Sonia Chang-Diaz 歡迎麻州總檢察長 Maura Healey 加入麻州州長選戰

 Sen. Chang-Díaz statement on news that Maura Healey is joining Democratic Primary

BOSTON, MA - Massachusetts State Senator and candidate for Governor Sonia Chang-Díaz released the following statement in response to news that Attorney General Maura Healey is launching a campaign for Governor:

“I welcome the attorney general to the race. In this time of crisis, we need a robust conversation about how our government serves working families and meets our biggest challenges. Maura and I have differing records when it comes to priorities and governing, and I look forward to her joining the ongoing conversation we’re having with voters across Massachusetts. 

“Our Commonwealth needs a leader who will prioritize true racial justice in our public safety systems, take urgent action on climate change, and close the wealth divide to build an economy that works for everyone. The only way we’re going to make that happen is if we build a grassroots movement and elect a governor with a proven track record of taking on and winning tough fights for change, even when it’s not politically convenient. I’m that person, but I welcome the attorney general to make her case to Bay Staters as well.”

AG HEALEY EXPANDS GRANT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN MASSACHUSETTS

 AG HEALEY EXPANDS GRANT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN MASSACHUSETTS  

Grant Program Offers $100,000 Loans to Convert Abandoned Properties into Affordable Residential Units 

 

BOSTON – As part of ongoing efforts to address the state’s housing crisis, Attorney General Maura Healey today announced the expansion of her office’s Abandoned Housing Initiative Receivership Fund (AHIR) grant program to facilitate and incentivize the conversion of blighted properties into affordable housing units across Massachusetts through receivership. 

 

Under the expansion, providing a total of $1.5 million in grant funds, AHIR grantees will be able to offer loans up to $100,000 per property to court-appointed receivers if the abandoned property they are repairing is intended to produce an affordable residential unit. The AG’s Office defines an “affordable residential unit” as one with a long-term deed restriction that would require the owner to meet the Income Eligible Household requirements as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. 

 

“Our lack of affordable housing has reached a crisis point and has only been made worse by the pandemic,” AG Healey said. “By expanding this already successful grant program, our office will be able to help provide families with more opportunities for safe and affordable housing.” 

 

“Since May of 1999, Chelsea Restoration Corporation has been working with the dedication of the Attorney General’s Office to upgrade deplorable abandoned housing into safe homes for Chelsea families,” said Chelsea Restoration Corporation’s Executive Director, Helen Zucco. “With housing court approval, we have been able to repair all of the code violations, update housing taxes and eliminate water liens with the assistance of the funding from the Attorney General’s Office.” 

 

“The expansion of this grant will help amplify our work in securing affordable residential units for families through the restoration of abandoned homes in our communities.” said Fall River Community Development Agency’s Executive Director, Mike Dion. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and will work together to address the affordable housing crisis in Massachusetts.” 

 

Launched in 2013, the AHIR grant program has played a critical role in assisting local communities in mitigating the impacts of the foreclosure crisis. The program utilizes funds from the 2012 National Mortgage Fraud Settlement involving unlawful foreclosures to provide financial assistance to receivership projects on abandoned residential properties in Massachusetts. From 2013 to 2017, the AHIR program helped fund $78 million in property rehabilitation efforts, including repairing 88 blighted properties and bringing 181 housing units back into use. The second phase of the program, launched in 2019, provided more than $850,000 in loans to receivers across nine separate projects, altogether rehabilitating approximately 17 housing units. 

 

For the newest phase of the program, receivers who work to create affordable housing units can now borrow up to $100,000 with loan forgiveness of up to 30 percent. Receivers who do not create affordable housing units will continue to be able to borrow up to $75,000 and have up to 20 percent of their loans forgiven. 

 

Funds for receivership projects are being distributed for use through two grantees - the Chelsea Restoration Corp. (CRC) and the Fall River Community Development Agency.  

 

For additional information on the AHIR grant, interested applicants can contact the Chelsea Restoration Corp. at (617) 889-2277, Fall River Community Development Agency at (508) 679-0131, or AG Healey’s Neighborhood Renewal Division at NeighborhoodRenewal@mass.gov. Grants are being funded on a rolling basis through March 2023. 

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES JOB POSTINGS FOR KEY CABINET-LEVEL POSITIONS

 

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES JOB POSTINGS FOR KEY CABINET-LEVEL POSITIONS City announces search for a Green New Deal Senior Advisor, Chief of Planning, Chief of Human Services, and Chief Information Officer

BOSTON - Wednesday, January 19, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the City is seeking to hire several key Cabinet positions that will help deliver on the Mayor’s vision for a more equitable and resilient Boston. The openings include two newly created Cabinet-level positions, a Green New Deal Senior Advisor, and a Chief of Planning. Additionally, the City is filling the critical roles of Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief of Human Services.  “We’re building a team to reshape what’s possible for Boston through the power of City government,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m so excited to work alongside leaders ready to tackle our challenges and connect our communities through bold, urgent action.” The open roles are as follows: Senior Advisor, Boston Green New Deal The Senior Advisor will help shape an cross-departmental approach to climate and equity-led governance and help make Boston a groundbreaking model of city leadership. The Senior Advisor, working in close partnership with the Mayor, the Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space (EEO), the Chief of Operations, Chief of Streets, Chief of Planning, School Superintendent, and other senior City officials will have primary responsibility for driving the initiatives of the Boston Green New Deal and Just Recovery Plan laid out by Mayor Wu.  The Senior Advisor will provide leadership on building climate resilient infrastructure and affordable housing, shape zoning and planning, transit, and environmental justice initiatives, and collaborate with other City departments to build and renovate schools and other public facilities to meet net-zero standards and advance the Mayor’s climate agenda.  As a member of the Mayor’s Cabinet, this individual will co-chair a Green New Deal Cabinet with Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, and work closely with community members and stakeholders, and City, State, and federal leaders to ensure citywide climate resiliency and the execution of the City’s carbon neutrality plans. The City will be partnering with a search firm to support the hiring process for the Green New Deal Senior Advisor.  Chief of Planning The Chief of Planning’s job is to build a Boston with and for everyone. This role will have primary responsibility for driving the Mayor’s vision for planning that advances the goals of a more equitable, resilient, transit-oriented, and affordable City. The Chief of Planning will have an unprecedented opportunity to be at the forefront of making this vision a reality. The creation of a Cabinet-level Chief of Planning is the first step in Mayor Wu’s efforts to reform the City’s processes for planning and development. The Chief of Planning will serve as the Mayor’s point person to coordinate and direct all City plans, land use directives, and all related development policies and procedures. The Chief will play a central role in considering structural reforms to the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) while assuming a top leadership role in ongoing planning, zoning and development. From that position, the Chief will work with the BPDA Board, Director, and staff to advance reforms that ensure a planning-led approach to development review.  The Chief of Planning will also assume responsibility for advancing the City’s plans for zoning code reforms, spearhead public engagement initiatives to involve residents and community groups in planning, and coordinate with development review staff to ensure predictability and alignment between development and the City’s planning goals. Chief of Human Services The City is hiring a Chief of Human Services, who will help work toward a more equitable City, by ensuring that city services and opportunities for Boston residents are accessible and responsive to the needs of all.  The Chief of Human Services will lead the implementation of the Mayor’s human services agenda for Boston, overseeing key departments that provide services to City residents, and working in partnership with social service organizations and service providers across the City.   The departments within the Cabinet focus, in particular, on services for youth, seniors, veterans and persons with disabilities.  Those departments deliver direct services, provide regulatory oversight, and build partnerships to help these constituents and all Boston’s residents thrive.   Chief Information Officer The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the City’s most senior IT leader, serving on the Mayor’s Cabinet and leading the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). That Department helps connect the City’s more than 18,000 employees with the hundreds of thousands of constituents they serve.  The City is hiring for a CIO who will improve government operations and positively impact quality of life for Boston residents by expanding and leading the City's digital services, analytics capabilities, cybersecurity practices, broadband access, and internal and external facing technology tools, platforms, and infrastructure.  More details on the minimum requirements and core responsibilities, as well as a link to apply, are available on the City’s website for the Senior Advisor, Chief of Planning, Chief of Human Services, and Chief Information Officer.

WAREHAM PAVING COMPANY CITED OVER $1 MILLION FOR NOT PAYING WORKERS AND FAILING TO KEEP PAYROLL RECORDS ON PUBLIC PROJECTS

 WAREHAM PAVING COMPANY CITED OVER $1 MILLION FOR NOT PAYING WORKERS AND FAILING TO KEEP PAYROLL RECORDS ON PUBLIC PROJECTS

AG’s Office Seeks Restitution For 22 Employees

 

            BOSTON – A Wareham Company and its owners have been cited more than $1.2 million in restitution and penalties over allegations that they did not pay prevailing wages to employees and failed to furnish accurate payroll records, Attorney General Maura Healey announced.

 

            Rochester Bituminous Products, Inc., its President, Thomas Russo, Manager, Albert Todesca, and Treasurer, Michael P. Todesca, were issued 25 citations by the AG’s Office for failing to pay prevailing wages to employees on various public projects including projects for the City of Boston, Town of Mattapoisett, and the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, failure to furnish true and accurate payroll records to the AG’s Office, and failure to submit true and accurate certified payroll records to an awarding authority on a weekly basis for work performed. Through the citations, the AG’s Office is seeking penalties from Rochester Bituminous for its violations of state labor laws, and restitution for 22 employees it allegedly harmed.

 

“Companies have an obligation to pay their workers the wages they’ve earned,” said AG Healey. “We are citing this company to secure relief for the workers who have been harmed.”

 

            In 2019, the AG’s Fair Labor Division began investigating whether Rochester Bituminous was paying its workers the proper prevailing wage for paving work done for the City of Boston. The division also received several complaints from past and present workers of the company, alleging that they had not been paid prevailing wages for work performed.

 

            As part of its investigation, the AG’s Office issued payroll demands to Rochester Bituminous, requesting the company produce certified payroll and timekeeping records. A request was also made to turn over certified payroll records, submitted by Rochester Bituminous to several awarding authorities such as the City of Boston, Town of Mattapoisett, and the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, all of whom Rochester Bituminous performed work for. On numerous occasions, Rochester Bituminous failed to furnish the records requested by the AG’s Office, or produced records that had missing documents, were incomplete or contained errors or omissions.

 

Massachusetts labor laws require contractors and subcontractors working on public works construction projects to submit true and accurate certified payroll records to the awarding authority on a weekly basis, and these records must contain the employees’ identities, hourly rates of pay, job classification for work performed, and information about the wages paid. Employers must also furnish those records to the AG’s Office upon demand. Failure to submit such records, or submitting records that lack this information, is considered a violation of state law.

 

            Despite the missing documentation, investigators were able to determine that 22 workers were underpaid by approximately $30 per hour for work performed on public works projects and were owed restitution. Under state laws, employers that engage in public projects must pay their employees prevailing wages which is a special minimum wage rate.

 

            Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to file a complaint at www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor. For information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the AG’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or go to www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for materials in multiple languages. 

 

            This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Amy Goyer and Supervising Investigator Greg Reutlinger, both of the AG’s Fair Labor Division

Governor Baker Nominates State Representative Shelia C. Harrington as Clerk Magistrate of the District Court

 Governor Baker Nominates State Representative Shelia C. Harrington as Clerk Magistrate of the District Court 

 

 

BOSTON — Today, Governor Charlie Baker nominated State Representative Shelia C. Harrington as Clerk Magistrate of the Gardner District Court. Representative Harrington has 35 years of legal experience.

 

“The many years of legal experience and time in public service that Rep. Harrington will bring to the District Court make her a well-qualified candidate,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I look forward to the Governor’s Council’s consideration of her nomination for this appointment.”

 

“I am pleased with the nomination of this distinguished attorney,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “If confirmed, I am confident that Rep. Harrington’s skills and knowledge will allow her to continue to serve the public effectively in this new position.”

 

The District Court hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties; all misdemeanors; and all violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the Commonwealth.  

 

For more information about the District Court, visit their homepage.

 

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth's diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April 2015.

 

About State Representative Shelia C. Harrington

State Representative Shelia C. Harrington began her law career in 1985 when she joined the law firm of Sullivan, Limone, Clark and Waystack as a law clerk and associate. From 1987 to 1991 she worked in various roles at Traveler’s Insurance Companies, after which she left to become an associate at Robert F. Casey Jr, P.C. Rep. Harrington then joined the Law Offices of George F. Watts in 1992 as an associate. After stints as a partner at Casey & Harrington and Alter & Harrington from 1995 to 2000, she established the Law Office of Shelia C. Harrington in 2000, where she currently practices. Rep. Harrington currently serves as State Representative for the 1^st Middlesex District, a position she was first elected to in 2011. Outside of the law, Rep. Harrington has been involved in both the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts for many years, as well as supporting Operation Patriot Pride, a charity helping service men and women stay connected with their families while on deployment. She also is a supporter of Toys for Tots. Rep. Harrington received her Bachelor’s degree from Providence College in 1982, and her Juris doctorate from New England School of Law in 1985.

過去2年麻州多發了27億元失業福利金給72萬人

             (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州政府在2020年到2021年間，多付了27億元給將近72萬名失業福利申請人，現在著手要回來，讓這些在新冠病毒疫情間曾經，或甚至直至現在都還失業中的人都傻了眼。

             目前已有至少3萬9000人申請豁免還款。

             WGBH一名電台節目主持人今早說，當年發生次貸危機時，美國政府可以寬宏大量，讓那些大銀行以壞帳形式，報銷了那些虧損，或許麻州政府也可以考慮，當作買經驗一樣，一筆勾銷因為自己經辦業務失誤，給那些失業福利申請人所帶來的困擾。

             這一問題的關鍵在於，幾乎所有這些申請者，都是按正常手續申請。州政府批准，他們收到錢，就理所當然的該怎麼用就怎麼用了，不涉詐欺。

             在新冠病毒疫情初期，一下子有將近70萬人失去工作，麻州政府的失業福利部門收到的失業救濟金申請案堆積如山。不過失業援助處為盡可能快速的協助民眾，支票發得很急促。最後在2020到2021年間，共發出330億元的聯邦及麻州失業福利金給400多萬人。        

             根據為麻州西部提供免費法律援助的社區法律援助律師Rory MacAneney交給美國勞工部的報表，麻州失業援助處 (UDA)發現，多發出去27億元，給了那些根本沒資格領失業福利的人。

             麻州失業福利局稱在2020年3月到2021年9月之間，多付了錢給71萬9000份失業福利申請，還沒完全解決的申請案多達38萬3000宗。

             一名被催還款的打工者說，因為他後來有收入，失業福利局認為他沒有資格領取失業福利金，現在他得每個月付200元的連付5年，才能把麻州失業福利局向他要的1萬多元還清。他抱怨到，他和妻子2人的收入，捉襟見肘，連找多餘的錢來孩子去看場電影都很難，遑論為將來買房子存錢，現在又得多挪200元來還錢，更是雪上加霜。

             上個月，監管麻州失業福利局的州政府勞工及人力發展辦公廳廳長Rosalin Acosta在公聽會中為州政府向超額收到失業福利金者追討超額給付款項的行動辯護。

             根據社區法律援助的MacAneney說，病毒大流行失業援助(PUA)的超額給付，麻州排名第四，僅次於俄亥俄州，馬里蘭州和德州。

             Hull區的麻州眾議員Joan Meschino在前述公聽會後遞出法案，要求澄清並擴大標準，允許那些未涉詐欺人們申請免還超額給付。

紓困第二輪 波士頓市將撥款500萬元補助300小商家

Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion (Right) and Boston  Mayor Michelle Wu (left) announcing the second round of small business relief fund. (Photo by Chutze Chou) (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 新冠病毒疫情延燒，小企業困窘掙扎。波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 今 (18) 日宣佈，將注資500萬元進小企業紓困基金2.0，幫助300家本地企業邁向復甦。 波士頓市經濟機會及包容長Segun Idowu說明，波士頓市府再撥款補助外，還將和企業服務組織合作，為小企業提供技術援助及長期計畫的支持。波士頓市府也將和州政府合作，以確保小企業也不會錯失州政府提供的各種援助。 待波士頓市議會通過此案後，估計2月初可發出申請表格。 小企業紓困基金是為幫助企業取得復甦，持續經營所需的費用開銷。2.0版本是重啟2020年4月及9月的紓困基金模式。波士頓市府的小企業紓困基金已發出750萬元給519家小企業。如果從2020年4月開始計算，波士頓市府總共發出2860萬元補助款給5600家企業。 小企業可以申請的補助有2種，一為紓困補助，小企業可申請最高1萬元，用於償還欠債，繳付租金或貸款，購置庫存，發薪水，以及其他的固定開支。另一為成長補助，也是最高1萬元，供做購置工具，科技，物品，人事，以及其他投資近企業成長所需開銷的費用。 估計2月初時，小企業將可上網填寫申請表，所有申請者都必須經由市政府的門戶網站(Knack potal) bostonopendata.knack.com/small-business-grants辦理。查詢詳情可上網https://www.boston.gov/small-business。 MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES CITY OF BOSTON WILL REPLENISH SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF FUND 2.0 WITH $5 MILLION

 

BOSTON - Tuesday, January 18, 2022 - Building on her commitment to supporting small businesses during the ongoing pandemic, Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that the City of Boston will replenish the Small Business Relief Fund 2.0 with $5 million. These funds will help support an additional 300 local, small businesses across Boston as they continue their recovery. The City is also partnering with business service organizations to provide technical assistance and long-term planning support to small businesses beyond the grant. Following City Council approval, applications would become available in early February. “Our small businesses are still struggling from this prolonged pandemic and need continued support. I’m grateful to Chief Idowu and our state and community partners for working quickly to identify potential resources for neighborhood small businesses as we work to build a thriving, inclusive and equitable economy,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The fund’s grants and technical assistance will help small business owners continue to serve their communities and plan ahead as we work to end the ongoing COVID surge.” “These funds provided the much needed support for our small businesses to not only aid in their recovery, but invest in their long-term growth,” said Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. “Replenishing these funds is an important step in ensuring that our businesses are able to keep their doors open as we recover from the pandemic and rebuild our economy.”  The Small Business Relief Fund is designed to help businesses cover expenses to help their recovery and assist businesses that seek to grow beyond the pandemic. The replenishment of SBRF 2.0 will reopen applications for the Small Business Relief Fund initially launched in April 2020 and relaunched in September 2021. To date, the Small Business Relief Fund has issued more than $7.5 million in grants to 519 businesses. Since April 2020, the City of Boston has issued more than $28.6 million in grants to more than 5,600 businesses.  Businesses will be able to apply for two types of grants. ·       Relief Grant: up to $10,000 to support outstanding debts for rent/mortgage payments, inventory, payroll, or fixed expenses. ·       Growth Grant: up to $10,000 to support business growth through tools, technology, materials, personnel, or other costs associated with investing in the growth of their business. “I would like to thank Mayor Michelle Wu and the entire City of Boston Small Business Team for their commitment to support businesses such as mine over the last two years,” said Chef Olrie Roberts, owner of ZaZ Restaurant. “Unfortunately, COVID is still plaguing our community and the effects of the pandemic are still taking a toll on restaurants. As ZaZ looks toward celebrating 10 years of serving the Hyde Park and Greater Boston communities this year, continued financial support will help to alleviate operational pressures such as rent, utilities, and supply costs that can not be controlled with fluctuating dine-in customers and canceled catering events until we have some semblance of normalcy.”  “We are grateful to the City of Boston for providing grant support to small businesses like ours that will help us stay open while we face the COVID-19 Omicron wave,” said Hector Plaza, Owner and Head Coach at Red City Fitness. “It will also allow us to invest in a stronger marketing strategy that will help our business grow.”  The City of Boston is working with State officials to coordinate our grant processes so small businesses potentially have access to both local and state grant funds. Additionally, the City is working with external partners like Small Business Strong and other business service organizations to set up a system that will connect interested small businesses with wrap-around technical assistance to provide long term support beyond the grant. “Collaborating with the State and pairing the grants with technical assistance will leverage greater impact for businesses that need support, and strengthen Boston’s small business ecosystem,” said Karen Kelleher, Executive Director of LISC Boston, which serves as program manager for Small Business Strong.  “Small Business Strong is excited to work with Mayor Wu and her team to connect applicants for funding with high quality small business support from local providers and industry experts,” said Yvonne Garcia, Manager of Small Business Strong and Chief of Staff to Chairman and CEO and Global Head of Internal Communications, State Street.  Applications will become available online at boston.gov/small-business in early February. Businesses can apply for one or both grants. All applicants must apply through the City’s Knack portal at bostonopendata.knack.com/small-business-grants. For more information and details, sign up for our small business newsletter at https://www.boston.gov/small-business.

波士頓僑教中心、紐英崙中華公所 1/22、23 迎春揮毫

            (Boston Orange) 紐英崙中華公所、紐英崙藝術學會、中華書法會、駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處及波士頓華僑文教服務中心攜手，將於1月22，23兩日，分兩地舉辦「全僑喜迎春、四海慶豐年」迎春聯合揮毫活動。

為慶祝中華民國111年春節舉辦的這迎春聯合揮毫活動，主辦機構已邀請波士頓地區著名書法家屆時即席揮毫，出席民眾都有機會免費拿到書法家們寫的賀歲春聯。

聯合揮毫活動共有2場，時間及地點分別為：（1）波士頓華僑文教服務中心， 1月22日（星期六）上午10時至下午2時， 90 Lincoln St. Newton Highlands, MA 02461 Tel: 617-965-8801（2）紐英崙中華公所，1月23日（星期日）下午1時至下午4時 。90 Tyler St. Boston , MA 02111 Tel: 617-542-2574。

波士頓僑教中心強調，歡迎各位僑胞鄉親參加。

波士頓僑教中心及紐英崙中華公所將比照波士頓市政府更新的新冠病毒(COVID-19)疫情期間規定，從 2022 年 1 月 15 日起，踏進這兩個場所的民眾，都需: 一、配戴口罩；二、個人:請出示新冠肺炎（ COVID-19）疫苗接種證明，團體:租用中心場地僑團負責人請提供「注射新冠肺炎疫苗」聲明(中心提供)。