In matter of weeks, the majority of your electeds folded neatly in front of the chamber of commerce and developers whining about making our buildings green and needing more of your #$S to charge $2970 for a two bf apartment.

Striking day two out of ten for my 40 hours of “community service”. Today, while cleaning, I thought about what a gift this moment is: give someone who loves organizing the time to think about more organizing.

I would note that this is the same cohort of biz interests and developers that also robustly opposed Inclusionary Zoning.

$1.4 in Tax exemptions + $2.5 in state subsidies, gets a Worcester resident $2,970 month rent for a 2bd apartment. wbjournal.com/article/worc...

This first part of a series on the Worcester City Council's downward spiral into a platform to serve the interests of the council's majority faction, with a side of contempt for residents and the Constitution.

Mayor Petty coming out against rent control & the specialized stretch code, in addition to the responsible development ordinance. Here he is committing to @progressivemass.bsky.social yes on Rent Stabilization & adopting the Specialized Stretch code. www.progressivemass.com/wp-content/u...

It is PAINFUL to watch some very uninformed statements about the move to pause the specialized stretch code - a consumer & climate protection policy. Btw, pausing this does not make luxury market-rate housing affordable. It makes utility bills cost lower. Thx to CC King for holding this.

The Green Worcester Advisory Committee has voted unanimously to oppose the City's recommendation that the City pause the enforcement of the Specialized Stretch Code, adopted in 2023. Our advisory committees make solid recommendations. As we've seen with HRC, it's not clear they're listened to.

Aftermath in Srifa, Lebanon Footage shows residential blocks in Srifa reduced to rubble following Israeli airstrikes. Source: PressTV

And, further, many of Worcester's elected leaders including former and current DA, current school committee member and former superitendent, current and former Mayors, protected, shielded a former school committee member who raped a child.

I mean the Worcester electorate embraced and elected to the local city council a former state rep with a record of sexual harrassment and creepiness. So, yeah, we are all doing great.

Looking at you #mapoli State House.

The City Council will approve another Tax Increment Exemption for the fomer property at Green St that Madison Properties promised to develop. Another developer has purchased the property and is asking for a TIE - which is what the City promised Madison. That's good news that the second residential

The truth is that Worcester is building units, some units. But the majority of the people living in them likely aren’t the very people who keep our city running, that keep our kids educated, the ones who keep our home-grown restaurants running, the ones who take care of the elderly and the sick.

I recognize that organizing around city council stuff is exhausting and seems pointless. At the same time, it is worth, at minimum, not letting their & the administration’s decisions go by just like that.

The top twenty highest paid members of the City of Worcester behind the City Manger are predominently: 1. Worcester Police Officers 2. White men 3. One white woman Who is not on this list? People running housing programs, mentoring our youth, doing homeless outreach, public health, teachers.

www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dbm... 1. The City's admin is walking back and pausing the opt-in specialized stretch code we passed last year. Bcs, developers are whining 2. No chickens in Worcester 3. Profuse Bergman resolution praising WPD

Devastated. Grace hired me at cmha long ago and was one of the best people who taught me so much about housing policy. She became a mentor and a dear friend. 💕

Prayers for the Lebanese people being murdered by the thousands by the Israeli government. Their depravity knows no bounds.

No one cared to intervene when the Israeli government ethnically cleansed Palestinians (still is). The genocide against Palestinians smashed any semblance of intl law. When have Western governments, including U.S., ever cared about protecting Black and Brown people, especially Muslims?

How come no one prepares you for the fun rollercoaster of raising teenagers? Like, what? I thought raising infants was exhausting. Or is it just the state of the world 😬

Oh wow. He’s embracing Allah during Easter. 🤲

Omg. Donald Trump swore. Please please do tell the chair of the Worcester City Council public safety committee. She will gladly tell him how “unbecoming” this is. For those of you who remember, is how Kate Toomey refers to the former ultra liberal faction anytime any of us “misbehaved”. 😬

Update: Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind Rohingya refugee, came to America seeking safety. Border Patrol left him alone in the cold outside a closed coffee shop. He was found dead five days later. His death has been ruled a homicide.

So the Israeli parliament passed a death by hanging law for Palestinian detainees. Close to 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners will likely be executed, just like that.

You can still donate to our costly ongoing appeal process. chuffed.org/project/1720... My family and I are still fighting back, while they win their awards for “pursuing justice.” ——————— franklincountynow.com/news/216612-...

Besides Austin, does anyone involved in housing policy know of studies that show subsidizing market-rate housing w/ no caps on rents, leads to raising of rents across the City's market?

Cops falsify or testilie but prosecutors will keep protecting them, nevertheless. apnews.com/article/breo...

Eid Mubarak family and friends. Fiter Bajram!

Etel for Worcester T-shirts are here for our fundraiser & community celebration next Wed! Proceeds will also go to LUCE to support our immigrant neighbors. Come join us for a good time & fun. 🎉💕

Oh hell yes Afroman! You inspire me!!

Palestinian Leqaa Kordia who spoke out against the genocide in Palestine was detained for a year in a TX detention center & released today. She suffered a seizure and was refused release three times, despite judge's orders. Much love to Leqaa & her legal team. apnews.com/article/leqa...

Civilian Review Board Now.

I'd love to see folks at this community celebration & fundraiser. As I go through the appeal process, my family & I are so grateful for the deep support we've received. Proceeds will also go to our legal fees and the Worcester LUCE fund. Hope to see you there, share hugs and love.

City Halls remind us that there are alternatives for community care and mutual support. And they don’t exist is city hallways or white men rooms. Our purpose isn’t only to transform these systems of illusions. It’s to fortify and re-create new ways of relating and belonging to each-other.

8 defendants in TX were found guilty of terrorism for protesting outside an ICE detention camp. They’ll face life in prison for wearing black & reading Ema Goldman. The ramifications are huge. But also we don’t have to accept this as the reality.

Are we surprised? www.pressherald.com/2026/03/12/p...

And we very much saw that a month ago in Worcester’s Eureka verdict too.

There will be heavy implications for dissent from this verdict. www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/v...

A+ to the Chamber of Commerce propaganda on behalf of wealthy developers. Say, what's next: scare us about the specialized stretch code in buildings or the Civilian Review Board. 👍

Black & brown women + folks w/lived experience, have been front & center at all the panels I've attended during the National Low Income Housing Coalition housing policy forum. I've detected a familar theme: we have to keep building communities & relationships of mutual care more than ever.

Also in Maine, they’re working on a bill to prevent landlords from sharing tenant information with Fed agencies. In MA, we keep blaming migrants for the existence of homelessness. But we can change that.

In Maine, housing organizations are raising funds to pay rent and utilities for immigrant residents being detained. Right now, Worcester LUCE hub is the only volunteer run group raising $ for basic things like diapers, food, rent.

It’s also refreshing to be at a housing policy conference that doesn’t see housing justice separate from immigration justice for all.

Last night’s vote on Menkiti by most city councilors. “I’ll sign a pledge as long as I don’t have to vote to uphold anything that benefits community & doesn’t make developers mad. Can I please still have your endorsement?”

At the low income housing coalition policy forum & what strikes me the most is something we’ve always know: supply alone won’t solve us out of the crisis.

So, basically, Moe Bergman wants to pause the specialized stretch code in buildings, which gets Worcester closer to meeting our emission goals? Sir. Why are you against so much.

My son & I are heading to D.C for the housing policy forum. Flying out of Worcester & Mayor Petty’s PA came on just as I was reading: “abolitionism is inconceivable w/out feminist, queer, trans, & femme practices of resistance.” Why ruin my moment.