Spare Change News

Author: James Shearer

  • More Housing Hijinks

    James Shearer Spare Change News Back in early March, local housing authorities in Massachusetts gathered with local lawmakers. The reason? Well, basically the greedy housing barons were crying in their overpriced beers that the Governor was being unfair to them just because one bad apple did indeed try to steal the show. You may remember…

  • Echoes of racist Boston

    Last week, the Boston Bruins lost game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Washington Capitals.

  • The People Have Spoken … For Naught

    James Shearer Spare Change News The other day while I was in Brookline I ran into two people with clipboards trying to get signatures against the MBTA’s fare hikes and service cuts. “It’s already too late,” I said to them. “No, it isn’t,” they protested. “Yes,” I said sadly, “it is.” And yes, boys and…

  • SETTLING FOR LESS

    James Shearer Spare Change News A couple of days ago I participated in a forum, The MetroWest Homelessness Forum in Wellesley (Yes there is homelessness in Wellesley.) It was inspiring. I felt a ray of hope, which is pretty unusual these days. Most of the time when I go to an event like this with…

  • Settling for Less

    James Shearer Spare Change News A couple of days ago I participated in a forum, The MetroWest Homelessness Forum in Wellesley (Yes there is homelessness in Wellesley.) It was inspiring. I felt a ray of hope, which is pretty unusual these days. Most of the time when I go to an event like this with…

  • Life Interrupted … Almost

    James Shearer Spare Change News I can talk about it now — the pain, the fear, the shock. All gone. On Thanksgiving night, I nearly died. Only those close to me and some within the organization knew about it. This isn’t one of those stories that you see on television — no bright lights or…

  • The People Have Spoken

    James Shearer Spare Change News Last week there was a rally in front of the Boston Public Library organized by people who are against the MBTA’s service cuts and fare increases, which are scheduled to take place in July. The rally, which was shortly before one of the many public hearings organized by the T…

  • When Bad Things Happen

    JAMES SHEARER Spare Change News A couple of weeks ago, the editor received a letter from a reader about a story one of our vendors had written about herself. The letter was critical of the decisions this vendor, who is homeless by the way, made. Not only was he critical of her, but of all…

  • IS THERE AN OPTION THREE, MBTA?

    James Shearer Spare Change News In my last column I spoke of the fare increases on the MBTA, which take effect in July. Even though I wrote that the increases and service cuts were unfair, I thought to myself later that if I’m wrong about all of this and it’s not that bad, I would…

  • Unwanted pity, and an unfair hike

    James Shearer Spare Change News Just a couple of small items as we finish taking down the tree. Pity is a dirty word As I was selling papers shortly before Christmas, a woman came up to me and said while she couldn’t give me any money, she offered me a holiday bag. Usually I don’t…