Fare-free
Mayor Wu’s victory lap over extending Boston’s “fare-free” bus pilot (“Boston to spend $1M to extend fare-free MBTA bus pilot,” Feb 20) relies on magical thinking and a complete disregard for fiscal reality.
First, there is no such thing as a free bus ride. The mayor’s office celebrates that riders are using their transit savings to pay for rent and groceries, but conveniently ignores where that $17.34 million came from. That money was extracted from taxpayers who now cannot spend those dollars on their own rent, groceries, and families. Calling it “free” is just a convenient way to ignore whose pockets are being picked.
Second, boasting about a 35% spike in ridership isn’t proof of brilliant policy — it’s just basic economics. If you subsidize a service down to $0, demand will artificially skyrocket.
The biggest deception, however, is the funding. The mayor wants to make this permanent, yet it is currently bankrolled by finite, one-time federal COVID-19 relief funds (ARPA). Using temporary emergency money for recurring operational expenses is a fiscal bait-and-switch.
The artificial money is drying up. It is time for City Hall to drop the fantasy and admit what this political pandering actually costs
Gary Durst
North Billerica
Energy fund
A single mother having trouble juggling work and affordable childcare…a household having a hard time dealing with the high prices for food and rent…a father who recently lost his job. For many Massachusetts families in temporary crisis, lower temperatures have them facing another cold reality…not being able to pay the monthly energy bill.
The Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund, sponsored by 18 energy service providers in the state and administered by The Salvation Army, is often the last resort for families who are in need of a helping hand and who have not qualified for federal and state assistance programs. Unfortunately, we expect the urgency of need to continue to escalate throughout the rest of the winter and into the spring. With this in mind, those in need of energy assistance should visit their local Salvation Army Service Center or call 800-262-1320 if they live in area code 413 or 800-334-3047 if they live in area codes 339, 351, 508, 617, 774, 781, 857, or 978.
To help us satisfy the more than 1,500 requests for aid anticipated this winter and spring alone, we appeal to everyone in the Massachusetts area to join their fellow residents in the Commonwealth and the Fund’s sponsoring energy companies to “Give the Gift of Warmth.” People can donate by using the green Good Neighbor Energy Fund donation envelopes found as an insert in their monthly utility bills, scanning the QR code featured on the donation envelope or through the “add a dollar” program some energy companies offer. Residents can also donate with a credit card by visiting magoodneighbor.org or by writing a check payable to “The Good Neighbor Energy Fund” and sending it c/o The Salvation Army, 25 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021-1408.
On behalf of all the families in need, thank you!
Justin Stearns
Chairperson, 2026 Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund
