If someone files an anonymous Open Meeting Law complaint against these 23 councilors, we might be able to guess who was behind it.
Shawn Fitzgibbons
on June 21, 2018 at 7:45 pm
The Globe now reports there are 20,000 effectively kidnapped children-including toddlers and infants-who may need to be housed on military bases. Jim Cote is a nice guy so maybe he didn’t get the memo about signing the letter from the Council–good for the 23 others for sending it-or maybe he was on vacation. Or maybe his pen was out of ink. If none of the above are true; shame on him.
@Shawn: Not much reporting happened here. I learned how to count to 24 about six years ago and merely applied that skill here.
@Jeffery: I’ve never been a fan of when the council takes valuable meeting time to deliberate resolutions over national issues. That wasn’t the case here. Someone wrote and circulated a letter. No speeches. No motions. No taking up of staff time.
Also, this administration’s treatment of immigrant families is so egregious that I’m disappointed that Councilor Cote appears to have declined to sign this letter.
bugek
on June 21, 2018 at 8:00 pm
Should we petition to accept all 20,000 kids into the Newton public school system? We are a welcoming city.
Jeffrey Pontiff
on June 22, 2018 at 5:33 am
This means they support, or at least don’t oppose, everything else President Trump is doing, right?
Susan Albright
on June 22, 2018 at 10:15 am
@bugek and @jeffrey pontiff I would like to understand your comments. Are you in favor of separating children from their parents or are you just being cute and snide that 23 City Councilors do care?
Bugek
on June 22, 2018 at 10:31 am
Susan,
I’m being snide. If the councilers really cared they would propose a follow up vote to build thousands of low income units or subsidized units to house them so the children can access our schools. Of course we would have to build several new schools to handle the overcrowding.
These children will be suspectable to gangs and crime as the parents will likely have to work long hours and live in affordable communities with poor schools.
jeffrey pontiff
on June 22, 2018 at 4:35 pm
Susan, I disagree with a lot of what Trump does. I probably disagree with this also, although I don’t like to proclaim insight on an issue until I look at a lot of the details, which I have not done yet. You will be proud of me, in that I just signed a petition with other economists that criticizes the new tariffs. I signed this all by myself. I did not think once about having the Council represent my opinions in their own letter.
The council does a lot of stuff for show, that will not have one iota of impact on anything. This makes a mockery of the Council. Citizens elect councilors to fix the roads, not to give advice on national policy. No one runs for Council on a national platform. While the council writes letters like this, the streets get worse.
Jeffrey Pontiff
on June 23, 2018 at 9:36 am
Greg. Yes, it is better that this did not waste council time. This is an exclusive, not an inclusive petition. They did not allow you to sign it. They are representing themselves as councilors on the letterhead. Why is this an important fact? Susan can answer if you don’t want to.
bugek
on June 23, 2018 at 9:58 am
Greg,
What is the real solution to prevent this:
– allow any illegal immigrant family with kids into the country to live here? You will have tens of millions of families seeking asylum (real or otherwise). The surge of people would be insane
– create a more generous guest worker program so families don’t have to make the dangerous journey?
Perhaps the most practical solution would be to legalize every single illegal immigrant here since 2017 in return for a border wall and a better guest worker program. People should really be discouraged from making the dangerous journey..
What is the solution?
Marcia Johnson
on June 23, 2018 at 10:06 am
@ Jeffrey
I do not disagree that the council takes up items that are not directly related to why we have a city council. However, this was not an item on which the council took action through a discussion and vote, but rather it was letter signed by 23 individual councilors.
For me what is important here is that this is not a political issue but it is a moral issue. Therefore I am very pleased that 24 members stated their personal and moral position. Unfortunately, Councilor Cote has a very different and disappointing position than that of his colleagues.
Julia Malakie
on June 23, 2018 at 11:26 am
What is this, “Beat Up on Jim Cote Week”?
First all the ‘hmm, who are the male councilors who support Crescent Street?” speculation in an apparent effort to pin a ridiculous and unrealistic OML complaint on Jim and/or Lenny. I say ridiculous and unrealistic because anyone on the city council would know that an anonymous complaint would receive no state action. And I’ve never heard of the remedy for an OML violation being a revote of something without the offending legislators. I’ve only ever heard of reprimands, and monetary fines in really egregious cases. That whole drama is playing out like an agent-provocateur operation.
Now this from Marcia?
Unfortunately, Councilor Cote has a very different and disappointing position than that of his colleagues.
Does anyone really believe Jim supports separating parents and children? He’s got what, ten of them? Or do you think he’s maybe being consistent with the belief that councilors acting as councilors should stick to city business, at the risk of being beat up for it, instead of caving to peer group pressure?
Marti Bowen
on June 23, 2018 at 12:42 pm
Julia, no one is speculating on who sent the anonymous OML complaint that I have seen. There had been speculation because of the reason given and the action requested that it’s someone who wants the Crescent Street Project back on the capital improvement budget.
The signing of this letter concerns the policy that required children to be separated from their parents after they illegally cross the border. It did not take away from city council time.
It was such an egregious moral issue that the bipartisan backlash forced the president to rescind it after saying he could not. The order only stopped the separation but did not reunite the 1000’s of children, already separated and in custody, to their parents.
Jim Cote’s choice not to sign the letter is appalling having nothing to do with peer pressure or what he believes about city business. It certainly can be taken as his supporting sepearting children from parents of immigrants crossing the border illegally. How many children he has is not relevant. The president has children.
Should we infer that since you are defending his decision, you agree?
@marti, @marcia, @etc: The only appalling thing here is that as a private citizen I should be questioned about anything non-Council related.
@marcia how about explaining why you turned out to defeat housing for 40 people this past Thursday? When’s the last time you built a Habitat for Humanity house?
Speculating on what I feel is ignorant and I consider the sources.
I would like to see the letters to whomever, that all of you in this chain sent to your representatives? Or tell me when is the last time one of you were on the front line of a humanitarian aid situation?
This problem started in 1997 under Clinton, was endorsed through Bush, and Obama, and now to be hateful you folks want to drag my name?
Be real and step and become part of the solution not a bunch of whiners!
@Councilor Cote: It’s true, it’s a mistake to speculate. So please explain why you (apparently) decided to not include your name on that letter? Thanks.
Marti Bowen
on June 23, 2018 at 1:17 pm
Councilor Cote, as a city councilor in Newton, not as a private citizen, residents have every right to question your decision not sign a joint Councilor letter calling this separation out as morally inexcusable.
There are many reasons the Crescent Street proposal was removed from the budget, not the least of which was the small number of affordable units and the million dollar price tag for the other units. It’s also an area that’s overflowing with development already. I can’t answer for Marcia on her 40 units vote.
I’ve build many Habitat for Humanity houses along with my children not that I see the relationship to separating children – that program works to keep families together.
I’ve sent many letters to Congress and helped others in other states write and send theirs. My children have been to DC and met with congressmen from both houses. Again not that that’s relevant.
I’ve been to Greece to help with refugees, particularly families and children. Not relevant.
The zero tolerance policy was enacted by Trump including requiring that children be separated from their parents. He went so far as to say he had no part in it and could do nothing to stop it, blaming it on others, but wanted to hold them until he got the money for the wall. He did stop the process on his own not out of conscience but because of the bipartisan backlash.
The order was not retroactive and now there are still 1000’s of children still being held without their parents while their parents are being criminally charged. Trump’s chief of staff said they could be put in the foster program or “whatever.” This situation is abhorrent. I cannot imagine how anyone could support that.
Past presidents have not found a good solution; that is true. But their behavior doesn’t have any impact on Trump’s except he made them worse. The statement used “what about … “ doesn’t excuse current bad behaviors.
Bugek
on June 23, 2018 at 2:36 pm
Marti,
Please post your suggestion for a possible solution. There are a billion people around the world who would do whatever they can to live in the usa.
Councilor Cote, I find your flippant attitude about this offensive.
You parrot the Trump talking point that this policy started under Democrats. It didn’t. Family separation is a new policy instituted by the Trump administration. This has been widely debunked, for example, by Snopes, which ranks the claim false. See here: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/was-law-separate-families-passed-1997/
After peddling this falsehood, you then proceed to call your constituents “a bunch of whiners”.
You should apologize and acknowledge that your claim was false. As an elected official, we should expect you to hold yourself to a higher standard, both in the claims you choose to make publicly and the political actions you choose to take, including refusing to sign this important letter.
Further, I personally believe you should never use dismissive or derisive language about your constituents who you are elected to represent.
David
on June 23, 2018 at 4:21 pm
Councillor Cote
You refused to sign and now choose to fall back on the fact that you are “private citizen.” You miss the point that as a human being you should want to stand up and say that you disagree with this heinous policy. Your failure to do so speaks volumes about what you believe. Furthermore the people you call “whiners” are in fact your constituents who are justifiably outraged by the horrible things being done at the border. The problem, Councillor is not the people who speak up and call out injustice, but those such are yourself who stand by and allow it occur.
BOB BURKE
on June 23, 2018 at 4:32 pm
Julia hit a nice balance on this which I’d like to echo. There is nobody that despises Donald Trump and this Administration more than I do. He’s been playing the kds at the border the same way he treats anyone else he perceives as weak and vulnerable.
The man is a chronic liar, coward and bully who has absolutely no redeeming moral qualities that I have been able to ascertain.
I would fire every member of is cabinet and White House staff if I could with the notable exception of General Maddis.
As a veteran, I am sickened that he is the Commander in Chief of our armed forces. He was a chronic draft dodger who had the affront to attack John McCain for being captured and he was more than ready to put his personal physician in charge of the VA because this physician was willing to lie about the President’s health. He’s trying to destroy everything that I and others at EPA spent years trying to develop. I could go on and on about the damage that this horrible man and his minions are doing to this country and the threat they pose to the continuation of democratic self government in America. This may sound harsh, but I don’t think I’m overstating anything. I’ll be doing everything I can to give this wretched gang the heave ho this year and in 2020.
That said, I think that the gang up on Jim Cote is way over the top. I’m always uncomfortable when a super majority seems to be pressuring a lone dissenter into conformity. Jim does not have to explain to his constituents or anyone else why he didn’t sign this letter. This really isn’t city business in the sense that matters pertaining strictly to this municipality are. I’ve known Jim for the past several years and he does not strike me as someone who is indifferent to the welfare of kids or people in need. I say this in the spirit of Barry Goldwater who was the only US Senator to come to the defense of Gene McCarthy’s character and patriotism in 1968 when McCarthy launched his antiwar campaign for President. The rest of the Democrats attacked McCarthy or were muted, much like today’s Congressional Republicans are. Julia hit this balance nicely
Susan Albright
on June 23, 2018 at 4:52 pm
@Jeffrey – good for you for taking an action on your own. Good work. Please do ask, as part of your research, about the stress and damage caused by separating children as young as 8 months from their parents. BTW, I don’t remember ever doing anything as a Councilor for show. In that regard, I would have thought you would be pleased that this letter was not done as a docket item rather as a group of US citizens who also happen to be City Councilors who abhor the policy of separating children from their parents.
@Bugek – I actually thought you meant it – that we should provide a place for some of these children in Newton. Lesson learned about your perspective and the naivete of my basic belief in the humanity of my fellow citizens of Newton. What we need to do as a foreign policy is to figure out how to work with our neighboring governments in Central America to make those countries a place where people want to stay and thrive. That is the only way to stop the desire to migrate to the US. I would not expect our current administration to entertain this notion and I would agree 100% that past administrations have also failed us in this regard.
I would have that thought that we all learned a lesson when our government refused the Ship St. Louis the US during WW2 and sent Jews to their death when we refused to let the ship dock here. It seems that we just keep repeating history.
With regard to the law that people are referencing- this law, passed by Congress, was to prohibit sending children into prison with parents who were hardened criminals. Congress never envisioned that a president would deem any person seeking asylum in the US a criminal, therefore twisting a law into a shape never intended and for a devious purpose never intended. This was clearly a Trump policy and a misuse of the law.
Ann
on June 23, 2018 at 5:17 pm
@jim finally, an idividual voice that stepped up to speak out and say it like it is. This blog is nothing but a bullying forum, from triggered keyboard warriors that spew their venom if you don’t play by their rules or agree with their agenda!
@jim thank you you for your honesty, something I can truly respect!
Independent Man
on June 23, 2018 at 5:36 pm
@ann..agreed. Progressives are the most tolerant people…..but only if you agree with them 100%. I’m sure at some point Jim will be called a racist….that’s usually the next step in the process.
bugek
on June 23, 2018 at 5:38 pm
susan,
In all seriousness, there are some ideas the city could realistically entertain to help
– For each child a newton resident fosters (unaccompanied minor, or abandoned), they will get 20% off their property tax each year
– Newton city allocates % of its budget items to purchase from countries to help improve their economy so their citizens can become self reliant
– offer use of any city immigration lawyers to those seeking real asylum
– city to send donation packages from residents to border
Would have been much more meaningful than a “I Oppose letter”. Its like watching a starving family and standing around agreeing how awful it is…. without offering food
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
on June 23, 2018 at 5:41 pm
@Jim – “This problem started in 1997 under Clinton, was endorsed through Bush, and Obama, and now to be hateful you folks want to drag my name?” This isn’t true as an elected official you should know better.
The least you could do is have your facts straight.
Howard Haywood
on June 23, 2018 at 6:02 pm
@councilor Cote, your statement above describing the Crescent St. proposal would provide housing for 40 people requiring affordable housing is an absolute lie. The project as currently proposed would be irresponsible use of taxpayer funds. The fact that the cost of the project is so extremely high that it would exceed by a significant amount of project the CPC has ever funded.
The representive of the independent consultant, although very politely, pointed out the many financial descrepancies in the City’s cost proposal. The current Crescent St. proposal is a sham that is an insult to families who lost their homes to the MassPike expansion.
Jose Rubenstein
on June 23, 2018 at 6:50 pm
The looney left is alive and well in Newton.
Trump’s approval numbers continue to rise despite self inflicted wounds and a heavy, continuous assault by the MSM.
The reality is that his tax reform, which benefits all the rich people of Newton, is contributing to tremendous economic growth. He is appointing conservative judges to the federal bench at a record rate. You haven’t heard about ISIS in a few months. The Schiller home buying index is at record highs. And, oh, there’s going to be a Wall.
Liberals can whine all they want but elections have consequences.
Jerry Reilly
on June 23, 2018 at 10:53 pm
I’m with Bob Burke on this one.
Yes, my government seizing the children of non-criminals as a way of sending a get-tough message is one of the most repulsive and horrific official acts of our government in recent memory. If China, or Iran, or North Korea were doing this we would justifiably be outraged.
That said, ascribing approval of Trump’s policy to Councilor Cote because he chose not to sign that letter is a nasty turn for local politics. Mr Cote is a Newton City Councilor. I have no objection to any City Councillors sending that letter if they so choose but if has nothing to do with their job as City Councilor. They are sending that letter as citizens. I didn’t sign the letter either, despite the fact that I’m horrified by the policy. Beat me up too.
The last thing I want to see is judging, criticizing, and pillorying our City Councilors on whether or not they will join in on symbolic protests on national issues.
@Jose Rubenstein – yes, Donald Trump has (so far) managed to not crater the economy. No, there is no remarkable “tremendous growth”. The current economy is on a par with recent years before he came to office. That is indeed a good thing but there is no remarkable spike from Trump’s ill advised tax cut. But even if there was, how is “don’t worry, we’re making money” a reasonable response to the outrage at this administration’s seizing of children at the border.
Bryan Barash
on June 23, 2018 at 11:10 pm
To those who are saying it is not a city councilor’s responsibility to speak out against this heinous atrocity that has been committed by our federal government, I remind you of the words of Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Nathan Phillips
on June 23, 2018 at 11:36 pm
I’ve seen reports of ICE agents in Worcester, Fitchburg, and East Boston, and they have a holding & processing facility in Burlington, MA. Are those far enough away for this not to be a local issue of concern?
Nathan Phillips
on June 24, 2018 at 8:28 am
This is absolutely a Newton issue. Both now, and if and when ICE enters Newton to hunt down people and treat them like animals as they are doing elsewhere in the US and in MA. Is there some special border around Newton that protects it from ICE? Are we sure there are zero undocumented people living in terror and fear in our midst?
The letter is not an empty symbolic gesture. I expect that when ICE comes to Newton these councilors will vigorously act to stop them, up to and including non-violent civil disobedience, as I am prepared to do.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Jane Frantz
on June 24, 2018 at 9:14 am
I agree with Jerry and Bob. While Jim and I are on different ends of the political spectrum, our interactions have always been respectful. It’s possible to support the actions of the 23 councilors (which I wholeheartedly do) and respect/accept a Republican councilor’s decision not to do so.
Democrats don’t serve their cause well when they make leaps from disagreeing with the actions of a Republican councilor who didn’t sign this letter to, for all intents and purposes, accusing him of supporting the separation of families or not understanding the gravity of this tragic situation.
Frank Bruni’s June 13th column in the New York Times titled “How to Lose the Midterms and Re-elect Trump” presents an insightful perspective on this very issue. This weekend, the Times had a news article on the same topic (“As Critics Assail Trump, His Supporters Dig In Deeper”) that’s also in today’s Globe.
bugek
on June 24, 2018 at 9:24 am
Nathan,
What I’m hearing is that most people would like to go just back to Obama-era enforcements: Only deport violent undocumented immigrants? And of course, we don’t consider DUI as a deportable crime even though it absolutely destroys families. How about assault or burglaries ?
… of course this does nothing to discourage them to come, they will continue to make the very dangerous journey here
Is this really a long term solution?
Nathan Phillips
on June 24, 2018 at 9:39 am
I’m focused on Steve miller’s recently implemented policy escalation to take children hostage as ransom to build the asinine wall trump lied about when he said Mexico was paying for it.
Nathan Phillips
on June 24, 2018 at 9:42 am
The federal gov is now illegally trafficking infants to “Christian” adoption agencies with ties to Betsy devos .
But this isn’t a newton issue.
Nathan Phillips
on June 24, 2018 at 9:47 am
If/when ICE comes into newton (unless “it can’t happen here”?) I will block these gestapo with my bike, car & body. This is not about Jim Cote. This is about defending humanity in our city & standing up for basic decency across the country.
Marti Bowen
on June 24, 2018 at 10:58 am
I disagree with Bob and Jerry.
Councilor Cote not only chose not to sign the letter signed by 23 of Newton’s city councilors but has not addressed why he made that choice. His only comments cite a lie about a 1997 law, blaming presidents who came before Trump, calling his constituents “whiners,” asking them to tell him what they have done to help others and flippantly having the last word.
How do these things proclaim his integrity? How does this say he’s not “indifferent to kids-“ at least immigrant kids?
I also disagree that this letter was just a symbolic act. The reason Trump stopped the policy of children being separated from their parents was because of the huge bipartisan backlash. Without protests, letters and other backlash he would not have stopped it. He and his administration continued to blame it on democrats and the 1997 law saying there was nothing he could do about stopping it – until he did with a stroke of his pen Unfortunately there are still people like Councilor Cote who continue to spread the lie.
Jose Rubenstein
on June 24, 2018 at 5:43 pm
Who’s the bully?
The left is now equal to Trump in terms of vileness.
Rep Maxine Waters: “If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”
Jeffrey Pontiff
on June 24, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Forgive me. This is long.
Susan said that she thought I would be happy that it was a letter not a docket item. I am always opposed to councilors doing this, although a docket item is worse. Instead of arguing about the merits of the Trump policy, let’s focus on the big picture. The council sending letters like this on council letterhead is a bad decision. Period. I don’t care how compelling the national issue is. Here are my reasons.
I asked Susan (or Greg, but anyone can answer), why the letter went out on Council letterhead. Why was the letter exclusive not inclusive? No one answered, so until someone gives me better answers, here is my guess about likely explanations. I am trained as an economist. My understanding of the impact of tariffs is better than the average person in the US. I signed an exclusive petition with other economists because I did not want the message to be diluted by people who are not as knowledgeable as me. It is a way for me to say, “This is what my field knows about tariffs and why they are bad for the economy.” Is this why the council put together an exclusive letter? Do they think they understand national issues better than the average person in Newton? Do they understand immigration law better? Childrearing? Another possibility is that the council thinks that it is representing the views of the typical person in Newton. I don’t like either of these stories for an exclusive letter. I don’t think the council has a claim for superior insight on national issues, and we never elected them to express our views to senators and congressmen.
So, my first reason why I am always against letters like this is that I can’t think of a good reason why councilors should send an exclusive letter where they use their titles as our elected officials to further their own national political views. This is bad government. They can send letters as individuals. They can sign an inclusive petition. They can sign an exclusive petition with other councilors, just don’t use Newton council titles and don’t use our letterhead.
My second reason for always being against these letters is that they are always partisan. Our city elections are non-partisan and that is good. Less than half of the voters in Newton are Democrats. 23 of 24 councilors are Democrats. Over the last 40 years, these letters never criticize Democrats or Democrat policies. Maybe the Republican council pre 1970, ripped Democrats (Gail might know), but if they did, it was wrong. The upshot is that people are taking shots at Jim. This is divisive. I don’t care about Jim’s national views. I care about his views on Newton. The council should work together to make Newton better, not to advance the national presence of one party. The partisan issue is also important in that it renders the letter impotent. The fact that 23 Democrats from a liberal city, who are in government service, many of which are active in the Democrat party, wrote a letter complaining about a Trump policy is not news. To pat myself on the back, I have signed petitions critical of both Republican and Democrat policies. I make a determination based on the merits of the policy. If I only criticized one party’s policies I would not expect anyone to take me seriously.
Alex Blumenstiel
on June 24, 2018 at 8:46 pm
Approving of the tearing of infants, toddlers, of children of any ages, from the arms of their parents, separating and imprisoning them, and endangering their health and wellbeing, when they have risked everything to escape from horrors and seek asylum and safety in our Great Nation is beyond my understanding. And, even if they attempt, most likely out of desperation, to illegally cross our border, such entry is a misdemeanor, not a felony and our constitutional protections apply to them as they do to to the rest of us. For these children and parents, such inhumane, unconscionable and vicious treatment is incredibly damaging, very likely the equivalent of their experiencing the deaths of their dearest ones. How any American citizens, when hundreds of thousands of those citizens sacrificed their lives to defeat the Nazis and others who have inflicted atrocities upon humanity, can justify this is way beyond my understanding. And, I spent decades working at home and abroad for and with our military. There is absolutely no question in my mind that not a single one of the many honorable, selfless, devoted officers and enlisted servicepersons and federal civil servants it has been my honor and privilege to know and serve with would in any way condone such actions. I am sure Mr. Cote, as a United States Marine, feels the same and simply has difficultly expressing it.
Independent Man
on June 25, 2018 at 8:05 am
@Alex I’m sure you were not trying to be misleading, but your general statement that “to illegally cross our border is a misdemeanor” is not entirely accurate. Illegal entry can be a felony if a person was previously formally removed from the United States and then returned without permission. Hmmm….that sound like the recently misreported case of the child who was reported as being separated from her mother, but really wasn’t. And the mother had been previously deported in 2013. Point is, that this is not a black and white issue….and by “this” I mean illegal immigration. Unless you want open borders….which it sounds from your comment that you may be in agreement with.
Alex Blumenstiel
on June 25, 2018 at 9:03 am
@Independent Man. I’m not in favor of open borders and I agree that this is not a black and white issue. In interviews yesterday, both John Kasich and Marco Rubio suggested approaches to resolving this problem that I thought lawful, rational, reasonable, humanitarian and honorable.
BOB BURKE
on June 25, 2018 at 2:51 pm
In an earlier comment, I stated that General Mattis is the one top Trump official I trust. I’ve been away from things military too long to understand a lot of what’s going on today, but I’m really in total harmony with his background, humility and the cautious and disciplined way he approaches things . Now it’s being reported by at least two sources that he’s no longer in the loop of top military and diplomatic advisors and there’s an inference that Trump is taking more direct control of things military. Now I am frightened.
Marti Bowen
on June 25, 2018 at 5:20 pm
Being against taking children from their parents is not a partisan belief, except when Trump and his supporters attempt to make it one.
This issue is about protecting children from being put in detention facilities after being removed from their parents. It’s a child welfare and human rights issue.
Crossing our border illegally is a misdemeanor except in cases where the immigrant has been deported before for being convicted of a crime. These immigrant crossing illegally were arrested immediately and separated from their children without caring if they are refuges or any knowledge of their backgrounds.
To top this cruelty off, MA can now arrest immigrants who’ve been given a path to follow to gain legal residence at their required appointments.
Again these are human rights issues that should concern everyone.
fignewtonville
on June 25, 2018 at 9:20 pm
Less drama folks. More voting.
I’m going to say it again.
Less drama. More voting.
Patience. And calm. Even in the face of some of this month’s craziness.
I’m fine with the letter. I’m not sure how much impact it has, but it took little official time, and our elected officials have their own minds. If they want to send such a letter in their official capacities., go to it.
If folks don’t like the use of time, welp, you’ve got 23 folks to complain to. And vote against.
I’m fine with Jim Cote not signing the letter. I don’t really agree to often with Jim, but his lack of participation in the letter shouldn’t be a surprise to folks. Dragging Jim just distracts from the real issue at hand, which is Trump’s policy. And I think Jim kinda of enjoys the attention and the chance to poke the bear (“last word”).
Don’t like what Jim did, well, organize and remind folks around the next election, and run a good candidate against him. He’s at-large. Let your vote be the true “last word”.
Less ancillary drama folks. More voting.
ps. Jose R. (fake name, right?), you crack me up. So much trolling in this post. So silly. Triggering the libs on a local blog is kinda of a waste of your time, isn’t it? Lots of examples you could follow if you wanted to be taken seriously. Jeffrey P., would be a good one. More conservative voices always welcome. But come with a real argument/discussion, will ya?
I guess the issue is now settled. Now we just need is their opinions on motherhood and apple pie so we can all start sleeping again.
If someone files an anonymous Open Meeting Law complaint against these 23 councilors, we might be able to guess who was behind it.
The Globe now reports there are 20,000 effectively kidnapped children-including toddlers and infants-who may need to be housed on military bases. Jim Cote is a nice guy so maybe he didn’t get the memo about signing the letter from the Council–good for the 23 others for sending it-or maybe he was on vacation. Or maybe his pen was out of ink. If none of the above are true; shame on him.
Greg thanks for your good local reporting.
@Shawn: Not much reporting happened here. I learned how to count to 24 about six years ago and merely applied that skill here.
@Jeffery: I’ve never been a fan of when the council takes valuable meeting time to deliberate resolutions over national issues. That wasn’t the case here. Someone wrote and circulated a letter. No speeches. No motions. No taking up of staff time.
Also, this administration’s treatment of immigrant families is so egregious that I’m disappointed that Councilor Cote appears to have declined to sign this letter.
Should we petition to accept all 20,000 kids into the Newton public school system? We are a welcoming city.
This means they support, or at least don’t oppose, everything else President Trump is doing, right?
@bugek and @jeffrey pontiff I would like to understand your comments. Are you in favor of separating children from their parents or are you just being cute and snide that 23 City Councilors do care?
Susan,
I’m being snide. If the councilers really cared they would propose a follow up vote to build thousands of low income units or subsidized units to house them so the children can access our schools. Of course we would have to build several new schools to handle the overcrowding.
These children will be suspectable to gangs and crime as the parents will likely have to work long hours and live in affordable communities with poor schools.
Susan, I disagree with a lot of what Trump does. I probably disagree with this also, although I don’t like to proclaim insight on an issue until I look at a lot of the details, which I have not done yet. You will be proud of me, in that I just signed a petition with other economists that criticizes the new tariffs. I signed this all by myself. I did not think once about having the Council represent my opinions in their own letter.
The council does a lot of stuff for show, that will not have one iota of impact on anything. This makes a mockery of the Council. Citizens elect councilors to fix the roads, not to give advice on national policy. No one runs for Council on a national platform. While the council writes letters like this, the streets get worse.
Greg. Yes, it is better that this did not waste council time. This is an exclusive, not an inclusive petition. They did not allow you to sign it. They are representing themselves as councilors on the letterhead. Why is this an important fact? Susan can answer if you don’t want to.
Greg,
What is the real solution to prevent this:
– allow any illegal immigrant family with kids into the country to live here? You will have tens of millions of families seeking asylum (real or otherwise). The surge of people would be insane
– create a more generous guest worker program so families don’t have to make the dangerous journey?
Perhaps the most practical solution would be to legalize every single illegal immigrant here since 2017 in return for a border wall and a better guest worker program. People should really be discouraged from making the dangerous journey..
What is the solution?
@ Jeffrey
I do not disagree that the council takes up items that are not directly related to why we have a city council. However, this was not an item on which the council took action through a discussion and vote, but rather it was letter signed by 23 individual councilors.
For me what is important here is that this is not a political issue but it is a moral issue. Therefore I am very pleased that 24 members stated their personal and moral position. Unfortunately, Councilor Cote has a very different and disappointing position than that of his colleagues.
What is this, “Beat Up on Jim Cote Week”?
First all the ‘hmm, who are the male councilors who support Crescent Street?” speculation in an apparent effort to pin a ridiculous and unrealistic OML complaint on Jim and/or Lenny. I say ridiculous and unrealistic because anyone on the city council would know that an anonymous complaint would receive no state action. And I’ve never heard of the remedy for an OML violation being a revote of something without the offending legislators. I’ve only ever heard of reprimands, and monetary fines in really egregious cases. That whole drama is playing out like an agent-provocateur operation.
Now this from Marcia?
Does anyone really believe Jim supports separating parents and children? He’s got what, ten of them? Or do you think he’s maybe being consistent with the belief that councilors acting as councilors should stick to city business, at the risk of being beat up for it, instead of caving to peer group pressure?
Julia, no one is speculating on who sent the anonymous OML complaint that I have seen. There had been speculation because of the reason given and the action requested that it’s someone who wants the Crescent Street Project back on the capital improvement budget.
The signing of this letter concerns the policy that required children to be separated from their parents after they illegally cross the border. It did not take away from city council time.
It was such an egregious moral issue that the bipartisan backlash forced the president to rescind it after saying he could not. The order only stopped the separation but did not reunite the 1000’s of children, already separated and in custody, to their parents.
Jim Cote’s choice not to sign the letter is appalling having nothing to do with peer pressure or what he believes about city business. It certainly can be taken as his supporting sepearting children from parents of immigrants crossing the border illegally. How many children he has is not relevant. The president has children.
Should we infer that since you are defending his decision, you agree?
@marti, @marcia, @etc: The only appalling thing here is that as a private citizen I should be questioned about anything non-Council related.
@marcia how about explaining why you turned out to defeat housing for 40 people this past Thursday? When’s the last time you built a Habitat for Humanity house?
Speculating on what I feel is ignorant and I consider the sources.
I would like to see the letters to whomever, that all of you in this chain sent to your representatives? Or tell me when is the last time one of you were on the front line of a humanitarian aid situation?
This problem started in 1997 under Clinton, was endorsed through Bush, and Obama, and now to be hateful you folks want to drag my name?
Be real and step and become part of the solution not a bunch of whiners!
@Councilor Cote: It’s true, it’s a mistake to speculate. So please explain why you (apparently) decided to not include your name on that letter? Thanks.
Councilor Cote, as a city councilor in Newton, not as a private citizen, residents have every right to question your decision not sign a joint Councilor letter calling this separation out as morally inexcusable.
There are many reasons the Crescent Street proposal was removed from the budget, not the least of which was the small number of affordable units and the million dollar price tag for the other units. It’s also an area that’s overflowing with development already. I can’t answer for Marcia on her 40 units vote.
I’ve build many Habitat for Humanity houses along with my children not that I see the relationship to separating children – that program works to keep families together.
I’ve sent many letters to Congress and helped others in other states write and send theirs. My children have been to DC and met with congressmen from both houses. Again not that that’s relevant.
I’ve been to Greece to help with refugees, particularly families and children. Not relevant.
The zero tolerance policy was enacted by Trump including requiring that children be separated from their parents. He went so far as to say he had no part in it and could do nothing to stop it, blaming it on others, but wanted to hold them until he got the money for the wall. He did stop the process on his own not out of conscience but because of the bipartisan backlash.
The order was not retroactive and now there are still 1000’s of children still being held without their parents while their parents are being criminally charged. Trump’s chief of staff said they could be put in the foster program or “whatever.” This situation is abhorrent. I cannot imagine how anyone could support that.
Past presidents have not found a good solution; that is true. But their behavior doesn’t have any impact on Trump’s except he made them worse. The statement used “what about … “ doesn’t excuse current bad behaviors.
Marti,
Please post your suggestion for a possible solution. There are a billion people around the world who would do whatever they can to live in the usa.
In the case of last word:
Last word.
Councilor Cote, I find your flippant attitude about this offensive.
You parrot the Trump talking point that this policy started under Democrats. It didn’t. Family separation is a new policy instituted by the Trump administration. This has been widely debunked, for example, by Snopes, which ranks the claim false. See here: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/was-law-separate-families-passed-1997/
After peddling this falsehood, you then proceed to call your constituents “a bunch of whiners”.
You should apologize and acknowledge that your claim was false. As an elected official, we should expect you to hold yourself to a higher standard, both in the claims you choose to make publicly and the political actions you choose to take, including refusing to sign this important letter.
Further, I personally believe you should never use dismissive or derisive language about your constituents who you are elected to represent.
Councillor Cote
You refused to sign and now choose to fall back on the fact that you are “private citizen.” You miss the point that as a human being you should want to stand up and say that you disagree with this heinous policy. Your failure to do so speaks volumes about what you believe. Furthermore the people you call “whiners” are in fact your constituents who are justifiably outraged by the horrible things being done at the border. The problem, Councillor is not the people who speak up and call out injustice, but those such are yourself who stand by and allow it occur.
Julia hit a nice balance on this which I’d like to echo. There is nobody that despises Donald Trump and this Administration more than I do. He’s been playing the kds at the border the same way he treats anyone else he perceives as weak and vulnerable.
The man is a chronic liar, coward and bully who has absolutely no redeeming moral qualities that I have been able to ascertain.
I would fire every member of is cabinet and White House staff if I could with the notable exception of General Maddis.
As a veteran, I am sickened that he is the Commander in Chief of our armed forces. He was a chronic draft dodger who had the affront to attack John McCain for being captured and he was more than ready to put his personal physician in charge of the VA because this physician was willing to lie about the President’s health. He’s trying to destroy everything that I and others at EPA spent years trying to develop. I could go on and on about the damage that this horrible man and his minions are doing to this country and the threat they pose to the continuation of democratic self government in America. This may sound harsh, but I don’t think I’m overstating anything. I’ll be doing everything I can to give this wretched gang the heave ho this year and in 2020.
That said, I think that the gang up on Jim Cote is way over the top. I’m always uncomfortable when a super majority seems to be pressuring a lone dissenter into conformity. Jim does not have to explain to his constituents or anyone else why he didn’t sign this letter. This really isn’t city business in the sense that matters pertaining strictly to this municipality are. I’ve known Jim for the past several years and he does not strike me as someone who is indifferent to the welfare of kids or people in need. I say this in the spirit of Barry Goldwater who was the only US Senator to come to the defense of Gene McCarthy’s character and patriotism in 1968 when McCarthy launched his antiwar campaign for President. The rest of the Democrats attacked McCarthy or were muted, much like today’s Congressional Republicans are. Julia hit this balance nicely
@Jeffrey – good for you for taking an action on your own. Good work. Please do ask, as part of your research, about the stress and damage caused by separating children as young as 8 months from their parents. BTW, I don’t remember ever doing anything as a Councilor for show. In that regard, I would have thought you would be pleased that this letter was not done as a docket item rather as a group of US citizens who also happen to be City Councilors who abhor the policy of separating children from their parents.
@Bugek – I actually thought you meant it – that we should provide a place for some of these children in Newton. Lesson learned about your perspective and the naivete of my basic belief in the humanity of my fellow citizens of Newton. What we need to do as a foreign policy is to figure out how to work with our neighboring governments in Central America to make those countries a place where people want to stay and thrive. That is the only way to stop the desire to migrate to the US. I would not expect our current administration to entertain this notion and I would agree 100% that past administrations have also failed us in this regard.
I would have that thought that we all learned a lesson when our government refused the Ship St. Louis the US during WW2 and sent Jews to their death when we refused to let the ship dock here. It seems that we just keep repeating history.
With regard to the law that people are referencing- this law, passed by Congress, was to prohibit sending children into prison with parents who were hardened criminals. Congress never envisioned that a president would deem any person seeking asylum in the US a criminal, therefore twisting a law into a shape never intended and for a devious purpose never intended. This was clearly a Trump policy and a misuse of the law.
@jim finally, an idividual voice that stepped up to speak out and say it like it is. This blog is nothing but a bullying forum, from triggered keyboard warriors that spew their venom if you don’t play by their rules or agree with their agenda!
@jim thank you you for your honesty, something I can truly respect!
@ann..agreed. Progressives are the most tolerant people…..but only if you agree with them 100%. I’m sure at some point Jim will be called a racist….that’s usually the next step in the process.
susan,
In all seriousness, there are some ideas the city could realistically entertain to help
– For each child a newton resident fosters (unaccompanied minor, or abandoned), they will get 20% off their property tax each year
– Newton city allocates % of its budget items to purchase from countries to help improve their economy so their citizens can become self reliant
– offer use of any city immigration lawyers to those seeking real asylum
– city to send donation packages from residents to border
Would have been much more meaningful than a “I Oppose letter”. Its like watching a starving family and standing around agreeing how awful it is…. without offering food
@Jim – “This problem started in 1997 under Clinton, was endorsed through Bush, and Obama, and now to be hateful you folks want to drag my name?” This isn’t true as an elected official you should know better.
Read: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/was-law-separate-families-passed-1997/
The least you could do is have your facts straight.
@councilor Cote, your statement above describing the Crescent St. proposal would provide housing for 40 people requiring affordable housing is an absolute lie. The project as currently proposed would be irresponsible use of taxpayer funds. The fact that the cost of the project is so extremely high that it would exceed by a significant amount of project the CPC has ever funded.
The representive of the independent consultant, although very politely, pointed out the many financial descrepancies in the City’s cost proposal. The current Crescent St. proposal is a sham that is an insult to families who lost their homes to the MassPike expansion.
The looney left is alive and well in Newton.
Trump’s approval numbers continue to rise despite self inflicted wounds and a heavy, continuous assault by the MSM.
The reality is that his tax reform, which benefits all the rich people of Newton, is contributing to tremendous economic growth. He is appointing conservative judges to the federal bench at a record rate. You haven’t heard about ISIS in a few months. The Schiller home buying index is at record highs. And, oh, there’s going to be a Wall.
Liberals can whine all they want but elections have consequences.
I’m with Bob Burke on this one.
Yes, my government seizing the children of non-criminals as a way of sending a get-tough message is one of the most repulsive and horrific official acts of our government in recent memory. If China, or Iran, or North Korea were doing this we would justifiably be outraged.
That said, ascribing approval of Trump’s policy to Councilor Cote because he chose not to sign that letter is a nasty turn for local politics. Mr Cote is a Newton City Councilor. I have no objection to any City Councillors sending that letter if they so choose but if has nothing to do with their job as City Councilor. They are sending that letter as citizens. I didn’t sign the letter either, despite the fact that I’m horrified by the policy. Beat me up too.
The last thing I want to see is judging, criticizing, and pillorying our City Councilors on whether or not they will join in on symbolic protests on national issues.
@Jose Rubenstein – yes, Donald Trump has (so far) managed to not crater the economy. No, there is no remarkable “tremendous growth”. The current economy is on a par with recent years before he came to office. That is indeed a good thing but there is no remarkable spike from Trump’s ill advised tax cut. But even if there was, how is “don’t worry, we’re making money” a reasonable response to the outrage at this administration’s seizing of children at the border.
To those who are saying it is not a city councilor’s responsibility to speak out against this heinous atrocity that has been committed by our federal government, I remind you of the words of Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
I’ve seen reports of ICE agents in Worcester, Fitchburg, and East Boston, and they have a holding & processing facility in Burlington, MA. Are those far enough away for this not to be a local issue of concern?
This is absolutely a Newton issue. Both now, and if and when ICE enters Newton to hunt down people and treat them like animals as they are doing elsewhere in the US and in MA. Is there some special border around Newton that protects it from ICE? Are we sure there are zero undocumented people living in terror and fear in our midst?
The letter is not an empty symbolic gesture. I expect that when ICE comes to Newton these councilors will vigorously act to stop them, up to and including non-violent civil disobedience, as I am prepared to do.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
I agree with Jerry and Bob. While Jim and I are on different ends of the political spectrum, our interactions have always been respectful. It’s possible to support the actions of the 23 councilors (which I wholeheartedly do) and respect/accept a Republican councilor’s decision not to do so.
Democrats don’t serve their cause well when they make leaps from disagreeing with the actions of a Republican councilor who didn’t sign this letter to, for all intents and purposes, accusing him of supporting the separation of families or not understanding the gravity of this tragic situation.
Frank Bruni’s June 13th column in the New York Times titled “How to Lose the Midterms and Re-elect Trump” presents an insightful perspective on this very issue. This weekend, the Times had a news article on the same topic (“As Critics Assail Trump, His Supporters Dig In Deeper”) that’s also in today’s Globe.
Nathan,
What I’m hearing is that most people would like to go just back to Obama-era enforcements: Only deport violent undocumented immigrants? And of course, we don’t consider DUI as a deportable crime even though it absolutely destroys families. How about assault or burglaries ?
… of course this does nothing to discourage them to come, they will continue to make the very dangerous journey here
Is this really a long term solution?
I’m focused on Steve miller’s recently implemented policy escalation to take children hostage as ransom to build the asinine wall trump lied about when he said Mexico was paying for it.
The federal gov is now illegally trafficking infants to “Christian” adoption agencies with ties to Betsy devos .
But this isn’t a newton issue.
If/when ICE comes into newton (unless “it can’t happen here”?) I will block these gestapo with my bike, car & body. This is not about Jim Cote. This is about defending humanity in our city & standing up for basic decency across the country.
I disagree with Bob and Jerry.
Councilor Cote not only chose not to sign the letter signed by 23 of Newton’s city councilors but has not addressed why he made that choice. His only comments cite a lie about a 1997 law, blaming presidents who came before Trump, calling his constituents “whiners,” asking them to tell him what they have done to help others and flippantly having the last word.
How do these things proclaim his integrity? How does this say he’s not “indifferent to kids-“ at least immigrant kids?
I also disagree that this letter was just a symbolic act. The reason Trump stopped the policy of children being separated from their parents was because of the huge bipartisan backlash. Without protests, letters and other backlash he would not have stopped it. He and his administration continued to blame it on democrats and the 1997 law saying there was nothing he could do about stopping it – until he did with a stroke of his pen Unfortunately there are still people like Councilor Cote who continue to spread the lie.
Who’s the bully?
The left is now equal to Trump in terms of vileness.
Rep Maxine Waters: “If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”
Forgive me. This is long.
Susan said that she thought I would be happy that it was a letter not a docket item. I am always opposed to councilors doing this, although a docket item is worse. Instead of arguing about the merits of the Trump policy, let’s focus on the big picture. The council sending letters like this on council letterhead is a bad decision. Period. I don’t care how compelling the national issue is. Here are my reasons.
I asked Susan (or Greg, but anyone can answer), why the letter went out on Council letterhead. Why was the letter exclusive not inclusive? No one answered, so until someone gives me better answers, here is my guess about likely explanations. I am trained as an economist. My understanding of the impact of tariffs is better than the average person in the US. I signed an exclusive petition with other economists because I did not want the message to be diluted by people who are not as knowledgeable as me. It is a way for me to say, “This is what my field knows about tariffs and why they are bad for the economy.” Is this why the council put together an exclusive letter? Do they think they understand national issues better than the average person in Newton? Do they understand immigration law better? Childrearing? Another possibility is that the council thinks that it is representing the views of the typical person in Newton. I don’t like either of these stories for an exclusive letter. I don’t think the council has a claim for superior insight on national issues, and we never elected them to express our views to senators and congressmen.
So, my first reason why I am always against letters like this is that I can’t think of a good reason why councilors should send an exclusive letter where they use their titles as our elected officials to further their own national political views. This is bad government. They can send letters as individuals. They can sign an inclusive petition. They can sign an exclusive petition with other councilors, just don’t use Newton council titles and don’t use our letterhead.
My second reason for always being against these letters is that they are always partisan. Our city elections are non-partisan and that is good. Less than half of the voters in Newton are Democrats. 23 of 24 councilors are Democrats. Over the last 40 years, these letters never criticize Democrats or Democrat policies. Maybe the Republican council pre 1970, ripped Democrats (Gail might know), but if they did, it was wrong. The upshot is that people are taking shots at Jim. This is divisive. I don’t care about Jim’s national views. I care about his views on Newton. The council should work together to make Newton better, not to advance the national presence of one party. The partisan issue is also important in that it renders the letter impotent. The fact that 23 Democrats from a liberal city, who are in government service, many of which are active in the Democrat party, wrote a letter complaining about a Trump policy is not news. To pat myself on the back, I have signed petitions critical of both Republican and Democrat policies. I make a determination based on the merits of the policy. If I only criticized one party’s policies I would not expect anyone to take me seriously.
Approving of the tearing of infants, toddlers, of children of any ages, from the arms of their parents, separating and imprisoning them, and endangering their health and wellbeing, when they have risked everything to escape from horrors and seek asylum and safety in our Great Nation is beyond my understanding. And, even if they attempt, most likely out of desperation, to illegally cross our border, such entry is a misdemeanor, not a felony and our constitutional protections apply to them as they do to to the rest of us. For these children and parents, such inhumane, unconscionable and vicious treatment is incredibly damaging, very likely the equivalent of their experiencing the deaths of their dearest ones. How any American citizens, when hundreds of thousands of those citizens sacrificed their lives to defeat the Nazis and others who have inflicted atrocities upon humanity, can justify this is way beyond my understanding. And, I spent decades working at home and abroad for and with our military. There is absolutely no question in my mind that not a single one of the many honorable, selfless, devoted officers and enlisted servicepersons and federal civil servants it has been my honor and privilege to know and serve with would in any way condone such actions. I am sure Mr. Cote, as a United States Marine, feels the same and simply has difficultly expressing it.
@Alex I’m sure you were not trying to be misleading, but your general statement that “to illegally cross our border is a misdemeanor” is not entirely accurate. Illegal entry can be a felony if a person was previously formally removed from the United States and then returned without permission. Hmmm….that sound like the recently misreported case of the child who was reported as being separated from her mother, but really wasn’t. And the mother had been previously deported in 2013. Point is, that this is not a black and white issue….and by “this” I mean illegal immigration. Unless you want open borders….which it sounds from your comment that you may be in agreement with.
@Independent Man. I’m not in favor of open borders and I agree that this is not a black and white issue. In interviews yesterday, both John Kasich and Marco Rubio suggested approaches to resolving this problem that I thought lawful, rational, reasonable, humanitarian and honorable.
In an earlier comment, I stated that General Mattis is the one top Trump official I trust. I’ve been away from things military too long to understand a lot of what’s going on today, but I’m really in total harmony with his background, humility and the cautious and disciplined way he approaches things . Now it’s being reported by at least two sources that he’s no longer in the loop of top military and diplomatic advisors and there’s an inference that Trump is taking more direct control of things military. Now I am frightened.
Being against taking children from their parents is not a partisan belief, except when Trump and his supporters attempt to make it one.
This issue is about protecting children from being put in detention facilities after being removed from their parents. It’s a child welfare and human rights issue.
Crossing our border illegally is a misdemeanor except in cases where the immigrant has been deported before for being convicted of a crime. These immigrant crossing illegally were arrested immediately and separated from their children without caring if they are refuges or any knowledge of their backgrounds.
To top this cruelty off, MA can now arrest immigrants who’ve been given a path to follow to gain legal residence at their required appointments.
Again these are human rights issues that should concern everyone.
Less drama folks. More voting.
I’m going to say it again.
Less drama. More voting.
Patience. And calm. Even in the face of some of this month’s craziness.
I’m fine with the letter. I’m not sure how much impact it has, but it took little official time, and our elected officials have their own minds. If they want to send such a letter in their official capacities., go to it.
If folks don’t like the use of time, welp, you’ve got 23 folks to complain to. And vote against.
I’m fine with Jim Cote not signing the letter. I don’t really agree to often with Jim, but his lack of participation in the letter shouldn’t be a surprise to folks. Dragging Jim just distracts from the real issue at hand, which is Trump’s policy. And I think Jim kinda of enjoys the attention and the chance to poke the bear (“last word”).
Don’t like what Jim did, well, organize and remind folks around the next election, and run a good candidate against him. He’s at-large. Let your vote be the true “last word”.
Less ancillary drama folks. More voting.
ps. Jose R. (fake name, right?), you crack me up. So much trolling in this post. So silly. Triggering the libs on a local blog is kinda of a waste of your time, isn’t it? Lots of examples you could follow if you wanted to be taken seriously. Jeffrey P., would be a good one. More conservative voices always welcome. But come with a real argument/discussion, will ya?