It’s Time For Democrats To Call Trump’s Bluff

The time has come for Democrats to call Trump’s bluff.

All over television on election night in 2018, I kept hearing pundits say “This is bad for President Trump because now House Democrats can subpoena his tax returns.” But I was cynical. President Trump would do anything to keep the public’s prying eyes away from the family ledger. I also knew that, in Washington, for every rule there is an exception. Trump and his allies could just ignore a subpoena because, at the end of the day, it was Trump’s own Justice Department that would have to enforce and a contempt of congress citation.

The events of the last month have only reinforced that belief. The debasement of the rule of law,  and our constitutional norms, to say nothing of basic human decency, continues apace in our nation’s capital, aided and abetted by a supine Republican Party that will literally stop at nothing to remain in power, including; supporting a president who is an unindicted co-conspirator in a scheme to violate campaign finance laws so she can hush up the pornstar he cheated on his pregnant third wife with in order to influence the outcome of an election; a president who instructed top aides to obstruct justice by asking them to fire the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller; and a president who instructed cabinet officials to willfully ignore lawfully executed congressional subpoenas, as in the case of Attorney General William Barr’s refusal to hand over the full, un-redacted version of the Mueller Report to the House Judiciary Committee.

Attorney General William Barr

If President Obama had done even one of those things, The GOP would have filed articles of impeachment on him before you could say “Stormy Daniels” and in 1998,  Republicans, led by one Lindsey Graham, DID impeach Bill Clinton over a tawdry affair with an intern.

So, where do Democrats go from here? Conventional wisdom suggests that any move towards impeaching the president or any member of his cabinet will only make the president stronger and more likely to be reelected in 2020. Pundits usually point to the fact that, after impeaching Bill Clinton in 1999, the GOP lost congressional seats in the 2000 election (Never mind the fact that Republicans still kept control of congress in 2000 and won the presidency.)

Still, Democrats always seem to forget that American voters, above all else, value guts. That’s what helped get Trump elected in the first place.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California

We are at a point in our constitutional republic that goes so far beyond winning elections. The very cornerstones our country are crumbling. A free society cannot sustain when the head of government willfully ignores lawfully executed subpoenas issued by a co-equal branch of government. When the actions of the executive obstruct, without consequence, the ability of an equal branch of government to carry out its constitutional requirements of oversight, we have ceased living in a constitutional democracy and descended into dictatorship.

There is only way to preserve our constitutional norms and indeed our entire democratic way of life. Should the attorney general, William Barr, continue to ignore the subpoena for the full, unredacted Mueller Report, House Democrats should hold him in contempt of congress, defund his secret service detail and instruct the Capitol Police to place him into custody in the Capitol jail. Damn the electoral consequences. The unchecked authority of the presidency that began decades ago and spread like wildfire under both parties has gone far enough. We have reached a tipping point: a full blown constitutional crisis on the order of the secession of southern states that led to the Civil War.

If preserving our republic isn’t worth risking a losing election over, then we don’t deserve to keep it.

Transgender Rights and the Politics of Fear

I have been very quiet on Facebook lately. About a year ago, I decided that I was no longer going to share or debate my political opinions on social media. (And I won’t be debating anyone on this post on this medium.) Issues of public and foreign policy (to the extent that politics is even about solving problems anymore) are too complicated, and at times, emotional as to be trivialized on any social media platform. But reading through my feed tonight, I feel compelled to speak. As a teacher who has worked with transgendered teenagers, I am disappointed that the social and emotional hell these kids go through everyday is being so trivialized by our political leaders. The students I worked with all said that being transgendered was not a decision they made. A teenage boy who is seriously dealing with this issue didn’t wake up one morning and decide that today they were going to start living their life as a female. It was only after years of therapy and denial that they were able to come to terms with who they are. According to a poll by The Williams Institute, more than 50 percent of transgendered youth will attempt suicide at least once by the time they are 20. I know of no person who would willingly go through the amount of ridicule and bullying that transgendered people go through every day.

It is unfortunate that we now live in a country where every debate about serious issues starts with the following two sentences: “Here’s what you should be afraid of.” and “Here’s who you should blame for it.” I have seen up close and personal that these ideas are a lot easier to sell on the campaign trail than the ideas of equal rights, compassion for others, and a sense of fidelity to the idea that America is a country where people come together and work out our differences absent the fear that government is going to trample on our rights, and treat a group of people differently based on the way they were born. It is the main reason I left campaign politics in 2012 and have no desire to return.

Again, if you want to debate this issue with me, most of you know how to reach me. I won’t be making any further comments on social media. But before you contact me, I would urge people to look at the statistics and speak to someone who is transgender. I promise it will at least make you think more clearly about this issue.    

FAQ About The Town Center Project

What will this project do to my Tax Rate?

This project will not increase the tax rate. The Town maintains a debt policy based on the same annual debt service every year. All new projects replace debt retired from old projects. This allows the Town to pay the same amount of debt service on an annual basis. For example, if you had a home equity loan for $20,000 to replace your roof and windows and ten years later after you paid the note you borrow the same amount for your kid’s education, you still have the same monthly obligation but you have borrowed the money for a different purpose.

Will this project cause a longer wait for sewer in my neighborhood?

No, Town Meeting has authorized $33 million dollars in sewer projects over the past few years. This funding will allow the Town to expand the capacity of the Waste Water Treatment Plant and upgrade the 26 sewer pump stations throughout Town. It will also allow one sewer contract, 34B, to go forward. The DEP has restricted the Town from adding any more residents and or businesses to the system until these projects are complete. We cannot add more sewer lines until the DEP lifts this moratorium. It is expected that this moratorium will be lifted when they are complete which will be two years from now. At that time we will have retired enough debt to continue the sewer expansion program and carry the debt from the Town Center Project, maintaining the same debt service. Whether the Town Center Project is approved or not, it does not impact the Town’s capacity to fund sewer projects or the time in which these projects are started.

With significant investments such as a new or renovated school in our future will this project prohibit the Town’s ability to fund those projects?

No, whether Town Meeting chooses to fund the Town Center Project or not, projects of this magnitude, such as a school, will not be financed through the general fund. The funding necessary to finance those projects through general revenues would push the Town’s Debt Service over 10% of the total budget and jeopardize the Towns’ Bond Rating and ultimately cost the tax payers more money. Projects of that size must be funded through a debt exclusion.

What are we getting from this investment?

This is not just a traffic and safety project. It is also an economic development project. It is intended to enhance two of the Town’s greatest assets, the Town Common and Center as well as the adjacent major retail complex. Currently, these two assets are underutilized. This project will visually and physically

connect these two assets. Sidewalks will be added on the State portion of this roadway from the Mall up to the entrance to O’Connor’s Plaza. The sidewalks in the Center will be widened to eighteen feet to accommodate café seating for these store fronts. Brick accents will add to the aesthetic appeal of the Center. The Common will be accessible for pedestrian traffic from the Concord Road side and increased in size by 26%. Greater pedestrian access will allow better use of this asset. All of the utilities from the mall through the common will be relocated underground. There will be less signalization and it will be sequenced to improve traffic flow through the center. The rotary configuration will be eliminated and Boston Road will be two way with four lanes. Period street lights and traffic lights will be installed. Crosswalks will be laid with pavers and located only at signalized intersections.

Aren’t we just going back to the way it was 30 years ago?

No, the old layout included two-way traffic reduced from four lanes to two on Boston Road through the center. It still had a rotary configuration with two-way traffic on Concord Road. This caused four roads to come together at one point in front of Andover Road. This required a traffic officer to be on duty to mitigate traffic flow.

The new layout eliminates the rotary configuration and carries four lanes of two-way traffic through the center on Boston Road. This eliminates all conflicting traffic flows that are present today and were present in the old layout 30 years ago.

Is this a mixed use or zoning proposal?

No there is no zoning associated with this project. It is strictly an infrastructure project.

What are we doing to mitigate impact of construction on local merchants in the Town Center?

The Town is making every effort to cause the least amount of inconvenience as possible. The Town has already met with most merchants in the Town Center to provide information and get their input. Some of their concerns have already been incorporated into the project. Their biggest concern is obviously the construction period itself. The Town will put together a committee consisting of the merchants, the Town Manager and Project Manager. This committee will meet regularly to give project updates and get feedback from merchants to make schedule changes as the project progresses.

When will the project start and how long will it take?

Design will be complete next summer (2013) and the construction would begin in the following spring (2014). The Project would take two and a half years. The roads will remain open throughout the project.

Will there be any other public input after Town Meeting adopts this project?

Yes, when the Town reached 75% design a public hearing will be held to receive public input. It will also have to be approved by the Historic District Committee at 100% Design.

Who can I call if I have questions about the Town Center Project?

You can call the Town Manager’s Office at (978) 671-0942. You can also view the plans online at the Town Website: http://www.town.billerica.ma.us or on the first floor of Town Hall.

Town Meeting Adjourns After Approving Sewer Maintenance

Town Meeting adjourned Thursday after members approved funding for the maintenance of the town’s pump stations and purchasing new equipment for the cemetery department.

The first set of renovations involves the pump stations at Richardson Street, Monson Street and Lake Street. The upgrades are expected to cost around $1.1 million.

The project will be funded through a bond authorization approved by Town Meeting in the Fall 2010 to fund renovations to other pump stations. The town manager, John Curran, said that the work cost much less than he expected so he was asking Town Meeting to expand the scope of the original warrant article.

Town Meeting Rejects Mixed-Use Overlay District Again

Town Meeting members, Tuesday, again rejected a warrant article that would have created a mixed use overlay district in the town center in a marathon third session.

The article would allow the combining of commercial zoning and low density residential zoning in the town center.

The article was sponsored by Michael and Stella Billiri.

This plan would first establish a district and then place only the Billiri’s property at 5 Andover Road in that district.

Current bylaws only allow for one residential unit every 6,800 square feet. Under this proposal, a petitioner could seek a vote of the Planning Board to waive that bylaw, which the Billiri’s would seek to do; expanding their property from two residential units to six.

In the future any other property owners that would want to be placed in the district would have to gain approval of Town Meeting.

Rep. Jeff Parenti, a major proponent of mixed-use zoning, spoke in favor of the warrant article and lashed out at the plan’s opponents. Parenti listed many of the businesses in the center that have closed since this plan was last considered and new businesses who were looking to develop in the area and went to other towns like Burlington or Wilmington.

“We have to make it easier for landowners to improve their property,” he said. “We obviously have a problem that other towns aren’t having.”

An angry Parenti went further lashing out at many of the plan’s opponents. “What is the plan?” he asked. “How do you intend to attract businesses to town?”

Town Manager John Curran, who said he supports the concept of a mixed-use overlay district, said he was against this proposal because he said it wasn’t the job of Town Meeting to be involved in this type of intricate planning.

“Doing this site by site is why we have problems on Boston Road,” he said.

Rep. Ralph McKenna was even more blunt in his opposition saying the proposal gave the Planning Board too much power.

“As you can see I have a lot a gray hair, and I think we have the best Planning Board, but years ago we had the best Planning Board money could buy.”

Selectmen Approve Design of Public Safety Memorial

In a brief meeting Monday, the Billerica Board of Selectmen approved the design of a public safety memorial to honor members of the Billerica public safety departments who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Selectman Bob Correnti, who headed the committee charged with organizing the memorial, said that he hoped the construction of the memorial, which he estimated to cost around $100,000, could be privately funded.

“We believe it will provide solitude for those who want to sit and reflect,” Correnti said.

Correnti said that the committee was still researching how many Billerica public safety workers have died in the line of duty.  Correnti said the committee has identified two firefighters and two police officers who have been killed.

Correnti was pleased with the plan. “It was very difficulty to come up with a final design,” he said.

The memorial will be placed on the lawn in front of Town Hall just off Boston Road. The design is completely made of granite and consists of a a granite statute surrounded by three granite benches. The front of the memorial will be affixed with the town seal. Engraved in each side will be the names of those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Inscribed on a stone in front of the memorial will be a poem written by Billerica resident, Len Buckland.

Correnti said that he hoped to have the memorial finished in time for an unveiling at Yankee Doodle Weekend in 2013.

Mixed-Use Zoning Will Get Third Try

The proposal to create a mixed-use overlay district in Billerica Center has resulted in some of the most contentious and controversial debate to take place on the floor of Town Meeting. The previous two debates included one representative being removed from the Buck Auditorium by police and a former town moderator usurping the body’s right to decide when debate has been exhausted.

According to Stephen Lentine, a local attorney, the last time Town Meeting considered this proposal, it fell just six votes shorts. Lentine is hoping that the third time will be the charm.

On behalf of his client, Michael Billiri, Lentine will bring the proposal to Town Meeting for a third time.

Under the plan, Town Meeting would establish a mixed use overlay district in the Center that would allow for both commercial and residential zoning.  Once an overlay district is established after a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting, petitioners would then file warrant articles to Town Meeting to join the overlay district, also requiring a two-thirds vote.

Should the overlay district be approved at the upcoming session, Billiri would then ask Town Meeting to place his property at 5 Andover Road into the overlay district effectively allowing him, contingent on approval of the Planning Board, to place six residential units on the top floor of the building.

The plan would also give the Planning Board the power to grant waivers to petitioners who want to place more units in the place than town bylaws currently allow for.

The plan was met with mixed emotions from members of the board.

Selectmen Reject 911 Regionalization

The Billerica Board of Selectmen, Monday, voted not to move forward with a regional initiative to study the regionalization of the 911 dispatchers.

Beverly Woods, director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments, which organized the study, said that Billerica could potentially save $218,000 a year should the nine communities involved in the study opt into the center.

Police Chief Dan Rosa spoke out against going forward saying he wanted to maintain local control of his dispatchers.  Rosa said that he feared that emergency response times would only increase under a regional center. He also feared that the city of Lowell would suck up most of the center’s resources given the vast differences in community policing in urban cities and suburban towns such as Billerica and Chelmsford.

The chief was also skeptical that the center would save the town money over the long term. Rosa estimated that administrative costs could be in excess of $230,000 a year.

Moreira Hopes To Bring Electronic Voting To Town Meeting

The town moderator will file a warrant article for the spring session that will ask Town Meeting members to consider allowing electronic voting at Town Meeting.

Town Meeting moderator, Gil Moreira, who will sponsor the warrant article, said he hopes to have the committee approved in the spring so members can take a trial run with the system at the next fall session.

“I think people will see it as a great step forward,” Moreira said.  Moreira said that recording votes, that would later be published, would give the entire Town Meeting process a greater sense of transparency.  “I think it’s a heck of an opportunity to streamline the entire process,” he said.

Curran Stiffed By Town Meeting Members In Quest For Meals Tax

Town Meeting members voted down a local meals tax Thursday, with many members saying that the tax would hurt local restaurant owners and take more money out of the pockets of residents in difficult economic times.

The divisive proposal was brought forth by town manager, John Curran who said that the revenue would go towards capital improvement projects and paying down the debt.

The proposal called for an additional .75 percent tax on top of the 6.25 percent meals tax collected by the state. In all, the local portion of the meals tax will would have amounted to an additional 75 cents on a $100 bill.

But members were not hearing it and complained that residents had seen their property taxes go by an average of 2.5 percent the last several years, the maximum allowed by law without a voter override.

“This is not going to bring in the revenues they think it’s going to,” said Rep. Anthony Ventresca, a member of the Finance Committee.

Rep. Madeline Sargent said she was concerned that the tax would be harmful to restaurant owners and said that four establishments had closed in town recently.

Curran tried to allay the concerns of members by telling him that he spoke to several restaurant owners and, while they weren’t happy about it, they didn’t think it would harm their business.

“People aren’t going to make a decision not to get a meal based on an extra seven cents on a $10 bill, ” Curran said.