A Child Advocate's Blog

The Boston Globe, July 25, 2010 STRUGGLING FAMILIES and their children across the country are breathing a little easier now that legislation to extend unemployment benefits has advanced. Massachusetts residents in the tens of thousands will benefit, and the state’s economy will percolate as these dollars are spent. Unfortunately, Senator Scott Brown opposed extending this critical, short-term spending. He has another chance, however, to help revive the state from a lethargic economic recovery. Legislation to extend FMAP — the federal medical assistance percentage — has been stalled in the Senate for weeks. The latest version of this bill includes $16 billion in fiscal relief to the states, and these funds are fully offset so they won’t increase the deficit. Without this support, Massachusetts faces $690 million in reduced revenue and an avalanche of cuts that are certain to further bury already vulnerable children and families. Senator Brown gets it. He knows that extending FM

O’Malley has unfinished business here in Boston - The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe recently wrote an op editorial in which they rightly described Cardinal O'Malley's responses to clergy sexual abuse as "a push and pull between the old forces of secrecy and the new pressure for transparency." In March 2009, the Cardinal publicly stated that "in the very near future" the Archdiocese would revise its policy on "disclosing information about accused clergy and the status of cases against them." Fifteen months later, despite urgings from child advocates and abuse victims, and the fact that two dozen other Bishops have released this information, we in Boston still wait. The Cardinal's new Vatican assignment to help Ireland address its clergy sex scandal should prompt him to resolve unfinished business in his own Archdiocese. He must release now the names of all proven, admitted or credibly accused Archdiocesan priests, religious order priests and brothers, deacons and nuns - whether living or deceased. Included mus