What is it about Cambridge that
they get to just say, "Hey we don't want that facility here" and the
state turns to Somerville and says, "Well, this is where we are putting
it." Really now? Someone should explain to the backward-thinking folk
behind the idea that this Somerville and it's 2009 – not the West End,
circa 1958.

Maybe they think there's only a couple of nutty
artists at Brickbottom that are going to raise a little stink and they
will just do what they want. You don't have to live at that specific
area of Somerville to really hate the idea of a train maintenance
facility located in our city. There are people living in West
Somerville that are almost as crazed about it as the artists.

Think
about it – it's about as appealing as having a new county jail here.
Hell, why they're at it, why don't they just have Waste Management
expand the incinerator?.

Just because that area of the city
wasn't stupidly over-developed in the 1960s through the 1990s doesn't
mean it's wasteland available for whatever use the state deems
suitable. Oh sure, we all get the little wink, wink, nudge, nudge when
it comes to "available funding for future expansion possibilities,"
which is pig-Latin for "Hey, don't give us a hard time about this, or
we will make sure you don't get what we promised later on."

The
state should really slow down and work with our community on ways to
accomplish what they want, with us being able to ensure long-term
growth and sustainability at the same time. Think about it – in the
ring of available land in and around Boston, two out of three possible
public/private projects have been completed already – the convention
center and federal courthouse.

The only thing left is an
entertainment/sports complex – and it will probably not be popular with
many people in this community if/when it gets proposed, but, at least
we will be able to discuss it, be a part of the process and own it for
ourselves. Anything would be better than having a singular-use train
maintenance facility jammed down our throats. Maybe we should all lay
down in front of the bulldozers.