Reader endorses Ross for Suffolk County Register of Deeds
Dear Editor:
There’s no question in my mind that Jeff Ross is the right candidate for Register of Deeds for Suffolk County. As a member of the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee, I’ve known him for years.
This position is responsible for maintaining a permanent public record of all properly drawn legal documents submitted by the public relative to real estate. Jeff is one of only two attorneys running for this office—and the only one with a real estate background.
This is an important race, as mistakes can be a costly. One family, who had the wrong information on their deed, spent $15,000 of their retirement savings fighting over who pays for the sea wall they’re required to build.
If elected, Jeff would: (1) Implement property boundary reviews of deeds filed with the registry to avoid costly legal mistakes; (2) Implement optical scanner software tog et records online faster; (3)Grant greater access to legal actions filed with the land court by allowing attorneys to file documents electronically; (4) Increase the multi-lingual capacity at the registry; and (5) Advocate for land court hearings before a mortgage foreclosure takes place.
In 2013, he received more than 28,000 votes across the city when he ran for Boston City Councilor-at-Large. In the March 1 Primary, he received more than20,200 votes.
The Register of Deeds post is all about electing someone who’s determined to protect our property rights. I’m convinced that Jeff Ross is the most qualified—and
electable—candidate. I’m casting my vote for him on Thursday, September 8.
Patricia Amend
Boston
The case for charter schools
Dear Editor:
The Boston City Council’s recent vote against Question 2 to lift enrollment caps on public charter schools is based on the false assumption that voting for it would harm public education.
A Yes vote on Question 2 would allow the state to approve additional charters in the state’s lowest performing districts, including Boston, in a measured and strategic way, allowing for charters to grow where they are most needed and ensuring fair access to high quality public schools.
Charter schools are nonprofit, public schools that provide parents with choices outside their local districts. (http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/about.html)
Charter students are public school children; their teachers are public school teachers; their parents are residents and taxpayers in the communities where they are located. When parents choose to send their children to charters, they are deciding where they want their public education dollars spent.
Communities actually see an increase in education funding because the state provides more aid to school districts that lose students to charters. Since
1998, the state has provided more than $1 billion in additional aid to these communities.
Boston charters are closing the achievement gap between low-income African-American and Latino children and affluent, white children. Yet, under the current cap, Boston is frozen to new charters. With 12,000 children currently on waitlists for Boston charters, a Yes vote on Question 2 would ensure high quality public education options are available to thousands more Boston children.
Marc Kenen
Massachusetts Charter Public School Association