I’ve seen up-close the hideous face of political opportunism rear itself in the event of a horrific crisis. No, I’m not exactly talking about U.S. Congressman and Senate hopeful Stephen Lynch, who’s kept his stiff, no-nonsense mug prominently on-screen at a number of press conferences since Monday’s marathon bombings. Nor am I necessarily referring...
In the wake of the diabolical bombing of the Boston Marathon, a vile act of random mayhem and one of the most heinous crimes in this city’s long history, there is natural anxiety, fear and confusion. When a fellow human being, perhaps a fellow Bostonian, is capable of such a thing, who are we? What...
Despite their notoriously low voter turnouts in municipal elections, local communities of color are already buzzing over the mayoral madness sweeping Boston. As expected, important conversations are under way about the viability of certain minority candidates. Even outside of black, Caribbean, Latino and Cape Verdean enclaves, a discussion about race has surfaced front-and-center. Since...
City Councilor Felix Arroyo has announced a mayoral run, and other local elected officials are potential candidates. We are excited about the chance for a Jamaica Plain mayor to be elected this fall. That is because representing Jamaica Plain means representing a microcosm of the real, modern Boston in all its struggles and successes....
It will take years to assess Mayor Menino’s two-decade impact on Boston. But the candidates seeking to replace him have only a few months to decide how they will imitate the Menino model or deviate from it. The voters have just a little longer to think about it. Menino defined the role of Boston...
The Gazette’s recent editorial, “Pull the plug on energy database” (March 29), arguing against the city’s proposed Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure ordinance as big-government meddling, misses the point. The ordinance would require owners of several hundred of Boston’s largest buildings (those over 25,000 square feet or more than 25 residential units) to report...
Anne McKinnon’s letter, likening pro-bridge folks’ opposition to the at-grade Casey Arborway to the successful community protests against I-95 in the 1960s, is brimming with irony. (“JP should oppose Casey Arborway as it did I-95,” March 29.) Any attempts to rebrand the Casey Arborway as a “six-lane highway” are misleading and misguided. The current Casey Overpass...
Boston Climate Action Network strongly supports the proposed City ordinance to make public the energy efficiency rating of large buildings (BERDO) as a key tool for a more sustainable Boston, both financially as well as environmentally. (“City wants building owners to report energy usage,” March 29.) For residential properties the required audits are free,...
We have heard so many arguments about the Casey Overpass replacement and I would like to add one more critical point. People with disabilities—wheelchair users, folks on crutches and walkers—can barely cross the regular road before the light changes. With a big highway, we won’t make it at all, separating us as a category...
Over serious neighborhood objections, MassDOT is soon to dismantle the Casey Overpass and dump thousands of vehicles onto the already congested and pedestrian unfriendly streets around Forest Hill station. It promises to reconfigure local streets to tame flows and make it all friendlier for pedestrians and bikers, and gives out numbers saying it will...