Michigander in Mass

What can Somerville residents and elected officials do to improve air quality, cleanliness of the Mystic River, reduce impact on global warming and increase open space- or address other environmental issues in the city?

Denise Provost invites you to dialog about shaping an environmental agenda for Somerville. Bring your ideas and bring your Somerville friends who may be interested.

When: Thursday, November 3: 7 - 9 PM

Where: 25 Cherry St (near Porter Sq.)

Denise Provost is an alderman-at-large running for re-election on November 8. Campaign contributions are gratefully accepted.

Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 01:45:32 -0400
From: Karen Molloy
Subject: Comments Needed on Mass Long Range Transportation Plan and Environmental Justice Policy

Since the announcement by the state that the Green Line would be extended through Somerville there has not been significant public discussion of major transportation concerns for Somerville residents. However, there are now some important comments you can make that will affect transportation and environmental justice policies for Somerville residents.

Your action and thoughtful comments are needed in the next week regarding important transportation, environmental justice and development decisions that will affect Somerville's future.

1. Comments on Massachusetts' Long Range Transportation Plan must arrive at Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) by Tuesday, October 25th. It is important for Somerville residents to thank the state for attention to our long-delayed Green Line extensions, to request that further delays in planning and financing the Green Line be eliminated, and to respectfully insist that the public health impacts we have long suffered from regional highways and diesel rail be measured and mitigated. (See below for suggested comments.)

See the Long Range Transportation Plan information at:
http://www.eot.state.ma.us/

Send email comments to: longrangeplan.eot@mhd.state.ma.us

Send comments via regular mail to:
John Cogliano, Secretary
The Executive Office of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Suite 3170
Boston, MA 02116

2. Comments on Massachusetts' Environmental Justice (EJ) Policy must arrive at the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) by Friday, October 28th. This policy is reviewed every three years. Currently EOEA's EJ Policy is directed at lessening the effects of stationary sources of pollution on neighborhoods with significant percentages of minority, low income and immigrant residents. Stationary sources include as power plants, printers, gas stations, hair salons, waste facilities and other local businesses. The EJ Policy does not yet address transportation pollution and related injustices even though they have more devastating impact on health in our communities. Mobile sources of pollution must be included.

View the policy at: http://www.mass.gov/envir/ej/default.htm

Send email comments to: Tony.Chaves@state.ma.us

Send comments via regular mail to:
Tony Chaves, EJ Coordinator
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

3. There will be an important hearing at the Massachusetts State House on two similar Environmental Justice Bills proposed by Senators Barrios and Wilkerson respectively on Monday, October 24th at 1 PM in Room A-1. Admirably, these bills aim to encourage cleaner communities and local businesses. However, they need immediate amendment to instruct state agencies to work with environmental justice communities to reduce exposures to and harm from transportation related air pollution. Any neighborhood with residents, workers, students or recreation areas within 1000 feet of major roadways, diesel rail corridors, port or airport emissions deserves additional public health protections now. Our EJ communities have already suffered too much.

Look up proposed bills and history using: "Senate Bill 471" for the Barrios EJ Bill "Senate Bill 556" for the Wilkerson EJ Bill House Petition filed by Rep. Sullivan (Fall River)

Send your comments via: http://www.mass.gov/legis/legis.htm

Or, use the following contact information for your legislators:

Senator Patricia Jehlen Tel 617-722-1578
Fax 617-666-9481 Patricia.Jehlen@state.ma.us

Senator Jarret T. Barrios, Tel 617-722-1650
Fax 617- 722-1323 Jarrett.Barrios@state.ma.us

Rep. Carl M. Sciortino, Jr. , Tel 617-722-2014
Rep.CarlSciortino@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., R. Tel 617-722-2692
Rep.TimothyToomey@hou.state.ma.us


Suggested Talking Points For Somerville Transportation Comments
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Progress on the Somerville Green Line extensions has not kept pace
with the schedule laid out by DEP and EOT during the Ozone SIP transit
commitment hearings in late 2004 and early 2005. The specific
financing sources and new Ozone SIP language were expected to be
completed by the end of 2005. What is the story?

2. The draft long range transportation plan calls for the state to
provide funding for "corridor planning" to be undertaken in local
communities. This could have enormous benefit for the land use,
pedestrian and bike planning needed to gain the most benefit from the
Green Line extensions. How might this work and when will it start?

3. New Secretary of Transportation Cogliano states in his cover
letter that the state will focus on making sure that the various
transportation agencies no longer think and act as isolated and
uncoordinated transportation providers. How will EOT implement and
manage this new more multi-modal philosophy?

4. The draft long range plan speaks to a greater commitment to
pedestrian and bike modes than in the past but does not explain who
will take responsibility for these long neglected, but healthier and
more community friendly ways of getting around. Could a new more
recognizable group within EOT help with this?

5. Massachusetts has committed to fund the Ozone SIP transit
projects but the plan lacks robust funding strategies for the full
list of transit expansion projects. A $.10 gas tax increase and/or a
$4 toll into Boston on major highways could fix our bridges, roads and
transit more quickly, as well as supply new transit and more walkable
communities.

6. The draft plan speaks highly of environmental justice and clean
air commitments but gives no details. Since the Boston Transportation
Plan Review and the Clean Air Act of 1970 over a generation ago, a
series of regional transportation and environmental decisions made
without regard to local impacts have caused enormous public health
disparities.

Enormous public health damage in Somerville, Chelsea, Everett, Revere,
South Boston, East Boston, Charlestown and many suburban neighborhoods
- all overrun by heavy transportation corridors or nodes serving the
region - resulted from a complete lack of responsible local health
risk assessment and mitigation. No level of government protected our
neighborhoods from harmful transportation impacts.

The final long range transportation plan should include a more
thoughtful assessment of existing disparities in transportation
service, benefits and burdens. It *must* include a more responsible
approach to health risk assessment of regional transportation and
"smart growth" projects or local injustices will certainly grow
larger.

Karen Molloy
Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP)
www.somervillestep.org

An interesting, scholarly article from BC that takes a pro-MVTF look at Somerville development and the Mystic River--calling their effort "Jacobean."

A new study by Northeastern University shows that environmental racism and injustice are still urgent problems, and Somerville is no exception. Somerville ranked 16th among the top 20 most environmentally overburdened communities in Massachusetts, as measured by the number, size and type of hazardous facilities or sites in the community.

Furthermore, when ranking the concentration of Hazardous waste facilities or sites per square mile, Somerville moved all the way up to 8th place! That means your more likely to be close to a hazardous site than almost any other community in the state.

The lane drop on I-93 north in Somerville, by the Home Depot, will stay, according to Mass Transit. Good news for Somerville residents heading north, bad news for everyone else north of us. While you're reading the article, check out the update on Lechmere service. Soon, soon, they say...

Like I said, I've been all for Ikea in Assembly, but this, along with programs like 30 Days, makes me think twice about it. (Click on "Big Box Mart" for the latest Jib Jab video. Watch the video. Then contribute some money to these guys so they don't end up working at Wal-Mart.)

I couldn't believe this. Who's the frigging genious who came up with this idea: "The lots on Congress Street in South Boston -- one with 375 spaces, and one with 200 spaces -- are required to stay closed until 9:30 a.m. on weekdays."

This is supposed to cut down on pollution and encourage public transit? More people either idling waiting for the lot to open or driving around more than usual looking for other spaces. And it hurts business for the folks who own the property.

Nuts! If you're going to encourage public transit, don't do a half-assed job at it. Improve the transit system, don't cripple the driving system. Then get rid of the parking spaces altogether, and develop the property so it's more than just a frigging parking lot (but includes parking).

This is the same kind of warped "supply side" economic logic that says:

1. The drug problem should be fixed by spending all of our money controlling the supply (causing the price to go up and new supply routes to develop), rather than on legalizing the less dangerous drugs (and taxing and regulating them) and treating people for drug problems and prevention programs.

2. Diseases should be treated by killing all bacteria, even the beneficial ones, leaving only a few hearty strains to survive, multiply and eventually kill us off quite effectively.

3. Our oil supply troubles should be addressed by spending billions meddling in the affairs of sovereign foreign states so they're more stable, rather than spending billions to encourage less consumption.

4. The problem with terrorists should be solved by invading foreign nations, revoking some of my freedoms, holding hundreds of potential or suspected terrorists indefinitely without formal charges, and forcing me never to have my handy swiss army knife on me, rather than by more effectively educating people here and abroad.

Supply-side economics has been huge since the 1970s, when economists figured out how to produce economic growth without inflation and--for the most part--how to keep us out of recession a little more effectively. But the heart of supply-side economics--the notion that production or supply is the key to economic prosperity and that consumption or demand is merely a secondary consequence--does not survive long outside the body economic.

Supply-side economics has indeed helped us prosper as a nation. But the idea doesn't translate well outside the macroeconomic sphere. It's a great idea for forming monetary policy, but not for drug policy, health policy, foreign policy, domestic policy, etc.

The fate of Magoun Square development and improvement efforts remains uncertain. The city of Somerville has cancelled a $500,000 plan for renovations, and is going back to the drawing board.

You are a Social Liberal (63% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (33% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Since the Red Sox disclosed their intention in March to renovate the oldest and smallest ballpark in the major leagues and continue playing at Fenway, pressure to develop the area around the park has intensified. One project seems on its way to approval.

From: Ron Newman
Subject: See Arts in the 'Ville by bike - Saturday, October 15

It's fall in the city, so Mayor Joseph Curtatone, the Somerville
Bicycle Committee, and the Friends of the Community Path invite you
to the 13th Annual Tour de Somerville on Saturday, October 15, 2005.

Join us on this all-ages fun bike ride as we explore "Arts in the
'Ville", in recognition of the art, galleries, and studios that
populate Somerville. A 4 hour tour of public art will include murals
and sculpture from west to east and back again.

Meet at Seven Hills Park, behind the Somerville Theatre in Davis
Square at 10:00 AM. Refreshments are courtesy of Redbones, home of
the bicycle valet. Helmets are strongly encouraged.

If it rains, we'll postpone the ride to Sunday, October 16, same
time and starting point.

For more information, call 617-625-6600, x2519. Email:
sbc@ci.somerville.ma.us