Saturday, July 23, 2011

Toomey on the Grand Junction

1. Boston Globe letter.
2. Editor's Analysis.


1. Boston Globe letter.

Archie Mazmanian reports:

Yesterday's (7/22/11) Boston Globe includes a letter from Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., State Representative from a Cambridge district, responding negatively to the Globe's earlier editorial (July 11th) on the Grand Junction railroad line, raising environmental and financial issues, available at:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2011/07/22/environmental_impact_overlooked_in_approving_glance_at_rail_plan/ (Mr. Toomey is also described as "a Cambridge city councilor.) Mr. Toomey points out the small number of Worcester commuters (8%) that would benefit from destinations near North Station; that such commuters currently have alternate access via the Orange Line at Back Bay Station.

Disrupting street traffic in Cambridge during commuter hours for such a small group makes no environmental or financial sense.

2. Editor's Analysis.

Thank you Archie.

I am very much uncertain as to where Mr. Toomey is really coming from.

Other members of the Cambridge City Council and the Cambridge Pols running around "objecting" give me the very strong opinion that the real people fighting for this proposal are in Cambridge loudly yelling against it. When these types yell so loud, it has a strong tendency to look like their usual con game to get responsible members of the Cambridge community to support a "compromise" which in reality is the only game in town.

The one thing which is clear is that it is highly destructive to the Charles River on the Cambridge side and to the animals living there. As such, the con games fit in with the Cambridge Pols’ pretty much non stop attacks on the Charles River, loudly yelling the opposite of where they really stand.