By Michael Gaffney
If the politicians in Worcester weren’t so busy engaging in general pettiness, they’d get together and thank Boston for making them an attractive bedroom community.
No, it’s not because Gov. Charlie Baker has finally fixed the commuter rail or added new trains to make the commute from Worcester to Boston practical. It would be nice if he accomplished something for Worcester after four years, but at this point, it just isn’t going to happen.
What has happened is that Boston’s elected officials are determined to increase crime and civil discord at a level of tenacity that exceeds their usual zeal for increasing and finding new taxes.
Mayor Marty Walsh is devoting more energy to whining about a change in the census that would add a citizenship question than he is watching over his responsibilities to oversee his city. Massachusetts lost a Congressperson to California because of the growth of illegal aliens included in California’s census numbers. In other words, Massachusetts, the commonwealth in which Boston is located, has less representation in our federal government because of improper population counts and Walsh isn’t upset about that. Instead he’s upset about the addition of a question that would correct that issue and, most likely, results in Massachusetts regaining a voice in our Federal government.
Walsh lives in crazy world. Maybe he’s upset about the census question because it might affect state legislative districting or maybe even districting in Boston. One would think he would be more concerned about Boston’s citizens than illegals and a census.
Perhaps he is upset about the question for selfish, political reasons as the Suffolk County DA has implemented a policy of not cooperating with ICE agents an even wants to be informed if ICE agents are at the courthouse looking for illegal aliens. Apparently she’s putting out the welcome mat for not only illegals, but criminal illegals to flock to the Boston area.
But, if Walsh’s priorities aren’t to protect the residents in Boston, Worcester is ready to welcome them with open arms and has plenty of cheap and readily available apartments. Last time I check, the new apartments on Front Street were giving away two months of free rent starting at the first month. They even have free parking available. You aren’t scoring that in Boston!
Speaking about protecting residents, while the Suffolk DA is de-criminalizing property crimes, harassment, resisting arrest, etc. Worcester now has police assigned to Union Station. So, while the DA is allowing the citizens of Boston to get mugged and have their apartments robbed because property crimes aren’t going to be prosecuted, Worcester is making sure that when said citizens get off the train, they are protected right up to their door in their brand new, affordable apartment.
Yes, I’m exaggerating a bit, but the difference in direction between the Worcester County DA and the Suffolk DA as well as the Worcester police is noteworthy. The Boston Herald just did an article with shocking revelations regarding the impact of the Suffolk DA’s policies.
Not surprisingly, prosecutors have seen an increase in the number of people charged with assaulting police since the Suffolk DA included resisting arrest among the 15 “non-violent” offenses that her office now looks to dismiss unless a supervisor’s permission is obtained.
The article states:
“’One of the 15 is resisting arrest, so we’ve seen an uptick in assault and battery on a police officer,’ Donna Patalano, general counsel for the DA’s office, said Wednesday at a Boston College Law School panel discussion on the charging decisions. ‘We need to figure out why.’”
What shocking news! When the criminals know they can resist arrest with impunity, they begin to assault the police officers arresting them. Anyone with half a synapse could have seen this coming a mile away.
Probably a good time to remind everyone that Harvard is in Cambridge and that AOC graduated from Boston University. So, please spare us your intellectual superiority. Or don’t, because Worcester loves what you are doing!
We love you Boston and welcome you to Worcester.
