ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Analysis: blacks at greater risk in police shootings .........pg. 18
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Falchuk seeks reform outside party system Yawu Miller
poll, Falchuk’s share of the vote had advanced from 2 percent to Tired of the partisan infight- 5.4 percent on the heels of seving which he says prevents Mas- eral candidate forums where he sachusetts political leaders from was able to broadcast his message accomplishing anything substan- to a wider audience. tive, former health care company Falchuk says he would tackle executive Evan Falchuk took an growing income inequality in entrepreneurial approach — he Massachusetts by attacking what started his own party. he says are the two greatest drivRunning for governor under ers of inequality in the state: the United Independent Party housing costs and health care banner, Falchuk has been touring costs. the state with “The govhis message ernment is that change doing the bidis possible — “The government is ding of either outside the big compadoing the bidding of current politinies or people cal structure. with money at either big companies or “We have a the expense of people with money at political proeveryone else,” cess that’s not the expense of everyone he said. “You r e p r e s e n t a - else. You can see lots can see lots of tive,” he said, examples of in an interview of examples of policies policies that with the Ban- that do this, and that’s do this and n e r. “ T h a t ’s that’s what gets why I’m doing what gets to this point of to this point this by found- income inequality.” of income ing a new inequality. — Evan Falchuk political party, “These are the United the two biggest Independent drivers. They Party, which happen to creis based on simple ideas: they ate and worsen income inequalare that everyone is equal, that ity. One aspect of this that is not everyone’s civil rights have to be discussed enough is that income protected, and the government’s inequality is affecting black and gotta spend taxpayer money Latino people more than anyone wisely.” else.” Falchuk sees his candidacy as To lower housing costs, which a first step in changing the polit- in the Greater Boston area are ical equation on Beacon Hill. If among the highest in the nation, he is able to secure at least three Falchuk says the state must make percent of the vote in November, it easier to build new housing. the United Independent Party A key part of that equation is to will become a registered party in persuade suburban communities the state, opening the door for to build more by providing more candidates to raise funds. In an funding for education. With Falchuk, continued to page 6 Oct. 8 WGBH/Emerson College
Mayor Martin Walsh announces his new housing plan Oct. 9 in front of the One Greenway construction site in Chinatown. The ne plan tar ets housin for lo - and middle-income residents seniors and students. ( ayor s ffice photo by sabel eon)
Walsh presents housing plan for a growing Boston Sandra Larson Boston Mayor Martin Walsh has released a sweeping new housing plan that aims to serve all income and age groups and protect the city’s neighborhoods from gentrification and displacement as a projected 91,000 new residents seek housing in the coming decades. Boston’s population is expected to exceed 700,000 by 2030, spurring a need for 53,000 new housing units and 16,000 new dormitory beds to house all demographic groups, including low income, middle class, college students and a growing number of senior citizens, according to the report.
These projected needs, along with plans for realizing them, are laid out in “Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030,” unveiled by Walsh Oct. 9. At a podium set against the backdrop of the One Greenway project in Chinatown, a mixed-income residential tower now under construction, Walsh spoke of the goals and actions formulated by the Housing Task Force he assembled shortly after taking office in January. “We are growing. People of all ages want to live in Boston, and we want to embrace that,” Walsh said. “But a bigger Boston must also be a better Boston. Prosperity must reach every neighborhood. We
have to plan for growth, not just react to it. And we have put forth a bold plan: It’s a plan with wide community input, it is rigorously data-driven, and it is achievable.” Construction of residential buildings in Boston has flourished as the economy recovers, but most projects have created high-end luxury units too small for families and priced far out of reach for the majority of Bostonians. Even households earning $70,000 a year can afford only 14 percent of the homes currently on the market in Boston, according to the report. While 41 percent of rentals are affordable to these households, that number is shrinking rapidly as rent prices soar. housing plan, continued to page 8
New Hub coalition calls for police reforms Yawu Miller
Protesters turned out for a rally last week outside police headquarters to demand changes to the department’s policies. An report last ee detailed racial disparities in the number of people stopped uestioned searched and obser ed by police. ( anner photo)
Following the release of a report detailing a disproportionate number of blacks stopped, frisked, interviewed or under surveillance by Boston police, a coalition of civil rights groups is demanding that the police department adopt reforms to protect the civil liberties of Bostonians. The newly-formed Boston Coalition for Police Accountability called on police to outfit officers with body-worn cameras, provide receipts for all persons
stopped by officers with the officer’s name and reason for stop and to post data on police stops on the department’s website. “This data belongs to the public,” said Carl Williams, staff attorney for the ACLU of Massachusetts, speaking during a rally in front of the Boston Police headquarters. The police are considering the coalition’s recommendations and other ideas, according to Superintendent-in-Chief William Gross. ACLU, continued to page 12
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