Derek
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somervillennial.bsky.social
Derek
@somervillennial.bsky.social
🌷🦋 spring hill, somerville, ma
🌇🌆 municipal/state civics
(he/him)

🐦📂 twitter archive:
https://somervillennial.github.io/
Reposted by Derek
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
November 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Reposted by Derek
🏠SO PROUD to be at the State House today in support of Somerville’s Rent Stabilization home rule petition.

Powerful testimony from Public School Superintendent Carmona on the effects of displacement on families, and especially from tenants who lost their homes due to rent gouging.
November 19, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Reposted by Derek
I wrote a blog post on the practical next steps that Somerville should take to boycott and divest from the world’s worst companies if we don’t want it to become a fiasco.

medium.com/@fdmts/doing...
Doing Divestment Right
Somerville’s ballot question number three passed last week with 55% of the votes. It instructs the Mayor and City Council to “end all…
medium.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Derek
Everybody, but particularly renters, should read this short piece (by a local) about how he stood up for his rights and won against a negligent landlord.

medium.com/@brendan.sal...
I Sued My Landlord. Maybe You Should Too.
In July of 2024, my roommate and I let our landlord know that we intended to renew our lease for another year. Obligingly, they sent over…
medium.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:31 PM
November 17, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Reposted by Derek
“Housing shortage – Jews to blame," letter sticker, German Reich, 1938

zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
November 14, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Reposted by Derek
JD Vance is a Nazi.
JD Vance: "A lot of young people are saying housing is way too expensive. Why is that? Because we flooded the country with 30 million illegal immigrants who were taking houses that ought by right go to American citizens."
November 14, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Reposted by Derek
🚰 There is a MASSIVE issue facing Somerville that is getting way too little attention, probably because it sounds very technical: our Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) plan.

And specifically, how we pay for it. Here's my Resolution for tonight, and below is an explainer 1/
November 13, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Reposted by Derek
so uhhhhh is anyone going to do anything about the epidemic of drivers just blasting through red lights these days? @timdonnelly.com investigates: nygroove.nyc/why-does-no-...
Society broke down and all, but you really still need to stop at red lights
I can't believe we need to explain this one, but it seems that we really do
nygroove.nyc
November 13, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Derek
The president of the Boston University College Republicans said in social media posts that he repeatedly tipped off immigration authorities about an Allston car wash that was later raided.
BU student brags on social media about calling ICE on Allston car wash workers
ICE raided the car wash. Many of the employees reportedly had legal status, but were unable to immediately provide their documentation when questioned by agents.
www.wbur.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Derek
NEW: After ballot Q win, Somerville backers want divestment from Israel to become a reality www.wgbh.org/news/politic... #mapoli @gbhnews.bsky.social
After ballot Q win, Somerville backers want divestment from Israel to become a reality
Backers of the proposed measure are rallying at City Hall before Thursday’s City Council meeting.
www.wgbh.org
November 13, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Reposted by Derek
People need to be ON THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS' asses in so-called "progressive" cities. These people continue to SELL OUT their cities in multiple ways. Get acquainted with your council member and stay on their ass.
November 9, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Derek
For no matter how unhinged the position you’ve taken, or paid someone marginally credentialed to sketch out on your behalf—“Can Woman Think?: We Investigate,” “Is the Negro a Man: A Reconsideration”—that opinion will, by virtue of such provenance, possess all needed evidentiary gravity for the Times
November 9, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Derek
Zohran was polling at six percent in January. Nothing is impossible
November 5, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Reposted by Derek
A modest study confirms anecdotal evidence that drivers have no idea what to do with HAWK / PHB signals at pedestrian crossings ... and that the do dangerous shit like accelerating to get through -exactly- when a pedestrian is likely to be rushing to make the signal.

www.umass.edu/news/article...
Crosswalk Confusion: UMass Amherst Researchers Find Massachusetts Drivers Flummoxed by Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons | UMass Amherst
Among other findings, the researchers also discovered that nearly a quarter of drivers run through red lights at the beacons.
www.umass.edu
November 3, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Derek
you can convincingly portray this whole financialized AI edifice as a mortgage crisis-style house of cards without even mentioning that the fundamental product is unreliable, based on outright theft, and people don’t like it.
November 3, 2025 at 8:26 PM
November 3, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Reposted by Derek
Hey Somerville! If you haven't voted early or by mail, your last chance to do so is TUESDAY.

Please go out and do democracy while we still have it.

I've been thinking a lot about state power recently, and wanted to share a few of those thoughts. 1/?
October 30, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Derek
Old friend Jon Keller has been laid off by WBZ-TV (Channel 4) as the Paramount regime at CBS begins its campaign of destruction. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/30/b...
Veteran political analyst Jon Keller among layoffs at WBZ - The Boston Globe
The layoffs were part of cuts by station owner Paramount, which are affecting employees across news, film, and cable divisions.
www.bostonglobe.com
October 30, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Derek
This is neither accurate nor definitive

Using this to imprison citizens and refusing to believe even a valid birth certificate is a nightmare

No good comes of this, I promise you

This, like ICE itself, must be abolished
New: Videos show ICE/CBP agents are scanning peoples' faces on the street to verify citizenship. ICE has tool to instantly look up unprecedented number of databases with just a photo

“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”

“Alright, we just got to verify that”

www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship
Videos on social media show officers from ICE and CBP using facial recognition technology on people in the field. One expert described the practice as “pure dystopian creep.”
www.404media.co
October 29, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Derek
I'm grateful for the endorsement of Senator @edmarkey.bsky.social in this race & to know that as Somerville's next mayor I will have the federal support necessary to best serve our community. This colloboration will be critical to defend our rights, fully fund our schools, & improve city services.
October 28, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Reposted by Derek
I want Somerville's next mayor to be someone who can send a version of this letter to the SPD, and truly begin a long overdue conversation about how to actually protect our neighbors.

Mayors ***can*** do this. And ours absolutely should.
I haven't seen people here mention this letter from the mayor of Illinois' 2nd-largest city (Aurora, 40+% Latino)

to the Aurora Police

following egregious attacks by immigration in Aurora and related protests

So here it is!
October 25, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Derek
It turns out that *192* school districts were affected when a state contractor used a faulty “AI” program to grade MCAS essays. In every case of an incorrect score, the student was given a lower score than they had earned.

#Massachusetts #mapoli
MCAS AI grading glitch: See all the affected school districts
Here are the school districts where at least one student was affected by an MCAS exam AI grading glitch that resulted in hundreds of essays scored incorrectly.
www.nbcboston.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:26 PM