Latest news with #BostonCityCouncil
Boston Globe
29-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Boston Mayor Wu announces more than $2 million in funding aimed at organizations that support immigrants
Dozens of organizations will receive a share of the grant money, including Advertisement 'At a time when immigrant communities face uncertainty across the nation, Boston is choosing connection, compassion, and celebration,' said Mariangely Solis Cervera, Boston's Chief of Equity and Inclusion, in the statement. The investment follows the In December, the Boston City Council reaffirmed the Trust Act, Amid Advertisement 'The celebration of all people is integral to the heart of the City of Boston,' said Monique Tú Nguyen, executive director of the Office for Immigrant Advancement. The City of Belonging Festival comes on the heels of Wu's announcement of 2025 as the Ava Berger can be reached at
Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The debate over ranked-choice voting in Boston is more than just academic
Send questions or suggestions to . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT If a coalition of activists and the Boston City Council get their way, 'Who did you vote for?' may soon become a trickier question to answer in Boston. And that's on purpose. Last week, the City Council Advocates say RCV gives voters more choices and encourages candidates to earn broader support. New York City; Burlington, Vt., and other municipalities Advertisement But not everyone is persuaded. Some lawmakers and political scientists question the benefits of RCV. Others worry that it will make elections more complicated for voters to participate in and for the city to run. Today's newsletter explains the debate. Advertisement Advocates' case For its supporters, the benefits of RCV flow from its design. By letting voters pick whom they want most while also signaling who should get their support if that candidate doesn't win, RCV lets voters better express their preferences. People can cast ballots for third-party or independent candidates without worrying that their vote will be wasted — or worse, hand the election to a candidate they dislike. 'The biggest gain is that folks aren't feeling like they're left out,' said Edwyn Shoemaker, who runs Ranked Choice Boston, a coalition that advocated for the measure. Voter turnout in municipal elections in Boston, as in most cities, tends to be low. But people who believe their vote matters are more likely to show up to cast it, Shoemaker argues. He cited Boston municipal elections are technically nonpartisan, without a candidate's party affiliation listed on the ballot. Shoemaker thinks RCV can reduce polarization even more by giving candidates a reason to compete for voters outside their normal bases of support. It might even incentivize them to campaign more civilly, lest they alienate a rival's supporters who might otherwise rank them second or third. Criticisms Critics say RCV's advocates overstate its benefits, which can vary depending on the kind of election in which it's used. In a statewide race for president, for example, RCV might well prevent a third-party candidate from handing the election to a Democrat over a Republican, or vice versa. But implementing it for municipal races to elect what's currently an all-Democratic city council might not change much. Most of the current district councilors won their seats with majorities of the vote, suggesting broad support even absent RCV. (RCV would work slightly differently for at-large city council seats, with a lower threshold for victory.) And in RCV elections elsewhere, the candidate with a plurality in the first round Advertisement Other critics say RCV imagines an idealized electorate that doesn't really exist. Yes, many people know which candidates they prefer or do research before deciding whom to support. But expecting most voters to parse the sometimes-minute differences among candidates for local seats in a majority-Democratic city strains credulity, said Eitan Hersh, a Tufts political scientist. 'It's sort of like if I asked you, 'What's your favorite ice cream flavor?'' Hersh said. 'And then instead of that, I said, 'Okay, now you have to rank-order all the ice cream flavors.' It's kind of hard.' Ranked-choice ballots also tend to be more complicated and time-consuming to fill out, and complexity breeds mistakes. According to Some critics also think RCV will burden Boston's already strained election system. Councilor Ed Flynn Advertisement The context In between the advocates and critics are the ambivalent. Lee Drutman, a voting reform expert at New America, a Washington think tank, is in that camp. Once an RCV evangelist, he's come to Does that mean the debate doesn't matter? The passions on both sides may instead reflect a more troubling phenomenon: growing dissatisfaction with American democracy. As voters become more pessimistic about the country's bitter partisan divides, some have evidently latched onto changes they hope will improve things — even if the evidence is mixed. 'People are looking for electoral reform,' Drutman said. 'RCV has caught on for particular reasons. But is it actually transformative enough to change the fundamentals of the system?' 🧩 6 Across: POINTS OF INTEREST The scene of a fatal accident in Hyde Park in April in which a school bus struck and killed a 5-year-old boy. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Boston and New England Karen Read: Read's lawyer pressed a digital forensics examiner on his credentials Verdict: A jury convicted a former high school basketball coach in Rhode Island of misdemeanor battery for Settlement: The MBTA Crash data: Fatal incidents involving school buses, like the one that killed a 5-year-old boy last month, Retail reclamation: Macy's is closing 150 stores nationwide. Downtown Boston's may survive Trump administration Congresswoman charged: The Justice Department said it was charging Representative LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey Democrat, with assaulting a police officer near an ICE facility this month. McIver called the charges political. ( Jan. 6 settlement: The administration agreed to pay Ashli Babbitt's family about $5 million after a Capitol police officer defending lawmakers fatally shot her during the riot. ( Take It Down Act: Trump signed a bipartisan bill meant to prevent the dissemination of non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes and revenge porn. ( Trump's agenda: Republicans claim they're cutting Medicaid fraud to pay for Trump's tax cuts. But in Massachusetts, fraud Free press: CBS News' president resigned after opposing the company's efforts to settle Trump's lawsuit against '60 Minutes.' ( Red tape: New England fisherman blame bureaucracy for hurting their industry. They're The Nation and the World Joe Biden's cancer: The former president's diagnosis underscores that cancers can pop up suddenly even among those with excellent health care. ( Diddy trial: Witnesses testified that music mogul Sean Combs controlled and assaulted his longtime girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura. ( Mending ties: The UK and the European Union struck a deal that covers trade, energy, and more. It's their biggest relationship reset since Brexit. ( BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 💍 The Big Day: They dated for four years before going their separate ways — only to reconnect in Savannah for a 🚗 Timing is everything: AAA predicts that 28,000 more people will drive on Mass. roads over the holiday weekend than last year. Here are the best times to travel from Thursday through Monday. ( Advertisement 🌸 Floriferous: It was a banner year for hydrangeas in 2024, and while this year's blooms may not be as spectacular, they will be quite nice. 👶🏼 Robbing the cradle: It's not just men who like dating younger partners. Turns out women are attracted to younger men, according to a recent study. ( 🏠 People pleasers: If you're selling your home this spring, there are seven things that homebuyers really want and I have to say, a clean crawl space was not on my dance card. ( 📥 RTO or WFH? Workers in some cities have been quick to return to offices; others are among the slowest. Boston's on one of those lists. ( 🥺 Living with guilt: Being the person who accidentally causes another's death can lead to a lifetime of grief. But there are resources to help. ( Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited and produced by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson Pleads Guilty to Federal Corruption Charges
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to federal charges of embezzling $7,000 in public funds on May 5 at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The second-term city councilor was arrested by federal authorities in December 2024 and signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in April of this year. At the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, District Judge Indira Talwani read charges and explained the defendant's rights to Fernandes Anderson, confirming that she understood the legal documents. When the clerk of the court asked whether Anderson pleaded guilty or not guilty, the 46-year-old defendant wept and answered, 'Guilty.' She is scheduled for sentencing on July 29. Anderson said she would resign from the city council after signing the plea agreement in April. Related Stories 5/2/2025 5/2/2025 After the plea hearing on Monday, she told reporters outside the courthouse that she will complete her transitional plan, and step down before her sentencing. 'District 7 doesn't deserve not to have a vote in the budget,' she said. Anderson was elected to the Boston City Council in 2021. According to the She was the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the Boston City Council, representing District 7, consisting of Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and part of the South End. She said that she was working on a 'District 7 workbook,' entailing every important policy and project in the district. 'From the beginning when I decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I have been planning, so as to make sure that my staff was ok, that my constituents were ok, for this is a softer landing, that my family, my children were secured and ok,' Anderson said. A Transaction in the Bathroom According to the indictment, Anderson hired a family member (Staff Member A) to her city councilor office in late 2022, at an annual salary of approximately $65,000. In November 2022, Anderson emailed a City of Boston employee regarding her hiring of the staff, falsely representing that she and the staff member were not related. In early May 2023, Anderson told Staff Member A, that she would give the staff member extra pay in the form of a large bonus, but that Staff Member A would have to give a portion of the bonus back to the defendant. Staff Member A agreed to the arrangement. On May 3, 2023, Anderson sent an email to a City of Boston employee, instructing the employee to process a bonus payment of $13,000 to Staff Member A. Staff Member A's bonus was more than twice as large as the total amount of all bonus payments to the city councilor's other staff combined. On May 26, 2023, Staff Member A deposited the bonus check. Later, at Anderson's instructions, the staff member made three separate withdrawals of the money. On June 9, 2023, Anderson and Staff Member A exchanged texts to arrange a meeting at a bathroom at the Boston City Hall, where Staff Member A would hand approximately $7,000 in cash to the city councilor. According to the U.S. District Attorney's The defendant has agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. According to the plea agreement, the prosecutor agreed not to charge her with four other counts of wire fraud. The U.S. Attorney recommended sentencing the defendant to 12 months and one day incarceration, 36 months of supervised release, a restitution of $13,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $200.
06-05-2025
- Politics
Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
BOSTON -- A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her. Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council. Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren't permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff. 'Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,' United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. 'Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets ... Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.' According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff. After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money. The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Outside of court, Anderson didn't directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she 'loved' her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her. 'When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I've been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there's a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,' she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead. When the plea deal was announced in April, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer. 'Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,' Louijeune said. 'I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.' ___
The Independent
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her. Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim- American elected to the council. Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren't permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff. 'Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,' United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. 'Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets ... Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.' According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff. After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money. The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Outside of court, Anderson didn't directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she 'loved' her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her. 'When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I've been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there's a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,' she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead. When the plea deal was announced earlier this month, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer. 'Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,' Louijeune said. 'I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.'
