Love Thy Neighbor, Or Else…
October 26th, 2007
(This is the only photo I have on file having to do with SMOC)
I don’t usually get into anything too political because it’s not the mission of this blog, but I felt I had to post about SMOC suing Framingham officials and even residents for expressing their opinions. I’m…speechless.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/25/antipoverty_group_sues_framingham_over_rights/
Gee, no comments? Is everyone afraid of being served? Smoc sucks! How about them apples Somc?
I gotta go some deputy is at my door with some papers…
Seriously, let me know when the legal defense fund is set up and there is some party to fund it.
Comment by Rich — October 27, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Maybe the reason you are so speechless is because you have a relationship with Steven Orr and you are joining in on his and other town members agenda to limit the opportunities of the underprivledged in this town.Come on, like the rest of us, didn’t you take Psych 101 in college? One of the most basic facts is that addiction is a disease, so why are officials and defendants trying to rid a disease ridden individual of the chance to seek treatment? Glad to see you are jumping on Framingham’s notorious ultra-conservative amd bandwagon…As you said this blog is not about politics…keep it that way. No need to advertise your own political agenda and flaunt support of people who are just idiots to begin with
Comment by no — October 29, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
Okay “no”. You won’t even give your name so I can’t say I know you but I can say confidently that you don’t know me, who I have relationships with, or my political views since you made so many assumptions.
I’m reluctant to even dignify your comment with a response but if you must know, I’m “speechless” because there was no attepmt for SMOC to discuss their issues, they just handed the town and certain residents a lawsuit out of nowhere.
If you don’t like my blog you are free to not read it or start your own, but I think it’s out of line for you to tell me what to post about.
Comment by michelle — October 29, 2007 @ 9:38 pm
you just have no idea what you are talking about………
Comment by no — October 30, 2007 @ 4:17 pm
Whatever you say. As a pointed out before, you don’t know me.
It’s easy to pick fights, make ignorant statements and call people idiots while hiding behind the internet.
There are classier ways to disagree with people, but how you’ve chosen to do so says a lot. In which case, I think we’re done here.
Comment by michelle — October 30, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
Granted your anon. comentor is kind of a dbag but they have a point. I just read the article you linked to and your portrayal of these suits as stifling free speech belies your olitics, since it was clearly not something substantiated by the article rather it is what thepeople being sued are claming its about, those people are all involved with political manuevering against smoc.
In the end, its your blog and I’d read it no matter you politics, because frankly I love this blog.
Of course this is nothing new there has always been a divide between the working poor in framingham and those who are shall we say, well off. That plays out everywhere. The thing that kills me is that when propert values drop, people blame the poor and dienfranchised and seldom the big businesses that abandon the towns. It’s like being pissed at undoccumented workers and not having much to say about companies like walmart shipping our manufacturing jobs overseas, or the disgusting antilabor practices of starbucks.
I think there should be a balance, my family has lived in framingham for generations, my grandmother still lives in the house she raised my father and aunts on winter st. I understand concerns about property values when you put your whole life into a home. That said the history of framingham, at least for my family is working class, and the wealthy have always put the boot to us despite always having more to go around thanthe people working for them.
I just think its sad that property is a bigger concern than people.
Comment by Brian — November 3, 2007 @ 12:59 am
Thanks Brian, I appreciate your tactful approach(seriously). I posted the article because I was surprised that SMOC took upon suing people with no previous communication and I thought some people may want to know about that - although I do feel it was an action they they felt would startle people and chose to use that tactic on purpose. As far as anyone making personal assumptions about me, I have a problem with that, especially when they hide behind an anonymous alias and of course have never met me, never mind know me enough to make such crass accusations.
I can’t speak for the people that are being sued but had the previous poster “no” (who I later found out their name, someone who I have no idea who he is, never mind even met) bothered to ask me anything or knew me they would know how ridiculous it is to tell me what my political views are and I feel I should clear the air here. I don’t jump on band wagons, I’m not an ultraconservative and I don’t feel that the disabled should be banished from Framingham.Had this poster known me, which again - they don’t - they would know of my history with both physically and mentally disabled family members, addiction and the benefits some of them have received of social services and even my own involvement volunteering in soup kitchens and shelters. I worked two jobs for years (up until a month ago) so I can afford my mortgage, I live downtown, I’m certainly not part of any wealthy group that looks down on working class. I’m only addressing this because it seems that people may think because I posted this, I am part of some “ultra-conservative” bandwagon that consists of “idiots”. I have nothing to do with anyone who says Framingham should rid it’s itself of people who need social services, I don’t know exactly what they said but I don’t agree with anyone making such statements.
To be honest, yes, it is tough to put so much blood, sweat and tears into a home and watch the value go down- then if it concerns you and you feel it coul have something to do with the amount of social services in this town (and I’ve had people tell me they would not move here because of this), you’re labeled as someone who doesn’t care about disabled people- period, there is nothing else anyone needs to know about you except that you are a selfish, disabled-person-hating monster that only cares about something so shallow as the biggest investment you ever made/safety of your family/character of your neighborhood. I get email updates everytime a sex offender moves into my neighborhood, do I freak out? No, but it’s not something I can smile about either, especially when the majority of the offenders are within walking distance of my house. Does that make me a bad person? If people want to think that then there is nothing I can do about it.
I agree with you Brian, there should be a balance and I certainly hope there will be one. There is a very gray area between supporting SMOC’s mission, which I whole heartedly do,how SMOC operates and how much this town can support. I truly hope some sort of compromise can be worked out between social services and town that they operate in.
Comment by michelle — November 3, 2007 @ 12:06 pm
Yeah, I think both sides demonize the other, to the detriment of all. I understand that not everyone is going to see things my way, and to be honest I wouldn’t want them too. My childhood in framingham was one of the most diverse of my life, and I still cherish that,. I can only hope that all those actively involved in these issues will put the whole of framingham before their politics or personal gain.
Also I’d like to say it’s not so much that I support smoc, the non profit sector is worth over a trillion, yes trillion, dollars making it the seventh largest economy in the world, there’s money and agendas being made in that camp to be sure.
My concern is the people who, for better or worse depend on that industry to get by, those folks are just as much a part of framingham as and business owner, resident, and damn sure more so than an out of town developer of business.
Anyway not to get totally side tracked by the politics, but thanks for your thoughtful reply, and once again, thanks for this blog.
Comment by Brian — November 5, 2007 @ 3:09 am
Just letting you know, I know you are not too happy with me, but I am not Joel A. Feingold. That was simply and essay I found that he wrote.
Comment by no — November 5, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
I’m having a hard time understanding you. What you attempted to post was not an essay, it was an open letter to the community posted on a different site. You didn’t state it was someone else’s words but started it off with “Hello Everyone” and left it ending “Best regards,” the person’s first and Last name at the bottom of it, implying you were that person. You made a decision to do that. At this point I will ask you to stop contacting me until you feel mature enough to state your real name. I am open to discussion but you are creeping me out and I will consider further annonymous contact from you harassment.
Comment by michelle — November 5, 2007 @ 4:18 pm
You gotta love the guys like Brian. Always the old rich guy peeing on the poor guy. Well Bri - a lot of us “rich” guys make incredible sacrifices to live in our homes - many long hours and many jobs. We DESERVE the right to have our homes appreciate in the same way as surrounding towns.
No one is saying kick the little retarded child out of town. The problem is the social service places are dropping in large numbers of certain programs into Framingham which leads to the reputation we have. A reputation which is not helping our Real Estate values. It is time for Framingham to tell the surrounding towns we are tired of taking care of all your social problems - it is time to start taking care of your own.
In terms of the whole pride in the “working class” town that some people want it to be. It seems like it is some type of Badge of Honor to be considered in the same ranks as Lowell, New Bedford, or Brockton - but an absolute sin if you want to aspire to be like Wayland.
We try to teach our children to aspire to be better - Framingham needs to do the same.
Comment by Da — November 7, 2007 @ 9:47 pm
That’s the thing that keeps getting confused in the debate is that it’s not antipathy toward Framingham’s working poor that is making people want to try to put the brakes on SMOC.
SMOC isn’t there to make things better for the poor/disabled of Framingham; they’re a state subcontractor that purchases the houses that the state then uses to bring in people from all over. It’s not a rich Framingham/poor Framingham issue; it’s the town being unfairly expected to shoulder the burden for the rest of Eastern Massachusetts at the expense of anyone who pays taxes in the town. Do a comparison of social services in Framingham versus the rest of the state and it’s very clear that we have a disproportionate number of these facilities. The town is central, it’s on the commuter rail, and the housing is relatively cheap for this part of MA, making it quite attractive for SMOC to buy up property and once it’s in their possession, the residents of the neighborhoods in question have no recourse as to how that property is used. Dropping wet shelters, sex offender re-entry houses, and narcotics addiction treatment houses into residential neighborhoods is questionable at best, and if SMOC wants to use the town in that manner, they should either provide their own services to support those facilities or they should have to pay for the larger amount of services they draw from the community.
They use the “You hate the poor and disabled” line quite often, and the more liberal they know you are, the more they use it. Stick to the facts of the debate and don’t let them move you off your stance with a slur against your character.
Comment by Alan — February 26, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
Dont “kick the little retarted children out of town” ,,,,(what a line.) But no need to ship them in from all other towns . I understand , SMOC has the right idea, but just not in our town,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,A ???
Comment by JeNi — October 30, 2008 @ 3:57 pm