Dear Reading Votes, On November 14, Town Meeting passed Article 17, the less disruptive “paper compliance” proposal to comply with the state’s MBTA Communities law. The vote on article 17 was 129 Yes, 32 no. Before this, the vote on the more expansive Article 16 failed, with 76 yes and 85 no. A simple majority was required to pass either article. Article 16 would …
🚨MBTA Communities is Down to the Wire!
We’ve covered the MBTA Communities zoning requirements and the risks they present to Reading for over a year. Now, it’s GO TIME! We are down to two options, and only one is acceptable.Please read this short note and take action ASAP. What’s NextThe final public hearings on MBTA communities are on September 16 and 19.Then, the Community Planning & Development …
Sleepwalking Toward Unchecked Growth
MBTA Communities Act: The Big Picture The Act is essentially a way for the state of Massachusetts to bypass local zoning rights and force density on the suburbs. Your house—likely your biggest investment—is at risk of being devalued. Our infrastructure, schools, roads, and businesses are all at risk of being overwhelmed by NON-smart growth. This Act is not popular. In …
Town Planner Accusations: “Insidious Goals” and “Gaming the System”
The MBTA Communities Act meeting is this Wednesday at 7 pm. We hope you will attend (virtually or in person) and SPEAK UP. The train has left the (virtual) station and is now lumbering down the track, possibly inexorably. More details on that, but first… Why this Matters Your home is quite possibly your biggest financial investment. And the MBTA …
Shenanigans at the Reading Post & RCTV
The Reading Post wants us to quiet down about their bias against Reading Votes (RV) candidates. As we explained in a previous newsletter, the Post systematically pushed letters to the editor (LtEs) in support of Chris Haley, Dana Guarino, and Melissa Murphy down in the content feed, reducing their visibility. Despite multiple requests for comment, the Post has stayed mum, …
Proposed Tobacco Ban: Your Thoughts?
Dear Reading Votes, The action-packed spring continues with Melissa Murphy’s first Select Board meeting tonight at 7:00. The agenda is here and includes a Killam building project update. Bias from the Reading Post In other (non) news, it’s been over a week, and the Reading Post has not responded to compelling allegations of bias against RV-endorsed candidates. The Post consistently …
You did it!
May 14 was a beautiful day for a special election, and Melissa Murphy brought it home by a solid margin! Congratulations to Melissa for running a strong campaign focused on core issues that affect us all. Voter turnout was a remarkable 29%! 3,295 residents showed up and delivered a winning 54% of the votes for Melissa, who takes a holistic …
Shocking Bias from The Reading Post
Ever feel the deck is stacked against your POV? It’s not your imagination…here’s one recent hyper-local example. Reading Votes received an anonymous tip that The Reading Post manipulates its homepage feed to promote letters supporting certain Pop Huddle/PAC-endorsed candidates. Upon examination, the evidence clearly supports the accusations. Without a doubt, The Post handles content from certain candidates in a biased …
THE Most Important Thing You Can Do for Reading
…and it takes five minutes! Vote for Melissa Murphy And get your friends and relatives to do the same! Please forward this email widely and help get the word out. Early voting has started! It’s impossible to overstate how crucial your vote is. Town elections, especially a special election like this, have small turnout. We need every single vote. To …
Endorsement: Melissa Murphy for Reading Select Board
It’s been a lively 2024 in Reading politics so far, and the pace continues as we gear up for Town Meeting (starting April 25) and the special election on May 14—not to mention MBTA Communities, the senior center, and the Killam school replacement. First, a quick review: at the April 9 meeting, the Select Board voted 3 to 1 to …
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