Monday, August 3, 2015

MASSterList: Cambridge cabbies to protest ride sharing | Iran deal gets Warren's backing | $70K for everyone?




 

 Monday, August 3, 2015

 Subscribe now for free!
Subscribe now for free!



By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) with Sara Brown
Today...
Traffic alert: Cambridge cabs are lining up to strike in protest of ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft. It's being billed as a one-day protest. A strike is one thing, lining up the taxis and snarling traffic is another, which cabbies have threatened to do. Here's the latest from the Globe: http://bit.ly/1JHeBsk
... Congressman Joseph Kennedy III is scheduled as the featured guest at the Alliance for Business Leadership's "Progressive Power Hour," 6 pm, MassChallenge, 21 Drydock Ave., Boston... New Hampshire will be the site of the Voters First Presidential Forum as 14 Republican presidential candidates are expected to discuss the issues at Saint Anselm College. The event is jointly sponsored by the New Hampshire Union Leader, the Charleston Post & Courier (SC), the Cedar Rapids Gazette (IA), and WLTX-TV in Columbia, SC. It's sold out, but it's airing live on C-SPAN at 7 pm.

...And this week
The deadline for ballot petitions to be filed for approval with the Attorney General's office is Wednesday, Aug. 5. All it takes is 10 voters to sign the petition, so perhaps there will be some last-minute surprises. Given that the Legislature seems intent on passing a public records reform bill, that may have convinced Secretary of State Galvin to call off his threat to file a ballot question on public records... On Thursday Fox carries the second Republican presidential debate, this one limited to 10 candidates, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Keeping the Widett Circle movement alive
As the dust nearly settles from the Olympic bid meltdown, the hope of many is the effort won't be in vain. The Boston Globe is holding a candle for the transformation of the formerly anonymous Widett Circle, where a temporary Olympic Stadium was to be built, only to give way to new neighborhood. The notion of erecting a massive concrete deck to create terra nova continues to spur the imagination of Marty Walsh, Tim Love, the president of the Boston Society of Architects, the Globe editorial board, and others about building a new neighborhood there, articulated in a center spread in the Sunday Globe. The question now, however, is whether a neighborhood on stilts captures the imagination of developers. Love's idea of keeping some of its industrial character sounds the most appealing, but it also may be the least commercially viable option. Here's his column, which also leads to links to others' take on Widett, including the mayor's. http://bit.ly/1VVWovN

Shouldn't everyone get a minimum salary of $70K?
You may remember when the CEO of a Seattle credit card processing company decided a few months ago to make the minimum salary at the company $70,000. Paradise would ensue, right? Not quite. The New York Times takes an in-depth look at the impact of Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price's decision, which not only grabbed national headlines, but also caused some consternation inside the company, especially from those who resented relatively new, inexperienced people suddenly earning close to what they make. It's a study in unintended consequences. http://nyti.ms/1Hlc14V

Verizon workers stay on the job without contract
After their contract expired Saturday night, Verizon union workers have opted to stay on the job as negotiations continue. Some 5,000 Massachusetts workers will be affected by the outcome. A union official told Jack Encarnacao of the Herald that management's latest offer would increase health care costs "by thousands of dollars per person." In all, the Verizon unions represent 38,000 workers.http://bit.ly/1K0N9BE

Warren carrying on Kennedy's legacy with updated No Child Left Behind
Little has been written on Sen. Elizabeth Warren's views on the federal government's role in education, a topic CommonWealth's Michael Jonas explores as the No Child Left Behind is pilloried from the left and right. Some federal standards need to be left in place, Warren maintains, as the law is updated. Jonas writes: "The danger, say Warren and others fighting the current versions of the bill, is that the pendulum is swinging so far the other way that the federal government may end up walking away from any commitment to those students who have historically not been well-served by schools that are left entirely under local control." http://bit.ly/1Ieqm7f


Lawrence chief seeks to fire call-taker after she refused to help a Spanish-speaking caller
Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick is trying to fire a 911 call-taker after an incident with a Spanish-language call. According to the Eagle-Tribune, the call-taker told a Spanish-speaking caller that she did not speak Spanish and that there was no one there that spoke Spanish. The call-taker, Dianne D'lorio, has had similar issues with language barriers. "Call taker D'Iorio made no effort to overcome the language barrier or to take steps to see if anyone else was available to handle the call," a memo to Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick has already put her on leave with the intention of firing her. Because of the union she is in, it could be a lengthy process. http://bit.ly/1KLEvKa 

Government Center on track for opening
MBTA's revitalized Government Center Station project is on track to reopen next spring. The new station will be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye including glass walls. "It really adds an abundance of natural light down on that Green Line platform," Brian Howland, a resident engineer at the MBTA said to the Boston Globe. "The old station used to be like a bunker, very small, very dark." The new station will be more accessible to people with physical disabilities. The old station did not have elevators and the new one will now have two. http://bit.ly/1N44kW0 

Will Joe Biden run?
Rumors have emerged that Vice President Joe Biden might run for president in 2016. Biden has not told his staff if he will run or not, according to the AP. People say the recent interest in a potential Biden run is about the Democrat party losing faith in Hillary Clinton as she declines in popularity with voters in recent polls. "There are few signs, meanwhile, that Biden is taking solid steps toward launching a campaign. He has had little interaction with a 'draft Biden' group pushing him to run, and has yet to look for office space in early voting states or raise money for a potential bid," the AP reports. Meanwhile, many have voiced their support for Biden to run. "I'd love to see Biden run," Democratic strategist Scott Ferson said to the Herald. "He is authentic and people are looking for that. I think people want Hillary Clinton to be more authentic." http://bit.ly/1M0op0F 

Warren, Mass. delegation begins lining up behind Iran deal
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said yesterday she sees the pending Iran nuclear pact as "our best available option for preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," and other members of Congress, including Rep. Seth Moulton, have indicated they will or are likely to support the deal negotiated by Secretary of State John Kerry last month. http://bit.ly/1IeqweU
How to reach me and MASSterList
Nothing makes me happier than comments, tips, suggestions. Also, opinion articles also will be considered. Please don't hesitate to weigh in on what we're missing and where we should look. Reach me at gdonnelly@massterlist.com or on Twitter @geodonnelly.


TODAY'S TOP STORIES
National:
State:
Local:


at

No comments:

Post a Comment