Sit With Andrea
Last week, a woman named Andrea Honore reached out to me on Facebook. She told me she has been trying to meet with Governor Baker for more than two months.
For the last 72 days, Andrea has spent part of her lunch break in the the governor’s office, patiently waiting to speak with Gov. Baker about the effects that a proposed natural gas compressor station in North Weymouth will have on her community. Since Gov. Baker has not met with her to discuss it, she reached out to me.
The day after I got her message, I sat down and spoke with her for over an hour.
Before we spoke, I had heard enough about the compressor station to know that something was wrong. When Andrea laid out maps, tables, and figures she and her fellow activists had compiled, I realized just how dangerous this project will be to the community. She showed me how close the compressor station will be to a major bridge, a beautiful park, and a water filtration plant that serves thousands of homes across the south shore.
She also told me that many believe this proposed compressor station isn’t primarily designed to do anything for Massachusetts. It will pump highly pressurized fossil fuels through Massachusetts to markets outside of the state while spewing emissions and putting local communities at risk.
Why won’t our governor sit down Andrea, a constituent who has been waiting 72 days?
Yesterday, I asked Andrea to walk me around the proposed site in Weymouth. I listened and saw for myself where this station will be built. Listening and learning from constituents is what I do every day as mayor. If Gov. Baker took a few minutes to listen to Andrea, and if he took the time to visit the proposed site, he might understand that this dangerous project should not move forward.
In a time when our overheated political discussions too often turn neighbors into enemies, we need more people like Andrea and her fellow activists. We need more thoughtful, informed citizen who want to start a conversation about what’s best for their communities.
