The newest proposal that Massport is going to stuff down East Boston's throat is a consolidated rental-car facility, which would double the number of vehicles (to 9,000) parked in lots that abut the Jeffries Point neighborhood. A public meeting was held Monday, and the Globe reports that community leaders and elected officials are skeptical of Massport's usual chorus of, "We are trying to be a good neighbor."Of course, the quasi-independent authority and quasi-monster that is Massport has never been honest with Eastie residents and has never taken our pleas seriously. Did the community's efforts to block Runway 14/32 or the centerfield taxiway ever give pause to the agency and cause it to do anything but push harder?
According to the article, a Massport representative at the meeting said that the proposed consolidated rental-car facility is "a trend that other major airports are following in terms of providing services that travelers have come to expect." Well, how about the things that local residents have come to expect, like air that is safe to breathe?
22 comments:
I was kind of surprised to see that Elizabeth Gehrman wrote this article for the Globe while attending the meeting as a local resident and voicing her opposition to the project as a neighbor. She did speak a few times, never identifying herself as a Globe reporter and instead gave her personal opinions on the project instead of asking questions as a reporter would.
Jimbo, you have a journalist background and I would be curious to see what you thought of this if you attended.
I think that her concerns voiced at the meeting were totally valid and she definitely should have spoke. However, I would question whether she should have been the one to write the article given her dual role.
It does seem to be a conflict of interest on Ms. Gehrman's part. She is, I should note, a freelance writer and not a Globe staffer.
Hello Folks
FACE FACTS;
Massport will do whatever they want.
They ahve one goal in mind,and thats to wipe Eastie off the map.S along with the Casino,The Outsiders,and croked Politicians who do not live in Eastie ,or anywhere near these projects ,as well as the family connections of Cronie jobs the y buy East Boston,and block all opposition.
Once again telling us whats good for us,well lets build it next to Tom Butlers House,or atty Karen Nobers house,or Mr, Coys house (all Massport head slingers.
I will bet they would oppose it.
Face it Eastie ,you have Trav who has moved to winthrop,Ritchie Lynds moved to Winthrop,Paul Scapicchio planning on moving,and a controlled press (Lynds brother is the editor for the E.B.Times.) Opps did I mention those 3 are the driving force for slamming this casino down our throats>
Money talks ,and us citizens walk,as well as get trounced ,and ignored.
The end is comming for East Boston,This Casino will bring more crime as is proven in ALL casino studies,Raise property tax,and most important erode property values.
Now the want to take by eminent domain people property to widen McCellen Highway.
I am sadly disappointed in Mr. Rober Travaglini who is selling us out ,and all for the sake of money. Another example of the Outsiders.
Massport is a cancer,and like cancer will kill East Boston soon.
No reasonable person will move here,and people surrounding the track better sell before the market falls even more.
What a shame we supported guys like Trav for decades,and he turned out to be a turn coat.
Rise up Eastie ,and fight as hard as possible ,if not just close the doors,and call it a day.
P.S.Only the poor go to casinos,and then cant pay bills ,or send kids to get a higher education.
STOP THE CASINO,AND MENINO,AND THE REST OF THE SELL OUTS.
Dear Last Post,
What?
what happened to my post Jimbo - c'mon dont tell me it was off topic...you and anon (on 2/18 at 6:35) went back and forth skewering Gehrman's journalistic ethics...why cant I complain about Mason going off topic - again. At least Gehrman has a little bit more integrity.
Joe,
Massport is the greatest thing to happen to East Boston since the sangwhich. It is a little slice of heaven on earth. If it were not for Massport this town would not have the East Boston Foundation, new windows and Piers Park.
Anyone who thinks Massport is bad should not take any Foundation money since they are the ones who give it to the foundation to hand out! Nuf said
To Anon 3/2 @9:47
There is a reason they call it mitigation money. You don't have to be a Massport Fan to be eligible for funds. Any East Boston resident is entitled to it assuming they go through the process.
To Eastie Girl: I agree that anyone could apply for it but don't sit there and be a hippocrat when your nailing Massport for something and in the same breath asking for money.
My point is you know they(Massport) is here and they are never leaving.
To Eastie Girl: I agree that anyone could apply for it but don't sit there and be a hippocrat when your nailing Massport for something and in the same breath asking for money.
My point is you know they(Massport) is here and they are never leaving.
Anon - to your point, it does not appear very likely that they are going away. Even if we are not happy with their presence, or don't necessarily like them, we are still entitled to mitigation. I'm sure that there are those that would argue that the stronger their aversion to Massport, the more entitled they are to reap the benefit of mitigation funds.
To Eastie Girl: My point is by accepting money you sell yourself and your views to Massport.
I hope your not one of those hippocrates asking for money and then bashing them.
I'm a Massport basher and I didn't even accept windows from them. I unlike yourself want nothing to do with them. They are bad neighbors and don't care for the citizens or even think of their impact.
So please don't be hippocritical
Hi Anon at 11:45. I'll thank you to not presume to know what I stand for. To date I have neither bashed Massport or been the recipient of any mitigation. That being said, I am very involved in my community and see no problem in leveraging the mitigation funds that are made available to community organizations through massport, even if I take exception to some of their practices. That's not to say that the money that they give to East Boston makes everything all better, but it does have the potential to improve the lives of the folks living in the shadow of the airport.
To Eastie Girl: It sounds to me that you speak from both sides of the mouth. If you are against Massport like me then you shouldn't accept nothing. By accepting monies that gives you less feelings to take them on.
It sounds to me that you would accept some kind of sorts and by doing so your selling us out just like them.
Good night Jimbo
Anon - your views are myopic and your statements are general and insulting.
But you are right, I shouldn't and don't "accept nothing". Although, unlike you, I am not a self-proclaimed Massport basher. I think my statements make my position pretty clear: Massport has a responsibility to the community that has borne the brunt of the fallout from the airport.
By your reasoning, someone who has been in a car accident should refuse compensation because they dislike the other involved party.
To Eastie Girl; I'm not trying to insult you, i'm only pointing out the obvious. I have been following your responses on this blog and i'm dumbfounded that i'm not the only person to call you out on something. Your reasoning makes no sense.
I will say this again, Massport is bad for our community and I would Never accept anything from them because I am very vocal against them.
Are you telling me and Jimbo's bloggers that you would? If your answer is yes than you don't have the passion that us older folks have been fighting for. Sounds to me that your young and naive. Please read the facts first regarding what Massport has taken away from us because your not making any sense to this topic.
Dear Eastie Girl,
I agree with Anon because you seem to be so critical of Massport, but you are the first in line to accept money and enjoy all the benefits that Massport has to offer. I am ashamed to have some one like you living in East Boston because you truly are a hypocrite. You have nothing better to do than bash Massport while you go to them for mitigation money. If you are going to bash massport then you should not accept money from them. Jimbo I just want to thank you for providing this forum that allows people to debate such important East Boston Issues. I Hope your doing well Jimbo!
Ok, Anon @ 9:43 and Jack @ 10:43 - I'm not even going to pursue the thought that you might be the same person. Nor am I going to go down the path of becoming insulting.
What I will do is apologize for your difficulty understanding my position. I can't say it more simply than: Massport owes the community that they have taken so much from.
Jack from Morris St., I find your post particularly amusing because you don't know me, nor does it seem that you have paid particular attention to my posts. I have never bashed Massport - nor have I received anything from them. It doesn't mean that I feel any less entitled than anyone else in the community.
Eastie Girl you are definitely the same person as N starluna because no one in their right might would think the way you do. Also I know that you enjoy criticizing Massport but you still feel you are entitled to things even though massport have given this community so much. All you are worried about is going after mitigation money and filling your own pockets. You always say you are entitled to things but they have already given back a lot and you continue to pursue mitigation money for your own interests. I ask that you please stop being such a hypocrite and watch out for this community rather than for yourself. Jimbo thanks again for providing this blog I really enjoy taking part in it.
I'm not sure where all this criticism of Eastie Girl comes from. I'm the one who unabashedly demonizes Massport because ... well ... it is a demon.
Massport enjoys its status as an independent agency because that frees it from being directly beholden to the citizenry (though you can bet that if it was losing money -- like the MBTA or the Turnpike Authority -- it'd be the taxpayer footing the bill).
Instead, Massport carries out the wishes of big business -- airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and corporations that depend on air travel to fly their employees around or to bring passengers to town to spend money.
The agency could hardly care less about the people who live around Logan Airport. Sure, they sprinkle a little money around the neighborhood. It's good PR, and there is also some hope that it will help lessen the fury of attacks from some neighborhood activists.
When I worked at the Boys & Girls Club we received donations from Massport all the time. I wasn't the executive director, so I didn't solicit the money and I didn't spend it, but I was working there. Is that unethical? I don't believe so, but if you do, then that is your right.
Either way, it's never stopped me from shouting from the rooftops that Massport is an unprincipled, unresponsive behemoth.
Jack - I am not NStarluna - but I'm beginning to think that she is someone I would like to have coffee with. Heck, I'd even invite you too. I enjoy a good debate and, having grown up in a large family where we still do that sort of thing for sport - I'm not very thin skinned.
Jim, I don't mind the criticisms much at all. It reinforces my observations that A) no matter how you simplify things, some people have difficulty understanding basic concepts and B) I must be making one or two good points because people sure are focusing an awful lot on what I'm saying.
To Eastie Girl; the reason you are the focus is because of hippocrasy!
You yell from both sides of the mouth. One side saying "give me help Massport and the other saying"you suck Massport". Which is it?
For me Massport is the worse neighbor and must be stopped from growing. That's the reason your the focus, your being ridicolous
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