Charlie and the MTA: Difference between revisions

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====Charlie and the MTA====
==== Bechtel and the MBTA<br/> ====
 
intro: <font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-align:-webkit-center">"</span></font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;  text-align:-webkit-center">These are the times that try men's souls. In the course of our nation's history, the people of Boston have rallied bravely whenever the rights of men have been threatened. Today, a new crisis has arisen. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, better known as the M.B.T.A., is attempting to levy a burdensome tax on the 99% in the form of a subway fare increase. Through service cuts, they threaten to keep our families from going to work and our children from going to school. Citizens, hear us out! This could happen to you!"</span>
 
{|
{|
|valign="top"|
|-
<pre>
| valign="top" | <pre>       G
Let me tell you the story
Let me tell you the story
    C
Of a man named Charlie
Of a man named Charlie
    G  D
On a tragic and fateful day
On a tragic and fateful day
          G
He put his card in his pocket,
He put his card in his pocket,
          C
Kissed his wife and family
Kissed his wife and family
        G          D G
Went to ride on the MTA
Went to ride on the MTA


Line 13: Line 21:
At the Kendall Square Station
At the Kendall Square Station
And he changed for Jamaica Plain
And he changed for Jamaica Plain
When he got there the conductor told him,
When he got there they said,
"There's been a fare hike."
"There's been a fare hike."
Charlie could not get off that train.
and he could not get off that train.
 


Chorus:
Chorus 1:
          G
     Did he ever return,
     Did he ever return,
          C
     No he never returned
     No he never returned
            G              D
     And his fate is still unlearn'd
     And his fate is still unlearn'd
          G
     He may ride forever
     He may ride forever
              C
     'neath the streets of Boston
     'neath the streets of Boston
     He's the man who never returned.  
            G      D          G
     He's the man who never returned.
 


Now all night long
Now all night long
Line 33: Line 49:
Or my cousin in Roxbury?"  
Or my cousin in Roxbury?"  


    Chorus 1:
[Instrumental]
</pre>
</pre>
|valign="top"|
| valign="top" | <pre>Now I'll tell you a story
<pre>
      G
Now I'll tell you a story
          C
about the Big Dig Tunnel
about the Big Dig Tunnel
        G                  D
And the tragic and fateful way
And the tragic and fateful way
      G 
How a crooked highway project
How a crooked highway project
        C
Came to rob every family
Came to rob every family
    G          D  G
Who rides on the MBTA
Who rides on the MBTA


chorus 1:
It was money motivation
G
No one watched the corporations
The people got burned
The costs grew day by day
          C     
In the state house they had meetings
While the bankers they learned
With the banksters they were scheming
        G              D
How to get rich 'n have their way
'bout an easy way to get rich
      G
Just restructure the debt
      C
Charge big fees for your bets
    G        D      G
And make the people pay


Chorus 2:
    The people got burned
    The banks stole what we earned
    But we won't let 'em steal the T!
    We will ride forever
    'neath the streets of Boston
    Public trains, they oughta be free.


Bechtel did the job
Bechtel did the job
Line 71: Line 82:
Since they billed the MBTA
Since they billed the MBTA


chorus 1:
    Chorus 2:


Enough is enough
Enough is enough
The people are saying
The people are saying
Dont be wreckin the MBTA
Don't you take the busses away
Your games aint working
Your games aint a-working
And we aint takin
And we aint a-takin
No more cuts to the MBTA
No more cuts to the MBTA


chorus 2:
    Chorus:
We will never be burned
We will never be turned
To a world without the T
We will ride forever
'neath the streets of Boston
Public trains they oughta be free.


Now you citizens of Boston
Now you citizens of Boston
Line 94: Line 99:
The riders get sold out
The riders get sold out
No more cuts to the MBTA
No more cuts to the MBTA
chorus 2:
</pre>
</pre>
|}
|}




Back to [[OccupyMBTA]]


====Occupy Tommy (Menino)====
<noinclude>[[Category:Lyrics]]</noinclude>
 
Jack, Chaser, Ellen
We started the meeting with lots of concerns about Menino, such as the contacts and meetings w between Mayor Menino and Mayor Bloomberg, the police tactics and efforts at Dewey were mild but instigated after this meeting….  Researching Tommy’s positions, connections
 
Good Cop/ bad cop
Alternative candidates were discussed, running Occupy people, who else is running
Inviting City Councilors like Arroyo and Ayana Pressley (Brian has a connection w her)
Making Menino aware of Occupy, Occupy will be at his events like a shadow, wearing Occupy 99% tee shirts to let him know we are there, mike checking meetings w specific things we want him to do
1.    pas legislation
2.    meet w us
3.    help people who are being foreclosed on
Possible Actions:
Dumping Dirt at an event or speech to push the issue on Community farms, need for clean soil, stop using pesticides, etc.
Public embarrassment when  important leaders are in town, eg Barack Obama
“Let Them Eat Cake” Marie Antoinette- Barack Obama at Chef’s event on the 29th?
Op-Ed Open letter to Tommy Menino
Mike Check his meetings or city council
Teaching the MA legislature how to participate in Horizontal Democracy
Research Big Dig
List of grievances
Building a Better Boston- Positive Initiatives to pressure him on
How Do we ENVISION a Better City ?
*Permaculture gardens in public green spaces
* Affordable housing that is open to those living without homes and underwater from mortgages or been evicted-green designed
*public space for public discourse
* put money back into education, local schools
*pesticides and herbicides off public land like the Boston Common, Boston Garden , Esplanade
* Closed loop municipal recycling
*mandatory roof gardens w food and flowers
*pollution ordinances to reduce car exhaust and car use, increased and improved bike lanes and bike rental program, closing down certain streets on certain days to car traffic- like Newbury street on or Atlantic Ave on Sundays….
TIMELINE on A BETTER BOSTON
Working group sponsors a Day of Visioning on some of the following possible areas for Discussion
EDUCATION, PUBLIC SPACES, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, LOCAL FOOD and CRAFTS, COURT and POLICE Reform, ARTS and MUSIC, STUDENT and College Life, Spiritual and Faith, Community and Neighborhoods, Tourism, HOUSING, Fair, Green and Affordable,
Day long event of visioning a Better Boston the above areas or something like that open for discussion and vision
Adopt some principles and or possibilities for a better Boston
Write a letter to Tommy and Councilors, School Board about the vision, invite them for meetings…
Depending on the response, write op ed to Boston papers
Create a community wide event w City of Boston and other social change groups to create a Better Boston, hook in w lots of youth groups…
MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!!

Latest revision as of 20:10, 11 May 2012

Bechtel and the MBTA

intro: "These are the times that try men's souls. In the course of our nation's history, the people of Boston have rallied bravely whenever the rights of men have been threatened. Today, a new crisis has arisen. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, better known as the M.B.T.A., is attempting to levy a burdensome tax on the 99% in the form of a subway fare increase. Through service cuts, they threaten to keep our families from going to work and our children from going to school. Citizens, hear us out! This could happen to you!" 

       G
Let me tell you the story
     C 
Of a man named Charlie
     G  		D
On a tragic and fateful day
           G
He put his card in his pocket,
           C
Kissed his wife and family
        G           D G
Went to ride on the MTA

Charlie swiped his card
At the Kendall Square Station
And he changed for Jamaica Plain
When he got there they said,
"There's been a fare hike."
and he could not get off that train.


Chorus 1:
           G
    Did he ever return,
          C
    No he never returned
            G               D
    And his fate is still unlearn'd
           G
    He may ride forever
               C
    'neath the streets of Boston
             G       D           G
    He's the man who never returned.


Now all night long
Charlie rides through the tunnels
Saying, "What will become of me?
Crying
How can I afford to see
My sister in Chelsea
Or my cousin in Roxbury?" 

    Chorus 1:

[Instrumental]

Now I'll tell you a story
about the Big Dig Tunnel
And the tragic and fateful way
How a crooked highway project
Came to rob every family
Who rides on the MBTA

It was money motivation
No one watched the corporations
The costs grew day by day
In the state house they had meetings
With the banksters they were scheming
How to get rich 'n have their way

Chorus 2:
    The people got burned
    The banks stole what we earned
    But we won't let 'em steal the T!
    We will ride forever 
    'neath the streets of Boston
    Public trains, they oughta be free.

Bechtel did the job
While the poor working slob
Paid for all their mistakes
The highway its leaking
The people be freakin
Since they billed the MBTA

    Chorus 2:

Enough is enough
The people are saying
Don't you take the busses away
Your games aint a-working
And we aint a-takin
No more cuts to the MBTA

    Chorus:

Now you citizens of Boston
Don't you think its a scandal
That people have to pay and pay
While the banks get bailed out 
The riders get sold out
No more cuts to the MBTA


Back to OccupyMBTA

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