Charlestown’s Congressman Mike Capuano is among the best and brightest and most impassioned bomb throwers in recession era Washington.
About 60 days ago, when the big three car maker presidents and CEOs flew into Washington DC in their corporate jets to beg for money to stay alive, it was our congressman, among all the others, who made the news after listening to their bailout proposals.
He was feeling the rage and the wonder that all of us have been wanting to express -the rage and wonder of a congressman who understands that nearly everything about government and business these days is upside down.
“You people haven’t done anything in 20 years,” Capuano shouted at them unabashedly.
What he was saying is what all of us know intuitively.
Here we are at 2009, and Detroit hasn’t come up with a basic automobile at a good price that gets 40 mpg. In fact, 60 mpg would be closer to what should already have been achieved.
We’ve sent men to the moon. We’ve built atom bombs. We can launch rockets loaded with warheads that land within 5 feet of a target after traveling 5,000 miles.
“You know what?” he said to them. “We don’t trust you anymore.” Basically, he told them they didn’t know what they were doing.
And he is right.
Then in February, the nation’s bankers came to town to beg for federal money.
These are the AIG types, the Citibank types, the failed bankers who are all being paid millions and millions of dollars, and their employees reaping bonuses for helping the banks to fail.
Here’s what Capuano said to them on national television.
“You come here to us on your bicycles after buying Girl Scout cookies and helping Mother Teresa, telling us ‘We’re sorry, we didn’t mean it. We won’t do it again. Trust us.’
“Well, I have some people in my constituency who actually robbed some of your banks and they say the same thing.”
Bravo, Mike Capuano. He is right again.
Earlier this week, I was watching C-Span. Capuano was shown bemoaning the fate of the nation if the president’s budget is passed as is.
Once again, he expressed himself with passion and he showed leadership, although I have to wonder who is listening.
He is coming out of himself, projecting himself into the national limelight.
These are great days for Capuano – and for those of us whom he represents.

CAPTION: An artist’s rendering of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital facility proposed for Parcel 6 in the Navy Yard.

Staff members of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital met with the Charlestown Neighborhood Council (CNC) on March 18 to discuss its planned move to Parcel 6 in the Navy Yard.
According to David E. Storto, president of Spaulding Rehabilitation and Partners Continuing Care, the physical envelope of the building remains unchanged, but the programming within its interior has. The previous plan called for 150 adult beds, which has been reduced to 120, with the addition of a pediatric unit of 10-15 beds. The research space has also been increased from 6,000 square feet to 8,000.
Spaulding is in the process of gathering all the information it needs for the various city and state filings, such as an Institutional Master Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Report, and others. These documents could be ready within the next few weeks, and Spaulding is looking to get copies out to the public, have them reviewed, and receive input. As such, they are requesting a follow-up meeting with the CNC in four to six weeks. A signup sheet was circulated at the meeting for people who want to receive documents. Additionally, Partners will look into making the documents available electronically and getting a set to the library.
John Messervey of Partners pointed out that the development team is authorized to complete the design and get the filings together. They will require formal approval for construction, which he envisions will be in October. Whether Partners will authorize construction depends on its financial situation, considering the current economic conditions.
In addition to all the filings, Partners must go through a Chapter 21E and federal process as the site has some hazardous materials, including PCBs. It was suggested that a technical assistance person be assigned to work with the community on air quality issues and review the cleanup documents.
If things go optimally and construction is approved, Partners envisions commencing repair of the seawall and beginning site cleanup towards the end of 2009. This will take approximately six months and full construction would commence in mid-2010, with a completion date of 2012.
At the meeting, Partners also voiced its commitment to ongoing dialogue during the design and construction process.

FORMER CHARLESTOWN RESIDENT AND vice president of the Old Charlestown Schoolboy’s Association, William P. Morrissey has been elected President and Director of Central Bancorp, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary Central Co‑operative Bank effective as of Feb. 19. Until his promotion, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Bank.
Morrissey is a former Chairman and member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. Prior to 1992, Morrissey served as Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs at The Boston Five Cents Savings Bank and as Deputy Commissioner of Banks for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He also served in numerous capacities with other banking trade organizations, including membership on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Bankers Association.
Previously, he served as the first Chairman of Pension Reserve Investment Management Board, President of Visiting Nurses Association of Boston, President of the Charitable Irish Society, President of the Beacon Society, Director of Mutual Savings Central Fund, Director of Greater Boston Tourist and Convention Bureau, a member of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Cable Television for the City of Boston, and Director of Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Morrissey has been active in numerous charitable endeavors, including organizations overseen by the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. A Knight of Malta, he served as Chairman of the Catholic Charities Bureau of Boston and Trustee of St. Margaret’s Hospital. His community activities include serving as a trustee of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital; a trustee, Incorporator and Vice President of St. Elizabeth’s Foundation; a former member of the National Institute of Health, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, former Chairman of Health and Hospitals, City of Boston; and a former member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Association.
After graduating with honors from Boston College, where he completed the four year baccalaureate course in three years, Morrissey attended Brown University’s Graduate School of Savings Banking, where he also graduated with honors.