March 2007

State lets Northpoint evade wetlands law; Patrick puts developers' lawyer in charge of permits

Friday, February 16— The state’s highest court has ruled that a State agency responsible for issuing environmental permits improperly gave developers of a Cambridge site a waiver from a state law protecting waterways.

Petition Novartis to drop patent case against India

Critics accuse Novartis, the Swiss-based pharmaceutical and biotech giant which has just become Cambridge's largest private employer, of "trying to shut down the pharmacy of the developing world"

Mayor Reeves: "Sensitive statistics" must be kept from public

At its February 12 meeting, Mayor Ken Reeves told the Cambridge City Council that since the Council's Neighborhood Safety Committee is a non governmental body, meetings do not need to be open to the public.

Cambridge police treat bus stop as loading dock

Friday, February 2— A Cambridge police cruiser is parked in the loading zone in front of Starbucks. A UPS truck comes along and parks illegally in the MBTA bus stop. Business as usual in busy Central Square.

"Spychip" corporation hides implant risks in stock offering

Monday, February 12— VeriChip Corporation, purveyor of the VeriChip human ID implant, is airing its dirty laundry this week. This is not by choice, but because the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) required the company to disclose its "risk factors" prior to launching its Initial Public Offering of stock (IPO) Friday.

Ten ways to prepare for a post-oil society

The best way to feel hopeful about our looming energy crisis is to get active now and prepare for living arrangements in a post-oil society.

Boston Council resolves against Iraq, Afghan wars

Monday, February 19— In our fair city of Boston we have recently witnessed collapsing, water-logged Big-Dig tunnels; $500,000 worth of public fright fanned by our diction challenged mayor, "Mumbles" Menino, over some electronic bling bling; the wild-eyed Alan Dershowitz attacking almost everyone in sight as an anti-semite; a peace movement that by and large did not come to Jimmy Carter's defense when he appeared here to speak on "Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid"; an ex-governor, "Mitt" Romney, who seemed to devote most of his time to tending his hair with a coat of something very like black shoe polish; and a new, "liberal" governor who "stood with Israel" during its terror-bombing of Lebanon.

The Virgin, the Dynamo, and the Prize

Wednesday 14 February 14— Like most American kids in the 1960s, I was an avid Star Trek fan and I rooted for every new development in the US space program. I'll never forget staying up past midnight to watch Neil Armstrong take Man's first steps on the moon.

Slow money: re-imagining economic exchange

"Lowly, unpurposeful, and random as they may appear, sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a city's wealth of public life may grow." —Jane Jacobs, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities."

Ross calls on voters not to give Governor Patrick a pass

Hope is important, but without follow up action, it can turn into a very toxic commodity—known as despair and disillusionment.

Kerry plans to support war in budget vote

Friday, March 2— "We should start now to talk about filibustering for the saving of lives and of our country." That is a direct quote from John Kerry. Unfortunately it is from April, 1971. Now Senator Kerry will not go so far as to vote against the supplemental appropriations to end the war.

March for CORI reform (Roxbury Crossing to State House, from April-19-2007 10:00 to April-19-2007 02:00)

There will be a March for CORI Reform put on by the Boston Workers Alliance. The March will be April 19th at 10 am. It will begin at the Roxbury Crossing T stop on the Orange line, and end at the State House. To volunteer, you can contact BWA, or you can go to Councilor Chuck Turner's office in Dudley Square and sign up in person.