VOL. 115 - NO. 30 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JULY 29, 2011 $.30 A COPY PUBLIC HEARINGS NOTICE: Mayor Menino Celebrates 21st Anniversary of City of Boston’s Proposed Non-Radioactive Americans with Disabilities Act Hazardous Material Route Commission for Persons with Disabilities Advances Work to Improve Access for All Public Hearings will be held by MassDOT, as the state The event was the first ADA working to make the Com- routing agency, to discuss the I-93/I-95 Non-Radioactive celebration hosted by the mission more collaborative Hazardous Material through routing designation proposed City of Boston. and interactive, within the by the City of Boston. “The City of Boston is di- neighborhoods and in City The four hearings are scheduled as follows: verse in many ways and wel- Hall. An active Disability Ad- BOSTON - Tuesday, August 23, 6:30PM–8:30PM, State nd comes people of all abilities,” visory Board was estab- Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, 2 Floor, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino lished, consisting of nine QUINCY - Wednesday, August 24, 6:30PM–8:30PM, said. “Over the past several residents who serve as the Thomas Crane Public Library, 40 Washington St., Quincy years, we have taken great eyes and ears of the neigh- WALTHAM - Tuesday, August 30, 6:30PM–8:30PM, Clark steps towards making Bos- borhoods. The Disabilities Government Center, Main Auditorium, 119 School St., ton a friendlier city for all of Commission also hosted a Waltham our residents and visitors. reception this past spring for STONEHAM - Thursday, September 1, 6:30PM–8:30PM, While I recognize how far we residents, advocates and dis- Stoneham Town Hall Auditorium, 35 Central St., Stoneham still have to go, today pro- ability agencies to gather The purpose of these hearings is to provide the public Mayor Menino presented a vides a great opportunity for input and ideas on how to with the opportunity to provide testimony and comments proclamation to Ken Myer, families to come and cel- improve accessibility and in- regarding the City of Boston’s routing analysis and proposed a Disability Commission ebrate how far we’ve come clusion priorities in Boston. Non-Radioactive Hazardous Material through routing des- staff member who is blind. over the past 21 years.” Over the past two years the ignation along I-93/I-95. All views and comments made at Ken will be inducted into Disabilities Commissioner City of Boston has aggres- the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maxi- the NE Broadcaster’s Hall of Kristen McCosh, appointed mum extent possible. MassDOT and City of Boston repre- Fame in September. in October 2010, has been (Continued on Page 13) sentatives will be present to discuss the proposed route On Tuesday, July 26th, and answer questions. Additional information, including 2011, Mayor Thomas M. the City of Boston routing evaluation, is available on the Menino joined the Commis- MassDOT website, http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/high- sion for Persons with Dis- way/hazmat_study.aspx. abilities and members of Under the proposed routing designation, the City of Bos- Boston’s disabled commu- ton would prohibit the use of City streets for the “through” nity on City Hall Plaza to cel- transportation of Non-Radioactive Hazardous Material where ebrate the 21st anniversary there is neither a point of origin nor destination within the of the Americans with Dis- (Continued on Page 15) abilities Act. The Disabili- ties Commission, created by Mayor Menino in 1995 as part of the Office of Civil News Briefs Rights, is dedicated to pro- moting inclusion for indi- by Sal Giarratani viduals with disabilities in Boston in every facet of life. Perry Supporters Testing the Water? Governor Rick Perry may not be running for president yet but his Texas supporters are out there in various places that are important for DEBT CEILING MASK DEBT ISSUE Campaign 2012 in early nominating states. Reportedly, the governor continues to think by Sal Giarratani about a potential 2012 run. He has operatives Recently, the debt ceiling spoken on national TV twice bered the money coming in reportedly on the ground in South Carolina, debate is front and center. in recent days. The president from payroll checks. where a GOP primary is scheduled to be held However, the average per- blames resistant Republi- I still have a good laugh right after the Iowa caucuses and the first-in- son isn’t obsessing over it. cans and the Tea party Cau- thinking back to Al Gore in the-nation New Hampshire primary. This is a Beltway crisis. cus on Capitol Hill for the cri- 2000 when he talked about To date, the Republican candidates for presi- Americans have lots more to sis. As much as Obama the locked box for Social Se- dent have yet to inspire major donors from mak- worry about, like those con- moves his jaw at these na- curity funds. Seems going ing major campaign funding contributions. The sistent high unemployment tional addresses, the more I back to at least 1982 and crowd as far as the money people or campaign numbers that remain steady understand him. Twice now, probably nearly two decades operatives still appears weak. Former Governor around 9 percent. Did you as I listened to the words of previously, the box lost its Mitt Romney is the perceived front runner, but know that unemployment Boehner shortly after the lock. It quite possibly has even he’s not generating the kind of support nec- hits several groups such as president left the podium, I more dust than anything of essary to take on President Obama. Blacks and Latinos, espe- agreed with Boehner. value within it. Texas Governor Rick Perry is both a GOP cially young people who have In reality the “spending Boehner is hoping leaders establishment and Tea Party candidate. He is all but given up to this job- cuts” are really nothing but in both Houses up on Capitol riding that thin line like a great cowboy on a less fate? Meanwhile, the capping additional spending Hill can avert this looming nd bronco. He, in my estimation, is the biggest chronically unemployed re- to address the ongoing debt August 2 crisis. It is unfair threat to Romney or even Michele Bachmann. main white males. One in now in the trillions. What to throw all the blame onto Time will see whether the GOP is ready for five of them have lost their the president fails to address Republicans and Tea Party another Texan, eh? jobs with no new leads out is the issue that forty cents folks elected last fall on cre- Why I Don’t Watch MSNBC there. of every dollar spent by ating a smaller government. Getting back to the debt Washington is borrowed. How Instead of blasting them, we “We don’t have a tax problem, we have a rev- ceiling issue, we talk about long can we keep doing that should be applauding them enue problem. We’ve told American workers trillions like it’s a gallon of without breaking the bank? for doing what they said they they’re not valuable anymore, that it’s better to milk. No sense of real Actually, the bank broke would do when they were on (Continued on Page 15) urgency from most of us. years ago, especially for the 2010 campaign trail. Both President Obama and Social Security when the Speaker John Boehner have outflow of funds outnum- (Continued on Page 14) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PMPM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, JULY 29, 2011 Res Publica by David Trumbull “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. America from border to border and coast to coast and all the ships at sea.” VITELLIUS For those too young to remember, the Aulus Vitellius was born gold ornaments from the intense dislike for this quotation above was the “catch on September 24, 15 A.D. temples and substituting emperor, Galba, and the phrase” of Walter Winchell, one of During those ancient times brass in their places. troops were on the verge of the most popular radio entertainers it was the custom to prepare Galba surprised everyone mutiny. They received of the 1930s through the 1950s. a horoscope for male chil- by, sending Vitellius to gov- Vitellius with open arms be- I’ve got radio on the brain. First, dren. His parents were so ern in Lower Germany. That cause of his past consulates, the other night I was re-reading horrified at his signs that emperor felt that no one favorable age, and easy-go- a chapter from Only Yesterday, even in later years every- could be feared less than a ing disposition. He granted Boston native Frederick Lewis thing possible was done to person who thought of noth- all requests that were made Allen’s informal history of the prevent his assignment to ing but eating, and it be- of him and even freed some 1920s. According to Allen, “The any high office. We are told came clear that the new gov- of the prisoners. Within the first broadcasting station had that Vitellius spent his ernor was chosen through first month on the job he been opened in East Pittsburgh boyhood on the island of contempt rather than favor. made such a favorable im- on November 2, 1920 — a date which Capri among the lewd and It was also fairly common pression on his, troops that school children may someday have to immoral youths at the Villa knowledge that Vitellius they took him from his quar- learn.” School is out on whether Allen was correct in cred- of Tiberius.