Sign in

Jess Sheehan

@jfsheehan.bsky.social
1K followers 663 following 961 posts

Roslindale to Cambridge. I'll probably talk most about local politics and housing policy. Also into space stuff. Very bad Learned League player.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“It’s kind of damning that it has taken Massachusetts this long because it really is a policy that the Legislature should have passed,” Cohn said, noting that MA and RI are the only New England states that have not implemented same-day voter registration. www.boston.com/news/local-n...
boston.com
Question 4 could allow Mass. voters to register on Election Day. Here’s what to know.
Supporters say Question 4 would expand voting access, while opponents argue same-day registration jeopardizes election integrity.
14111
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Why are we framing a gas tax suspension as "relief", rather than a choice with trade-offs? Not sure, but there's a long history of talking about relief from taxes, starting with Richard Nixon in 1969 through George W. Bush in 2001.
194
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Underdeveloped object permanence. If people don't live where I can see them, they stop existing, and that's good. If it's 50 trees being cut from a forest Elsewhere in the state rather than 1 tree on my city block, that's a climate win because I didn't ever personally witness tree removal.
1104
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler @votejivan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Have you been asked to pay a broker’s fee to rent an apartment this year—after Massachusetts banned forced broker’s fees in 2025? I unfortunately have. Report it! ⬇️ forms.gle/DND8TfeoLbVQ...
0169
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
StreetsblogMASS @mass.streetsblog.org · 03/09/2026
Update: @cambbikesafety.bsky.social notes that Rose is the 5th person to be killed walking or biking along Memorial Drive since 2014. They've set up an online petition calling on @massdcr.bsky.social, which controls Memorial Drive, “to make major, permanent safety improvements now.”
23927
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I think this is true and that it's classy of Burhan to say it publicly. But I also think this is a race that would have benefited from RCV. Two things are true here: 1) Erika won fair and square, and 2) a majority of voters preferred another candidate. RCV would resolve that disconnect.
120
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Reminder: If you have a mail ballot, put it in a dropbox now instead of sending it through the mail. It's too close to Primary Day to guarantee it arrives on time. Mail ballots need to be received by 8 pm on Tuesday.
611153
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Going through our wedding photos and removing images of minors before we share more widely - normal, responsible. Having to constantly remind myself all my little cousins in their 20s aren't actually minors - devastating. 😱
030
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Mary Shannon @maryshannonthomas.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I early voted today! I love that I can do early voting for a primary... Voting is still critical no matter what you hear, and primaries are where you can make a tangible difference. Get out there and cast those ballots!! Downside; I didn't get a sticker, so enjoy some flowers instead.
A picture of white gladiolas, a brilliant orange zinnia and a delightfully orange sunflower in a vase on a white counter.
151
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Shoshana 🏳️‍⚧️ @shoshana.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
The US has 6x the bicycle fatality rate as the Netherlands! When people are safe, they ride bikes. Cambridge and Somerville invested heavily in bike and pedestrian safety and we've seen huge growth in biking.
13711
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
“It’s not that our current system is good. It’s that this alternate one is worse." #mapoli commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-quest...
commonwealthbeacon.org
Odd bedfellows: Progressive critics join Democratic, Republican party bosses to oppose election reform ballot question
“It’s not that our current system is good. It’s that this alternate one is worse,” says Jonathan Cohn, policy director for Progressive Mass.
13118
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Low residential property taxes starve municipalities of needed funds, as Burhan says. They're also a driver of widening economic inequality.
blog.landeconomics.org
Low property taxes freeze the youth out of the economy
A new paper shows low property taxes are locking young families out of homeownership.
141
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Darren Buck @bikepedantic.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Eagerly waiting for a US city to please experiment with these. So much friendlier to sidewalk users (particularly those who use wheelchairs) than the stupid ramped cords.
1354
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jesse again @misctakes.com · 08/08/2026
Really anyone with a nice falsetto. This is for a "voting in September" PSA, so good cause. And yeah we're not gonna do AI so it's finding someone who can sing or it doesn't happen.
3117
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Porter Square Books in Cambridge & Boston @portersqbooks.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
It's tax free weekend in Mass! So books et al will be 6.25% off all weekend! So if you've been waiting for an opportunity to say...buy out our run of Dalkey Archive Essentials...or, have Josh pick out 10 weird books for you, this is the weekend to do it!!!!
14814
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem @burhanazeem.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Over the last decade, Austin rents went up 93%. It was one of the worst rent spikes of any major American city. Then Austin changed its rules.
15314
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Darren Buck @bikepedantic.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Burhan is looking for “answers, suggestions, introductions or anything else send us an email to: vijetaandburhan.cancertreatment@gmail.com “ for his father-in-law’s brain tumor metastasized from an unknown primary tumor. Bluesky — you were born for this!
094
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
This is Art
162
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Cynthia Graber @cagraber.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
For the locals: after going to a group debate at SHS and considering all the candidates, all of whom basically share my general values, this is truly the level of knowledge, detail, savvy, and nerdery that I want in my state senator. @burhanazeem.bsky.social www.reddit.com/r/CambridgeM...
reddit.com
From the CambridgeMA community on Reddit: “What’s That About?” Cambridge Vice Mayor & Candidate for State Senate Burhan Azeem: Full Interview
Explore this post and more from the CambridgeMA community
065
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
There's always room for improvement, but Cambridge is actually pretty good about making city data publicly accessible online. They even offer classes on how to navigate the various datasets. Pushing invention and speculation over actual data is a choice, and a bad one.
020
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
If you follow their "sources" it's self-reference all the way down, no independent facts or data. Their dev tracker is a mix of misinterpreted city data, AI slop, and crowdsourced speculation. The city tracks this stuff itself for anyone who cares about actual data:
cambridgema.gov
Development Log - CDD - City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Development Log, published quarterly, tracks larger-scale residential and commercial development projects.
122
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I am jotting things down in my little notebook. It is “game over” for my haters.
61628
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Shoshana 🏳️‍⚧️ @shoshana.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
We have sanctuary cities, but for whom? States like Massachusetts, California, and New York offer essential protections for marginalized people. You can't be a sanctuary for vulnerable people if you don't build the housing they need and can afford.
827872
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The Brown petition, which would have reintroduced parking minimums, downzoned certain neighborhoods, and applied even to 100% affordable developments built under the AHO, has been recommended unfavorably 7-2, with Zusy and Flaherty in the minority. It's essentially dead.
3100
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
My ballot question recommendations: 1: ✅ 2: ✅❓ 3: 👎👎👎👎👎👎‼️ 4: ✅✅✅ 5: 👎👎👎 6: 👎 7: ✅✅✅ 8: 🤦‍♀️👎👎👎 9: ✅✅✅ Though I wish the legislature had just done most of the good stuff here instead of us having to do a ballot question on it.
182
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Darren Buck @bikepedantic.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Self-serving reminder that i'm running for a Board seat with this org, because this org leaps into the fray to defend us. Join if you're able: bikeleague.org/join-now/
0388
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one shocked by this morning’s incredibly tone deaf @massterlist.com newsletter. A young woman who devoted her life to making Boston’s streets safer for all road users died on those very streets just days ago. This mornings opinion piece lacked any semblance of compassion.
4287
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Porter Square Books in Cambridge & Boston @portersqbooks.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
One of our booksellers currently showing a customer how to put their hair up using one of the hair clips we sell & there's no way you're getting that service on Amazon
09012
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Go fund me for memorial expenses for Xavier:
gofundme.com
Donate to Support for Xavier’s Family After Tragic Loss, organized by Casey Torres Angeles
Dear Friends, Family, and The Cambridge Community, Our hearts are c… Casey Torres Angeles needs your support for Support for Xavier’s Family After Tragic Loss
078
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Cambridge Somerville Independent @csindie.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Officials call a community meeting to address Saturday’s fatal shooting in Cambridge
dlvr.it
Officials call a community meeting to address Saturday’s fatal shooting in Cambridge
A community meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday to talk about a weekend shooting that killed Xavier Bautista, a 32-year-old Cambridge resident and a Public Works employee. It was the year’s third gunfire incident. Representatives from the offices of the mayor, city manager, police department, City Council... The post Officials call a community meeting to address Saturday’s fatal shooting in Cambridge appeared first on Cambridge | Somerville Independent.
021
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Wait so the Nazi tattoo guy turned out to be bad?
160
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
GOLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 06/07/2026
we area getting closer and closer to the french defeating the english on american soil 250 years later
939441
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
sorry, we're deciding this one by goals per capita
143476487
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Cape Verde defeats Argentina via a 2-3 loss in extra time
7756221035
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Janel Comeau 🍁 @verybadllama.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
the east coast: I drew you a nice, hot bath me: in the bathtub? the east coast: in the air all around you :) the east coast: there is no escape :)
317940
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Every legislative session without meaningful housing reform comes with severe cost. Families pay more, businesses struggle to grow & hire, young people, our workforce, leave, and Massachusetts becomes less economically competitive. Innaction is malpractice. commonwealthbeacon.org/housing/face...
commonwealthbeacon.org
Faced with crippling housing crisis, Beacon Hill nibbles at the edges
A rundown of recent actions, pending proposals, and actions at the Supreme Judicial Court influencing housing policy more aggressively than any single piece of legislation.
1189
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Based on the title you might think this piece would include some facts and data, but you would be wrong.
2131
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Regardless what Councilor Flaherty may think, selling the single family home you live in for a massive profit is not displacement. Someone building an apartment building with affordable housing near you is not displacement! Words mean things.
071
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Meanwhile Councillor Flaherty claims in a recent opinion piece that turning a $3m+ single family home into 56 apartments, 20% of which are subsidized and income-restricted in perpetuity, will displace middle-income families. We're supposed to take that seriously as a good faith argument?
1102
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
I appreciate McGovern taking the time to correct the misinformation going around about demolitions. It's super frustrating that he has to though, and that the misinformation is coming from another councilor. Yeah it's Zusy. youtu.be/292vyTAQYms?...
youtu.be
What's That About? "The Fight for Housing in Cambridge STILL isn't over"
YouTube video by evilwombatog
073
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Universal Hub @universalhub.com · 25/06/2026
United Way of Mass Bay has set up a fund to help Haitian and Syrian TPS holders and their families unitedwaymassbay.org/united-respo...
unitedwaymassbay.org
United Response Fund - United Way of Massachusetts Bay
04538
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Had a lot of fun doing a canvassing training for 350 Mass / Better Future Project/ Make Polluters Pay tonight! One of my slides (#4 is about not putting lit in mailboxes)
A few golden rules: 

(1) 90% of politics is just showing up. 

(2) The #1 reason why someone isn't taking the action you want is you didn't ask them.

(3) You are the best person to talk about the issues that affect you and that you care about. 

(4) Don't commit unnecessary crimes.
0268
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Burhan is right. When there's no transparency around why and how popular bills die in committee despite no vocal opposition, we lose both the value of the legislation as well as the ability to hold our elected representatives accountable.
071
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 23/06/2026
For years, the Boston area has let state capacity fall away as private industry did a lot of heavy lifting on making things happen, both good and bad. Now, as we're facing a downturn, we need to revitalize our ability to dream big, and push for better. I'm proud to be supporting Burhan for that.
0234
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Darren Buck @bikepedantic.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Friends, my YIMBY angel wings are arriving next week! It’s the dream: Enabled by the new @cambridgemass.bsky.social base zoning, an adjoining lot to mine is going to redevelop two homes into five — by-right — and I will be joining the online meeting to welcome more neighbors to our neighborhood.
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOR NOTIFICATION MEETING
Address redacted • Cambridge, MA
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
(1.5 hour)
Online via Zoom
Meeting Link redacted

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
• Renovated existing 2-family home convert into 2 condos
• Add 3 new units attached in the back
• Total of 5 Residential Units
• C-1 Zoning District, Cambridge, MA
Purpose of Meeting:
To provide project information and receive feedback from neighbors.
38410
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Corner of Prospect and Cambridge streets. The kids are alright
A pedestrian walk beg button sign with lettering removed and rearranged to spell out, "BUTT FOR SAlE" (butt for sale) instead of the original, "PRESS BUTTON FOR SIGNAL."
162
Jess Sheehan @jfsheehan.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
I'm a Gemini and will readily cop to talking too much, being indecisive about restaurant orders, and sometimes thinking I'm funnier than I am, but leave me out of the other stuff
110
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Chad Loder @chadloder.dev · 17/06/2026
Hey folks. One of the reasons the US Attorneys' office in Chicago is getting raked over the coals and possibly sanctioned for misconduct is that the Broadview defendants like @katmabu.bsky.social have AMAZING lawyers and community support. We can do the same in Minnesota by donating.
3403154
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
jonlink @jonlink.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Somerville, want to hear from the candidates for senate? There’s a candidate forum tonight! Tuesday, June 16th at 7:00 PM Friends Meeting Hall: 5 Longfellow Pk, Cambridge MA
2nd middlesex senate district candidate forum

Tuesday, June 16th at 7:00 PM
Friends Meeting Hall: 5 Longfellow Pk, Cambridge MA
021
Reposted by Jess Sheehan
Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A remarkable conservation success: Boston now uses less water than it did in 1900, despite having over 200,000 more residents. Water consumption today is also less than half of its 1980s peak.
2485