Hey, there! Log in / Register
Liz Breadon responds to Frank Baker's hate speech today
By adamg on Wed, 11/02/2022 - 10:37pm
Here's Councilor Liz Breadon (Allston/Brighton) responding to Councilor Frank Baker (Dorchester) and his comments accusing her of working to destroy Catholic life in Boston by proposing a council redistricting map that does not follow Dorchester Catholic-parish lines:
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
The last chance power drive of the perpetually aggrieved.
IF we make it through next without bloodshed it'll be a miracle.
IF YOU HAVENT ALREADY, VOTE TODAY!
The "Troubles" have come to town
The great movie Belfast hammers home the senselessness of the violence that tore the city apart for so long. If leaders and activists in Boston continue to spread hate and division don't be surprised when the 'Troubles' come to town.
Hate speech?
He accused her of bias. It was an unfounded accusation, supported only by circumstantial evidence.
I wouldn’t call it hate speech, as ill advised as it was.
The city council has become one of the most unprofessional government bodies in the state. It’s always been a borderline gong show, but we’ve elected people with no skill for compromise or critical thought, and we are paying the price.
How to say you know nothing of Irish history
Without saying you know nothing of Irish history.
Ed Flynn was able to say a proposed map (that would have taken a housing project out of his district) was wrong without bringing up the religion and ancestry of the person proposing it and without trying to smear her with an association to decades of violence murder and murder, let alone making up claims about how "the clergy" are on his side.
I know more about Irish history than you’ll ever know.
baseless accusations of bigotry are a near weekly occurrence on the city council. It’s neither hate speech when councilors of color do it, nor when Baker does it.
decades of violence murder
I like this phrase "violence murder". It reminds me of "meat is murder, but murder is also murder".
Mixed feelings
Breadon has more integrity than Baker could ever imagine having. I am an Irish American former Catholic, now agnostic, and I am horrified and angry by Baker's BS accusations against her. I also am impressed by her impassioned speech defending her life's work.
On the other hand her map moved me out of Worrell's district and into Baker's district. So thanks for nothing Liz.
Not until next election
You’re represented by Councilor Worrell through 2023. You’ll get to help choose for the next Councilor for district 3 in a year - or even run yourself, if the Mayor approves the new map.
Silver lining...
Now you have the chance to vote for Baker's primary opponent and perhaps elect a better councilor.
It's a good response
and I can't believe the she and the rest of the council had to waste their time on dealing with this shit. Like she said, they've got work to do.
Bravo, Councilor Breadon
Well said. Unfortunate that her vote is canceled out by that dinosaur Frank Baker
The two B's
I have nothing but respect for the first B, Councilor Breadon. I can only imagine, given the circumstances of her childhood, how hurtful the remarks of the other B must have been to her.
As an Irish Catholic who has studied the history of the Irish in Boston, I was sickened by Frank Baker who repeatedly fails to observe the decorum of his position. He chooses to spit out vitriolic remarks when he does not get his way whether it is over an earmark for a Boys and Girls Club building or the lines of his district.
Baker does a disservice to his constituents and to our City on a Hill that Councilor Breadon referred to in her moving speech.
Better representation on City Council
Beyond redistricting, the City Council could achieve better representation if it increased voter turnout for city-wide elections. It could do this by syncing city elections to the even-numbered year elections of either the presidential elections or the mid-term/gubernatorial elections.
Historically, local elections in odd-numbered years are tied to the fact that incumbents know that election turnout in years like 2023 and 2025 is much lower than in 2020 or 2022 and that low turnout favors incumbency. Someone should propose creating a one-off special three-year City Council term and a five-year mayoral term and syncing elections with the gubernatorial cycle.
Increase voter participation in city government.
Cuts both ways
Sure, more people would happen to be voting anyway, but candidates would struggle to have their messages heard over the din of all the other races.
They'd lose to candidates for President, US Senate, US House, Governor, etc. when it comes to volunteers. They'd lose to the same when it comes to raising money. They'd have to try to stand out amongst TV, mail, billboards, and radio ads for all those other candidates.
There'd be more voters, sure. But those voters would have ultimately had less access to the candidates.
Voting is now incredibly easy -- early voting by mail, early voting in person, etc. At this point, the problem isn't "the system." The problem is that loads of people simply don't want to participate in this part of civic life.