Tuesday, November 24, 2015
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By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) with Keith Regan
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Today: Trouble in Toyland; Moulton hosts refugee roundtable
Gov. Charlie Baker joins Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst and Mass Insight President William Guenther to launch a campaign urging state residents to #BuyinMA this holiday season, 1:30 in Faneuil Hall, by the Holiday Tree, Boston.
MassPIRG holds news conference to release its 30th annual Trouble in Toyland report and list of dangerous toys. According to MassPIRG, the report finds that "despite improvements from recent product safety regulation reforms, there are still dangerous toys on store shelves that pose a safety hazard." Rep. Livingstone and MassPIRG Education Fund advocate Michelle Surka participate, Torit Language Center, 41 Bromfield St., Boston, 10 am.
Congressman Seth Moulton hosts a roundtable with Syrian refugees, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition and law enforcement officials on issues facing Massachusetts' immigrant community. A press conference with Moulton and the roundtable participants will follow, Massachusetts Immigrant and Advocacy Coalition, 105 Chauncy St., 9th floor, Boston, 2:45 pm. (See link to Moulton's Globe op-ed on Syrian refugees below.)
Is means testing the way to go for T riders?
The cost of taking the T risks becoming so prohibitive for lower income people that MBTA's Fiscal Management and Control Board is seriously weighing means testing to lower fares for some people. This is a noble idea, but it raises a larger issue: Not only is our public transportation system decidedly second rate, it is becoming so expensive that the one-price-fits-all fare tradition is too expensive for a significant slice of the population. Much of the public can't afford public transportation. Just like the public can't afford public higher education without going deeply in debt.
The control board's hand-wringing about fares is flashing a clear warning signal about increases. The T has decided to misinterpret the Legislature's clear intention to limit fare increases to 5 percent every two years, and so T riders can expect to get walloped soon. See the story from the State House News Service's Andy Metzger on the T board's concerns about fares here:http://bit.ly/1NoNc1B (paywall)
Meanwhile, the T is engaged in a dodgy interpretation of the First Amendment, yesterday voting to ban political advertising, meaning anything relating to "economic, political, moral, religious or social issues."
Of course a judge would say, just what is political advertising? Is a message from the state urging residents to check out the Health Connector political? More importantly, why are we being protected by the state (on state property, no less) from a free expression of ideas, whether we like them or not? Will there soon be trigger warnings before crowding onto a C Line train? The Globe's Nicole Dungca covers the ad ban story here: http://bit.ly/1MyljRk
Seth Moulton explains - beyond 140 characters
In a Globe op-ed, Congressman Seth Moulton goes beyond tweeting about the refugee controversy to argue that the recent House vote to pause the immigration of Syrian refugees plays into the enemy's hands. "Singling out Muslims or Syrians - the very victims of ISIS's reign of terror - or suggesting that American values apply to them only with caveats, gives ISIS a propaganda tool it can use to recruit more foot soldiers. In other words, "pausing" refugee immigration will not help our national security. Instead, that overreaction might well harm our anti-terror efforts."http://bit.ly/1Hjm9CB
Voters divided on Syrian refugees
A Suffolk University poll finds Massachusetts voters "deeply split" over how the state should approach the Syrian refugee crisis, with most backing Gov. Baker's controversial stance, the Globe reports. The poll found 47 percent support for the stance taken by Baker and other governors who said they would refuse to accept refugees from the war-ravaged region. Although 40 percent of voters disagree with the governor on the Syrian issue, however, his popularity levels remain sky-high,the same poll found, with a 70 percent approval rating. http://bit.ly/1MOD8t7
S&P lowers outlook on Mass. debt
Citing the depletion of the Commonwealth's rainy day fund, Standard & Poor's has lowered its outlook on Massachusetts debt from stable to negative, CommonwWealth magazine reports. The rating agency kept the state's debt rating at AA+, but cited drawdowns from the rainy day fund and the diversion of funds previously dedicated to keeping it robust. The Baker administration predictably sough to lay the blame at the feet of its predecessor, [We have always acknowledged that this requires a multi-year fix to overcome issues which we inherited," said Secretary of Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore. http://bit.ly/1NpyOGi
Everett Mayor focus of union probe
In what appears to be a widening of a probe into the tactics of labor unions, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria is now the focus of a federal inquiry into whether he coerced a developer to employ union workers as he turned the former Charleston Chew factory into an apartment complex, the Globe reports. Prosecutors are focusing on why the developer, Andy Montelli, hired some union workers even after telling DeMaria doing so would add to his costs, the Globe says. http://bit.ly/1SZlEOC
Revere recount court-bound?
Revere's Election Commission took no action on former Mayor Dan Rizzo's faxed-in request for a recount in his narrow loss to Brian Arrigo, the Globe reports. The Commission's inaction after it received Rizzo's request--by facsimile--along with a document authorizing his brother to oversee the recount means Rizzo may need a judge to order any recount. Arrigo took home 5,209 votes compared to 5,091 for Rizzo.http://bit.ly/1TbYIfL
Tribe will appeal bingo hall ruling
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head says it will appeal a judge's ruling that slammed the door on its attempts to open a modest-sized bingo hall on Martha's Vineyard, the Cape Cod Times reports. The tribe's attorney tells the paper he may first ask Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to reconsider his own decision in the light of new information but that the tribe is also prepared to meet the Dec. 11 deadline to file a formal appeal. http://bit.ly/1lGPfC3
Second Amendment debate rages in Lowell
Gun-rights advocates met Monday with Lowell officials who they accuse of overstepping their authority by seeking to restrict access to gun permits beyond the bounds of state law, the Lowell Sun reports. The face-to-face was arranged after new regulations put in place by Police Superintendent William Taylor for obtaining gun permits-including a provision that requires applicants to demonstrate they are not a threat to public safety-drew the ire of some residents and activists.http://bit.ly/1NbvWuV
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