November 20, 2008 — vol. 44, no 14
Letters to the Editor
Shooting down Question 1 not the answer for Bay State woes
I must respectfully disagree with those quoted in the report by Talia Whyte and Frederick Ellis Dashiell Jr. on the defeat of the state income tax repeal (“Massachusetts votes no on Question 1,” Nov. 6, 2008). We need to be clear that by voting against Question 1, the voters in Massachusetts have sided with the powerful and wealthy in this state at the expense of working folks and children.
The most vulnerable will now definitely suffer, as our “reckless” Legislature and administration have received the go-ahead to continue wasting and stealing public resources. Of course, passage of this measure would have led to reinstatement of the tax in some form by the Legislature. To have suggested otherwise in an effort to intimidate the voters with dire warnings of fiscal catastrophe was simply dishonest.
In fact, the discipline and pressure for reform that passage of Question 1 would have brought to bear could have helped to preserve resources for the most vulnerable for the long term. This opportunity has now been lost.
The defeat of Question 1 gives tacit permission to those who squander our resources and exploit the people of this state. Someday we’ll wake up … it’s just a pity that the positive steps toward change taken in the presidential election were not echoed on this local issue. In Massachusetts politics, we’ve sided with the forces of injustice and the status quo. Shame on us.
Dorchester
In police departments’ order, Councilor, the devil’s in the details
In response to City Councilor-at-Large Sam Yoon’s recent piece (“Police details in the City of Boston,” Opinion, Nov. 6, 2008): I find that I must correct the councilor regarding his statement that Boston is home to the country’s very first police department.
In 1783, New York City organized its first police force, and in 1790 New York City became the first city in the United States with a paid daytime police force. Boston did not establish its force until the 19th century in 1837, with, again, New York mentioned in 1844.
I found this fact in my studies taken from “Criminal Investigation: An Introduction” by Harvey Burstein.
Roxbury