LAST MONTH, members of the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board took one last stand to advance a low-income fare program before their tenure over the agency expired. The board has valiantly prodded the agency to provide discounts to low-income riders for a number of years, but progress remained elusive. In a final vote, board […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Boston Police need policies for dealing with children
After this commentary piece was submitted, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission issued guidance on how police forces in Massachusetts should deal with minor children. To read the guidance, click here. IN MASSACHUSETTS, children as young as 12 years old can be arrested and prosecuted. So, wouldn’t you like to know the Boston Police […]
Posted inOpinion
Boch Center getting back on its feet
MASSACHUSETTS’ CULTURAL economy stands among the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent lifting of coronavirus safety restrictions means arts, entertainment, and cultural institutions can finally begin the difficult task of rebuilding audiences. This requires significant financial investments of financial capital and time, but there is hope. After 14-plus months of quarantine and […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. needs to prioritize shovel-worthy projects
THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN marks a huge opportunity for our state and country. These funds, in addition to those provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), could bring a transformational investment to the Massachusetts transportation system, which for too long has focused on moving cars instead of people. Like states across the country, Massachusetts is preparing […]
Posted inOpinion
Make menstrual products available in schools
SITTING ON THE TOILET of the second floor bathroom stall, my face hot with embarrassment, I looked down at my blood-stained underwear. I had already been gone from class for over five minutes, but couldn’t go back now with blood soaking through my pants. With no tampons in the girl’s bathroom, out of desperation I […]
Posted inOpinion
Strategies for increasing vaccination equity
BY MANY ACCOUNTS, Massachusetts stands out as one of the top five states in fully vaccinating its citizens. To date, 4.1 M residents are fully vaccinated and an additional 542,000 are awaiting second shots. However, a deeper dive into this data reveals stark disparities in vaccination rates. Overcoming the myriad barriers to getting shots into residents’ […]
Posted inOpinion
Politics doesn’t have to be about blood sport
THIS WEEK marks 40 weeks since I launched my campaign for mayor of Boston—the first of the 2021 election cycle—and just 11 weeks to go until the September preliminary election. There’s been unprecedented civic engagement in the mayor’s race—with more than 40 candidate forums to date, held in-person and virtually. After thousands of conversations on […]
Posted inOpinion
Stop sweetheart deals with state utilities
Electrifying buildings and appliances that now run on gas, oil, and other fossil fuels will be a key piece of meeting Massachusetts’ climate targets. The region’s investor-owned utilities will be vital partners in making this possible. However, it has recently come to light that Eversource has been quietly funding a campaign to fight against electrification […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Changing the conversation on gun violence
THE MAY 26 San Jose murders, where a gunman opened fire at a public transit rail yard, killing nine people, further illustrate that this country’s epidemic of gun violence makes us an outlier around the globe. A stunning 232 mass shootings have taken place in the US in just the past five months. This has […]
Posted inOpinion
5 ways to make buses more reliable
THE REMARKABLE RESILIENCE of bus ridership through even the worst months of the pandemic has underscored the critical importance of this surface transportation mode to provide access to jobs and opportunities, especially for those not privileged to be able to work from home. Buses disproportionately carry low-income, essential workers who tend to have inflexible work […]