to promote a cleaner environment for all of us to live in, and now MassPIRG seeks to update it with a ballot referendum this November. Should they succeed it would expand the Bottle Bill’s coverage to include such things as water bottles and sports drinks, but it will be a tough fight as they face strong corporate interests.

Another of their current priority projects is a non-partisan, state-wide, get out the vote initiative. They bravely man tables and stop passersby, all in a never-ending effort to register college students to vote. Although technically registering to vote doesn’t guarantee someone actually will vote come Election Day that doesn’t stop MassPIRG. According to Tess Geyer as recently as September 18th, the organization registered 100 students on campus to vote, with their goal being to register at least 1000 students on campus. They have a long way to go though, especially if the organization is to surpass the over 11,000 students it was able to register across Massachusetts to vote in 2012.

Some of their other big past accomplishments include helping to form a Consumer Protection Agency, which forced major credit card companies to pay back around 1.5 billion in unfair fees to the consumers, and they also helped save college students an extra $1000 by stopping student loan interest rates from doubling. Other projects they’ve been involved in include advocating for textbook affordability via their Higher Education Bill, H.R. 4137, and currently one of their aims is to bring the costs of textbooks down even further, fighting hunger and homelessness by raising funds to help address these basic needs, and helping to improve public transportation statewide.

Funded in part by a small fee included in college tuition statewide, as well as various donations and grants, this non-profit organization boasts many ways for interested individuals to get involved.

Funded in part by a small fee included in college tuition statewide, as well as various donations and grants, this non-profit organization boasts many ways for interested individuals to get involved. There are internships available, as well as work-study positions, some paid positions and of course volunteerism. It’s a rewarding way to get credit, or earn money, all while advocating for deserving causes.

MassPIRG and its counterparts in other states are a perfect example of how our voices can make a difference when we combine them into an echoing chorus. In a world that is ruled by big powerful interests, whose only goal is to make money at our expense, the only way to combat them is to join together and make our positions known. If you aren’t already a part of MassPIRG I highly recommend taking a few minutes to find out what they’re about, and then decide if you want to be a part of their organization. Just remember, that even if it isn’t something they’re currently pursuing, someday MassPIRG might be fighting for something you have a personal stake in, and every little bit of help counts. Even if you lose the battle, at least you fought.

You can find out more about the MassPIRG organization at their website: http://www.masspirg.org/


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One comment

  1. Also be sure to check out masspirgstudents.org

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