牙買加平原是兵家必爭之地? Kim Janey和吳弭競選波士頓市長 總部都設那兒

吳弭(左)的競選總部開張，有不下10名華裔到場支持。(周菊子攝)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導) 現在離初選日的9月14日，還剩下不到60天，在波士頓市長候選人民調中一直領先的吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 、Kim Janey，暗中較勁得也更厲害。就在7月剛過去的這一週，她們兩人先後都在牙買加平原 (Jamaica Plain) 開張競選總部，還都用紫色做主調。

             她們甚至在出售商品，當作競選宣傳和籌款工具上，都在別苗頭。吳弭競選陣營只賣印有”Wu”字樣的一件30元T恤，以及一個15元的別針(button)，Kim Janey陣營則是從印有”Mayor Janey Our Mayor(市長Janey我們的市長)”的紫色T恤，印有”Madam Mayor Kim Janey(女市長Janey)”的手提袋，”Mayor Janey (Janey市長)”的帽子，以及貼紙，別針都賣，售價在5元到34元之間。在推特上，她還展示了一款新球鞋。

吳弭的競選總部設在牙買加平原。(周菊子攝)

             這情況還惹來波士頓環球報稱今年的波士頓市長選舉，不打廣告，電視戰，或草坪告示牌戰，玩的是銷售宣傳品遊戲。這篇文章還說，另外2名候選人的Annissa Essaibi George也有為競選宣傳做的T恤，背心，貼紙，但都是免費送，Andrea Campbell則是在推特上列出她的優先事項名單，然後說，在政策平台前推出商品店不是其中之一。

             競選總部的開張，吳弭安排在7月18日下午3點。她這競選總部，位於可以一條路直通市政府的華盛頓街上，大約3000餘平方呎，短期租用。這天連義工在內，有近百人參加。開幕儀式先請鱈魚角室內樂團日裔小提琴家Klyoshi Hayashi演奏Jules Masscnet的「冥想 (Meditation)」，再陸續請麻州Sierra俱樂部9名執委之一的Vernon K. Walker 牧師，韓裔的麻州亞美局 (AAC)主席Sam Hyun，波多黎各籍的西語裔廣播名人Jose Masso等人致詞。他們眾口一聲的指稱，無論是教育，經濟，文化、交通或環保問題，吳弭都是未來波士頓市長的最佳人選。Jose Masso更稱從近年來一連串的風災，雨災，火災，地震，甚至疫情等自然災害不斷，大家就應該知道環保，愛護地球這大自然母親的重要性。

吳弭的競選總部開張，出席踴躍。(推特截圖)

             吳弭致詞時先感謝所有支持者，更指波士頓市是美國民主源頭，有著數之不盡的全美第一，包括第一所公立學校，第一座公共圖書館，第一個公園，甚至第一個地下鐵隧道，從有史以來就有著幾乎無遠弗屆的影響力，總是挺身而出的為正義而戰，形塑了美國精神，她要和所有支持者一起努力維護這精神，以民為本，注重公益，推動波士頓市成為每一個人的理想城市。

             Kim Janey的競選總部開張，則是在7月11日。地方頗為寬敞，但開張啟用的聲勢不大。她放上推特(Twitter)的視頻，以抖音形式出現，只有10秒，全是音樂，沒有人聲，看得到紫色，卻看不到Kim Jney本人的正面，影像中也沒出現群眾場面。

Kim Janey(左二)有波士頓市議員Richardo Arroyo(左)和他父親
Fleix D. Arroyo支持。Collette Phillips擔任司儀。(推特截圖)

             最近這3天，Kim Janey和吳弭還在背書支持者上比鋒頭。先是Kim Janey 於7月17日在海德公園 (Hyde Park) 的清楚廣場 (Clear Square) 上宣佈波士頓市議員小阿若約 (Richardo Arroyo) 和他父親，曾任波士頓市議員，現為麻州薩福克郡遺囑認證官 (Register of Probate) 的Felix D. Arroyo支持她當波士頓市長，7月19日再有轄區包括波士頓牙買加平原 的麻州眾議員Nika Elugardo支持她，接著吳弭也在7月19日一早宣佈，轄區在安多福 (Andover)的麻州眾議員Tram Nguyen支持當波士頓市長。

             但是如果從競選經費來比的話，吳弭和Kim Janey的差距還頗大。吳弭手中握有的現金已超過100萬元，Kim Janey的6月底政治獻金報告顯示她還只有53萬多元。不過在麻州的政治獻金報告中，各候選人從2021年1月1日至7月20日的募款數據卻頗讓人意外，募款總額有3人超過100萬元，最高的是Andrea Campbell，有1,089,958.16，其次是吳弭的1,012,642.2，Annissa Essaibi George的1,002,579.32，Kim Janey的894.820.26，John Barros547532.82。Andrea Campbell的籌款結餘額仍然比吳弭多了幾萬元。

             在競選花費上，除了John Barros只花了大約22萬多元之外，各候選人都花了40多萬元，從43萬到49萬多元不等。花得最多的也是Andrea Campbell。

             波士頓市長一職有5名主要候選人，通過9月14日初選考驗的，最後會是哪2人? 若以最近一次的民調看，會是支持率各有20%幾的吳弭和Kim Janey。不過       波士頓環球報在7月18日的一篇文章中描述著，就像紐約市今年的市長選舉，原本民調一路領先的楊安澤，卻在初選前選情直落，宣告出局，一些政治觀察家認為還有將近60天，候選人都很努力，選情變化難說得很。

麻州政治獻金網站上公佈的籌款總額圖瞟。(根據其他圖表的候選人顏色分配判斷，在這張圖表中，Annissa Essaibi George的和Andrea Campbell的人名應互調才正確)

Kim Janey新設15萬元社區夥伴租金紓困補助 非牟利組織可申請2萬元

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES NEW RENTAL RELIEF FUND COMMUNITY PARTNER GRANT IS NOW AVAILABLE   The new grant program will add nonprofit partners and create additional outreach and application assistance for Boston’s Rental Relief Fund

 

BOSTON - Monday, July 19, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey today announced the creation of the new Rental Relief Fund Community Partner Grant program, which will award $150,000 in grant funding from the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development to Boston nonprofits to enable outreach and support applicants to Boston’s Rental Relief Fund. These new partners will support Boston’s rental relief efforts through creating outreach events, and by providing both technology support and coordination between tenants and landlords. Nonprofit applicants may request up to $20,000 in funding, using applications available in Boston’s 11 most common languages. The Rental Relief Fund Community Partner Grant anticipates funding up to 10 organizations this summer to work through the fall of this year.  "I am so pleased that we have created this partnership grant to help smaller community-based organizations do what they do best: directly help neighbors to get access to funding to pay owed rent, cover utility costs, or help fund their search for new, affordable housing,” said Mayor Kim Janey. “The Rental Relief Fund has $50 million available to support Boston residents with all of these critical needs. I want every resident of our city who needs this funding to have access to it.” The Department of Neighborhood Development’s Office of Housing Stability and the Housing iLab have been focusing on creating new avenues of equitable distribution of  Boston's Rental Relief Fund. The Community Grant Fund is the result of an ongoing collaboration with community groups and non-profit organizations, who have highlighted their own work with communities that are targets of intensive outreach, based on need. These communities include those who speak languages other than English, including new immigrant communities, as well as low- to moderate-income renters and those with limited access to technology. The Rental Relief Fund Community Partner Grant program will provide funding and support capacity within these non-profit partners, allowing them to increase outreach strategies and provide application support. These organizations also have different communication approaches and access that will create new pathways for outreach to tenants and landlords in need of rental assistance, or other tenant stabilization programs run by the Office of Housing Stability. Selected Rental Relief Fund Community Partners will develop and implement a three-month outreach and engagement plan for tenants and landlords. Following an evaluation of the outreach strategies and engagement methods, best practices from the grant program may be adapted for additional periods of service and partners.  Applications will be accepted through Friday, July 30, 2021. In March, Mayor Janey announced that the City of Boston would award $50 million in federal funding to help Boston renters stay stably housed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rental Relief Fund was one of the first funds in the nation created to offer financial support to residents at risk of losing their housing due to impacts from COVID-19. The new funding has enabled the City of Boston to help residents pay their rent and assist in preventing evictions leading up to the federal eviction moratorium that expires on July 31, 2021. The new funding also expanded the scope of the original program beyond solely paying for rent, allowing the City to assist eligible renters with utility bills, and moving costs, including the first and last month’s rent and security deposit. Approximately $3 million from this funding from this announcement was allocated to assist Boston Housing Authority (BHA) public housing tenants, with rental arrears. Since the Rental Relief fund was established in April 2020, the Rental Relief Fund has awarded more than $16 million to more than 3,000 households across the City of Boston. Funds have been distributed to support residents in every Boston neighborhood. More than 70% of individuals who have applied for financial assistance are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) households and more than 30% of applicants reported that they work or formerly worked in the food services, leisure, and hospitality industries. These industries in Boston have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with roughly half of the more than 34,000 Boston residents working in the hospitality sector claiming unemployment at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 46% of applicants reported that their employers shut down or reduced operations and 9% experienced income loss due to childcare and school closures.   Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Housing Stability has provided programs and services to assist both renters and landlords, so they remain safely and stably housed. The OHS established the Rental Relief Fund to provide funding to landlords to pay overdue and future rent to keep Boston residents safely housed. It has established a robust court intervention program, as well as landlord mediation and virtual and walk-in legal clinics to serve tenants and landlords in the City of Boston. It has continued to work with all tenants to provide wraparound housing services and supports.

Baker-Polito Administration to Invest $186 Million in Federal COVID-19 Funding for Critical Health Care and Workforce Priorities

 Baker-Polito Administration to Invest $186 Million in Federal COVID-19 Funding for Critical Health Care and Workforce Priorities

 

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration today announced it will invest $186 million of the Commonwealth’s direct federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) toward critical priorities including support for hospitals, health and human services, mental health, and workforce development. Utilizing these federal resources now will help further the Commonwealth’s economic recovery and provide relief for residents hardest-hit by COVID-19, such as lower-wage workers and communities of color.

 

This $186 million is part of a total of approximately $5.3 billion in direct aid awarded to the Commonwealth through ARPA. The funding announced today is part of $200 million provided to the Administration in recently signed legislation for addressing critical needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Baker has filed legislation to put an additional $2.915 billion of this funding to immediate use to address additional urgent and pressing needs including housing and homeownership, economic development and local downtowns, job training and workforce development, health care, and infrastructure.

 

“Our administration is putting this $186 million to work now because many communities throughout Massachusetts – especially low-income families and communities of color – have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and cannot wait for assistance. More than 400,000 residents are due to lose enhanced unemployment benefits in the first week of September, making the workforce training funding particularly urgent,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We look forward to working quickly with our colleagues in the Legislature in allocating additional funding and providing residents and families with relief from the housing, economic, workforce, health care, and other challenges which continue to face the Commonwealth as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

 

“Investing this $186 million is an important step in helping those who have been hard-hit by the pandemic, and we must continue deploying federal resources to further the economic recovery,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “These funds will help address crucial health care and workforce priorities, and we look forward to quickly getting them out the door and into our local communities.”

 

Highlights of this $186 million investment plan include:

 

Health Care

 

• $55 million for health and human services’ workforce development. Funding will enable 10% immediate time-limited rate enhancements from July through December 2021, helping strengthen and stabilize the state’s provider networks’ workforce in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

 

• $50 million for fiscally distressed hospitals. This funding will help stabilize safety net hospital systems that have experienced significant financial shortfalls according to the latest data published by CHIA and those serving communities that were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. 

 

• $31 million for inpatient psychiatric acute facilities, both free-standing and in general hospitals. This investment will help bridge a significant staffing gap which is resulting in many individuals not being able to access licensed psychiatric beds and therefore spending extensive periods of time in emergency rooms. Funding will provide temporary supplemental payments to recruit critically needed clinical and direct care staff.

 

Workforce

 

• Up to $50 million to help train an estimated 15,000 unemployed or underemployed individuals across Massachusetts by providing industry credentials in critical areas of the economy such as advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, and construction. Funding will also help scale up workforce development efforts in work readiness programs such as ESOL and the Signal Success soft skills-building curriculum.

 

The discretionary funds awarded to the Commonwealth through ARPA are intended to support urgent COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost revenue, support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses, and address unequal public health and economic challenges in Massachusetts cities and towns throughout the pandemic. ARPA is also providing a total of $3.4 billion in direct aid for local governments throughout Massachusetts.

 

Massachusetts expects to benefit from a total of approximately $113 billion in COVID-related federal aid provided through the six pieces of federal legislation enacted during the pandemic. The majority of this funding is outside of the Commonwealth’s discretion. For example, over $50 billion is going directly to individuals and businesses in the form of stimulus payments, Paycheck Protection Program loans, Unemployment Assistance, and other initiatives. Over $3 billion has been awarded to the MBTA, RTAs, airports, and transportation. Approximately $2.9 billion has been awarded in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER Grants) for local schools, over $1.5 billion is being provided for higher education relief, and nearly $700 million has been awarded for child care.

中華民俗藝術工作坊「永恆的傳奇」 8/7

#永恆傳奇

#Eternity
#中華民俗藝術工作坊
時間：8/7 Saturday 2pm/ 7:30pm
地點：Regis College
邀請您參加 CFAW 疫情之後第一次舉辦的年度公演。
疫情期間孩子們很努力的線上練習，最近公演前的集訓即將開始了！這群在華人社團中默默，無聲息的孩子們需要大人們的鼓勵與掌聲。

哈金/任壁蓮對談「永恆之歌」 7/27

 

State Representative Tram Nguyen Endorses Michelle Wu for Mayor

 State Representative Tram Nguyen Endorses Michelle Wu for Mayor 

 Boston, MA— State Representative Tram

from fb

Nguyen of the 18th Essex District  (parts of Andover, Boxford, North Andover, and Tewksbury) endorsed Michelle Wu for Mayor of Boston today, citing her powerful advocacy for education, healthcare, the environment and economic justice. 

 “I’m proud to support my friend and sister in service, Michelle

Wu, to become the next mayor of Boston. She is a strong advocate for public education, healthcare, our environment, and economic justice for all. I look forward to continuing to partner with Michelle on issues that matter to residents across the Commonwealth, and to join city and state government in bringing diverse voices into the process,” said State Representative Tram Nguyen.

 “I’m grateful to have the support of Representative Nguyen, a

trailblazer and strong voice for justice in her district and for all of us across the Commonwealth. We’re building a coalition to get things done throughout every neighborhood of Boston and across the Commonwealth, and I am excited to have Representative Nguyen on our team,” said Michelle Wu. 

 A first generation Vietnamese-American, Tram was five when her

family came to the U.S. as political refugees. Tram was first elected into office in November 2018 and is the first Vietnamese American woman in elected office in the Commonwealth, the first Vietnamese American elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the first Asian American on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, and the first Asian American woman to serve as vice chair of a House committee. 

 Representative Nguyen is Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on

Labor & Workforce Development and serves on the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Recovery; the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government; and the House Committee Human Resources and Employee Engagement.

 Representative Nguyen’s endorsement adds to the Michelle for Mayor

campaign’s enthusiastic coalition of multigenerational, multicultural grassroots supporters including leaders Senator Elizabeth Warren, State Senator and Assistant Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico, former State Representative and Assistant Majority Leader Byron Rushing; unions Teamsters Local 25, New England Joint Board of Unite Here!, Alliance of Unions at the MBTA, MBTA Inspectors Union Local 600, OPEIU Local 453; environmental organizations Sunrise Boston, Sierra Club, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, 350 Mass Action; Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale; and fellow municipal elected officials from across Greater Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For all of Michelle for Boston’s endorsements, visit michelleforboston.com/endorsements. 

十華人教會合辦愛心音樂見證會 7/17邀您共襄盛舉

            (Boston Orange) 來自3州的10家新英格蘭地區華人教會，以” 憑信心跨越，以愛心回應”為主題，訂7月17日美東時間晚上7點，請6個音樂團體在網上舉辦”愛心音樂見證會”，傳播福音，希望在7月底前募款10萬元，支援七家社區服務機構。

              羅德島華人基督教會執事吳子平表示，新冠病毒肆虐全球已年餘，不但奪走300多萬條人命，逼人們改變生活方式，引發各種紛爭，還使得社會瀰漫著仇怨苦毒哀傷的氛圍。來自新罕布夏州，麻州及羅德島州等3州的10家華人教會因此希望藉由一場在Zoom及Youtube上播出的愛心音樂見證會，慰藉人心，也同時募集款項，回應社區需要。

                      羅德島州州長馬基(Daniel McKee)和羅德島華人基督教會交情深遠，特地為這場音樂會錄製了一段講話直指現在大家最需要的就是發揚愛心，拒絕恨。(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AVjfXM6Res)。

音樂會將由6個音樂團體及其代表演出，包括加州”靈感的源頭(Sandra Shen)”，以及泥土音樂盛曉玫，德州新心音樂事工，馬來西亞的沙勞越教會林義忠牧師，台灣六龜育幼院，香港同心圓敬拜。羅德島州州長Dan Markey

參與舉辦這場音樂會的10家教會，安城華人基督教會，波士頓華人佈道會，羅威爾華人聖經教會(CBCGL)，波士頓西郊聖經教會 (BMWBC)，羅德島華人基督教會(CCCRI )，麻省華人福音堂(CGCM )，春雨教會( SRC )，波士頓南郊華人教會(CCMB)，麻州春田華人基督教會(SCCC )，拿城華人聖經教會(CBCGN)以10萬元為目標，從6月初開始宣傳這活動，並募捐，迄今已籌得5萬多元。所有籌募得來的款項，將平分給各教會推薦的7個幫助流浪者，弱勢群體的非牟利機構。

7家將獲得捐款的組織機構為Boston Rescue Mission (BCEC)，Access American Chinese Christian Education and Social Service （SRC），Providence Rescue Mission (CCCRI)，Father Bill's and MainSpring (CCMB)，Nashua Rescue Mission (CBCGN)，Springfield Rescue Mission (SCCC)，National：the Elisha Project (https://elishaproject.org/)。

音樂會網址為: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/784580728，或是https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBk1LDb6HcLugNU33CgTog。

音樂會預告片網址為https://youtu.be/sS9lrKUEgbk。(更新版)

奔向2050年零排放 麻州訂更嚴峻能源效率計畫

Baker-Polito Administration Sets Ambitious Emissions Reduction Goal for Energy Efficiency Plan

Efficiency Goal Will Help Commonwealth Achieve 2030 Emissions Reduction Target

 

BOSTON – Building on its national leadership on energy efficiency and climate action, the Baker-Polito Administration today announced it has established an ambitious greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction goal for the next three-year Mass Save® Energy Efficiency Plan. The goals, established as part of comprehensive, nation-leading climate legislation signed into law by Governor Baker in March, will help the Commonwealth meet its ambitious goal to reduce GHG emissions 50% below 1990 levels by 2030. The GHG reduction goal for the three-year energy efficiency plan, established in a letter issued by Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides to the Mass Save program administrators, builds upon the framework established in the Administration’s 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap (2050 Roadmap) and 2030 Interim Clean Energy and Climate Plan (2030 Interim CECP). The goal requires the Commonwealth’s utility companies to pursue an ambitious emissions reduction goal through Mass Save in a cost-effective and equitable manner while creating jobs and opportunities for economic development throughout Massachusetts.

 

“Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in ambitious clean energy and energy efficiency policies with programs like Mass Save, helping residents save money on their energy bills while making substantial progress on our climate goals,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The goals we are setting today will help spark innovative efficiency solutions and lead to significant reductions in harmful greenhouse gas emissions to combat the effects of climate change.”

 

“In establishing this emissions reduction goal, our Administration is laying the groundwork for significant investments in energy efficient infrastructure and job creation across the Commonwealth,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “These investments will reduce air pollution in our cities and towns, create new economic opportunities, and lower energy costs for our residents and businesses across the state.”

 

The GHG reduction goal for the 2022-2024 Joint Statewide Energy Efficiency Plan for electric utility companies requires the reduction of 504,955 metric tons of C02e emissions, while the emissions reduction for gas utility companies requires the reduction of 335,588 metric tons of CO2e.

 

“Massachusetts remains a national leader in energy efficiency, but we continue to pursue innovative approaches to make our buildings more efficient, drive investment to our cities and towns, and help our state meet its ambitious target of Net Zero emissions by 2050,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “The goals set today will not only help residents and businesses increase efficiency and reduce emissions, but also ensure that equity is a central priority in our efficiency programs as we continue to transition to a clean energy future.”

 

The climate legislation signed by Governor Baker requires both economy-wide and sector limits, which will be first set for 2025, and then 2030. The Mass Save program prepares three-year investment plans, one for gas programs and another for electricity and delivered heating fuels. Those plans include goals and reporting requirements for three sectors: residential, residential income eligible ratepayers, and commercial customers.

 

The Mass Save energy efficiency programs are funded by utility customers. All residents and businesses located in investor-owned utility territories in Massachusetts pay into a fund through their utility bill, which supports these programs. The three-year plan directs how these funds will be spent on financial incentive programs for homes and businesses. The development, implementation, and evaluation of Three-Year Plans is overseen by the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC), which is chaired by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER). A resolution, created by the EEAC in March of this year, details the EEAC’s priorities for the upcoming three-year plan, as well as provides specific recommendations to support these priorities.

 

The letter sent by Secretary Theoharides to the utility companies that administer the Mass Save Program details the goals and priorities for the 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plans, which are currently in development and which must be voted on by the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council and submitted to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) by October 31, 2021. It is anticipated that Mass Save will achieve the GHG emission reduction goals by increasing the number of buildings retrofitted and weatherized each year, making significant investment in electrification of existing buildings to transition customers away from fossil fuels, reducing support for fossil-fuel heating incentives, phasing out LED light-bulb incentives, increasing equitable program investments in environmental justice communities and low-moderate income households, and increasing workforce development investments to expand diversity in the workforce. The goals build on the Administration’s effort to promote long-term decarbonization in coordination with the EEAC and its priorities, such as promoting passive home adoption and air source heat pumps.

 

“Energy efficiency measures are the most cost-effective way for residents and businesses to lower their energy bills and to lower our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Patrick Woodcock. “DOER looks forward to our continued partnership with the Mass Save Program Administrators and the EEAC to design a plan that meets this ambitious mandate.”

 

The final 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plans, filed with the DPU in October 2021, are required to be designed to achieve the GHG goals established in the Secretary’s letter and should focus on programs that accelerate the market transformation needed to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. The plan should reflect the GHG reduction goals and include a performance incentive mechanism that ensures that the electric and gas utilities are incentivized to achieve these goals.

 

On March 26, 2021, Governor Baker signed comprehensive climate change legislation that significantly increased protections for Environmental Justice communities across Massachusetts, authorized the Administration to implement a new, voluntary energy efficient building code for municipalities, and allowed the Commonwealth to procure an additional 2,400 Megawatts (MW) of clean, reliable offshore wind energy by 2027. Recognizing the significant impact of climate change on Environmental Justice communities overburdened by poor air quality and disproportionately high levels of pollution, the legislation statutorily defined Environmental Justice and environmental burdens, including climate change as an environmental burden.

 

The legislation also expanded Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review to require an Environmental Impact Report for all projects that impact air quality within one mile of an Environmental Justice Neighborhood and required the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a stakeholder process to develop a cumulative impact analysis as a condition of permitting certain projects.

 

For additional information on the next three-year Energy Efficiency Plan, please click here.

Baker-Polito Administration & Mass State Lottery Remind Residents of Upcoming VaxMillions Giveaway Deadlines

 Baker-Polito Administration & Mass State Lottery Remind Residents of Upcoming VaxMillions Giveaway Deadlines

 

BOSTON — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration and the Massachusetts State Lottery reminded residents of upcoming deadlines for the Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway, which opened for registration on July 1.

 

VaxMillions Giveaway Drawings will be held once a week for five weeks beginning Monday, July 26 and continuing every Monday through August 23. Registration for the first drawing closes on Thursday, July 22, one week from today, with the first drawing occurring on Monday, July 26. Winners will be announced later in the week following each drawing.

 

Massachusetts residents ages 12 and up and who are fully vaccinated prior to each drawing are eligible to enter the giveaway.  Residents ages 18 and older who are fully vaccinated prior to each drawing will have the opportunity to enter to win one of five, $1 million cash prizes. Residents between 12-17 years of age who are fully vaccinated prior to each drawing may enter for the chance to win one of five $300,000 scholarship grants.

 

Eligible residents are able to enter the giveaway at VaxMillionsGiveaway.com.  For residents who do not have access to the internet or require assistance, a call center can be reached by calling 2-1-1 during the below hours:

 

• Monday-Thursday: 8:30 AM-6:00 PM
• Friday: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
• Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

 

Live call center workers are available in English and Spanish, and 100 additional languages are available through translators.

 

Residents are reminded that they have time to get fully vaccinated in order to enter the drawings. An entry before one of the weekly entry deadlines makes you eligible for all of the weekly drawings that take place after you register. 

 

The full schedule of drawing and announcement dates is below. Residents are reminded that some COVID-19 vaccines require two doses, and they must receive all doses before entering the drawing. 

 

 

Residents must be fully vaccinated before registering, but if they are not vaccinated by the registration date for a certain drawing, they will still have the opportunity to complete vaccination and register for subsequent drawings. Residents will only have to enter once to qualify for all drawings occurring after the date of their registration.

 

Massachusetts residents 18 years of age and older who have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, will have a chance to win one of five, $1 million cash prizes. 

 

Massachusetts residents between 12 and 17 years of age who have received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will have a chance to win one of five $300,000 scholarship grants via a 529 College Savings Plan managed by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA). Funds in a 529 plan can be applied to cover tuition, room and board, and related expenses at any college, university, or technical or trade school or other post-secondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Winners with a qualifying disability may elect instead to receive an equivalent financial contribution to a special needs trust or federally qualified ABLE account to cover qualified expenses.

 

The Commonwealth launched the Massachusetts VaxMillions giveaway as one of many strategies to increase awareness of the availability and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines and encourage residents to get vaccinated to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe.

 

Only legal, permanent residents of Massachusetts who are fully vaccinated can enter the drawings. Residents must have received their vaccine doses within Massachusetts. Residents must be fully vaccinated prior to submitting their entry. 

 

Residents can email support@vaxmillionsgiveaway.mass.gov or call 2-1-1 to report any instances of fraud or suspicious activity associated with the VaxMillions Giveaway Promotion. Residents are reminded that official prize notification emails related to the VaxMillions Giveaway will come from a Massachusetts Department of Public Health email address ending in “@mass.gov.” More information on tips for identifying suspected fraud can be found here.

 

There are over 900 vaccination locations across the Commonwealth, with appointments and walk-ins widely available. Residents seeking a vaccine can visit mass.gov/COVIDVaccine to find a vaccine location that is convenient for them.

 

For more information on the Mass VaxMillions Giveaway, visit VaxMillionsGiveaway.com.