My Return from Negligence
I've been very negligent in posting lately, I know, and hope this doesn't become a pattern. In other blogging I've done before my writing energy has come in spurts -- a few weeks on with a lot to say, followed by a similar period but with no time to say it! Then sometimes, after being off the wagon for a while it's hard to start back up. Vicious cycle, really. I often wonder how real journalists or even professional bloggers do it. Though I suppose in their case the monetary incentive is a pretty strong force. Part of what has kept me from posting here is that my primary monetary incentive (i.e., real job) has been too busy!
But have no fear oh loyal reader! Even though I haven't written much in the last week, doesn't mean I haven't had anything to say. Unfortunately, I'm in a rush so I'll have to do this in the Cliffs Notes version (though perhaps I should say "digest version" as my girlfriend recently was shocked to learn I had actually used Cliffs Notes in High School).
First of all, Kudos to my buddy Shai Sachs over at Blog for Cambridge who has been quite active recently on his blog. It looks like he and others from DFA Cambridge have been doing some important work helping to get John Bonifaz on the ballot. Also, Shai has shared some right-on-target analysis of the hot topics, I think most notably on Senate President Robert Travaligni's Family and Medical Leave Act, as well as the MBTA's recent fare increase announcements. I particularly agree with Shai when he suggests:
I'd like to see subway fares decreased to $0.75, and bus fares decreased to $0.50. The revenue could come from luxury taxes on SUVs and other large cars, in addition to general revenues.
I also seriously believe, although it would never fly, the state should increase highway tolls (sorry Christy Mihous) and divert current state highway money to T expansion.
Today on the Red Line I found the thrillingly titled pamphlet: "Information on the proposed fare increase/restructuring" published by the T. Yeah, sounds real boring but I was pleasantly surprised by what I learned. I didn't know that in 2000 the legislature passed the Forward Funding act which mandated that the T become a "self-sustaining independent Authority, responsible for balancing its own budget annually," making the agency much more dependent on fares and other revenue streams like ads, real estate and parking. So if the State was to do what Shai suggests they would found not an additional sources of income for the agency, but would make the system of transportation costs more equitable. SUVs and other large vehicles are such a drain on our resources, it seems only fair they be forced to essentially pay back society.
In other blog news it seems we have had our first elected official comment on this blog, at least publicly. Thanks to Cambridge City Councilor Craig Kelley for putting in his thoughts on the Council's recent decision on call for the impeachment of President Bush. Kelley writes:
I think that Cambridge City Council's voting to censure the President was bad strategy because to folks in much of America, if it's from Cambridge it's left-wing, whacky and probably should be dismissed out of hand. We want places like Dallas, TX and Biloxi, MS to be up front on this issue, not Cambridge and Portland, OR. Those of us on the left have already made up our minds that Bush needs to go, those on the far right never will and there's a struggle for the folks in the middle. To that group, Cambridge simply isn't a good messenger for this message.
I completely agree with the Councilor, and I tried to say as much in my post on the topic, but perhaps I was a little wishy-washy on it. Hearing Kelley say it as he did really firms it up in my opinion. The City Council probably didn't need to do this, perhaps for no other reason than simply the City's reputation as a liberal bastion.
Finally for now, I want to point out the Mass for Feingold blog that I discovered recently. While I'm certainly not ready to settle on a Presidential candidate quite yet, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold most closely resembles the progressive values and track record I would like to see in my ideal President. However, with such progressives there always are questions of electability. Plus, if he were elected it'd destroy my childhood dream of becoming the first Jewish President.
Yeah, I was a weird kid.
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