COVID Measures Extension

1. This is most helpful information–thank you.

2. I believe that allowing remote public meetings in place of in person public meetings for town and city functions makes it more likely that elected officials will disregard the will of the people. Since they are often prone to ignore public sentiment, for example, polls show that people who live in high crime areas want to maintain or increase police presence, and that the biggest supporters of defunding police are wealthier people who are less affected by crime….. I see current governmental initiatives as not representing the will of the voters. I do not think public officials should be insulated from the voice of their voters, in person, at public meetings.

   1. I agree with Louise Wolfe’s response.

   2. I agree with Louise Wolfe’s response.

   3. I agree with Louise Wolfe’s response.

   4. I agree with Louise Wolfe’s response.

   5. 100% Agree. School boards, politicians and all people who hold official positions should not be insulated from in person meetings. Way to easy to shut down dissent with these zoom meetings. They need to face the music of their actions.

   6. I have to disagree, Louise. In-person meetings can be too easily disrupted by one or two loudmouth protesters, who drown out the voices of the majority by their bad behavior. Virtual meetings are far more calm and orderly, and this civility encourages participation by the public and revitalizes the democratic process. If you don’t like your elected officials, vote them out at the ballot box, don’t be a sore loser and disrupt their meetings.

   7. Typically, the people most able to attend public meetings are not representative of the general public in the relevant district. The hope is that this is less true of online meetings, but it’s not clear that that is actually the case. If the goal is to make sure that feedback from the general public gets through, then the ideal solution would actually be to end all public meetings so that the relevant politicians can listen to their voters instead of disproportionately the people with the flexibile jobs and family life that allow them to attend. There may be other goals that make it worth keeping public meetings, but representing the public accurately is not something they are good at.

3. For disabled people, remote participation is something that we have been advocating for years. with covid-19 restrictions, we have been able to participate at levels as never before. I just wish that every public meeting had a REQUIREMENT that remote participation be allowed.

   1. I heartily agree. I remember going to a state hearing on vaccine requirements just a few months before Covid hit. The audience was full of families of anti-vaxxers and their unvaccinated children, effectively preventing immunocompromised people and their families from attending at all.

4. Maybe there is a way to combine remote and in person representation in public meetings so that all can have an opportunity to be heard.

   1. The issue is with allowing remote meetings without requiring an in-person quorum. Meetings should no longer be allowed to be 100% virtual.

5. This an opportunity to improve as long as we do not allow the mechanisms of injustice to impeed. In 2021 there is no reason that any and all public meetings are not inperson and zoom accesible. Senior and and limited ability housing unitds should be equipped with a group access feed at all of these meetings as well. We have so many people without access to transportation or technology, that we can level the playing field and should take this action. Let’s begin to supplement access not limit it to either or.

6. Hello Senator,
   Seeing as how Dr. Fauci in his own words taken from his his own FOIA’d private emails to the people he loves were, and it’s a direct quote mind you, “The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material, I do not recommend that you wear a mask.” Furthermore, the University of Florida released a study just this past week, the analysis detected the following 11 dangerous pathogens on the masks:
   Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumonia) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tuberculosis)
   Neisseria meningitidis (meningitis, sepsis)
   Acanthamoeba polyphaga (keratitis and granulomatous amebic encephalitis) Acinetobacter baumanni (pneumonia, blood stream infections, meningitis, UTIs—resistant to antibiotics)
   Escherichia coli (food poisoning) Borrelia burgdorferi (causes Lyme disease) Corynebacterium diphtheriae (diphtheria)
   Legionella pneumophila (Legionnaires’ disease) Staphylococcus pyogenes serotype M3 (severe infections—high morbidity rates)
   Staphylococcus aureus (meningitis, sepsis)
   Half of the masks were contaminated with one or more strains of pneumonia-causing bacteria. One-third were contaminated with one or more strains of meningitis-causing bacteria. One-third were contaminated with dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. In addition, less dangerous pathogens were identified, including pathogens that can cause fever, ulcers, acne, yeast infections, strep throat, periodontal disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and more.” [see: https://rationalground.com/dangerous-pathogens-found-on-childrens-face-masks/%5D
   That facemasks are ineffective to block transmission of COVID-19 and actually can cause health deterioration and premature death seems to me an obvious understatement.
   Can you help me with understanding the continuing theater? Manipulative guilt? What happened to HIPPA?
   I’M VACCINATED. What does ‘vaccinated’ mean?
   I’m ok with the willful ignorance of the uninformed to do self harm, that’s their own business, but they I shouldn’t be forced to do harm to myself.
   I choose to ‘follow the science,’ not the science fiction based solely on political theater.
   Thank you for your time, I await an explanation and I hope you’re having a great weekend. ?

7. Very useful. Thanks.

8. I do have issues with 9, 20. It was not until last week that I regained practical access to the internet. (Did from time to time get a chance to borrow a smartphone to get out quick urgent messages) Don’t get me started on the fiasco on registering for a vax without internet access. Our library was closed for over a year leaving me digitally disenfranchised. Yet, town hearings/ meetings are now held after the library closes in the evening, so the problem persists, even after the medical reason for virtual communication is not there. Is there a way of at least the meeting Chair being present in person in some type of arrangement allowing in-person public participation and simultaneous be virtual-ed. Last summer, I received a notice of hearing from an abut-tor for wetlands issues on his/her home addition. There was no practical way I could respond (should I have called Morgan & Morgan to get a Supreme Court ruling on this)?

   I am tired of Municipal and public hiding behind their technology.
   Now this problem can be rectified in the statehouse. Otherwise we are no better than a digital dictatorship, or should I say The Statehouse is a little North Korea in downtown Boston.

9. If public participation in local government is going to remain remote, (hopefully, that remains an option for all with legitimate reason, and not to skirt accountability ) then have we considered enabling traditional locations of public gathering with connectivity tech for a mass of individuals to share their voices and spirit live with the remote members?

   1. Let me refine, re.: “legitimate,”no one should have to justify their attending remotely post- pandemic, but there may be a good reason for chosen representatives &c. to be physically present whenever possible.

10. I’m very happy that we’re continuing with the availability of remote in addition to in-person. Having both will allow me to participate in-person when I can and virtually when I can not. I have seen a much higher participation in municipal meetings this last year because of the virtual meetings. I was able to participate in meetings that I could not have attended in person because of work schedule. I’m hoping that continuing virtual will mean that I will be able to continue attend. All meeting should have both to ensure maximum participation.

    1. Need to insist now on BOTH

11. I’ve got more questions. Someone just forwarded this link to me.
    Can you explain this, Senator?
    https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/massachusetts-massnotify-app-consent/

12. I am curious to know which colleges and universities in greater Boston are requiring students to be fully vaccinated.

    1. Hi Barbara,
       I just wrote a post with information about the vaccination requirements at colleges and universities in the district and the Boston area. Here is the link: https://willbrownsberger.com/covid-19-vaccination-requirements-for-boston-area-colleges-and-universities/

13. Let’s try this again.
    Can you explain this, Senator?

    “COVID-Tracker App Installs Itself Without User Consent, Including On Parental-Locked Devices.
    JUNE 19, 2021
    “Massachusetts state officials recently announced the launch of the
    “voluntary” MassNotify app, which monitors the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The only problem is the app appears to be installing itself on residents’ and their kids’ smartphones, unbeknownst to users, and without their consent.
    The news creates a disturbing new dimension to privacy laws and even private property concerns as hundreds of users have reported their Android phones have had the app surreptitiously installed, without their prior knowledge.”
    https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/massachusetts-massnotify-app-consent/

    1. Have not forgotten about this, Steven. Staff is working researching this. I’ve sent them back to develop a good technical explanation.

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