Recent Posts
- Danehy Park Family Day Saturday, Sept. 22
- Dancing in Somerville streets
- Murph the Surf and other Somerville nicknames
- DA's office provides new details on stabbing of three Somerville police officers, shooting death of woman
- Source: Woman who stabbed three Somerville police officers sought mental care before deadly attack
- It's my Party and I'll lie if I want to*
- Somerville Police on "loaner" bikes
- Eminent domain threatens Somerville businesses
- Somerville Artist uses baseball icons for art
- Somerville Police: Drunk driver nodded off behind wheel
Advertisers/Other Links
March 27, 2009
March 25, 2009
Bringing the community back into the education debate
March 18, 2009
Budgeting for the Long Term
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) In my January 28th opinion piece ("Budget Situation: Tough but Survivable"), I reported that I'd received some criticism for being too optimistic about the City's fiscal situation. I'm guilty as charged, especially when it comes to our short-term budgeting. Let me add a note of caution, however, by being more specific: FY2009 - current budget year that ends June 30th - is going to be tight, but I am confident we can cope without major structural adjustments. On the other hand, FY2010 will require some very tough choices and a willingness to embrace creative solutions, both one-time and permanent. Our goal will continue to be avoiding cuts in core services. Over the past five years, we've made real progress in improving service quality and delivery, and it would be a shame to undercut that those achievements by rolling back programs and personnel, especially in public safety, education, public works or parks. But, between now and June 30th, we have to absorb nearly $3 million in state aid cuts while coping with the added costs of a heavier-than-average winter storm season and escalating health insurance costs. But the steps we have already put in place - leaving some positions vacant; freezing salaries; saving money where we can on energy and materials; delaying or deferring some capital projects - will allow use to close the gap. I want make special note of the fact that we have been working closely with the School Committee and Superintendent Pierantozzi to put together a similar austerity program for the School budget. I also want to thank the Board of Aldermen for taking a proactive and collaborative approach to revising this year's budget: they've paid close attention to the details and helped make possible a year without layoffs, furloughs or other major disruptions. In fact, if we were facing just one bad year, we'd be fine, which is more than you can say for many other communities in Massachusetts. Some cities and towns have already begun to lay off personnel and close facilities. If it seems as if Somerville has been slower to take similarly harsh action, it's because we really don't have to in this fiscal year. One big reason is that we're careful to use conservative fiscal assumptions. So far in FY2009, our revenues have been running two percent higher than projected; and we have underspent our budget to date by two percent. That gives us a little more room to maneuver than is available to many cities and towns. But as we start the planning process for the new budget that will go into place on July 1, 2009, we are facing a much more challenging situation. In addition to more local aid cuts, the state budget will see reductions in other areas of spending that directly support cities and towns, including library aid, police career incentive salary supports, and more. To help compensate for the added strain that all these changes will put on municipal budgets, Governor Patrick has proposed local-option hotel and meal taxes, as well as the closure of the 1913 telecommunications property tax loophole. The state estimates that these changes could bring Somerville another $3.4 million per year - but these proposals have not yet been approved by the legislature and, even if they become law, they will take time to implement. Cities and towns will not see the added revenue until well after the new fiscal year is underway. And then there is the problem of escalating health care costs. We are working hard to control our health care expenditures, but restrictive state rules require us to negotiate changes in plan design and co-pays with our collective bargaining units. If current trends remain unchanged, the result will be that, in FY2010, our projected increase in health care costs ($3.1 million) will - for the first time in our history - exceed the total projected increase of our property tax revenues as allowed by Proposition 2½ ($2.3 million). Even with added local option revenues from the state, it's likely that we'll have to come up with over $8.5 million in combined cuts and new revenues for FY2010. That's equivalent to over seven percent of the city's non-School budget. $8.5 million is more than half the combined personnel budgets for our police and firefighters: it's too much of a hit to be absorbed by cuts alone. Of course, budget cuts will be part of the solution, but a gap of that size means that everything else is on the table. We'll need both to cut costs and enhance revenues if we want to maintain our core services. On the cost-cutting side, we have to be ready to look at layoffs, wage freezes, furloughs, hiring and overtime restrictions, added health care contributions from union workers (non-union workers already pay 20 percent). It will also mean reducing consumption of energy and materials, and any additional savings we can wring out of pooled or restricted purchasing policies. And it will require us to look at our work practices to become ever more efficient and cost-effective. On the revenue side, it means looking at every fee and fine in our books to see if there's a better way to enforce and collect the charges we impose - and whether or not any of them need to be increased. The budget discussion this year will be very public and very open, and we will be seeking input not only from our Board of Aldermen, but from residents and fiscal experts alike. Over the next few weeks, I will be bringing a budget presentation to local ResiStat meetings, and we will be setting up an online budget form to take comments and suggestions from the public. Can we get through FY2010 without major cuts to core services? I continue to believe that the answer is "yes," - but we'll need the help of the legislature, the cooperation of our unions, at least some stabilization of the regional economy - and a disciplined, unified approach to managing our finances. And - as my critics will tell you - I'm an optimist. So stay tuned. FY2010 - the fiscal year that starts on July 1st - will require structural change in the City's budget. | |||
March 12, 2009
Keeping our kids safe in the internet age
Times have changed. That certainly rings true to any parent today, as our kids are growing up in a vastly different world then we did. There is no greater example of that changing environment than the explosion of technology in our children's everyday lives. Who could have predicted just five years ago that cell phones, text messaging, instant messaging, and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook would be the normal modes of communication for many of our kids? While the challenges have changed, our responsibility remains the same - and that is to protect our children in every way that we can. Let's take a look at some of those safety challenges. The prevalence of the Internet and other new modes of communication means that one bad choice made by our kids now could have a lasting impact on them. Look no further than the recent "sexting" cases that have arisen during the course of the last few months as examples. In one case, a13-year-old girl took a partially-nude photo of herself with her cell phone camera and then forwarded that photo onto a boyfriend via text message. What was a bad choice to begin with was compounded when that image was forwarded on to many other kids throughout her school. She has now lost all control of her image, can never fully recover it, and will never know when it could reappear. The anonymity of the Internet also presents serious dangers to our kids. Our office has seen numerous cases in which children have willingly provided personal information about themselves to strangers over the Internet. Even more ominously, some have even made arrangements to meet those strangers in person. These seemingly innocent mistakes by our children could have potentially lifelong and oftentimes tragic consequences. A recent survey conducted by Emerson Hospital illustrates the troubling predicament we as parents face. The study, which surveyed 8,000 middle and high school students, revealed that more than 24% of high school students reported having given information about themselves over the Internet to someone with whom they had never met (19.5% of eighth graders had done so). According to the same survey, 14.8% of high school students reported having met someone in person with whom they had initially contacted online (13.6% of eighth graders and 12.8% of sixth graders reported doing so). There is no doubt that, as these technologies become more prevalent, a growing number of our kids are engaging in this kind of risky behavior at younger and younger ages. So, what can parents do? Here are some recommendations. Educate yourself While keeping up with technological trends may seem daunting to even the most technologically savvy among us, it is absolutely vital that parents know what our kids are doing, who they are talking to, and how they are communicating. Websites such as NetSmartz.org and Wiredsafety.org have important information to help parents educate themselves about the latest safety trends. We at the Middlesex District Attorney's Office also offer trainings to parents, teachers and student in communities throughout the county on Internet Safety. If you would like to schedule a training in your community, please contact our office at 781-897-6800. Talk to your kids Keeping an open line of communication with your children is a fundamental tenet that never goes out of style. With the explosion of the Internet and other technologies, it is more important now than ever that you are engaged and communicating with your children about these issues. You must constantly be asking questions. Find out what they are doing online. Ask them whom they are talking to. Ask them to spend some time and walk you through their social networking site of choice. Make sure that they know not to provide any personal information to someone who they don't know. Explain to them the dangers of sending any images of themselves out over the Internet or via text message. Keeping a strong line of communication open now can go a long way in preventing your child from making mistakes in the future. Set Limits We are our children's parents before we are their friends. That means that we must be willing to set strict ground rules for our children's cell phone and Internet use. Among the strategies that we recommend is placing the family computer in an open room, like the living room, rather than allowing unsupervised access to a computer in your child's bedroom. If your children use laptops, the same rules still apply. Explain to them that a condition of using a computer is that you will be periodically checking their browsing history and MySpace or Facebook pages. If you believe your child needs a cell phone, consider giving them a phone without camera capabilities or set a condition that you will be reviewing their photos periodically. Engage age-appropriate parental controls on your home computer, such as logging and filtering. While your child may not always like these rules, remind them that this isn't about punishing them, it's about protecting them because we love them. There is no greater priority for any of us as parents than keeping our kids safe. The challenges will continue to evolve, but by continuing to be engaged and proactive in dealing with these issues, we can all better protect our children in the Internet Age. Gerry Leone is the District Attorney of Middlesex County. | |||
February 25, 2009
State Transportation Reform: Serious Leadership for Serious Times
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) Last Friday, Governor Patrick rolled out his comprehensive plan to reorganize and refinance the state's transportation system. To no one's surprise, most of the subsequent media coverage has focused on the Governor's call to raise the gas tax by 19 cents a gallon (meaning the average driver will pay about $2 more per week at the pump). I had a chance to talk to the Governor and to Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi before the announcement of their plan and I can assure you that they expected a firestorm. Neither of them wants to increase taxes on anyone - especially during an economic downturn. As the Governor said on Friday, "this is a crummy time to ask people to contribute more." But anyone who has followed this issue seriously already knows that there's really no way around the need for new revenue. To get our troubled system back on track - a necessary step toward revitalizing our overall economy - it won't be enough just to cut or consolidate (although we have to do that, too). If we want roads, highways, transit, rail and bus services that can support a 21st Century economy, then we have to pay for them - and raising tolls and T fares is neither the smart way to do it nor an adequate way to meet the need. . Here in Somerville, we know that good transportation facilities are crucial to our future economic and physical health. We know that the Green Line Extension, a new Orange Line station at Assembly Square, the long-delayed repaving of Washington Street, the thorough renovation now underway along Somerville Ave - and all of the other state-supported transportation projects in our city - will make this a better, stronger community in which to live, work and raise a family. We know and understand that transportation isn't just good for economic development: it's essential. But here's something you might not know unless you read the fine print: the Governor's transportation reorganization and refinancing plan is a model of how to deal with a fiscal crisis in government. It strikes a fair balance between the need to, on one hand, achieve meaningful reform and savings and, on the other, put new revenue into the system so that it stops accumulating debt and starts doing its job for the people of Massachusetts. If you read the plan (which is online at http://www.youmovemassachusetts.org/ ), you will find out that it abolishes the Turnpike Authority, eliminates 300 jobs, ends the special provision that lets MBTA workers retire on full benefits after 23 years of service regardless of age; curbs health insurance costs; and increases transparency and accountability across the entire system. Of course, all of these things could have and should have been done long ago, but before Governor Patrick, no one did. No one could be bothered to ask the citizens of the Commonwealth to wake up and face the true cost and true value of their transportation system until these reforms were made part of the package. But now Governor Patrick has done just that, setting the stage for a fair and reasonable effort to reinvest in our essential transportation infrastructure. Like President Obama with the economic crisis, the Governor is taking responsibility for a problem he inherited. For nearly two decades, as the state steadily deferred essential maintenance and as the budget for the spiraled out of control, our Commonwealth dug itself into an ever-deepening hole of wishful thinking. All of us - the public, its elected leaders, the business community - pretended that someone else was going to reform the system. Someone else was going to repair the roads and bridges, and build the new transit links that would reduce congestion and pollution. Someone else would work with unions to manage their health care and retirement costs. But now - with our economy in decline, our debt s soaring and our infrastructure in tatters - that wishful thinking has to stop. It turns out that the "someone else" is us. The gas tax hasn't been increased by so much as a penny since 1991. To paraphrase Secretary Aloisi, can you think of any other major commodity that hasn't seen a price increase in eighteen years? During the same period, the real buying power of the gas tax has decreased by one third. Is our transportation system one third less important to our economy than it was in 1991? Is it one third less essential to our daily lives? Governor Patrick deserves enormous credit for his courage in taking on this vital reform. And, when you add them up, the advantages offered by his proposals - for Somerville and the entire Commonwealth - far outweigh the costs. Whether you're interested in a stronger economy, or cleaner air or more livable neighborhoods, I urge you to join me in supporting every element in this reform package. | |||
February 11, 2009
Stimulus in Somerville
In the U.S. Senate, dramatic events over the past week signal major progress in President Obama's efforts to pass a federal stimulus bill and begin to pump some serious economic development funding out to communities across the country. Since the House and Senate versions of the bill have significant differences in the amount of money they offer, we don't yet know exactly what funds will be available and for what purpose (for example, the House version provides significantly more aid to state and local governments, and offers specific funding for school construction; the Senate version, although it carries a higher price tag, does not include these important provisions). But here is what we do know: Very soon (perhaps as soon as next week), President Obama is going to get a stimulus bill that he can sign into law - and when that happens, Somerville will be ready with a list of precisely the type of "shovel-ready" infrastructure projects that the President, as well as Governor Patrick, has asked us to provide. In fact, we've already submitted our list. As soon as funds are available at the federal level, we can expect immediate and favorable action on a number of significant initiatives. At the top of the list (both for us and for the Governor's Office) is a package of 56 million dollars' worth of roadway and water-sewer improvements associated with the $1.36-billion Assembly Square project. Using federal recovery dollars for these elements of the project will speed up construction (the designs are already complete) and allow the developers to apply their private financing to the development of the Phase II waterfront urban village. Assembly Square would remain on track even without this funding, but an injection of federal dollars into its necessary public roadway and water-sewer utility development will create more jobs more quickly and will accelerate the rate at which other kinds of new construction can increase the commercial value of the district and enhance our property tax base. Assembly Square is a prime target for federal recovery dollars not only because it's ready to go but also because, as a transit-oriented project with a mix of retail, housing and office uses, it embodies all of the most desirable elements in sustainable urban development. That's why the Governor has already included Assembly Square in his Growth Development Initiative and why it continues to enjoy the strong backing of private investors. Assembly Square is a solid bet - and speeding it up will have beneficial consequences for the entire regional economy. It's a project that represents 8,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent office and retail jobs. Hastening its completion is a perfect use of stimulus money. We have also submitted smaller but similarly valuable projects slated for lower Broadway in East Somerville and for Magoun Square. In each of these areas, improvements in roadways, sidewalks, landscaping and other public amenities will support local business districts while creating dozens of construction jobs over the near term. And, in the case of the East Somerville project, $2.8 million in federal money would be augmented by $2.2 million in local and state dollars, so that a timely federal investment would help us make the best possible use of our own scarce and valuable development dollars. In Union Square, the cleanup and redevelopment of the former Kiley Barrel site provides another good possibility for the use of federal stimulus money. A $2-million federal investment in the environmental cleanup of this prime, 32,000-square-foot parcel would clear the way for new commercial and office development on the site, creating 145 construction jobs in the near term - and up to 300 jobs when any new facility is complete. Somerville has even put in a request for the $570,000 it would take to build out a citywide Wi-Fi wireless internet system using the City's existing fiber access points. This project would ultimately be operated for the city under license by a private company, and would have far-reaching economic development implications, especially for small businesses. It offers an opportunity to bring very low-cost, reasonably fast Internet access to many people who currently can't find a provider or can't afford the cost. Such a system might not satisfy those seeking fast streaming video or other high-demand access, but it could be a powerful teaching tool for our schools and libraries. Of course, the Senate's retreat from the school construction package included in the House bill means that some of our other funding applications - notably for the Brown and East Somerville Community Schools - may ultimately not be eligible for stimulus financing. That's too bad. After all, as President Obama asked in this week's prime time news conference, "Why wouldn't we want to build state-of-the-art schools with science labs that are teaching our kids the skills they need for the 21st century, that will enhance our economy and, by the way, right now will create jobs?" I hope the school funding gets included in the final version of the bill, and if it is, then we're ready. Despite the concerns raised by some critics in both parties, this is all happening fairly quickly - but Somerville has moved just as quickly to offer constructive ands appropriate suggestions about how to put stimulus dollars to work. We will continue to work closely with federal and state officials to ensure that our residents benefit from this historic initiative. | ||||
January 28, 2009
Budget situation: Tough but survivable
I have already received some criticism for the confident, optimistic tone in my Midterm Address. Apparently there were those who thought I was insufficiently grim about the City's fiscal outlook, even though I clearly said "I have no intention of sugarcoating our current situation. Times are hard; businesses are hurting and we face a growing mortgage crisis and a declining job market. State tax revenues are down, and our leaders on Beacon Hill are looking at cuts in local aid of up to ten percent. Here in Somerville, that would mean a loss of five million dollars in the current fiscal year - or three percent of our operating budget total." Still, now that Governor Patrick has announced his proposal to cut $3 million in Somerville's local aid during the current fiscal year - and predicted that next year will be just as bad or even worse - it's fair to ask if I still think Somerville is in such great shape. My answer is that, as a community, Somerville will certainly experience some pain, and have to make some hard choices, as a result of the current economy and the associated loss of state aid. But we continue to be in much better shape than many other communities - and we have no plans to retreat from the service improvements we have made in recent years. I don't think we should back away from our recent progress because I think it's clear that any cutbacks in city services will only increase the problems now confronting our residents as a result of the national economic situation. As I told a reporter over the weekend, I also think it's clear that Governor Patrick understands that cuts in local aid will simply make the local recession go deeper and last longer so, even though he feels some cuts are unavoidable, he's going to do his very best to protect cites and towns from unnecessary hardship. That's my philosophy, too. I am also grateful to the Governor for once again requesting that cities and towns be given more freedom to diversify their revenue sources through local option meal and hotel taxes, and by closing the Telecommunications Tax loophole (the obsolete 1913 state law that allows telecomm companies to avoid paying local property taxes). It's important for Somerville residents to understand, however, that - even if the legislature approves the Governor's proposal - these new sources of revenue won't begin to help us close the state aid gap until next year. So how, between now and the June 30th end of FY 2009, do we make up the $3 million shortfall that the state has reluctantly imposed upon us? Part of the answer comes from changes we've already made. As soon as the state's budget situation started to deteriorate back in October, we began to impose restrictions on hiring. If a job doesn't help maintain revenues or core services, we're letting it stay vacant. We also began cutting back on the number of new initiatives previously planned for this year. For example, we had planned to extend the hours at our branch libraries to match the extended hours at the Central Library - but that service improvement is now going on hold. On the capital budget side, we were hoping to move ahead on a major upgrade to the Central Hill Park on Highland Avenue that serves as home to our war memorials. Now that project will have to wait. Another part of the answer is that we have been making city government steadily more efficient for the past five years. By civilianizing clerical positions at the Police Department, by becoming more energy efficient, by switching to an internet protocol phone system, and making many other changes large and small, we have been able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year even as we expanded core city services. In making these changes, we've put the analytical tools in place to help us prepare for a new era of austerity. But because the changes we have already made won't be enough to close this latest gap, we are now preparing to take additional steps to reduce spending and find new revenue. I have already asked department heads to submit proposals in their areas of city government. This week, I will be announcing the formation of a special panel of outside experts to advise the City on revenue and cost-saving measures - both long- and short-term - that will help us get through the next two years with least possible impact on services. I've told this group (which includes local business and academic leaders as well as outside specialists in local government operations) that everything is on the table, and that we are willing to be creative about changing the way we manage and spend in order to sustain, and even expand, our current level of service. That commitment is very much in keeping with the progress we've made over the past five years and in our willingness to look for, and adopt, best practices and new technologies from the private sector and from other cities around the country. Here in Somerville, we will make whatever hard choices are necessary to keep our city solvent and working through this recession. And, as I said in my Midterm Address, what will pull us through is that we have many advantages that other communities don't have, including a solid economic development plan, more efficient operations, an excellent credit rating and a strong cash position. Many other cities in the Commonwealth are going to have cut police, fire and teacher positions this year - and others will be closing school programs and shuttering their libraries. I still believe that we can avoid those devastating choices. And if some residents think I'm being overconfident, then I'll just have to live with that. | |||
January 24, 2009
A note from Alderman at Large Bruce Desmond
|
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) | |||
Some of my colleagues believe I have given them one too many chances when I voted in favor of the 60 day trial period for extended hours. When I made that vote I believed that their poor judgment and poor decision making could be corrected and that any business that has provided 26 years of good service to our community shouldn't be written off as if they had committed a capital offense. Aside from bruising the ego's of some of my colleagues on the Board of Aldermen and ignoring Captain O'Connor's orders to close at the appropriate time, have they committed such horrible or horrendous offenses that would warrant us to not try everything in our power to bring a business that has operated in Davis Sq. for 26 unbridled years into line with newly developed policies being set by the Board of Aldermen. There is no arguing they were wrong and out of line, but while doing business over the past 26 years in the same location I have only recently heard about noise and littering complaints. I haven't seen or heard of any evidence relating to Health Department violations. I haven't heard complaints about customers being cheated or treated poorly; in fact it's been just the opposite. Nearly 200 people signed a petition to allow the extended hours. Dozens of people took time out of their evenings to appear at two separate public hearings and give testimony in favor of the extended hours as opposed to one email received and four individuals appearing in opposition. This tells me that they have been providing a good product and good service to the people of our community for the past 26 years and that the service, although not perfect, is appreciated. As far as noise and littering complaints are concerned, it's not fair to hold the Golden Light Restaurant accountable for all the noise and littering that occurs after 2:00AM in that end of Davis Square. The Golden Light can and should accept some of the responsibility but 2:00AM closing times for bars holds much of the responsibility for that noise as well. We must work together to ensure that the city and all of the businesses that we allow to remain open past midnight play a roll in maintaining peace, quiet, and cleanliness in the neighborhoods after closing time. Any time I make a vote that affects someone's livelihood or someone's life work; I have always and will always error on the side of caution. Such is the case with my vote on the Golden Light Restaurant. At this point in time I have provided every opportunity for them to understand and operate in an appropriate manner within the guidelines of the City of Somerville. After all the testimony that has been given and all the discussions that have taken place and everything we have gone through on the Board of Aldermen I will have no hesitation whatsoever to roll their hours back to midnight seven days a week if any further infractions or abuse of operating hours is to occur. I can say this because I have now done everything I possibly could to help them. Bruce M. Desmond Alderman at Large and Chairman of Licenses and Permits | |||
January 14, 2009
Do these names and places ring a bell?
Bluntly Speaking (The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) If you're a real long-time Somervillian, they should! Paul Haley, Father Hogan, Davis Square Star Market, Belden Snow, Gorins, Gilman Square, Cutter Square, Cholerton School, Proctor School, Chief O'Brien, Harold Wellls, Bill Donovan, B&M, Squires, Hostess, Brickbottom, John McKenna, Denis McKenna, Michael McKenna, McKenna Funeral Home, Porter Estate, Reilly, Brickley. The memories are many if you're an old timer. Most of them are good ones. Al Collins, Red Babin, The Observer, Times, Post, Press, Jim Hall, Dr. Burns, Isobel Cheney. Al Giroux, John Joyce, HK Porter, Jim Scanlon, Cobble Hill, Lana Sumner, Pal Palmer, Mother Palmer, Kevin Palmer, Kermit Marsh, Re Line Task Force, Trolley 88, Bretta, Larry & Father Jim. C'mon now, how many do you know? Rent control, no 4th term, buy those Journals, Tim Creedon, Peter Piro, Minister Mayor, Prospect Hill flag, Vinny Piro, Blarney Stone Pub, Woodbridge Inne, Barney Go Home, Pat Carney, Engine 4, Billy Joyce, Mom Brune, John's Restaurant, Kennedy's Butter and Egg, WT Grant. WJHS, SJHS, NJHS, ob Hilliard, Paul Foster, Maureen Amaral, Maris Vinovskis, Chief Pino, Fodera, Dr. Card, Dr. Moy, Dr. Cheverie, Dr. Kacoyanis, Dr. Ivy, Guy Wayne, John P. Sousa, Bob Pye, Dick Bridge, Stu Matheson, Cumberland Farms, A&P, Mr. Sy, Western Union, Mr. Rose, Woolworths, Kresge's, Steve Dowd, John Shoppet, Joe Omeara, Teresa Lamb, John Yee, Cornerstone Baptist, Larry French, The Friend, The Gleaner, Walter Whitney, Joe Marino, Harold Drew, Kay & Chips, Person Davis. Martha Perry Lowe, Sam Walter Foss, Rose Grillone, Dr Marks, Sam Perlman, Sunnyside Hospital, Gil Foster, Butch Foster, College Ave. Variety, Harold Mollahan, Elmer Colcord, Louise Muzzey, Harold Corbett, Chuck Salvo, Linda Prime, Jimmy Ryan, Harry Ellis Dickson, Ira Stephanian, John Henry, FDG, DPB, JL, Harry Freeto, Dave Stryker, Joe Corish, Dr. Freeman, Leo C Donahue, Gino's Clothes, Peter Bart, Al Dente. And just a few more to finish you off; Belcastro, Qualitz, Howe, Gino Binari, Ray MacDonald, Gene Scott, Car Barns, Stone train stations, Lucy's, Lucia's,. Henry the Jeweler, Mrs. Barber's Penny Candy, Davis Square Wallpaper, Paramount Liquors, the blizzard, the Squires Fire, the water main flood and the great blackout. That's your Somerville 101 for today. PS - this is my 350th column. You can email comments to Bob directly at: [email protected] | |||
Taking snow seriously
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) Last winter, Somerville declared a total of four snow emergencies. This season, we've already had three, and it's barely mid-January. I'm still a strong believer in the long-term hazards of global warming, and I will continue to work on reducing our city's carbon footprint, but it's clear that we need to remain vigilant about coping with severe winter weather. We've been fortunate that none of our recent storms have been true blizzards: this winter's snowfall totals and storm duration have, so far, been fairly manageable. I have even heard grumblings that Somerville has been overaggressive about declaring snow emergencies - and, as in years past, I have also received a few complaints from those who believe that we use snow as an excuse to raise money by ticketing and towing the unwary. Although I strongly disagree, I understand that, to some extent, I brought these unjustified suspicions on myself: Back in January of 2004, when we established clearer, more proactive snow emergency protocols, we also had the unfortunate experience of relying on local and national forecasts to declare a snow emergency for a storm that never came. We were working with the best information available - but we ended up canceling hundreds of tickets and refunding dozens of tow charges. The lesson we learned was that while our protocols were good ones, we needed to be even more suspicious of the conventional media weather wisdom. Over the past five years, we have tried to be very careful about picking a time to declare an emergency that will ensure that snow is falling by the time we begin ticketing and, if necessary, towing of vehicles. To this day, however, I remain convinced that it is better to give people early notice of an impending snow event so that they have plenty of time to move their cars. If the snow starts an hour or two later than it's supposed to, than we simply have to live with that. When all is said and done, I'd much rather live in a city like Somerville, where we give people early warning and then, even when the emergency goes into effect, give them four hours to move their cars. Our policy helps parkers and drivers alike, because it means not only that residents have hours of advance warning, but also that our DPW has access to more road surface before the snow accumulates. As a result, we are able to do a much better job of plowing and conditioning our roads, keeping them open for emergency vehicles and other essential traffic. This isn't just my opinion: After almost every storm, we hear from residents and non-residents alike who report that, whenever they cross our boundaries during and after snowstorms, the difference in road conditions is obvious and welcome. And that difference isn't only a matter of convenience - it's also a sign that our city is a safer place to live. For all these reasons, I am very grateful to the DPW, Traffic and Parking and Police personnel who work as needed through nights and weekends to keep our city open and functioning. No city in the metro area has a better record on this critical area of governmental responsibility and competence. Of course, no snow emergency management policy can ever be implemented perfectly, and we will always have motorists who get ticketed and/or towed because, despite all our efforts to get the word out, they didn't know a snow emergency was in effect. On our narrow streets, snow plows sometimes scrape vehicles or knock off outside mirrors. Perhaps the biggest issue for many Somerville residents is what to do with the snow. As the most densely populated city in New England, we have very limited open space on either the macro level (open, unused land) or micro level (private yards and public curbs, walks, gutters etc.). When we have extreme snow events, we actually have to truck snow out of some of our major commercial squares because there just isn't enough room to stack it up out of the way until it melts. For decades, cities and towns used to dump snow in adjacent river or harbor waters, but - for very good environmental reasons - we can't do that any more. We used to be able to "store" snow on unused City property, but we've been steadily converting parcels like the old Kemp Nut site into parks, so most of those locations are no longer available. Street by street, residents shoveling their walks and driveways face a similar problem. As a lifelong resident who has always lived on the even side of the street, I am intimately familiar with the challenge of clearing the sidewalk and the driveway without throwing snow into the street. I know the end result on some blocks is mini-mountains of snow on the curb or near the intersection - and I know this poses a challenge for pedestrians, but there is no ideal solution, so we simply have to work together and be patient with one another. As for living on the even side of the street (where we plow to the curb) as opposed to the odd side (where parking is allowed during snow emergencies), my personal experience is that the extra shoveling on the even side is compensated for by the fact that I get my curb spaces back much faster after the emergency ends. Those on the odd side of street have snowy, rutted and sometimes inaccessible curbs for days afterwards. If you are a recent arrival in Somerville, you may want to look over our snow emergency procedures, which you can find online at www.somervillema.gov, or obtain by calling Constituent Services at 311. If you haven't done so, you should also sign up for the Connect CTY notification system to receive snow alerts by phone and/or email. (We're working to add SMS text messaging to the list of notification options.) The key factors to remember are these: 1. We almost always declare a snow emergency when local forecasters predict four or more inches of snow for our area. 2. When we declare an emergency, we try to do so as early as possible, and we send out messages via media advisory and Connect CTY (30,000 phone and email messages to residents and businesses). We post alerts on our web homepage and on City cable channels (15 and 16 on Comcast; 15 and 13 on RCN). We activate flashing blue lights at 22 major intersections. Our police drive through city squares and neighborhoods using their cruisers' PA systems to warn of the impending emergency. And, of course, you can always call 311 (617-666-3311 from outside Somerville) or our automated Information Hotline (617-628-SNOW) for the latest snow emergency information. 3. During snow emergencies, residents and businesses should make a special effort to let their visitors and customers know about Somerville's procedures. While we try our best, we can't inform everyone all the time and, despite what cynics claim, we don't like to issue unnecessary snow tickets. I know we will never make everybody happy - and we will continue to look for improvements - but I remain convinced that no urban community in Massachusetts has a system that is more fair, effective, logical, comprehensive and easy to understand. We take snow seriously - and it shows. | |||
Best what...?
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) I opened The Somerville News last week and almost fell off the chair. There, on page 12 to be precise, the page of superlatives dazzled me for a few seconds: I had been anointed Best Teacher of 2008! "What are these people smoking?" was my first reaction. I immediately made a mental survey of my accomplishments in the past year, trying to find at least one reason that justified the choice... but couldn't. I'm a conscientious teacher, a good one as a matter of fact, but the best? Get out! There are hundreds of educators in the city that could have been named to that honorary position instead of me. I could be... the best immigrant teacher...? No. The best male immigrant teacher...? Definitely not. The best Cuban male immigrant teacher...? Well, there isn't another one in the city, so... After the initial shock I slowly began to come to terms with my celebrity status, especially when Sully the custodian congratulated me with an incredulous face. It felt good to be recognized, so I started to convince myself that maybe there was something about me, some hidden talent, that I hadn't noticed before. Perhaps it was my charming accent. Or the reverse Mohawk on my head. Or this unique sense of humor that only I can fully understand, let alone appreciate. Or... As I tried to find an answer to my quandary, other troubling thoughts started to creep into my mind. How would I convince my students that I deserved the honor? Even worse, how would I convince my colleagues...? Judging by the dirty looks, the coffee "accidentally" spilled on my grade book, and the slashed tires on my car, I could deduct that my fellow teachers were not too happy with my nomination. tried to make them see that I was as surprised as they were, but no one took me seriously. So now that I am Best Teacher, I wonder what benefits the nomination will bring me. Will it ease my way to an early retirement with full salary and benefits? Will I get Red Sox season tickets? Maybe an exclusive space in Market Basket's parking lot? Or perhaps the much-coveted Key to the City, awarded by Mayor Joe himself? Everything looked very promising until I took a second look at page 12. Then my enthusiasm began to fizzle. I noticed that the Best Teacher was someone named Barrios, not me. What a disappointment! "It was too good to be true after all," I sighed. And ever since then I've been trying to find the lucky colleague to congratulate him, but haven't been successful. He's obviously keeping a low profile. Does anybody know who he is? | |||
January 11, 2009
Don't Fall Prey to the Five Myths of Health Care
| | |||
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) President-elect Barack Obama has promised to make healthcare reform a top priority. But in order to follow through, Obama and lawmakers on Capitol Hill must reject some longstanding misconceptions about health care in this country. Here are five such myths. Each is widely repeated, deeply held -- and dead wrong. 1.) We need more government to insure poor Americans. Government has been providing health coverage to low-income patients for over 40 years. The results are hardly encouraging. Witness Medicaid. The quality of care beneficiaries receive is exceedingly poor. Heart attack victims covered by Medicaid, for instance, are less likely to receive state-of-the-art care than their privately insured counterparts -- and they're more than twice as likely to die as a result of their illness. Because of low reimbursement levels, physicians are reluctant to treat Medicaid patients. A 2003 study found that primary care physicians were five times more likely to reject Medicaid beneficiaries than patients with private insurance. The last thing this country needs is to expand a failing public insurance system. 2.) 46 million Americans do not have health insurance. This Census Bureau figure is often spun as proof that America's healthcare system is in awful shape and failing many in this country. Included in the Bureau's count, though, are more than 10 million non-citizens and approximately 14 million people who are eligible for public healthcare programs but haven't enrolled. Plus, nearly 10 million of the uninsured have household incomes of more than $75,000. Far too many Americans go without health insurance, but the number of chronically uninsured is nowhere close to 46 million. 3.) Universal health coverage can be achieved by government mandate. According to the federal census, nearly two-thirds of the uninsured are aged 18 to 34. This makes sense -- healthy people aren't going to pay for expensive insurance they'll never use. Those who support an "individual mandate" believe that by requiring all Americans to buy health insurance, the formerly uninsured young and healthy will increase the size of the risk pool and therefore lower premiums for everyone. The problem is, some states require insurers to charge everyone the same rate. So young people would end up paying far more in premiums than they should -- or could -- pay. The real way to attract young adults into the insurance market is to lower premiums. This can be done by reducing costly benefit mandates and allowing people to buy insurance across state lines. 4.) Prescription drug importation will save patients money. At most, foreign drug importation would save Americans one percent on healthcare costs over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. At the same time, purchasing drugs from places outside the United States raises tremendous safety concerns. Many foreign drug factories avoid FDA screenings; a hearing in the House of Representatives last year found that foreign factories are inspected once every 13 to 30 years on average. 5.) The state-run healthcare systems in Canada and Europe are better and cheaper than America's. People who make this claim usually point to the fact that life expectancy is higher in Canada and Europe. But life expectancy is influenced by a number of variables aside from the quality of a country's healthcare system -- like diet, genetics, exercise, smoking, pollution, and even marital status. A study published last year in the British medical journal Lancet Oncology suggests that America is better at treating cancer than Europe or Canada. Researchers found that Americans have a better survival rate for 13 of the 16 most prominent cancers. This study's findings tell us more about the quality of a healthcare system than life expectancy rates do because the relationship between treatment and outcomes is more direct. A single-payer health system with a global budget -- like Canada has -- results in long waiting lists, rationed care, and a dearth of the latest technological equipment. If our leaders recognize these five myths, we can expect healthcare reform that works for all Americans. Let's hope they do. Sally C. Pipes is President & CEO of the Pacific Research Institute and author of The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care. | |||
January 07, 2009
"Change" you say?
By Joe Beckman (The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) This series on institutional transformations required to keep America's promise would be incomplete without looking at our schools. Their students will live in these institutions and be the agents of their change. Since I know little of such matters, I asked the guy who I turn to for such insight, Joe Beckman, to write this column.-Bill Shelton. It's reasonable to ask if there is a future for education as we know it. Our understanding of schools has changed dramatically since we attended them and will change even more over the next twenty years. Let's look at the record. Progressive educators pushed typewriters and multiple choice tests, since those were their most advanced technology. Typewriters beat handwriting during the Depression; and tests measured the post-war era. In the '60's we rebelled. We had Sputnik and the new math, invented federal grants for higher education, along with Peace Corps and VISTA. In the years following Watergate, not much happened. Schools got crusty. Lots of the '60's stuff got blown away. It took vouchers, charters and unions, Bush and No Child Left Behind, nasty shootings and school violence to produce serious innovation.. Ugly provocations led to ugly suggestions: mandates for more hours, more days, more years of class in controlled environments. Those mandates don't work in Baghdad, and they won't work in Somerville. If a kid's bored in five hours, that kid will explode in 7; if it's bad for 9 months, it will be prison by month #11; and if school tests saintly students to survive through age 18, lots fewer will get to heaven when it's the law. You get more with honey than vinegar. Let's look at the alternatives. With retirements and transfers, 15%-to-20% of Somerville teachers leave every year. So in the next five years. nearly 40% will be children of the Internet. Sometime around then they will share with their students this cultural transformation. There is no limit to what they - and their kids - will do. If we think of incentives rather than mandates we can imagine a much happier future. If we ask kids how to solve a problem rather than test them for a single solution, we'll get lots more than what tests now measure.. If they see school as a laboratory, a resource, a means of building lives - and if we share that vision - we'll get more for them and lots more for us. And then, if we help teachers create this laboratory rather than regulate and limit their courseware to a set of standards, our schools can be the resource we need to build our community, to know each other better, and to create a self-renewing city. This sounds pretty grand, but it's easy. First, we know that the SAT and MCAS are stretched beyond their capacity to measure what kids know. Real change in testing is about to crack the College Board's ceiling. People have created reliable, tested, and useful ways to measure "wisdom," for example - "anticipating the impact we make on others." At Tufts, they asked, "with an 8 _ by 11 piece of paper, solve a problem - any problem - and tell us how and why." That kind of question invites evidence of wisdom, creativity and practicality. It sure beats "how many widgets are left when you give six to Mirabelle!" Second, we know that after-school programs can be fun, can pay, and can co-opt the day program. That's why MIT's "interterm" pulls together students' first and second semester into a transition. We lack that kind of integrative project in the middle and high school. Not for long, however.. There are already video projects that extend that day. There may soon be city planning, economic development, and community organizing projects to turn schools into what we need, to get the most from the $700,000,000 Green Line, or from the New England Revolution in Inner Belt, or a new Assembly Square. Projects like these build résumés that make an SAT score less important to a college. Third, the best innovations come from within the schools, not from outside. Those whiteboards now sprouting in Somerville classrooms are perfect for kids to correct each others' papers like gleeful gamers and refine their drafts for other teachers or colleges when the time comes. They are also perfect for a movie or a lecture or a news commentary from the net when somebody says something you KNOW needs correcting. When a classroom is a real lab, those "toys" show both how to learn, and how to learn from each other - lessons long sought and rarely shown. Fourth, the gamers will finally figure out how to turn scores into grades. Already the state lists hundreds of old MCAS questions on their website (http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/testitems.html). Soon some smart kid will code those questions into a game, with points for speed and accuracy. Ultimately, some funder will give a prize for good scores. Everybody will then see that MCAS is just a game itself, and that other games, far more fun, can show lots more than a simple speed test using old fashioned tech. When getting into Harvard with $250,000 in scholarship money is just another way to say a kid won The World of Warcraft, lots more game makers will make a lot more money from eager-beaver parents. Fifth, we are not alone. The average kid "texts" at least four other kids a day. When students work together, there is no limit to where those collaborations go. Networks already involve students everywhere. I've used tutors from Romania and the Philippines in classes in Chelsea and Boston. There are few student aid programs abroad, and tutors here cost $40/hour. That disparity cannot long prevail. Eventually we'll have lots of graduate students from abroad chatting with classes in Somerville for lots less money and lots more contact. Sixth, you can't keep a lid on things, forever. Information flows in lots of directions at once. Eventually, student blogs will warn about certain teachers or give cues to better grades or easier ways into better colleges, or, at the very least, brag about beating a test. Those blogs will warn about teachers to avoid and celebrate those who makes things fun. For a first cut at this, check out (http://www.ratemyteachers.com/schools/massachusetts/somerville/somerville_high_school. ; Just as schools now use CORI (criminal records checks), schools, kids, teachers, and parents will to vet their next assignments. Finally, it will be interesting to see how long it takes before students produce an online newspaper. It is so easy to set up a website, its surprising that it hasn't happened. Also surprising is that there are so few YouTubes of people angry funny or creative. An example of this was Mark McLaughlin at Teen Empowerment last year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c6VN2pOLWU). Once we thought that kind of "work" was for footnotes and papers. Soon it will be blogs and self-promotion. This vision challenges subjects we now think are central - history, English, algebra, etc. Recently, Tom Bent, who serves on the High School's School Improvement Council with me, described how a student on his electrician crew at Harvard saw a wiring diagram on a blackboard and observed, "That's an algebra problem. Why didn't they tell me I could actually use that subject." So, we'll find those uses and make 'em work. | |||
December 31, 2008
Old Traditions, New Beginnings
By Joseph A. Curtatone (The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) The Illuminations Tours were as much fun as ever this year, even though a couple of the standout homes from past years were temporarily off line. We were sold out again, thanks to the hard work of the Arts Council (and the staff of the Blue Cloud Gallery in Ball Square). And, as in past years, I had great support on my trolley from friends, family and fellow residents. But the Illuminations Tour is more than just something fun to do during the holiday season. It reminds all of us of the importance of community spirit, and of the rich traditions that give our city its character and help bind us together - even when, as in the case of the Illuminations Tour, the tradition is only twelve years old. As part of the tour, every guide issues an invitation to attend the raising of the Grand Union Flag on Prospect Hill, which begins on New Year's Day with a procession from City Hall (11:30 a.m.) and culminates at noon with the raising of a replica of the first official American flag (presented by "General Washington" on horseback) at the monument in Prospect Hill Park. Of course, the flag-raising is a much, much older tradition than the Illuminations Tour, and it means a lot to me - not just because I grew up on Prospect Hill, and not just because it's a reminder of Somerville's revolutionary heritage. For me, the most important aspect of our annual flag-raising event is that it celebrates the vision, optimism and courage of the very real people who created this nation. The soldiers who camped out in the cold and damp on Prospect Hill had, only months before, suffered a defeat at the hands of the British - but their ragtag army, commanded largely by elected officers, had fought so hard and well that the British were unwilling to come out to challenge them again. General Washington, newly in command, was trying to figure out how to conduct a siege with no equipment, no supplies and an untrained army that was suffering from disease and malnutrition as well as the cold. Down in Philadelphia, members of the Continental Congress were struggling with the moral and practical difficulties of making a revolution against a duly constituted authority leadership - and trying to decide whether to put their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor on the line to create a new nation. It was a time of hardship and uncertainty, and the odds were not in favor of the colonials or their cause. But, to the great surprise of the British and the rest of the watching world - and maybe themselves - they acted. They had confidence that they could prevail - that they could get through the hard times and build something better. They decided to start something new - and their simple, courageous choice in the face of great peril led to the creation of a new nation, a new concept of human rights, and a new world of possibilities for themselves and for generations to come. We know that their creation was far from perfect - and that it remains imperfect to this day - but that does not in any way diminish their achievement. 233 years later, we are still working to fulfill their vision. We are still making new beginnings, even when the times are hard and the odds may not be in our favor. But one of the most basic and most powerful lessons that our patriot forebearers have passed down to us is that we must never be content simply to accept things as they are. We must always be working to make things better - even when it isn't easy or safe. As 2008 draws to a close, we find our city, our state and our nation in another era of uncertainty and peril. Our soldiers are still camped out on hillsides - farther from home than our ancestors could ever have imagined. Times are hard and the challenges are huge. Yet we are still ready and willing to make a new beginning, and we still possess an unstoppable optimism. We firmly believe that we can not only get through our current troubles, but actually make things better for ourselves and our children. In Somerville, our traditions give us strength, but we don't live in the past. We have it in our power to make 2009 a better year for ourselves and our neighbors. Let's get started. | |||
December 17, 2008
The retirement crunch: On this issue, conservative is better
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) You may have seen the headline in last week's Boston Globe: "Pensions to strain city, town finances - New infusions needed as funds lose value." And it may have sounded like the most boring topic on earth, but appearances can be deceiving: this is an important issue and it provides a good example of how Somerville's conservative fiscal management will help us weather this recession. In past opinion pieces, I have written about how our strong bond rating has steadily improved over the past five years - and continues to give us access to credit markets at reasonable cost. I've written about creating the City's first-ever Capital Stabilization Fund, which sets aside predictable amounts of revenue for routine expenditures on our parks, schools and other facilities. I've explained how investing in the basic infrastructure of our community helps increase our economic viability by maintaining property values and encouraging commercial investment. And, more recently, I have outlined some of the ways we will be cutting back on spending - including the deferral of hiring to fill some existing vacancies (public safety hiring will proceed) and the reduction of the City's share in the cost of non-union employee health benefits from 85 percent to 80 percent. We've been increasing our efficiency in other ways as well. Last year, we came out with an Environmental Strategic Plan (ESP) that included the hiring of an Energy Services Company (ESCO) to design and install a series of energy savings projects in all our buildings. The guaranteed savings over the life of the project will be $2.7 million. An automated shutdown program puts city computers in sleep mode when not in use - and turns them off entirely at the end of the business day unless workers specifically ask for them to be left on. The savings from this single initiative is estimated at $25,000 annually. Over the past three years, we moved every department in the city to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone system while getting rid of older copper lines no longer in use (by the way, the phone service failure at City Hall last Friday was due to one of Verizon's old copper lines getting wet - our VOIP system never failed). These changes are saving taxpayers roughly $170,000 per year. And, we just saved another $18,000 per year by switching to a new vendor for push-to-talk, cellular and data-card service. Even as the recession has deepened, all of these factors have kept Somerville in a stronger position than many other cities and towns. Nobody would call us a wealthy city, and there is no doubt we are going to feel the sharp pinch of a struggling national economy, but we are going to survive without losing ground on the progress we've made. All of which brings me to the issue of retirement system management: Every city, town and state authority in Massachusetts has an independent retirement system with its own investment portfolio. All of them - including ours - have been hard hit by the steep decline in stock prices. The average loss for the calendar year in Massachusetts municipal retirement systems is 29 percent; Somerville's loss is 28 percent. The effect of that decline, however, varies widely among the various systems - and, as in so many other areas, Somerville is in better shape than many of its sister cities and towns. As recently as 20 years ago, our investment funds supported only about 40 percent of our obligation to retirees - the rest had to come from city appropriations. Nowadays, thanks to the prudent action of several administrations, and the skillful management of our retirement fund investments, we're over 62 percent. That's far from ideal, but it puts us in significantly better shape than many other small and mid-sized cities across the Commonwealth. We've also seen our retirement investments perform as well or better than the state's Pension Reserves Investment Trust (PRIT) and our neighboring communities of Cambridge, Brookline, Belmont and Medford. Calendar Year 2007 investment rates of return were: Somerville (12.14 percent), PRIT (11.9 percent), Cambridge (11.89 percent), Brookline (6.96 percent) and Medford (6.91 percent). On a five year basis, Somerville's rate of return was 12.46 percent. All of this means that we have been able to manage appropriate payments from the City to the retirement system while still having enough resources to expand public safety, education and other basic services. I can't take any credit for this solid record, because the Retirement Board makes independent investment decisions. Its five governing members are Chairman John M. Memory (elected), Mary Phinney (elected), Larry Murphy (appointed), John Rourke (appointed) and Ed Bean (ex officio). They're doing a fine job, and the rest of us in the retirement system owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedicated service. But what they've accomplished is just as important for the taxpayers, because our Retirement Board's strong performance ensures that the negative impact of a slumping stock market will be less severe in Somerville than in neighboring communities. Of course, every little bit helps, and I support the Mass Municipal Association's call for legislation that would tack on several more years to the state's current 2028 deadline for fully funding state retirement systems. Such a change would allow us to further soften the impact of pension system costs on taxpayers, and provide more operating budget dollars at a time when the state is contemplating cuts of up to ten percent in the 2009 local aid budget. Regardless of the outcome of that proposal, or any of the ideas now on the table for more diversity in local revenue sources, Somerville's taxpayers have an advantage in their prudent, conservative Retirement Board. In terms of policy - from the environment to human rights to the expansion of city services - this administration has a strongly progressive record. But when it comes to financial management, a conservative approach is best. That's the approach our Retirement Board has taken - and it's paying off for taxpayers and retirees alike. | |||
December 03, 2008
Friendships and partnerships
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) Monday, Dec. 1, was a big day for me - and in more than one way. It was important for me as mayor (and for every Somerville resident) because Assembly Square received its official designation from the Patrick-Murray Administration as a Growth Development Initiative (GDI) district. And it was equally important to me on a personal level because it was a day on which several key transitions in the Mayor's Office became official. There were no brass bands playing at the GDI announcement, even though the event was sufficiently important that a band wouldn't have been out of place. Still, the sun was out and the massive construction shovels were hard at work on the site of the former Good Time Emporium and future IKEA store, so there was a great visual backdrop and an appropriately festive atmosphere when we gathered to celebrate this important Assembly Square milestone. The GDI program is an outgrowth of Gov. Deval Patrick's commitment to work with local communities to fast track permitting and resource allocation for economic development projects that embrace Smart Growth, transit-oriented principles. During his 2006 campaign, the Governor heard repeatedly form business and political leaders that the state's permitting process was slowing down projects that had already met high standards for planning and environmental sensitivity, and that these slowdowns imposed heavy costs in construction delays and lost tax revenues for cities and towns. Secretary Dan O'Connell and his team at the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development have addressed this problem by identifying "development ready" Growth Districts throughout the state, and providing those districts with state assistance that ensures that all required permits are secured, site preparation is completed, infrastructure improvements are identified, and marketing resources are made available. Assembly Square made the first round, and will be eligible for expedited access to state resources. This designation is a big deal in itself, but it's also a reminder that Assembly Square is continuing to move ahead with steady and visible progress. That's no small achievement at a time when the national economy is in turmoil and so many other development projects round the country are on hold or in even jeopardy. Assembly Square's continued success is the result of a broad-based partnership with many active members, many of whom were present yesterday to receive a well-deserved word of thanks. Given the land swaps, the home rule petitions, the zoning changes, the planning, the community advocacy, the vision and financial commitment needed to get Assembly Square on track, there are a lot of people who deserve credit for their efforts. This vitally important project could not have become a reality without leadership from Senators Jehlen and Galluccio (and former Senator Barrios). It could not have been achieved without the active support of Representatives Provost, Toomey and Sciortino. It would have never gotten off the launching pad without the dedication and courage of the entire Board of Aldermen. It would never have become the expression of a shared community vision without the leadership and committed public-spirited advocacy of the Mystic View Task Force and the Somerville Chamber of Commerce. It would not have been fast-tracked at the state level without the commitment and follow-through of Governor Patrick, EOHED Secretary Daniel O'Connell, Undersecretary of Business Development Gregory Bialecki, Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles and state Permitting Ombudsman April Anderson Lamoureux. The project's crucial transit component - a new Orange Line stop at Assembly Square - might not have been realized without the timely assistance of Congressman Mike Capuano, who secured $25 million in federal funds to help underwrite the cost of the new station. And, of course, the entire project wouldn't have gone anywhere without the resources, experience and vision of our private-sector development partners, Federal Realty Investment Trust and IKEA. I am especially appreciative of the way Federal Realty has approached this project as a shared endeavor, and I am honored by the opportunity I have had to partner with so many diverse organizations and individuals to bring this project home for the people of our city. But of all the partnerships I have forged, and all the many, many deep friendships I have enjoyed over my five years as mayor, none has been more important or more rewarding than the relationships with my colleagues in the Mayor's Office. I have been unbelievably fortunate in the quality and ability of the people on my senior staff. I wish I could keep the same team together always, but I know that change is inevitable, and that all I can do is thank people for their service, sing their praises at every opportunity (always an easy task), and wish them well in their new endeavors. So here goes: Mike Buckley has been a valuable aide and friend - the very best - and, while he will go right on being a friend, he has decided to explore other professional opportunities. I am excited for him, but I will be truly sorry to see him go. Stephanie Hirsch, who is an amazingly talented public servant - and who built our justly celebrated SomerStat program from the ground up - is cutting back on her workload in order to devote more time to her two young daughters. I can't argue with that - family should come first. We will still enjoy the benefit of her analysis and insights, but I will miss her daily presence and her heroically disciplined approach to making Somerville city government more efficient, accountable and customer-friendly. We'll start looking for a new SomerStat Director in the near future, but I am delighted to report that we already have a successor to take up where Mike leaves off. She is none other than Janice Delory, whom I have lured back to take up Mike's post as Aide to the Mayor. (Mike Lambert will continue to serve with distinction in Janice's former position as Chief of Staff.) Given Janice's past success and popularity, I know that the entire Somerville community will welcome her return. | |||
November 26, 2008
September 29, 2008
Somerville and the Green Line: Doing our homework - and standing our ground
By Joseph A. Curtatone
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)
There's a lot of good news about the MBTA's Green Line Extension through Somerville to Medford. The state remains strongly committed to completing the project by 2014. It's going to open up access to Union Square, Brickbottom, Gilman Square, Ball Square and more. It will greatly expand economic activity while reducing car traffic and improving air quality.
Continue reading "Somerville and the Green Line: Doing our homework - and standing our ground" »
September 12, 2008
Somerville Avenue: Open for business during construction
By Joseph A. Curtatone
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)
The City of Somerville, its residents and its business owners have been living with the necessary disruptions of the Somerville Avenue project for the past fourteen months, and a major payoff is on the way. Much has been accomplished, and the project remains on schedule for completion, but much work remains to be done.
Since the state gave its authorization for the project to proceed in May of 2007, we've seen plenty of progress. Sewer and water infrastructure that dated back to the beginning of the last century has been completely replaced. Gas mains have been comprehensively upgraded to improve both capacity and safety. All of these changes have given us a necessary foundation for future economic growth along the entire length of one of our city's most important arterial roads. Now that the heavy work under the roadway is nearing its conclusion, the contractor will be able to begin to address the more visible aspects of the Somerville Avenue streetscape, and to create a boulevard that will provide an attractive portal to our city for many years to come.
Continue reading "Somerville Avenue: Open for business during construction" »
August 04, 2008
Police reorganization: Many individual steps add up to one big change
By Joseph A. Curtatone
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)
The reorganization, expansion and modernization of the Somerville Police Department has been a long, drawn-out process - and we still have plenty to do. Still, the Board of Aldermen's vote on July 17 to take two Deputy Chief of Police positions out of civil service has to be seen as the finishing touch on a long series of interlocking changes that has fundamentally transformed the department and prepared it for the 21st Century.
Continue reading "Police reorganization: Many individual steps add up to one big change" »
Recent Comments