By Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

A decade ago, the economist Thomas Friedman wrote “The World is Flat,” arguing that a more interconnected world had put everyone on the planet on an economic even playing field. While many do not believe that globalization has created equal opportunity, inarguably our region now competes for jobs and influence on a global scale. Much as we cherish the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry as sports fans, the reality is Greater Boston finds itself competing economically with Barcelona, Sao Paulo and Taipei just as much as it does with New York City. We are part of a high-stakes economic poker game, and to make sure we continue to play a strong hand, the cities of Somerville, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Quincy and Braintree have formed the Greater Boston Regional Economic Compact to ensure we meet the challenges of the 21st century.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

On Tuesday, Dec, 8, the Moonlighters led by Jimmy Del Ponte, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and City Hall staffers sang Christmas carols for residents of the Somerville Home on Summer St. and the VNA on Lowell St.

By Charles Lane

Left to right: Mandeep Kaur, Devon Alves, Emily Sabatino, Marissa Toner, Halle Hughes, Vincent, Steven Hawkins (front).

From November 22–24, eight career and technical education students from Somerville High School attended the 2015 Fall State Leadership Conference in Marlborough, MA for SkillsUSA.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Increasing the affordable housing ratio to 20% citywide is laudable, but will not by itself eliminate the searing economic inequality that afflicts Somerville. To be effective, this first step must lead to a comprehensive program that includes an affordable housing ratio reaching or exceeding 50%, a real estate transfer tax to suppress land speculation, and at the state level, the return of rent control. Even these steps will not be enough to stem inequality and preserve the middle class without redistributive legislation at the national and international level, such as the progressive global tax on wealth proposed by French economist Thomas Piketty. In the absence of such measures, the middle class will continue to be displaced from urban cores including Somerville, and in the process, amenities such as mass transit and schools that were built with public money for the benefit of all, will be unjustly captured by high net worth individuals.

By Jim Clark

Last week, Somerville police officers on patrol driving Southbound on McGrath Highway observed a white vehicle heading the wrong way on the exit ramp towards their cruiser as they exited the highway on the Somerville Avenue exit.

By Gilmore Tamny

Lenny “Iggy” Rigione hanging out with a few of his elves.

It’s unclear if it’s best to describe Lenny “Iggy” Rigione, the Somerville Arts Council’s December Artist of the month, as artist, DIY role model, local celebrity, family man or Somerville treasure. Lenny’s decorations for the holiday season (and, increasingly, Halloween) have become a staple in Somerville for many years now, with people coming from miles around to admire the tableaux on his family’s home on Central Street.

By Jim Clark

James McMurtry will be performing at Johnny D’s on Saturday, December 19.

The brilliantly talented folk-rock/americana singer-songwriter, James McMurtry, is set to make another appearance at Johnny D’s this coming Saturday, December 19.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

As part of the Winter Hill neighborhood planning process, neighborhood residents and business owners were invited to join the  City of Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development for the unveiling of the recent “tactical urbanism” strategies with Team Better Block.

Left to right: State Reps. Denise Provost and Christine Barber, along with State Senator Pat Jehlen, addressed the Board, expressing their support for the proposed legislation.

By Jim Clark

The Somerville Board of Aldermen collected more than signatures from 195 registered voters at their December 10 regular meeting, petitioning the Board to hold a public hearing on economic inequality, pursuant to Section 8 of the City Charter.

The Board of Aldermen honored Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah L. Gewirtz by bestowing on her a citation at their regular meeting on December 10. The citation reads as follows: “By the Entire Board Commending outgoing Alderman Rebekah L. Gewirtz for her outstanding service to the people of Ward Six and the entire City as Alderman, from 2006 to 2015.”