Etel Haxhiaj (ha-jee-eye)
@Etel_Haxhiaj
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District 5 Councilor Haxhiaj. Albanian. Housing is a right. Climate justice. Vision Zero. End homelessness.
Worcester, MA
Joined July 2014
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BREAKING: WE WON! The WRTA Advisory Board votes unanimously to extend zero-fare for the WRTA from 1/1/22-12/31/22.
Thank you ZeroFare WRTA Coalition,
@WRRBureau
riders, advocates, board members, & ALL of you who took the time to support this. We have more work ahead.
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Tonight I paid tribute to my native Albania 🇦🇱 through this dress and jewlery that completed this modern twist on a traditional costume. I’m so proud to represent my country. Boys and mom were so happy. Thank YOU to all who’ve helped me get this far!
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WE DID IT! Thank you District 5 voters and our volunteers! We’re moving ahead with 455 votes! 🥰💪
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I love my culture. And there are things about my culture I am allowed to criticize. The two things are not mutually exclusive. And that’s that.
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THANK YOU everyone!! We came in first with a resounding victory &1255 votes behind us! Our work is not done! Join us at Newton Square stand-out at 7:30 am tomorrow. Thank you to all our volunteers & D5 voters for their confidence! Onward to Nov.2nd!
#worcpoli
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I honestly fail to understand why the rush to remove masks for our kids in schools, at a time when we are still trying to protect kids and people whose immune systems can’t handle illness. We have many many kids who live in multigenerational families. Not interested in arguing.
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This is what we are facing.
Tonight, while I was having dinner with my family someone hit my house violently with a baseball attempting to break the window of my living room. When we went out this is what we found.
This has been reported to the manager & police.
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I am thoroughly exhausted by most Albanian men’s deep hatred of women and girls. Period.
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No. She was groomed and raped by three state police officers,
@masslivenews
.
Minor who had sexual relationship with Mass. police officer may have died of homicide
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But, you’re standing down as 40,000 Palestinians are butchered, the majority of whom children,
@MassGovernor
? That’s not unprecedented?
Massachusetts stands with the people of Israel and
@POTUS
in the face of this unprecedented attack by Iran.
We are continuing to monitor the situation and communicate with state law enforcement and public safety officials.
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I spent years working for homeless families in our emergency shelters leading advocacy & policy efforts at CMHA, work that is deeply personal to me.
I'm excited to take this work nationally as Policy Manager for the National Health Care for the Homeless Policy Council-
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I know my name is hard to pronounce. I’d really appreciate folks making an effort to say it right. My first name isn’t Ethel, it’s Etel (E-[as in “envelope”- tel].My last name isn’t Haj, Hajiji, Haxhiaji, or, Hax. It’s Ha-Jee-Eye. I won’t get upset if you ask.
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As a sitting city councilor, I stand firm on the commitment we made + that we owe to the community to conduct *a complete* City Manager search. Anything less than that, isn't respectful of the community process + it continues to set a really bad precedent.
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This man has hurt, harmed, harassed and incited racial violence in our community. I hope people realize the immense harm he has caused to a lot of people. And, there are MANY in the Worcester community who support and have defended his actions.
JUST IN: Blogger behind ‘Turtleboy News’ website arrested in probe by special prosecutor, sources say
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So proud to be the fort Albanian-born elected in
@TweetWorcester
and in Massachusetts.
BREAKING
Albanian-American
@Etel_Haxhiaj
wins seat on Worcester, Massachusetts City Council.
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I’m guessing in the Albanian diaspora we have a lot of work to do re: BLM, Domestic Violence, Racism, Classism, Women’s Rights & LGBTQ. B/4 you accuse of me of not loving my culture, let’s figure out how to have these conversations.
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LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN! We won because we organized relentlessly! I made this a campaign issue because it is the right thing to do. I am so grateful right now and am committed to continuing this work with all riders and community members.
@wutrain
thanks for leading the way!
BREAKING: WE WON! The WRTA Advisory Board votes unanimously to extend zero-fare for the WRTA from 1/1/22-12/31/22.
Thank you ZeroFare WRTA Coalition,
@WRRBureau
riders, advocates, board members, & ALL of you who took the time to support this. We have more work ahead.
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I’m so confused by this. Giving families w/ kids 9 months to find housing is ludicrous. Have you seen the Worcester market — one of the worst in the nation?
SHELTER UPDATE: The House voted 117-36 and the Senate 29-9 to approve a supplemental budget steering $251 million more into the family shelter system and calling for new limits on how long families may stay in shelters.
#mapoli
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It’s Inauguration Day! I am beaming with joy that mom and boys get to witness this moment & that boys get to see mom on the other side of the City Council rail 😭. Also, congrats to the nurses & wishing protection to all our kids & WPS educators.
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@admirim
all genociders act the same when the world recognizes the crimes they are complicit in.
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I’m going to tell my boys the Mayor of Boston & fellow elected mom said something about me on Twitter! Thank you Mayor
@wutrain
😍😍😍
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Bullshit
“I want to be clear to people, particularly outside of Massachusetts, who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we do not have room here in Massachusetts,”
@MassGovernor
told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “We are at capacity.”
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43!! May the 4th definitely be with me🙌💕
Excited to celebrate 🎉
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My little boy turns 11 today 🤩 and he’s taking his class President job very seriously, emailing his city councilor pothole pictures at his school ❤️. Happy birthday sweet boy.
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Hey
@TuckerCarlson
the streets of Kosovo are not littered with white supremacist murderers cheered on by racist police. But, I’m assuming you’re also equating the streets of Kosovo w/ the thuggery of white American supremacist? Garbage.
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50+ families are kicked to the curb today by
@MassGovernor
w/ no place to go. It’s heartbreaking to think we’ve arrived at this juncture. The Governor needs to sit down with people who this work, not political consultants who don’t get it.
We were joined by 30+ city councilors
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If you're a constituent and get a call at 8:45 pm at night, or a slew of emails is because:
1- I have a demanding full-time day job
2- I have a family
3- I have no staff other than 1 person for 11 people.
4- This is a part-time job that operates like a full-time job
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Not even a week apart, two children have been hit by cars. One died, one is still in critical condition. A year and half ago, we lost 5-year-old Candace on Stafford Street.
It’s time for the majority of City Council to stop playing games and aggressively support the work of the
13-year-old girl dead after being hit by car while crossing street in Worcester
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We have regular Worcester people donating. Some are ranting about "out-of-town money taking over." They got their candidate mixed up. ⤵️ We got people. They got......
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@thehill
Nah, this is just to save your own reputation, because it's now personally not beneficial to be associated with Trump. And, it's quite patronizing to assume the public will receive this as genuine regret.
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Congratulations to the organizers, advocates, parents, those who’ve lost children and whose children have been harmed by traffic violence.
The vote on adopting the 25 miles per hour mandatory speed limit & adoption of Safety Zones was voted unanimously.
Along with my
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For the record, I intend to wear my mask when we go back to City Council meetings in person, until it feels safe for me and those I take care of & am responsible to keep safe.
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My Luke is graduating from Sullivan Middle tomorrow. Love this boy so so much.
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One of the reasons I’ll be supporting
@EdMarkey
. He talks about Housing + Climate crisis in the same breath. We need a GND for our aged housing stock in
@TweetWorcester
to build climate-resilient & affordable housing.
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It’s come to my attention that a minor in my district, a young woman, who has supported and donated to my campaign, and her family is being harassed by the former district 5 councilor Griffin. The harassment has taken the Police Union Page, where the head of Police Union
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22 years ago, on this day, I landed in a hot Texas airport, 19-years-old and leaving behind the trauma of living as an undocumented refugee in Greece. I’m always in awe of my mom & dad- they left it all behind for me.
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But yet, RAFT assistance was cut to $7K, millions in subsidies given to HDIP- a program that doesn’t need it & which operates w/out any accountability to our neighbors. But, $50 will keep renters stably housed? What an insult.
It’s been 20 years since Massachusetts cut taxes. That ends today.
Soon, I’ll sign real relief for families, seniors, renters, and more into law. Join us at .
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🧵Thank you to everyone who built with us and talked about things that matter: responsible development, safer roads, unlocking housing opportunities, and pushing for greener neighborhoods. Better attention to all corners of our neighborhood.
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An incredible story by
@bill_shaner
.
THANK YOU Heather! I am sorry you were betrayed by those in power. As a woman, a mother, your District Councilor, I believe you. I am with you.
Shame, shame, shame on Monfredo. Shame on those who covered for him.
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Out trick or treating and looking for more affordable housing...😍🎃
photo & art credit:
@pdmt99
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Release my naturalization papers to prove I am an American citizen?? I’m glad to see how comfortable people who support this racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic, xenophobic are with spreading garbage like this.
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I really hope many many of the people in Worcester who care deeply about moms, dads with young children not sleeping in their cars, or parks, or camps, call in to the ZBA or show up in support of this shelter.
Please don’t let this nonsense persist.
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And just like that, the second journey begins (with a sprained foot 😌). But hopefully light foot ahead.
Thankful to all of you who’ve supported me. And a big thank you to
@pdmt99
.
Big congrats to
@King4Worcester
& Jermaine Johnson.
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27 years ago my family fled our beloved Vlora to Greece. 2 years later making our way to America. My journey will always be part of how I lead my life. I’ll continue to speak out for a free and liberated Palestine. I’ll never forget Palestinian refugees
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👋 verifying WE are all here, even
@SRose4District1
and
@vote_thu
!
@MayorJoePetty
@Sarai4Worcester
🥰
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@QudsNen
Biden NEVER had a red line. Why is she giving him credit for something we know was a lie.
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The funny thing is there is 0 appetite for city council to have substantial conversation that lead to anything of meaning, something that truly transform the material conditions of people and communities.
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Celebrating my dad’s bday in Boston at his favorite restaurant. Miss you dad 💕
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I'm exhausted by this week + its heaviness, for so many reasons. I got home at 11:30 pm last night, only got to hug the kids this a.m. It feels so disheartening right now, like moving a mountain with a toothpick. I'll take a few days off social media to reclaim my peace.
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Well, I caught the Covid bug. Sorry, I won't be responsive for a few days. The brain fog is quite something.
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I stopped by the
@Worcester_PL
to replace my old card with a 🐱 one! Got to say hi to Jason Homer & thank him for his leadership & good work!
The library is still lovely & safe. Excited for my new 📕
🫶
@Worcester_PL
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Incredible. The Board of Health votes unanimously to support piloting an Overdose Prevention Center in Worcester (OPC), with city council & state DPH approval.
Ultimately, it’ll be up to the State to permit to pilot a site in Worcester. And DPH is in favor!
@kavitababu
The Board of Health will vote on this and make a recommendation, but worcester City Council had the final say.
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The attack on the
@Worcester_PL
is horrific. I can only imagine the trauma and fear that our WPL staff are feeling. My heart goes out to the staff who got attacked. Libraries are sacred public places and no one should feel threatened or unsafe. No one, certainly, in their work
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Are we going to let
@nationalgridus
+
@EversourceMA
hike rates by over 50% without holding a hearing? If folks are mad, there are 11 city councilors. Ask them to hold a hearing. Let the executives tell the public why they feel they can exploit our community w/scare tactics.
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The sandwhich generation is those of us who take care of young children & elderly parents. In the ER w/mom (she's ok). Mom wants everyone to get out and vote tomorrow, TUE. She can't make calls today, but she's got her plan to vote tomorrow.
Do you have a plan to vote yet?
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I have a really good guy by my side. He makes sure I get ice cream when I’m going off about injustice at almost 10 pm.
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When you face a housing crisis and 75% of your city residents spend more than 1/3 of your income on rent & utilities, you need all policies on deck.
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✅Board of Health unanimously endorses the pilot of an Overdose Prevention Center to combat the deadly opioid epidemic.
✅The WRTA Advisory Board unanimously approves the extension of another year of zero-fare WRTA.
It feels good to celebrate a couple of good decisions.
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To hold
@KamalaHarris
to a higher standard by asking her to explicitly commit to:
-Medicare for All
-End Arms to Israel and their genocide against Palestinians
-Ban on Fracking
- Not act like a right-wing nut on the border & w/ immigration policy
-And other progressive
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Data, best-practices, knowledge, research, skilled & trained professionals trained in a specific skill-set and profession, should be the leading factors to drive and shape policy. Not speculation.
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My final thought of the night: GREAT work and big shout-out to the CPA Coalition
@DrJennyDanger
@ajayiharris
and others! 👏👏👏
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Can say and have been saying the same exact thing about Clark University purchasing the former Diamond Chevrolet lot.
I have also asked for a report on how many properties have colleges and universities taken off our tax payrolls in the last five years. That report should be
WPI move to buy 2 hotels for student housing draws fire from Worcester leaders
@WPI
@henrytelegram
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It’s all about people. Always has been. Always will be.
“On Saturday morning, she and her two sons campaigned together in District 5 on foot.
"I'm hoping they can learn to help people," she said. "That's the biggest gift I can give them."”
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We stand in solidarity with advocates, families, elected officials
@MAHomeless
@MassLawReform
@CityLife_Clvu
asking
@maura_healey
@KimDriscollMA
@RonMariano
and Senate President Spilka rescind the 5-day shelter policy and work to find a humane solution to our housing crisis.
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Gas stations aren’t:
- good economic development projects
- neighborhood revitalizers
- good for traffic calming
- esthetically pleasing
- good for walkability
- what our neighborhoods need
-in alignment with our climate goals
And, eventually they’ll be defunct
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Mill Street🧵
Reversing the Mill Street redesign will set Worcester's vision or a safer city back. There have been several calls made by Worcester City Councilors to return the Mill Street to its previous condition and prohibit any similar designs in the future.
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As a parent of children in worcester public schools, this is a deeply disappointing and disheartening take. Actually, it’s quite frightening, too.
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Criminalizing people experiencing homelessness for sleeping on benches is cruel & indicative of how we choose to treat homelessness: a punishable crime.
We’re facing a rise in unsheltered homelessness this winter in Worcester. Let’s not treat our residents this way.
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My Luke asked me how my day went today.
-Mom, will you run again if you don’t win?
- No, baby, this is it. If we win, we can do good things. If no win, no more running.
- You got this, mom. It’s gonna be good. I feel it.
My son is 12. I’ve always wanted to make him proud.
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Hey! Just wanna say to the naysayers: she won! ⭐️❤️😱
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🧵 I am SO relieved the winter emergency shelter is finally in place.
@CM_Batista
played a crucial role in working with w/the state to make this happen. I'm grateful to SMOC for stepping up to provide wrap-around services & basic necessities.
The City of Worcester has announced the opening of an Emergency Winter Shelter at the former Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Service Center located at 611 Main St. in Worcester.
The emergency shelter is expected to open the week of December 11.
Visit:
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In last night's debate, Mr. Rivera asserted that preventing gas stations from being built deprives the district from economic dev + good jobs. Let's me break that down for the rest of us:
1. Building gas stations is bad economic dev. policy and bad land-use policy.
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A true loss for journalism in Worcester. Thank you for bringing to light so many important issues on traffic safety & housing. Good luck
@Neal_McNamara
& thank you for the quality journalism.
After 8 years and exactly 21,470 posts/articles, today is my last day as a Patch editor. Here's my final piece of yellow journalism, indulging in my personal interests!
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Oh, yeah. I plan to rest very well between now and Jan 1st. A well-rested person is very well-prepared to ignore the noise and focus on the work. And, that is the plan. Come along, if you wish.
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7 city councilors made CLEAR choices to shut down:
-our ability to preserve more units for low-income residents
-making it more expensive for developers to opt-out
-our chance to keep affordability for generations.
Community was dismissed. That’s not just my truth.
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“I would like to collectively get to a point where raising questions and proposing new ideas is viewed as something good and not just quickly dismissed and derided by those committed to preserving the status quo.”
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Reminder: $15 hr is not a living wage. It is not a family-sustaining wage. It is not enough to pay market-rents in Worcester.
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It is time for City Council to declare this a public health and safety emergency.
No delays. No holding under privilege. No more.
If we can’t accept these crashes as public health emergencies, what are we doing?
Traffic backed up after crash on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester
@marco_cartolano
@RickCinclair
@WorcesterPD
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Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all moms. Love to all who celebrate w/out their moms.
I love my mom. From Albania, to Greece, Texas and Worcester, she continues to be my rock & my home. Love you mom. Happy Mother’s Day weekend.
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If you travel in the Haxhiaj or “Hajaj” Highway, you may be charged tolls if you don’t learn to pronounce it right.
IT’S HA-JEE-EYE
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My boy and I are out tonight at the Royal Ball by Positively Suzanne. I was very much looking forward to a bit of fun and dress up. 😍
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Full house at the inclusionary zoning hearing. And more people in the hallway. Approximately 80 people I’d say.
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I am very excited that
@MassGovernor
signed the ADU by-right and with no restrictions into law. I am particularly grateful to
@AbundantHomesMA
for their amazing organizing. A few of you have reached out to find out what this means for Worcester.
A 🧵
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Tell me again?
- where is the logic in this?
- where are the resources for cities, towns, places of worship, nonprofits to deal with this?
- what is the vision guiding this?
- what’s the plan for the detrimental consequences following this decision, 5, 10, 30 days from
No shelters, no stations, no church yards. Migrant families with children evicted from a church garden in Quincy as advocates scramble to help.
#mapoli
#immigrationnews
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Worcester now has an Emergency Fund for Worcester residents. I asked for this after the Mill St. Bldg collapse. I’m ready to support efforts to build it up w/ community support. Major thanks to
@TimGarvinUW
& to the Branca family for making its 1st donation!
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Oh. It might be because after “case management “ and a few days they’ll get kicked out anyway. Or, maybe because they will lose the right to apply for shelter once they go into the respite centers.
This policy has done exactly what we said it would do: push women and babies
The shelter crisis in Massachusetts has reached a point where homeless families, many of them migrants fleeing strife and despair, are now electing to spend the night on the street instead of inside a state facility that has beds available to them.
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Back on the doors. Thanks to all who’ve reached out & supported us. Excited to focus on the work ahead for District 5 residents.
Wishing peace and love in all our interactions w/ each-other & in community.
See you on the campaign trail!
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I’ve been ignoring the noise from the Stratman camp & focusing on running an actual campaign. But, I couldn’t resist with this one. Hey, Greg, the boys think their mom is “extremely cool” 😍🥰
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