Open Media Boston - metro news from the ground up

The One Fund: Private Wealth and the Distortion of Public Policy

superuser — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:08:23 -0400

While finishing my MFA Visual Arts thesis this spring, I've been observing the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and trying to decide what to say about it in a period when I've only had time to write about one editorial a month. Obviously, as I said in my editorial the day of the bombing, everyone on the Open Media Boston staff was shocked and saddened by the cowardly attack on civilians. And our hearts go out to the three victims that were killed and to the 264 victims that were wounded - some maimed for life - plus the MIT police officer that was killed and the Transit Police officer that was critically wounded later that week. But there's been something unsavory about the way Boston's power structure responded to the bombing crisis. So I'd like to quickly review how we got where we are now and then look at some of the problems with that response.

Activist Coalition Rallies to End Sequester, Pain Caused by Budget Cuts

Tate Williams — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:45:28 -0400

BOSTON - Congressional gridlock and federal budget cuts all too often come across as a maddening string of abstract numbers, amid repeated news of failure to reach an agreement.

But for the people who rely on the affected programs—the disabled, seniors, the unemployed, the working poor—the across-the-board cuts implemented by the so-called sequester has been anything but abstract. It’s lost work, fewer days of childcare, even the threat of homelessness.

On Thursday, organizations and people directly affected by recent federal budget cuts rallied in Boston, both to put a face on the impact of the cutbacks, and to protest the sequester and deeper reductions to social services that loom in current talks in D.C.

Boston Academic Taking CIA to Court Over “Paltry” Information Releases

superuser — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:20:53 -0400

BOSTON - Prof. George Katsiaficas of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston has launched a federal lawsuit against the Central Intelligence Agency over documents he seeks relating to the assassination of a former Korean premier.

The complaint comes after Katsiaficas made two requests of the agency under the federal Freedom of Information Act in March 2010 for documents surrounding the rise and fall of Park Chung-hee.
The agency has released some documents to Katsiaficas since his requests over three years ago, but he is not satisfied, calling them “paltry,” and alleges that the CIA has more information to which he is legally entitled.

New Wage Theft Law Would Target Somerville Employers

superuser — Sat, 11 May 2013 22:34:26 -0400

Somerville, Mass. - Somerville officials are considering adopting a new ordinance that would see employers guilty of wage theft lose or fail to gain licenses and permits issued by the city.

The ordinance drafted by the city’s Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone came after Somerville residents and activists signed a petition in April seeking a public hearing by the Board of Aldermen on the issue of wage theft in the city.

The board heard testimony at the hearing at Somerville City Hall Tuesday night from members of a labor rights group Centro Presente, as well as local residents.

Film Review: Stud Life by Campbell X

www.suekatz.com — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:45:59 -0400

“Stud Life” was one of three opening films (May 3 at Cambridge’s Brattle Theater) for the 2013 Boston LGBT Film Festival.

In one of her podcasts, the handsome butch JJ places two dildos in front of the camera. One is playfully multi-colored, nearly disguising the fact that it is an artificial cock, and the other is black with an angry red head and strong veins on the shaft. While JJ can’t get her head around the one with a spectrum of crayon colors, she also cannot understand why black dildos seem to only come in size gigantic. “Short and wide” would work better.

Gap Called on to Sign Safety Agreement, Harvard Square Outlet Picketed

superuser — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:31:15 -0400

Cambridge, Mass. - In the less than two weeks since a devastating collapse at a Bangladeshi garment factory on April 24, over 650 workers have been confirmed dead with many more still missing and the death toll is still expected to rise.

Following the loss of life that allegedly resulted from a management decision to ignore structural faults in the building, picketers targeted the Gap outlet at 15 Brattle St. in Harvard Square on Saturday to call on the company – a major purchaser of garments from Bangladesh – to sign a safety agreement in the country.

2013 May Day Immigrant March and Rally in East Boston MA

superuser — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:19:32 -0400

Boston’s Immigrant Community Celebrates May Day, Rally Highlights Important Issues

superuser — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:15:44 -0400

BOSTON/East Boston - Deportations, ongoing labor disputes, raising the minimum wage, health care, student loans, workplace safety, social security, housing foreclosures, bank debt, drivers’ licenses, and community investment were just some of the issues raised on May Day in East Boston.

The traditional workers’ holiday was part protest and part community celebration with many families with young children gathered at Liberty Plaza listening to music and watching an acrobatic performance, but also bearing placards saying “Immigration Reform Now” and “Stop the Attacks on Working Families.”

Asbestos Major Workplace Hazard, Report Highlights on Workers’ Memorial Day

jadams — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:00:43 -0400

BOSTON/State House – There were 32 fatal on-the-job accidents in Massachusetts last year and an estimated 300 plus deaths due to occupational diseases - over 90 due to asbestos-related illness - according to a report released this week.

Launched on the steps of the State House Thursday, Dying for Work in Massachusetts: Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces is an annual joint effort by Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) and Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

Back to the Arsenal Mall: Questions After the Marathon Bombings

superuser — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:16:59 -0400

My wife and I are shopping again at the Arsenal Mall. And then waving in thanks to a Watertown Cop driving past. The new normal after lock down and neighborhood terror days. If you lived near here, you have indelible personal experiences about the meaning of ultra violence, running gun fights, sheltering in place, and manhunts.

Having skin in the game, makes me want to raise three questions. First, what did the FBI know, and when did they know it? That's the most politically explosive question, and should be answered in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.