Signature Drive Complete

The signature collection period for the young election season is complete. To get on the ballot, a candidate needs to collect a certain number of signatures on nomination papers, and the number required varies depending on the office sought.

With few exceptions, I will sign anyone's papers, even if I don't agree with their candidacy. I believe that pretty much everyone has the right to be on the ballot. This year, I didn't get the chance to sign that often, primarily because I was traveling for half of the signature phase, so I wasn't around to be stopped by candidates or their volunteers on the street.

For the record, here are the candidates for whom I did sign nomination papers:

Mayor of Boston
Mayor Tom Menino

Boston City Councilor At-Large
Ayanna Pressley
Scotland Willis

Boston District City Councilor
Councilor Mike Ross

The Ups and Downs of My Ward Committee

It been a see-saw couple of weeks for Boston's Ward 5 Democratic Committee, which I am a member of.

Just this past week, I attended a great event hosted by Ward 5-- a fundraiser headlined by Massachusetts Lt. Governor Tim Murray (I am pictured with him on this blog at the DNC last August in Denver, by the way).

The room at Lir Restaurant in the Back Bay was crowded with candidates. Three out of the four candidates running for Mayor attended, as well as numerous individuals vying for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council.

It was a good event, and it stood as a contrast to a couple of weeks that have been not so hot for the Ward 5 Committee.

Just a few weeks ago, it surfaced that one of our own committee members, herself an elected official, passed on questions for a planned candidates' forum to one of the forum's participants. The only problem being that she only sent the questions to one candidate-- the candidate she was supporting in the election-- and the questions were sent before the forum took place.

We're not talking a major offense here. However, it doesn't smell good. And from a PR perspective (an industry I hope I know well), it looks pretty bad for the committee. The group is supposed to be a bunch of enthusiastic (one would hope innocent) democrats that want to encourage party members to run for office. Instead, with the recent controversy, we could seem to some as just a part of the old Boston political machine.

My friend and fellow Ward 5 Committee member Josh Dawson (who happens to be an elected member of the Mass. Democratic State Committee) has a good post over on his blog on this matter.

For what it's worth, I sent my own recommendations to the Chairman of the committee, Rob Whitney, and I hope they are considered promptly. They are pretty simple recommendations and involve clearly stating and following candidate forum rules and procedures (especially regarding the handling of questions). I would hate to have this issue discourage potential participants in future Ward 5 candidates forums. I am sure Rob and other members of the Ward 5 Executive Committee will rectify the situation.

****

On a related topic, I have been thinking a lot about the role of the Ward Democratic Committee in general. I joined the committee well over a year ago now, and I must say I have enjoyed the experience far more than I was expecting. I think most of the reason is the people. Committee members are pretty eclectic.

Mr. Dawson and I liken the committee meeting experience to the infamous Mos Eisley Cantina scene from Star Wars. Imagine your walking into the bar in the excerpt below, except it's actually a Ward Committee meeting and you are one of the characters (I must admit we've never had a band at our meetings):

I admire the fact that on the committee, we are all committed Democrats, and I truly believe we all have the best interests of our communities in our minds as we act (and I still believe that despite the recent incident regarding the candidates' forum).

At the same time, though, does the committee really matter? We endorse candidates, and we raise money as a committee, but do we really matter? Looking at the numbers of recent Committee actions since I joined, our record from an endorsement perspective is clearly mixed.

As a group, we endorsed incumbent Senator Dianne Wilkerson last summer, and she went on to lose the state primary to Sonia Chang-Diaz -- more importantly she got trounced in Ward 5. Personally, I ended up not supporting the candidate the Ward endorsed in that race. More recently, the Ward endorsed Aaron Michlewitz in his race to the be the State Rep for the Mass. House 3rd Suffolk seat, and Aaron went on to win.

Endorsements aside, there's no question that the Ward committee members themselves are among the only people who care, non-stop, about politics. So I guess if you are an aspiring politician, they are vital. And if you are just starting your campaign, Ward committee members are a lifeline. Who else would listen to you several months ahead of an actual vote; more importantly, who else would remember you when you come back? I have come to the conclusion that for this and many other reasons, the Ward Committee clearly does matter, though we tend to put way too much emphasis on the endorsement votes. However, the endorsement votes have become a tactic for the committee to attract candidates and get them to speak, collectively, to the group.

My best reason? Ward 5 paid for and organized three bus trips to Manchester, New Hampshire last year to help Barack Obama win that state. A bus load is 60-70 people. I can tell you, as someone who had to organize those trips-- that's a lot of people. So much so that my boss in the organizing game told me at one point, "We need to do those bus trips every week." To which I responded, "Whoo hoo, Ward 5!"

Yes, whoo hoo Ward 5! Let's put in place procedures regarding our forums so we don't end up with egg on our face again like a few weeks ago. And then let's continue our mission and serve our important role in the political process.

Neighborhood Meeting on Beacon Hill Crime

A recent spate of robberies on Beacon Hill led to a crime meeting, hosted by the Beacon Hill Civic Association, at the Firehouse on Mt. Vernon Street tonight. I attended along with at least 50 or 60 of my neighbors. Boston Police Captain Bernard O'Rourke, Sargent Tom Lema, the BHCA's Paula O'Keefe, and City Council President Mike Ross were at the head table and addressed the recent incidents.

Some very interesting points from the meeting:

o There are indications that the perpetrators of recent robberies on Beacon Hill (there have been four this year) are members of the new MVP (Most Violent Prophet) gang of high school students. The Boston Police Department has been tracking this group, which tends to focus on the Downtown Crossing area. In the case of the Beacon Hill incidents, it is possible that members of this group came to Beacon Hill.

o Capt. O'Rourke referred to cell phones--especially iPhones and Sidekicks--as a kind of currency for younger individuals. He called them big "status symbols." In many cases, the perpetrators see someone talking on an iPhone and steal the phone from behind.

o While crime overall on Beacon Hill is down this year, compared to last year, there is a sense of unease in the neighborhood of late, certainly represented by those who attended the meeting. Unlike previous robberies in the neighborhood, which were isolated incidents, the recent robberies are unsettling because they could be connected to the issues in Downtown Crossing.

o The best advice I heard from Captain O'Rourke: Most people can sense when "something is wrong" on their street--when people are congregating that "just don't belong"--and residents should not hesitate to dial 9-1-1.

o The most alarming thing I heard came from one of the owners of Charles Street Liquors, who noted that he regularly thwarts shoplifters (he said once a week someone attempts to steal something from his store). In almost all cases, he doesn't call the police, primarily because he often is able to retrieve the stolen merchandise. For this reason, it's pretty clear the neighborhood crime statistics (for shoplifting, at least) are low. The stats are only for crimes that are actually reported. Given that Captain O'Rourke makes changes to patrols based on the data, I find that very worrisome.


Of note, also at the meeting were City Councilor Sal LaMattina and the newly minted Democratic nominee for the 3rd Suffolk Mass. House seat Aaron Michlewitz.

Saying Goodbye to the House I Grew Up In

This weekend I said goodbye to the house I grew up in. Until a few years out of college, it was home, even though I had moved out of the house. Then when I started calling my apartment in Boston home, it became "12 Southgate." [The address is 12 Southgate Circle.]

"I will be at 12 Southgate on Saturday afternoon," I would say, meaning I would be going to my parents' house.

My parents are downsizing, moving to a condo they own in Mystic, after a few weeks squatting at my brothers' homes or at my family's beach cottage in Old Lyme (where I am now).

I spent one final night at 12 Southgate on Saturday, sleeping in the room where I wrote my first research report. Honestly, it was not as sentimental as it probably could have been.

Maybe it hasn't set it yet. Since college, the holidays were the times that I spent the most nights at 12 Southgate. Maybe it will hit me in November, when I drive to Connecticut for Thanksgiving. Where will I go?

I won't go to Franklin. My hometown. In fact, I might not go to Franklin again for a long time. The 1200 plus residents there can now live in peace. My parents move out on June 3.

I Don't Know

A Boston University professor once told me that you can gauge the intelligence of a person by the types of questions they ask, and that you can spot an ignorant person if they ask no questions at all.

A parallel theory of mine is those who profess to have all the answers are either ignorant or preying on ignorance.

As an extension to both statements, I thoroughly enjoyed a speech given by my brother this past weekend as part of commencement exercises for a program he completed at William & Mary. A transcription of the speech, as delivered, is available on his blog.

Congrats Brett! I am proud of you.

One Roomate at the White House, Another Walks at Commencement

My BU college roommate Scott Lauber went to the White House this past week. He's the Phillies beat reporter for the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal, and President Barack Obama honored the Phillies for winning the World Series last year.

Scott Lauber in the White House Briefing Room
Washington, D.C.
May 15, 2009

Meanwhile, my other college roommate, Ian Menchini, has the honor of walking with faculty and staff at today's Suffolk University commencement. Ian works in the Suffolk Law School admissions department.

As for me, I am catching up after a week on the road for work, while watching the Yankees.

My Niece Madalyn Visits American Girl Boston

I guess I should mention that I don't have any kids. However, I have a niece and three nephews (with another nephew on the way), and being an uncle is the best job in the world.

My niece Madalyn came to Massachusetts yesterday with her parents and two brothers. Her birthday is Monday (she's turning 8), and she wantd to vist American Girl Boston (which happens to be in Natick).

American Girl is quite a franchise. For starters, everyone who went brought at least one of the American Girl dolls they owned (My brother and Madalyn's dad Mark says they'd better, given how much they spent on the dolls).

I bought Madalyn a hair brush, a pair of glasses and a hair styling. Except the items weren't for her. They were for her doll. Yep, 25 bucks to have Madalyn's doll's hair done. Pretty wild.

Things did get pretty tense at one point, as Madalyn was overwhelmed by her choices and had trouble making up her mind. She was persuaded by her brother, Jack, to think about the decision over lunch.

Madalyn Levanto at American Girl Boston

Natick, Mass.

May 16, 2009

You can hear Jack's enthusiasm for lunch in the background. No matter what Madalyn's options were, it was pretty definite that Jack thought lunch was the answer.

Keeping an Eye on the Back Bay

My friend, fellow community organizer, and all around good guy Josh Dawson has a personal blog up and running. It's called "Boston Cordon Bleu," and for his first post, Josh talks about dog owning and-- separately-- the need for people to take off the iPod headphones and breathe in life.

Josh lives in the next neighborhood over from me, which is called the "Back Bay." He also has the distinction of being an elected party official, and I am one of his constituents. As an elected member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, Josh is responsible for representing the interests of Democrats in his district, serving as a conduit between the State party and local Democrats, and helping to get Democrats elected. Josh and I also serve on Boston's Ward 5 Democratic Committee together.

If you like what you read here (and at least six of you do), you will like Josh's blog as well. Happy reading!

My Report Card on President Obama

I give him an A.

I remember listening to the state of the union address back in 2002 (George Bush gave the talk). I listened to the whole thing, and at the end, I realized I didn't agree with anything the President said.

What a difference seven years has made.

After 100 days in office, I give President Obama an A. Considering all the challenges he has faced, and with only a couple exceptions (which I detail below) I have been beyond impressed with his performance.

The overarching reason for his success? I believe it's because the President is doing everything he can to be outside the bubble of Washington. In an interview with 60 Minutes a few weeks back, Steve Kroft asked him about many on Wall Street who were not happy with him (Obama at the time was attacking excessive bonuses). Obama's response was right on the money. When he talks to those on Wall Street, he says, "They need to spend a little time outside of New York."

The President has spent time outside of New York. He's even held town hall meetings in republican friendly areas (Orange County, Calif.). And the questions from the audience are not even scripted. Even his process of reading 10 letters from ordinary Americans every week (I saw a CNN segment on the person who picks the letters) represents his attempt to connect to regular Americans.

The list of my reasons for liking the job Obama is doing is long:

-- Ending torture. Waterboarding is torture. Period. I agree with the President that we can get intelligence from key detainees through respected interrogation methods. More importantly, by not torturing we greatly enhance our image in the world.

-- An honorable ambassador. It's great to see the President received so warmly abroad. He has been both firm but also compromising on his international trips. The bottom line is while I love America, we can't solve our the world's problems by ourselves. And there are a lot of people out there who want to help.

As a side note, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also gets an A from me. It's great to see her abroad with the President. Further, I have been impressed by the entire group of U.S. emissaries, from Dennis Ross and Richard Holbrooke to George Mitchell. All of them are former Bill Clinton advisers/appointees.

-- Admitting mistakes. We live in a time of petty corruption. The public has had enough with politicians making excuses. President Obama to this point in his Presidency has already said "I screwed up." And you know what, even though he admitted a mistake, the country didn't fall apart and the Presidential office retained its authority.

-- Fixing the economy with an eye on the future. One thing I have definitely learned over the past several months is that green technologies are not cheap. Moreover, more efficient energy creation doesn't necessarily mean cleaner energy creation. President Obama is right to direct the government's role in recovery so that it leads the country where it must go. His focus on greentech and cleantech technologies, and his emphasis on electronic medical records and other healthcare reforms as a prelude to more significant healthcare changes is just what the doctor ordered, no pun intended.

-- His budget. Most of the priorities outlined in the previous bullet are emphasized in the President's budget. Announced shortly after the stimulus package passed, the budget will be Obama's permanent mark on this country. It is what will make him the next FDR. Marking the official end of the supply-side, trickle-down failure of the last nearly 30 years, Obama's budget recognizes that government may not be perfect, but at least it can be somewhat transparent, which is more than I can say for the greed of the average human.

-- His focus on an urban agenda. It's refreshing to have a President who understands the importance of this country's cities. As I live in Boston, you can imagine this concept resonates especially well with me.

-- Focusing the war on terror where the terrorists are. The Al Qaeda that attacked us on September 11 has reconstituted itself in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the Taliban that supported that Al Qaeda is controlling large swaths of Pakistan. That is the epicenter in the global (yes, global) war on terror.

Given all of the above, there are two areas where I do, in fact, disagree with the President, and it's important to outline them below.

1) Certain aspects of his energy initiatives. Cap and trade has had a troubled history, and I am not convinced it will actually encourage energy companies to invest in cleaner energy creation techniques-- I am also not convinced it will reduce CO(2) output.

2) Guns. Why the Brady bill was never renewed is beyond me. The fact that a normal average citizen can go out and buy a semi-automatic weapon is beyond scary. The President has decided not to tackle gun control. I understand the political reasons why, but it is disappointing.

In summary, there's no question to me that the President and his family represent this country superbly. And that just might be the most important box in my report card. While we still have a long way to go together, I say to my President, "Keep up the good work."

David Levanto Visits The Public Garden

David Levanto in the Public Garden
Boston, Mass.
May 3, 2009

He called every bird he saw a duck and said, "Quack, quack." Even the pigeons on Beacon Hill. I was happy he got to use the Myrtle Street playground in my neighborhood, since it's a nice spot I walk by a dozen times a week.

Taking it to the Streets

I spent a good deal of time in my neighborhood this past week, and I spoke to a number of my neighbors.

The 2009 local campaign season has started. The first step for a candidate (even one running for re-election) is getting on the ballot, and this is done by filing nomination papers. A nomination requires a certain number of signatures from voters, and the amount depends on the office sought. So starting on Tuesday, various candidates and their volunteers have been on the streets of Boston looking for signatures from eligible voters. If you see someone with a clipboard approaching you this weekend, chances are they are not trying to sell you something. They just want your "John Hancock." The signature period ends in about two and a half weeks.

On Tuesday, I was on the streets in Beacon Hill collecting signatures for Mayor Menino. Earlier today, I went door-to-door asking for signatures for my City Councilor, Mike Ross.

In between those two activities, on Thursday I went to a Beacon Hill Civic Association Founders Club event, where I listened to my State Senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz.

Collecting signatures is hard, but it gives one a chance to talk to people one-on-one (to the extent they don't think you are a sales person). I also spoke to a number of active neighbors at the Founders Club event.

I learned quite a bit about the general attitude of the neighborhood. Here goes:

-- Trash, trash, trash. I have commented here before that the neighborhood looks pretty good right now. Yet many people I talked to cited with disgust the trash problem on Beacon Hill. Last month at the Beacon Hill Civic Association it was reported, based on a recent new-members event, that trash remains the number one issue in the neighborhood.

-- What about us? I get the sense that everyone on Beacon Hill feels as though elected officials, in general, have forgotten about them. I must say that Beacon Hill can be overlooked; many campaigns I have been a part of lump Beacon Hill in with the Back Bay, which I dare say is a faux pas. Given the relatively small size of each neighborhood, such a grouping makes sense, and certainly demographically Beacon Hill and Back Bay are similar, but the geography of the two areas is different, and the two neighborhoods differ in their policy priorities.

-- Petty corruption is bad, bad, bad. I am not really sure what progressive means or whether I am one, but certainly Beacon Hill yearns for a clean political process. And for that reason, residents here tend to clump anyone in office with the petty corruption they read about in the papers. Isn't "Throw the bums out?" one of the primary themes of a progessive? I sense a lot of this emotion lingering from the overwhelming enthusiasm for Chang-Diaz last November (She was the candidate who ousted the tarnished former Senator Dianne Wilkerson). The now-Senator Chang-Diaz, who as I noted previously came to an event I attended on Thursday, cleaned house on Beacon Hill in the election results.

By the way, while I am very biased, I was very impressed by Senator Chang-Diaz. She spoke with authority backed up by a thorough understanding of the issues, even specific figures related to the budget. The crowd (which included some Republicans) received her warmly.

NOTE: I don't necessarily agree with what I observed in the neighborhood, as noted above, but it's what I heard and witnessed. Don't shoot the messenger!

An Anna's Roadblock

I love Anna's Taqueria, but the place really is in need of a bright MBA grad who can speed things up a bit.

I go to Anna's (at the corner of Cambridge and Garden Streets on Beacon Hill) a few times a month. It's one of those legendary local places that only takes cash. One heck of a burrito. (I was told by a colleague in San Francisco that the owners are Asian.)

I don't mind the fact that Anna's doesn't take cash, but the place has a line most of the time, leading up to an a la carte buffet where three or four employees stand ready to make a burrito to order. The line speaks to the place's popularity, but perhaps it also speaks to some concerns I have about the assembly line.

You start out by giving your order-- the size of your burrito, and the type of meat. However, over the course of fulfillment, you repeat your order at least twice to other individuals standing right next to the original person who took your order (I will spare out the specifics of why this is the case). Generally, one is also asked at least twice whether the order is to-go or not.

My favorite part is, while I generally have the same order each time I go, I always seem to pay a different amount. I guess the Wholesale prices for burrito ingredients are a moving target.

Regardless, I am sure I will be back to Anna's in a few days.

Boston is Shining this Saturday

The date for Boston Shines, Mayor Menino's city-wide clean up day, was set a long time ago. There was no way to know then if the weather would cooperate.

Well, today was Boston Shines, and the weather was spectacular.

On Beacon Hill, we organized four equipment pick-up locations: on Charles Street at the Paramount, on Cambridge Street at Store 24, at 74 Joy Street (the community building there), and at Suffolk University's Donahue Building on Temple Street.

We focused special attention on north slope streets that are especially dirty. Working with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and the Boston Transportation Department, a few streets in that area were posted no parking. The city brought out the infamous green machine-- a smaller street sweeper. As a result, Beacon Hill is definitely shining today.

Following the event, the Beacon Hill Civic Association hosted a lunch at 74 Joy Street, with food provided by a variety of neighborhood establishments. Special thanks to the Paramount (coffee), 7-11 (donuts), The Upper Crust (pizza), Holiday Inn (Salad), Whole Foods (Desert), and Store 24 (water) for all of their donations. Joe Green at Store 24 brought out a large crew of volunteers, and thanks also to Suffolk University for their support.

We're starting the Summer months off with a clean Beacon Hill.

After the event, I went to the roof deck of Ted and Alisha Furst on Beacon Hill for a beverage or two. The thermometer at my apartment says we're above 80. Fantastic.

Ted Furst on his roof deck.
Beacon Hill, Boston
April 25, 2009

Running for a cause

Saturday I was invited to attend a reception for the runners and patient partners participating in Children's Hospital Boston's Miles for Miracles program.

The program sponsors runners in the Boston Marathon, in return for commitment from the athletes to raise funds for the hospital.

My friends Annmarie Connors and Kim McCrossen are program participants this year. Annmarie celebrated her fifth consecutive year in the program with her patient partners, including young Savannah with whom Annmarie is pictured below.

Annmarie Connors with her patient-partner Savannah
April 18, 2009
Westin Copley Place
Boston

This was my third year attending the reception. It's a pretty moving sight-- seeing so many runners and their patients trying to do good. It's also quite inspiring-- Kim decided to get off her butt and participate this year after many years cheering on Annmarie.

It's marathon weekend in Boston, and the city is alive with activity. Spring has arrived. Good luck to Kim, Annmarie and the thousands of others running the Marathon on Monday.

Finally, kudos to Gary Tinder, who completed the Walk for Alzheimer's yesterday in Morgantown, W.V.

How to Clean Up Beacon Hill: Towing is Just a Start

Boston City Councilor Bill Linehan is proposing that Boston do away with towing cars on street cleaning days. It's a bad idea.

Trust me, trash is something I know well. It's the biggest issue for us downtown residents who live on Beacon Hill. Since I joined the Clean Beacon Hill committee, I have been volunteering personal time to trash since 2000. I should put that on a business card or something. Nine years and counting.

Councilor Linehan's proposal is a populist reaction to a policy put in place by Boston's Chief of Public Works, Dennis Royer, two years ago, which called for strict enforcement of posted street sweeping signs-- including towing on street cleaning days. It's not exactly a strict policy, since the street sweeping signs are very clear as to when street sweeping takes place and mark the street as a "tow zone" during that time. Councilor Linehan would like to do away with the towing, and instead simply give out tickets with a higher fine. His constituents will like the idea. Except it won't work.

Towing is a massive inconvenience. The Boston tow lot is not accessible by public transportation. A typical tow victim needs to hire a cab to get to it. Once there, the fines can be high, starting with a 75-dollar ticket and then charges for being in the tow lot. Karen Cord Taylor of the Beacon Hill Times quipped recently that at least there's an ATM machine at the lot now. Quite a novelty.

It's good that towing causes all sorts of pain, since that makes it an effective deterrent. The proof is on the streets. I took a walk on Beacon Hill today, and relatively speaking, it's pretty darn clean. It is clean because the street cleaning program is working better than it has before. And that's because cars are moved on street cleaning days.

Anderson Street at Revere looking North
Beacon Hill, Boston
April 18, 2009

Prior to Chief Royer's strict policy, cars would never move. Despite raising ticket fines several years ago, the charges never worked. Residents figured the fine was like paying for parking (especially since the Boston resident parking sticker doesn't cost anything).

Towing changed all that. Suddenly residents had an easier time remembering to look at the posted street sweeping signs, and remembering what the signs said. With the cars not there, the street sweepers can reach the curb. And when they reach the curb, they work well.

I have said many times that if towing doesn't happen, there's no reason to have the street sweeping program at all. Because it's a complete waste of money.

To be sure, street sweeping is just the first leg in a three-legged-stool solution that is necessary to bring real cleanliness to Beacon Hill. The other legs are: first, enforcement of the "green tickets" that ISD issues to trash scofflaws, and second, switching to two days of trash pick up on Beacon Hill.

I have written about the green ticket issue before. Boston's Inspectional Service Department (ISD) writes green tickets to residents that improperly dispose their trash. Unfortunately, the tickets have no teeth and are not enforced. Boston's Mayor Tom Menino, City Council President Mike Ross and State Representative Marty Walz, among others, would like to pass a state law that allows Boston to connect the green ticket fines to property owner liens; the best scenario would be if the fines show up on individual tax bills. Unfortunately, Governor Patrick wouldn't sign the law when it passed in December. In fact, he didn't do anything with it, and the legislation suffered the ignominious "pocket veto." I am hoping the law is passed again this year and is signed by Governor Patrick.

The second issue is far more emotional, and it's one I have thought about a lot. Beacon Hill has enjoyed three days of trash pick up for some time. It has its advantages, especially if you live in a neighborhood where small is the norm-- or as I put it, everything in my apartment is a "miniature" version of itself.

The problem is three days of trash pick up means crap is on the side of the street for 42 hours a week. That is one fourth of the week. No joke. Trash is on the street curbs roughly one-quarter of every week on tony Beacon Hill. We have tried to address this issue as a community by shortening the amount of time one can place trash on the curb (what's called same-day pick-up). The problem is this really doesn't give much time for residents to put trash out. The Beacon Hill Civic Association, of which I am a board member, supports same-day pick-up, but we are also trying to move the start of trash pick-up on the hill to 9 a.m. in the morning to give residents two more hours.

Removing a day of pick up cuts down the amount of time trash is put at the curb by a third. From 42-28 hours. Wham. Just like that. And an informal survey I am conducting on the hill is showing that most neighbors would be ok with it.

Councilor Linehan, I don't like your populist idea. Street sweeping is working now better than ever before. And with green ticket enforcement and two days of pick up (instead of three), we can all make our streets far cleaner than they have been.

Spring Politics in Boston

Several political races are heating up around Boston, if you know where to look.

City Council at-large candidate Andrew Kenneally stopped by a meeting of the newly formed Boston chapter of the Young Massachusetts Democrats last month. He spoke for about 10 minutes on a variety of topics, including the MBTA (which I think is interesting given the MBTA is run by the state) and initiatives to make Boston greener. I asked him about the oft-derided Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program, where non-profit institutions make a donation to the City to offset the fact they don't have to pay property tax. Kenneally mentioned he supports the Mayor's recently created task force to study the issue.

Kenneally and two other at-large city council candidates, Tomas Gonzalez and Scotland Willis, visited my Ward 5 Democratic Committee last month. Chairman Rob Whitney graciously gave them the chance to address the group.

The Mayor's race in Boston is also heating up. In late February, I attended a Meet the Mayor event where I got a chance to have bagels and muffins with Mayor Tom Menino, who still hasn't decided if he's running for re-election (though many, including myself, hope he does). What was neat about the event was the Mayor was chatting with younger Boston residents (I was sadly among the oldest), and he spoke with a passion as if he were running for office for the first time.

I received an email this week from someone working for one of the declared candidates for Mayor, Michael Flaherty. She appeared to have sent the note to the entire Ward 5 Democratic Committee, asking us if we wanted to get involved with the campaign. What I find amazing is that it's April, and she's asking about a city race that won't have an election until September (when the preliminary will be scheduled). My Ward 5 committee won't take an endorsement vote in the Mayoral race until after Labor Day. Then again, I heard from another politically minded Boston resident that turnout for the preliminary might eclipse 100,000. In Boston, that's a ton. I guess things are heating up.

By far the most intriguing campaign so far is being run by the young Doug Bennett, the Republican from Nantucket, who is also running for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council. While his efforts are noteworthy, I haven't quite figured Doug out. He launched an "entertaining" YouTube video recently, set to John Cougar's "Ain't that America." He also says he's going to knock on 100,000 doors across Boston, which I admit is admirable. However, last Saturday, while I was watching the Final Four on CBS, he left a flier on my mailbox (I know it was for me as it had my specific apartment number on it). The problem is I was clearly at home and he didn't ring the buzzer. Does he count that as a door knock?

Enjoy Doug's video below. And happy Saturday.

Libraries make me sick to my stomach

I like books. I am currently reading "The Defining Moment," by Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, on FDR's first 100 days. I have a stack of books near my bookshelf that are waiting in line.

But I hate the library. There's something about the smell of the place. Whenever I walk in a library, I have nauseating flashbacks of my youth. As a kid, the only time I went to the library was when I had a report to write for school. On arrival, I usually had not decided what to write about, and had a week or so to not only pick a topic, but to crank out six or seven pages (double-spaced, of course) on the old word processor. Assignments had requirements that came with them, including a standard number and type of sources to use in the bibliography. Sometimes finding more than two books on the same topic was hard. It was all so painful. Maybe that's why I feel pain today when I enter a library.

They should do something at libraries to give kids a positive impression of it. Like sell ice cream.

From a practical perspective, my loathing of libraries doesn't make sense. I should love the concept of the library. I have a full bookshelf of read books that I won't read again, which is a waste. This summer I plan to bring many of them down to the family beach cottage in Connecticut, so they can sit on a bookshelf there. Using the library is far more economical, and at least you know you didn't waste money if you don't like the book.

Boston has a great library system; there's a Boston Public Library branch in each neighborhood (well, pretty much). Beacon Hill is too small to have a branch, but the West End branch is right down the street and is more than adequate to service both neighborhoods. I only go there to vote, as it's also the voting location for Ward 5, Precinct 4. One time after voting I actually got a library card. But it's never been used.

It's so strange because I really like bookstores. I worked off a grant in college for Barnes & Noble to create a website for college kids called "Loci," and as a result the bookstore chain gave me my first job offer after college (It was a great offer, but decided I couldn't move to New York City).

Obviously my problem with libraries is all psychological. Maybe it's because of all the late return library fees I had to pay-- as a senior at Boston University, I called the administration office three times during the final week of exams to make sure there weren't any errant charges popping up on my account that would affect the receipt of my diploma that final Sunday. Thinking way back, I also remember the vivid panic rumbling through my mind as I frantically searched my room as a kid looking for the book I needed to return.

Yes, libraries have caused me a lot of psychological discomfort over the years, which is why I have personally contributed to the growth of Barnes & Noble--online and off.

My Brother Brett Launches a Blog

My brother Brett introduced a blog of his own this week, called "Levanto Air." Among his first posts is a touching story from his D.C. bartending days.

Brett lives with his wife Holly in Hampton, Virginia in a neighborhood called Phoebus.

I have added his blog to my blogroll on the right hand side of this site.

Enjoy!

I am sick of Tom Brady

Dominic James, the starting point guard for Marquette's men's basketball team, fell injured in the middle of the season during a game against Big East foe Connecticut.

As I am a UCONN fan, I was watching the game. I felt for James. It's his senior season. Chances for a professional career are slight. The injury to James' foot meant, essentially, the end of his days playing organized basketball. (He did make a return for part of one game in the NCAA tournament, but he was not able to do much.)

Despite his injury, James attended every Marquette game. He sat on the bench. He cheered on his team. He gave encouragement to his young replacement, Maurice Acker.

Hmmm. An experienced player falls to an injury and then becomes the team's number one cheerleader. That's not something I am familiar with in Boston.

Because Tom Brady disappeared from Gillette Stadium when he hurt his knee this past September.

I am quickly tiring of Brady. He and his team said the decision to keep him away from the team after his injury was to avoid "a distraction," and in reality he has become a bigger distraction in the process.

The media are infatuated with the nuptuals he is sharing (or is he?) with his girlfriend. The rumor was they were engaged. Then they weren't. Then they were. Then they weren't. Then they got married. Then they didn't.

Apparently, they are getting married again today. Or something like that. I am so tired of all this. As a marketing person, it's almost as if the rumors and events are carefully planned so that Tom is always in the headlines.

I can tell you one thing. If I were him, and I had sustained an injury on the field, it would have taken the Massachusetts National Guard to keep me from my team and the stadium on game day. Even if I ended up in the box next to the coaching coordinators.

I would imagine Dominic James feels the same way. Which is why, with his career effectively ended, he was on the bench cheering on his team every day.

Happy Final Four weekend. And go HUSKIES!

Someone Else Has My Cheap Phone

Intermission Tavern

Boston

March 30, 2009

That would be my friend Tabitha Bennett.