Category: Political
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Patrick Questions Motives of Welfare System Critics
By Matt Murphy STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, APRIL 26, 2012….Gov. Deval Patrick on Thursday said that his administration has done more than any other to root out fraud in the EBT card welfare system, but he believes there is an underlying theme driving the debate about whether the state should be providing…
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All The News That’s Fit to Occupy: Back to Dewey Square with the Boston Occupier’s Dan Schneider
Leanne OʼBrien Spare Change News I sat down with Dan Schneider, editor of The Boston Occupier, a volunteerrun newspaper which bills itself as “an independent news source for Occupy Boston and the Occupy Movement.” The Emerson College film student and I discussed “journo-activism,” the Tea Party, and what’s next for the Occupy movement. Spare Change…
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Editorial: Guns for Everyone
On a recent Thursday in a Boston courthouse, screams and shouts broke out as not guilty verdicts were read at the conclusion of the quadruple slaying case that has become known as the Mattapan Massacre. A five-week trial ended with an acquittal for Edward Washington and a mistrial for Dwayne Moore in a case involving…
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Guest Editorial: On Immigration, Politicians Provide Empty Rhetoric Aplenty
Ali Noorani Lo and behold, the political glitterati have realized that new Americans actually vote. And that there are a whole lot of them. To which Latinos, Asians and other new Americans respond, “Duh.” But, this being an election year, let the pandering begin. Republicans talk about their love of “legal immigration,” decry federal opposition to…
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Rick Santorum’s Anti-American Beliefs
Aaron James Spare Change News John F. Kennedy, September, 1960: “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or…
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2 takes on legislative day on homelessness
Beatrice Bell Spare Change News On February 29, 2012, I went to the Massachusetts State House for The Coalition for the Homeless’ Legislation Action Day. After my experience, I have a renewed hope in our state leaders. The event took place in the Great Hall where the Hall of Flags is located. The schedule of…
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Democracy is for People: Fighting Corporate Influence in Our Elections
State Senator Jamie Eldridge Over the past few years, frustration with the increasing power that corporations have on our political system has been growing across the country. Whether it has been the debate over healthcare reform, financial reform and consumer protection, or clean air and water regulations, we’ve seen time and time again the very…
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Editorial: Court Gives Big Money the Biggest Say
Massachusetts legislators should get behind resolution S772 that calls for a federal constitutional amendment to reverse the United States Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. There is the letter of The Constitution and the spirit of The Constitution. Somehow the U.S. Supreme Court tortured some rationale out of that guiding document…
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COALITION: MASS. HOMELESSNESS RATES AT “ALL-TIME HIGH”
By State House News Service Homelessness is a growing problem in Massachusetts that affects thousands of families, children, teenagers, single people and the elderly and will require millions of dollars more in state funds to alleviate, advocates from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless told lawmakers this week at the State House. The group came…
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Cookies get the word out on housing need
Beatrice Bell Spare Change News I went to the Massachusetts State House Feb. 15 for the third annual Cookie Day. I thought it would be similar to a bake sale for the State House in order to support funding for housing, or there would be a march or rally of some sort to support funding…