June and July 2006 - Issue 13

Land use watchdog alert: support Romney veto on eminent domain

Friday, July 28—"URGENT! Stop the new eminent domain law and its threat to local democratic government! Please call your state Senator TODAY and urge her/him to sustain the Governor's veto of Chapter 40T."

Small farmers confront Big Brother

Wednesday, July 19— The Great Hall of the State House was not crowded. The Boston media sent no reporters. But the issue that brought the small farmers to Beacon Hill is a front page story: the Federal and State governments want to implant electronic “spychips” in every farm animal in the country.

Mayor: FBI investigating Quincy 4 case

Wednesday, July 26— Quincy Mayor William Phelan revealed today that the F.B.I. has agreed to his request to undertake an investigation of the April 30 incident in which four young Chinese-Americans were arrested, beaten and sprayed with chemical mace by Quincy police officers.

Grace Ross wins gubernatorial election!

Friday, July 28— At today's summit a cross section of Boston youth groups—and some beyond Boston—gathered together to "Speak Up & Speak Out" about issues that affect them. The summit was an all day event that included workshops, musical performances, a Gubernatorial Forum and a Youth Election. Green-Rainbow candidate Grace Ross won this Gubernatorial vote with a 17 point spread.

Feds allow nanomaterials in sunscreens

WASHINGTON, DC - The International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) and a coalition of consumer, health, and environmental groups have filed a formal legal petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), calling on the agency to address the human health and environmental risks of untested and unlabeled nanomaterials in consumer products.

Two years probation in Somerville 5 case

Thursday, June 29— Calvin Belfon, Jr and Isaiah Anderson, whose trial earlier this month ended in a mixed verdict, today each received a sentence of two years probation and fifty hours of community service.

Torture in the Sanctuary City

All friends of liberty will welcome the recent Sanctuary City declarations of Somerville Mayor Curtatone and the Cambridge City Council. It will be even better if they take their resolutions seriously.

"Non-profit" MIT takes a quick $320 million in Tech Square real estate deal

A tax-exempt defense contractor reaps the profits of progress

War and peace Cambridge style

June 24—Shooting in your neighborhood? All you need is talk. Talk is all you need!

Ross defies exclusion, wins applause at environment forum

Wednesday, July 12— The sponsors had decided she didn't merit a place at the 2006 Massachusetts Environmental Gubernatorial Forum. But Green-Rainbow candidate Grace Ross wouldn't take no for an answer.

Letter from Palestine

Somewhere in Palestine, July 1— Morning came and we found that 90 of the nation's best men were captured by Israel from their homes in the night. Our mayor, who was released from four years in prison just a month ago. Someone for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration, as do his people here, political allies and opponents alike. And our vice mayor, too. The last time I talked with him, earlier this week, he was struggling a lot with chronic back pain. I wonder where they are now. If they have been fed today, or tortured. If they will sleep on beds tonight, or not at all. If they will be home tomorrow. If we will never see some of them again alive.

Call to support Mass. Dissection Choice Bill

Friday, June 23—The Massachusetts Dissection Choice Bill (H.1051) has been sitting in the House Committee on Steering, Policy, and Scheduling, and must be favorably moved out as soon as possible.

Paraplegic man abused by prison authorities dies at Shirley —officials say he hanged himself

Wednesday, June 21, late morning—An hour and a half ago I got a call from Lorraine—the mom of Tony Garafolo, 45, paraplegic prisoner awaiting trial for parole violation. I knew Tony and corresponded with him, occassionally spoke with him by phone. Most recently we talked about ten days ago.

Sheriff wants new prisons, activists want moratorium

“Profit motives drive the punishment industry. And though Massachusetts law prohibits much privatization, the state and counties contract for medical services, provision of meals, clothing, canteen, and so forth. In order to please shareholders, corporations must achieve growth. Overcrowding is manufactured,” asserts local anti-prison activist Susan Mortimer.

200 rally for victims of Quincy cops—new court date set

Support is growing for four young Chinese-Americans attacked by Quincy cops on the night of April 30. On Saturday supporters rallied in Quincy Center. On Tuesday they literally packed a courtroom.

Letter from the Diaspora

To the Palestinian people, the Palestinian resistance—your dignity, strength, humor, courage, and love for your land and people cannot be touched by their bombs, guns, shelling, bulldozers, F16's, helicopters, tanks and settlements—and they know it. You are heroes. You are the light of our world.

Spychips in your Levis, gonna tell on you

It may be time to ditch your Dockers and lay off the Levis — tracking people through the things they wear and carry is more than mere speculation — The VeriChip Corporation is promoting the company's human tracking device as a way to identify immigrants and “guest workers.”

Beware of the dog protectors

Note to our readers— After this article appeared, on July 13, the Supreme Judicial Court unanimously ruled that "aggregation of… two very different sets of laws into one petition" disqualified the Dog Protection question from appearing on the November ballot.

Jail/Prison Moratorium — SHaRC’s Call to Action

People are asked to contact their elected officials

Somerville 5 jury returns mixed verdict

Thursday, June 15 — After deliberating all day, jurors found Somerville Five defendants Calvin Belfon, Jr and Isaiah Anderson 'not guilty' of all felony charges but 'guilty' of several misdemeanors. Their lawyers immediately filed appeals on their behalf.

Lafayette 8 motion to dismiss to be heard Sept. 6

Wednesday, July 12— The prosecution today turned down a judge's request to drop the charges in the case of the Lafayette Eight. A dozen supporters waited all day outside a Cambridge courtroom with six young men who were arrested at gunpoint more than two years ago at the site of an abandoned gas station in Lafayette Square. The judge was set to hear pretrial motions and could either dismiss charges or set a trial date.

Salvadoran riot police attack student protestors, threaten to invade National University

July 5— Riot police have responded to what began as a peaceful student protest this morning with extreme violence and repression, and the most repressive of all of El Salvador’s police forces are currently (at 3:30 pm) surrounding the National University, including with attack helicopters and snipers.

Somerville jail expansion discussed

June 19— Community activists and neighbors are asking, “Is One Coming to Our City Soon?”

Gov candidate Grace Ross excluded—old boys' Mass. debate was a flop

Supporters of the Green-Rainbow Party candidate, Grace Ross, came out to Harvard's Kennedy School of Government on May 18, to protest her exclusion from the gubernatorial debate.

Charges dismissed for Army Day protesters

On June 14, 2006, the Cambridge Seven were scheduled to face charges stemming from a protest on Cambridge Common exactly one year earlier.

Benefit to resist the green scare, Friday June 9

Several bands performed to raise funds for green scare political prisoners.

Somerville residents plan drive for Palestine sister city