Brewster Community Network to Host ‘Bridging the Divide’ Forum Next Week

BREWSTER – The next Brewster Community Network Forum will be held at the Brewster Ladies’ Library next week.

On Thursday, June 20, the free event has triggered regional interest, and features national experts from off-Cape.

Polling shows many republicans, democrats and independents believe our democracy isn’t working well. Last November, 73-percent of voting Brewster residents supported State ballot Question 2: “…amend .. the US Constitution to limit the influence of money in elections and establish that corporations do not have the same rights as humans”.

Brewster’s Republican and Democratic State Reps and Senator—Tim Whelan, Sarah Peake and Julian Cyr—are all sponsoring the same We the People bill, in response.

These are not the only factors involved. How and why has our politics ‘business’ let us down? What are the electoral, constitutional and legal options to fix this? What can democrats, republicans and independents work on together now, to ensure our democracy works better for all of us in the future?  Our agenda aims to answer these questions and foster a non-partisan discussion of ways forward:

BCN staff will review insights from the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School.  Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter analyzed our politics using a well-recognized framework for competitive business assessment and strategy, leading to specific recommendations.

Paul Lauenstein of We the People Massachusetts, behind November’s Question 2 and matching bills on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill, will explain this constitutional amendment initiative to limit the political power of money and corporations.

Adam Eichen of Equal Citizens (founded by Lawrence Lessig, of Harvard Law School’s Center for Ethics) will share its reasoning and strategy for legal challenges and other steps to make each citizen’s vote count equally.

Open to all to ask questions and share ideas. Our State politicians, Tim Whelan, Sarah Peake and Julian Cyr are all invited to attend or send someone.

The event runs from 6:30 p.m. through 8:30 p.m., Brewster Ladies Library Main Auditorium.

By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center