The Item's Progress 2007: Some Good News

Having written a large research paper on Lynn, Massachusetts, I've come to know a great deal about the city - especially the Downtown area. One of the fascinating things about Downtown Lynn, beside the fact that it used to be *the* place in the North Shore to do shopping... and is now empty... is the fact that it sits right next to Lynn's waterfront. The waterfront, interestingly enough, is so ill-used as to be truly astounding. However, finally, there's been some progress on that front. Pun intended. Of course.

Every year, the Lynn Item creates a "Progress" issue, detailing all the important developments for the city of Lynn over the past year. Some years, the news isn't all that great - and you can tell they're really reaching. Some years, it's pretty exciting. I've read almost all of them since, well, probably when the Item started them - looking the clippings up in the Lynn Public Library for the purposes of said paper. One of the most promising years, when Downtown Lynn was going to get a big mall, was also one of the saddest: it was the year a huge swath of the Downtown area went into flames, becoming national news. The fire took weeks to die - literally. The hopes and dreams of a city sort of died, at least for a long time, with the old, empty shoe factories.

This year's Progress Issue is one of the good ones: for once, things really are looking up. The development in Lynn isn't dependent on a tech industry, like it was the year the bubble burst. It isn't dependent on anything, really, because it looks like it's full steam ahead.

And why shouldn't it be? Downtown Lynn is a twenty minute drive from Downtown Boston. Or, you could take the train... and it'd be 15 minutes. If they ever manage to extend the Blue Line, which will eventually happen (whether that's in my lifetime, though, is up for debate)... it'd be even better (though, decidedly not faster). There's lots of new housing going in the area, mainly 1 bedroom condos geared for the young, professional and artistic types, but it's fairly cheap and an interesting investment. Many of those condos offer beach views, or a quick watch to the beach, in historic Diamond District... think of it, you'd get to live in an old mansion, albeit a small portion of it.

If everything pans out, Lynn could be really on the right track again - a place it hasn't been since the 70s, if that. However, like I've said, there have been many good issues of the Item's Progress before - and sadly, Lynn hasn't progressed all that much. But the future is bright. Crime is down. A new school is up. New development is in - and the price is right. There are just too many good things going for that city, including a great location and intelligent, hard working base, for it to stay down. Maybe this will be the year the tipping point is reached and the City of Sin gets a few moments of heaven? Read the report and gauge for yourself.

The Globe: Blogging is Bad, Blah, Blah, Blah

Oh, gawd, please help me. It's another 'blogging is bad," blah, blah, blah story coming from the Boston Globe. What journalistic integrity can you look forward to? Well, how about this nice sentence up near the top:

The case is a startling illustration of how blogging, already implicated in destroying friendships and ruining job prospects, could interfere in other important arenas.

Wow, sounds really bad. Care to elaborate, Boston Globe? Oh, wait, this is the Boston Globe we're talking about. The paper of record is also the paper of reporting innuendo and baseless crap. Quite frankly, I'm sick of all this business. It was another front-paged article on why blogging is bad, evil, controversial or any other term they're either writing or implying!

How about some front-paged articles on the Massachusetts Fifth Congressional Race - fair coverage this time, not just a Niki Tsongas love fest? The blogosphere is setting up a big health care forum for the democratic candidates - anyone care to place bets on the Globe being there? How about coverage on the Dem State Convention, which didn't even receive AP story-type coverage in the Globe? You only read about those things in the blogosphere - or, maybe, local papers... if you're lucky.

The blogosphere is way ahead of the main stream media on thousands of stories that impact people every day. The main stream media is a dying mess of stink more preoccupied with pretty blonds than actual news. I wonder if there's a connection there?

Then, in the rare case that media actually follows up on a story that originated on the blogosphere or was driven by blogo-coverage, do reporters give credit or make mention? Absolutely not. Apparently, journalists never took the same classes that preached against plagiarism that I did. Readers will note I take close care to follow the ethical guidelines of always leaving a source and not over-quoting.

Also telling is the one instance I can think of when the Globe actually quoted from a blogger in the front page of their newspaper (when there wasn't some compromised blogger from a site I've never heard of) - of course, it happened when David and Charley over at Blue Mass Group had something bad to say about Deval Patrick. Notice how the Globe didn't mention any of David's coverage of the Killer Coke scandal last summer, in the heat of the primary campaign. The only serious Globe reporting of that whole incident - which was a huge frakking deal - came from Joan Vennochi, a columnist... and even she didn't mention the blogosphere's coverage, some of which must have helped inform her opinion on that subject.

Does the blogosphere complain? No. Quite frankly, I don't care about that. I do this because issues are important to me and I want the media to cover them - so I wouldn't care if I were just being ignored. However, the Globe (and company) goes out of its way to cover us when some fringe blogger does something stupid (although, in this case, not illegal). We do their work for them, then they attack us because they're afraid of losing revenue and readers. So sorry they can't be kingmakers, but people crave the facts and when the public isn't getting them from the main stream press - they'll get them elsewhere.

Heck, there have even been tries by bloggers to bridge this media gap. There have been several "new media" conferences around the state - where bloggers and newspapers were both invited - and guess who shows up? Bloggers. It's as if newspapers were trying their damned hardest to die out - during a time where we need serious journalism more than ever. It makes my blood boil - I can't even be witty; I'm so pissed off I have to use shameless cliches.

If some fringe blogger decides to make a poor choice, that's not front-page material. It's a hell of a lot less important than the State Democratic Convention, which received no press in the Boston Globe. The state dem party voted in favor of resolutions to end the war and impeach the Vice President and President... and the Globe didn't care. If a blogger digs up key information on a "lobbyist" that's essentially calling Deval Patrick an accomplice to Coca-Cola murder plots - finding out the lobbyist was basically a one-man front who had zero credibility - that is front-paged material, especially when they spent inches quoting the front-man in a previous, prominent article in their very own paper. It's telling which stories the Globe decided to actually put on the front page, because it's usually not the important ones.

So, today's story should surprise no one. Bloggers are bad. If you make a blog, you may never get employed; your friends will hate you and your life will be ruined. That's the Globe's story and they're sticking to it.

Today's LeftAhead: Sco, MA-05, Casinos and My Crazy Adventure

Even without Lynne, we had a good show. Sco jumps in at the halfway mark to talk Ma-05.

Homophobes Just Want Sexual Equality!

I just got back from an interesting hearing - primarily about creating a comprehensive, mandatory, state-wide health curriculum. However, because of a few small parts of the health bill, Team Homophobia was all up in arms. You see, it's all a plot by Planned Parenthood. One old lady even brought a copy of her church's sexual education book (!!) that described the depths of that organization's evils: it was a totally unbiased (/sarcasm off) retelling of how someone somehow linked to Planned Parenthood booked a dirty hotel for a weekend of safer sex. Another one of that lady's great lines was how the parents "were angry!" They were going to rise up - just like they did at today's hearing.

Oh, wait. There was only one homophobe under the age of 45 there - and she thought it was despicable how morally corrupt this country was that it would even allow contraceptives. In fact, how could kids be expected to cope, she said, when their parents employed contraceptives themselves? What sick, depraved people they are buying condoms and everything! In fact, if kids can't be trusted with candy and soda machines in school, how can we trust them with sexual education? Her (flawed) analogy - not mine. The most interesting thing about her whole testimony, other than the fact I had to cover my mouth to keep myself from bursting out laughing (even the congressional aides couldn't keep a straight face), was the fact that she was an immigrant. America is so morally corrupt and bankrupt, with people even using condoms and everything, that she decided to move here. What does that say about her?

However, the day's highlight was really when some old crazy guy came up in the end, talking about how we have to get back to religion in the classroom. It's those perverted gays and those "gay groups," and evil Planned Parenthood, of course, behind all this mess. In fact, he was really worried about society. He just wanted "sexual equality" that's all - it's not fair that all those guys go with other guys. What about the women? They men say they're "in love," but it's just not fair damn it. It's sexually racist. Or something. (Seriously, that was his testimony).

Unfortunately, I had to go soon after that. I missed getting to hear Tom Lang speak, as well as other equality supporters. The fact of the matter is there were real draconian policies, putting every student at risk. One such policy is an "opt in" clause. Currently, if parents object to specific health classes on sexual issues, they can have their children "opt out" of the lesson. However, apparently, that's not good enough. Instead of opting out, the "Massachusetts Family Institute" thinks parents should have to opt in - in effect, demand their students be taught. You know, because kids aren't going to have sex or go through puberty or have body image problems... can't have them learning about things that could just never, ever happen to them. Right?

As an added bonus, I shared an elevator ride with Kris Mineau. You'll be so sorry to hear that he's not been getting around all that much since his surgery. What his surgery was for, I don't know, but that could make for some fun comments.

Universal Health Care - Except for the Sick

Apparently, Massachusetts's new universal health care system is universal - except for the sick. Because, naturally, they're the people who need it least, right?

The new young adult plans contain some protections not included in the student plans, but most cap annual coverage at $50,000 or $100,000 to keep premiums low.

I guess the message the state is trying to send is "just don't get sick."

Or, maybe it's "screw the sick?"

We now have universal insurance, except for the people who need it.

We now have universal insurance, until you get cancer.

We have universal insurance, until you get a debilitating disease.

Great.

$50,000 goes like water down a drain in the hospitals of Massachusetts. Any patient who's stuck in the hospital for months is bound to pay way more than that - apparently, somehow, out of their own pockets. What's worse is the fact that people will think they have universal insurance, until they're told they don't - and the moment that happens is when they find out they have cancer, or are surviving a major health catastrophy.

With this kind of "universal insurance," my brother, who needed a heart-valve transplant years ago, would have had hundreds of thousands in debt before he turned 19. Nice.

Universal Health Care in Massachusetts is a gimmick. It won't work. At best, it's a bandaid. At worst, it's just corporate welfare that fails to fix any of the serious problems in the system. More and more, it doesn't seem like any of the people who need it most will benefit. Will the real slim shady solutions please stand up? Will any congressman, senator, representative or elected leader of any kind have the moral courage to do the right thing and demand a true universal system? The time to debate is long since over - people are dying every day because no one is standing up for their human right to health care. It's time someone argue for the rights of the sick, not the profit margin of Harvard Pilgram and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Update: To explore just how universal our new system is, read about what happens to employees who can't afford their employer's premiums and people who make just above the state's threshold for subsidies. The common theme? They're all screwed.

John Kerry: Living in Bizarro Land

Having only finished the first paragraph of this non-stunner, I've come to a very sad conclusion. But first, the paragraph that prompted the thought.

Senator John F. Kerry voted for the Iraq war resolution in 2002 after weighing the political ramifications and being told by his future campaign manager that he would never be elected president in 2004 unless he sided with President Bush on the issue, according to a forthcoming book by Kerry's former strategist.

Only in Bizarro Land could John Kerry - an honored veteran, turned important operator of peace on his way home - become a pro-war candidate. How sad it is this dimension we call home is in fact Bizarro Land, where insane things that just don't make any sense happen every day.

And what a shame it is. John Kerry could have been the man to have ended this war two years ago - if he just stood up and spoke his mind when he had the chance. Instead, we've suffered two years under Mad Man "Mr. 28%" Bush - with another two years yet to come.

If Kerry had just stood on his principals during the presidential election, hundreds of soldiers would be saved and the billions we've poured into Iraq could have been used on something productive - like health care for every child in this country.

Yet, here we are today - in the middle of another Presidential campaign. The leading candidate, Senator Clinton, is a war hawk. She wants to get us out of Iraq about as badly as Senator Joe Lieberman claimed during his last election - which is to say, she'll pay it lip service, but behind the scenes will vehemently oppose it. The candidate with the second largest chance, Senator Obama, isn't much better.

Democrats will do well to learn from Mr. Shrum, Kerry's former strategist and pretty much the worst thing to ever happen to democrats ever. If he thinks it's a good idea, run away - far away - from whatever that position is. People want out of Iraq - and they want it now. No more of this center-right bullshit; the rise of the progressive movement has long since arrived.

Profile in Cowardice: Senator Scott Brown

Hat tip to Know Thy Neighbor for giving me material for my second "Profile in Cowardice." According to Mass Equality's interactive map, Senator Scott Brown supported a ban on this little, lovely thing we call "marriage equality" in the state of Massachusetts. Yet, that's not really why he's joined this list. Oh, no, the reason is far worse: in his quest to become Homophobe Numero Uno, he's co-sponsored a truly heinous bill designed to out glbt students to their parents and prevent gay/straight alliances in schools. According to Chris Mason,

This bill would change the law from opt-out to opt-in. This would mean that any student who would like to attend a meeting of their school's Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) would need a permission slip signed by their parent or guardian.

Yet,

Many of the students that attend GSAs are not out to their parents. This may be because they are not ready to come out, or because their parents would kick them out of the house if they were to come out. The GSA clubs in schools provide a safe place for LGBT students and their allies to meet. These clubs have been proven to reduce the rate of LGBT teen suicide.

Chris also said that he first came out to his gay/straight alliance when he was in high school - and sought the support, personal strength and confidence he needed from them to actually come out to his parents. That's what g/s alliances are all about - providing a place for glbt youth to know that they're perfectly okay, that there's nothing wrong with them and that they should be proud of who they are. I only wish I took advantage of of the g/s alliance back when I was in high school - it probably would have saved several years of anguish and worry about the dreaded "closet."

Of course, there's all kinds of courage - like the courage to bear all on a center fold. Brown had the courage to do that - and now he wants to play the Moral Police. In this little game I like to call Hypocrisy, the first order of business for the moral police is to yell at kids - because, really, there's no better way to treat those rascals.

At the assembly in King Phillip's High School auditorium, State Senator Brown called each student out, one by one, using curse words that every mother would be horrified to hear and would've covered their children's ears if they were there. Above the protests of all the teachers who were aghast at the state Senator's anti-social behavior and foul language, Brown refused
to stop his child-like tirade calling each student out one by one in great pleasure.

Wonkette had even more fun.

Seems that Scott Brown, a Massachusetts state senator who opposes gay marriage, had some
foul language written about him and his daughter (an American Idol contestant) by high school students on the Facebook page of a pro-gay-marriage history teacher. Naturally, he responded the way any mature adult in a position of authority would: by appearing at an assembly at the school that the kids attended and reading aloud their obscenity-laden comments, with their names, while horrified teachers begged him to stop.

Here's what Brown had to say about the incident himself,

"If the kids can write it, the kids can hear it," Brown said Friday. Brown said he left the school Thursday feeling pleased that so many of the students seemed highly engaged in the discussion about divisive issues such as gay marriage. “I felt really good about it. And now I find out I’m being portrayed as a vile-speaking hate-monger. It’s pretty saddening. I feel very badly that I’m being victimized here.

Well, Senator, if you could say it and do it - shouldn't you be able to take it? That's just your logic. Poor Homophobic Senator, afraid of being called bad names... someone please call the waaaa-mbulance.

Oh, yes, this is the very same Senator who is now trying to dictate what students can and can't do at school - the same guy trying to prevent students from joining GSAs. He's the same guy trying to out kids to their parents. The same guy who apparently did porn is now the moral police, trying to hush students away from coming out of the closet.

He's certainly no Profile in Courage; he's a bully. He's a bully and a coward who's afraid of what will happen if students realize it's okay to be out amongst their peers - that they're perfectly normal - before any serious psychological harm can be done. For all these reasons - and more - he's the latest, greatest Profile in Cowardice.

Deval at Dartmouth: Being the Governor We Elected

This quote pretty much sums up why I voted for the guy.

Michael J. Gagne, the town's executive administrator, said it marked the first time in his 27 years in local government that a governor came to Dartmouth to discuss local issues and answer questions.

Our Governor came to Dartmouth to spend some time with local elected leaders to discuss local problems. Imagine that? Before I read the entire article, I commented to my roommate, "Can you ever imagine Mitt Romney - or any Bay State Republican Governor - doing that?" Then, about ten seconds later, I laughed: according to Michael Gagne, the answer would be an authoritative NO!

We, the voters, elected Deval Patrick for two reasons: to actually show up and listen to what's going on, instead of just playing Mr. Governor and showing up for photo ops during disasters, and to come up with innovative ideas to actually - you know - solve problems (and use his bully pulpit to actually help pass them). That means a Governor has to stay in tune with the people and then actually do something about what they have to say.

Fortunately, at Dartmouth, Governor Patrick did both things. He's come to offer what help and services he can to a town struggling to pay the bills (and a relatively affluent one at that) and he just so happens to have an idea that could help the situation: his Municipal Partnership Act.

The plan includes several measures that are attractive to Dartmouth officials, including a 2 percent local meals tax option that would translate to $1.1 million in new revenue for the town.

Dartmouth is also eyeing an increase in the hotel and motel room tax and the removal of the 1915 telecommunications tax exemption.

But the governor said there are other components to his plan that would help Dartmouth and other communities.

They would be eligible to transfer their pension plans and group insurance programs into the state system under the governor's proposal.

Imagine that? A 2% tax - which would be optional for Dartmouth - could help the town raise upwards of $1.1 million dollars. For a town of a little more than 30,000 people, that's a lot of money. Most importantly, it's not an unfair tax: my dinner tonight at Texas Roadhouse would have cost 76 cents more - something even I can afford.

Sort of like a sappy commercial: for just 76 cents a day, little children in Dartmouth will get to go to school and continue to learn instruments and everything! Wow!

The Municipal Partnership Act clearly won't solve every problem, but it's step one in revamping Massachusetts for the 21st Century. If Governor Patrick's recent visit to Dartmouth is any indication, steps two and three will be right on their way as soon as the Municipal Partnership Act is passed.

Casinos: Wrong for Massachusetts

Representative Dan Bosley gives a good run down on why casinos are bad for Massachusetts. It's good to know elected officials are doing what they are supposed to.

Bosley opposes casinos not on a moral ground, but because of "dollar-and-cents." Here's just one blurb.

If studies are right and Massachusetts's residents are spending 1.1 billion dollars in Connecticut, we must remember that we only recapture the net gaming revenues to the state. That means that we would recapture a little over $100 million. To do this we have to fund a gaming commission at $75-80 million (comparable to what other states spend), have to fund increased law enforcement at around the same cost, and have to pay for the social costs that we incur from increased gambling activity. That is not a moral issue, but a dollar and cents issue because it increases our cost for social programs. There are other costs to concern us, but these alone far outweigh the recaptured revenue.

Read the whole thing, it's not overly long and has some good info in it - including stuff I didn't already know.

Scandal at UMASS

I hereby deem this mess at UMASS a scandal. Everyone needs to go click that link and read that article - it's the best one I've read from the Boston Globe in a very, very long time. It's funny, too, because UMASS President Jack Wilson seemed to be wanting a new job this whole time: head of Amherst and the entire system. If the professors at UMASS Amherst have their way - the one's who voted No Confidence with him in the room by a margin of more than 200 to 1 - he'll be getting that new job very shortly, a la President Summers. In fact, my sources at UMASS Dartmouth have dug up a letter reported to be from Mr. Wilson.

Dear Trustees, Faculty, Staff, Parents, Voters, Construction Workers, Former Politicians, Current Politicians, Janitors, Lunch Ladies, Mitt Romney and ah, yea, maybe students...

I have notified the UMASS Board of Trustees today that, in leau of controlling the universe entire system's every job, I'll merely accept control of just Amherst, the entire UMASS system and other such things - provided that I also get control of Worcerster and Boston and maybe the schools that aren't included in the UMASS System (and probably some high schools as well, they call the head of Boston Latin a Dean, right? I want that title too!). However, no one should worry, you won't have to call me Chancellor at Worcester and Boston.... "Mr. President/Chancellor" will suffice.

People also tell me that there's this thing called "UMASS Dartmouth," but that's a vicious rumor I can't confirm. If it's true, I'll let that person who already is in "control" there keep it - because the South Coast is a mysterious place and I can't really be expected to go there, now can I? Do they even make maps to get there? Can I call triple A? Furthermore, Lowell's just been given to soon-to-be President Marty Meehan and he scares me, so I'll leave him alone too.

Now, rumor has it that at a recent meeting at UMASS Amherst, Professors gave me a 214 to 1 vote of "No Confidence." I care very deeply about the people at UMASS Amherst, that's why I want to control them and make all the other campuses irrelevant focus my time there. I can neither confirm nor deny what that vote actually was about, because I don't listen to faculty, but I'm sure it isn't possible that they really voted against me. After all, I was put in place by the Great Mitt Romney - and everyone just loves him! Seriously, that guy knows what he's doing! He should be President of the United States or something. Then, maybe I could get an even better job!

Anyway, it's very important to me that the Faculty, Staff, Parents, Voters, Construction Workers, Former Politicians, Current Politicians, Janitors, Lunch Ladies, Mitt Romney and ah, yea, maybe students neighbors know that I care deeply about the UMASS Amherst campus. I only want what is best for it. That's why I think we need to oust a guy who's clearly done a good job there. If he keeps doing well, the people of Massachusetts will come to have certain expectations there - and if that happens and they're not met, it may not look pretty. Therefore, I want to do a great job at making sure that doesn't happen.

Some people have "No Confidence" in me. I say hogwash! The only person that matters is me and I have plenty of confidence in that person. It's actually a really great philosophy in life - more people should try it, well, if they actually mattered. Or were me. That's why I just want to inform everyone that I'm here for the long haul - which shall be defined as "when people rise up and loudly call for my resignation." That could NEVER happen - because, like I've been trying to say this whole time - I only have the best of intentions and want to do a great job as head of every Tom, Dick and Harry at UMASS. In fact, I don't think merely being a President and Chancellor is enough. I should be a Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, Administrator, Janitor and Lunch Lady as well.

Sincerely,

President and Wanna-Be Chancellor, Lunch Lady Jack Wilson

P.S. Please don't fire me.

P.P.S. Pretty please!

P.P.P.S. With a cherry on top!

Sco on LeftAhead! Talking MA-05

Don't forget to listen in on next week's podcast, featuring guest-host Sco of .08 Acres. You can listen live at 7:30pm, or catch the podcast at any point thereafter. Sco's been interviewing most of the MA-05 candidates and should have some interesting things to say about the race, so I'm looking forward to it.

Treasurer Cahill, Casinos and Idiocy

Cahill wants to beat Native Americans to the punch on casinos in Massachusetts - apparently, the state will get ever so much more money with a casino they can fully tax, unlike a casino built by Native Americans.

Cahill has long expressed concern that an Indian-run casino would drain money from the state lottery, while providing the state only a limited amount of revenue, subject to negotiations with the tribe. By orchestrating its own deal to establish a casino in Massachusetts, Cahill will argue today, the state would gain far more from gambling than Connecticut has from its two Indian casinos.

What a great idea! /sarcasm off

Apparently, Cahill never investigated the potential to, oh, I don't know... fucking stop the construction of a mega casino. It's not as if the state has no leverage, either.

The Mashpee Wampanoags, who today are celebrating their official recognition by the federal government, have announced plans to open a casino by 2010, but must first go through the time-consuming process of putting land into federal trust. The tribe must also negotiate a compact with the state, which would allow the tribe to open a casino with a level of gambling not now permitted elsewhere in Massachusetts. In other states, tribes have often agreed to pay a certain percentage of revenues in lieu of taxes.

Woot! Three possible ways to block this.

1. We lobby the federal government to either not put the land in federal trust or make a deal on just what could be built on that land.

2. Say "no thanks" in any negotiations with the Mashpee tribe. If they want to build a gambling enterprise, they can build one of the sort we already allow on this state.

3. Alternatively, we can say "let's compromise" and allow them to build a casino - but one that actually works in Massachusetts.

To say the least, the ideas of casinos in Massachusetts doesn't thrill me. However, I'm not inherently opposed to building some sort of casino in Massachusetts, but it can't be of the type Cahill wants.

Under Cahill's plan, which would have to be approved and implemented by the Legislature and Governor Deval Patrick, the state would issue a request for proposals for one or more casinos that would offer such amenities as five-star hotels, gourmet restaurants, shopping, and event pavilions.

Great, let's build a huge fucking, massively massive structure - so one company gets all of the benefits and potential small business owners in the area get the shaft. Put one of those things near any brink city and whatever progress that's been made over the past 10 years will instantly go away. A casino won't help any economy if it gives no reason for people to participate in it.

If we want to allow casinos, we need to make them work for local economies. That means people who are coming from all around the state to go to these casinos should have a reason to leave those casinos for most of their entertainment, food and other needs. Imagine a casino in New Bedford - let's say we allow them a modestly sized hotel. That means others would want to build hotels in the area, too. That means lots of local restaurants would start up and thrive, catching a lot of the new tourists. It means that museums, galleries and theatres could pop up - and the ones already there could become even better. It means all sorts of shopping could be created to attract any costumer, from luxury stores to stores for different crowds. Such a project could really put a brink city on the map, giving people a reason to visit them. I use New Bedford as an example because there are already a lot of reasons to go there, it just needs the type of attraction to get people to realize that - it needs something to push people through the door.

With lots of things to do in Massachusetts's brink cities, even people who don't gamble would want to come and visit. Of course, we already know that happens - as is - in today's mega casinos. Just a few months ago my step mother, who never gambles, went to Connecticut for a weekend at Foxwoods. She went with an old friend to catch up, see a cool singer and do some shopping. Sadly, for Connecticut's small business owners and economy, all her money went to one casino - it wasn't spread out to everyone else. Do we want that in Massachusetts? I say no.

If people want casinos in Massachusetts, fine. However, instead of building mega-resorts, let's build something that won't kill local economies. Let's build something that will enhance what we already have and create far more. In other words, let's be smart about it. However, it's going to take political leadership on this issue that clearly Treasurer Cahill doesn't have. Let's hope a certain Governor does get it.

Not That I've Been One to Constantly Applaud the Church...

But if they want to move their offices to 128, it really isn't the Mayor's business. Now, maybe I'd be more sympathetic if the Church were moving to a new cathedral, but that's just not the case.

Ask Ryan Anything

Yesterday was that time of the week, but I totally forgot to open the floor to my readership. So, this week you get to ask anything on Tuesday. Lots of things to talk about, like the upcoming ConCon - and probably the one that will count. So, have ask at it!

PS: LeftAhead airs tonight at 7:30.

Blog Traffic Down?

I've been polishing my paper on the netroots phenomenon and wanted to add some statistics on website traffic to show just how many people visit blogs. Now that the election is long over, it seems as if the intensity of the blogosphere's readership has died down. I was just checking out Kos's stats and he's down to about 460,000 unique visitors a day (from around 600,000). Since the fall, my stats have fallen slightly too - by around 15%. I knew it was going to happen way before it happened - but I'm sort of surprised as to the extent (I figured it would dip down temporarily, but climb back up. May was my best month ever, but that was an abberation caused by a few links to well-trafficked glbt sites).

The good news is that Ryan's Take has seen massive growth in terms of how the market counts growth - where a company was at the same point a year earlier. Ryan's Take has seen at least triple the traffic every month this year over the year past, so thanks to my many readers!

I love the fact that so many people take time out of their day to get my take on things, so if there is any coverage I do that people particularly enjoy and want to see more of, let me know. I should try to add in some of my patented humor, but I just can't find the things going on (health care crisis, potential stripping of equal rights on June 14th, etc.) very funny. Yet, I'll try!

Again, Universal Healthcare Not So Universal

People who can't afford their plans at work aren't eligible for the state plans.

The more and more I hear about this, the more and more I don't think this health care plan is going to work. While better than what we had, in its current form it seems more like corporate welfare than any honest attempt to solve the health care problem. It does nothing to solve rising costs, while leaving behind hundreds of thousands in our "universal" insurance.

It's time to start creating the plans to switch to single payer. It would save this state tens of millions of dollars.

Restaurants in Favor of Local Meals Tax

It seems as if even a lot of restaurants get it.

These taxes are optional. They're modest. They'd go directly to cities and towns.

Some cities and towns would benefit tremendously, some would only benefit a small amount. However, for the cities and towns that would benefit from such a bill, it's important we give them the means to raise revenue from some other source than property taxes - if they wish to. Just because not every town would benefit doesn't mean we don't pursue reform.

Furthermore, the anti-tax types need not worry: this is little d Democracy. If towns are worried a 1% tax would drive business away, they could always choose not to have that tax. But for towns like Saugus and Dartmouth, in dire fiscal straights, we need to give them as much latitude as possible so they can remain solvent and not end up in state receivership - and these are two towns that could benefit tremendously if they had access to the revenue of a small restaurant tax.

The Day I Met Peter Porcupine

The day I met Peter Porcupine, I had no idea who (s)he was. Not only did I not know who Peter was in person, but I didn't really read Peter's blogs or know that (s)he paid that much attention to my own. Sure, Peter left a few comments, but as far as I was concerned, Peter was the homophobic, Republican talking-head everyone kept saying (s)he was - and why shouldn't I believe it?

*****

It was about 8pm and I was going to one of Deval Patrick's civil engagement meetings he held across the state, just after being elected. This one was at UMASS Dartmouth, in the Foster Administration Building. Picture unwelcoming, cold concrete with a small room and about fifty people packed in it. All of a sudden, a stranger went to shake my hand and said hello. "You know me as Peter Porcupine," the person said.

Peter was very friendly for someone I was told was so, well, not.

I've never been the type to be hoodwinked by people who are fakely nice. It's something I can usually spot from a mile away. I'm sure there are people who are more skilled in asshat detection than I am, but there's been nothing Peter Porcupine has ever done to indicate (s)he was as closed-minded and homophobic as is often portrayed in the blogosphere. (S)he didn't have to introduce herself to me; (s)he did that of her own volition.

I'll readily admit there are a whole host of issues where (s)he sees night and I see day, but that doesn't mean I'm going to join in the circus of outing Peter. It's one thing to out the real homophobic people - a la Mark Foley - but (s)he's not Mark Foley. While (s)he does support an up-or-down vote, (s)he would vote against a ban. Furthermore, (s)he's exactly the kind of person who could actually convince others of that ilk to vote against any ban if we can't bridge the current four-vote gap - something I'll publicly call for her to do if it gets to that point.

Don't get me wrong. I don't have tea with this person. I don't support blanket anonymity. There may even be legitimate conflicts of interest in Peter having a pseudonym. However, I don't see these recent posts about the real identity of Peter being about any of those potential conflicts. Indeed, QueerToday went so far as to suggest she may be getting ready to stalk queer youth - a serious assertion with absolutely no basis in fact. We're being just as bitter towards her as so many right-wingers are toward us - and that bitterness seems just as utterly pointless as Pat Robertson's drivel or Ann Coulter's existence. It seems to me that some people are revealing Peter's identity for merely for the sake of revealing Peter's identity, as if it were the best weapon to use against Peter.

However, this weapon being wielded against Peter Porcupine seems to me like a double-edged sword. Peter Porcupine should come out of the alias closet - when QueerToday's FireCrotch, Pryncess Shaniqua, Becca D'Bus, Madam V, Queer Jay and everyone from Mass Left blogs who don't use their whole names start the trend. Otherwise, Team Equality is being awfully hypocritical - and that's coming from one of its charter members.

Happy Marriage Equality Day!

From a press release I just got,

BOSTON—Thursday, May 17, 2007—In honor of the third anniversary of marriage equality in Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick today proclaimed May 17, 2007 Marriage Equality Day.

More from our Governor, who's pledged to do all that he can to protect marriage equality.

“Marriage equality has been a part of life in Massachusetts for three years now. We can see clearly that the sky hasn’t fallen,” Governor Patrick said. “People, I think, have moved past this debate. And I want very much to avoid the divisive, circus-like atmosphere that will accompany this referendum.

It's time to take a second away from studying to THANK the Governor. He seems to be working his ass off on this cause, in preparation for the upcoming ConCon - so here's a big time thank you. It's great to finally have a Governor who cares about everyone in Massachusetts - he's proven that politics really isn't "just words." No, his actions are speaking far louder.

We Need Four Votes!

If you want marriage equality, double your efforts.

At least four lawmakers who had initially voted for the gay marriage ban in January have signaled that they may switch their votes, the sources said, giving same-sex marriage supporters growing confidence they can kill the measure and spare Massachusetts from becoming the epicenter once again in the country's cultural wars during a presidential election.

PS: Hey, Globe, it's not "slim" support. Nearly three-quarters of the entire state legislature supports marriage equality! Team Homophobia is the one trying to bloc the will of the majority by an ever-so-slim 25% - and they may not even be able to do that.

While we're all trying to secure marriage equality, let's take a moment to remember the fact that we do have such strong support on Beacon Hill.

Gov Patrick: New Green Policies

I'm sure many of you will read about Governor Patrick's new plan on sustainable energy; hopefully, it will make as much sense to everyone else as it does me.

The best idea of the lot:

Other changes encourage the creation of “pedestrian-friendly” districts and neighborhoods that mix commercial, civic, cultural, educational, and recreational activities with parks and homes. In housing, the principles call for building homes “near jobs, transit, and where services, including water supply, are available.” In addition, the principles would “foster the development of housing, particularly multifamily and smaller single-family homes.”

Also included are the removal of affordable housing and land preservation grants that were actually having the opposite effect - go figure.

Governor Patrick determined that the Commonwealth Capital Scorecard did not properly apply to these grant programs, and could actually discourage some affordable housing projects and undercut attempts to protect the Commonwealth’s most valuable habitat land.

I'm a fan. There's nothing better this state could do than reexamine how we do housing - and try to create more housing in more efficient ways. There's no reason why we can't create better housing in this state that a) makes things more convenient, b) is less expensive, c) is an improvement over what they otherwise had available and d) is energy-efficient. It'll take serious investment in infrastructure, but we can do it. Best of all, the cities and areas that need help the most would probably get it.

My Reaction to Falwell's Death

I'll never stomp on any one's grave, I'm actually sorry the guy's dead. However mislead some people are, a lot of people followed he and his ilk. Hopefully, now that he's gone, there will be some kind of room for olive branches between religious conservatives and the glbt crowd; there really is no inherent reason for them to be mutually exclusive, other than an uninformed bigotry symbolized in a guy like Falwell.

So, for the people who cared about him, I'm sorry he's dead. Let's let his homophobia go with him too.

LeftAhead Technical Difficulties

So, tonight's LeftAhead hit a road block - actually, three - so I apologize. It feels very unprofessional to postpone tonight's episode, but it's not like I have all the high-tech gadgets to make sure they don't happen.

My apologies. It was totally my fault, despite the tech problems. Tentatively, we're going to have the episode on Thursday.

Don't Forget LeftAhead

It's just Lynne and I on tonight, Mike is on a business trip, but fear not - dear friends. Lynne's going to update everyone on the craziness that is MA-05, but we're also going to spend some time chatting about an issue that has become key over the course of the campaign: health care. Because everyone should have all the facts, we're going to chat about the different kind of systems and then maybe debate which one's best - then relate it to MA-05.

Immigration Reform the Globe Didn't Mention

The Globe wrote one of its prototypical posts on immigration reform that I strongly support. However, whenever anyone jumps in the ref0rm-immigration debate, it's time to include another aspect: gay people can't sponsor a spouse's immigration to this country, even if they're married or in a civil union. It's wrong, it's impacted thousands of people and it's time to be changed. There's a law proposed to do that, but unless people start including its discussion in their overall pleas for immigration reform, it's not going to get done. Simply put, I just don't think enough people know gay couples are barred from having a life together if one of them is from a different country, unlike their heterosexual counterparts.

Education Funding in Dire Straights

This is the scariest thing I've read.

Manville confirmed he has explored running double sessions at the high school, with high school students attending in the morning and middle school students in the afternoons. He has looked at moving the eighth grade to the high school, the fifth grade and possibly the fourth grade to the middle school.

“If we moved the fourth and fifth grades to the middle school, have we looked at closing one, two or even three elementary schools,” he asked rhetorically. “Yes we have . . . but let me reiterate, there have been no decisions made. All I’m saying is everything is on the table.”

It almost reads like fiction, but it's entirely true. Saugus already lost a prop 2 1/2 override, so something's gotta give... and it's looking like the Saugus School system is going to completely shatter as a result. The good news is if the Super thinks he won't be able to fit the 35 students per classroom he says he needs, any moderately wealthy family in Saugus is going to pull their kids out, along with a good chunk of everyone else. The sad thing is, as they rob their town of their child's talent, who could blame them?

Like I said, scarry stuff. What's worse still is that I can think of a half dozen towns in the same position, including Gloucester, Dartmouth and Swampscott.

I hate to say this, but I think it's time to start thinking about raising taxes by a small amount - and fixing the terrible funding formula that's completely, horribly broken. How much longer till every school system breaks? There's no more fat to trim from these budgets. How are towns to get out of this deep grave? There's just no way.

PS I'm creating a new tag for this kind of story. It's called the apocalypse: we're seeing the beginning of the destruction of the public education system in Massachusetts, a half dozen towns at a time.

Niki Tsongas Going Nuts?

Because she's certainly sounding it.

I applaud Pelosi and the Democratic Congress for forcing the issue. The military deals with the world as it is and it is up to politicians to create the world how it should be. A member of Congress can really make a difference; it is very important that we have a strong Democratic candidate.

I think this quote could be turned into a great button. Meanwhile, it's up to voters to remind her that it isn't the place of politicians to "create the world how it should be." As far as I've ever been aware of, the United States Government was in charge of the United State. We may be given great deference to foreign policy by many other countries, but that check isn't a blank one - and is increasingly bouncing on all corners of the world.

Add this warped sense of view to her HMO-love fest and I think I'm officially passing up for her in terms of any endorsement. Is it too much to ask for a politician that gets there's too much to focus on in this country than to be galloping across the world 'dealing' with it and 'creating' it. There are almost 50 million people without health insurance - there's a place to start.

Ask Ryan Anything

Good morning folks - and boy is it an early one. I'm at Dunks at 4:50 am, a sure sign that finals are almost upon me. It's been a while since I did my last "Ask Ryan Anything," so I figure it's time for another Monday installment. I'm very busy today (2 papers and a final, even though technically finals don't start until Tuesday and boy do I feel like going to the dean over that!)... so, don't expect lots of blogs, but I will answer every question to the best of my ability.

Some good topics: To what degree of insane am I for doing another audition on Tuesday, so soon after my last show? What do I think of James Carroll's latest column? And what topics are going to come up on Tuesday's LeftAhead podcast?

There are a few things to chew at. Have at it.

The Globe Published My Letter

The second letter of mine that they've published, this one's on UMASS Dartmouth. Suffice it to say, there's plenty of room for repairs and new buildings on the Dartmouth campus - something a recent Globe article ignored. I appreciate the Globe's original story - and especially the fact that it printed my letter. UMASS Dartmouth often seems like the ignored child, but we have the best engineering and nursing programs in the entire system, as well as some of the strongest programs in areas like art, art education, polisci and a wide assortment of other areas. With a whole host of Master's programs and a growing number of Doctorates, it's important that the infrastructure of our school improve to meet the demands being placed on that. I think the Globe gets that and I do expect more coverage in the future.

Martha Coakley: Marriage Banning Amendment Illegal

NECN was on for a bit tonight and they did a very short segment on how Martha Coakley was speaking in front of some group and said that the amendment to ban marriage could have been illegal, or something to that effect. She urged legislators to stop it, but from what the news anchors were saying, made it sound as if she may be pursuing it as well. Needless to say, this is a positive development and we need to learn more about it. Unfortunately, I don't have much information on it (and I've looked!), but if anyone knows more, luckily we have this interactive feature called comments in the blogosphere - so have at it. Thanks!

McGrory Becomes News Editor...

Does anyone think this is going to improve things over at the Boston Globe? Ugh.

"For years, the Globe has been the paper of record in Boston," McGrory said. "My goal is also to make it more the paper of interest."

Now, why doesn't McGrory's statement there inspire my confidence? Who wants a paper of record, when you can have a the paper of interest? It doesn't really get much better than that...

The Globe's editor, Martin Baron, praised McGrory as a masterful writer and meticulous reporter who brings to the job a passion for journalism and a deep knowledge of the area.

Errr... let's hope his "passion for journalism" extends beyond the subpar columns coming out of his paper inches, because I really didn't see any superior journalism myself. I've read plenty less-than-insightful, Herald-esque gotchas coming from his direction - but that's about it. Is that the future of the Boston Globe newsroom?

"We'll add a dose of humor to our coverage, and also humanity. We'll stress quality writing at every level."

Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned hard news? With Globe newsreporting apparently going snarky, I guess there's one less difference between that newspaper and a blog. Now, if only people clicked my ads so I could get paid for my writing too, I'm not so sure there'd be any differences. McGrory, writer of four mystery novels, may not disagree.

My Chat with Bay Windows's Susan Ryan-Vollmar

Don't worry, no one missed my show with Susan Ryan-Vollmar of Bay Windows - it's stuck on the internet forever mwahaha!

Seriously, though, it was a decent show. We talked about Wednesday's (brief) ConCon, the movement in the gay rights movement and all sorts of other things. Reports are all coming in that June 14th is looking more and more like the f.i.n.a.l. day to protect marriage equality from appearing on the ballot. No one better be shocked or unprepared - because this is probably going to be it, folks. I'm getting that from multiple sources.

Next week's ConCon is going to catch up on all the MA-05 action, lead by the illustrious Lynne, and we're also going to talk Health Care. Mike's going to be out for the week, so I'm going to take over the unofficial 'host' duties and may try some new things... like music! No guest planned yet, but we'll try to get someone. We also can take callers if you listen live, Tuesday at 7:30.

So make sure to listen in.

What the Hell is This All About? Health Care (and Niki Tsongas)

Businesses aren't even paying their paltry $295 to avoid getting their employees health insurance.

Umm... what was the enforcement on this law? Please tell me there was some kind of enforcement. Why didn't the Globe include that aspect in their story? There's something wrong here that businesses aren't even willing to pay the $295, when people having to buy the state insurance may be paying that much every month, on lousy salaries to boot.

Oh, by the by, this is the system Niki Tsongas thinks is so great it should be brought to the national stage. Gee, whiz... isn't that special?

The more I think about it, the more I think this "universal" coverage - that isn't universal at all - needs to be scrapped and completely redone. I just don't see how anything but a single-payer system modeled after a county that actually does it right can tame this Health Care beast.

UMASS Bill More Daunting Than It Looks

The Boston Globe wrote an article detailing all the repair needs at UMASS Amherst, but they titled it as only UMASS. Well, if it's UMASS repair costs we're talking about, why not throw in the other schools? I couldn't put a price tag on the repairs needs at UMASS Dartmouth, Boston and Lowell, but surely they're in the hundreds of millions. At UMASS alone, part of the science and technology building is condemned - literally. Luckily, it was only the commuter area - and the school doesn't really care about them anyway. They added a table and a few chairs in the hall way for 5,000 plus commuting students who attend UMASS Dartmouth.

The auditorium at UMASS Dartmouth has been broken almost the entire year. How does an auditorium break, one asks? Well, I'll tell you: the lighting is, to put it mildly, fucked up. The "House Lights" are fried and pretty much can't be fixed (warning: link temporary, I'll try to remember to fix it when it goes bad). From the University newspaper, the Torch:

The UMass Dartmouth Main Auditorium is host to many events: Theatre Company and 20 Cent Fiction both put on all their theatrical productions, CAB puts on both Mr. and Mrs. UMD and a host of other organizations hold a variety of events throughout the year — it was even the location for a gubernatorial forum before this year’s election. Every single one of these events for the past couple of decades has run under the glow of an inadequate lighting system.

According to an anonymous source from within the UMD auditorium staff, the lighting system
that is currently utilized has been in use since the auditorium’s birth over forty years ago. “The system was designed to last for twenty years, and it’s been in use for forty,” the source claims. “It finally ended up dying in October.”

The system dying means that the lights themselves have no power, and the dimmers for the lights are broken.

In order to compensate for this outdated setup, portable systems have been purchased to power the auditorium. These portable SAT(short for satellite) packs “were originally purchased as a backup” and since have become the primary source of power.

Well, I can be a second source on that. It's broken. Everyone in CAB, 20 Cent and the Theatre Company has known that for a year. The Theatre Company first realized it when they staged Anne Frank in the fall - and had to be content to do the production with the house lights on. Imagine going to a movie where they didn't dim the lights? No one was happy, including the audience.

They got the backups working for Moby Dick, but those aren't a permanent solution. They're already being fried. It's like driving with a spare tire: they don't last very long. They were designed to work at room temperature, but it reaches 120 degrees where they're situated. Not to mention, since they weren't designed for long use, they're not exactly safe - the picture in the Torch is of the fuse actually melting the cords to the backup lights.

The good news is that if the building burned down, we'd get a new one... even if in a few years. Sadly, at the rate things are going, it's not all that unlikely.

The source expressed fear of this situation saying “before this [the cords melting] happened, a circuit breaker should have tripped...but it didn’t.” The only reason the problem was noticed is because “a SAT pack wasn’t working and we didn’t know why.” It’s unknown if the cord melted due to an electrical fire, or if it was just the heat of the energy flowing through it.

The fix? $300,000 and 2-3 months, months were all events would have to be cancelled. Imagine if the school had to tell the gubernatorial candidates during the debate last year, "sorry guys, our lights are broken, we can't do this?" Sadly, that was almost the case. Oh, and speaking of repair costs, did I mention the University is damn near falling apart and each academic building should be replaced within 10-15 years? Just remember, the cost of building a university is billions, but the return on the investment is priceless.

What Undocumented Americans Face (in New Bedford)

I get most arguments on illegal immigration, but there's one reason why I could never support the most intolerant of them. Why? Clearly, the majority of the people (including leaders in the movement) support mass deportation for one reason alone - they don't like the people coming into this country. The levels of their hatred is pretty sick. Here's a taste of what Undocumented Americans face in New Bedford on a daily basis.

Kanvas, a citizen of the South Coast, had this to say:

I am not tolerant of illegal immigrants. Nope. Not at all. Not one ounce of guilt either. If they come here and are separated from their families...oh well. That's what can happen and they opt to take those chances. Those who break into a warehouse are taking their chances that they will go to jail and be separated from their families. Drop off the mexican illegals to Acapulco, Cancun and Cozumel. Yep. These ideal locations are very far from the border. This will also put a hurt on their tourism too. Cut all aid to cheesy mexico and watch what happens. That stoopid government might just build their own wall to keep their population in!

Oh, those "stoopid" Mexicans! I mean, it's not as if there were ever brilliant minds to come out of Mexico. Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Laura Esquivel must have been wasting their time in all their grand efforts. Surely, we don't want any of that talent, cultural knowledge or hard work coming into this country. And if we cut off funds, they'll even build their own wall for us! What a great idea! (/sarcasm off)

In the same thread, New Bedford's Just John agreed.

Yup! Illegal Aliens are up to something... It can't be good...

Because trying to make a decent living isn't a good enough reason to be living here, clearly these "illegal aliens" are "up to something." Pray, tell, what could that possibly be? Only someone warped in the head, and clearly prejudiced against certain populations, could think there was some mass conspiracy.

RedSoxGirl clearly must not be a big believer in basic tolerance or backing up her opinions. She just calls all undocumented immigrants "pigs." Nice.

I was going to stop there, before I made any unnecessary Nazi or KKK comparisons, but then I read CinCity's idea - which is to just kill them all; after all, that's "the only way to get them the hell out of our city." I don't know about that, but perhaps Cincity's statements is exactly where a holocaust starts? A few angry Rwandans or Germans making crazy comments in some private location, till it all boils over.

People would do well to remember that who you're fighting with may just be a clear-cut reminder to reexamine your position on the matter and why you came to that position. Did you reach that conclusion based on facts, or was there some other reason? No one is immune to bigotry; it can affect anyone. The trick is to be smart enough to sense if something you say or think is prejudiced, then work to correct it. That's what being open-minded and accepting is all about - people aren't just born that way, it takes time to get there.

Clearly, there is plenty of room for immigration reform, but no one should side with people like RedSoxGirl, Just John or Kanvas. It's amazing what some people will say in the anonymity of an alias and internet forum. They're the kinds of people who led to the debacle at the New Bedford factory: people who have pushed politicians to create agencies that create human-rights nightmares in their quests to round up immigrants. A far more sensible solution to immigration is trying to create a policy that works; a bipartisan solution was created in the McCain-Kennedy bill, but a few angry Republicans thwarted a policy that even President Bush would have signed.

For the people in New Bedford, I hope they realize the righteous hatred being directed toward immigrant populations in the name of wanting to send "illegal immigrants" home. To put it simply, there was no such hatred directed at European Au-Pairs when they were coming here in boat loads. New Bedford is one of the largest immigrant communities in all of Massachusetts, legal or otherwise. It makes the city more vibrant, interesting - and all around better. These voices of hatred should neither be ignored nor forgotten. They must be confronted; people should know that the New Bedford community overwhelmingly supports its immigrant population and they will never, ever be forgotten or go unappreciated.

Tom Lang of KnowThyNeighbor on the ConCon and Movement

There were lots of reasons to have a little chat with the leader of Knowthyneighbor. For starters, tomorrow is the first Constitutional Convention - and he has a lot of important info regarding the atrocity some people are trying to see unfold in the Bay State. Furthermore, my paper is certainly examining his organization as part of the netroots movement. Lastly, who wouldn't want to talk to a guy who had the brilliant idea to list every single name and address of those who had the audacity to try to write discrimination into the constitution? Some people don't like that kind of aggressiveness, but temerity will never get anyone anywhere.

Besides, people have to be accountable for their actions - they shouldn't be able to sign a petition as if they were an Internet alias. They're not doing some online Harris Poll. This isn't a DailyKos open thread. There are no booths or curtains protecting signature collections, just like there's nothing protecting his efforts. Everyone is open to the criticism of their actions. And actions just so happen to be Lang's specialty.

One interesting thing about Lang is that he really knows his stuff. He's been on the battle ground for years now and spends most of his free time talking to congresspeople, talking to fellow supporters, talking to the media... He's organizing a real grassroots/netroots effort. He's helped sway representatives our way - and had a little advice for people that want to do the same. It's not about the stories - Congresspeople just don't really care. To the surprise of hopefully no one, many of them just care about winning the next election. Sure, they want to do good - but they'll do anything to seek that precise vote that will manage to hopefully piss off the least amount of people in doing so. It's not a bad philosophy, really, except when the "least offensive" vote manages to curtail equality. Then, it becomes unacceptable.

Lang and I talked about the state's more 'conventional' gay-rights organization and its lack of action. According to the director of KnowThyNeighbor, one of the key reasons we haven't seen a repeal of 1913 or a host of other important issues is none other than MassEquality and its allies. Certain people in that organization think that legislators would vote for its repeal and essentially say 'see, I support gay rights,' then not vote against a marriage ban. Does it sound ludicrous to you? It sure did to Lang, who was disappointed in MassEquality's inaction there. I'd say Susan Ryan-Vollmar of Bay Windows would agree, but I'll have to ask her tonight during our LeftAhead podcast. 1913 should have been long gone - something that could have happened by now if instead of being afraid of it, MassEquality pushed it.

Despite their disagreements, Lang agrees with Marc Solomon on one thing. The vote on marriage will be happening far sooner than many wanted or expected, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. It just means we've got to work that much harder now to convince our elected representatives to kill this thing once and for all - and hope the wind is on our side. With any luck, MassEquality and everyone in the glbt movement in Massachusetts will be more organized this time around. We can't afford any confusion - every state rep and senator on our side needs to know exactly what to do and a plan has to be made well in advance.

Speaking of which - there's something everyone is counting on, from Tom Lang and Knowthyneighbor to MassEquality: you. Nothing is going to be defeated if thousands of people aren't calling their elected leaders. So, have readers called their state legislator or senator yet? According to Lang, today is one of the best days to do so - the before day or day of a big vote. Heck, call them today and then tomorrow, just so they know you mean business!

Reader Responses

I made an open-call for reader responses for a paper I'm writing on the netroots/grassroots phenominon and the merging of the two. So far, I've got a number of very solid emails from the call that will be immensely helpful to my work, but I want as many perspectives as I can possibly get - so if any reader can spend a few minutes writing about their experiences with the netroots, that would be well appreciated. What got them interested in the netroots? Have you gotten involved in a campaign? Any activism? What kinds of posts do you read the most, civil rights? Elections? How has the netroots (blogging, as well as stuff like youtube, moveon, online tools like skyppe and dozens of others) impacted your life? If you've been an activist or paid attention to activism, how have movements changed in your life time and what kind of impact has the netroots made on them recently?

If you can respond, please leave either your name or an alias to go by. You can either email it to me or post it in the comments. I'll be posting my paper as soon as it's written - and I hope it will be able to make some kind of impact on our netroots movement. The more responses I get, the more powerful it will be!

MassEquality: Marriage Vote In Weeks, Not Months

It won't happen Wednesday, since the budget is the big issue in town, but Marc Solomon just sent an email saying to expect it in the next few weeks.

But just because the vote on the anti-marriage amendment is going to be postponed DOES NOT mean it is time to relax! The final vote will happen sometime in the next few weeks, and now more than ever we need you to take action to protect marriage equality.

The bad news: this appears to be happening way sooner than I wanted. Maybe June?

The good news: it looks like MassEquality at least has an idea of what's going on, something they were recently criticized for not doing last December.

Folks, this is happening. Be prepared. Call your state legislators; here are the ones that still need to be convinced, but call the ones on our side anyway. They need to know how important this is to us. Time is running out. We need to do what we can. Now.

The Mystery is Over: Exposing the Biggest Reason for New Bedford's Drop Out Rates

New Bedford and Fall River probably have, collectively, the worst drop out rates in the entire state. In New Bedford schools, fewer students finish high school in four years than graduate. It's a sad - but true - statistic.

People like to blame all sorts of things - lousy teaching, not enough student-parent-teacher involvement, not enough funding - and surely, all those things play their roles. However, how can anyone expect high graduation rates when the median household income is $27,569? In comparison, Lynn - another fairly poor city - had a household income about 10k higher.

The real important thing to consider here is this: if a student worrying about whether or not there's going to be food on the table, or how the hell you're supposed to write a paper when they have easy access to a computer, then graduating may not be something every student going into New Bedford High expects of themselves when they're incoming freshmen - and that's a shame, a real shame. Students need a stable environment at home to prosper at school. They need concerned parents - and it's hard to be fully concerned when you're working 60 hours a week, barely making minimum wage, just to pay the rent.

So, how does the state fix the problem? Obviously, jobs is a key answer. Creating opportunities for parents to get their education is too - be it GEDs, specific job training or college. Furthermore, creating a demand for the (very) cheap housing in New Bedford by actually getting that rail built would go a long way to attracting young, educated families. With a few more of those in New Bedford, everyone would benefit by the added expectations they'd have of the New Bedford school system - and they'd be paying taxes to make sure that happened.

One of the real shames of the suburban flight from what's now coined as the "brink cities" in this state during the late 50s and early 60s is the fact that they both robbed cities of a stable tax base that essentially subsidized poorer sections of the city, as well as the fact that they robbed talented students - students that, by being there, would encourage other students to do better. They robbed cities of parents that demanded high quality education and had the means and times to make sure their demands were met. Now, cities have to be rebuilt and new ways have to be found to reattract new people that will emerge in middle classes and want to stay in cities for the added culture they provide.

Ryan Asks You Everything

Instead of my normal Ask Ryan Anything Monday session (although, I'll admit, I've forgotten to do it for the past 2 Mondays), I thought I'd reverse the situation and ask my readers everything.... err, well, a lot. I'm writing a paper for my civil rights class on the rise of netroots and its effects on today's civil rights movements and grassroots organization. I figured I'd post an open call for what everyone thinks about the rise of netroots, blogs and other technological aspects that have changed the landscape. What are your thoughts on "meta?" How do readers of this blog interact with netroots - just read blogs, donate online, get their news from alternative sources, write blogs? Is blogging journalism, activism? Something in between? How do you participate in the movement? What kind of specific things do you guys do - organize rallies online, regular meetings (like the Draft Gore or Drinking Liberally events), engage in conference calls, google groups? How do the netroots impact the issues you hold near and dear (and what are those issues)?

Anything you could think of would be fantastic to know. If you guys want to email me, it's at darth dot adams at gmail dot com (just change the "dot" to "." because spam is evil). If you just want to respond in comments, that's great too. Emailing me would allow some of you - if you chose - to reveal your identity. You don't have to reveal your identity, but an alias of some kind would be nice. I'd love whatever time anyone could give me - and would really appreciate it.

Thanks so much in advance. I hope I get lots of responses and will value each and every one of them. I'll also post my paper when it's done, since there'll be so much input from my readers. Thanks again,

Ryan

I Sense Some Hypocrisy: Tall Here, Not Tall There

Mayor Menino isn't in favor of a new proposed 29-story building, abutting China Town. How's this for logic? First, he says he would support the project if it were an 18-20 story building. Well, what the hell is the difference between 20 and 28? Both are fracking tall. Does he really think that 8 stories is going to appease residents of the area - afraid that a tall building will ruin Chinatown's character? Meanwhile, there's a 37 story building across the street from the proposed site.

However, the hypocrisy really comes into play when one factors in one of Menino's pet projects, Boston's first 1,000 foot tower. While Menino's tower is in a different part of the city, 1,000 feet into the sky is so much taller than the surrounding buildings that anyone could make the same complaint.

Boston is at a cross roads. There isn't any room to develop horizontally; we're just out of that kind of space. However, development is key to maintaining a city's success. The city's colleges and hospitals can't keep their edge if they have to keep scaling back all their projects. To maintain interest in businesses growing and moving in the city, new and redeveloped areas are key.

Certainly, there are instances where you don't want tall buildings. Also, some people just don't like "tall" and think Boston is fine as it is. However, to those people, YOU LIVE IN A MAJOR CITY. One would think you'd expect skyscrapers when you moved in there. It's not as if they're a recent development; all of our city's most important skyscrapers are downright old now. If there were a neighborhood that had no tall buildings, that would be one thing, but a lot of these projects that the mayor keeps interfering on are in tall areas anyway - and he doesn't mind them tall, as long as he scrapes off a few meaningless floors to keep the neighborhood folks happy, but perhaps the businesses away.

Critics of Deval Patrick say that ending corporate loopholes could tick off businesses and drive them away. Maybe, but I think it's this kind of crap that Menino pulls that's far more unnerving. We've already seen entire major projects, ones that would bring money and resources to neighborhoods in the city that could use them, go poof because of frustration with Menino. A 18 story building may not be worth the cost for a developer, whereas a 29 story one would. There are costs with both projects that would remain the same, making a 28 story building likely a more efficient option.

Furthermore, within reason, it shouldn't be the amount of floors that's the problem. Ulgy buildings come in all shapes and sizes; there are a few new two story houses in my neighborhood that are as ugly as the buttocks of a rhinoceros taking a dump. A neighborhood has every right to prevent some ugly-ass skyscraper from being erected next to their house; it should be a tasteful, elegant, state-of-the-art building that will add some architectural integrity to the area. To the developer's credit, he's preserving some of the building that's already there - which could make for an interesting contrast between the old and the new. Developers should work with the neighborhood to make sure they have designs that are beautiful, well thought out and offensive to as few as possible.

However, the city of Boston - and Mayor Menino especially - would do well to remember that any of these developers can and will take their business elsewhere. And make no mistake: the construction of a 29 story building will contribute to the economy, both in its construction and into the future. Where that contribution takes place is another story; personally, I hope Boston Benefits. Beantown can only remain great so long as it moves feet first into this new century.

PS: Instead of arguing against the height of this project, Menino ought to be arguing for it's importance for the city. Boston is a terribly expensive place to live - something that has all but destroyed any middle class. Wouldn't it be nice if he were arguing that 15-20% of the units be affordable housing? I'm sure these new condos are going to be super expensive, which isn't contributing to affordability in the city. However, Menino could probably make sure that at least 20-30 more middle class families could afford to live in Boston - if he wanted. Instead, he's playing Mr. Politician and obsessing over the height of the matter.

UPDATE: The project is already including a high number of affordable units. Menino could be trying to get even more, but it's just too darn tall (even though, given the graphic below, it's certainly not out of scale).

PPS: The Globe was nice enough to include a graphic of the proposed building; if I'm not mistaken, it's the taller of the two darker, proposed buildings. I happen to like them both and don't find either offensive at all. Let's get some better pictures! Lastly, here's a perspective from Chinatown and here's what a real-estate broker thinks.

Let's Have a State Book (Contest)!

Ignoring the amusement at beating the Globe to the punch by several days (who knew you could scoop someone on an editorial?), the Globe's stance on an official state book did convince me of one thing. First, though, here's a quote from the editorial.

There are undoubtedly less literary states where the official book designation would be as lightly contested as a Massachusetts congressional race. It would be to the state's credit if a proposal for an official state book did set off a donnybrook here.

And before legislators come down on the side of any of the candidates, they should be reminded that every corner of the state has writers at work on books that in a decade could leave Melville, Wharton, and company in the dust.

Well, now that you put it that way...

The other day, when I wrote my blog, I thought it was all a bit trivial.

I guess the real lesson here is why do we need a state anything at all? With a few state anythings, it's almost as if there's a state everything - causing state somethings to be devoid of the meaning behind the efforts of their installments to begin with. Soon, they're as meaningful as Quequeg's harpoon up against the belly of the great white whale, as Massachusetts becomes the Pequod in the stormy seas of legislative productivity. It seems as if that great push for Moby Dick will - or ought to - fall flat against the impenetrable Moby Dick Beacon Hill.

While all of that is true of the state donut, and in some capacity would be true of a state book, there's something a little, well, more meaningful to a state book. Imagine how fun a state-wide debate would be if it were about literature. Heck, we can even compare the poll numbers on Walden versus Moby Dick, or start a March-Madness esque tournament. Instead of people talking about Sanjaya being tossed from American Idle, maybe some of them would have an healthy debate on whether or not Melville's whale of a tale is more deserving than the Scarlett Letter. Or, is the "influential" Walden more deserving than the read-by-all Red Fish, Blue Fish?

Such a state-wide debate would be so, well, weird and fun, surreal and once-in-five-lifetimes-ish that I just don't think I can miss it. It would be like missing the Revelation, because all of the stars have to be lined up for this kind of a heated political contest. In fact, if we do enter into this debate, I promise to read all of Emily Dickinson's poems, Moby Dick and the House of the Seven Gables just so I can give my expert educated opinion. Ryan's Take on the politics of literature in politics is just too good to pass up.

Just imagine the phone calls to your state rep!

PS: I need a funny tag for all these stories, since it seems like there could be more blogs ahead. Best one in the comments win.

All Gay All Day This Tuesday

Substitute Herb for Ted Haggard and I think this cartoon still works, no?

Wednesday kicks off the opening season session to attack gays everywhere - their ability to raise kids, their bedroom habits, whether or not we should allow most this country to fire them or kick them out of their homes simply for being gay... fun stuff like that. It's the first Constitutional Convention of 2007 and as such, just the beginning to hear the hate on the radio, in the newspapers and everywhere else we go.

Of course, Teh Gays are being attacked everywhere - not just in Massachusetts. President Bush has promised his third veto of his presidential career, following funding for the troops and cures for little kids with diabetes. Now he's set to protect the rights of employers to fire their workers for thinking they like teh cock (and assumingly have one, as well). Perhaps it's been open season all along?

But I digress. Tuesday is a very important day for two reasons: first, it's the day before the Constitutional Convention and as thus is a good day to actually talk about it. Second, it's also the day LeftAhead airs live - the Bay State progressive podcast I participate in. Naturally, those two things go hand in hand. Best yet, the editor-in-chief of New England's largest GLBT newspaper (and expert of all things Boston Politics) will be our special guest.

So, listen up on Tuesday for all the best info on what's actually going to happen Wednesday. That info surely won't come from me, but I'll do my best to not muck it all up. Pull up a pair of air phones, turn your computer speakers up and listen in!