At-large candidates generally support gambling at Suffolk Downs, but with caveats

It's really unfortunate that these candidates and/or what thus far seems to present the political will of the people, are not outright opposed to this legal "addiction", but at least Ayanna Presley shows a social conscience on the subject. However, the only candidate that really has a clue concerning the reality of "the potential burden it could put on a neighborhood that 'has suffered a lot of injustice already' by Mass Port" is Thomas Gonzalez. Thank you, Mr. Gonzalez! Before any of them agree to victimize us any further with their vote, I'd like to invite all of these candidates to come and live in said neighborhood for three days, specifically, Bennington Street, between Day Square and Orient Heights Square.

Proposing any additional "injustice" to any neighborhood in this historically, sacrificially-disregarded part of Boston (East Boston)only confirms my conviction that, in so far as the City of Boston is concerned, we who live here must be viewed as some type of underclass or at best, simply second-class citizens. This view could not, of course, ever be justified considering that we and our families who live, work, own property, pay taxes comprise a large diverse population of which the majority are hard working, law biding citizens, including many working and retired senior citizens. We don't need to be dumped on again, especially expecting us to tolerate any addition, impossible traffic conditions.

As it is now, it has become a major production for residents here to get into or out of our cars during the hours when the general public is going to or returning from work, even though the we who live here are doing the same thing. And, God forbid we bother the other drivers (who are maximizing the traffic burden further by being allowed to use our street as a shortcut to Route 1A), as we attempt to safely park our vehicles near where we live. Some of these drivers are quick to let us know we're an inconvenience to them, a real problem, that we're literally in their way. They lean on their horns, swear and curse out their car windows at us as they pass by (often grossly and basely demeaning someone's mother), or best of all, serve us with their intelligent use of the royal "finger". They then continue on their destination beyond Heights Square to the Heights Hill, to Winthrop, to Revere, and to any other town accessed by Route 1A. To add insult to injury, these same drivers are favored once more, in fact the only consideration, whenever we have a winter storm. Again, the City of Boston is quick to demand that we immediately move our cars off both sides of Bennington Street, not caring where, how, or if, we are able to accomplish this task, with no public parking whatever available. Apparently, this is of paramount importance, in order to insure that traffic move smoothly, not for the people who reside here on this street, but rather to accommodate and benefit these same drivers, who mostly drive and live outside of Boston. Depending on the severity of the storm, we can be expected (sometimes for two-three days), to struggle over the ice and snow to wherever we happened to find a parking space and with whatever bundles, packages, or baggage we must carry.

As I see it, regardless of whether or not gambling does in fact come to Suffolk Downs, one fair-minded solution to the insanity of this already intolerable traffic problem is that the section of Bennington Street from Day Square to Orient Heights Square be open only to East Boston and Winthrop residents between the hours of 4:00-6:00PM. It's about time that everyone gets the message that East Boston is no longer Noddle Island; that we, too, belong to the City of Boston.