Decades ago, a rumpled state rep from Brookline would go from event to event, largely Democratic political gatherings and journalist venues, and tout the concept of a North-South Rail Link, connecting North and South Stations and hence the entire northeast corridor from Maine to Virginia. He was dismissed as a crank. People would say yeah, it …
Continue reading Moulton takes North-South Rail Link to New Level
The Neighborhood House Charter School in the Dorchester section of Boston is a prime example of why more children should have access to charter school education. That's the goal of Question 2 on the November ballot, allowing the state Board of Education to approve up to 12 new charter schools a year. If more than …
Continue reading Why more kids should have access to charter schools
Newton has always prided itself on being a well run city with high degrees of citizen participation. But now it seems that, as part a special commission's review of the decades-old city charter, grassroots democracy may have to take a back seat to some notion of streamlining and efficiency. A case in point: the commission's toying …
Continue reading Is grassroots democracy under attack in Newton?
It's about time. Federal prosecutors have finally asked for the early release of former Mass. House Speaker Sal DiMasi from a federal prison in Butler, North Carolina. DiMasi was convicted on seven out of nine corruption charges and sentenced to federal prison for eight years. Di Masi used his office to enrich himself to the tune of $65,000, securing $17.5 …
Last night's video of Donald Trump, showing lewd behavior, coarse language, gutter-level attitude toward women and boasts of Bill Cosby-like predatory actions, shows nothing new about this extreme misogynist. Perhaps the video shocks because it so starkly portrays his fundamental character writ large. Is the video analogous to Monica Lewinsky's semen-stained blue dress? Incontrovertible evidence of the character we're dealing …
Continue reading Trump, Clinton “revelations” show nothing new
The Vice Presidential debate never matters much in the selection of our Chief Executive. Given what's at stake in choosing between the Democrat and Republican Presidential nominees, it perhaps matters even less this year. But at least for a few days, last night's Mike Pence/ Tim Kaine head-to-head could influence the national conversation. Even that could …
Dear Jacob, This is your first Presidential election, and I know you understand the importance of your vote - especially since you're casting your ballot from college in Ohio rather than in Massachusetts. You, as did so many of your Oberlin classmates and other millennials, voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary. The Vermont Senator …
Continue reading An open letter to my grandson about the election
Call it the big Whew! After weeks of shrinking polls numbers for Hillary Clinton and small but steady gains in momentum for Donald Trump, voters were finally able to see them one on one. What they saw was a clear case why Donald Trump is not qualified to be President of the United States. More …
Monday night’s Clinton/Trump debate won't be Lincoln/Douglas. No Demosthenes or Cicero here. Even if the candidates were inclined to that level of discourse, the American public would probably not be prepared to give it the time or its undivided attention. It won't be a classical debate, scored by nonpartisan judges on technical aspects of the …
Question 2 on the November ballot is whether to increase the number of charter schools in Massachusetts. My sense is Yes, lift the current cap on charter schools. System-wide improvement is an important goal, and we need to sustain support to all our public schools. But the 37,000 children on the waiting list shouldn't have …
Continue reading Yes on 2, lifting the cap on charter schools
Marjorie Arons-Barron 