April 13 – There’s not much to be said about the April 13 City Council Agenda. They’ll have to do something with the Decker-Reeves farcical Order (Charter Right #1) to provide a City “stimulus package” to Harvard and MIT, but my guess is that they’ll just let it fade away or refer it to the University Relations Committee to be properly buried. There’s a more adult Order #12 from Councillors Davis and Ward on this week’s agenda that speaks to the same issue:
Order #12. That the City Manager is requested to urge Harvard, MIT and other businesses to use the progressive practice of asking for concessions from all employees at all levels before resorting to layoffs of the lowest paid workers. Councillor Davis and Councillor Ward
The Order also calls for referring this to the University Relations Committee, the only Council committee which has yet to meet even one time this Council term. It would seem that this City Council would prefer to lob grenades at Harvard and MIT rather than actually have any meaningful discussions with university representatives.
I’d love to see the Council do something in response to Councillor Kelley’s Order #4:
Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council prior to the final June meeting on the City’s plans to enforce relevant laws about noise from motorcycles and loud cars. Councillor Kelley
Of course we’ve been down this road before – and it always leads nowhere. Expect at least one councillor to suggest that cracking down on ear-splitting car sound systems would be an infringement on cultural rights and civil liberties. – Robert Winters