I’ve posted on this subject previously, but this is so critical–and it crystallizes so perfectly the absolutely fucking insane gap between rich and poor in Boston–that I can’t refrain. City Life Vita Urbana held another in a series of demonstrations last night in an attempt to get big-time Boston hotelier/restarateur Paul Roiff to end his own attempt to evict residents from 22 Princeton St in East Boston. They hit his hotel on Beacon St Friday night; last night, we gathered in front of his fancy-ass restaurant Teatro, next to Loews on the Common; tonight we’ll be at Mistral on Columbus Ave in the South End.

(Oh, about that hotel of his: rates START at $295–but include a “complimentary overnight shoe shine.” A burger’s a bit pricey at $16, but a bottle of Heidsieck Monopole, ‘Gout Americain’ is a bargain at $14,000. Yeah, you read that right).

Fuck that. PLEASE JOIN US TONIGHT!!!!!!!

[Here’s a slideshow from last night ]

Short video:

And an update just in from CLVU:

I’ve posted on this subject previously, but this is so critical–and it crystallizes so perfectly the absolutely fucking insane gap between rich and poor in Boston–that I can’t refrain. City Life Vita Urbana held another in a series of demonstrations last night in an attempt to get big-time Boston hotelier/restarateur Paul Roiff to end his own attempt to evict residents from 22 Princeton St in East Boston. They hit his hotel on Beacon St Friday night; last night, we gathered in front of his fancy-ass restaurant Teatro, next to Loews on the Common; tonight we’ll be at Mistral on Columbus Ave in the South End.

(Oh, about that hotel of his: rates START at $295–but include a “complimentary overnight shoe shine.” A burger’s a bit pricey at $16, but a bottle of Heidsieck Monopole, ‘Gout Americain’ is a bargain at $14,000. Yeah, you read that right).

Fuck that. PLEASE JOIN US TONIGHT!!!!!!!

[Here’s a slideshow from last night ]

Short video:

And an update just in from CLVU:

“Discontented Voters Could Go Green”: column in the Chicago Sun-Times.

View it here. Second part continues streaming after the break.

Jason at Open Media Boston provides a lengthy response to the question, “Are Grace Ross and Jill Stein Jumping the Political Gun?” I don’t concur with all of his conclusions, but I would call his editorial exemplary journalism. Hmmm–if some of the best coverage in MA springs from alternative sources (low budget, but smart, sophisticated, and dedicated) … why shouldn’t some of the best campaigns?

I’m interested in how you feel about his take, but I’d urge you to please post comments at Open Media as well–they opened this dialogue and deserve your input (and there’s not a story on there that isn’t worth reading).  

ABRIDGED (personal, amateur) version of Dr. Jill Stein’s remarks on the steps of the Massachusetts State House this morning:

Also: a PHOTO SLIDESHOW of the morning’s events.

(Via the Jill Stein for Governorcampaign. BTW, you can now become a fanof Jill’s campaign on Facebook–mh.).

Dr. Jill Stein to Launch Campaign for Governor of the Commonwealth

Will be only candidate truly independent of the Beacon Hill machine

BOSTON – Dr. Jill Stein will declare her candidacy for Governor of Massachusetts on Monday, February 8th , 2010 at a rally in front of the State House.

werqwer

Think back a few years, and you may recall Boston’s hipster boutiques sporting a line of t-shirts festooned with an M4 carbine and a cryptic stenciled message: “Defend Allston”(which was followed by “Defend JP,”  “Defend Dorchester,” and, I suppose inevitably, “Invade Harvard Square”). The text’s ambiguity gave it its edge: defend from what, exactly? Students? Rats? The Yankees?

Well, as it turned out … it was the banks we needed defendin’ against! Who knew, back in the halcyon days on 2006?  

There’s a very valuable piece by Jason Pramas at OpenMedia Boston advising that “If Progressives Don’t Want More Scott Browns, Then They Have to Organize the Suburbs”.

Jason points out that

“The strength of the right in the Commonwealth is submerged in the 50 percent of voters here that are registered as `unenrolled.’ And there’s an interesting thing about these Massachusetts right-wingers – a lot of them are in the suburbs.”

He nearly delineates the reasons why progressives are sometimes loathe to make much of suburbanites’ issues and problems, but concludes that “that the answer to the problem of rising conservatism in the suburbs is not to ignore it. It is to engage it.”

There’s also a plug for the GRP towards the end.

It’s worthwhile reading, as is all his material.