Massachusetts Under a Microscope

Operation Hope Discussion
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In New Bedford, MA, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection held a listening session to discuss the proposed Parallel Products (rebranding as South Coast Renewables) Transfer Station. This listening session likely would not have happened without the perseverance of groups like South Coast Neighbors United. I was fortunate enough to learn about the meeting 2 days before and only by chance. The topic has been minimized in the local news and upon closer inspection, it seems like a gross abuse of power by local and state leaders.

New Bedford has already suffered a history of pollution for the state to learn from; it is home to two superfund sites. I’m not originally from this area and I’m sorry to say I didn’t know about this past. It very much seems like local and state leaders are taking advantage of this working class town. And I think that since Massachusetts enjoys a “liberal” and “progressive” reputation, it should be put under a microscope. New Bedford is easy for democratic leaders to underestimate because it is home to the kind of people Democrats like to ignore and take for granted come election time.

Their usual tactics are at play on this issue, in this area. The window dressing is that 75 jobs will be created. The scare tactic is that the local landfill, Crapo Hill, is filling up. The lesser evil pops up with the threat that it could’ve been worse: the company had decided against “biosolids” in exchange for the Mayor’s silence on this topic.

Some of our city councilors called the mayor a sellout. Yet, that didn’t make a big headline in the local paper. One of the city councilors talked about the “legacy of trash” in this area. The Crapo Hill site is linked to many instances of cancer. That too flies under the local news radar, last I checked.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection can easily factor in the history of this area but without pressure from the people, they’ll easily claim that they heard no opposition. I know this because they already did it before, on this issue.

The Democrats KNOW the circumstances and they exploit them. Their behavior is fueling Trump’s appeal in this and surrounding towns. And I think that if we put a state like Massachusetts under the microscope, we may be able to accelerate the rate of the Democratic Party awakening.

It’s an idea and I mentioned it tonight, at the town hall. It was the first one I’d attended. Online activity isn’t my strength but I’m trying because I need to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. On tonight’s call, someone mentioned a quote. I think the speaker’s name was Ali and the quote is from Jon Stewart; but I may be wrong on both. I’m just trying to give credit where it’s deserved. The quote is: Action is the antidote to anxiety.

That’s exactly what the last couple of weeks have been like for me. I want to take action so that my anxiety does more than drive me up a wall. Thanks for hearing me out.

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I think this issue can be addressed in time. Corruption and lowering of environmental standards are a big concern here in New Orleans , too . It’s a red, Republican state with the residents having one of the lowest median incomes in the nation. Starting in January we’ll probably be in a better position to assess once Trump initiates his draconian moves with a new cabinet. Recently , TYT was going gun on getting money out of politics and we helped Maine get legislation on the ballot to put a cap on donated money. The way I see it , these issues go hand in hand and it’s going to be a slog. Hang in there brother and big thanks for your input. Jack

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Thanks for responding. I met with someone today from Climate Reality and she was telling me how Massachusetts is seen as a real champion for environmental protection. I don’t know the history, of course. I’ll never hide how uninformed I am but I couldn’t help but think: how valuable are these protections if they aren’t securing the basics? It’s not a complicated concept: keep trash away from people.

I’m reaching out and doing research. There’s an urgency here because the comments period is closing December 4. But for me, this issue is so much bigger. There’s train abutment issues in a nearby town and the state wanted to put in a pipeline in a farming community in another. The latter was stopped but for how long?

Ultimately, I think Democratic hypocrisy needs to be shown in a way that is so undeniable that the party has to stop saying ridiculous stuff on the mainstream media. They have abandoned the working class and it isn’t just visible on the national level. In their own states, with more support, they still hold back from sweeping change.

Other states can be chosen too. I learned today that Texas benefits from wind turbines. I didn’t know that! A lot of us already know that states that are associated with criticizing Obamacare are great beneficiaries of the same program; they just call it by another name. I’d be very curious to know how many Trump supporters in Massachusetts who benefit from MassHealth realize their healthcare may be on the line too. (1 of 2, I hope. I just realized I passed the word limit)

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I have a big interest in Massachusetts, of course. I live here and I know a bit more about it because of that; but ultimately, I just think that state profiles could really help us discuss the issues in a way that is more clear and accessible. Revealing Democratic hypocrisy in a state like Massachusetts could help Trump supporters feel more heard, underscore points devoted Democratic voters are still doubtful of and push at the party in a way that says: if we can reveal the “genetic makeup” of Massachusetts, what will we reveal about the next state?

There can be key parameters. The Populist Plank can guide us. Are there sites that score individual states already? Right now, it feels like you have to consume hours of news just to get an idea of what is going on. What if we can distill it in a way that makes people ask simpler questions like, “What is my Mayor doing for me?”

I’m hanging in there and that’s not an easy thing to do. But oh man, what if I still didn’t even know the little I know now? What if we didn’t have these outlets? The anxiety-fllled questions could go on and on. So, I am asking myself: how do we help others catch up faster?

When Bernie challenged Hillary, there was so much criticism about how doing that was hurting the cause. We were called sexist and racist. With Kamala, there was more blame. “Falling in line” to “‘support” the “lesser evil” bologna… that time is over. Criticisms need to be ramped up and in ways that are accessible to people in a tighter way.

What if a person only has a half-hour of their time to look into their state? The local news isn’t enough. State websites are often difficult to navigate. Facebook has limits. X is a hellscape. Researching the voting records on one’s own is daunting. How do we reach each other in new ways?

The anger needs to be channeled and it needs to be channeled into accountability. For my part, I am trying to figure out more about this project, this city, this state. And that’s how I came up with the states under the microscope idea. Right now, as democratic leaders are pointing fingers and still supporting horrible legislation… Too many are not acting like fascism is here despite their scare tactics. We need to show them a mirror they cannot look away from.

Well, I just said a lot… :slight_smile: Thanks for replying and I hope my response wasn’t too heavy of a thanks for listening.

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Obamacare ,as you probably know , originated from Romney in Massachusetts.

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I do, yes. I don’t know the specific details but I remember when people pointed out that this idea came out of The Heritage Foundation. I’d love to know more about what they intended as part of their bigger aims. But right now, I wonder if just like people thought they could support abortion rights on the state level and still vote for Trump, there are those who think MassHealth is safe.