Till the Last Toll

Went to the Lynn Turnpike hearing tonight. There were so many people, so much anger, I almost felt bad for the membership of the Turnpike Authority. Almost.

The thing is, these people hold a lot of influence - if they want to, anyway. The legislature often does what's asked of them by whomever is perceived to be the authority on that subject. How could they not? For example, when the Secretary of State said no to same-day voter registration, what is a no-brainer then stalled in the state house and hasn't quite gained enough traction on Beacon Hill to pass again all these years later. If, for example, the Turnpike Authority had decided to publicly ask for major transportation reform that's good for the people of this state and tore down the tolls, then it would pass in the State House in a New York minute.

So, no pity. They've created this mess; they've avoided real solutions for years; they've allowed their agency to exist behind a curtain. This wrath is all their own.

So the big movement in this state will be to "tear down those tolls," channeling the voice of one of my least-favorite Presidents as he had one of his few good quotes. It's long since time that the working people of the many struggling North Shore cities and towns have the same opportunity to succeed and survive as people from other parts of the state. A $1800/year extra tax to get through a tunnel when others don't have to pay it is not equal opportunity or social justice for a region of the state that has suffered as the rest of the state has boomed.

The pure anger in the North Shore and Metro West will fuel reform, because people are going to park their cars on the road before they pay $7 to pass the Sumner. This genie the Turnpike Authority let out of the lamp isn't going back in, not until the last toll is gone.

Lynn: High Crime Rates Not Acceptable

Lynn obviously has serious work to do, with the 3rd highest crime rate in the state, 106th in the entire country. Living right next door most of my life, I've always had a vested interest in the city. It's impacted me for the better - my family owned a business there for around 20 years. It's also produced the absolute low point of my entire life thus far, when my then 18 year old cousin was shot down in the city by a concealed handgun, becoming just another statistic.

Mayor Chip Clancy says he hasn't heard outcries about high crime rates at any recent neighborhood meetings. I'd like to know what neighborhoods those meetings are in. Lynn, like most cities, has its safe areas as well as its dangerous ones. While there may not be any outcry in Ward 1, that doesn't mean there aren't people who are literally crying. At least six families are crying about someone who was robbed from their lives forever in Lynn this year.

Lynn can't become a prosperous city again until it figures out how to tackle its crime problem, how to get community members involved and how to mitigate and prevent the underlying problems that fuel violent crime. It's no easy task and will take some time, but the city has got to realize it has a serious problem on its hand - that there is that outcry, even if it's only bubbling at the surface.

Casino Questions for Governor Patrick

No fun pictures for this one, just some humble curiosity. Governor Patrick is right about casinos when he says "there is no obvious answer for the Commonwealth." He's also right to say that casinos aren't the end of civilization as we know it, but that's for one major reason only: areas surrounding the casinos will be hit the hardest, but they don't constitute a civilization - only small parts of it. Yet, just because casinos won't ruin all of Massachusetts, that doesn't mean we need to build one - or three, in this case, either. Casinos in Massachusetts are fuzzy and difficult to predict on whether they'll be mostly good or bad for this state, but even if they're good, they're not going to be great. So, why take the risk? I haven't heard Governor Patrick answer that one yet.

Sadly, there are other big questions that Deval Patrick hasn't answered. Why would anyone go to a bar to watch a big game when they can go to the casino, watch the game and bet on it, to boot? Heck, these resorts may even have free beer - just like they do in Foxwoods, according to my fan-of-the-foxy-casino elder sister. Casinos kill local businesses - just look at Atlanta, Las Vegas or any number of places. Their entire entertainment and leisure industry - from restaurants to clubs and bars, even to spas and shows - wrest around casinos (and usually in them). With a 'we don't need no local owners' mentality, we forget they're the ones who care about local areas - with kids in their schools and cars on their streets.

Meanwhile, resort casinos are drinks, foods, sporting events and malls all wrapped into one. The local economy doesn't even stand a chance. If people like to complain about the death of local downtowns and important nearby congregating areas, why, Governor Patrick, institute policies that will only further propagate their demise?

Of course, we haven't really heard the Governor answer questions about the social costs, either. Games are much more exciting when you have money riding on it, except of course when suddenly you've blown hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But don't worry, after you've blown away your savings, we'll have "best-in-the-nation" social programs for you (negating some of this vaunted added revenue). That way, after you've already blown away your kid's future, we'll get you some help. No harm, no foul. See why I'm so cynical?

Even if Governor Patrick is correct in that we'll have all these new, wonderful programs, how - Governor Patrick - will any of them actually prevent major devastation to families (who can least afford them) to begin with? When someone wastes away their life, they tend to take a lot of people with them. It's wonderful to cure the addiction, but not so much if the damage is already done. And then, after all of that, there will be three convenient and tempting targets for addicts to wrestle with for the rest of their lives - certainly not a recipe for success.

The biggest concern, for me, are local economies. Having lived in and studied places such as New Bedford and Lynn, I know quite a bit about the differences between having a flourishing local economy - and not. As recently as my mother's youth, Lynn prospered. Cities and towns like Salem, Saugus and Peabody weren't a part of Greater Boston, they were a part of Greater Lynn. They worked in its high-paying, Blue-Collar factories, shopped in its huge downtown and even went there for entertainment - restaurants, shops and shows. Now? Lynn's perpetually rebuilding, hoping to find the key to rekindling great things that may or may not ever happen again. In New Bedford, things are even more bleak. At the same time, blue collar jobs disappeared and America hasn't become a more inspiring place.

Governor Patrick, how will minimum-wage casino jobs and mega resorts with everything in one small place fix any of these problems? Isn't it even more likely, as casinos gut local economies, that many of the Commonwealth's problems will only get worse? Then again, maybe I only think local economies are the bigger concern because I'm not close to anyone who's been addicted to gambling and dragged their entire family down with them. Is Governor Patrick?

Congrats to Our Supreme Court!!

Asshole parents in Lynn rejoice!

Chester Darling , the lawyer who previously brought a suit by Lynn parents all the way to the Supreme Court, hopes that a successful challenge will prompt other Massachusetts school districts to end their desegregation programs....

Darling said yesterday. "What benefit of integration in kindergarten do you get if you force a white kid to sit next to a black kid? There isn't any."

Oh, it's not beneficial to make sure our children learn a little bit about diversity at a young age at all. Nope, we want them to grow up as uneducated bigots, right? After all, every (bigoted) parent wants their kids to be just like them.

Lynn's current plan affects its 18 public elementary schools, which draw from small pockets of the district, more than its three high schools, said Capano.

"It's a balanced system right now," Capano said. "Our neighborhoods are sometimes very cultural- and very race-oriented. So, if you keep a very low-economic neighborhood going to the same school, then you get an unbalanced school -- and that's what we fear."

Heaven forbid a little diversity. We can't have none of that. Separate, I guess, is equal after all.

Casinos: A Real Winning Idea

Of course, it's a winning idea if you want to sack a trio of Selectmen.

MIDDLEBOROUGH -- An effort to recall three Middleborough selectmen has taken off in recent days, fueled by outrage over plans to bring a casino to town and over other financial controversies.Jessie Powell, the organizer of the recall drive, said she has collected more than 1,200 voter signatures to force a recall election in September aimed at three selectmen -- Chairwoman Marsha Brunelle, and Selectmen Wayne Perkins and Steven Spataro.

The stated reason for the recall is "fiscal mismanagement," but Powell says voter anxiety over a casino proposed in the town by the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe has increased support for her signature drive. A draft agreement between the town and the tribe calling for a $1 billion casino stunned many here when it became public this month. It would be the first casino in the state.

1,200 signatures in a town of less than 20,000! There have probably been elections in Middleborough with less voters. Let's hope politicians around the state take notice, too - that's a lot of angry constituents. Maybe all these casinos aren't quite the panacea they were cracked up to be, after all?

Here's the bottom line: If Massachusetts either accepts the Middleborough plan or allows Cahill's plan, we're in for a boat load of fun - and I'm not talking about Lynn's Horizon's Edge (trust me, you want to click on that link - and turn the volume up). So, if these things pass, be sure to have fun at the corny casino near you. Best of all, you won't have to drive very far.

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.

Born Again Town Centers

I want to hear more about this: a loose plan that calls for more redevelopment around town centers. I'm a hard-core proponent of revamping what we already have, instead of just building further and further away from the metropolitan area. Let's encourage more low and medium income housing, a reduction of energy costs, environmental friendliness and more public transit. Let's also encourage the vibrant culture these areas are filled with that McMansions with hour-long commutes to get anywhere will never offer.

Of the many places I eventually may consider moving to, I seriously dig the idea of those nifty lofts that were once old factories in brink cities like Lynn and New Bedford. We need to encourage the development of the old urban centers of smaller cities and even towns; it's a life that would well suit me. One of the keys to fostering a better environment for these cities is to get new people willing to move into them - quality, affordable housing, surrounded by lots of culture (restaurants, galleries, theatres, etc. ) is one way to do that. With more people, of mixed income, moving into these areas - suddenly communities will see all-around improvements. Everything's linked to housing, from the schools our kids are enrolled at to the commutes we choose to live. All of those things can be improved if there's some serious planning at the state and local levels, focused on revitalizing town and urban centers. Hopefully reports such as the one I linked will lead to more revitalization of towns and cities in ways that just make sense across Massachusetts.

On Pooling Resources

Lynn, a coastal city nothing like Venice, has one similarity with the darling Italian city on water - a sinking school. That's right, Lynn's nearly brand-new high school, Lynn Classical, has parts of the school that have settled in the ground a little too far - and now the damage has to be fixed. It helps that the architectural company agreed to an almost ten million dollar settlement - but that still leaves the city of Lynn about 15 million dollars short. Furthermore, it does nothing to help the student body - which, in the whole scheme of things, is what's really important.

Having three cousins, two aunts and an uncle all a part of the Lynn school system in some capacity (be they students or employees), I've been privy to all the goings on. It appears as if Lynn Classical is no longer going to accept new students while construction takes place. I don't know how they intend to keep the current ones with major construction going on, but I do know where Lynn plans on putting the incoming freshman classes - at the old Lynn Classical, which is a current Jr. High. Some students will be going to Lynn Tech, which has plenty of room - but it s a technical high school, while others will squeeze into Lynn English - but the bulk of kids apparently are heading to a building that's quite possibly in worse shape than the new Classical, sinking floors and all.

All of this got me thinking. A while back, there were all sorts of rumors that Lynn would try to work with other towns in the area. They were going to try to send some students to towns and cities like Swampscott, Salem, Peabody, Marblehead and Lynnfield. I thought it was a great idea. Almost all of these schools have room for a few more students - so if some volunteers at Lynn would have parents willing to take them there, it would be an easy way to deal with the situation.

Of course, many people would be against it - and why not? In Massachusetts, it seems as though every town is out for itself. With no theory as to why, there really is a corrosive, selfish element in Massachusetts communities. People should realize that something similar to what happened to Lynn could happen anywhere, but they don't. Communities need to be willing to work together when difficult situations arise - they need to be willing to pool resources, like any company, family or set of friends would. Instead, Lynn's heading down the "going it alone" path - a path that, most Americans have come to realize, typically leads to disaster.