Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of Oct. 18

Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of Oct. 18

The winds of change are upon us and some say it’s a new day. I would agree.
  It’s nice when things actually start happening that give promise to the future of our great city.  While the local political landscape has seen its share of change over the past ten years, for me it was very surprising until now that other issues have remained stagnant for so long.  Recent events should help change this.

The winds of change are upon us and some say it’s a new day. I would agree
  It’s nice when things actually start happening that give promise to the future of our great city.  While the local political landscape has seen its share of change over the past ten years, for me it was very surprising until now that other issues have remained stagnant for so long.  Recent events should help change this.
  For many years I have been an advocate for more widespread community involvement through both independent groups and pseudo-governmental agencies.  The fundamental need for a broader and more comprehensive vision of the long term planning for development in this city as a whole needs to be implemented for all larger-scale development areas including Inner Belt/North Point, Union Square and the Green Line Extension as well as others.
  With the advent of this week’s agreement regarding Assembly Square, the Assembly Square Public Advisory Committee (ASPAC) will be formed and should prove to be a good barometer for the way and manner in which a large-scale development and the public communicate and more importantly co-exist.  This type of advisory committee should not be a rubber stamp politically motivated group and stay true to the idea on which it is based.
  Mayor Curtatone and his administration should be applauded for their efforts to put this seemingly unending nightmare to a close and moving the whole project in the right direction.  The same goes for Federal Realty, IKEA and the Mystic View Task Force.  Say what you will about the MVTF, but can you imagine what might have been put in place there without this group sticking to its guns?   By now, in 2006, we all know how easy it is to disseminate information - whether fact or fiction - using a variety of mediums.  Putting this type of landmark deal together while keeping the process quiet and unencumbered by outside influences is remarkable.
  Keeping in the spirit of change, I will now change direction in my writing.  Recently I was been told by more than one person that my occasional “manic” writing style makes for a chuckle or two, although I tend to agree with this more often when I am ranting about pod people, knuckleheads and something generally pedestrian.
  This week I’m in a more serious mood.
  Alderman at Large Bill White changed his party affiliation this week from Republican to Democrat and quite frankly I’m not surprised – it was long overdue.  Bill is arguably the smartest person in years to sit on the Board of Aldermen and to watch him try to bring some life to a party that for the most part ignored him whenever he looked for them to support was sad - not for Bill – sad for the Republican Party itself.
  There are good and bad points about both Democrats and Republicans – and in an ideal world a perfect candidate would be a good blend of varying ideals from each party, but that’s not how the system seems to spit out candidates at voters, so you work with what you have for the most part.   At least the system itself isn’t completely broken and people have a choice – the choice to belong to whatever party you choose, the choice to vote for a candidate regardless of their party affiliation – these are some of the freedoms we as citizens typically take for granted – as evidenced by low voter turnout.
  Aside from the broader, more general aspects of party politics, Bill’s choice to change comes at a good time – a chance for the Democrats to take back the corner office on Beacon Hill.  I didn’t think it would be possible for Deval Patrick to get elected to Governor of this great Commonwealth, but it just might happen – I hope he doesn’t become a rubber stamp for the party line politics, doesn’t cave to special interests and doesn’t align himself as being too liberal – that’s not what we need in that office.
  We need solid, responsible people in all public offices who care more about the people they represent than the next office they can position themselves into or what political party they belong to.
  They say that the two party system is outdated, and I say it doesn’t matter – vote for the right candidate regardless of their party affiliation.  Do the right thing when you vote.

Comments

[Paper thin Armored personel carriers]

State and federal aid cuts on working-class communities like Somerville are the biggest source of gentrification next to the actions of local officials that partner with developers to make their own profits. As tax revenue leaves our city in order to build bombs and bullet proof vests (that are not bullet proof) we are squeezed from all sides to come up with money to run our city. They can spend hundreds of billions of Federal and state money on wars but we can not take care of you unless you are in the oil business or you are a contractor or a immigrant willing to hang dry wall for 7 dollars an hour. But then we are not really taking care of you are we? You are just a wage slave working to keep the machine running.

Federal money is a funny thing. If you work for a company called Raytheon or Lockheed martin. Your company gets a lot of federal money and that money boosts the local economy near the factories. But in the end what good are bombs you are building? You could be building widgets that don't do anything and your company still gets the federal money. Who do bombs benefit? What if that money were spent on schools , education and affordable housing initiatives instead? What if all that money was spent on alternative energy sources so that oil was no longer valuable and we could produce our own energy? Building bombs allows us to fight for oil so that we can use it for energy, But what if we could create energy without oil? What if your sons did not have to die in Iraq? Can you guess the number of US forces wounded in Iraq? it is high , it is more than 20,000. How much did that cost? I think we could have paid for alternative sources of energy and cured your cancer for what that cost. But the oil business would not like to compete with other sources of energy would they? How do you think they spend their record profits? What do you think oil guys lobby for? Do they want alternative energy or profits?

Federal money is wasted all over this country on many projects that don't and can't work. How much Federal money was wasted on the big dig? Who benefited the most? who died? Sure the local economy benefited, but most of that money was funneled right into hands of the greediest richest people involved. What I am saying here is that when you look at how State and Federal money is wasted and spent without your interests in mind (and sometimes your lives are spent in the same way) What is wrong with wanting more money to build schools, pay police, and really do something about affordable housing? Would not that same money be a lot less wasted then? I don't think democrats want to waste money, I think they want to invest it in real people and in everyone else's future. Lets quit wasteing our government money on industries that have the most lobbying power. Lets start spending it on the people. And Lets get the crooks out of our government at all levels.

[Henny Youngman]

Paper Thin,
Does this mean you not voting for Bush !!
We're trying to get a shovel of dirt started at Ass'y Sq. and your worried about things you cant change. Sorry, voting for Deval won't solve your problems.

[Paper thin]

How does shoveling dirt at assembly square help me? I can only see a lot more traffic, especially weekend traffic, that I am going to have to deal with.

Show me the finances!

Show me the money!

It won't be coming to me at all will it? Meanwhile federal reality and ikea will be making record profits! Show me the affordable housing!

Will property taxes go down? or will the JOE, Koty, nepotism machine swell like a pork beer belly?

I like the park, and bike path, but that is only trinkets and beads in the grand scheme of things. Do I sound like an American Indian to you?

[Henny Youngman]

Welcome to America. So, how long has it been since you moved here from Cambridge ? Look, its the American way. You shop at IKEA, they pay taxes, you get your trash picked up without a fee. Somerville, the land of opportunity !

[paper thin]

Then, I say we use the home rule petiton to create a city waterfront retail tax of 5% on all goods sold within 300 yards of a waterfront and use that money to reduce residential real estate tax rates.

[Henny Youngman]

OK.

[Wake Up this SUCKS]

IF Somerville had taken the opportunity and worked with developers 10 years ago- this could have been the largest opportunity in the city's history.

But at this point- the area is saturated and over-developed. You can physically look to your left and see Medford has developers doing higher end offices and condos.

Everett has done the big box thing. What's left for developers to get really interested in?

Personally, I think a new plan was warranted- Not trying to breathe air into a plan that was great 5 or 10 years ago.

What would that be? How about a Bio-Tech Center? One where existing and start-up companies where offered incentives to come to Somerville and create the high paying jobs of the future.

The idea that we will have IKea, Staples, and the Christmas Tree shop just doesnt make it.

[As one door closes, another opens...]

Wake Up, I agree with you that a part of the problem we will have now with Assembly Sq. is going to be in selling its virtues amidst all the other developments. But, I believe that as one door closes, another opens. This might just be the time to start pushing for a master plan for the Inner Belt area since the Green Line will pass closer to that than it will to Union Sq. (excepting, of course, the eventuality of a "branch") and it is almost contiguous with the in-progress North Point Corridor. Bio-Tech, Info-Tech (yes, even now after the dot-bomb bust) and Nano-Tech incentives should be a part of the policy and strategy not only of the city planning czar, but of the Chamber of Commerce. I'm talking a 25-year vision, just like Kendall Square had done back in the early 70s.
This should also include comprehensive redevelopment/reconstruction or even, dare I say, re-location of the McGrath-O'Brien northern artery in part or in whole.
If we don't learn from the mistakes made at Assembly...by ALL sides...we are doomed to repeat them.

[Mickey Mouse]

As One Door,
Are you talking about Somerville Mass or Fantasy Land ? The Assembly area will have many vacancies. The Innerbelt as well as Cobble Hill area is also long term planning. The Boynton Yard is also getting a makeover. Remember Mayor Mike boasting of his "brownfield" development ? They are tearing down most of it? Somerville is spinning its wheels, and they missed the boat on development. Go check out Medford, Everett, and North Point in Cambridge. Big cities with smart government and smart growth.

[The Mole]

It was an amazing happening around Ward 7 last evening at the height of the windstorm. A 4” sapling had fallen across a car parked on the Boulevard and when I made the call to the Emergency DPW line, within minutes, the DPW tree crew, Nstar, SFD, SPD and five crews of news teams descended upon the fallen tree.

Nstar was there to secure any fallen wires that may have come down on the cross street to the Boulevard. Mike Buckley, Highway Superintendent was directing the DPW Tree crew. Boss Hog was not present at this time due to his inability to get out of the Pub. He had just ordered the “4 pounder” and was waiting for it to be set on the table. The DPW had set-up just beyond the drop zone and had set up their huge chipper and dump truck to pulverize the poor up-rooted 4” sapling. The SPD was there to handle the curious onlookers and SFD was ready with hoses in hand to tend to any flare ups caused by the down lines on the cross street.

News crew were staging near the drop site in a fury to get the best advantage for their viewers. Down the Boulevard you could see a display of flashing lights with all the emergency vehicles and news crew trucks.

Out of the blue, Mayor Curtatone, dressed sharply in his $250 hand made Italian shirt with silk tie, steps into the camera lights. Before he took center stage, his Aide, J. D, was applying make up to hide the raccoon eyes from the lights of the camera. I mean after all, isn’t this what she will get paid the big bucks for if passage of the non-union salaries increase goes through. Mitt had an easy commute up from the Cape where he had held a news conference telling the commuters how easy it will be to travel over the bridge since the Rotary is a thing of the past.

The Mayor seemingly had called a State of Emergency, by contacting Governor Romney and Lt. Governor Healy. Both of him traveled to the site to see all the damaged caused by the 4” sapling.

Then wouldn’t you know it, carrying my portable phone, my caller ID shows an incoming call from the City of Somerville. I thought it was a call back from the DPW command center telling me not to worry; emergency crews were on the way. Little did I know, it was Tom Champion, using the reverse phone system to warn all citizens to fray from using the Boulevard due to a fallen 4” sapling down on the road bed.

Once again, Somerville gets on the news for Emergency Assistance from the State to handle this poor 4” sapling that had fallen under extreme wind gusts. Maybe we should have put the “Windmill Farm” up and down the boulevard so that we could get cheaper electrical rates.

The only person not so take advantage of the excitement was Duval Patrick, who I was later informed, had other commitments concerning his run for Governor. I guess he felt left out when the Mayor had not contacted him directly before the current Governor.

Does this mean Joe is not longer in the thoughts of Patrick? What a shame!!!

The Mole

[Smokey The Bear]

Mole,
You just wait a few months when DPW Commander Koty activates the "FORESTRY TRUCK". This mammoth beast will pick-up, shred, mulch, dice, chop and puree any tree this side of McGrath H'Way !! "Remember, only you can prevent forest fires" !

[The Mole]

Boss Hog will be so consumed with D.E.P, that he would have no time for anything. The City has already been cited for the “bad” environment they have so blatantly let fall to the side of the road.

What do you think D.E.P. will do when they learn about the toxic mold that is traveling throughout the garage areas on Franey Road? My fellow brothers and sisters are made to work here under horrible conditions that if found in homes would assuredly condemn them.

Stankley, be prepared for round 2.

The Mole