BPDA launches South Boston Transportation Action Plan Agency will release existing conditions report this month

BOSTON - Tuesday, November 8, 2022 - The Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) today announced the launch of the South Boston Transportation Action Plan (SBTAP), which will be completed in close partnership with the Disabilities Commission (DC) and Boston Public Works Department (PWD). The BPDA is evaluating the unique transportation challenges in the core of South Boston’s residential neighborhood, and through the South Boston Transportation Action Plan planning and engagement process, will improve transportation access, efficiency, and safety.  Building on the vision and goals in Imagine Boston 2030 and Go Boston 2030, the South Boston Transportation Action Plan will evaluate safety concerns in South Boston and focus the City’s resources on proven strategies and people-first improvements to eliminate serious and fatal traffic crashes in South Boston. The plan will study key transportation connections to and within the South Boston area and recommend improvements that can be implemented immediately, within the next 15 years, and beyond. The recommendations will reflect an understanding of South Boston as it exists currently, as well as the forecasted effects of new development. This Action Plan will develop community-driven mobility improvements and conceptualize future complete streets and transit network improvements to respond to this growth, and allow the neighborhood to reach its full potential.  The BPDA and BTD will release a detailed analysis of the existing and future multi-modal network to determine the necessary sequencing of improvements to safely meet future mobility needs. Following a future conditions analysis, the South Boston Transportation Action Plan will release recommendations aimed at eliminating serious and fatal traffic crashes, simplifying intersections for all users, and improving the transportation network. The recommendations will build upon nearby recent existing planning initiatives including, but not limited to: PLAN: South Boston Dorchester Avenue, South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan, and the South Boston Waterfront Sustainable Transportation Plan. In conjunction with the launch of this Action Plan, the BPDA and Boston Transportation Department (BTD) will be hosting a virtual public meeting on Monday, November 14, 2022. This meeting will include a presentation on the South Boston Transportation Action Plan and where South Boston’s transportation network stands today, and planners will be available to answer questions from the public. Transportation planners and engineers will describe recently completed and planned transportation and infrastructure improvements in and around the Study Area, and share what they have found out so far from their existing conditions report. The topics in the existing conditions report include bike network infrastructure, pedestrian conditions, travel patterns and trends, parking statistics, crash histories, and speed data. The BPDA is also collecting feedback from residents through a survey that will be open until December 15, 2022. This survey covers everything from transportation habits and preferences, to future improvements that could be implemented through the planning process.  The agency will host pop up opportunities at several locations in the neighborhood - including heavily trafficked bus stops and stores - during November and early December. This effort is intended to raise awareness of the planning process and the survey. The survey will also solicit volunteers for 60-minute focus groups which will help the project team identify key mobility challenges and opportunities. In addition to community meetings, the survey and focus groups will allow the BPDA to collect input from a wider swath of South Boston residents and receive targeted feedback.

Healey-Driscoll Campaign Knocked 44,000+ Doors During Final GOTV Weekend

Healey-Driscoll Campaign Knocked 44,000+ Doors During Final GOTV Weekend

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll campaign had yet another record-breaking weekend of voter contact, with volunteers knocking 44,101 doors. For the final GOTV weekend before the November 8th election, the campaign held 133 events across the state with volunteers completing a total of 1,236 canvassing and phone banking shifts for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot.

“We’re going to win this election in the grassroots – and we’re grateful to every single volunteer who has gone above and beyond to get the word out about Maura and Kim’s optimistic vision for Massachusetts,” said Healey Campaign Manager Jason Burrell. “The energy we’re seeing on the doors and hearing on the phones tells us that voters understand what’s at stake this Tuesday, and they’re fired up to make history by electing Maura Healey, Kim Driscoll and Democrats down the ballot.”

Dr. Myron Allukian, Jr. Honored with Paul Revere Award for Leadership and Lifetime Achievement in Public Health

 Dr. Myron Allukian, Jr. Honored with Paul Revere Award for Leadership and Lifetime Achievement in Public Health 

 

Pioneering work cited on the impact of oral health on public health outcomes 

 

Boston, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) announced that it has presented its highest honor, the Paul Revere Award for Lifetime Achievement, to Myron Allukian, Jr., DDS, MPH, in recognition of his unwavering commitment to public health. The award was presented last night at a reception as part of the American Public Health Association’s 150th Anniversary Meeting and Expo in Boston. Dr. Allukian is a Past President of both the Massachusetts Public Health Association and the American Public Health Association. He is the first dentist to receive the Paul Revere Award. 

  

“Dr. Myron Allukian, Jr. has been a true luminary in the field of public health,” said MPHA Executive Director Carlene Pavlos. “He has worked tirelessly throughout his professional life to advance the importance of oral health as a public health priority. Millions of Massachusetts residents, and millions in other states, have better oral health as a result of his leadership for community water fluoridation, a safe and effective public health measure.” 

  

“I am delighted to accept this honor from the Massachusetts Public Health Association,” said Dr. Allukian. “The challenge of promoting community health and health equity – particularly when we take seriously the challenges faced by underserved populations, including people of color, people who are low income, or may not speak English, people with disabilities, and others – are complex and evolving.  There is no magic pill.  It takes commitment and the 3 Ps: patience, perseverance, and persistence.  It also takes data so that we can better understand the challenges we face, and it takes education and organizing to build a vigorous, community-based constituency to make an impact on the health of a community.”  

 

Dr. Allukian is a widely respected public health expert who served as Dental Director for the City of Boston for 34 years. He has worked in municipal, state, national and international venues to advance the importance of oral health as a critical public health priority. 

 

A Boston Latin School graduate, Dr. Allukian received his BS in Psychology from Tufts University, a DDS from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is also a Vietnam veteran, having served in the 3rd Marine Division during the Vietnam War.  

 

Dr. Allukian is a faculty member at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University, and Boston University’s School of Dental Medicine. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine and a Consultant to NYU Langone Health, Dental Medicine. He served as Chairman of the U.S. Surgeon General's Work Group on Fluoridation and Dental Health for the 1990 Prevention Objectives for the Nation, and the Dental Advisory Committees for Healthy People 2000, 2010, and 2020, as part of the development of the National Health Objectives. In addition, Dr. Allukian serves on the Executive Committee of the Oral Health Working Group within the World Federation of Public Health Associations. 

 

The Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes a healthy Massachusetts through advocacy, community organizing, and coalition building. We are leaders in the movement to create health equity by addressing the root causes of health and wellness. We promote policies that impact the major drivers of health outcomes, such as access to healthy food, safe affordable housing, and transportation. We also advocate for equitable public health services throughout the Commonwealth. To learn more, visit www.mapublichealth.org. ### 

 

BPDA delivers funding to West End Museum to support rehabilitation efforts following flood Community benefits funding from Bulfinch Crossing will also serve Old West Church

BOSTON - Monday, November 7, 2022 - The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) announced today the delivery of $569,118 in funding to the West End Museum, provided by The HYM Investment Group (“HYM”), BXP, and Delaware North. The museum shut down almost a year ago when a burst pipe caused catastrophic flooding, and has remained closed since then due to significant damage. While only three photographs made up the archival loss, the physical exhibits and space were ruined and will need to be replaced. This funding will allow the museum to create a new space where they can rebuild and replace the exhibits. “The West End Museum is a historical treasure that reflects Boston’s cultural legacy,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m excited that this funding will support the reopening of this important cultural institution. I’m grateful to the BPDA and our community partners for ensuring that this neighborhood’s history can be connected to our communities for generations to come.” “The West End Museum memorializes an important part of Boston’s history, and certainly one of the most defining moments of planning and development history in this City,” said Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison. “I want to thank HYM, BXP, and Delaware North for their investment in this important historical organization, as well as the neighborhood itself.” “The West End Museum has become a cultural touchstone for the West End and Greater Boston over its two decades of operation,” said Councilor Kenzie Bok. “Preserving and connecting to the history of the West End neighborhood is such important work, and I’m grateful to HYM, Boston Properties, Delaware North, and the BPDA for supporting the reopening of this vital community resource.”  The new and improved space will be home to several exhibits covering a range of topics including urban renewal, immigration, the Black North Slope, and many more. They are also hoping to create more interactive and dynamic content to improve the experience of the museum. In addition to the West End Museum, the Old West Church has received $80,000 from the Bulfinch Crossing project to facilitate ADA compliance at their building. “Funding from the BPDA will allow The West End Museum to reopen with the ambitious plan that we had set out before the flood forced us to close, and will enable rebuilding to happen at the earliest possible date,” said Sebastian Belfanti, Executive Director of the West End Museum. “This support marks a major turning point for the museum, and is a significant historical event in its own right. It is the BPDA making a significant commitment to preserving the memory of the West End, more than six decades after playing a leading role in its demolition.” “We are proud to support the West End Museum and the Old West Church,” said Thomas N. O’Brien, Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of HYM. “These important cultural and community institutions have given back to Boston’s residents for generations and are integral to the fabric of the Bulfinch Crossing neighborhood. This would not be possible without our project partners at National Real Estate Advisors and Carr Properties.” "BXP is pleased to have the opportunity to support the rehabilitation and enhancement of the West End Museum, a treasured neighborhood landmark located steps from The Hub on Causeway,” said Bryan Koop, Executive Vice President for BXP’s Boston region. “We look forward to seeing the Museum reopen with new exhibits that represent the vast history of Boston and the West End neighborhood.” “The West End Museum is an important piece of our City dedicated to preserving the history and culture of this great Boston neighborhood,” said Charlie Jacobs, CEO Delaware North’s Boston Holdings. “We at TD Garden, the Hub of Hockey and The Hub on Causeway consider ourselves lucky to be part of this great community and happy this funding can help reopen and reconnect the neighborhood to the West End Museum soon.” This funding is part of the community benefits agreements that the BPDA negotiated with HYM, BXP, and Delaware North for the Bulfinch Crossing project (the redevelopment of the Government Center Garage) and The Hub on Causeway project. Community benefits and mitigation from projects are negotiated via the Article 80 review process with developers as a way to ensure significant and long lasting improvements to the public when new developments are built in their neighborhoods.

PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGER TO PAY $3.2 MILLION FOR ALLEGED FAILURE TO FOLLOW PRICING PROCEDURES FOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PRESCRIPTIONS

 PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGER TO PAY $3.2 MILLION FOR ALLEGED FAILURE TO FOLLOW PRICING PROCEDURES FOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PRESCRIPTIONS 

Various Injured Worker Prescriptions Filled in Springfield, Boston, and Worcester at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid locations  

 

BOSTON – Pharmacy Benefits Manager, Express Scripts, Inc., has agreed to pay $3.2 million after allegedly failing to follow prescription pricing procedures that are in place to keep costs down and prevent overcharges in the workers’ compensation insurance system, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.  

 

The assurance of discontinuance, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, alleges that in some circumstances Express Scripts failed to apply various regulatory benchmarks – like the Federal Upper Limit for Medicare and the Massachusetts Maximum Allowable Cost – to its pricing determinations for certain workers’ compensation insurance prescription drug charges. According to the settlement, these failures allegedly occurred on various injured worker prescriptions filled in Springfield, Boston, and Worcester at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid locations. 

 

“Employers need a workers’ compensation system that is functional, transparent, and affordable,” said AG Healey. “Our office will take action to ensure pharmacy benefits managers follow procedures and do not drive-up costs in our workers’ compensation system.” 

 

Under the Commonwealth’s Workers’ Compensation system, when employees are hurt on the job, they are entitled to lost wages, compensation for injuries, and payments for certain injury-related expenses. The system sets limits for the cost of prescriptions for injured workers and requires companies to validate prices against certain regulatory benchmarks before processing their charges. 

 

The terms of the AG’s settlement require Express Scripts to implement procedures to prevent overcharges in the workers’ compensation insurance system. The settlement also ensures that Express Scripts will cooperate with the AG’s Office’s monitoring of the company’s future regulatory compliance.  

 

This case is part of an ongoing review by the Attorney General’s Office into prescription pricing procedures in the workers’ compensation system. AG Healey has now reached settlements with Express Scripts, Optum Rx, Walgreens, Stop & Shop, and United Pharmacy for workers’ compensation drug pricing violations totaling approximately $16 million.  

 

This case was handled by staff from Attorney General Healey’s Insurance and Financial Services Division, including Glenn Kaplan, Burt Feinberg, and Gia Kim.    

AG HEALEY SECURES $16 MILLION FROM MULTISTATE SETTLEMENTS WITH EXPERIAN AND T-MOBILE OVER DATA BREACHES

 AG HEALEY SECURES $16 MILLION FROM MULTISTATE SETTLEMENTS WITH EXPERIAN AND T-MOBILE OVER DATA BREACHES 

Allegations Include Nationwide Compromise of Personal Data  

BOSTON– Attorney General Maura Healey today announced multistate settlements with Experian, totaling over $13.67 million, concerning data breaches in 2012 and 2015 that compromised the personal information of millions of consumers nationwide. A $2.5 million multistate settlement was also reached with T-Mobile in connection with the 2015 Experian breach, which impacted more than 15 million individuals who submitted credit applications with the telecommunications company.  

Under the terms of the settlements, Experian, one of the big-three credit reporting agencies, and T-Mobile have agreed to improve their data security practices and pay the states a combined amount of more than $16 million. Massachusetts will receive over $625,000 from the settlements.   

“Ensuring the security and privacy of Massachusetts consumers is a top priority and we take data breaches and their potential risks seriously,” said AG Healey.  “I am pleased to join my colleagues today in holding these companies accountable for their failures to protect the sensitive information of our residents.”  

In 2012, the U.S. Secret Service alerted Experian Data Corp., a subsidiary of Experian, to the existence of an identity thief who was posing as a private investigator and retrieving sensitive personal information, potentially including names, Social Security numbers, addresses, and/or phone numbers from Court Ventures Inc., a database company that Experian Data Corp. had purchased. The thief had begun accessing information from the Court Ventures, Inc. database before Experian Data Corp purchased the company and continued to do so afterwards. Experian Data Corp. never notified affected consumers of the data breach.  

Since that time, the identity thief has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for wire fraud, identity fraud, access device fraud, and computer fraud and abuse, among other charges.    

In September 2015, Experian also reported it had experienced a data breach in which a hacker gained access to a part of Experian’s network storing personal information on behalf of its client, T-Mobile. The breach involved the personal information of consumers – including more than 280,000 Massachusetts residents – who had applied for T-Mobile postpaid services and device financing between September 2013 and September 2015, including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, identification numbers (such as driver’s license and passport numbers), and related information used in T-Mobile’s own credit assessments. Experian offered two years of credit monitoring services to consumers following the breach.  

The attorneys general reached separate settlements with Experian and T-Mobile in connection with the data breaches. Today’s settlements resolve claims that the company’s data security practices were in violation of state consumer protection laws and breach notification laws, including Massachusetts Data Security Regulations.

Under the terms of the settlements, Experian will pay a total of $13.67 million in connection with the 2012 and 2015 data breaches and has agreed to strengthen its data security practices going forward. Terms of the Experian settlements also require the company to: 

 

• Maintain a comprehensive incident response and data breach notification plan;  
• Strengthen its vetting and oversight of third parties that it allows to access personal information 
• Develop an Identity Theft Prevention Program to detect potential red flags in its customer’s accounts 
• Not misrepresent to its clients the extent to which Experian protects the privacy and security of personal information;  
• Strengthen due diligence provisions requiring the company to properly vet acquisitions and evaluate data security concerns prior to integration; and 
• Data minimization and disposal requirements, including specific efforts aimed at reducing use of Social Security numbers as identifiers.  

Experian will also be required to offer five years of free credit monitoring services to affected consumers, as well as two free copies of their credit reports annually during that timeframe. This is in addition to the four years of credit monitoring services already offered to affected consumers — two of which were offered by Experian in the wake of the 2015 breach, and two that were secured through a separate 2019 class action settlement. Affected consumers can enroll in the five-year extended credit monitoring services and find more information on eligibility here. 

In a separate $2.43 million settlement, T-Mobile has agreed to vendor management provisions designed to strengthen its vendor oversight going forward including implementing a program to oversee vendors’ security, such as specific contractual security requirements in its contracts like encryption, passwords or patching, and taking action against vendor non-compliance.   

AG Healey co-led the multistate investigation into the 2012 data breach, along with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and with assistance from the attorneys general of Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, and Vermont. The AG’s Office also assisted in the multistate investigation into the 2015 data breach, which was co-led by the attorneys general of Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, and Maryland, and was also assisted by Texas.  

This case was handled for Massachusetts by Division Chief Jared Rinehimer, of the AG’s Data Privacy and Security Division. 

ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE AND API ORGANIZATIONS DENOUNCE ANTI-CHINESE POLITICAL RHETORIC USED IN ELECTIONS AGAINST ASIAN AMERICAN POLITICAL CANDIDATES

 ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE AND API ORGANIZATIONS DENOUNCE ANTI-CHINESE POLITICAL RHETORIC USED IN ELECTIONS AGAINST ASIAN AMERICAN POLITICAL CANDIDATES  

 

Voters Must Look Past the “Redbaiting” Tactics Which Has Stoked Anti-Asian Racism

 

LOS ANGELES, CA — Tomorrow is midterm election day. Across the country, there has been an increase in the sinophobic rhetoric used in political campaigns, particularly to attack Asian Americans running for office. Candidates using sinophobia, a fear or dislike of China, or its people/culture are contributing to and validating anti-Asian racism and hate. A recent report by Stop AAPI Hate documents this https://stopaapihate.org/anti-asian-scapegoating/ 

 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five independent civil rights organizations and Asian American Pacific Islander community partners jointly release the following statement: 

 

“In the remaining 24 hours leading up to election day, we call on political candidates to immediately cease the usage of anti-Asian, sinophobic, and redbaiting language in campaign messaging. Across the country, voters are looking for politicians who will stand up for our values and fight for our needs and aspirations. Anti-Chinese rhetoric does not deliver for voters nor does it offer real solutions to the problems we face. 

 

We condemn the anti-Chinese political narrative many political candidates have been using in this midterm election cycle in an effort to sway voters. This xenophobic fear-mongering hurts Asian American communities that have already been facing 339% increase in anti-Asian racism and hate over the last year.    

 

Redbaiting strategies are being used against Asian American candidates who are being falsely accused of affiliations or ties to the Chinese Communist Party simply because of their Chinese or Asian descent. These attacks have come from both sides of the political aisle and even among candidates belonging to the same parties. Most troubling, even some Asian American candidates are using this racist and xenophobic language against other Asian American candidates. 

 

We urge all voters to look past these false claims that seek to mislead and manipulate the public for political gain.  

 

This harmful rhetoric feeds into and exacerbates the false stereotype of Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners or outsiders not to be trusted. Recognizing that there are credible threats from the Chinese government, we must not overreact by allowing geopolitical tensions to paint all Asian Americans with a broad stroke of suspicion and cause further harm to our communities back home. The “China threat” narrative seeks to stoke anti-Chinese sentiment with voters in cities and neighborhoods across the country. The impact dangerously feeds the scapegoating of Asian Americans and the rise in anti-Asian violence that has been so harmful during this pandemic.” 

 

Signed, 

 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC (Washington, DC) 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco)  

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta  

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Chicago  

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Southern California 

AADAP, Inc 

AAPIs for CivicChinese Community Center, Inc. - Houston Empowerment 

ACDC Texas 

API Equality-LA 

API Middle Tennessee 

API Middle Tennessee 

APIA Vote-MI 

Asian American Community Services 

Asian American Federation 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California 

Asian Americans United 

Asian Association of Utah 

Asian Law Alliance 

Asian Texans for Justice 

Asian Youth Center (AYC) 

AZ AANHPI for Equity 

Chinatown Service Center 

Chinese Community Center Inc. Houston 

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community 

Committee of 100 

Dove and Crane Collective

Hamkae Center 

Khmer Girls in Action 

Koreatown Youth & Community Center (KYCC) 

Mian Line Chinese Culture Center, Inc. 

MinKwon Center for Community Action 

MN8 

OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates Greater Houston Chapter 

OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership 

Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) 

Rising Voices 

saavetx Education Fund 

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans 

SOUTH ASIAN NETWORK 

Thai Community Development Center 

AG’S OFFICE REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH PAYMENT PROCESSING COMPANY OVER CLAIMS OF UNLAWFUL FEE PRACTICES

 AG’S OFFICE REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH PAYMENT PROCESSING COMPANY OVER CLAIMS OF UNLAWFUL FEE PRACTICES

Global Client Solutions Will Pay $600,000 and Change its Business Practices Following Allegations of Assisting Debt Settlement Company in Collecting Premature and Inflated Fees

BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey today announced a settlement with a payment processing company over claims it assisted with the unlawful business practices of a debt settlement company that charged vulnerable consumers premature and inflated fees in violation of state and federal law.

The assurance of discontinuance with Global Holdings LLC, filed today in Suffolk Superior Court, alleges that the company provided substantial assistance to DMB Financial, LLC, a debt settlement provider that was sued by the AG’s Office in 2018, later amended in 2019, for harming financially-distressed consumers in Massachusetts.

Global is responsible for processing settlement and fee payments for customers enrolled in debt settlement programs, including with DMB. In 2021, the AG’s Office reached a $1 million settlement with DMB over allegations it overcharged consumers, took untimely fees, misrepresented the value of its services, and failed to make critical disclosures about consumer harms. Today’s settlement resolves claims that Global transferred unlawful fee payments to DMB, despite having knowledge of DMB’s misconduct and even after the AG’s Office filed its lawsuit against DMB.

“It is important for our office to protect the economic security of vulnerable, low-income residents against harmful business practices,” said AG Healey. “We are pleased to be able to return money back to consumers through this settlement and prevent this company from facilitating unlawful fees in the future.”

Under the terms of the settlement, Global has agreed to make a $600,000 payment to the Commonwealth. Global has also agreed to make meaningful business practice changes that would prevent it from transferring untimely fees from any Massachusetts consumer account to any debt settlement company.

Handling this case are Assistant Attorneys General Yael Shavit and Mercy Cover and Paralegal Noah Kopf of AG Healey’s Consumer Protection Division, with assistance from Digital Evidence Coordinator Rosa Payano and former Investigator Ciara Tran of AG Healey's Civil Investigations Division.