📝Contributor
massandra
👤 About massandra
About Me
Hello! I’m a Bostonian engineer with a passion for writing, a fascination with how words are used, and a drive to share it with others.
My Goal
I aim to write content that pushes toward a goal. Every post should either serve as a foundation for ideas to come, or build upon the ones that came before. I hope you can use the roots and branches to see how ideas grow over time.
Engage!
I invite civil disagreement at every junction from all ends of the spectrum, whether further left, further right, or some other direction. I’m always looking to be proven wrong so I can do better next time.
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Newton, MA
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Website
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November 29, 2025
The minority party in politics often benefits from norms like transparency and civility; these rules prevent the majority party from steamrolling them. However, if manipulated strategically, these ... (Read more)
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November 23, 2025
Boston Herald opinion columnist Joe Battenfield and I agree on one thing for certain: the Mass GOP doesn’t appeal to Massachusetts voters, which makes state elections less competitive. That’s where... (Read more)
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November 21, 2025
Earlier this week, I officially launched the Beacon Hill Compliance Tracker to the public, with the help of local grassroots leaders. A big question on my mind lately has been what constitutes ethi... (Read more)
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November 07, 2025
If the best defense of your speech is “I have the right to say it”, your ideas probably stink. Too often, people respond to criticism with a reminder that they have freedom of speech without consid... (Read more)
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November 01, 2025
Massachusetts voters asked for transparency last November and have yet to see it. The last time I wrote about this, I hammered a few key points: The voters demanded it Transparency is necessary for... (Read more)
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October 29, 2025
Rage-bait is not the same thing as fake news—but they’re best friends. The online age has inspired e-outlets that masquerade as news sites, replacing research and understanding with the journalisti... (Read more)
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October 24, 2025
Advocating for transparency alone isn’t the endgame, it’s the start of accountability. Whether it’s a candidate obscuring their views or Beacon Hill’s leaders, when critical information is obscured... (Read more)
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October 23, 2025
Elections aren’t just about policies; they’re also about trust and consent to lead. When candidates hide what they believe to fit the district they’re running in, voters lose the ability to make an... (Read more)
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October 22, 2025
I created a Beacon Hill compliance tracker to track legislative compliance in Massachusetts state government! You can view it at https://BeaconHillTracker.org/. I’ve been wanting to contribute to t... (Read more)
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October 21, 2025
Policies don’t work in fragments. When considering the impact of a bill, it’s important to take all its aspects into account, not just the appealing pieces. More than that, we have to be honest abo... (Read more)