Linda Dorcena Forry

Rep. Forry Named “Woman of the Year”

Last night, Representative Forry was honored with the “Woman of the Year” award at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 Annual Friends For Children Celebration.  Friends for Children is a local nonprofit founded more than thirty years ago by the past President, Lee Wordsworth.  The organization began as Wordsworth’s personal mission and has since expanded  to raise thousands of dollars for children’s charities throughout the Boston area and particularly during the holiday season.  Rep. Forry sits on the board of Friends For Children. She was introduced by good friend and colleague Rep. Martin Walsh. 

Attorney General Sues Big Banks

This week Attorney General (AG) Martha Coakley initiated a lawsuit against five major national banks including Bank of America citing their failure to comply with the law in their rush to foreclose on homes throughout the Commonwealth.  In her statements before the court, the AG particularly referenced the banks’ use of robo-signers, or untrained employees, to approve foreclosure documents without detailed review. “I am pleased to see the AG take an active leadership role on this crisis that has affected so many in our state,” said Rep. Forry. “Foreclosing on a home has deep and long-lasting consequences on our residents and families. It affects their credit scores, their stability and their surrounding neighbors.  It is only right that banks give such a weighty decision the due attention it deserves. It is outrageous that this legal action is even necessary.”   Rep. Forry has worked with Boston Community Capital and their Stabilizing Urban Neighborhoods Initiative to help families stay in their homes and spread the word about resources available to help prevent foreclosure.

Mattapan Transit Oriented Development Project

This was an active week for transportation projects in the 12^th Suffolk District.  Conversations have begun with MassDOT and the community on various projects including the replacement of the Morton Street Bridge, improvements to the intersection of Morton Street & Gallivan Boulevard, upgrades to the Mattapan MBTA station, and the creation of a mixed-use residential and commercial Transit Oriented Development in Mattapan Square.  “I am pleased to see progress beginning on this project,” Rep. Forry said after attending the meeting. “Transit-oriented development has the capability of spurring economic growth throughout neighborhoods, and it is important for residents from the surrounding community to be heavily involved in the entire process from construction on. This project has the potential to anchor the entire Mattapan Square area.” Much of the meeting focused on the importance of hiring locally.  The Mattapan Station TOD Project is one of four properties in the Commonwealth that are part of MassDOT’s Diversity Development Program which encourages full participation of people of color and or women owned businesses.

Jobs Creation Commission Meets

The Governor’s Commission on Jobs Creation met again this week at the State House to continue its research on improving job opportunities and economic development in the Commonwealth.  The group has been asked to compile a report with recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature based on its research.  This week, the Commissioners focused on the role of our youth in the economy, whether it be in emerging technologies, nursing and healthcare or other services. “I am pleased to see this commission addressing the needs of our higher education system,” said Rep. Forry. “It is crucial that our students have the access and skills they need to meet the growing requirements of our economy.” The body addressed the question of whether or not the state is providing students with those skills and opportunities.  One of the key issues one Commission Member addressed was the persistence of the achievement gap between students from a very young age all the way through college and the rest of their lives.  The Commission is set to meet again on December 28^th.

School Lunch Rolls Increase

Increasingly, students across the country are joining the federal government’s free and reduced price lunch program an article in this week’s New York Times reports.  The program, which feeds tens of millions of American students every day, has seen increases of greater than 25% in some school districts, suggesting that the recession is still hitting many families hard.  Thankfully, just last year, Congress approved legislation (Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010) updating the Child Nutrition Act which funds the school lunch programs.  The updates include stipulations that schools must do more to provide healthy options and cut down on sugary food products such as soda.  On the state level, Rep. Forry and her colleagues fought to preserve funding in this year’s budget for important food providers like the Greater Boston Food Bank.  “As more and more of our students rely on food supplied through our schools and food banks, it is crucial that we make sure they have healthy options to help them learn and grow,” said Representative Forry. “Ensuring the Greater Boston Food Bank and other food providers have the resources they need is critical, especially at this time when they have seen vast increases in participation and where middle class families and those who have never needed public assistance before are turning to the state for help.”  To expand access to healthy foods, Rep. Forry was also the lead sponsor of 2010 legislation establishing a Massachusetts Food Policy Council charged with improving coordination between state agencies involved in food policy including nutrition in schools, supporting the agricultural industry and encouraging state residents to buy locally. She again took the lead on child nutrition legislation this session, filing a bill that would increase awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and require hospitals to better inform new mothers of those benefits.