We Need Some Milk

America is burning. And in Massachusetts, the power of your vote will be amplified by a lot of folks. Pundits, pols, observers all saying the same thing: this is the most important election in your lifetime.

The question is, when you vote, are you really voting for the candidate that deserves it? There's a Massachusetts DEMOCRATIC Senate Debate tonight. Did you even know that?

The bhoys invited Jonathan Cohn, your local supervolunteer and progressive advocate about the Kennedy/Markey trench wars: how this election could define the next 50 years, the differences between the two, why a candidates long term evolution on issues matters more than within two years of a progressive shift, and the nerve of activists endorsing candidates for the sake of access to the establishment.

#BlackLivesMatter

You know Jonathan already. Here's the link anyway.

https://twitter.com/JonathanCohn?s=20

A pandemic started two months ago and now COVID-19 is magically over. Babbu & Scam cannot compute this logic.

While Phil Murphy & Charlie Baker keep figuring out how many political mouths to feed, the bhoys are horrified at what society has become during a public health crisis. Political leaders across state and local governments are willing to risk lives for the very few who made sure all the relief benefited them as food bank lines become the norm and debt snowballs are an individual mandate.

Babbu's disgusted with those who refuse to wear masks, Scam's infuriated at how "equity" is a buzzword that doesn't mean anything to those in power. It's a hot and emotional ride.

Babbu had to get Hector Oseguera running for New Jersey's 8th district so Scam asked Ihssane Leckey to come on because he was keeping an eye on the Massachusetts 4th district.

Out of all the candidates, she seemed to be the one talking issues that actually affect people (of the poor kind) beyond Newton/Brookline.

Why is she doing this? Why is our healthcare attached to our employment? Will you ever get your 1,200 dollars? So many fun questions, so many compassionate answers.

Authenticity, it comes a long way.

Check out her website. Donate, volunteer, all that good stuff: https://ihssane.org/

Follow Ihssane:

https://twitter.com/ihssaneleckey?s=20

There's a pandemic going on and the political campaign season hasn't ended.

Sure, Bernie's dropped out, your candidates can't get their signatures without fear of contracting Coronavirus, and they have reached market saturation with the virtual check-ins, zoom town halls, and community Q&As with the same experts in infectious diseases.

So Babbu reached out to Hector Oseguera, running for US House in the New Jersey 8th district. Hector explained what drives him to run against Albio Sires in a minority majority district, the need for cancelling rent & mortgages in the bigger picture, and trying to get over the campaign cash hump against a political machine that isn't having it

Check out his campaign, donate if you can

https://www.oseguera2020.com/

Give him a follow too

https://twitter.com/Oseguera2020

The bhoys have gone a bit stir crazy and goofed off with their friends Goletz & Sperry.

Nothing serious. Just laughs.

Follow Goletz

https://twitter.com/matthewgoletz?s=20

Follow Sperry

https://twitter.com/bitesperry?s=20

While everything seems to stop in a time of Coronavirus, the bhoys wanted to continue their discussion about immigration during it. Sarah Betancourt of Commonwealth Magazine got the slot.

Everyone hunkers down while she continues reporting on what's going on for immigrants and policy with courts closing, those in ICE custody a the bottom of a testing priority list, and Tom Hodgson still mouthing off.

At least we will always have cheese.

Follow Sarah

https://twitter.com/sweetadelinevt?s=20

Everyone is doing social distance but not Babbu & Scam.

Julia Mejia's been planning some public hearings on sanctuary safe spaces (on hold because of COVID-19) and the bhoys wanted to get some background on the legal aspects of immigration here in Boston.

Who better than Matt Cameron, a local immigration attorney (and new ward committee member for East Boston) to harp with them about ICE, immigration policy, and what he hopes to achieve with new ward committees in our midst.

It's the indica.

Babbu talks a lot about the Gateway Project. It's basically the MBTA getting a massive overhaul, but for millions more people. It's a lifeline to New York and New Jersey that can keep him up at night if something goes wrong.

So he invited Brian Fritsch of the Regional Plan Association (7:48) to coach the bhoys on a few things about it.

No, it won't collapse soon, but how many bodies will it take for it to finally matter? Who knows.

Here's a video explaining Gateway Project's Hudson Tunnel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJi2-I18kW4&frags=pl%2Cwn

And one on the Gateway Project's Portal Bridge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty7F3bOjkZU

Babbu has fond memories of Liberty State Park and always wondered what efforts it took to protect it.

So he invited Sam Pesin, President of the Friends of Liberty State Park (8:40) to explain the decades long fight to preserve it, the battles he's had to fight, & the stories going back to when the park was first founded to now.

The current battle is protecting Caven Point, a bird sanctuary that is being considered for three golf holes for Liberty National; something that benefits few under the presumption of many.

Sam's just like the bhoys... he's just seen it longer. The fight goes on.

Find The Friends of Liberty State Park's website below and consider your own conservation efforts in your cities:

http://www.folsp.org/preservation/protection_laws.html

Also find Morris Pesin's (Sam's dad) obituary that speaks to the heart of who he is:

http://www.folsp.org/history/father_print.pdf

Marty Walsh had his State of the City, Charlie Baker had his State of the Commonwealth, it is time for the State of Dire Straits.

Mike Leyba got the slot to speak of his personal experiences and helped hash out the details about rent control, Airbnb, Suffolk Downs & other tidbits as we endure this displacement/housing/neo-liberal crisis.

We can't wait to see Swampscott step up and be true missionaries to fix it all.