Wu: Justices against Roe a ‘fringe group’
Mayor Michelle Wu blasted what she called a “fringe group” of justices on the Supreme Court prepared to overturn abortion rights established by Roe v. Wade, but added that protesting at their homes by people who disagree isn’t going to help.
“I think it’s a sad reflection on where we are that so many feel this is the only way to make a difference and in this case we have a fringe group of unelected individuals about to overturn five decades of settled law that the majority of this country believes should stay in place and so we’re really at desperate times for our democracy,” she said.
Wu’s comments came Sunday during an appearance on WCVB’s “On The Record,” when she was asked about a range of issues confronting her young administration, not the least of which is an ordinance she fostered limiting the times during which protests may occur near the homes of elected officials.
She said she understands the frustration people feel at the prospect of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court decision legalizing abortion nationally, being overturned, but that protests at the homes of officials — and as a consequence near the homes of neighbors — won’t change any minds.
“Having experienced four months straight of people being outside my home, it did not change my mind about what I was trying to do,” she said.
A leaked draft decision published May 2 by Politico seems to indicate the court will soon overturn the 1973 decision.
Wu was also asked about her decision to institute a fee for restaurant owners in the city’s North End neighborhood who use street space for outdoor dining. The $7,500 fee has resulted in four lawsuits against Wu, who said the majority of the crowded neighborhood’s restaurateurs have complied and are already doing good business.
Wu says she thinks the lawsuits will fail.
“This is a permit that is discretionary from the city.
There is no guaranteed right for anyone to be able to take over the street and put anything they want on there. That is a core function of government, and so we are looking to use our public space and our streets and sidewalks in a way that benefits everyone,” she said.
Wu responded to questions about the MBTA, which she said despite recent derailments and fatalities — and the arrival of federal investigators — is perfectly safe.
“I ride the T regularly, I was just on it yesterday and had my regular commute, there are certainly a lot of things we need to improve and invest in,” she said. “It is a welcome investigation.”
Wu was asked whether the investigation meant her calls to make the T free were out of the question.
“The fact that we are where we are with systemwide questions about safety is directly connected to how we finance that system,” she said.
“Many of these safety issues could have been avoided if we had been maintaining our trains and cars and tracks much earlier on. We need to rethink how we truly fund and hold up this system and fund it like the public good it is,” she said.