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Councilor asks why Leominster flooding victims get faster emergency declaration than Mass and Cass
By adamg on Wed, 09/13/2023 - 1:20pm
Erin Murphy calls for immediate emergency declaration.
Councilor Erin Murphy (at large) today urged her colleagues to tell the Boston Public Health Commission it should declare a formal state of emergency exists at Mass and Cass.
But Murphy was foiled in her bid to alert the commission to vote at its meeting tonight by Councilor Ricardo Arroyo (Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale), who said he objected to Murphy's resolution because he wants to learn more about just what sort of powers it would give the city to do that it is not already doing.
Under council rules, any votes to suspend its rules and immediately vote on new measures without a referral to a committee for a hearing requires a unanimous vote. Arroyo noted that in a separate vote, Murphy was asking for the council's Committee on Public Health, Homelessness and Recovery for just such a hearing. The council approved that referral.
In pushing for an immediate vote, Murphy noted that Gov. Healey said yesterday she would issue an emergency declaration for Leominster and other areas hard hit by flooding this week.
"Do any of us think the situation there warrants a swifter response than what we have in the heart of our city?" Murphy said, referring to Mass and Cass as a defining crisis for our time in Boston.
Murphy, along with councilors Michael Flaherty (at large), Frank Baker (Dorchester) and Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, downtown) have been pushing for a formal emergency declaration for awhile now. But she said the public-health commission has declined to respond to the councilors' requests for such a declaration.
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Comments
While I agree more needs to be done
While I agree moore needs to be done but in Leominster's case, this was Mother Nature's doing and 9 times out of 10 when this happens, a state of emergency declaration is called. This opens up federal money from FEMA and other natural disaster agencies to come in and help.
Not sure how FEMA would help Mass & Cass all that much other than stand up food services and temporary housing. (and that federal force that FEMA can give to push out NIMBYs and usurp local regulations and guidelines). Yeah this SEEMS like a good idea for M&C but this is something we can do ourselves, it just takes action (which there is none)
I think it is comparing apples to oranges.. Or Boston vs Leominster in this case.
Should they call one for Mass & Cass? Maybe.. it might help. It might not either.
Never misses
Erin never misses a chance to speak cluelessness to any opportunity that presents itself. Yikes.
Well
In this instance I am viewing her in a positive light. She is throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall in an effort to get something accomplished there. It’s an embarrassment for the city and Arroyo (lame duck) and others are satisfied sitting back while it gets worse by the day. That area is an all hands on deck situation and it’s not being treated as such.
Bad analogy
Nor should it be. "All hands on deck" only makes sense when all hands have something useful to contribute to the problem at hand -- that's why the source of the analogy is a sailing ship, where all hands (not passengers) have some useful skill to bring to the task of sailing the ship. When the analogy is used in a context like this, it inevitably means a bunch of pointless arm-waving as people whose skills lie elsewhere are dragged into the situation in order to give some manager their "all hands on deck" moment. Look at me! I sure got those hands on deck?
Feh.
Interesting editorial choice, Adam
I guess some politicians can be personally attacked by anons.
that’s not a personal attack
it’s quite literally a criticism of her professional conduct
Andover, North Andover, North Attleboro
This weather is causing a number of emergency situations all over the region. I just hope today's rains and Lee don't make matters worse.
Because Mass and Cass is self
Because Mass and Cass is self made.
Agreed
Agreed, and all the help in the world may come to nothing. They cave them emergency showers and bathrooms, and those just got trashed. And the people who were sent there to help were in such danger they had to pull out.
It's made by people
I get your meaning, but it's made by people, not "self made".
If a state of emergency
If a state of emergency declaration is determined to be appropriate, shouldn't the mayor be the one to declare it?
Not really hard to figure out
Maybe Leominster got money faster because they pay taxes and their problem is not only not their fault, but solvable?
If you help the people of Leominister, they will actually rebuild their lives and not throw your money down the toilet.
You sure of that?
And you know them all, of course, so you know that this will be the outcome.
Get real. How many times have you heard of people whose homes were wiped out by a natural disaster, who went and rebuilt in the same disaster-prone area? Yeah, it sucks that the meaning of "disaster-prone area" is greatly expanding, but when 11 inch rainstorms are no longer hundred-year events, it doesn't help to "rebuild their lives" in a place where their lives got wrecked.
Too bad she's a councilor
And not a baseball player, because then we could just run her for arguing balls and strikes.
I don't recall ever being told "Say no to floods", because that's not really a voluntary thing.
Not voluntary to have an encampment in your front yard
None of the businesses or residents impacted by the encampments chose that for themselves.
Good point
In that case, I endorse qualified immunity for those businesses and residents like cops have. I don't want government picking winners period, but if they're going to do it, at least pick deserving ones.
Emergency in Boston is being
Emergency in Boston is being late for a photoshoot.
You do enjoy grinding that axe
Don't you?
Now, if you'd only do something constructive with it ...
So that's where the last green M&M ...
Rolled off to
Is this a fat joke
or are you saying something more clever and I'm not getting the reference?
Nope ..
It's simply an homage to the world's greatest candy