1. Introduction.
2. Actual Vote.
3. Update, Direct Quote, November 10 Cambridge Day.
4. Analysis.
A. General.
B. Benzan v. Reeves — Monteiro?
C. Environmental analysis. Civil rights generally. Finally, a decent human being?
D. Updated analysis.
1. Introduction.
It is impossible to exactly analyze an election in Cambridge, MA, USA. You can guess and guess and guess. Whether you are right is impossible to say, but you try.
The vote is a floating at large election stacked so that each winning candidate is awarded exactly the minimum number of votes to win and their “excess” is transferred to other candidates until enough of those candidates get up to the needed amount. The same applies to losers. If they cannot win, their votes are transferred to other candidates whose accumulated total has not reached the needed minimum. This is done in a series of transfers.
Before computerization, the “count” took more than a week every year.
Right now, the bottom line is that an incumbent city councilor is on the wrong end of a final count by seven votes and is demanding a recount. According to the Cambridge Chronicle, in the key transfer seven votes separated losing incumbent Minka Y. vanBeuzekom from apparent winner Nadeem A. Mazen.
Two incumbents did not seek reelection. These were Henrietta Davis and recently elected State Representative Marjorie Decker.
Two incumbents were apparently defeated. These were Minka Y. vanBeauzekom and Kenneth Reeves. Reeves came in 11th with 9 candidates elected to City Council. Also of interest is that Samuel Seidel came in 12th. Seidel is a former city councilor who lost in the last election.
2. Actual Vote.
Persons elected to the Cambridge City Council, taken from Robert Winters report of the preliminary results, which the Cambridge Chronicle says did not change, were as follows, in order of election success:
Leland Cheung, Incumbent
David P. Maher, Incumbent
Dennis A. Benzan, Challenger
Timothy J. Toomey (also State Representative)
E. Denise Simmons, challenger
Dennis J. Carlone, challenger
Craig A. Kelley, incumbent
Nadeem A. Mazen, challenger, and
Marc C. McGovern, challenger
Minka Y. vanBeuzekom, incumbent.
Kenneth Reeves, incumbent
Samuel Seidel, former incumbent.
The reason for a different order such that Mazen wound up 8th rather than 9th, with vanBeuzekom 10th is the result of transfers from vanBeuzekom after she was declared loser and her votes transferred. Saying that is as far as I will go. That final transfer has no real meaning because all the recipients have already won.
3. Update, Direct Quote, November 10 Cambridge Day.
After Wednesday’s hand count of auxiliary ballots, which are the ballots polling-place machines didn’t accept and count Tuesday, only six transfer voters lay between vanBeuzekom and council newcomer Nadeem Mazen. Thirteen votes separate vanBeuzekom and Dennis Carlone, another council newcomer, and 20 separate her from returning incumbent Craig Kelley. All three are considered vulnerable to losing a seat from the redistribution of votes that can result from a recount under Cambridge’s proportional representation form of balloting.
4. Analysis.
A. General.
The new councilors are Dennis A. Benzan, Dennis J. Carlone, Nadeem A. Mazen and Marc C. McGovern.
I know nothing about Mazen. Benzan has run for city council or state representative many times in the last 10 years or so. This is his first win. He has not been friendly. McGovern supported destruction at Magazine Beach, bragging that it would improve recreational uses. The exact opposite is true. The fourth new city councilor, Carlone, has a long record on the wrong side of development issues. He is squarely Cambridge Machine.
B. Benzan v. Reeves — Monteiro?
Looking at the overall numbers, it would appear that one key result is that Benzan and Reeves seem to be courting the same votes and Benzan won this time.
Seidel made a comment in the last election that the destruction of the life of Malvina Monteiro by former Cambridge City Manager Healy was no big thing. By contrast, the court system up to the Appeals Court rather clearly gave the Cambridge City Council strong power to fire Healy for cause. The big issue would have been whether Healy could be stripped of his pension as part of the firing.
Healy was civilly found guilty of firing Monteiro in retaliation for her filing a women’s right / civil rights complaint. The trial judge’s opinion can be summarized in one word: “reprehensible.” The appeals court refused to dignify Cambridge’s appeal with a formal decision: “ample evidence of . . . outrageous misbehavior.” The technical term is “malfeasance in office,” one of the listed grounds under which the Cambridge City Council can fire the Cambridge City Manager.
Exactly zero members of the Cambridge City Council made any attempt to meaningfully implement the Court Decisions. None of them voted to fire Healy or to initiate the firing of Healy.
A supporter of vanBeauzekom publicized Siedel’s no big thing comment in the appropriate circles during the 2011 election. Seidel lost. VanBeuzekom won.
In the months building up to the 2013 election, Cambridge’s irresponsible City Council tried to get votes on the Monteiro issue. They conducted public meetings on the lessons to be learned from the Monteiro case. I did not bother attend this obvious whitewash. However, those meetings could very well have backfired. Reeves was supposedly a reformer, a civil rights activist. It is entirely possible that enough folks simply got disgusted with him and voted for Benzan.
C. Environmental analysis. Civil rights generally. Finally, a decent human being?
VanBeuzekom has the nerve to include a graphic of a tree leaf on her signs. She was part of the unanimous city council which voted to destroy 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common, many because they blocked the view. She explained her vote to me saying that the city staff proposing the destruction told her that destroying those trees was ok.
Cambridge has had a unanimously rotten city council on environmental issues.
On the real votes on civil rights, there was one member wishy washing about funding the Monteiro defense outrage. I forget which way that member finally went. He certainly did not vote to fire.
Environmentally, Carlone is worse than either of the losing incumbents. It is a tossup whether he is worse than Davis who falsely ran as an environmentalist and was very, very destructive of the environment. Decker, unfortunately, is still in state office. She and Davis were the worst members environmentally and very difficult to praise. Decker ran for city council based on congressional issues and ran for state representative based on congressional issues.
Net result: I would be interested in seeing which way Mazen falls. I have no reason to anticipate he is a responsible person, but I can dream.
Eight rotters versus one responsible city councilor? I can dream. And in Cambridge, MA, USA, one environmentally responsible member of the Cambridge City Council is a dream.
D. Updated analysis.
Incumbent Craig Kelley can possibly replace vanBeuzekom on the chopping block.
Kelley got elected as an environmentalist. Another flat out lie using the definitions of the real world.
He is worse than vanBeuzekom as city councilors tend to be worse. There is no meaningful difference on the environment among the nine when it comes to votes. Davis and Decker were for practical purposes the worst, but that is not on votes, that is on aggressiveness. Kelly is worse than vanBeauzekom because he has been around longer and has had a chance to do more harm. Kelley also has his base in North Cambridge. The crucial Alewife reservation is very important to North Cambridge, and he is destroying it.
Good riddance to either, but it would be nice to get a replacement worthy of environmental respect.
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Sunday, November 03, 2013
Deferral on Reporting of Toomey maneuvering on support of Harvard University's Off Ramp to Cambridge
Cambridge, MA, USA City Councilor / State Representative Toomey has posted an outrageous ad supporting the conversion of the Grand Junction Railroad nearest the Charles River on the Cambridge side to the Mass Pike off ramp that Harvard is maneuvering for.
I have been deferring on whether to provide a report.
I defer until after the election because it would be silly to distinguish between him and the rest of the bad guys.
I have been deferring on whether to provide a report.
I defer until after the election because it would be silly to distinguish between him and the rest of the bad guys.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Boston, MA, USA City Council / Mayor Candidates
I try to keep the facebook pages directly on point with regard to environmental matters.
The only big problem member who has not been thrown off the list is a woman whom I think is a legislator. She has several times put in posts which I have immediately deleted as irrelevant.
She has posted the following notice which I have not deleted.
I have posted the following comment of explanation:
********
I am leaving this posted because, I see exactly zero candidates running for Cambridge City Council in whom I have any environmental confidence.
All incumbents plus one school committee member running for city council have filthy hands on environmental matters, period.
In contrast, at least, the outgoing Mayor of Boston is a person for whom I have a lot more respect than any of the Cambridge incumbents.
That is not to say that I do not have major concerns about the empire building in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, but, oddly, the worst of the stuff has been transplanted to the Cambridge side.
I think, in part, that the situation is directly influenced by the massive organization in place in Cambridge using totalitarian techniques to lie to the voters that very bad people are worthy of respect.
ADDENDUM:
On reading this posting, I note that the sponsors do not include the Sierra Club. The Boston Sierra Club is clearly heavily influence by the very destructive Cambridge Machine, and have repeatedly endorsed irresponsible people for Cambridge City Council.
I have also been aware of people representing the Sierra Club regurgitating a key flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge concerning route options in the mass transit proposal known as the Urban Ring.
The Boston Sierra Club has made itself part of the problem.
The only big problem member who has not been thrown off the list is a woman whom I think is a legislator. She has several times put in posts which I have immediately deleted as irrelevant.
She has posted the following notice which I have not deleted.
I have posted the following comment of explanation:
********
I am leaving this posted because, I see exactly zero candidates running for Cambridge City Council in whom I have any environmental confidence.
All incumbents plus one school committee member running for city council have filthy hands on environmental matters, period.
In contrast, at least, the outgoing Mayor of Boston is a person for whom I have a lot more respect than any of the Cambridge incumbents.
That is not to say that I do not have major concerns about the empire building in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, but, oddly, the worst of the stuff has been transplanted to the Cambridge side.
I think, in part, that the situation is directly influenced by the massive organization in place in Cambridge using totalitarian techniques to lie to the voters that very bad people are worthy of respect.
ADDENDUM:
On reading this posting, I note that the sponsors do not include the Sierra Club. The Boston Sierra Club is clearly heavily influence by the very destructive Cambridge Machine, and have repeatedly endorsed irresponsible people for Cambridge City Council.
I have also been aware of people representing the Sierra Club regurgitating a key flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge concerning route options in the mass transit proposal known as the Urban Ring.
The Boston Sierra Club has made itself part of the problem.
Update at Harvard Medical School Relocation: Container Yard Abandoned?
1. Rail Yard Abandoned?
2. Photos of the Rail Yard a year ago.
3. Summary.
4. Exchange on facebook.
1. Rail Yard Abandoned?
The situation is getting much more clear in the relocation of Harvard Medical School to the off ramps and rail yard at the Massachusetts Turnpike (I90)’s exit in Allston.
We now have word that the container yard facility in the rail yard has no containers for shipment, a definite indication that the yard has moved to Worcester, MA, which was the plan of the railroad.
The exchange came in response to my last post on this blog which, in abridged form, was published on the Charles River White Geese Facebook page. That exchange is below.
2. Photos of the Rail Yard a year ago.
A year ago, I posted photos of the rail yard and its maintenance yard, from Memorial Drive, which is north of the facility.
I have now repeatedly published the following photo taken from the Harvard Gazette report, of the tracks south of the facility.
None of these photos show the container yard itself which is the subject of the communications. I am sorry about that. I hope to get some myself and would love to get and publish correct photos, as I did on the Longfellow Bridge destruction, from folks who beat me to the area and get photos.
3. Summary.
In my last report, I passed on Massachusetts Governor Patrick’s announcement of the straightening of the Mass. Turnpike (I90) with a resultant release of significant acreage for development. He neglected to mention (they always neglect to mention) that the only beneficiary is Harvard University. Please see http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/massachusetts-governor-announces-first.html.
I have repeatedly reported on Patrick’s efforts to destroy hundreds of trees on Memorial Drive on the north side of the Charles River to accept passenger vehicle traffic currently going through the Mass. Pike exit owned by Harvard University. Details are in that report along with links to state legislative emails.
In my next report, hopefully, I will go into part of the efforts of Cambridge pols to assist in the destruction. This is of Councilor / State Rep Toomey’s bragging of part of it in the lie of a bike path which will very quickly (not mentioned of course) be replaced in the key, Charles River, portion by the relocated off ramp.
4. Exchange on facebook.
This is edited. The reporter is a friend from my professional acting efforts. He, and I, improperly went into a movie I auditioned for last week.
The reporter is James Tighe:
************
[October 24, 7:56 pm]
I went by the rail yards the other day and wondered what happened to the rail yards.......
************
[Your editor, October 24, 9:13 pm:]
Thanks. You are raising a good point and, apparently are more up to date on the yards than I am.
Harvard bought them on condition that Massachusetts may continue to use them for transportation uses.
Straightening the Mass. Pike out with that language from the Governor sounds deadly.
The railroad plans were to move the yard function to Worcester. Perhaps they have gone forward.
I post these reports on three sites. I have intended another subject for the next post but, as I said, you are raising an excellent point.
The other ongoing issue is whether the yards would be used for daytime storage of trains going in to South Station. The governor's announcement clearly says no, but could yards be fit in with straightening? Highly unlikely, based on the governor's comment.
Thank you.
***********
[James, October 24, 9:12 pm:
There are no rail cars there and the tracks look rusted.
***********
[editor, 10/24, 9:16 pm]
Wow. I guess I need to go by there.
There are at least two sets of yards. North of the Mass. Pike is the functional yards, storage of cars. South of the Mass. Pike is a repair yard. I do not have full knowledge of the layout. I know there were other tracks in the area.
**************
[James, 9:16 pm]
I also remember when the Seaport area was nothing but rail yards. I went to see a "rolling" display of Titanic stuff on a rail car there. I hadn't been married long so it had to be the late '70s the yards were still there
*************
[editor, 9:18 pm]
Yes. Very clearly the South Boston yards are gone.
The Boston cop drama showed those very heavily and the change is dramatic. Now there are still tracks there but they make big noises to the extent they are using them
***********
[James, 9:19 pm]
The ones I saw Bob were in the bend of the MASS Pike and served to load and un load containers. And put them on tractor trailers. That yard is empty now.
***********
[James and I got side tracked on acting, with a confused comment from a third friend of the Charles River White Geese. I apologized and summarized as follows.]
James is a friend from acting and he went off the subject. I will selectively delete the off subject posts, but I first want to record things.
He is presenting very valuable input on related matters.
The real game on the Charles River is that the environment is being destroyed for the benefit of Harvard's expansion in Allston. The governor's announcement admitted helping Harvard's without mentioning Harvard.
Harvard owns the Mass. Pike exit in Allston and plans to move its Medical School there.
A very key part of the move is to move the Mass. Pike off ramps to Cambridge by the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge which runs through the home of the Charles River White Geese which the powers that be have been heartlessly attacking.
A further key part is the destruction of hundreds of trees between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge, straightening out Memorial Drive to take the traffic from the Mass. Pike.
James' most important point was that it looks like the rail yard is empty of rail yard use. The plan was to move the facility to Worcester to open it up for Harvard. Apparently it has been moved.
2. Photos of the Rail Yard a year ago.
3. Summary.
4. Exchange on facebook.
1. Rail Yard Abandoned?
The situation is getting much more clear in the relocation of Harvard Medical School to the off ramps and rail yard at the Massachusetts Turnpike (I90)’s exit in Allston.
We now have word that the container yard facility in the rail yard has no containers for shipment, a definite indication that the yard has moved to Worcester, MA, which was the plan of the railroad.
The exchange came in response to my last post on this blog which, in abridged form, was published on the Charles River White Geese Facebook page. That exchange is below.
2. Photos of the Rail Yard a year ago.
A year ago, I posted photos of the rail yard and its maintenance yard, from Memorial Drive, which is north of the facility.
I have now repeatedly published the following photo taken from the Harvard Gazette report, of the tracks south of the facility.
None of these photos show the container yard itself which is the subject of the communications. I am sorry about that. I hope to get some myself and would love to get and publish correct photos, as I did on the Longfellow Bridge destruction, from folks who beat me to the area and get photos.
3. Summary.
In my last report, I passed on Massachusetts Governor Patrick’s announcement of the straightening of the Mass. Turnpike (I90) with a resultant release of significant acreage for development. He neglected to mention (they always neglect to mention) that the only beneficiary is Harvard University. Please see http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/massachusetts-governor-announces-first.html.
I have repeatedly reported on Patrick’s efforts to destroy hundreds of trees on Memorial Drive on the north side of the Charles River to accept passenger vehicle traffic currently going through the Mass. Pike exit owned by Harvard University. Details are in that report along with links to state legislative emails.
In my next report, hopefully, I will go into part of the efforts of Cambridge pols to assist in the destruction. This is of Councilor / State Rep Toomey’s bragging of part of it in the lie of a bike path which will very quickly (not mentioned of course) be replaced in the key, Charles River, portion by the relocated off ramp.
4. Exchange on facebook.
This is edited. The reporter is a friend from my professional acting efforts. He, and I, improperly went into a movie I auditioned for last week.
The reporter is James Tighe:
************
[October 24, 7:56 pm]
I went by the rail yards the other day and wondered what happened to the rail yards.......
************
[Your editor, October 24, 9:13 pm:]
Thanks. You are raising a good point and, apparently are more up to date on the yards than I am.
Harvard bought them on condition that Massachusetts may continue to use them for transportation uses.
Straightening the Mass. Pike out with that language from the Governor sounds deadly.
The railroad plans were to move the yard function to Worcester. Perhaps they have gone forward.
I post these reports on three sites. I have intended another subject for the next post but, as I said, you are raising an excellent point.
The other ongoing issue is whether the yards would be used for daytime storage of trains going in to South Station. The governor's announcement clearly says no, but could yards be fit in with straightening? Highly unlikely, based on the governor's comment.
Thank you.
***********
[James, October 24, 9:12 pm:
There are no rail cars there and the tracks look rusted.
***********
[editor, 10/24, 9:16 pm]
Wow. I guess I need to go by there.
There are at least two sets of yards. North of the Mass. Pike is the functional yards, storage of cars. South of the Mass. Pike is a repair yard. I do not have full knowledge of the layout. I know there were other tracks in the area.
**************
[James, 9:16 pm]
I also remember when the Seaport area was nothing but rail yards. I went to see a "rolling" display of Titanic stuff on a rail car there. I hadn't been married long so it had to be the late '70s the yards were still there
*************
[editor, 9:18 pm]
Yes. Very clearly the South Boston yards are gone.
The Boston cop drama showed those very heavily and the change is dramatic. Now there are still tracks there but they make big noises to the extent they are using them
***********
[James, 9:19 pm]
The ones I saw Bob were in the bend of the MASS Pike and served to load and un load containers. And put them on tractor trailers. That yard is empty now.
***********
[James and I got side tracked on acting, with a confused comment from a third friend of the Charles River White Geese. I apologized and summarized as follows.]
James is a friend from acting and he went off the subject. I will selectively delete the off subject posts, but I first want to record things.
He is presenting very valuable input on related matters.
The real game on the Charles River is that the environment is being destroyed for the benefit of Harvard's expansion in Allston. The governor's announcement admitted helping Harvard's without mentioning Harvard.
Harvard owns the Mass. Pike exit in Allston and plans to move its Medical School there.
A very key part of the move is to move the Mass. Pike off ramps to Cambridge by the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge which runs through the home of the Charles River White Geese which the powers that be have been heartlessly attacking.
A further key part is the destruction of hundreds of trees between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge, straightening out Memorial Drive to take the traffic from the Mass. Pike.
James' most important point was that it looks like the rail yard is empty of rail yard use. The plan was to move the facility to Worcester to open it up for Harvard. Apparently it has been moved.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Massachusetts Governor announces first stage of relocation of Harvard Medical School to Harvard’s Mass. Pike Exits and Rail Yards in Allston
Massachusetts Governor announces first stage of relocation of Harvard Medical School to Harvard’s Mass. Pike Exits and Rail Yards in Allston
Massachusetts Governor Patrick, today, announced the first stage in the relocation of Harvard Medical School to the Harvard owned Mass. Pike (I90) exit / railroad yard properties in the Allston area bounded by the Charles River, Cambridge Street, Boston University and remnants of a neighborhood.
His announcement is posted at http://www.mass.gov/governor/pressoffice/pressreleases/2013/1022-governor-patrick-announces-transportation-investments.html.
Here is a photo of the western extreme of the area. The Massachusetts Turnpike is at the right bottom.
I have posted two other photos, showing the Harvard projects further west. All three are from the Harvard Gazette of October 18, along with analysis at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/some-harvard-maps-of-harvard.html.
The key part is:
**************
The I-90 Turnpike straightening project will replace a nearly half mile long structurally-deficient viaduct including 29 bridge structures built in the mid-1960’s. The viaduct project will straighten existing turns on both sides of the existing Allston-Brighton toll area, reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions while opening up to 60 acres for future development in the Beacon Park Yards area
*************
Governor Patrick neglects to mention there is exactly one owner in the Beacon Park Yards area, Harvard University.
Governor Patrick also neglect to mention that this railroad yard and the Mass. Pike exits were purchased by Harvard University within months of the publication of a study finding it possible to put a Mass. Pike exit on the Grand Junction railroad bridge next to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
Governor Patrick is seeking $26 million in bond authority to destroy hundreds of trees between the BU Bridge / Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge, House Bill H3332. This would ease the moving of the Mass. Pike exit to the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.
The fake neighborhood association’s corrupt vote of April 23, 2013, helped lay the ground work, together with its non stop company union efforts.
The South Station expansion project called for using Beacon Yards for train storage for South Station, to the shock of Harvard. Harvard was not pleased. The governor is squarely on the side of environmental destruction by this announcement.
Emails for all Massachusetts legislators are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/objecting-to-legislators-governor.html.
Massachusetts Governor Patrick, today, announced the first stage in the relocation of Harvard Medical School to the Harvard owned Mass. Pike (I90) exit / railroad yard properties in the Allston area bounded by the Charles River, Cambridge Street, Boston University and remnants of a neighborhood.
His announcement is posted at http://www.mass.gov/governor/pressoffice/pressreleases/2013/1022-governor-patrick-announces-transportation-investments.html.
Here is a photo of the western extreme of the area. The Massachusetts Turnpike is at the right bottom.
I have posted two other photos, showing the Harvard projects further west. All three are from the Harvard Gazette of October 18, along with analysis at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/some-harvard-maps-of-harvard.html.
The key part is:
**************
The I-90 Turnpike straightening project will replace a nearly half mile long structurally-deficient viaduct including 29 bridge structures built in the mid-1960’s. The viaduct project will straighten existing turns on both sides of the existing Allston-Brighton toll area, reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions while opening up to 60 acres for future development in the Beacon Park Yards area
*************
Governor Patrick neglects to mention there is exactly one owner in the Beacon Park Yards area, Harvard University.
Governor Patrick also neglect to mention that this railroad yard and the Mass. Pike exits were purchased by Harvard University within months of the publication of a study finding it possible to put a Mass. Pike exit on the Grand Junction railroad bridge next to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
Governor Patrick is seeking $26 million in bond authority to destroy hundreds of trees between the BU Bridge / Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge, House Bill H3332. This would ease the moving of the Mass. Pike exit to the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.
The fake neighborhood association’s corrupt vote of April 23, 2013, helped lay the ground work, together with its non stop company union efforts.
The South Station expansion project called for using Beacon Yards for train storage for South Station, to the shock of Harvard. Harvard was not pleased. The governor is squarely on the side of environmental destruction by this announcement.
Emails for all Massachusetts legislators are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/objecting-to-legislators-governor.html.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Lying about which side they are on works for the Cambridge City Council
Lying about which side they are on works for the Cambridge City Council
1. Lovely letter, bizarre reality.
2. Reality.
1. Lovely letter, bizarre reality.
George Despotes forwards the following, quoted without omission since it clearly is intended to be publicly distributed.
***********
From: cy56@comcast.net
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 08:54:11 -0400
Subject: Thanks to City Council for recommending Cambridge divestment of pension fund from fossil fuel industries
CC: president@harvard.edu; harvardsjsf@gmail.com
To: council@cambridgema.gov
Dear Councillor Cheung and the City Council,
Thank you very much for recommending that the retirement board divest from fossil fuels. And thanks to Councillor Cheung for his in-depth, eloquent appeal to the state legislature to also divest.
The precise level of danger we face in the climate crisis may be hard to pinpoint. What is clear is the present catastrophic damage people, animals, and the habitat deals with every year as a result of rapid global warming. And what is also clear from the geological record and from climate modeling is the totally unacceptable level of risk that the fossil fuel industries would put the habitat under if they continue to operate under their current business plan.
Divestment by major institutions has worked in the past to "remove the veneer of respectability" from irresponsible and immoral industries and governments.
I hope that perhaps Harvard University's President Faust and the rest of the Harvard Corporation can be persuaded to act as responsibly as the Cambridge City Council has.
Chris Young
cy56@comcast.net
A. L. B., 1990, Harvard University Extension School
CYInsight, math visualization for education and industry
Follower/friend of:
Arctic Methane Emergency Group
350.org, Mass. Chapter
Boston Ethical Society
First Parish, Cambridge, U.-U.
2. Reality.
I think the most important part of Mr. / Ms. Young’s email reads:
*********
I hope that perhaps Harvard University's President Faust and the rest of the Harvard Corporation can be persuaded to act as responsibly as the Cambridge City Council has.
********
Harvard and the Cambridge City Council have a very important thing in common. They are both environmentally destructive while lying about which side they are on.
“Do as I say. Not as I do.”
A recent report of mine, at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/is-harvard-university-destroying.html goes into reality as far as Harvard’s supposed claims of holiness on the environment goes, with the initiative from a Harvard related individual who appears to be living in reality, in sharp contrast to Mr. / Ms. Young.
I do not have to go far from Harvard to demonstrate a very nasty reality as far as the nine environmentally “reprehensible” members of the Cambridge City Council: the Cambridge Common, which Harvard shows on Harvard maps as Harvard open space.
“Reprehensible” quotes a Superior Court judge commenting on the real attitude of the City of Cambridge with regard to Women’s Rights. That Judge was affirmed by an Appeals Court panel which refused to dignify Cambridge’s appeal with a formal opinion, “ample evidence of . . . outrageous misbehavior.” The independent evaluation of the City of Cambridge is not complimentary.
The real record of the Cambridge City Council is 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common being destroyed by the Cambridge City Council. Those trees would not be destroyed without the shared guilt by Harvard University. The ENF spoke about many of the trees blocking the view. Councilor Minka has justified the destruction because Cambridge’s environmentally destructive staff told her to destroy them. Unanimous vote anyway.
But both Harvard and the City of Cambridge love to lie about which side they are on.
And third parties can only be evaluated by bad associations and outrageously false praise.
I know nothing about Mr. / Ms. Young except the stench of the Cambridge Machine.
I have constantly quoted the lying of the Cambridge City Council that they are pro-environment.
Yelling at somebody else about environmental issues which are only peripherally related to their duties is a long standing technique of lying about themselves which is favored by the Cambridge City Council.
1. Lovely letter, bizarre reality.
2. Reality.
1. Lovely letter, bizarre reality.
George Despotes forwards the following, quoted without omission since it clearly is intended to be publicly distributed.
***********
From: cy56@comcast.net
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 08:54:11 -0400
Subject: Thanks to City Council for recommending Cambridge divestment of pension fund from fossil fuel industries
CC: president@harvard.edu; harvardsjsf@gmail.com
To: council@cambridgema.gov
Dear Councillor Cheung and the City Council,
Thank you very much for recommending that the retirement board divest from fossil fuels. And thanks to Councillor Cheung for his in-depth, eloquent appeal to the state legislature to also divest.
The precise level of danger we face in the climate crisis may be hard to pinpoint. What is clear is the present catastrophic damage people, animals, and the habitat deals with every year as a result of rapid global warming. And what is also clear from the geological record and from climate modeling is the totally unacceptable level of risk that the fossil fuel industries would put the habitat under if they continue to operate under their current business plan.
Divestment by major institutions has worked in the past to "remove the veneer of respectability" from irresponsible and immoral industries and governments.
I hope that perhaps Harvard University's President Faust and the rest of the Harvard Corporation can be persuaded to act as responsibly as the Cambridge City Council has.
Chris Young
cy56@comcast.net
A. L. B., 1990, Harvard University Extension School
CYInsight, math visualization for education and industry
Follower/friend of:
Arctic Methane Emergency Group
350.org, Mass. Chapter
Boston Ethical Society
First Parish, Cambridge, U.-U.
2. Reality.
I think the most important part of Mr. / Ms. Young’s email reads:
*********
I hope that perhaps Harvard University's President Faust and the rest of the Harvard Corporation can be persuaded to act as responsibly as the Cambridge City Council has.
********
Harvard and the Cambridge City Council have a very important thing in common. They are both environmentally destructive while lying about which side they are on.
“Do as I say. Not as I do.”
A recent report of mine, at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/is-harvard-university-destroying.html goes into reality as far as Harvard’s supposed claims of holiness on the environment goes, with the initiative from a Harvard related individual who appears to be living in reality, in sharp contrast to Mr. / Ms. Young.
I do not have to go far from Harvard to demonstrate a very nasty reality as far as the nine environmentally “reprehensible” members of the Cambridge City Council: the Cambridge Common, which Harvard shows on Harvard maps as Harvard open space.
“Reprehensible” quotes a Superior Court judge commenting on the real attitude of the City of Cambridge with regard to Women’s Rights. That Judge was affirmed by an Appeals Court panel which refused to dignify Cambridge’s appeal with a formal opinion, “ample evidence of . . . outrageous misbehavior.” The independent evaluation of the City of Cambridge is not complimentary.
The real record of the Cambridge City Council is 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common being destroyed by the Cambridge City Council. Those trees would not be destroyed without the shared guilt by Harvard University. The ENF spoke about many of the trees blocking the view. Councilor Minka has justified the destruction because Cambridge’s environmentally destructive staff told her to destroy them. Unanimous vote anyway.
But both Harvard and the City of Cambridge love to lie about which side they are on.
And third parties can only be evaluated by bad associations and outrageously false praise.
I know nothing about Mr. / Ms. Young except the stench of the Cambridge Machine.
I have constantly quoted the lying of the Cambridge City Council that they are pro-environment.
Yelling at somebody else about environmental issues which are only peripherally related to their duties is a long standing technique of lying about themselves which is favored by the Cambridge City Council.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Some Harvard maps of Harvard University’s empire building in Allston, MA, USA
The Harvard Gazette, in its October 18, 2013 issue, reports on approvals for the first stage of Harvard’s empire in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, near the Harvard Business School and Harvard Stadium at http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/10/bra-approves-allston-development-plan/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10.18.daily%2520%281%29.
The report presents three maps. They are reproduced below.
The best plan has large yellow buildings in the middle of the plan. These are the Harvard Square density buildings which are intended to be the core of this part of the project. The new location for Harvard Medical School is to the right of the plan shown.
[West / Central Map]
Of the two other plans, one is in black and white, showing two streets, North Harvard Street and Western Avenue. The point of the two streets is in the middle of those big yellow buildings. The tiny buildings between the two streets are the affordable housing being destroyed, the Charlesgate Housing complex.
[Black and White Map]
The third plan is the only one to show the area where the very long range plans threaten the Charles River. In all the three maps, the Charles River is at the top.
This plan shows a major highway on the right extreme. This highway is owned by Harvard University. It is I90 / the Massachusetts Turnpike. The exit which is being moved to the railroad bridge which runs next to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese is not directly shown. If you look above the Super Highway complex, you will see a fairly thin road. That is the ramp to the exit / entrance.
[Color, right]
This area and the area to the right not shown is the long range target for which so much destruction is being inflicted on the Charles River and the Cambridge side of the Charles River, to facilitate the relocation of the very large Harvard Medical School complex for the long term expansion of the Harvard Medical Area hospitals. Exactly which will go where in replacing Harvard’s off ramps and railroad yard is not know. The first part of the complex, the Harvard School of Public Health, is admitted to being moved to Western Avenue as part of the first stage of empire building in the Allston neighborhood of Boston.
The report presents three maps. They are reproduced below.
The best plan has large yellow buildings in the middle of the plan. These are the Harvard Square density buildings which are intended to be the core of this part of the project. The new location for Harvard Medical School is to the right of the plan shown.
[West / Central Map]
Of the two other plans, one is in black and white, showing two streets, North Harvard Street and Western Avenue. The point of the two streets is in the middle of those big yellow buildings. The tiny buildings between the two streets are the affordable housing being destroyed, the Charlesgate Housing complex.
[Black and White Map]
The third plan is the only one to show the area where the very long range plans threaten the Charles River. In all the three maps, the Charles River is at the top.
This plan shows a major highway on the right extreme. This highway is owned by Harvard University. It is I90 / the Massachusetts Turnpike. The exit which is being moved to the railroad bridge which runs next to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese is not directly shown. If you look above the Super Highway complex, you will see a fairly thin road. That is the ramp to the exit / entrance.
[Color, right]
This area and the area to the right not shown is the long range target for which so much destruction is being inflicted on the Charles River and the Cambridge side of the Charles River, to facilitate the relocation of the very large Harvard Medical School complex for the long term expansion of the Harvard Medical Area hospitals. Exactly which will go where in replacing Harvard’s off ramps and railroad yard is not know. The first part of the complex, the Harvard School of Public Health, is admitted to being moved to Western Avenue as part of the first stage of empire building in the Allston neighborhood of Boston.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Is Harvard University destroying the environment in Argentina in addition to the Charles River?
1. General Analysis.
2. Press Release.
3. Comment from Dale F. Appel.
1. General Analysis.
Looking at the ongoing outrages on the Charles River, Harvard’s empire building on the Boston / Allston (North) side of the river is consistent with very filthy environmental hands on the part of Harvard and its friends for the benefit of Harvard.
It is a pleasure to see a group with apparent Harvard connections standing up to what looks like Harvard destructiveness of trees beyond the Charles River, in Argentina.
The most egregious immediate example is the governor’s House Bill H3332 with $26 million for projects which includes destruction of hundreds of trees between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge. This has been sold as “underpasses” under the next three bridges. The euphemism for the tree destruction is “Historical Parkways”. This destruction was previously defeated when the bureaucrats went for Obama reconstruction moneys. They are settling for a lie that describes $2 to $4 million of the funds, “underpasses” which the responsible bureaucracy, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, condemns as environmentally destructiveness.
The tree destruction would straighten out Memorial Drive to make it easier to move the I90 (Mass. Pike) exit ramp from Allston / Cambridge, to the Grand Junction Bridge under the BU Bridge. That would greatly assist moving the Harvard Medical School to the rail yards and that current exit, which Harvard purchased months after transit folks proved the rail bridge could be maneuvered into holding that traffic.
Here is what looks like a press release from concerned folks concerning Argentina. Thanks to George Despotes for providing it. It seems to have originated in Sam Wohns, wohns@college.harvard.edu
2. Press Release.
PRESS RELEASE: New Report Reveals Harvard University’s Timber Plantations in Argentine Degrade Wetlands
Responsible Investment at Harvard
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 11:00 AM EST, OCTOBER 15, 2013
CONTACT:
Anuradha Mittal, amittal@oaklandinstitute.org, 510-469-5228
Sam Wohns, wohns@college.harvard.edu, 616-334-8343 New Report Reveals Harvard University's Timber Plantations in Argentina Degrade World's Second Largest Wetlands, Endanger Surrounding Communities
October 15, 2013, Oakland, CA --A report released today reveals that industrial timber plantations owned by Harvard University in the Corrientes province of Argentina have degraded the Iberá Wetlands ecosystem and endangered thousands of small-holder farmers in the region. The report is a joint publication of the Oakland Institute and the Responsible Investment at Harvard Coalition.
The report's findings contradict recent statements by Harvard University President Drew Faust about the university's investment practices. Two weeks ago, she wrote of Harvard's "commitment to sustainable investment" and its "distinctive responsibilities to society."
"When I saw how the plantations have invaded the wetlands, I felt sick to my stomach," said Sam Wohns, the report's author. "As a Harvard student, I shouldn't be benefiting from environmental destruction halfway across the world."
Together, Harvard's timber companies in Corrientes, Argentina--EVASA and Las Misiones--are worth $55.2 million and encompass 217,166 acres of land. Since it purchased the companies in 2007, the university has rapidly expanded the timber plantations into protected wetland areas and surrounding communities.
According to residents in nearby communities, the plantations reduce the productivity of their farms, create public health problems, and cause damage to public roads.
"Harvard's plantations are destroying our way of life," said Adrían Obregón, a member of the San Miguel Association of Small Producers, an organization of smallholder farmers who live near Harvard's plantations. "We want Harvard to stop expanding its plantations within our communities."
Despite their negative impacts, most of the plantations are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for sustainable management practices. According to FSC audits, however, Harvard has failed to fully implement sustainable management practices. Harvard has also rolled back environmentally friendly practices implemented by a previous owner.
"Harvard has repeatedly tried to hide its reckless behavior in the Iberá Wetlands under the guise of responsible investment," said Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute. "This report by Harvard students is a call to maintain the integrity of the university's investments."
The Responsible Investment at Harvard Coalition is calling on Harvard University President Drew Faust to implement the report's proposals, which are based on interviews conducted with community members, plantation workers, and other stakeholders.
"This student-written report is a milestone for responsible investment in higher education," said Dan Apfel, an expert on university endowments and the executive director of the Responsible Endowments Coalition. "Harvard should put a stop to the dangerous expansion of its plantations in the Iberá Wetlands and start investing its entire $32.7 billion endowment responsibly."
3. Comment from Dale F. Appel.
It is horrible because one would think there was enough brain power at Harvard for them to realize the long term problems that will result from their flagrant abuse and destruction of the forest in Argentina as well as destroying the habitat of the wild geese in Cambridge.
2. Press Release.
3. Comment from Dale F. Appel.
1. General Analysis.
Looking at the ongoing outrages on the Charles River, Harvard’s empire building on the Boston / Allston (North) side of the river is consistent with very filthy environmental hands on the part of Harvard and its friends for the benefit of Harvard.
It is a pleasure to see a group with apparent Harvard connections standing up to what looks like Harvard destructiveness of trees beyond the Charles River, in Argentina.
The most egregious immediate example is the governor’s House Bill H3332 with $26 million for projects which includes destruction of hundreds of trees between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge. This has been sold as “underpasses” under the next three bridges. The euphemism for the tree destruction is “Historical Parkways”. This destruction was previously defeated when the bureaucrats went for Obama reconstruction moneys. They are settling for a lie that describes $2 to $4 million of the funds, “underpasses” which the responsible bureaucracy, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, condemns as environmentally destructiveness.
The tree destruction would straighten out Memorial Drive to make it easier to move the I90 (Mass. Pike) exit ramp from Allston / Cambridge, to the Grand Junction Bridge under the BU Bridge. That would greatly assist moving the Harvard Medical School to the rail yards and that current exit, which Harvard purchased months after transit folks proved the rail bridge could be maneuvered into holding that traffic.
Here is what looks like a press release from concerned folks concerning Argentina. Thanks to George Despotes for providing it. It seems to have originated in Sam Wohns, wohns@college.harvard.edu
2. Press Release.
PRESS RELEASE: New Report Reveals Harvard University’s Timber Plantations in Argentine Degrade Wetlands
Responsible Investment at Harvard
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 11:00 AM EST, OCTOBER 15, 2013
CONTACT:
Anuradha Mittal, amittal@oaklandinstitute.org, 510-469-5228
Sam Wohns, wohns@college.harvard.edu, 616-334-8343 New Report Reveals Harvard University's Timber Plantations in Argentina Degrade World's Second Largest Wetlands, Endanger Surrounding Communities
October 15, 2013, Oakland, CA --A report released today reveals that industrial timber plantations owned by Harvard University in the Corrientes province of Argentina have degraded the Iberá Wetlands ecosystem and endangered thousands of small-holder farmers in the region. The report is a joint publication of the Oakland Institute and the Responsible Investment at Harvard Coalition.
The report's findings contradict recent statements by Harvard University President Drew Faust about the university's investment practices. Two weeks ago, she wrote of Harvard's "commitment to sustainable investment" and its "distinctive responsibilities to society."
"When I saw how the plantations have invaded the wetlands, I felt sick to my stomach," said Sam Wohns, the report's author. "As a Harvard student, I shouldn't be benefiting from environmental destruction halfway across the world."
Together, Harvard's timber companies in Corrientes, Argentina--EVASA and Las Misiones--are worth $55.2 million and encompass 217,166 acres of land. Since it purchased the companies in 2007, the university has rapidly expanded the timber plantations into protected wetland areas and surrounding communities.
According to residents in nearby communities, the plantations reduce the productivity of their farms, create public health problems, and cause damage to public roads.
"Harvard's plantations are destroying our way of life," said Adrían Obregón, a member of the San Miguel Association of Small Producers, an organization of smallholder farmers who live near Harvard's plantations. "We want Harvard to stop expanding its plantations within our communities."
Despite their negative impacts, most of the plantations are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for sustainable management practices. According to FSC audits, however, Harvard has failed to fully implement sustainable management practices. Harvard has also rolled back environmentally friendly practices implemented by a previous owner.
"Harvard has repeatedly tried to hide its reckless behavior in the Iberá Wetlands under the guise of responsible investment," said Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute. "This report by Harvard students is a call to maintain the integrity of the university's investments."
The Responsible Investment at Harvard Coalition is calling on Harvard University President Drew Faust to implement the report's proposals, which are based on interviews conducted with community members, plantation workers, and other stakeholders.
"This student-written report is a milestone for responsible investment in higher education," said Dan Apfel, an expert on university endowments and the executive director of the Responsible Endowments Coalition. "Harvard should put a stop to the dangerous expansion of its plantations in the Iberá Wetlands and start investing its entire $32.7 billion endowment responsibly."
3. Comment from Dale F. Appel.
It is horrible because one would think there was enough brain power at Harvard for them to realize the long term problems that will result from their flagrant abuse and destruction of the forest in Argentina as well as destroying the habitat of the wild geese in Cambridge.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Cambridge, MA, USA, State to brag of first stage of Destruction of the irreplaceable Alewife Reservation
Cambridge, MA, USA, State to brag of first stage of Destruction of the irreplaceable Alewife Reservation
Longtime Cambridge Machine operative Robert Winters has published in his “Cambridge Civic Journal Forum” the proud announcement by Cambridge and the state bureaucrats of the first stage of their destruction of the irreplaceable Alewife.
This reprehensible act is being accomplished with a Cambridge Machine company union telling folks to look at the private property owners in the area and ignore the very real threat of their friends.
According to the report, 3.2 acres of irreplaceable woods have been replaced for flood protection.
Not mentioned is that the flood protection will protect against the worst possible storm in two years and flood protection under the definition of the world is against the worst possible storm in 100 years.
Winters photos are as follows:
[August 2012]
[October 2013]
My own photos of this outrage have been published at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cambridge-pols-destroy-alewife-photo.html.
Look at the edge of this outrage. These massive trees used to occupy the “created wetlands”.
The key is that the area needs flood protection. Cambridge and the State Bureaucrats are either going to destroy the entire irreplaceable Alewife reservation for the flood protection with the Cambridge Machine cheering them on or they are going to put flood storage under the many new buildings coming on line.
Trouble is that the company unions have been telling folks to look at the private developers. Do not look at Cambridge. Do not look at the fact that flood protective tanks should be placed under new developments with Cambridge money.
So the buildings are going up without the flood protection.
The leader of the key fake group has publicly bragged of the destruction in the pages of the Cambridge Chronicle.
And she keeps up the pious nonsense.
And the Cambridge Machine frauds on the Charles River fight for destruction of hundreds of trees there, even stooping to blatantly corrupt tactics.
And a fake “Conservancy” has just disclosed that the public hearing on the Governor’s bill for Charles River destruction, H3332, had its hearing in August rather than in September for which a wrong impression has been given. The fake “Conservancy”, of course, is part of the outrage on the Charles corresponding to the fake group at Alewife.
Business as usual in the "reprehensible" City of Cambridge, MA, USA. "Reprehensible" quotes the judge in Monteiro v. Cambridge, concerning Cambridge's contempt for women's rights.
Longtime Cambridge Machine operative Robert Winters has published in his “Cambridge Civic Journal Forum” the proud announcement by Cambridge and the state bureaucrats of the first stage of their destruction of the irreplaceable Alewife.
This reprehensible act is being accomplished with a Cambridge Machine company union telling folks to look at the private property owners in the area and ignore the very real threat of their friends.
According to the report, 3.2 acres of irreplaceable woods have been replaced for flood protection.
Not mentioned is that the flood protection will protect against the worst possible storm in two years and flood protection under the definition of the world is against the worst possible storm in 100 years.
Winters photos are as follows:
[August 2012]
[October 2013]
My own photos of this outrage have been published at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cambridge-pols-destroy-alewife-photo.html.
Look at the edge of this outrage. These massive trees used to occupy the “created wetlands”.
The key is that the area needs flood protection. Cambridge and the State Bureaucrats are either going to destroy the entire irreplaceable Alewife reservation for the flood protection with the Cambridge Machine cheering them on or they are going to put flood storage under the many new buildings coming on line.
Trouble is that the company unions have been telling folks to look at the private developers. Do not look at Cambridge. Do not look at the fact that flood protective tanks should be placed under new developments with Cambridge money.
So the buildings are going up without the flood protection.
The leader of the key fake group has publicly bragged of the destruction in the pages of the Cambridge Chronicle.
And she keeps up the pious nonsense.
And the Cambridge Machine frauds on the Charles River fight for destruction of hundreds of trees there, even stooping to blatantly corrupt tactics.
And a fake “Conservancy” has just disclosed that the public hearing on the Governor’s bill for Charles River destruction, H3332, had its hearing in August rather than in September for which a wrong impression has been given. The fake “Conservancy”, of course, is part of the outrage on the Charles corresponding to the fake group at Alewife.
Business as usual in the "reprehensible" City of Cambridge, MA, USA. "Reprehensible" quotes the judge in Monteiro v. Cambridge, concerning Cambridge's contempt for women's rights.
Friday, October 11, 2013
300 Year Old Pear Tree Survives Near the Charles River
1. George Despotes Reports.
2. In context.
1. George Despotes Reports.
The Massachusetts General Hospital publication this week has a short article about a pear tree planted in 1632 that is still producing ...
[ed. Massachusetts General Hospital is on the south side of the Charles River at the foot of the rear side of Beacon Hill in Boston. It is on the opposite side of the Charles River from Cambridge.]
2. In context.
That won't happen on public property in Cambridge.
It would be in the way of the saplings they want to be planted to make Tree City USA since Tree City USA only counts saplings and does not count the mature, excellent trees destroyed to make way for saplings.
Additionally, many carefully controlled Company Unions sound great. They run around proclaiming their independence and praising the city, and its very destructive bureaucrats, councilors and friends. Too many of them are very effective in achieving the opposite of what they claim to stand for.
But they sound great and, if you do not understand reality, you might even consider all of them meaningful.
2. In context.
1. George Despotes Reports.
The Massachusetts General Hospital publication this week has a short article about a pear tree planted in 1632 that is still producing ...
[ed. Massachusetts General Hospital is on the south side of the Charles River at the foot of the rear side of Beacon Hill in Boston. It is on the opposite side of the Charles River from Cambridge.]
2. In context.
That won't happen on public property in Cambridge.
It would be in the way of the saplings they want to be planted to make Tree City USA since Tree City USA only counts saplings and does not count the mature, excellent trees destroyed to make way for saplings.
Additionally, many carefully controlled Company Unions sound great. They run around proclaiming their independence and praising the city, and its very destructive bureaucrats, councilors and friends. Too many of them are very effective in achieving the opposite of what they claim to stand for.
But they sound great and, if you do not understand reality, you might even consider all of them meaningful.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Alewife: The pious con games persist.
Cambridge Day published yet another extended analysis on October 8 by Ellen Mass on Alewife. The usual holier than thou nonsense / company union bit.
I have submitted the following response, with edits:
**********
Photos of destruction at Alewife that Ellen Mass has bragged about in the pages of the Cambridge Chronicle may be viewed at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cambridge-pols-destroy-alewife-photo.html.
Ellen fights the Don Quixote fights against private developers and stalls against the winnable fights against public developers in the core Alewife reservation. The core Alewife Reservation is fully savable by building flood storage under new buildings by the city constructing flood storage in partnership with the local developers.
The MacKinnon projects are built with smaller versions of what should be done.
So Ellen tells people to look at everything else except the fight that can be won, the fight against the imminent destruction of the core Alewife reservation by her irresponsible friends at the City of Cambridge and the DCR.
Suddenly they will "notice" that the "flood protection" in the area of destruction that Ellen has bragged about will only protect against two year storms. Then they will destroy the rest of the publicly owned Alewife.
Who is most guilty for this: Ellen Mass and others in the Cambridge Machine telling people to look at private property owners acting within allowed zoning and not to look at her irresponsible government friends and their destruction which she has bragged about.
**********
Just another very destructive company union fighting for the opposite of what they claim to stand for.
I have submitted the following response, with edits:
**********
Photos of destruction at Alewife that Ellen Mass has bragged about in the pages of the Cambridge Chronicle may be viewed at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cambridge-pols-destroy-alewife-photo.html.
Ellen fights the Don Quixote fights against private developers and stalls against the winnable fights against public developers in the core Alewife reservation. The core Alewife Reservation is fully savable by building flood storage under new buildings by the city constructing flood storage in partnership with the local developers.
The MacKinnon projects are built with smaller versions of what should be done.
So Ellen tells people to look at everything else except the fight that can be won, the fight against the imminent destruction of the core Alewife reservation by her irresponsible friends at the City of Cambridge and the DCR.
Suddenly they will "notice" that the "flood protection" in the area of destruction that Ellen has bragged about will only protect against two year storms. Then they will destroy the rest of the publicly owned Alewife.
Who is most guilty for this: Ellen Mass and others in the Cambridge Machine telling people to look at private property owners acting within allowed zoning and not to look at her irresponsible government friends and their destruction which she has bragged about.
**********
Just another very destructive company union fighting for the opposite of what they claim to stand for.
Saturday, October 05, 2013
The Cambridge, MA, USA Machine, Fruit Trees on the Charles, plus destruction at the Cambridge Common and Alewife.
1. Introduction.
2. Censored response on Magazine Beach and the Destroyed Nesting area.
3. Response from George Despotes.
4. The corrupt tactics — Machine’s Corrupt fight for massive fruit tree destruction.
5. “Minka, Cheung, Kelley and environmental destruction, Alewife and the Cambridge Common.
1. Introduction.
One thing which is a very strong constant around the Cambridge Machine is lofty, lovely discussions with machine operatives in the middle looking great but, through omission, frequently fighting for the opposite of that lovely goal.
The Cambridge Machine’s forum has repeatedly seen discussions about the possible planting of fruit trees. Most of the discussion has been responsible. A couple of posts have supported fruit trees on the Magazine Beach playing fields or in the Destroyed Nesting Area to which the 32 year resident Charles River White Geese have been heartlessly confined and starved.
2. Censored response on Magazine Beach and the Destroyed Nesting area.
I submitted the following response to a comment supporting fruit trees on the Magazine Beach playing fields. My response, of course, was censored. Slight correction of typos.
********
There is ample room at the Magazine Beach playing fields for planting of an orchard because of the drainage system built to drain off the poisons needed to keep alive the sickly grass which was introduced in place of the responsible grass which was destroyed that survived the better part of a century.
This sickly grass is scheduled to replace healthy grass on the hillside and in the wetlands behind the swimming pool.
This behavior is so irresponsible that that was the reason for the corrupt tactics in the vote rubber stamping the state bureaucrats, their destructive behavior and their lies of omission.
All that is necessary to reverse this outrage is to spend the money being spent sewing on poisons on sewing responsible grass seed for the grass which was destroyed with no public notice in advance and corrupt tactics to keep it there.
Once responsible grass is put back in place, then the bureaucrats do not need the fancy drainage system to drain off the poisons, and that very large area could be used for an orchard instead.
There also was a suggestion to plant the apple trees in the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese. That would be fought by the bureaucrats because the heartless abuse furthers their goal of killing off all animals residing in the Charles River Basin.
An excellent spot for a tree or two would be the place where the bureaucrats dumped all that crushed stone after the railroad workers left. The railroad workers were highly irresponsible with their belligerent destruction through parking of the most sensitive part of the Destroyed Nesting Area, the area most beloved by the Charles River White Geese. The bureaucrats then made the situation that much worse.
The problems at Magazine Beach are outrageous and easy to fix. That makes the corrupt tactics being used to keep those problems in place that much more outrageous.
3. Response from George Despotes.
I agree (and “sow” instead of “sew”.)
4. The Cambridge Machine’s Corrupt fight for massive fruit tree destruction.
Buried in the bowels of the outrageous stolen vote on the Charles River was fine print in the fine print supporting the bureaucrats fight to destroy hundreds of trees between the Magazine Beach playing fields and the Longfellow Bridge. This is included in Governor Patrick’s House Bill H-3332
As part of the hundreds of trees being destroyed, the bureaucrats, with the support of the Cambridge Machine, want to destroy pretty much every cherry tree between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge.
5. “Minka”, Cheung, Kelley and environmental destruction, Alewife and the Cambridge Common.
Councilor “Minka” is a self proclaimed environmentalist. City Councilors who call themselves environmentalists are the worst members. By being on the city council, they are taking seats which would go to responsible people if it were not for the institutional lying which is normal in the City of Cambridge. “Minka” is one of nine city councilors (out of nine) who support the destruction of 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common.
I reported the vote at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/cambridge-city-council-to-consider.html.
She has explained her position to a third party.
Translated into English, her position translates into “The Development Department made me do it.” She, of course, communicated that she was relying on their expertise in tree destruction.
I was discussing her destruction on the Cambridge Common with her in front of a political meeting a few weeks ago. We were in the middle of a bunch of people, and Coiuncilor Cheung passed by.
I loudly asked Councilor Cheung when the destruction of the 22 trees he voted for on the Cambridge Common was about to start. He ignored me.
“Minka” in a public meeting broadly cooed about how she was saving the environment at Alewife. I asked her about the destruction of acres of irreplaceable forest in the exact area she was discussing, and about the imminent destruction of apparently all publicly owned forest at Alewife.
She changed the subject.
I reported a motion by Councilor Kelly on the Cambridge Common destruction at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/environmental-destruction-at-cambridge.html. This motion called for all targeted trees to be marked for the public’s information. The motion passed. Then there was a walk through. The trees have not been marked. I presume the walk through communicated to the councilors just exactly how irresponsible their vote had been.
I reported on the environmental notification form with its admission of massive destruction at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/22-trees-proposed-to-be-destroyed-on.html.
Photos of the planned destruction on the Cambridge Common are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/impending-destruction-cambridge-ma-usa.html.
Caveat: please do not think that these comments on “Minka” and Cheung and Kelley are in any way an endorsement of other Cambridge City Council candidates.
I see no reason yet to think there is any seriously pro environment candidate in the bunch, incumbents or challengers, although I am trying to prod.
2. Censored response on Magazine Beach and the Destroyed Nesting area.
3. Response from George Despotes.
4. The corrupt tactics — Machine’s Corrupt fight for massive fruit tree destruction.
5. “Minka, Cheung, Kelley and environmental destruction, Alewife and the Cambridge Common.
1. Introduction.
One thing which is a very strong constant around the Cambridge Machine is lofty, lovely discussions with machine operatives in the middle looking great but, through omission, frequently fighting for the opposite of that lovely goal.
The Cambridge Machine’s forum has repeatedly seen discussions about the possible planting of fruit trees. Most of the discussion has been responsible. A couple of posts have supported fruit trees on the Magazine Beach playing fields or in the Destroyed Nesting Area to which the 32 year resident Charles River White Geese have been heartlessly confined and starved.
2. Censored response on Magazine Beach and the Destroyed Nesting area.
I submitted the following response to a comment supporting fruit trees on the Magazine Beach playing fields. My response, of course, was censored. Slight correction of typos.
********
There is ample room at the Magazine Beach playing fields for planting of an orchard because of the drainage system built to drain off the poisons needed to keep alive the sickly grass which was introduced in place of the responsible grass which was destroyed that survived the better part of a century.
This sickly grass is scheduled to replace healthy grass on the hillside and in the wetlands behind the swimming pool.
This behavior is so irresponsible that that was the reason for the corrupt tactics in the vote rubber stamping the state bureaucrats, their destructive behavior and their lies of omission.
All that is necessary to reverse this outrage is to spend the money being spent sewing on poisons on sewing responsible grass seed for the grass which was destroyed with no public notice in advance and corrupt tactics to keep it there.
Once responsible grass is put back in place, then the bureaucrats do not need the fancy drainage system to drain off the poisons, and that very large area could be used for an orchard instead.
There also was a suggestion to plant the apple trees in the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese. That would be fought by the bureaucrats because the heartless abuse furthers their goal of killing off all animals residing in the Charles River Basin.
An excellent spot for a tree or two would be the place where the bureaucrats dumped all that crushed stone after the railroad workers left. The railroad workers were highly irresponsible with their belligerent destruction through parking of the most sensitive part of the Destroyed Nesting Area, the area most beloved by the Charles River White Geese. The bureaucrats then made the situation that much worse.
The problems at Magazine Beach are outrageous and easy to fix. That makes the corrupt tactics being used to keep those problems in place that much more outrageous.
3. Response from George Despotes.
I agree (and “sow” instead of “sew”.)
4. The Cambridge Machine’s Corrupt fight for massive fruit tree destruction.
Buried in the bowels of the outrageous stolen vote on the Charles River was fine print in the fine print supporting the bureaucrats fight to destroy hundreds of trees between the Magazine Beach playing fields and the Longfellow Bridge. This is included in Governor Patrick’s House Bill H-3332
As part of the hundreds of trees being destroyed, the bureaucrats, with the support of the Cambridge Machine, want to destroy pretty much every cherry tree between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge.
5. “Minka”, Cheung, Kelley and environmental destruction, Alewife and the Cambridge Common.
Councilor “Minka” is a self proclaimed environmentalist. City Councilors who call themselves environmentalists are the worst members. By being on the city council, they are taking seats which would go to responsible people if it were not for the institutional lying which is normal in the City of Cambridge. “Minka” is one of nine city councilors (out of nine) who support the destruction of 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common.
I reported the vote at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/cambridge-city-council-to-consider.html.
She has explained her position to a third party.
Translated into English, her position translates into “The Development Department made me do it.” She, of course, communicated that she was relying on their expertise in tree destruction.
I was discussing her destruction on the Cambridge Common with her in front of a political meeting a few weeks ago. We were in the middle of a bunch of people, and Coiuncilor Cheung passed by.
I loudly asked Councilor Cheung when the destruction of the 22 trees he voted for on the Cambridge Common was about to start. He ignored me.
“Minka” in a public meeting broadly cooed about how she was saving the environment at Alewife. I asked her about the destruction of acres of irreplaceable forest in the exact area she was discussing, and about the imminent destruction of apparently all publicly owned forest at Alewife.
She changed the subject.
I reported a motion by Councilor Kelly on the Cambridge Common destruction at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/environmental-destruction-at-cambridge.html. This motion called for all targeted trees to be marked for the public’s information. The motion passed. Then there was a walk through. The trees have not been marked. I presume the walk through communicated to the councilors just exactly how irresponsible their vote had been.
I reported on the environmental notification form with its admission of massive destruction at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/22-trees-proposed-to-be-destroyed-on.html.
Photos of the planned destruction on the Cambridge Common are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/impending-destruction-cambridge-ma-usa.html.
Caveat: please do not think that these comments on “Minka” and Cheung and Kelley are in any way an endorsement of other Cambridge City Council candidates.
I see no reason yet to think there is any seriously pro environment candidate in the bunch, incumbents or challengers, although I am trying to prod.
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
Cambridge, MA, City Council talks Discrimination Case, and does not want to know reality
1. Committee meets concerning Monteiro v. Cambridge.
2. The case.
3. The message of judge, jury and appeals court.
4. The response of the Cambridge City Council.
5. Missing complainants.
6. Confusion?
1. Committee meets concerning Monteiro v. Cambridge.
Cambridge Day has posted a report on Civic Unity Committee meeting concerning discrimination in Cambridge Government. There are two essentially identically named committees and the reporters never distinguish which is the one they are talking about. This sounds like the City Council committee. It is posted at: http://www.cambridgeday.com/2013/09/25/city-manager-promises-the-fearful-no-retaliation-for-discrimination-complaints/.
2. The case.
Monteiro v. City of Cambridge concerned a women’s rights complaint filed by the head of the city’s Police Review Board. She is a black Cape Verdean female. After filing the complaint, she was fired.
She lost the underlying complaint but won overwhelmingly on an added complaint that her firing was retaliation. The jury awarded about $1.1 million underlying damages and $3.5 million penal damages. The penal damages were more than three times the basic award. Clearly the jury was sending a message to the City of Cambridge that the City Manager’s firing of this woman and destroying her life in retaliation was very much unacceptable.
The judge wrote an excellent opinion which has routinely been summarized in one word, “Reprehensible.”
Cambridge appealed. The Appeals Court panel treated the appeal with disgust. It refused to dignify the appeal with a formal opinion, writing of “ample evidence of . . . outrageous misbehavior.”
3. The message of judge, jury and appeals court.
Nothing complicated about these communications, extreme malfeasance in office.
City Manager Robert Healy had judge, jury and appeals court telling the City Council of the City of Cambridge that they should fire City Manager Robert Healy for malfeasance in office by his retaliatory firing of Malvina Monteiro for filing that civil rights complaint.
The decision undisputedly supported his firing. The only real question raised was whether he should be fired without pension.
4. The response of the Cambridge City Council.
The poor dears sat on their hands. Exactly zero city councilors meaningfully attempted to implement the clear directives of judge, jury and appeals court. Exactly zero city councilors meaningfully attempted to fire Robert Healy.
The city council funded the appeals process. One columnist for the Boston Globe called the appeal beyond the bounds of reason.
At one point way after all the negative comments, some city councilors filed a motion to chastize Robert Healy. Some Councilors who filed the motion to chastize proceeded to move to put the motion on the table.
5. Missing complainants.
There are more such complaints being heard and people present for the hearing mentioned those complaints.
Robert Healy has honorably retired. His replacement insists he would not mistreat any complainant.
But no complainants showed up.
6. Confusion?
The poor dears could not understand why no complainants showed up.
The poor dears sound so holier than thou.
The poor dears cannot understand why people complaining of discrimination would not do so publicly.
But then again, judge, jury and appeals court gave the Cambridge City Council ample grounds, a final court decision giving them grounds to fire Healy for malfeasance in office.
And exactly zero city councilors attempted to fire Robert Healy.
But they are putting on yet more pious shows telling folks how holy they are.
And they have a massive machine telling people how holy they are.
And they cannot understand why complainants are not showing up.
They cannot possibly be so stupid.
2. The case.
3. The message of judge, jury and appeals court.
4. The response of the Cambridge City Council.
5. Missing complainants.
6. Confusion?
1. Committee meets concerning Monteiro v. Cambridge.
Cambridge Day has posted a report on Civic Unity Committee meeting concerning discrimination in Cambridge Government. There are two essentially identically named committees and the reporters never distinguish which is the one they are talking about. This sounds like the City Council committee. It is posted at: http://www.cambridgeday.com/2013/09/25/city-manager-promises-the-fearful-no-retaliation-for-discrimination-complaints/.
2. The case.
Monteiro v. City of Cambridge concerned a women’s rights complaint filed by the head of the city’s Police Review Board. She is a black Cape Verdean female. After filing the complaint, she was fired.
She lost the underlying complaint but won overwhelmingly on an added complaint that her firing was retaliation. The jury awarded about $1.1 million underlying damages and $3.5 million penal damages. The penal damages were more than three times the basic award. Clearly the jury was sending a message to the City of Cambridge that the City Manager’s firing of this woman and destroying her life in retaliation was very much unacceptable.
The judge wrote an excellent opinion which has routinely been summarized in one word, “Reprehensible.”
Cambridge appealed. The Appeals Court panel treated the appeal with disgust. It refused to dignify the appeal with a formal opinion, writing of “ample evidence of . . . outrageous misbehavior.”
3. The message of judge, jury and appeals court.
Nothing complicated about these communications, extreme malfeasance in office.
City Manager Robert Healy had judge, jury and appeals court telling the City Council of the City of Cambridge that they should fire City Manager Robert Healy for malfeasance in office by his retaliatory firing of Malvina Monteiro for filing that civil rights complaint.
The decision undisputedly supported his firing. The only real question raised was whether he should be fired without pension.
4. The response of the Cambridge City Council.
The poor dears sat on their hands. Exactly zero city councilors meaningfully attempted to implement the clear directives of judge, jury and appeals court. Exactly zero city councilors meaningfully attempted to fire Robert Healy.
The city council funded the appeals process. One columnist for the Boston Globe called the appeal beyond the bounds of reason.
At one point way after all the negative comments, some city councilors filed a motion to chastize Robert Healy. Some Councilors who filed the motion to chastize proceeded to move to put the motion on the table.
5. Missing complainants.
There are more such complaints being heard and people present for the hearing mentioned those complaints.
Robert Healy has honorably retired. His replacement insists he would not mistreat any complainant.
But no complainants showed up.
6. Confusion?
The poor dears could not understand why no complainants showed up.
The poor dears sound so holier than thou.
The poor dears cannot understand why people complaining of discrimination would not do so publicly.
But then again, judge, jury and appeals court gave the Cambridge City Council ample grounds, a final court decision giving them grounds to fire Healy for malfeasance in office.
And exactly zero city councilors attempted to fire Robert Healy.
But they are putting on yet more pious shows telling folks how holy they are.
And they have a massive machine telling people how holy they are.
And they cannot understand why complainants are not showing up.
They cannot possibly be so stupid.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Lying through omission on the Charles River, fake "conservancy."
1. The lie.
2. The reality.
3. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
1. The lie.
The very much standard game in the ongoing destruction fought for by the Cambridge Machine and its friends is lying through omission combined with non stop holier than thou nonsense..
The falsely named Charles River “Conservancy” put the following pitch in this month’s newsletter:
***********
we ask you to renew your support so that we may continue these programs as well as our advocacy campaign for pedestrian and cycling underpasses at the Anderson Memorial, Western Avenue, and River Street bridges.
2. The reality.
This falsely named group has previously identified the bond support it is supporting for those “underpasses” as approximately $2 to $4 million for the “underpasses," and about $24 million for “associated” paths. Now, given the 12 to 1 radio, you would think they would be talking about the part which has 12 fold the money of the portion they are bragging about.
But the “associated” paths destroy hundreds of trees between the Longfellow and BU Bridges, the three bridges east of the bridges they are bragging about, along with further general destruction, and heartless animal abuse.
The fake conservancy never mentions reality. The Governor’s bond request puts the lie to the “underpass” nonsense, and the responsible agency, MassDOT, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, rejects the much less large “underpass” proposal because it is so environmentally destructive. The part MassDOT rejects is one twelfth the size of the stuff being kept secret, one twelfth the size of the portion which is not part of MassDOT’s domain.
This destruction which is lied about by omission appears in Governor Patrick’s bond request, House Bill H 3332, as “Historical Parkways.” Even there, the realities of massive destruction is, again, kept secret by omission. The closest Patrick gets to mentioning the destruction of all that environment including those hundreds of trees is the lying euphemism, “Historical Parkways.”
The key entity in the destruction is the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The last time the Department of Conservation and Recreation fought for this destruction, they were seeking Obama moneys in the relief program targeted at getting us out of the Great Recession. Then they lied that all the trees were diseased, a lie proven by their filing with the City of Cambridge.
Fortunately, they lost because they came closer to mentioning in public what they were doing.
Now the lie is that they are talking underpasses for the Western Avenue, the River Street and the Anderson Bridges. They do not mention the 12 fold funding for massive destruction of trees and animal habitat in the area of the BU, the Harvard (MIT) and Longfellow Bridges, for the “associated” path.
But the Charles River “Conservancy” and their friends in the Cambridge Machine will tell you nonstop that they are holier than thou.
The leader of the CRC has publicly oozed when she has publicly discussed the destruction of those hundreds of trees.
She announced the start of the Longfellow Bridge project by oozing at the first tree destruction.
This is what is falsely proclaimed a “conservancy.”
3. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
Massachusetts Governor’s Office email form: http://www.mass.gov/governor/constituentservices/contact/.
State environmental people, DES Hotline: ESF.Hotline@state.ma.us.
MassDOT Accelerated Bridges Program: 857-368-8904 or Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us
All Massachusetts Legislators’ emails: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/emails-for-all-massachusetts.html.
Cambridge, MA, USA city councilors: Council@cambridgema.gov.
**********
For people listening to Boston Sierra Club endorsements of environmentally destructive members of and candidates for the Cambridge City Council, you should be aware that
(1) using the world’s definition of “environmentalism,” there are no environmentally responsible members of the Cambridge City Council; Cambridge’s definition is that environmentalists protect that which Cambridge does not feel like destroying; the Cambridge pols are oh, so pious using their secret, fraudulent definition;
(2) the school committee member running for Cambridge City Council fought for the outrages at the Magazine Beach playing fields;
(a) his indignant explanation is that he claims to be only responsible for the good stuff;
(b) that explanation is combined with exactly no demonstration of any meaningful opposition whatsoever to the outrages; and
(c) as is usual in Cambridge, his claims of “improvements” are belied by reality. The playing fields have been decreased in size by his project!!!!! This is to drain off the poisons being dumped to keep alive sickly introduced grasses which replaced healthy grass that survived the better part of a century without poisons; and
(3) there are Cambridge Machine activists very visible and apparently very active in the Boston Sierra Club.
If you are talking to a person associated with the Boston Sierra Club, do a credibility check. Ask if they are familiar with the “Urban Ring” rapid transit proposal. This is a subway proposal designed to link the existing subway spokes. I have been working on it since 1985. Cambridge raised the project in a comment to an environmental Impact Statement a few months ago.
If the Boston Sierra Club “expert” answers “yes,” that he / she is familiar with the Urban Ring rapid transit proposal, ask how many rail options there are. If the answer is “one,” you are getting the flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge.
Cambridge’s flat out lie is that, of the TWO rail options, the only one that exists is the environmentally destructive streetcar option which the City of Cambridge supports. This option would be highly destructive to the environment near the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
The reality is that THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS SUBSIDIZED THE OTHER OPTION, the responsible Orange Line / heavy rail option, the Kenmore crossing. The state legislature has subsidized the expansion of Yawkey Station as part of the massive Fenway Park area project which has gotten recent press.
Cambridge’s nonsensical proposal would move Yawkey Station three blocks. The Cambridge proposal would not work without moving Yawkey Station. The Kenmore Crossing uses the now subsidized and being expanded Yawkey Station as part of a brilliant megastation.
You should immediately respond to such nonsense from a Sierra Club “expert” by having nothing more to do with this person. Whether the person is stupid or venal is irrelevant, the person has no credibility and is not worthy of your time.
It is frequently difficult to pin these irresponsible people down in general. The deviant behavior in my test is extreme. They are pious in their demands that, if you are politically correct and pro environment, you have to rubber stamp them. Please do not waste your time arguing about destruction they can try to wiggle around.
Turn your back on them and walk away fast.
2. The reality.
3. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
1. The lie.
The very much standard game in the ongoing destruction fought for by the Cambridge Machine and its friends is lying through omission combined with non stop holier than thou nonsense..
The falsely named Charles River “Conservancy” put the following pitch in this month’s newsletter:
***********
we ask you to renew your support so that we may continue these programs as well as our advocacy campaign for pedestrian and cycling underpasses at the Anderson Memorial, Western Avenue, and River Street bridges.
2. The reality.
This falsely named group has previously identified the bond support it is supporting for those “underpasses” as approximately $2 to $4 million for the “underpasses," and about $24 million for “associated” paths. Now, given the 12 to 1 radio, you would think they would be talking about the part which has 12 fold the money of the portion they are bragging about.
But the “associated” paths destroy hundreds of trees between the Longfellow and BU Bridges, the three bridges east of the bridges they are bragging about, along with further general destruction, and heartless animal abuse.
The fake conservancy never mentions reality. The Governor’s bond request puts the lie to the “underpass” nonsense, and the responsible agency, MassDOT, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, rejects the much less large “underpass” proposal because it is so environmentally destructive. The part MassDOT rejects is one twelfth the size of the stuff being kept secret, one twelfth the size of the portion which is not part of MassDOT’s domain.
This destruction which is lied about by omission appears in Governor Patrick’s bond request, House Bill H 3332, as “Historical Parkways.” Even there, the realities of massive destruction is, again, kept secret by omission. The closest Patrick gets to mentioning the destruction of all that environment including those hundreds of trees is the lying euphemism, “Historical Parkways.”
The key entity in the destruction is the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The last time the Department of Conservation and Recreation fought for this destruction, they were seeking Obama moneys in the relief program targeted at getting us out of the Great Recession. Then they lied that all the trees were diseased, a lie proven by their filing with the City of Cambridge.
Fortunately, they lost because they came closer to mentioning in public what they were doing.
Now the lie is that they are talking underpasses for the Western Avenue, the River Street and the Anderson Bridges. They do not mention the 12 fold funding for massive destruction of trees and animal habitat in the area of the BU, the Harvard (MIT) and Longfellow Bridges, for the “associated” path.
But the Charles River “Conservancy” and their friends in the Cambridge Machine will tell you nonstop that they are holier than thou.
The leader of the CRC has publicly oozed when she has publicly discussed the destruction of those hundreds of trees.
She announced the start of the Longfellow Bridge project by oozing at the first tree destruction.
This is what is falsely proclaimed a “conservancy.”
3. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
Massachusetts Governor’s Office email form: http://www.mass.gov/governor/constituentservices/contact/.
State environmental people, DES Hotline: ESF.Hotline@state.ma.us.
MassDOT Accelerated Bridges Program: 857-368-8904 or Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us
All Massachusetts Legislators’ emails: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/emails-for-all-massachusetts.html.
Cambridge, MA, USA city councilors: Council@cambridgema.gov.
**********
For people listening to Boston Sierra Club endorsements of environmentally destructive members of and candidates for the Cambridge City Council, you should be aware that
(1) using the world’s definition of “environmentalism,” there are no environmentally responsible members of the Cambridge City Council; Cambridge’s definition is that environmentalists protect that which Cambridge does not feel like destroying; the Cambridge pols are oh, so pious using their secret, fraudulent definition;
(2) the school committee member running for Cambridge City Council fought for the outrages at the Magazine Beach playing fields;
(a) his indignant explanation is that he claims to be only responsible for the good stuff;
(b) that explanation is combined with exactly no demonstration of any meaningful opposition whatsoever to the outrages; and
(c) as is usual in Cambridge, his claims of “improvements” are belied by reality. The playing fields have been decreased in size by his project!!!!! This is to drain off the poisons being dumped to keep alive sickly introduced grasses which replaced healthy grass that survived the better part of a century without poisons; and
(3) there are Cambridge Machine activists very visible and apparently very active in the Boston Sierra Club.
If you are talking to a person associated with the Boston Sierra Club, do a credibility check. Ask if they are familiar with the “Urban Ring” rapid transit proposal. This is a subway proposal designed to link the existing subway spokes. I have been working on it since 1985. Cambridge raised the project in a comment to an environmental Impact Statement a few months ago.
If the Boston Sierra Club “expert” answers “yes,” that he / she is familiar with the Urban Ring rapid transit proposal, ask how many rail options there are. If the answer is “one,” you are getting the flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge.
Cambridge’s flat out lie is that, of the TWO rail options, the only one that exists is the environmentally destructive streetcar option which the City of Cambridge supports. This option would be highly destructive to the environment near the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
The reality is that THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS SUBSIDIZED THE OTHER OPTION, the responsible Orange Line / heavy rail option, the Kenmore crossing. The state legislature has subsidized the expansion of Yawkey Station as part of the massive Fenway Park area project which has gotten recent press.
Cambridge’s nonsensical proposal would move Yawkey Station three blocks. The Cambridge proposal would not work without moving Yawkey Station. The Kenmore Crossing uses the now subsidized and being expanded Yawkey Station as part of a brilliant megastation.
You should immediately respond to such nonsense from a Sierra Club “expert” by having nothing more to do with this person. Whether the person is stupid or venal is irrelevant, the person has no credibility and is not worthy of your time.
It is frequently difficult to pin these irresponsible people down in general. The deviant behavior in my test is extreme. They are pious in their demands that, if you are politically correct and pro environment, you have to rubber stamp them. Please do not waste your time arguing about destruction they can try to wiggle around.
Turn your back on them and walk away fast.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Housing Expansion Presentation Coming
1. Context.
2. Meeting announced on MIT housing expansion.
3. Councilor from MIT/Harvard on destruction at the Cambridge Common.
4. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
1. Context.
Near the Grand Junction railroad tracks across from the MIT athletic fields is a more than block long building at least 12 stories high which is designed to look like a bee hive. This building is dominant. It is MIT Housing.
It came into existence in the usual Cambridge, MA deal. There has been a shelter for the homeless with alcohol problems on the city (as opposed to MIT) side of the Grand Junction Railroad near that structure. The Cambridge city council made a TEMPORARY deal with MIT to allow the shelter’s continued existence.
What they gave in place was to allow MIT to PERMANENTLY call the street adjoining that monstrous structure part of the lot on which the structure sits. Everybody else measures the size of their buildings under maximum floor area allowed based on the size of their lot. It is unheard of to count the street as part of the lot, but Cambridge allowed this in exchange for TEMPORARY continuation of use of the homeless structure.
So MIT gets reality. Cambridge homeless get a temporary use.
This is reality in the City of Cambridge, MA.
2. Meeting announced on MIT housing expansion.
Cambridge Day has a report announcing a meeting this coming Monday, September 30, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, toward the river from the Kendall Station on the Red Line, on Carleton Street, the fourth floor of MIT Building E25, room 401. The report is posted at http://www.cambridgeday.com/2013/09/23/mit-working-group-due-to-report-back-in-july-wants-citizen-input-on-housing-oct-1/.
This is to discuss the future of MIT housing.
MIT housing now dominates the riverfront from the Mass. Ave. Bridge, the first bridge east of the BU Bridge nearly to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
That monstrous bee hive dorm is constructed exactly where the MBTA planned to turn the Urban Ring transit line on the Kenmore Crossing. It is still possible to go under the dorm or go around it. Then the playing fields would still be above the Urban Ring.
A key MIT planner has publicly praised the leader of the Cambridge Machine’s fake neighborhood association for his position on Magazine Beach. This was a rare public communication of reality. The folks are destroying, destroying, destroying, and they recognize the value to their destruction of this company union.
Where will the next “housing” go?
A neutral detailed report on MIT’s plans for its public presentation is posted by Cambridge Day at http://www.cambridgeday.com/2013/09/23/mit-working-group-due-to-report-back-in-july-wants-citizen-input-on-housing-oct-1/.
The building where the meeting is being held is not that far from the two excellent groves of trees destroyed and being destroyed on the Cambridge end of the Longfellow Bridge construction.
MIT aggressively supports the destruction of hundreds of excellent trees on Memorial Drive as part of Governor Patrick’s House Bill 3332. It should be considered in a legislative hearing fairly soon.
3. Councilor from MIT/Harvard on destruction at the Cambridge Common.
Outside last week’s meeting of the Cambridge Machine, in front of quite a few people, I asked Councillor Cheung, the councilor from MIT and Harvard, when destruction is slated to start on the 22 trees he voted to destroy on the Cambridge Common.
He snubbed me.
Reality is so inconvenient.
4. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
Massachusetts Governor’s Office email form: http://www.mass.gov/governor/constituentservices/contact/.
State environmental people, DES Hotline: ESF.Hotline@state.ma.us.
MassDOT Accelerated Bridges Program: 857-368-8904 or Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us
All Massachusetts Legislators’ emails: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/emails-for-all-massachusetts.html.
Cambridge, MA, USA city councilors: Council@cambridgema.gov.
**********
For people listening to Boston Sierra Club endorsements of environmentally destructive members of and candidates for the Cambridge City Council, you should be aware that
(1) using the world’s definition of “environmentalism,” there are no environmentally responsible members of the Cambridge City Council; Cambridge’s definition is that environmentalists protect that which Cambridge does not feel like destroying; the Cambridge pols are oh, so pious using their secret, fraudulent definition;
(2) the school committee member running for Cambridge City Council fought for the outrages at the Magazine Beach playing fields;
(a) his indignant explanation is that he claims to be only responsible for the good stuff;
(b) that explanation is combined with exactly no demonstration of any meaningful opposition whatsoever to the outrages; and
(c) as is usual in Cambridge, his claims of “improvements” are belied by reality. The playing fields have been decreased in size by his project!!!!! This is to drain off the poisons being dumped to keep alive sickly introduced grasses which replaced healthy grass that survived the better part of a century without poisons; and
(3) there are Cambridge Machine activists very visible and apparently very active in the Boston Sierra Club.
If you are talking to a person associated with the Boston Sierra Club, do a credibility check. Ask if they are familiar with the “Urban Ring” rapid transit proposal. This is a subway proposal designed to link the existing subway spokes. I have been working on it since 1985. Cambridge raised the project in a comment to an environmental Impact Statement a few months ago.
If the Boston Sierra Club “expert” answers “yes,” that he / she is familiar with the Urban Ring rapid transit proposal, ask how many rail options there are. If the answer is “one,” you are getting the flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge.
Cambridge’s flat out lie is that, of the TWO rail options, the only one that exists is the environmentally destructive streetcar option which the City of Cambridge supports. This option would be highly destructive to the environment near the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
The reality is that THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS SUBSIDIZED THE OTHER OPTION, the responsible Orange Line / heavy rail option, the Kenmore crossing. The state legislature has subsidized the expansion of Yawkey Station as part of the massive Fenway Park area project which has gotten recent press.
Cambridge’s nonsensical proposal would move Yawkey Station three blocks. The Cambridge proposal would not work without moving Yawkey Station. The Kenmore Crossing uses the now subsidized and being expanded Yawkey Station as part of a brilliant megastation.
You should immediately respond to such nonsense from a Sierra Club “expert” by having nothing more to do with this person. Whether the person is stupid or venal is irrelevant, the person has no credibility and is not worthy of your time.
It is frequently difficult to pin these irresponsible people down in general. The deviant behavior in my test is extreme. They are pious in their demands that, if you are politically correct and pro environment, you have to rubber stamp them. Please do not waste your time arguing about destruction they can try to wiggle around.
Turn your back on them and walk away fast.
2. Meeting announced on MIT housing expansion.
3. Councilor from MIT/Harvard on destruction at the Cambridge Common.
4. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
1. Context.
Near the Grand Junction railroad tracks across from the MIT athletic fields is a more than block long building at least 12 stories high which is designed to look like a bee hive. This building is dominant. It is MIT Housing.
It came into existence in the usual Cambridge, MA deal. There has been a shelter for the homeless with alcohol problems on the city (as opposed to MIT) side of the Grand Junction Railroad near that structure. The Cambridge city council made a TEMPORARY deal with MIT to allow the shelter’s continued existence.
What they gave in place was to allow MIT to PERMANENTLY call the street adjoining that monstrous structure part of the lot on which the structure sits. Everybody else measures the size of their buildings under maximum floor area allowed based on the size of their lot. It is unheard of to count the street as part of the lot, but Cambridge allowed this in exchange for TEMPORARY continuation of use of the homeless structure.
So MIT gets reality. Cambridge homeless get a temporary use.
This is reality in the City of Cambridge, MA.
2. Meeting announced on MIT housing expansion.
Cambridge Day has a report announcing a meeting this coming Monday, September 30, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, toward the river from the Kendall Station on the Red Line, on Carleton Street, the fourth floor of MIT Building E25, room 401. The report is posted at http://www.cambridgeday.com/2013/09/23/mit-working-group-due-to-report-back-in-july-wants-citizen-input-on-housing-oct-1/.
This is to discuss the future of MIT housing.
MIT housing now dominates the riverfront from the Mass. Ave. Bridge, the first bridge east of the BU Bridge nearly to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
That monstrous bee hive dorm is constructed exactly where the MBTA planned to turn the Urban Ring transit line on the Kenmore Crossing. It is still possible to go under the dorm or go around it. Then the playing fields would still be above the Urban Ring.
A key MIT planner has publicly praised the leader of the Cambridge Machine’s fake neighborhood association for his position on Magazine Beach. This was a rare public communication of reality. The folks are destroying, destroying, destroying, and they recognize the value to their destruction of this company union.
Where will the next “housing” go?
A neutral detailed report on MIT’s plans for its public presentation is posted by Cambridge Day at http://www.cambridgeday.com/2013/09/23/mit-working-group-due-to-report-back-in-july-wants-citizen-input-on-housing-oct-1/.
The building where the meeting is being held is not that far from the two excellent groves of trees destroyed and being destroyed on the Cambridge end of the Longfellow Bridge construction.
MIT aggressively supports the destruction of hundreds of excellent trees on Memorial Drive as part of Governor Patrick’s House Bill 3332. It should be considered in a legislative hearing fairly soon.
3. Councilor from MIT/Harvard on destruction at the Cambridge Common.
Outside last week’s meeting of the Cambridge Machine, in front of quite a few people, I asked Councillor Cheung, the councilor from MIT and Harvard, when destruction is slated to start on the 22 trees he voted to destroy on the Cambridge Common.
He snubbed me.
Reality is so inconvenient.
4. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
Massachusetts Governor’s Office email form: http://www.mass.gov/governor/constituentservices/contact/.
State environmental people, DES Hotline: ESF.Hotline@state.ma.us.
MassDOT Accelerated Bridges Program: 857-368-8904 or Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us
All Massachusetts Legislators’ emails: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/emails-for-all-massachusetts.html.
Cambridge, MA, USA city councilors: Council@cambridgema.gov.
**********
For people listening to Boston Sierra Club endorsements of environmentally destructive members of and candidates for the Cambridge City Council, you should be aware that
(1) using the world’s definition of “environmentalism,” there are no environmentally responsible members of the Cambridge City Council; Cambridge’s definition is that environmentalists protect that which Cambridge does not feel like destroying; the Cambridge pols are oh, so pious using their secret, fraudulent definition;
(2) the school committee member running for Cambridge City Council fought for the outrages at the Magazine Beach playing fields;
(a) his indignant explanation is that he claims to be only responsible for the good stuff;
(b) that explanation is combined with exactly no demonstration of any meaningful opposition whatsoever to the outrages; and
(c) as is usual in Cambridge, his claims of “improvements” are belied by reality. The playing fields have been decreased in size by his project!!!!! This is to drain off the poisons being dumped to keep alive sickly introduced grasses which replaced healthy grass that survived the better part of a century without poisons; and
(3) there are Cambridge Machine activists very visible and apparently very active in the Boston Sierra Club.
If you are talking to a person associated with the Boston Sierra Club, do a credibility check. Ask if they are familiar with the “Urban Ring” rapid transit proposal. This is a subway proposal designed to link the existing subway spokes. I have been working on it since 1985. Cambridge raised the project in a comment to an environmental Impact Statement a few months ago.
If the Boston Sierra Club “expert” answers “yes,” that he / she is familiar with the Urban Ring rapid transit proposal, ask how many rail options there are. If the answer is “one,” you are getting the flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge.
Cambridge’s flat out lie is that, of the TWO rail options, the only one that exists is the environmentally destructive streetcar option which the City of Cambridge supports. This option would be highly destructive to the environment near the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
The reality is that THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS SUBSIDIZED THE OTHER OPTION, the responsible Orange Line / heavy rail option, the Kenmore crossing. The state legislature has subsidized the expansion of Yawkey Station as part of the massive Fenway Park area project which has gotten recent press.
Cambridge’s nonsensical proposal would move Yawkey Station three blocks. The Cambridge proposal would not work without moving Yawkey Station. The Kenmore Crossing uses the now subsidized and being expanded Yawkey Station as part of a brilliant megastation.
You should immediately respond to such nonsense from a Sierra Club “expert” by having nothing more to do with this person. Whether the person is stupid or venal is irrelevant, the person has no credibility and is not worthy of your time.
It is frequently difficult to pin these irresponsible people down in general. The deviant behavior in my test is extreme. They are pious in their demands that, if you are politically correct and pro environment, you have to rubber stamp them. Please do not waste your time arguing about destruction they can try to wiggle around.
Turn your back on them and walk away fast.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Reality as seen by the Cambridge, MA, USA Machine, a very rotten world.
Reality as seen by the Cambridge Machine, a very rotten world.
These photos were taken on April 16, 2013 of victims of the rottenness which is politics in Cambridge, MA, so, of course in the corrupt world of Cambridge politics, they do not exist. The non stop lies of “holier than thou” combined with total suppression of inconvenient reality is politics in Cambridge, MA, USA.
*********
Other things which do not exist are the two groves of trees which have not been or are not being destroyed on the Cambridge end of the Longfellow Bridge.
Other things which do not exist are the hundreds of trees and animal habitat on the Charles River which are not slated for destruction by the money in House Bill 3332.
Other things which do not exist are the 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common which nine incumbent Cambridge City Councilors have not voted to destroy, most because they do not block the view.
Other things which do not exist are the animals at Alewife killed off in the destruction of acres of Alewife which did not happen and which will not be greatly expanded as a result of the prevention of responsible alternative ways to protect against flooding in North Cambridge.
Other things which do not exist are the bizarre wall of bushes blocking off the Charles River from the Magazine Beach playing fields and which can only responsibly be explained as incompetence. The DCR does not know how to chop down bushes, but the Cambridge Machine, through corrupt practices, has not gone through the motion of voting to expand to the west behind the swimming pool.
Other things which do not exist are the invasive grasses introduced at the Magazine Beach playing fields, for which the City of Cambridge and state bureaucrats did not destroy perfectly good grasses which survived for the better part of a century.
Other things which do not exist are the poisons being dumped on the banks of the Charles River to keep alive the sickly introduced grasses which did not replace perfectly good grasses which survived for the better part of a century.
Other things which do not exist are the massive drainage systems which have not been installed in the middle of the Magazine Beach playing fields, and which do not drain off the poisons which are not being dumped on the banks of the Charles River to keep alive sickly introduced invasive grasses.
Other things which do not exist include the destruction of the boat docks at Magazine Beach.
Other things which do not exist is the pending destruction of the little parking lot needed by the little people’s picnic area to the west of the playing fields and at the foot of Magazine Street. After all, the Cambridge Machine loves that picnic area. The Cambridge Machine would not do anything to harm that picnic area.
Other things which do not exist . . .
What does exist? A bathhouse which has not been opened to the public in 80 years.
Do not look at reality. Look at that bathhouse.
Reality is politically incorrect. All you can see is that bathhouse.
If you can see anything else, you are deviant.
*********
So pronounce the Cambridge Machine.
These photos were taken on April 16, 2013 of victims of the rottenness which is politics in Cambridge, MA, so, of course in the corrupt world of Cambridge politics, they do not exist. The non stop lies of “holier than thou” combined with total suppression of inconvenient reality is politics in Cambridge, MA, USA.
*********
Other things which do not exist are the two groves of trees which have not been or are not being destroyed on the Cambridge end of the Longfellow Bridge.
Other things which do not exist are the hundreds of trees and animal habitat on the Charles River which are not slated for destruction by the money in House Bill 3332.
Other things which do not exist are the 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common which nine incumbent Cambridge City Councilors have not voted to destroy, most because they do not block the view.
Other things which do not exist are the animals at Alewife killed off in the destruction of acres of Alewife which did not happen and which will not be greatly expanded as a result of the prevention of responsible alternative ways to protect against flooding in North Cambridge.
Other things which do not exist are the bizarre wall of bushes blocking off the Charles River from the Magazine Beach playing fields and which can only responsibly be explained as incompetence. The DCR does not know how to chop down bushes, but the Cambridge Machine, through corrupt practices, has not gone through the motion of voting to expand to the west behind the swimming pool.
Other things which do not exist are the invasive grasses introduced at the Magazine Beach playing fields, for which the City of Cambridge and state bureaucrats did not destroy perfectly good grasses which survived for the better part of a century.
Other things which do not exist are the poisons being dumped on the banks of the Charles River to keep alive the sickly introduced grasses which did not replace perfectly good grasses which survived for the better part of a century.
Other things which do not exist are the massive drainage systems which have not been installed in the middle of the Magazine Beach playing fields, and which do not drain off the poisons which are not being dumped on the banks of the Charles River to keep alive sickly introduced invasive grasses.
Other things which do not exist include the destruction of the boat docks at Magazine Beach.
Other things which do not exist is the pending destruction of the little parking lot needed by the little people’s picnic area to the west of the playing fields and at the foot of Magazine Street. After all, the Cambridge Machine loves that picnic area. The Cambridge Machine would not do anything to harm that picnic area.
Other things which do not exist . . .
What does exist? A bathhouse which has not been opened to the public in 80 years.
Do not look at reality. Look at that bathhouse.
Reality is politically incorrect. All you can see is that bathhouse.
If you can see anything else, you are deviant.
*********
So pronounce the Cambridge Machine.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Charles River “Birdwatchers” Destroying Hundreds of Trees and Animal Habitat.
1. Cambridge Machine Fights for Destruction of Hundreds of Trees.
2. Last Post.
3. House Bill 3332
4. The “Birdwatchers” and their Destruction of bird habitat while lying they love birds.
1. Cambridge Machine Fights for Destruction of Hundreds of Trees.
These are photos of the excellent grove of trees which the Cambridge Machine is fighting to destroy. It is located at the point where Memorial Drive splits into a divided boulevard. This is maybe half a mile east of the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
Approximately 84 trees in this approximately 105 tree grove are targeted for destruction.
These trees are in the smaller half of the hundreds of trees slated for destruction.
So naturally, the Cambridge Machine conducted a bird watch last Saturday lying of their concern for birds severely threatened by its massive tree destructiveness.
2. Last Post.
In my last post, I reported on a typical con from the Cambridge Machine. Saturday, they apparently conducted a birdwatch in the Magazine Beach area of the Charles River. This area has seen significant destruction by their friends in the last 13 years. They are fighting to keep the destruction and to expand it. Their typical tactic is to lie that they are friendly to the environment and fool people into stabbing the cause of the environment in the back.
That analysis is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/charles-river-environmental-destroyers.html.
The problem goes way beyond the obvious destruction they are fighting to expand and which they are working to keep people from standing up to, as stated in that report.
3. House Bill 3332
House Bill 3332 would destroy hundreds of excellent trees between the BU Bridge, the core of the habitat of the Charles River White Geese and the Longfellow Bridge, the second bridge to the east of the core habitat of the Charles River White Geese. The bureaucrats previously sought Obama anti-recession money for this destruction lying that these excellent trees were all diseased.
Supposedly, there will be a hearing on this bill in Boston this month. The lie used to fight for this outrage was “underpasses.” They fought for “underpasses” under the three bridges west of the BU Bridge, and clearly under the BU Bridge. They lied by omission that they are fighting for the destruction of hundreds of trees between the BU Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge, the second bridge east of the BU Bridge.
The BU Bridge is the core of the 32 year habitat of the beautiful, valuable Charles River White Geese. The nesting area of the Charles River White Geese held a wide variety of free animals until multiple attacks by Cambridge and the bureaucrats, but the bureaucrats have declared war on free animals in their “Master Plan” which gets modified to turn lies in the Master Plan into the real destruction implemented.
The agency responsible for the underpasses, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, has rejected the “underpasses” proposal because it is so environmentally destructive, not mentioned by the con artists.
The governor’s implementation in House Bill 3332 includes, according to the fraudulently named Charles River “Conservancy”, about $2 to 4 million for the underpasses and about $22 to $24 million for the associated “paths”. The associated paths destroy those hundreds of trees and animal habitat.
I have analyzed this bill in detail at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/analysis-of-governor-patricks.html.
The Cambridge Machine has fought for this destruction, using the euphemism “underpasses.”
4. The “Birdwatchers” and their Destruction of bird habitat while lying they love birds.
It is very difficult to call any part of the behavior of this Company Union less or more rotten than any other, but you take their fight one step down and it really gets rotten.
Part of the destruction which the machine has fought for in the corrupt vote of April 23, 2013, is the destruction of hundreds of trees between the BU Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge. It is being implemented in House Bill 3332. This action makes their “birdwatch” all the more worthy of contempt.
The hypocrites “love birds” while supporting heartless abuse of the 32 year resident Charles River White Geese and destroying hundreds of excellent trees which are crucial parts of their habitat of the birds they lie that they love.
The continuing character of the Cambridge Machine during the 30 to 40 years I have fought it is consistently described by “You cannot possibly be so stupid.” This is the running characteristic of this organization. It cannot be stupidity. Hypocrisy, of course, but not stupidity.
There was present at the first meeting of the Cambridge Machine in which they presented the state bureaucrat’s wish to expand destruction at Magazine Beach a bureaucrat who very much personifies the outrage of the last 13 years. This guy has progressed the cause through multiple and key lies. Naturally, the Cambridge Machine presents him as a person to be respected and admired.
The bureaucrat in January insisted on extension of the destruction at the playing fields to the area west of the playing fields. His destruction would surround the elderly building the Machine says is the only thing to be concerned about at Magazine Beach. It would destroy the wetlands west of that building and behind the Magazine Beach pool. Plus his plan would destroy the tiny parking lot which is needed for the picnic area and the elderly building, both of which they claim to love. So they indulged in corrupt practices to create the lie of support.
One of the items the bureaucrat insisted on is a bike highway to be constructed in the wetlands behind the Magazine Beach pool.
This bike highway is part of the “path” system in House Bill 3332 with its destruction of those hundreds of trees, needed by the birds the Cambridge Machine claims to cherish.
“You cannot possibly be so stupid.”
1. Cambridge Machine Fights for Destruction of Hundreds of Trees.
2. Last Post.
3. House Bill 3332
4. The “Birdwatchers” and their Destruction of bird habitat while lying they love birds.
1. Cambridge Machine Fights for Destruction of Hundreds of Trees.
These are photos of the excellent grove of trees which the Cambridge Machine is fighting to destroy. It is located at the point where Memorial Drive splits into a divided boulevard. This is maybe half a mile east of the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
Approximately 84 trees in this approximately 105 tree grove are targeted for destruction.
These trees are in the smaller half of the hundreds of trees slated for destruction.
So naturally, the Cambridge Machine conducted a bird watch last Saturday lying of their concern for birds severely threatened by its massive tree destructiveness.
2. Last Post.
In my last post, I reported on a typical con from the Cambridge Machine. Saturday, they apparently conducted a birdwatch in the Magazine Beach area of the Charles River. This area has seen significant destruction by their friends in the last 13 years. They are fighting to keep the destruction and to expand it. Their typical tactic is to lie that they are friendly to the environment and fool people into stabbing the cause of the environment in the back.
That analysis is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/charles-river-environmental-destroyers.html.
The problem goes way beyond the obvious destruction they are fighting to expand and which they are working to keep people from standing up to, as stated in that report.
3. House Bill 3332
House Bill 3332 would destroy hundreds of excellent trees between the BU Bridge, the core of the habitat of the Charles River White Geese and the Longfellow Bridge, the second bridge to the east of the core habitat of the Charles River White Geese. The bureaucrats previously sought Obama anti-recession money for this destruction lying that these excellent trees were all diseased.
Supposedly, there will be a hearing on this bill in Boston this month. The lie used to fight for this outrage was “underpasses.” They fought for “underpasses” under the three bridges west of the BU Bridge, and clearly under the BU Bridge. They lied by omission that they are fighting for the destruction of hundreds of trees between the BU Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge, the second bridge east of the BU Bridge.
The BU Bridge is the core of the 32 year habitat of the beautiful, valuable Charles River White Geese. The nesting area of the Charles River White Geese held a wide variety of free animals until multiple attacks by Cambridge and the bureaucrats, but the bureaucrats have declared war on free animals in their “Master Plan” which gets modified to turn lies in the Master Plan into the real destruction implemented.
The agency responsible for the underpasses, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, has rejected the “underpasses” proposal because it is so environmentally destructive, not mentioned by the con artists.
The governor’s implementation in House Bill 3332 includes, according to the fraudulently named Charles River “Conservancy”, about $2 to 4 million for the underpasses and about $22 to $24 million for the associated “paths”. The associated paths destroy those hundreds of trees and animal habitat.
I have analyzed this bill in detail at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/analysis-of-governor-patricks.html.
The Cambridge Machine has fought for this destruction, using the euphemism “underpasses.”
4. The “Birdwatchers” and their Destruction of bird habitat while lying they love birds.
It is very difficult to call any part of the behavior of this Company Union less or more rotten than any other, but you take their fight one step down and it really gets rotten.
Part of the destruction which the machine has fought for in the corrupt vote of April 23, 2013, is the destruction of hundreds of trees between the BU Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge. It is being implemented in House Bill 3332. This action makes their “birdwatch” all the more worthy of contempt.
The hypocrites “love birds” while supporting heartless abuse of the 32 year resident Charles River White Geese and destroying hundreds of excellent trees which are crucial parts of their habitat of the birds they lie that they love.
The continuing character of the Cambridge Machine during the 30 to 40 years I have fought it is consistently described by “You cannot possibly be so stupid.” This is the running characteristic of this organization. It cannot be stupidity. Hypocrisy, of course, but not stupidity.
There was present at the first meeting of the Cambridge Machine in which they presented the state bureaucrat’s wish to expand destruction at Magazine Beach a bureaucrat who very much personifies the outrage of the last 13 years. This guy has progressed the cause through multiple and key lies. Naturally, the Cambridge Machine presents him as a person to be respected and admired.
The bureaucrat in January insisted on extension of the destruction at the playing fields to the area west of the playing fields. His destruction would surround the elderly building the Machine says is the only thing to be concerned about at Magazine Beach. It would destroy the wetlands west of that building and behind the Magazine Beach pool. Plus his plan would destroy the tiny parking lot which is needed for the picnic area and the elderly building, both of which they claim to love. So they indulged in corrupt practices to create the lie of support.
One of the items the bureaucrat insisted on is a bike highway to be constructed in the wetlands behind the Magazine Beach pool.
This bike highway is part of the “path” system in House Bill 3332 with its destruction of those hundreds of trees, needed by the birds the Cambridge Machine claims to cherish.
“You cannot possibly be so stupid.”
Sunday, September 08, 2013
Charles River: Environmental Destroyers Birdwatch
The fake groups fighting for destruction of the environment in and near Cambridge, MA, routinely praise themselves as holier than thou on environmental matters.
Yesterday, at least as far as they publicized, the Company Union lying that it is defending the Charles River conducted a bird watch.
The trouble is that their definition of environmental matters is protection of that part of the environment the City of Cambridge is not fighting to destroy this week, and the distinctions made are frequently bizarre.
And the birds they are watching are not the ones on the receiving end of the heartless abuse they are fighting to continue. The cruel abuse of the Charles River White Geese will be omitted from the spiel in the “bird watch” just as so many other outrages will be omitted.
The Cambridge Machine is functioning as an excellent company union to keep going the outrages on the Charles River:
1. the heartless abuse of the 32 year resident Charles River White Geese, starving them and destroying the undestroyed part of their 32 year habitat by all sorts of techniques.
2. The blocking off of the Magazine Beach playing fields from the Charles River with a bizarre introduced wall of bushes which have no business on the Charles River. They do, however, greatly succeed in keeping the Charles River White Geese from their food at Magazine Beach of most of the last 32 years. The bureaucrats supposedly have a Master Plan, but the Master Plan called for a lawn to the river. When they violated that lie, they changed the Master Plan.
3. The introduction of bizarre grass in the playing fields in place of grass which survived there in a very healthy manner for most of the last century. The bizarre introduced grass is very clearly invasive because it cannot survive without actions taken hostile to the environment, in this case, the dumping of poisons to keep it alive on the banks of the Charles River.
4. A non incumbent running for Cambridge City Council supported the destruction because it would “improve” the Magazine Beach playing fields. But the Magazine Beach playing fields have been decreased in size to drain off the poisons to keep alive the sickly grass which replaced perfectly good grass. The perfectly good grass can be returned at minimal cost by sewing responsible seed instead of their beloved poisons.
5. And after years of telling people to look at a building that had not been opened to the public for 80 years and not to look at the real problems, the company union indulged in corrupt behavior to create the form of approval for doubling the existing problems without the reality of approval.
6. And after years of telling people to look at that building and telling people of their love for the picnic area next to it, the company union has supported the destruction of the parking lot needed for the building and picnic area through the corrupt vote.
7. And they do not want to know of the great increase in harm to the Charles River White Geese through their friends’ latest outrages.
But they do conduct “Bird Watches” to lie to well meaning people of their “concern for the environment” by selectively bragging of minor things and being as secret as possible about the destruction they fight for.
Yesterday, at least as far as they publicized, the Company Union lying that it is defending the Charles River conducted a bird watch.
The trouble is that their definition of environmental matters is protection of that part of the environment the City of Cambridge is not fighting to destroy this week, and the distinctions made are frequently bizarre.
And the birds they are watching are not the ones on the receiving end of the heartless abuse they are fighting to continue. The cruel abuse of the Charles River White Geese will be omitted from the spiel in the “bird watch” just as so many other outrages will be omitted.
The Cambridge Machine is functioning as an excellent company union to keep going the outrages on the Charles River:
1. the heartless abuse of the 32 year resident Charles River White Geese, starving them and destroying the undestroyed part of their 32 year habitat by all sorts of techniques.
2. The blocking off of the Magazine Beach playing fields from the Charles River with a bizarre introduced wall of bushes which have no business on the Charles River. They do, however, greatly succeed in keeping the Charles River White Geese from their food at Magazine Beach of most of the last 32 years. The bureaucrats supposedly have a Master Plan, but the Master Plan called for a lawn to the river. When they violated that lie, they changed the Master Plan.
3. The introduction of bizarre grass in the playing fields in place of grass which survived there in a very healthy manner for most of the last century. The bizarre introduced grass is very clearly invasive because it cannot survive without actions taken hostile to the environment, in this case, the dumping of poisons to keep it alive on the banks of the Charles River.
4. A non incumbent running for Cambridge City Council supported the destruction because it would “improve” the Magazine Beach playing fields. But the Magazine Beach playing fields have been decreased in size to drain off the poisons to keep alive the sickly grass which replaced perfectly good grass. The perfectly good grass can be returned at minimal cost by sewing responsible seed instead of their beloved poisons.
5. And after years of telling people to look at a building that had not been opened to the public for 80 years and not to look at the real problems, the company union indulged in corrupt behavior to create the form of approval for doubling the existing problems without the reality of approval.
6. And after years of telling people to look at that building and telling people of their love for the picnic area next to it, the company union has supported the destruction of the parking lot needed for the building and picnic area through the corrupt vote.
7. And they do not want to know of the great increase in harm to the Charles River White Geese through their friends’ latest outrages.
But they do conduct “Bird Watches” to lie to well meaning people of their “concern for the environment” by selectively bragging of minor things and being as secret as possible about the destruction they fight for.
Sunday, September 01, 2013
Very Partial Summary of Atrocities, Cambridge, MA, USA
I promised a non incumbent city council candidate some documentation on destruction.
I sent a little more than I intended but this summary, as limited as it is, could be of value to people talking to the Cambridge Machine or to any Cambridge City Council incumbent, current or recent past, or even to decent human beings fooled by the non stop holier than thou lies coming out of the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Machine. Slight edits
*********
It was a pleasure seeing you yesterday. I am following up, as promised.
A sample of how I work on my cable show can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCu40nqeR881. This is part of my interview of Jamake Pasqual during the last election. A more general sample of my performance work may be seen at http://youtu.be/lsNnUctTS94. This is my Actor’s Reel, presenting clips from five gigs and a Phoenix Photo from a sixth. The Aerodynamics clip was shot at ImprovBoston. The final Phoenix photo is from a show I MC’d at The Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, a coed / mixer targeted burlesque event.
The imminent state fight to destroy hundreds of trees between the BU and Longfellow Bridges is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/governors-tree-destruction-proposal.html. This is House Bill 3332 submitted by the governor on March 15, 2013.
A recent pairing of the Longfellow Bridge destruction of trees in Cambridge with the outrage at Magazine Beach is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/longfellow-bridge-magazine-beach-80.html.
A response to an individual “environmentalist” fighting for the destruction of those hundreds of trees is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/massive-tree-destruction-heartless.html.
A summary of the tree destruction in Cambridge so far, associated with the Longfellow Bridge project, is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/kendall-longfellow-cambridge-ma-use.html.
The vote to destroy those 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/cambridge-city-council-to-consider.html.
Corrupt tactics by the Cambridge Machine in fighting to expand the destruction at Magazine Beach in spite of very clear opposition and, buried, destroy those hundreds of trees is reported at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/magazine-beach-bad-faith-flaunted-by.html.
Photos of the planned destruction on the Cambridge Common are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/impending-destruction-cambridge-ma-usa.html.
My report of major destruction at the tiny area to which Cambndge and the DCR are confining the Charles River White Geese while they starve them is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/destroyed-nesting-area-used-as-parking.html.
Before pictures on this destruction are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/bureaucrats-allow-railroad-to-raise.html.
First stage destruction of Cambridge and DCR owned property at Alewife is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cambridge-pols-destroy-alewife-photo.html. I have repeatedly reported on the ongoing fight by the fake Alewife group for further destruction.
Part of the destruction on the Charles in the Governor’s bond bill is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/massive-tree-destruction.html.
The councilor who was apparently fired for minimizing the Monteiro outrage had a few choice comments, posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/little-brook-visits-machine.html.
Photos of the outrage at Magazine Beach are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/magazine-beach-using-vegetation-for.html.
Plans for further destruction at the Destroyed Nesting Area and the responsible alternative are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/destroyed-nesting-area-north-south.html.
*******
I did edit out some language particularly identifying the individual. In any case, this summary is OF NECESSITY partial.
Cambridge, MA, USA has a really rotten city government working with really rotten state bureaucrats and a governor who has apparently given in to the dark side.
I would anticipate that many of the links include my list of people to contact and my technique of evaluating and responding to destructive folks in the Boston Sierra Club when such folks are spouting out flat out lies apparently originating in the government of the City of Cambridge.
I sent a little more than I intended but this summary, as limited as it is, could be of value to people talking to the Cambridge Machine or to any Cambridge City Council incumbent, current or recent past, or even to decent human beings fooled by the non stop holier than thou lies coming out of the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Machine. Slight edits
*********
It was a pleasure seeing you yesterday. I am following up, as promised.
A sample of how I work on my cable show can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCu40nqeR881. This is part of my interview of Jamake Pasqual during the last election. A more general sample of my performance work may be seen at http://youtu.be/lsNnUctTS94. This is my Actor’s Reel, presenting clips from five gigs and a Phoenix Photo from a sixth. The Aerodynamics clip was shot at ImprovBoston. The final Phoenix photo is from a show I MC’d at The Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, a coed / mixer targeted burlesque event.
The imminent state fight to destroy hundreds of trees between the BU and Longfellow Bridges is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/governors-tree-destruction-proposal.html. This is House Bill 3332 submitted by the governor on March 15, 2013.
A recent pairing of the Longfellow Bridge destruction of trees in Cambridge with the outrage at Magazine Beach is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/longfellow-bridge-magazine-beach-80.html.
A response to an individual “environmentalist” fighting for the destruction of those hundreds of trees is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/massive-tree-destruction-heartless.html.
A summary of the tree destruction in Cambridge so far, associated with the Longfellow Bridge project, is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/kendall-longfellow-cambridge-ma-use.html.
The vote to destroy those 22 excellent trees on the Cambridge Common is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/cambridge-city-council-to-consider.html.
Corrupt tactics by the Cambridge Machine in fighting to expand the destruction at Magazine Beach in spite of very clear opposition and, buried, destroy those hundreds of trees is reported at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/magazine-beach-bad-faith-flaunted-by.html.
Photos of the planned destruction on the Cambridge Common are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/impending-destruction-cambridge-ma-usa.html.
My report of major destruction at the tiny area to which Cambndge and the DCR are confining the Charles River White Geese while they starve them is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/destroyed-nesting-area-used-as-parking.html.
Before pictures on this destruction are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/bureaucrats-allow-railroad-to-raise.html.
First stage destruction of Cambridge and DCR owned property at Alewife is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cambridge-pols-destroy-alewife-photo.html. I have repeatedly reported on the ongoing fight by the fake Alewife group for further destruction.
Part of the destruction on the Charles in the Governor’s bond bill is posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/massive-tree-destruction.html.
The councilor who was apparently fired for minimizing the Monteiro outrage had a few choice comments, posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/little-brook-visits-machine.html.
Photos of the outrage at Magazine Beach are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/magazine-beach-using-vegetation-for.html.
Plans for further destruction at the Destroyed Nesting Area and the responsible alternative are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/destroyed-nesting-area-north-south.html.
*******
I did edit out some language particularly identifying the individual. In any case, this summary is OF NECESSITY partial.
Cambridge, MA, USA has a really rotten city government working with really rotten state bureaucrats and a governor who has apparently given in to the dark side.
I would anticipate that many of the links include my list of people to contact and my technique of evaluating and responding to destructive folks in the Boston Sierra Club when such folks are spouting out flat out lies apparently originating in the government of the City of Cambridge.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Charles River, Cambridge, MA, USA: Cambridge Machine “Victory” Near the Grand Junction Railroad.
1. Introduction.
2. Attack on transit related zoning rebuffed.
3. The history of the zoning.
4. Bikeway.
5. Objection to lies on the Grand Junction alternatives.
6. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
1. Introduction.
This is one of those many points which are related to the ongoing outrages on the Charles River, but you really need to know what you are doing to realize it.
I will try to put things in context without overwhelming. Please send questions to boblat@yahoo.com.
2. Attack on transit related zoning rebuffed.
This is a cropped satellite photo with added language from a state filing in 2006. The Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese is at the bottom left of the photo. At the top of the photo, under the “p” in Cambridgeport, is 240 Sidney Street.
The first two photos, below, are from Sidney first looking at 240 Sidney Street, then across the street. The third photo shows Fullmore Park across the street and neighboring housing. The third photo will be clearer by clicking on it and blowing up the view. Fullmore Park is in the middle of the block shown on the right of the middle photo. The large tree sticking out is Fullmore Park.
Neighbors of 240 Sidney Street in Cambridge first learned that their homes were going to be overwhelmed with a massive project at 240 Sidney Street when the developer sought relief from zoning requirements. The developer is building way out of scale with the existing neighborhood, and he wanted to provide less than the parking required under zoning law.
The zoning is based on the future construction of a rapid transit station close to the project, but the station is not coming and key representations by city staff concerning that station when the zoning was passed were blatantly false, and continue to be blatantly false.
I have reported on this zoning and on the proposed zoning amendment submitted by the neighbors which would have zoned that block so that it fits in with the neighborhood.
I warned the petitioners to avoid the “neighborhood association” because there are people in the group who are their proven enemies.
Recently, the neighbors have announced a “compromise” which fits in with the mentality of the Cambridge Machine. The good guys get to declare victory and the developers get their project.
I am not going to do the major effort needed to do a full review. I will give a brief summary.
Basically, the project has been required to provide the parking required under the zoning ordinance. The number of units proposed has been reduced but the number of units with more bedrooms has been increased. This sounds like the usual con games. The same amount of construction but with a slightly more politically correct configuration.
When dealing with the Cambridge Machine, the fully predictable con is to compromise, compromise, compromise, but do it in such a manner that the people concerned about the neighborhood are dealing with folks who will not meaningfully compromise and / or are not in a position to meaningfully compromise.
My first advice to zoning change drafters has always been to only compromise with the City Council because the City Council is the only entity in a meaningful position to provide anything.
The Cambridge Machine’s standard pitch is to avoid talking with the only people likely to deliver, the City Council and negotiate, negotiate, negotiate with those who are delivering nothing or next to nothing.
Naturally, you can never be positive just which “friend” was crucial in the decision, or if the petitioners simply got talked into it by the developers. But there is a very standard pattern.
It is a shame. This parcel and this zoning change could have been crucial, but the con artists are very strongly visible.
3. The history of the zoning.
The key to this zoning is the subway proposal known as the “Urban Ring” on which I have worked since about 1985. The idea is to connect the existing subway spoke arrangement with a new subway which crosses the spokes and allows people to travel about the Boston Metropolitan Area without adding to the congestion in the core downtown area.
In about 1986, shocked at the destructiveness of the subway proposal to the residential Cambridgeport neighborhood, I proposed an alternate crossing of the Charles River. In 1991, the Mass. Bay Transit Authority adopted my alternative as one of two possible ways for the subway to cross the Charles River. During the past few years, the state legislature has subsidized construction in the Fenway Park / Kenmore area which makes it highly unlikely that the original crossing will be implemented.
The City of Cambridge has consistently lied that the original crossing is the only Charles River crossing in existence. In the early 2000s, based on this flat out lie, the Cambridge City Council changed zoning districts in southern Cambridgeport around the Grand Junction railroad track to allow for the “Putnam Avenue” station on the crossing alternative which no longer seems likely to be implemented, the one the City lies is the only one on the table.
On the satellite photo, you can see the Grand Junction railroad travelling diagonally up and to the right from the Destroyed Nesting area on the bottom left. As you follow it up, you will see one street and then a second street striking the Grand Junction from the left at almost a right angle. There is a black line to the right of the Grand Junction whose top end is between the two right angle streets.
The second, higher, street, is Putnam Avenue. The proposed station on the crossing alternative which almost certainly will not occur would be at the point where Putnam Avenue strikes the Grand Junction.
Following Putnam Avenue to the left until you are below that “p” in Cambridgeport and you will be at the other end of the 240 Putnam Avenue project. The station which will never exist is the justification for the massive project which the neighbors apparently got conned out of objecting to.
Here are the two alternatives on the Cambridge side as submitted to environmental review by the state during consideration of the Urban Ring proposal.
The first map shows the BU Crossing. This is the one the City of Cambridge lies is the only crossing that exists. It crosses the Charles River very close to the Destroyed Nesting Area and is highly destructive to the Charles River environment. The hashed line follows the Grand Junction until it reaches the Charles River and then deviates to the east of the Grand Junction to cross the Charles River. The last circle to the left is the Putnam Avenue Station which will never exist and which is the basis for the grossly large project the folks were conned out of meaningfully opposing.
This is the alternative which the City of Cambridge has lied for 22 years now that it does not exist. When this zoning was approved, the lie was “only” 12 years old.
The subway turns way before the Putnam Avenue Station which will never exist. The station shown on the map at the turn has always been described as an erroneous depiction. In both maps, the second station going up from the Charles River is at Massachusetts Avenue and the Grand Junction. The route south (down) from this station would travel under MIT’s athletic fields, and then under the Charles River, creating an excellent megastation with a station under Brookline Avenue and over the Massachusetts Turnpike (I90) which would connect to the existing Green Line station in Kenmore Square and to the Commuter Rail Yawkey Station (named after the long term Red Sox owner). This megastation would be very close to Fenway Park, the home field for the Boston Red Sox.
Under the Cambridge preferred option / BU Crossing, Yawkey Station would be moved three blocks in the BU Crossing. Yawkey Station stays in place under the Kenmore Crossing. Yawkey Station has received a significant state subsidy for reconstruction in place as part of a massive project being built in the area of Fenway Park.
So, grossly disproportionate development was allowed in the 2000s zoning change at 240 Sidney and its area based on a lie that the allowed larger development would be associated with the Putnam Avenue station on an Urban Ring alignment which the City of Cambridge wants and which probably will not be built.
And the Cambridge Machine or others of their ilk look like they have conned the proponents of a very sensible zoning change into accepting next to nothing as a “compromise” rather than challenging zoning which was created based on a fraud which apparently continues to this day: the lie from the City of Cambridge that Putnam Station WILL BE built on the Urban Ring alternative which almost certainly will not be built but which Cambridge constantly insists is the only alternative under consideration.
4. Bikeway.
Here is another copy of the cropped and marked satellite photo.
That black line to the right of the grand junction is pretty much certainly construction which is unbroken on that side of the Grand Junction.
At the bottom end of that black line is a circle. The area on the left side of the Grand Junction is a large parking lot associated with an MIT building left of the Grand Junction and north of Memorial Drive. Cambridge wants to build a supposed bikeway along the Grand Junction destructive of the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
This bikeway is another con game. The real goal is to widen the underpass under Memorial Drive so as to allow two lanes of traffic and a railroad track from the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge to allow Massachusetts Turnpike traffic to be moved from its current exit, now owned by Harvard University to the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge. Once the exit is built, the bikes would be moved to the responsible exit from the Grand Junction at that circle, following a very short connector to Vassar Street which turns at that exact point. The bikes would then connect to their target, Memorial Drive by a much shorter route, the route which would be responsible in the first place, but Cambridge loves fake promises if those fake promises can achieve what would be rejected if honestly be stated.
5. Objection to lies on the Grand Junction alternatives.
Please see http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/will-cambridge-ma-usa-stop-lying-about.html.
6. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
Massachusetts Governor’s Office email form: http://www.mass.gov/governor/constituentservices/contact/.
State environmental people, DES Hotline: ESF.Hotline@state.ma.us.
MassDOT Accelerated Bridges Program: 857-368-8904 or Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us
All Massachusetts Legislators’ emails: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/emails-for-all-massachusetts.html.
Cambridge, MA, USA city councilors: Council@cambridgema.gov.
Plus the links provided in the above email.
**********
For people listening to Boston Sierra Club endorsements of environmentally destructive members of the Cambridge City Council, you should be aware that
(1) using the world’s definition of “environmentalism,” there are no environmentally responsible members of the Cambridge City Council, and
(2) there are Cambridge Machine activists very visible and apparently very active in the Boston Sierra Club.
If you are talking to a person associated with the Boston Sierra Club, do a credibility check. Ask if they are familiar with the “Urban Ring” rapid transit proposal. This is a subway proposal designed to link the existing subway spokes. I have been working on it since 1985. Cambridge raised the project in a comment to an environmental Impact Statement in the last month or so.
If the Boston Sierra Club “expert” answers “yes,” that he / she is familiar with the Urban Ring rapid transit proposal, ask how many rail options there are. If the answer is “one,” you are getting the flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge.
Cambridge’s flat out lie is that, of the TWO rail options, the only one that exists is the environmentally destructive streetcar option which the City of Cambridge supports. This option would be highly destructive to the environment near the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
The reality is that THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS SUBSIDIZED THE OTHER OPTION, the responsible Orange Line / heavy rail option, the Kenmore crossing. The state legislature has subsidized the expansion of Yawkey Station as part of the massive Fenway Park area project which has gotten recent press.
Cambridge’s nonsensical proposal would move Yawkey Station three blocks. The Cambridge proposal would not work without moving Yawkey Station. The Kenmore Crossing uses the now subsidized and being expanded Yawkey Station as part of a brilliant megastation.
You should immediately respond to such nonsense from a Sierra Club “expert” by having nothing more to do with this person. Whether the person is stupid or venal is irrelevant, the person has no credibility and is not worthy of your time.
It is frequently difficult to pin these irresponsible people down in general. The deviant behavior in my test is extreme. They are pious in their demands that, if you are politically correct and pro environment, you have to rubber stamp them. Please do not waste your time arguing about destruction they can wiggle around.
Turn your back on them and walk away fast.
2. Attack on transit related zoning rebuffed.
3. The history of the zoning.
4. Bikeway.
5. Objection to lies on the Grand Junction alternatives.
6. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
1. Introduction.
This is one of those many points which are related to the ongoing outrages on the Charles River, but you really need to know what you are doing to realize it.
I will try to put things in context without overwhelming. Please send questions to boblat@yahoo.com.
2. Attack on transit related zoning rebuffed.
This is a cropped satellite photo with added language from a state filing in 2006. The Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese is at the bottom left of the photo. At the top of the photo, under the “p” in Cambridgeport, is 240 Sidney Street.
The first two photos, below, are from Sidney first looking at 240 Sidney Street, then across the street. The third photo shows Fullmore Park across the street and neighboring housing. The third photo will be clearer by clicking on it and blowing up the view. Fullmore Park is in the middle of the block shown on the right of the middle photo. The large tree sticking out is Fullmore Park.
Neighbors of 240 Sidney Street in Cambridge first learned that their homes were going to be overwhelmed with a massive project at 240 Sidney Street when the developer sought relief from zoning requirements. The developer is building way out of scale with the existing neighborhood, and he wanted to provide less than the parking required under zoning law.
The zoning is based on the future construction of a rapid transit station close to the project, but the station is not coming and key representations by city staff concerning that station when the zoning was passed were blatantly false, and continue to be blatantly false.
I have reported on this zoning and on the proposed zoning amendment submitted by the neighbors which would have zoned that block so that it fits in with the neighborhood.
I warned the petitioners to avoid the “neighborhood association” because there are people in the group who are their proven enemies.
Recently, the neighbors have announced a “compromise” which fits in with the mentality of the Cambridge Machine. The good guys get to declare victory and the developers get their project.
I am not going to do the major effort needed to do a full review. I will give a brief summary.
Basically, the project has been required to provide the parking required under the zoning ordinance. The number of units proposed has been reduced but the number of units with more bedrooms has been increased. This sounds like the usual con games. The same amount of construction but with a slightly more politically correct configuration.
When dealing with the Cambridge Machine, the fully predictable con is to compromise, compromise, compromise, but do it in such a manner that the people concerned about the neighborhood are dealing with folks who will not meaningfully compromise and / or are not in a position to meaningfully compromise.
My first advice to zoning change drafters has always been to only compromise with the City Council because the City Council is the only entity in a meaningful position to provide anything.
The Cambridge Machine’s standard pitch is to avoid talking with the only people likely to deliver, the City Council and negotiate, negotiate, negotiate with those who are delivering nothing or next to nothing.
Naturally, you can never be positive just which “friend” was crucial in the decision, or if the petitioners simply got talked into it by the developers. But there is a very standard pattern.
It is a shame. This parcel and this zoning change could have been crucial, but the con artists are very strongly visible.
3. The history of the zoning.
The key to this zoning is the subway proposal known as the “Urban Ring” on which I have worked since about 1985. The idea is to connect the existing subway spoke arrangement with a new subway which crosses the spokes and allows people to travel about the Boston Metropolitan Area without adding to the congestion in the core downtown area.
In about 1986, shocked at the destructiveness of the subway proposal to the residential Cambridgeport neighborhood, I proposed an alternate crossing of the Charles River. In 1991, the Mass. Bay Transit Authority adopted my alternative as one of two possible ways for the subway to cross the Charles River. During the past few years, the state legislature has subsidized construction in the Fenway Park / Kenmore area which makes it highly unlikely that the original crossing will be implemented.
The City of Cambridge has consistently lied that the original crossing is the only Charles River crossing in existence. In the early 2000s, based on this flat out lie, the Cambridge City Council changed zoning districts in southern Cambridgeport around the Grand Junction railroad track to allow for the “Putnam Avenue” station on the crossing alternative which no longer seems likely to be implemented, the one the City lies is the only one on the table.
The second, higher, street, is Putnam Avenue. The proposed station on the crossing alternative which almost certainly will not occur would be at the point where Putnam Avenue strikes the Grand Junction.
Following Putnam Avenue to the left until you are below that “p” in Cambridgeport and you will be at the other end of the 240 Putnam Avenue project. The station which will never exist is the justification for the massive project which the neighbors apparently got conned out of objecting to.
Here are the two alternatives on the Cambridge side as submitted to environmental review by the state during consideration of the Urban Ring proposal.
The first map shows the BU Crossing. This is the one the City of Cambridge lies is the only crossing that exists. It crosses the Charles River very close to the Destroyed Nesting Area and is highly destructive to the Charles River environment. The hashed line follows the Grand Junction until it reaches the Charles River and then deviates to the east of the Grand Junction to cross the Charles River. The last circle to the left is the Putnam Avenue Station which will never exist and which is the basis for the grossly large project the folks were conned out of meaningfully opposing.
This is the alternative which the City of Cambridge has lied for 22 years now that it does not exist. When this zoning was approved, the lie was “only” 12 years old.
The subway turns way before the Putnam Avenue Station which will never exist. The station shown on the map at the turn has always been described as an erroneous depiction. In both maps, the second station going up from the Charles River is at Massachusetts Avenue and the Grand Junction. The route south (down) from this station would travel under MIT’s athletic fields, and then under the Charles River, creating an excellent megastation with a station under Brookline Avenue and over the Massachusetts Turnpike (I90) which would connect to the existing Green Line station in Kenmore Square and to the Commuter Rail Yawkey Station (named after the long term Red Sox owner). This megastation would be very close to Fenway Park, the home field for the Boston Red Sox.
Under the Cambridge preferred option / BU Crossing, Yawkey Station would be moved three blocks in the BU Crossing. Yawkey Station stays in place under the Kenmore Crossing. Yawkey Station has received a significant state subsidy for reconstruction in place as part of a massive project being built in the area of Fenway Park.
So, grossly disproportionate development was allowed in the 2000s zoning change at 240 Sidney and its area based on a lie that the allowed larger development would be associated with the Putnam Avenue station on an Urban Ring alignment which the City of Cambridge wants and which probably will not be built.
And the Cambridge Machine or others of their ilk look like they have conned the proponents of a very sensible zoning change into accepting next to nothing as a “compromise” rather than challenging zoning which was created based on a fraud which apparently continues to this day: the lie from the City of Cambridge that Putnam Station WILL BE built on the Urban Ring alternative which almost certainly will not be built but which Cambridge constantly insists is the only alternative under consideration.
4. Bikeway.
Here is another copy of the cropped and marked satellite photo.
That black line to the right of the grand junction is pretty much certainly construction which is unbroken on that side of the Grand Junction.
At the bottom end of that black line is a circle. The area on the left side of the Grand Junction is a large parking lot associated with an MIT building left of the Grand Junction and north of Memorial Drive. Cambridge wants to build a supposed bikeway along the Grand Junction destructive of the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
This bikeway is another con game. The real goal is to widen the underpass under Memorial Drive so as to allow two lanes of traffic and a railroad track from the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge to allow Massachusetts Turnpike traffic to be moved from its current exit, now owned by Harvard University to the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge. Once the exit is built, the bikes would be moved to the responsible exit from the Grand Junction at that circle, following a very short connector to Vassar Street which turns at that exact point. The bikes would then connect to their target, Memorial Drive by a much shorter route, the route which would be responsible in the first place, but Cambridge loves fake promises if those fake promises can achieve what would be rejected if honestly be stated.
5. Objection to lies on the Grand Junction alternatives.
Please see http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/will-cambridge-ma-usa-stop-lying-about.html.
6. Contacts, Miscellaneous.
Massachusetts Governor’s Office email form: http://www.mass.gov/governor/constituentservices/contact/.
State environmental people, DES Hotline: ESF.Hotline@state.ma.us.
MassDOT Accelerated Bridges Program: 857-368-8904 or Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us
All Massachusetts Legislators’ emails: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/emails-for-all-massachusetts.html.
Cambridge, MA, USA city councilors: Council@cambridgema.gov.
Plus the links provided in the above email.
**********
For people listening to Boston Sierra Club endorsements of environmentally destructive members of the Cambridge City Council, you should be aware that
(1) using the world’s definition of “environmentalism,” there are no environmentally responsible members of the Cambridge City Council, and
(2) there are Cambridge Machine activists very visible and apparently very active in the Boston Sierra Club.
If you are talking to a person associated with the Boston Sierra Club, do a credibility check. Ask if they are familiar with the “Urban Ring” rapid transit proposal. This is a subway proposal designed to link the existing subway spokes. I have been working on it since 1985. Cambridge raised the project in a comment to an environmental Impact Statement in the last month or so.
If the Boston Sierra Club “expert” answers “yes,” that he / she is familiar with the Urban Ring rapid transit proposal, ask how many rail options there are. If the answer is “one,” you are getting the flat out lie put out by the City of Cambridge.
Cambridge’s flat out lie is that, of the TWO rail options, the only one that exists is the environmentally destructive streetcar option which the City of Cambridge supports. This option would be highly destructive to the environment near the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
The reality is that THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS SUBSIDIZED THE OTHER OPTION, the responsible Orange Line / heavy rail option, the Kenmore crossing. The state legislature has subsidized the expansion of Yawkey Station as part of the massive Fenway Park area project which has gotten recent press.
Cambridge’s nonsensical proposal would move Yawkey Station three blocks. The Cambridge proposal would not work without moving Yawkey Station. The Kenmore Crossing uses the now subsidized and being expanded Yawkey Station as part of a brilliant megastation.
You should immediately respond to such nonsense from a Sierra Club “expert” by having nothing more to do with this person. Whether the person is stupid or venal is irrelevant, the person has no credibility and is not worthy of your time.
It is frequently difficult to pin these irresponsible people down in general. The deviant behavior in my test is extreme. They are pious in their demands that, if you are politically correct and pro environment, you have to rubber stamp them. Please do not waste your time arguing about destruction they can wiggle around.
Turn your back on them and walk away fast.
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