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Dear friends,
The political rubber began hitting the road recently in Washington D.C. and at the state level, with new initiatives and changes in power. President Joe Biden has signed 28 executive orders on a variety of issues including climate change, healthcare, police reform, immigration, and many others. We are encouraged to see several positive steps by this administration including eliminating inhumane family separation policy at our borders, abolishing unjust and discriminatory housing practices, and nixing federal contracts with private prisons. As we celebrate Black History Month, we see these as important steps in the right direction to bring about much-needed racial justice in our nation.
Our officials in Massachusetts, including Governor Baker and Lieutenant Governor Polito, must take lead from these efforts and our communities to affect change at the local level.
As our schools open back up for in-person learning, teachers are fighting for safe facilities to limit the transmission of COVID-19. We support their efforts and echo their demand for updated school facilities to ensure safe and healthy learning environments for our children. Our partners at MassCOSH are taking action to hold virtual townhalls on these very issues. Previously, we participated in their town hall for frontline childcare workers to speak on the best strategies to stay safe during the pandemic.
Last fall, when the MBTA announced it was planning deep cuts to bus, train, ferry, and commuter rail service, the opposition was swift and virtually unanimous. Riders, workers, elected officials, and employers raised the alarm that MBTA cuts would make it harder for essential workers to get to their jobs, worsen unemployment, disproportionately impact low-income people and communities of color, and take a deep and unnecessary toll on our region’s economic future. Despite the opposition, the MBTA board and the Baker/Polito administration went ahead with the cuts. They continue to cut service without revealing the savings that they propagated as the major reason behind this move. Our communities deserve a safe, affordable, and accessible transit system, and the full MBTA service is critical for a just recovery from the pandemic.
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