Civil Politics

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

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A democratic knockout for the ages! If you missed our election night commentary, or just want to relive the memories, here it is in full!

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!

Discussing different debates from the midterm election season! Why they're so important, what we can learn about the candidates, and how they can change someone's mind.

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!

Further Reading:

Are you as intrigued by Troy Jackson's accent as I am? Let's walk through it together!

Question 8: Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana - LINK

Question 9: Firearm Regulation - LINK

Tiktok.com/@slarrrry - Resource on Mass Questions!

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!

REMEMBER TO VOTE!!!! Mass residents can vote early RIGHT NOW!! Unfortunately at this point you cannot register or change your voter registration before election day.

Thoughts on Q7 from Mike Moriarty, someone with knowledge about housing in Massachusetts:

I support Question 7. I'm voting yes, and I'd encourage others to do the same. For far too long, local planning boards, select boards and city councils have stood in the way of new housing through restrictive zoning, oversized lot requirements, and local bylaws and permitting requirements that add cost and delay. The Affordable Homes Act of 2024 helped by overriding some of the worst excesses, notably by allowing accessory dwelling units by right statewide. Question 7 does more of the same, and it is badly needed as long as the housing shortage keeps driving people out of Massachusetts.

On the specifics: it would allow a single-family home by right on any lot of at least 5,000 square feet (a bit under one-eighth of an acre) with 50 feet of frontage, in districts already zoned residential, as long as the lot has public water and sewer. There's no depth requirement, so it isn't strictly 50x100, though that's the practical effect. Towns keep control over height, setbacks, parking and short-term rentals. Today, more than half the single-family-zoned land in the state requires lots of roughly an acre or more.

Your environmental instinct is right, and it cuts in favor of the question. Smaller lots on existing water and sewer mean less land consumed per home, shorter infrastructure runs and less sprawl. The sewer requirement steers growth toward places already built to absorb it.

The best of it: smaller lots lower the land cost per home, which makes room for modest starter homes for first-time buyers and for seniors who want to downsize, instead of pushing builders toward big houses on big lots to justify the land. The small homes I helped bring to Holyoke with UMass DesignBuild (the Hygge House, Paper House and 8th Sister) show what a well-designed modest house on a modest lot can look like.

The honest caveats: it doesn't guarantee affordability, and in high-cost towns new homes may still be expensive. It does nothing where there's no public sewer, which covers much of Western Massachusetts outside the cities. In older cities like Holyoke, where much of the housing already sits on small lots, I'd expect the bigger change in the suburbs rather than here. And critics, including the Massachusetts Municipal Association, raise fair concerns about local control and whether a sewer hookup means the system has capacity. None of that outweighs the cost of standing still, because of the impacts of the housing affordability crisis on struggling families . Single-family homes aren't the whole answer; we need multifamily housing, ADUs and the MBTA Communities law working too. But this is one more door we should open.

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!

On tonight show we got to speak with Elizabeth Dionne, Republican candidate for State Massachusetts State Treasurer. The Treasurer is a position that most people don't know about, but is really important to think about!

A reminder to all Mass residents: Early Voting started on October 17th, and mail in ballots are being sent out to everyone. Remember to vote as soon as you can through ballot drop off, mail, or early voting. If you aren't registered, you have until October 24th!

To find out more about Elizabeth Dionne:

Webwite: https://votedionne.com
Twitter: @VoteDionneMA
TikTok: tiktok.com/@votedionnema
Facebook: fb.com/votedionne

Further Reading:

Why progressives should vote for a Republican for Treasurer - LINK

Forward Party Candidate Pledge - LINK

Watchdog: Massachusetts Treasurer’s Office hiding $450 million in unclaimed property - LINK (Boston Herald)

Question 5: State Revenue Limit & Rebate - LINK

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!

Further Reading:

Question 3: Change to State Primary Elections to Open Primary

Question 4: Election Same Day Registration

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!

Its october in an election year, so its time for ballot questions!! This episode we cover Questions 1 (expanding the open records law) and 2 (allow public defenders to unionize)

Further Reading:

Trump's $500 Obamacare 'rebate' checks land in prime political battlegrounds - LINK

Information for Voters - 2026 Ballot Questions - LINK

Question 1: Mass. initiative would put governor and lawmakers under state public records law - LINK

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!

OneHolyoke CDC leader recognized for education advocacy impact - LINK

Rosa ‘ready to lead’ as OneHolyoke’s new executive director - LINK

Healey signs early literacy reform law - LINK

Chapter 113 - An Act relative to teacher preparation and student literacy (Bill Text) - LINK

This year's student MCAS scores dip again, continuing trend since pandemic - LINK

Mass residents remember to register to vote by OCTOBER 24th! Go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

Further Reading:

Supreme Court rejects Trump mail ballot restrictions ahead of midterms - LINK

Talarico backtracks controversial gender comments, pushes for Supreme Court overhaul - LINK

UT students attacked by Bo French call his comments “disgusting” and too familiar - LINK

Karl Rove, the GOP strategist behind George W. Bush's political career, is voting for a Democrat - LINK

Stadium owner Robert Kraft says Ed Sheeran asked him to donate $2m in aid after Macklemore backlash - LINK

How Ed Sheeran's tour became a flashpoint over Gaza and free speech - LINK

Ed Sheeran Philadelphia Tickets Slashed By Nearly 50% Following Macklemore ‘Free Palestine’ Controversy - LINK

Anthropic quietly sets up biology lab as it ramps AI drug program - LINK

Beginning Music: Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variation #5
Ending Music: Electronic - Getting Away With it (Instrumental)

Remember to Register to vote! Mass Residents should go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

For more Civil Politics visit our website, civilpoliticsradio.com!

If you want to get alerted to new episodes on social media, follow our Bluesky: @CivilPoliticsRadio.com

Don't miss another episode - subscribe to our podcast (iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and more!)

This podcast is a member of the Planetside Podcast Network. Visit PlanetsidePodcasts.com to find other Planetside Productions!