THE MAYOR’S TUITION-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PLAN
I urge every elected official and others who might be interested to Google the above-titled web site to learn about how the mayor is utilizing linkage fees from large-scale developments to fund college education for some 500 students. Of course, I’m referring to mayor Marty Walsh of Boston who is always searching for unique solutions to include less-advantaged urbanites in Boston’s economic boom. Mayor Walsh was quoted in a Boston Herald article (February 19, 2020) saying of the program: “Young people in Boston are benefiting from the building boom across the city…When you see a crane in Boston, under that crane is affordable housing, under that crane is job training, under that crane is opportunity for people.” The article also pointed out that State Representative Chynah Tyler has sponsored a bill that would expand the program to the entire state. Of course, no city is required to wait for a state-sponsored bill to replicate Mayor Walsh’s idea.

JOSE TOSADO IS STEPPING DOWN
Amidst overwhelming accolades for a job well done, State Representative Jose Tosado has decided to retire from state government to spend more time with his family. A legislator since 2015, Tosado previously served on the Springfield City Council and the Springfield School Committee. Tosado represents the 9th Hampden District which consists of precincts in Springfield’s Wards 2, 5, 7, and 8, and Chicopee’s Ward 5. To quote Tosado, “I believe it’s going to be a very hotly-contested and a competitive race.” We believe he’s right! So far, Springfield City Councilor Orlando Ramos and School Committee member at-large Denise Hurst have announced their candidacies for the seat.

EAST-WEST RAIL MUST BE PART OF THE STATE’S FUTURE
Thus read the title of the Boston Globe (February 21, 2020) in an editorial. I like the title “East-West” rail. Even better, I like the manner in which options were articulated. I’ve never been opposed to an “East-West” rail from Boston to Pittsfield through Worcester and Springfield, only to its mischaracterization as a “high speed rail.” The report laid out six alternative approaches, the lowest of which would cost $2 billion, and four of the remaining five which would be under $10 billion. The sixth would cost $25 billion with new lines built along the Mass Turnpike. The sixth option would come the closest to being a high speed rail but if you’ve visited France or China and experience real high speed rail, even the sixth proposal will be only a “higher speed rail.” Our State Senator Eric Lesser expressed serious disappointment at the failure of the report to clearly articulate the economic benefits that would result from an East-West rail and others claim that some of the ridership numbers would be much higher than the report cited. But nobody claimed that the report didn’t bring us closer to an intelligent decision on how to make East-West rail a reality. But we still need much more information before we risk spending our money on another “Big Dig” boondoggle, although there’s no reason for Boston to have a monopoly on them.

TOM PETROLATI IS STEPPING DOWN
After 36 years as a state representative, Ludlow’s State Representative Tom Petrolati announced that he will not seek re-election. Petrolati seemed to be well-liked locally especially if his well attended fundraisers are indicators as well as his on-hand campaign cash of $372,399.97. But at least one hard-nosed pundit named Howie Carr surely doesn’t think well of him, given the blistering full-page article he dedicated to the news of Petrolati’s departure. (Boston Herald, February 21, 2020) All I can say in defense of Petrolati is that I‘ve never read a good word about any elected Massachusetts statehouse official that came out of Carr’s pen. And keep your eye out for Ludlow School Committee member Jake Oliveira who has launched his campaign for Petrolati’s 7th District seat. He has a lot to offer!

JUST ANOTHER DIMENSION OF THE RACE ISSUE
Did you read about the White Ball State University professor who called the police on a Black student who refused to follow the professor’s order to change his seat? (The Boston Globe, February 18, 2020) Needless to say, the Black student feared for his safety when the police arrived and was quite disturbed when the White professor was belatedly suspended for the remainder of the semester rather than receiving harsher punishment (such as permanent dismissal maybe?).

TRACYE WHITFIELD IS FAMOUS IN BOSTON I wonder if Springfield City Councilor Tracye Whitfield knows she was given prominence in a short article in the Boston Herald heralding her efforts to get an explanation from Springfield city officials about how casino money is being spent. The article stated: “Springfield residents who want to know how the city spends the millions of dollars it gets from the MGM casino are getting their chance.” (February 18, 2020) The article referred to a finance committee meeting at which Chairwoman Whitfield set up a public meeting with Springfield’s chief administrative and financial officer. Whitfield was quoted in the article as saying, “Since I have been on the council, one of the top questions I get from constituents is ‘Where is the MGM money going?’”

MORE REPUBLICAN SKULDUGGERY
First they pass all of those funny election laws designed to lower voter turnout by Black and Brown voters and now, after failing to get the citizen question on the official United States Census, The Republican National Committee has sent out a fake census form across the country labeled a “2020 Congressional District Census in which they ask some 41 questions about political ideology, preferred news sources and stance on issues and end it by requesting that the recipient mail in “$15 to pay for the cost of processing my Census Document.” (The Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2020)

IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE ARE NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF ANYTHING MORE THAN THE OBVIOUS FACT THAT CAUCASES DO NOT WORK WELL
Enough said.

THE BERNIE DILEMMA
“Democrats may wind up in a position in which they can’t nominate Bernie Sanders because he’s too far left, and they can’t not nominate him because his followers would bolt from a Biden/Bloomberg/Buttegieg-led party…. Only 53% of Sanders voters say they will certainly support whomever is the Democratic nominee. This is no idle threat.” (David Brooks, New York Times, as reprinted in The Republican, February 9, 2020)

THE JOE KENNEDY DISPUTE
In our last paper I incorrectly wrote that Joe Kennedy III was 41-years-old which is wrong since he was born on October 4, 1980 which makes him 39-years-old. I’m not the only one to get Kennedy’s age wrong. In a Boston Herald article, Peter Lucas put his age at 38. What Lucas got right however is the irony of how a young Kennedy seems to be the frontrunner in a race in which he is being chased by the 73-year-old veteran, Ed Markey. (February 5, 2020) I must admit I concluded that Markey didn’t have a chance of winning when I read that he had been endorsed by ex-presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis. (The Boston Globe, January 29, 2020)

DORIS MILLER HONORED
On May 27, 1942, Doris Miller became the first African-American Navy Cross recipient. When the White press wrote about his heroic actions, they referred to him simply as the “unidentified negro mess attendant.” But the Black press hunted him down, properly identified him, and used his story to press the government to eliminate segregating Black folks in the Navy to kitchen and maintenance work, and only days later the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard started enlisting African Americans into general service. On January 20, 2020, at Pearl Harbor, during its Martin Luther King celebration, the Navy named an aircraft carrier after Doris Miller, a first for an African American.