Single mother working for the city of Boston can’t afford to live here A city employee is often required to live within the city in which they are employed. Luckily, in my case that is not a requirement. It’s not recommended that an individual pay more than 30% of their gross monthly income […]
LAST CALL FOR JUSTICE AT THE EAST CAMBRIDGE COURTHOUSE
City council must resist bogus privatization scheme Everyone agrees the state-owned Sullivan Courthouse site in East Cambridge needs to be remediated of asbestos and prepared for redevelopment. The current proposal, backed by the Baker administration and Cambridge’s city manager, would accomplish this goal by transferring ownership of the courthouse to commercial real […]
TOO MANY COPS
Some thoughts about last Saturday’s counterprotest It’s Labor Day as I start this column and I don’t want to labor too much on it, but I think it’s important to reflect upon a particular aspect of Saturday’s counterprotest against an ultra right-wing “parade” that hasn’t gotten nearly as much press attention as it […]
HEARTBURN: THE COMMON DIETARY CHALLENGE THAT RESTAURANTS IGNORE
And the simple thing chefs can do to help sufferers Last Saturday night, my wife and I went out for drinks and snacks at a well-known local restaurant. It’s the kind of place that can get expensive if you’re having a full meal, but isn’t too pricey for a couple of small plates. […]
TAIWAN, OUT OF THE CLOSET AND INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
This year, Boston Taiwanese for Equality marched in the Boston Pride Parade for a second year. The diversity, love, resilience, and solidarity displayed at the parade reaffirm our individuality, and inspire us to continue to build a more fair and inclusive world. This spirit applies not only to supporting our LGBTQ community, but also […]
LANDLORDS’ VIEWS ON RENT CONTROL… REFUTED
Or: fun with Boston Globe comments Most everyone has had the experience of reading something particularly enraging in the comment area below many online newspaper articles. I think it’s quite normal to feel frustrated and helpless in that situation. Because the nastiest opinions often appear to be the most popular ones. And there […]
GLOBAL WARMING NEEDS FRONT PAGE COVERAGE
Extinction Rebellion urges the Boston Globe to declare climate emergency For society to undergo the drastic, transformational change required to save our species, respected media like the Boston Globe should lead in communicating the existential risks of climate damage. The Extinction Rebellion is an international mobilization whose first demand is that governments and […]
A WORD ABOUT RICH KIDS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
(And in oppositional politics in general) For Earth Day, I’d like to write in brief about an internal dilemma the environmental movement is facing. Because if activist campaigns aimed at mitigating or stopping global warming have been failing to effect the necessary political, economic, social, and cultural changes toward that goal—as I think […]
STOP THE ELECTRIC SCOOTER SCAM
Mass needs expanded public transportation, not hazardous rental toys It’s not like I didn’t warn everyone. Last summer I wrote a column on the illegal rollouts of dockless electric scooters by Bird Rides in Cambridge and Somerville that was extremely critical of the company’s move on two grounds: safety, and the problem of […]
BREAKING CONCRETE CEILINGS FOR WOMEN OF COLOR COMES WITH A TAX
A response to the Boston Herald In response to the Boston Herald’s overtly racist and sexist article on Masshousing’s dining expenses and the appointment of its executive director’s new role on the MBTA Fiscal Control Board, I felt compelled to express my disappointment in the tired narrative that follows women of color in leadership […]
