Schoolhouse Shakedown

Last week the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) released its scoping determination for the Government Center Garage Redevelopment Project, Raymond Property Co.’s proposed 52-story office tower at One Congress St.

At the request of Mayor Thomas Menino, tucked within the submission requirements for the proposed $2.3 billion project, the BRA asks the developers to be ready for the city to request an elementary school to be included in the development. This would appease the West End and Beacon Hill residents who are concerned over the tower’s height. The city can make this request, since the current plan includes property owned by the BRA and the city.

Now, elementary schools need safe spaces for buses to pick up and drop off kids, which may prove difficult in the current "dense urban environment." The BRA also points out that "careful planning for security is necessary, especially because of the project site’s close proximity to governmental buildings, including federal buildings." It’s hard to say if that would make it more susceptible to terrorist attack, or if that’s because government workers are especially untrustworthy around children, or if the general malaise found in government buildings, including federal buildings, is somehow contagious.

Anyway, if after looking at all those factors it seems that a downtown office tower is an ill-fitting place for an elementary school (uh, hello? obviously!) the BRA reserves the right to "request that the [developer] make a monetary contribution toward the creation of a school at an alternate location."

Catch that one, folks? The BRA just told the Raymond Property Co. it reserves the right to demand an elementary school be built into the office tower, and if it turns out that’s a bad idea, then the BRA will demand money to build the school somewhere else. At least to The Teller, that smacks of … what’s the word? Ah, yes: extortion.

Unsatisfactory: Student Refuses to Love Mother Earth

Mass Audubon has released its 2008 Legislative Report Card, a Beacon Hill voting record recount strictly on environmental issues. This is the 24th year the environmental non-profit has graded the commonwealth’s legislators, to "inform citizens of their state legislators’ performance in protecting the nature of Massachusetts."

In the House, there were 24 bills or amendments voted on that pertained to the environment, according to Mass Audubon, and 18 in the Senate. These ranged from prohibiting the sale of household cleaners containing phosphorous, to establishing an ocean management framework, to overriding Gov. Deval Patrick’s vetoes on budget items that would increase funding for the state’s environmental agencies.

Fortunately for "the nature of Massachusetts," the class average for the House was 92 percent, that is, the average representative voted "yes" on measures that benefited the environment 92 percent of the time. The Senate average was even better at 93 percent. Ultimately, every single measure passed with flying colors.  
But that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few class clowns (amazingly, all Republicans) mixed in the bunch. In the House, Rep. Viriato deMacedo of Plymouth, Rep. John Lepper of Attleboro, and Rep. Mary Rogeness of Longmeadow all received the lowest marks at 42 percent.

Their flunky compatriot in the Senate was Sen. Richard Tisei, R-Wakefield, who received a grade of 56 percent.

The majority of their "no" votes came when asked to expand budgets for environmental agencies, or override executive cuts and vetoes on those same budget items.

Rogeness and Lepper are gone from Beacon Hill; neither sought re-election after long tenures in the House, and both were replaced by Democrats.

Hooray for "the nature of Massachusetts!" Now there will be even less opposition to the already unchecked environmental policy.

Unfortunately there will be even less opposition to the other nature of Massachusetts; that is, spend and spend on government programs, and then when faced with giant budget gaps, ignore the governor’s cuts and instead raise taxes, tolls and fees. Looks like Massachusetts will continue to be a great place for rabbits, woodchucks and wildflowers, but not for working citizens.