Category: Political

  • Five Questions with Gubenatorial Candidate Joe Avellone

    BOSTON, Mass.—On Wednesday, April 9, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Avellone released his jobs and economic development plan. The plan focuses on using the state education system to attract modern industries (like life sciences and smart manufacturing) and creating a pro-small business environment. Avellone, currently the Corporate Senior Vice President of biotech company PAREXEL International, spoke…

  • People Power

    First-time congressional candidate Able Collins (I) hopes to put people back in politics. At a political rally in Rhode Island last month, he told the crowd that if elected to the United States House of Representatives he would help steer the nation back to towards democratic ideals of political participation. First, as a newcomer to…

  • The Other Candidate

    One rainy summer after noon in mid-August, Jill Stein took the stage in Roger Williams Memorial Park in Providence, Rhode Island. The Green Party Presidential candidate launched into indictments of the last two administrations, “We need to stop spending money wastefully like George Bush Jr. and President Barack Obama have done to support the military!”…

  • The Welfare Vote

    In early August, I received a voter registration letter and application from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). I remarked that DTA was doing their job — perhaps because of a voting rights lawsuit brought against the agency in December of 2011. The lawsuit was brought by NY-based independent think-tank, Demos, and New England United…

  • Dispatches from the DNC

    Downtown Charlotte is buzzing with excitement as delegates, media outlets, and big-name politicos are beginning to make their way to large caucus meetings and other events that are presently occurring prior to the official kick-off of the big events at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The anticipation that is increasingly building up partly signals the…

  • Congressman Capuano and the Campaign for Our Communities

    Beatrice Bell Spare Change News On July 30th and July 31st, Congressman Michael Capuano and Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson came to Rosie’s Place to answer some questions and have a discussion with the ladies. Tito let us ladies know a very interesting characteristic of Capuano’s — he’s among the most accessible members of Congress,…

  • Affordable Health Care Ruling: Reason for Joy/Reason for Sadness

    A shout of joy. A sigh of relief. A bit of puzzlement. A sense of disappointment. These are all feelings that those who hoped that the Supreme Court would uphold the Affordable Care Act most likely experienced upon hearing of the Supreme Court decision issued on Thursday, June 28, which upheld in part and rejected…

  • Patrick Signs $32.5 Billion State Budget, Vetoes $32.1 Million in Spending

    By Michael Norton STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE JULY 8, 2012…Gov. Deval Patrick on Sunday signed a $32.5 billion state budget that raises state aid for public schools by 4.5 percent and counts on $700 million in health care cost savings to achieve balance. Patrick found only $32.1 million in objectionable spending in the budget crafted…

  • Rhode Island Homeless Bill of Rights: Is Massachusetts Next?

    ADAM SENNOTT Spare Change News Rhode Island became the first state to adopt a homeless bill of rights after Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law Thursday, June 21st. The bill of rights, sponsored by Senator John J. Tassoni, Jr., establishes a right of privacy for homeless individuals and protects them from…

  • Harvard Square Business Association Trains Homeless Ambassadors

    By Adam Sennott SPARE CHANGE NEWS For a few minutes, Denise Jillson was homeless, pregnant and HIV positive. However, when time was up, Jillson went back to being the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association. On June 2, members of the Harvard Square Business Association gathered with homeless advocates at the Harvard-Epworth United…