Baker-Polito Administration Testifies on Housing Choice Initiative

Baker-Polito Administration Testifies on Housing Choice Initiative

Governor Baker, Secretary Ash, Under Secretary Kornegay appear before the Joint Committee on Housing

BOSTON— Today, Governor Charlie Baker, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash and Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay testified at a hearing of the Joint Committee on Housing in support of the administration’s Housing Choice Initiative to substantially increase housing production across the Commonwealth, including legislation titled “An Act to Promote Housing Choices.”

TESTIMONY AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY BY GOV. CHARLIE BAKER: 

Chairman Honan, Chairman Boncore, and Vice Chairman McGonagle and members of the Joint Committee on Housing, thank you for opportunity to provide testimony in support of House  4075, “An Act to Promote Housing Choices.” 

As I emphasized in my State of the Commonwealth speech last week, we are grateful for our productive partnership with the Legislature.  We have a track record of success on issues like economic development, opioids, energy, and more.  Now, together, we must confront the issue of housing production in the Commonwealth.

It has been decades since this state produced enough housing to keep up with demand.  The result has been predictable.  A limited supply creates overheated demand and rising prices. 

Young people --- seniors --- young, working and middle class families can’t afford to rent or buy a home here in the Commonwealth.

We know that the Legislature recognizes the importance of this issue.  Senate President Chandler has championed the housing issue for decades.  Likewise, the House has been a great partner on housing issues like the Housing Bond Bill.  I also want to recognize that Chairman Honan and former Vice Chairwoman Dorcena Forry filed legislation that lowered voting thresholds for adoption of 40R smart growth zoning.

Thanks to this committee’s leadership, the House just engrossed the Housing Bond Bill, which will fund important programs to build and preserve affordable housing, to support our community development corporations, and to rehabilitate our state public housing stock.  I hope that the Senate will quickly take up that legislation.

The gap between housing demand and housing supply in the Commonwealth is one of the thorniest issues for State and local governments.  Massachusetts is one of the most expensive states to find a home, and it poses the most serious long-term hurdle to continued economic growth. 

This proposed legislation is part of our comprehensive strategy to build 135,000 new housing units over the next seven years. 

It builds on our new Housing Choice Initiative, and will facilitate housing production in partnership with our municipalities.

The Housing Choices bill before you offers a new approach to address that challenge by making it easier for local decision-makers — city and town officials —to adopt best practice zoning policies that will facilitate sustainable housing production across the Commonwealth.

  

We live in a great state.  U.S. News and World Report ranked Massachusetts the #1 state in which to live, work, and raise a family.  Education Week ranked our K-12 schools #1 in the country.  Bloomberg named Massachusetts the most innovative state.  And we offer incredible cultural, recreational, and other assets that make Massachusetts a place where families want to live and where employers want to grow.

Yet, we are building less than half the housing that we were building in the 1980s.  And we are not building the number of multi-family housing units that we need in diverse locations across the Commonwealth to accommodate the workforce we need to continue our economic growth. 

The bottom line: Massachusetts needs to build more housing to remain competitive economically and to serve the needs of all of our residents. 

Our Administration has been committed to a robust housing agenda, significantly expanding our investments in workforce and affordable housing and committing more than $1.1 billion in capital funding over the next five years, offering state land for housing development, and making a series of reforms to prompt housing production.

However, we also understand that there is no way that the State can fund enough subsidies to drive the level of housing production that we need to meet demand.

To really move the needle on housing production, we need to rely on the power of the market. That means we need to work with municipalities to set the conditions that will allow the market to meet housing demand.

Both Lt. Governor Polito and I served as members of our town select boards, and we understand that local government is closest to the people. 

Cities and towns are on the front lines of development issues.  As we seek to promote housing production, we believe this must be done in partnership with local elected and appointed officials.   Working with the Massachusetts Municipal Association and other municipal stakeholders, we are seeking to create a comprehensive system of incentives, rewards, and technical assistance to encourage municipalities to plan and encourage housing production.

We think that municipal legislative bodies are the best place to set local housing policy.  Accordingly, our legislative proposal makes no changes to local zoning bylaws but instead improves flexibility for town legislative bodies to make best practice, smart growth zoning changes.  It accomplishes this by removing a barrier that makes it hard for towns adopting these changes, even where they are broadly supported: a state law requiring a supermajority vote to change zoning. 

Nothing in the bill requires a municipality to change its zoning laws.  The bill simply makes it easier for cities and towns that do want to make zoning changes that promote smart housing growth to do so.

The bill also reflects a belief that policies encouraging housing growth should align with other values our Administration has championed, such as our commitment to encourage good stewardship of our environment and reduce greenhouse gases. 

Accordingly, our Housing Choice Initiative creates incentives and provides resources to adopt planning policies that direct growth toward downtowns and transit oriented locations.  Our legislation encourages municipalities to protect undeveloped land by adopting best practices, like cluster zoning and transfer of development rights.

We are pleased that this proposal has been well received by a variety of stakeholders.  When announcing our comprehensive Housing Choice Initiative, we were joined by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, individual municipal elected and appointed leaders, major business associations, planning organizations, housing advocates, and environmental groups. 

As we strive to find more creative ways to encourage more housing developments, our administration believes this bill is a key component of our long-term plan.  With your support, we can promote housing growth that is smart, responsive to local needs, and environmentally friendly.

Thank you for your time and attention.  With your leadership, we can make progress on an issue that has stubbornly resisted reform for a generation.  Working together, I am confident that we can find a way forward to a better Commonwealth.

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TESTIMONY AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY BY SEC. JAY ASH: 

 “An Act to Promote Housing Choices”

Massachusetts has a long and proud tradition of local home rule and the Baker-Polito Administration has a culture of respecting the role of municipal leaders in shaping their community’s future.  As the former City Manager of Chelsea, I appreciate that local decision making and buy in is key to successful housing production. 

In fact, I’m proud to be here as someone who helped facilitate the development of more than 2,000 housing units in Chelsea.  That housing production was a key part of the redevelopment of Chelsea as a vibrant and financially stable municipality.

I carry that experience across the Commonwealth as I travel to cities and towns and consult with municipal leaders about their own economic development and community visions. 

Housing, including multi-family housing, is a cornerstone of how we revitalize our downtowns, convert underutilized shopping centers, and build sustainable municipalities that are places where people want to live, work, and play.

For communities that want to pursue zoning that produces housing in sustainable locations, however, there’s long been a legal barrier that we believe the Legislature should eliminate:

·       State law bars cities and towns in Massachusetts from adopting changes to zoning laws unless the municipality is able to secure a 2/3 “supermajority” vote of its legislative body.

Only a handful of other states have similar requirements and none of our neighbors in New England place this sort of restriction on local decision making.

It is time to remove this barrier to the adoption of zoning changes that promote sustainable, appropriate and much needed housing production. 

Our legislation allows cities and towns to adopt best practice zoning techniques by majority vote of their legislative bodies.  These best practices will facilitate diverse housing production, they will revitalize our downtowns, and they will promote land conservation and environmental stewardship.

The legislation is simple. 

·       If a municipality wants to reduce house lot sizes or other dimensional restrictions so that homebuilders can create housing that is more affordable to the average buyer, then the voting threshold is a simple majority.

·       If a municipality wants to allow mixed use zoning in a downtown, then the voting threshold is a simple majority.

·       If a municipality wants to create zoning that clusters houses together and conserves land compared to a typical suburban development, then the voting threshold is a simple majority.

·       If a municipality wants to adopt 40R “smart growth zoning,” including our new starter home 40R districts, then the voting threshold is a simple majority.

·       If a municipality wants to allow accessory dwelling units – small apartments in the same building or on the same lot as an existing home — then the voting threshold is a simple majority.

If a municipality wants to allow changes to its zoning that foster the creation of more housing, then the voting requirement is a simple majority.  And if a municipality does not want to change its zoning, it does not have to.

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TESTIMONY AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY BY UNDER SEC. CHRYSTAL KORNEGAY: 

Housing Choice Initiative

In December, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the Housing Choice Initiative and filed “An Act to Promote Housing Choices.”  There are five parts to our comprehensive housing production strategy:

·       The first element is the Housing Choices bill that Secretary Ash just described.

·       Second, we announced a goal of creating 135,000 housing units by 2025.   It is important to set a target and then monitor progress, and we will do that.  In fact, working with Massachusetts Housing Partnership, we are working to improve housing data across the board.

·       Third, the administration has launched a “Housing Choice Designation” for cities and towns, modeled on the Green Communities Program.  We want to recognize those municipalities who are helping us meet our housing challenge.  Communities that achieve Housing Choice Designation will receive extra points on a wide variety of state capital grants as an incentive to build housing and to adopt housing production best practices.

·       Fourth, Housing Choice municipalities will have exclusive access to a new state grant program that will make grants of up to $500,000 for local capital projects.  Because we recognize that our smallest municipalities have different challenges, there will be a separate Small Town Grant Program for towns with less than 7,000 people. 

·       Fifth, we are streamlining access to technical assistance and adding resources for municipalities who want to plan for sustainable housing production.  Our new Housing Choice Program Director will coordinate the variety of technical assistance programs to make sure that any municipality that wants to plan for housing will have the right resources and expertise.  As part of this, MassHousing recently announced a new $2 million grant program that will support municipalities that want to drive their own housing future. 

Thank you again for the opportunity for us to come here in support of “An Act to Promote Housing Choices.”

We’re happy to take any questions.

中華公所2018首次董事大會 重點談官司、蓋樓

                  (Boston Orange)紐英崙中華公所即將於1月30日晚，在華埠泰勒街會所召開2018本年度第一次董事大會。中華公所主席陳家驊已預先送交公所董事們的3頁長主席報告，揭露中華公所今年仍將埋頭處理官司訴訟，籌備發展大同村南停車場，喜露街50號。

               報告第一點說明中華公所每季送麻州總檢察辦公室的報告，已於去年12月14日遞交，副本也已發送給公所董事們。           

                第二點說明黃光野及黃氏公所和中華公所的訴訟案進展，重述由於法官的決定，在訟案有結果前，黃光野將可保有中華公所顧問頭銜，以及作為黃氏公所指派出席中華公所董事大會代表資格。

                   根據法院程序，預定今年3月26日前完成證供調查﹑5月30日結案，法官做出判決。

中華公所董事大會在七月份董事大會中已通過聘請Tarlow, Breed, Hart and Rodgers的律師Al DeNapoli 在這宗案件上為中華公所辯護。全案目前仍在聽證中。

            去年12月，設案雙方曾經接觸，試圖找出解決辦法，但未成功。

            第三點是中華公所已經找了Peter Munkenbeck和David Traggorth來辦理大同村南停車場發展案的招標書發佈，資格鑑定邀請。他們向一共13個曾表示有興趣，具發展可負擔住宅經驗的發展商來參與競標。

這些機構包括華人經濟發展協會(CEDC)，亞美社區發展協會(ACDC)，保留可負擔住宅(POAH)，社區建造者(TCB)，EA FISH發展公司，戴維斯(Davis)公司，HYM，榮氏(Winn)發展，三一金融/阿瑞斯塔發展(Trinity Financial/Arista Development)，溫格(Wingate)，畢肯(Beacon)，Penrose，以及瑞聯置業(Related Beal)。

其中的亞美社區發展協會，保留可負擔住宅，社區建造者，榮氏，畢肯，Penrose等六家機構有回應。中華公所務業小組已和他們談過，決定邀請榮氏，畢肯及亞美社區發展協會遞交發展提案。招標書也已於12月12號交給這些機構，估計二月或三月會有回音。

第四點是戴維斯(Davis)公司，波士頓華人佈道會(BCEC)以及中華公所正繼續和波士頓計畫發展局(BPDA)合作，推動指定區域地塊(PDA)的申請。他們已經和波士頓公民設計委員會，以及其旗下屬委員會會晤過。申請案預定會於2月6日列入該委員會議程。根據了解，該申請案也會在波士頓計畫發展局的三月議程上。

盧卡斯大樓(前為三一教堂)的共有公寓業主已要求公眾置評時間延長30天。中華公所正在派發指定地塊區域申請的請願書，努力爭取更多社區支持。

尤其是該地區居民，只要簽名，也可所要一份紙板申請書。

第五點，孔子像損壞的速度很快。Arthur Choo已制定一套孔子像和殘障者坡道的修復規範。中華公所只收到兩份競標書。後來要求一向很幫中華公所的總承包商NEI來審核競標書，結果收到更多競標書。NEI已同意幫中華公所監管合約，內容將包括水泥工，以及塑像修復。在11月份的會議中，中華公所董事大會授權最高九萬元來修理，也和NEI簽署了總承包商合約。在冬天來到之前，NEI已經做了一些工作，希望在天氣漸暖中很快能做好。

第六點，在2017年11月12日時，黃光野及黃氏公所的律師寫了封信給中華公所的律師，威脅要申請緊急禁止動議，以防止陳家驊競選連任中華公所幹部。該信並未提及同樣也在競選連任的其他中華公所幹部。中華公所回應的指出，英文版章程並未禁止幹部競選連任，而英文版本章程具有最後決定權。中華公所其後未再聽到律師Connell的消息。

第七點是中華公所主席陳家驊邀請中華公所前董事暨物業小組委員會委員梅伍銀寬，李錦堂，以及Robert Ng加入成為務業小組顧問。李錦堂和Robert Ng因為參與其他活動，拒絕了。梅伍銀寬已接受。根據章程，陳家驊要求中華公所董事大會同意這一聘請。

            第八點為，陳家驊邀請阮鴻燦擔任守望相助隊指揮，阮鴻燦已接受。陳家驊表示阮鴻燦對華埠內發生的事一向十分警覺，看到水管破了，道路有坑，都會很快通知市府公共工程局。

第九點是在慶祝新年時，中華公所要頒發社區服務感謝獎給哈佛大學的菲利普布魯克斯屋協會(Phillips Brooks Housing Association)，以及波士頓學院的Carina Katigbak，感謝他們致力為社區內的小孩及耆英提供服務。菲利普布魯克斯為兒童辦理課餘輔導項目，為老人開公民課，英文班。波士頓學院助理教授Carina Katigbak做老年身體及精神健康研究。

全美最佳旅館在麻州

(Boston Orange) 麻州的南特基旅館及休憩地(Nantucket Hotel and Resort)，今年被旅遊顧問網站TripAdvisor使用者再度選為全美最佳旅館，全世界第二佳旅館，全美第三家服務最佳旅館。

旅遊顧問網站Trip Advisor根據數百萬計旅客在2017年送交的評論，選出了優勝者，原本建於1891年，2012年從頭到腳翻修過的南特基旅館及休憩地。2017年的全球評論把這旅館形容為”一個堅實，舒適的地方，有著鱈魚角遇上美國名設計師Kelly Wearstler的那種味道"，而且還對該旅館極佳的服務給予極高評價。

在調查報告中，旅遊顧問指出，租住這家旅館的最佳時機是每年的三月及四月，房間價格大約每晚195元。

            麻州還有其他幾家旅館也在旅遊顧問的美國旅館調查中，名列前茅，包括位於Stockbridge的1862主街季節(1862 Season on Main)早餐及睡房旅館(B&B)在全美的早餐及睡房旅館類中排名第二，在普域斯城(Provincetown)的大地盡頭客棧(Lands End Inn)在旅館類中排名第三，羅曼史(Romance)旅館在小旅館類別中排名第六，在最佳服務類別中排名第八。

Over 2,300 Boston residents benefit from job training

Over 2,300 Boston residents benefit from job training and education through Neighborhood Jobs Trust Trust funded by development projects in Boston  Boston – Monday, January 29, 2018 - The Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development today announced that between 2016 and 2017 the City’s of Boston’s Neighborhood Jobs Trust (NJT) helped more than 2,300 low- and moderate-income Boston residents access job training and education programs crucial to economic mobility. After job placement, graduates of 17 training programs funded through NJT’s request for proposals (RFP) earned an average wage of $15.23 per hour with 72% earning benefits as well. “The Neighborhood Jobs Trust changes lives,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “By investing in workers’ potential, the trust helps Boston families achieve new realities, including greater economic stability, more attainable financial goals, and a clearer path to a brighter future.” The Neighborhood Jobs Trust is a public charitable trust replenished by linkage fees from developers of large-scale commercial projects in the City of Boston. The trust offsets impacts of development by funding jobs, job training, and related services for Boston residents. The Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD), which released the impact report, stewards NJT funds. “For many residents, a gap in education or job skills can pose a formidable barrier to a good job,” said Trinh Nguyen, NJT trustee and director of OWD. “NJT helps to remove those barriers. It gives Boston residents the opportunity to hone their talents and strengthens the city’s overall workforce.” The 2016-2017 Neighborhood Jobs Trust Impact Report details the trust’s $2.2 million investment in programs ranging from industry-specific job training to English language instruction to tuition support for community college.  In many cases, NJT-funded programs targeted their services to the needs of specific populations throughout the City of Boston. For example, Boston Housing Authority (BHA) Charlestown’s Adult Education program focused instruction on the neighborhood’s BHA residents, while English for New Bostonians provided specialized language instruction for such groups as small business owners and professionals re-entering fields they had trained for in their native countries. NJT-funded job training programs also prepared participants for specific industry sectors, such as banking/finance, hospitality, healthcare administration, and human services. North Bennet Street School, one of several grantees highlighted in the impact report, used its NJT funds to train urban youth in carpentry and locksmithing – trades known for their high demand and good pay.  Thanks to the program, graduate Krsna Clark, 20, discovered he had a natural talent for locksmithing. Clark, who had formerly dropped out of high school, landed a job in a locksmith’s shop even before completing the 9-month program. “I get in my zone,” Clark said. “Someone said to me once, 'When you're working on the bench, I can see the fire coming out of you.’ This program changed my life.” Many of the residents served by NJT came from economically disadvantaged populations documented in the recent Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) report, “Boston’s Workforce: An Assessment of Labor Market Outcomes and Opportunities.” Among participants in NJT grantee programs, 88% were people of color, 77% had less than a college or vocational degree, and 38% were non-native English speakers. The OWD is an affiliate of the Boston Planning & Development Agency. About the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development The Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (OWD) is an innovative agency within the Boston Planning & Development Agency that seeks to ensure the full participation of all Boston residents in the city's economic vitality and future. The OWD funds and oversees programs that promote workforce development through education, jobs training, apprenticeships, financial coaching, career pathways, literacy initiatives, and the like. Please visit OWD.Boston.Gov to learn more about the OWD's work.

譚雯颯連任波士頓同源會會長(圖片)

譚雯颯(左)在波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)主持宣誓中連任波士頓同源會會長。(周菊子攝)

波士頓慈濟歲末感恩 盼人人發揮大愛精神

波士頓慈濟負責人吳建發與新委員們。

波士頓慈濟負責人吳建發(右)送鮮花，紀念品給波士頓
經文處處長賴銘琪。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

(Boston Orange周菊子牛頓市報導) 慈濟基金會波士頓聯絡處1月27日下午在牛頓市會所舉辦”歲末感恩”會，播映慈濟人的2017年全球行腳，發送證嚴上人的”福慧紅包”，與百餘名出席者一同祝願，來年世界”人心淨化、社會祥和、天下無災”。

歲末感恩會由波士頓慈濟鼓隊擊鼓，朗讀開經偈，向菩薩行三問訊禮來揭開序幕。師姐謝宜芳擔任司儀，宣讀今年的慈濟主題"大愛共伴有情天，寸步鋪路護大地"後，播映慈濟2017年大藏經的展示慈濟人分赴全球各地救災救難影片，演唱無量義經歌曲影片。

波士頓慈濟負責人吳建發(左二)代表證嚴上人發送
福慧紅包。(僑教中心提供)

波士頓慈濟師兄，師姐們還以手語歌演繹無量義經，放映幻燈片展示波士頓慈濟的”愛的足跡”，再由吳建發率領語彙眾人點燃心燈，共同祝願世界平安，祥和。

會前，波士頓慈濟負責人吳建發授證給郭雅芳，林淑婉，吳佑君，李以蕙，賴政宏，陳薇如等六名新慈濟委員，會末還邀請出席者與慈濟師兄，師姐們分享各自經歷過的感人事蹟。

波士頓慈濟負責人吳建發與新委員們。

              駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪在會中應邀致詞。他先感謝慈濟服務臺灣僑胞，支持波士頓經文處，以及牛頓台灣日活動，稱許慈濟人上山下海，為世界做了不少事情，繼而透露他母親往生前也是慈濟委員，所以每次來到慈濟，他都有回家的感覺。

              賴銘琪也藉機會向波士頓慈濟會眾告別，表示任期將滿，會回外交部服務，希望能把他和慈濟之間的善緣，帶回外交部的非政府組織部門，把慈濟的慈善、教育、人文和醫療等四大志業，帶到更多國家。

波士頓慈濟人李苡惠(右起)，游勝雄歡迎波士頓經文處
處長賴銘琪(左二)，雲雯蓁(中)夫婦。(周菊子攝)

              波士頓慈濟負責人吳建發特地送上鮮花與紀念品，轉達慈濟人對賴銘琪處長的依依不捨之情。                                                         當天有不少嘉賓出席活動，除了經文處處長賴銘琪，雲雯蓁夫婦之外，還有波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉、駐波士頓辦事處領務組副組長洪麗玲、僑務諮詢委員王本仁、僑務委員蔣宗壬、新英格蘭大波士頓臺灣商會會長歐陽露、波克萊臺灣商會顧問游勝雄、昭倫公所主席謝如鍵、波士頓僑界關懷救助協會會長王志維等。
                        吳建發表示，  波士頓慈濟希望未來這一年，人人發揮大愛精神，同為天地人間付出，凝聚眾人善念，讓社會祥和，大地平安，也祈願人人心想好意，口說好話，身行好事，使天下平安，大地祥和。

             。

波士頓慈濟歲末感恩以擊鼓開場。(周菊子攝)

慈濟師姐謝宜芳擔任司儀。(周菊子攝)

波士頓慈濟人演繹手語歌。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

波士頓慈濟人演繹手語歌。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

牛頓台灣日今年確定5月5日舉行

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉(右五)，波士頓僑務委員蔣宗壬(右六)和
出席會議的僑團代表。

(Boston Orange) 大波士頓地區的牛頓臺灣日活動，今年訂於5月5日舉行。

波士頓僑教中心與牛頓臺灣日籌委會在1月27日召開了2018年第一次籌備會議，邀集十數名曾參加臺灣日活動社團的代表出席，討論過往活動得失，提出不少改進意見。

牛頓台灣日開籌備會議。

會議由僑教中心主任歐宏偉主持，他表示，每年5月第一個週六舉辦的牛頓臺灣日，已成為波士頓地區僑社和僑教中心的年度指標性活動，既有臺灣僑社各團體設置的美食、藝文活動、臺灣觀光、醫療健檢等攤位，也有本地藝文團體演出，讓主流社會的各族裔人士都更能體會臺灣的多元優質文化，希望今年的牛頓臺灣日，能在各團體發揮創意的規畫中，更有特色，同邀請更多主流社會的當地居民來體會台灣文化特色。

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉(左二)，波士頓僑務委員蔣宗壬(左一)
主持會議。

歐宏偉表示，他將向僑務委員會爭取遴派臺灣的藝文團體來支援演出，也請臺灣日籌委會統籌安排接待及訪演，儘早透過各個管道宣傳。

              籌委會主委蔣宗壬表示，過往十年的牛頓臺灣日，曾發生洗手間與停車位不足，民眾亂扔垃圾等問題，也有人抱怨過佈置攤位人員不遵守規定，他希望相關人員事前能多溝通情楚，以順利圓滿的舉辦活動。

              牛頓臺灣日籌委會討論近2小時後，確定今年的”牛頓臺灣日”訂5月5日(週六)舉行，並提前從上午11點開始，至下午3點結束。開場儀式仍然為升旗和遊行，攤位將由專人負責登記與管理，增收清潔費押金。臺灣傳統週的訪演團體，也將由專人負責接待及安排演出。

              出席會議的僑團代表包括，新英格蘭大波士頓臺灣商會會長歐陽露、波克萊臺灣商會會長楊羅東和秘書長陳玉瑛、波士頓臺大校友會會長吳杏玫、紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長彭淑敏、劍橋合唱團團長屠澤寬、新英格蘭青商會會長歐怡君、玉山科技協會康雅芬和王志傑、張筱琪、牛頓元極舞健身會會長鄭玉春和曾正泉、勒星頓中文學校校長黃冠群和副校長陳盈杰、麻州中部中文學校校長賴建志等人。(圖片及文稿內容由波士頓僑教中心提供)

CAPAC Chair Statement on White House Immigration Proposal

CAPAC Chair Statement on White House Immigration Proposal

Washington, D.C.— Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), released the following statement in response to the White House’s immigration proposals:

“The White House immigration proposal is an insult to our nation. This purely partisan plan is as extreme and xenophobic as its creators: Stephen Miller and Donald Trump. It holds Dreamers hostage by demanding exorbitant border enforcement funds and proposes to decimate our legal, family-based immigration system and end diversity visas in order to enshrine DACA protections. As I have said before, any cuts to our family-based immigration system in a DACA deal is absolutely unacceptable. Our current, family-based immigration system has been in existence since 1965 and has contributed greatly to America. It has strengthened our economy and has often been the only mechanism for women to reunite with their families in the United States. Contributing to America should not require individuals to abandon their loved ones, and CAPAC will not support an anti-immigrant proposal that simply trades one family’s pain for that of another.

“Trump’s extreme proposal slams the door on immigration to this country.  U.S. citizens and green card holders would no longer be able to sponsor their parents, siblings, or adult children over the age of 21. Only spouses and minor children would be able to come. This would cut in half the number of legal immigrants who could come to this country.

“This proposal runs contrary to our values as a nation, and is especially harmful to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, many of whom have reunited with their families through our legal immigration system.  It is clear that Donald Trump’s cruel decision to terminate the DACA program last September was made to appease his anti-immigrant base. The fact that Donald Trump would now demand that we decimate our legal, family unification system reveals his true goal: to make America white again.

“The overwhelming majority of Americans believe that Dreamers should be able to stay in the United States and continue to contribute to the only country many of them have ever known. There are multiple proposals to protect Dreamers in Congress that have strong bipartisan support. However, Donald Trump has chosen to double down on his hateful, xenophobic demands and hold Dreamers ransom in order to propagate his anti-immigrant agenda. I urge Republican leadership to prioritize governing over campaigning, and allow us to vote on a clean DREAM Act immediately.”

CAPAC Members on One Year Anniversary of Trump’s Muslim and Refugee Travel Ban

CAPAC Members on One Year Anniversary of Trump’s Muslim and Refugee Travel Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released the following statements to mark the one year anniversary of Donald Trump’s signing of Executive Order 13769, which restricted travel to the U.S. from several Muslim-majority countries and prohibited refugees from entering the country.

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair:

“One year ago, President Trump enacted the first iteration of his discriminatory Muslim travel ban in order to fulfill a campaign promise rooted in hatred and xenophobia. This policy will always be remembered for its blatant bigotry and the chaos it caused in our nation’s airports on the day it was hastily unveiled. But it will also be remembered as a day when thousands of Americans across the country came together to denounce hate.

“Although the courts have since blocked the most egregious iterations of Trump’s Muslim ban, the latest version is still being litigated and remains in effect. Whether through the courts or through legislation, we must continue to fight this discriminatory ban and prevent prejudice from being enshrined in our nation’s policies.”

Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL):

“One year after Donald Trump unleashed chaos at airports across the country with his first discriminatory and unconstitutional Muslim travel ban, the Trump Administration continues to try to cover up its gross mismanagement and incompetent implementation.

“The strength and integrity of our democracy depends on holding government officials accountable for their actions. If the Trump Administration truly believes the first Muslim travel ban was lawful, they would not have tried to prevent the American people from knowing how they violated multiple court orders and failed to provide even the most basic guidance or warning to the government agency charged with carrying out the executive order – and they would release the entire, un-redacted investigative report.”

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (HI):

“Every time our country has targeted a minority group for discriminatory treatment, we have been proven to be very, very wrong. The President’s Muslim ban is no different. One year after the ban was issued, we continue to fight the ban, in its various forms, both in the public square and in our courts.”

Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-28), CAPAC Whip:

“Exactly one year ago today, President Trump issued his bigoted, xenophobic and nonsensical Muslim-ban that discriminated against individuals from Muslim-majority countries. While I am deeply concerned that the Trump Administration has been adamant about pushing through some form of this ban, I am reassured by how passionately legal and civil rights groups have continued to fight to see this ban struck down in the courts. As one of the first actions Trump took as President, the Muslim ban demonstrated the President planned to govern without foresight or compassion. Not much has changed.”

Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34):

“A year ago today, barely a week after his inauguration, Trump rolled out an ill-advised, unconstitutional, un-American Muslim travel ban that set the tone of his Presidency to the present day. By embracing policies steeped in xenophobia, cowardice, and incompetence, Trump has disgraced the Office of the President. The United States has been and must continue to be a place that welcomes people regardless of religions or nationalities. I hope the Supreme Court will permanently strike down this discriminatory ban once and for all.”

Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17):

“The Silicon Valley has succeeded in large part thanks to immigrants from all religions, races, and regions. America is stronger and safer when we embrace diversity.”

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13):

“Today marks the anniversary of one of the darkest moments of the Trump presidency – the announcement of the xenophobic Muslim Ban. This order tore families apart, sent airports into chaos, and undermined our nation’s standing on the world stage. However, in that dark moment, the American people showed the integrity at the heart of our country. Communities turned out en masse to protest and lawyers worked free of charge through the night to help the families affected. One year later, thanks to the advocacy of the American people, the Muslim Ban has been repeatedly thrown out in court. The courts and the people have sent a clear message to the Trump Administration: not only is bigotry un-American, it’s also unconstitutional.”

Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06):

“One year ago, President Trump introduced his discriminatory Muslim travel ban, and I immediately introduced a bill to defund it. Since then, the many iterations of the un-American Muslim ban have rightly faced continuous legal challenge. The Muslim ban has never really been about national security—it is about prejudice. We will always be a nation of immigrants, and I will not stop fighting the Trump Administration’s thinly veiled attempts to discriminate.”

Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41):

“One year ago, the Trump administration mixed cruelty with incompetence in issuing an executive order aimed at preventing the Muslim community from traveling to the United States. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of a persistent effort to separate Americans by skin color, by ethnicity, and by religion. As a descendent of parents and grandparents who were imprisoned during World War II, I believe that all of us have a duty to speak out in the face of bigotry and discrimination. Today is a reminder that every person and every community in this country is deserving of dignity, respect, and equal protection under the law.”

Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-05):

“Trump’s unconstitutional, xenophobic and hateful Muslim ban was and remains hostile to all that we cherish about our country. I continue to draw inspiration from the thousands of people who flooded airports with messages of love and humanity to resist Trump’s order, and I urge us all to remain committed to that inclusive vision so we can defeat his hateful proposal once and for all.”

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40):

“One year after President Trump introduced his first Muslim ban, we are still battling hateful efforts to keep people out of this country based on their religion and their nation of origin.  A bigoted travel ban does not keep us safer – in fact, it undermines our national security.  It contradicts our national creed of diversity and pluralism.  It incites fear in communities nationwide.  I will keep fighting for sensible, fact-based travel and immigration policies that keep America safe while upholding American values.”

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09):

“It has been a year since President Trump issued an executive order to restrict travel to the U.S. from certain majority-Muslim countries. This executive order is rooted in xenophobia and baseless fear. Restricting travel because of a person’s religion is not only discriminatory, but perpetuates prejudice toward Muslims. It has and will continue to have a negative impact on individuals seeking refuge from oppressive, corrupt governments and dangerous conflict zones. This order overwhelmingly harms vulnerable populations such as women and children and does not reflect the values of America. Our country thrives on ethnic, cultural and racial diversity. On the anniversary of this executive order, we must renew our commitment to creating a welcoming environment for refugees. This order continues to have a damaging impact on many people in this country and around the world, and we must continue to call for the immediate repeal of this xenophobic policy.”

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12):

“The Muslim Ban was one of Donald Trump’s first actions as President and it sent a message around the world to just how dangerous this President would be for democratic values. A year later the onslaught of injustices from this Administration have only continued, but not without resistance by millions of Americans and legal challenges across our judicial system. Moving forward our nation must implement comprehensive and commonsense immigration reforms that build upon the diversity that makes America great — not the xenophobic and racist fearmongering espoused by Donald Trump.”

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo's statement on Senator Dorcena Forry's leaving

A Statement from House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo

“Senator Dorcena Forry is a thoughtful, savvy and passionate public servant who brings compassion and great intellect to her job as a Senator. It was a privilege to serve with Linda while she was a member of the House. When I assumed the Speakership in 2009, I appointed Senator Forry as a chair and member of my leadership team because of her talent, commitment to her community and leadership skills. Those traits have made an indelible mark on her district and the Legislature.

I count myself fortunate to call Linda a good friend – she is one of the warmest and most genuine people I know. We will miss her distinctive laugh in the halls of the State House. I wish her all the best in this next chapter and am looking forward to seeing the contributions she will make to Suffolk Construction.”