Here’s the anticipated video of the latest edition of Ken Parker’s NewTV program “Common Ground” featuring Alderman Amy Sangiolo, former Alderman Rodney Barker, Matt Yospin and Steve Feinstein discussing historic preservation (specifically, the proposed demolition moratorium) and the six ballot questions (casino gambling, paid medical leave, gas tax for bridges, bottle bill, sale of municipal property, and Chapter 40B reform).
No disrespect to the four guests on this program but I think Parker needs to work harder to find participants with more diverse views if he wants to make his “common ground” premise work.
I noticed that too.
Here is how I’m voting on the Ballot Questions:
1. Tank the Gas Tax-YES
2. Bottle Bill-NO
3. Repeal the Casino Deal-YES
4. Mandatory Sick Time Benefits-NO
@Greg, thanks for posting this, it’s not even on NewTV’s website yet!
Now i’ll be up til 1:30.
I think Ken Parker evolved from planning to vote against Question 6 because it wouldn’t do anything, to planning to vote for it, in the course of about five minutes’ discussion. In the end he nailed it when he said, ‘if you’re happy with 40B the way it is you vote No; if you’re not you vote Yes’ (or something to that effect).
Of course it wouldn’t actually do anything, because a) it’s advisory, and b) only the state legislature can change 40B anyway. All it can be is a message to our state legislators that we would like something done. Not a perfect method, because from what I’ve read, there is a general propensity to vote “No” on ballot questions, whatever the question is, which must be overcome. And it’s a long question, which makes it more likely there will be something in it that people will question, and therefore vote No. But perhaps the accompanying explanations will help.
Hey Josh, we agree on casinos. 🙂
I will also be voting YES on Questions 5 & 6. I don’t support the current administration’s policy of selling off municipal land cheap to well-connected developers like Scott Oran & Geoff Engler so they can build their high-density monstrosities that privatize profits for themselves while socializing costs to taxpayers.
Julia, I’m glad that we agree on the casino law.
Thanks for watching. Obviously, I should have invited past Common Ground panelists Greg Reibman and Josh Norman to lower the level of agreement around the table. You are both* hereby invited to be on our November 13 show. (Or if you can’t make it then, let me know and I will hand out rain checks.) Also, anyone who has opinions on local issues and wants to be a panelist can email me at [email protected]. Please provide some guidance as to which topics interest you the most. It is interesting that on some episodes, we end up with lots of agreement and on others we have trouble finding common ground on anything. But that’s part of the fun of the format.
We do a new show on the second Thursday of each month, which is theoretically cablecast live (it wasn’t this month) on NewTV’s Blue Channel. We would welcome suggestions for future topics and panelists.
*Julia, you are also invited to be a panelist, but I doubt you would be very disagreeable 🙂
@Ken: I suggest a segment on “Who’s your favorite Marx Brother?” Josh will probably think its a question about communism. But the rest of your panel will have fun coming to a consensus.
I suggest a segment on “Why Greg is a snarky, sarcastic twit”?
Greg might disagree with it, but the rest of the panel will quickly come to a unanimous consensus.
The Public Hearing Ocotber 15 Moratorium Presentation is available at this link: http://wabanareacouncil.com/sites/default/files/Demolition%20Moratorium%2010-15B.pdf