June 9, 2025 • 38 mins
Over a month after the fatal Boston school bus crash that killed a 5-year-old in Hyde Park, the community is still looking for answers. Very little is publicly known about the school bus driver, who has not been charged in the crash. Why won’t the RMV or city release more information? The New England First Amendment Coalition says, “We should have the right to know who we’re sharing the roads with, and whether or not they are a danger to us.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVS, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I don't want to channel Bob Lobell, great sportscaster that
I work with at Channel four so many years, but
Brad Marshaan, Why can't we get players like that in Boston.
I'm sure Dan Watkins is heiring me, and he's probably
screaming at the top of his lungs. But I'm only joking.
I hope Marsian wins the Stanley Cup. That's who I'm
rooting for. I don't know Marsian, but I hope he
(00:31):
picks up a Stanley Cup this year. We are not
talking about the Stanley Cup. We're talking about a really
sad story. It was in late April. It was in
a Monday afternoon in April. I think it was April
twenty eighth. If I'm not mistaken, I should check my
calendar here to be absolutely sure. But a little boy,
five year old boy got off his school bus. He
(00:53):
was a kindergarten student at a Boston public school that
was the twenty eighth, got off the bus and somehow
some way of us struck him and he died. And
this has become a big story at least, it's a
big story to me, and it's also a big story
(01:14):
to my guest, Rob Burchie, who is an attorney associated
with the New England First Amendment Coalition. Rob, I guess
let let me leave this in your very competent hands.
This is a case that the New England First Amendment
Coalition is is looking for more information, more public information.
(01:39):
This is a story that has kind of disappeared from
the headlines. Why do we not know more about the
circumstances of the crash that the status of the investigation is.
What was the driving record of this driver who reported
(02:00):
and I believe you folks have on earthed some information
had a pretty poor driving record and maybe arguably never
should have been driving Boston school buses. Welcome to Nightside
first of all, Rob, and maybe you can can can
set the stage for us in terms of the issues
that the New England First Amendment Coalition is I think
so rightfully concerned about.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Thanks some upstand, I'm pleased to be with you. It
is in fact the Transgit case. I was particularly struck
to see the photo in the globe of this boy's
casket emblazoned with Spider Man. You know, it moves your heart.
(02:42):
The transity here is amplified by the fact that we
are able to know so little about the driving history
of the bus driver who struck.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Lens.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
What we do know found out is that he was
taken off the road for two days about two weeks
before the accident, for some retraining. We know that he
had four other crashes in the month preceding when he
struck Lens. We have information that he had three other
(03:19):
accident incidents or indicating that he had three other incidents
right before what happened with Lens hitting a parked car,
hitting a rear tire, or something like that. Why don't
we know more? The reason we don't know more is
really the function of well intentioned law called the Work
(03:46):
and Family Mobility Act, which was intended to allow immigrants
to apply for learners permits, to take road tests, and
to obtain drivers licenses without having to give proof of
their being in the country legally. But the wording of
(04:07):
that statute, and particularly the regulations that the Attorney General
implemented to enforce them, are so broad that they essentially
make it impossible to obtain the driving history of any
Massachusetts resident, which is contrary to what the situation was
(04:27):
before the law was passed. Drivers' histories have always been available.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
We learned about yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Well the other thing that I found interesting, and again
I'm interested in this story. I've done a couple of
hours on the fact that there's so so it's a
real positive information. And John Hilliot from the Globe staff
renewed my attention on this today. And I guess he
(05:00):
had problems here in Massachusetts. But one of the records,
according to the reporter from the Globe, John Hilliard had
speeding tickets in New Jersey in twenty sixteen, Connecticut in
twenty eighteen, and in twenty seventeen, he was in violation
of a New York law of in proper licensed class
(05:21):
or endorsement. Though I guess the details are somewhat sketchy.
This is like a guy that never should have been
driving a school bus. I mean, with this record, it
seems to me, I don't know, and somehow the Massachusetts
and you know, we value transparency. You know, it's up
(05:42):
to your organization, the organization that you're affiliated with, the
New England First Amendment Coalition, to get some of this information.
And I haven't heard much from any of the political leaders.
How frustrating is it to run up against the law
that you characterize as well intentioned back in twenty twenty three,
this Work Family Mobility Act, and realized that the law
(06:06):
was presented as a law which was going to help
people who were here earn a living and get to
work even though they did not have legal status. And
now it seems as if it basically allows a lot
of information to be withheld. I never saw that being
(06:26):
highlighted when this law was passed and we discussed it
a couple of years ago.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Well, you know, Dan, we do say we value transparency
in the Commonwealth, but indeed we have one of the
weakest public record statutes in the country. And the reaction
on this issue has confirmed that meyri Wu and the
school superintendent are both against disclosure of the driving record.
(06:55):
Although I think if you read the regulations, the registry
actually would be allowed to release this information. It's not
required to release the information, but it would be allowed to.
Governor Healy, for Toure credit, has supported a change in
the REGs to allow such histories to be given out.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
But now she's the governor of Massachusetts, and again I
don't want to impugne her motives here. And I saw
on the story that John Hilliard reported that she also
supports releasing the records according to a spokesperson, But it
seems to me that as the governor, she could instruct
the Registry of Motor Vehicles. I guess a little problem
(07:41):
is that the Attorney General is the one who's interpreting
the law and has instructed the Registry of Motor Vehicles
not to release any information, as I understand the checkerboard.
If you will, am, I do I have that for
you accurately.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
You absolutely do. And in fact, in September last year,
well before this incident meeth Act, the New England First
Amendment Coalition of which on our board member, sent a
letter to the Attorney General Campbell uh complaining about the
Work and Family Mobility Act and the regulations under it
(08:16):
because the way it was being interpreted was outside the
scope and intent of the of the Act itself by
making it impossible to get individual driving records or commercial
driver's license records. And what what was that was the
last September. We followed up twice and still have not
(08:39):
received a response to that letter, not even.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
The courtesy of a response, which is troubling. So my
other question is, and again I don't want to I
don't want to put words in your mouth, but I
think you said that Mayor Wou and the Superintendent of
schools in Boston, Mary Skipper, who the the leaders won,
the superintendent of schools the other the mayor of Boston,
who you would think would have the most interest, they
(09:07):
have chosen not to release information. Either are they doing
that as far as you know, with the legal guidance
of the Attorney General, or are they doing it on
their own.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
I don't know, Okay, yeah, I don't know what the
motivation is. I don't understand what the motivation is. When
you're home withhold documents, you just increase suspicion that there's
wrongdoing or something more to hide than what we already
know about.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And I know that the lawyer for the for the
family of the little boy who died, who was killed,
he's trying to get more information. You just I don't know.
You know, for for a an enlightened state, you know
that that believes that if this was one of the
(09:56):
states in other parts of the country where maybe uh,
you know, there's not such a value put on transparency.
You might understand it and say, well, that's that's backwater,
you know, filling the name of the state you might choose,
but this is Massachusetts. And as a little boy who
(10:16):
was dead five years old and you cannot who just
got off his school bus, a kindergarten student who was
absolutely innocent to the world. None of the politicians who
were involved have been impacted as this family has. I
(10:37):
just don't know. The little boy's name is Lens Arthur Joseph.
He was a kindergartener at the up UP Academy in Dorchester.
It's heartbreaking. What is the next move that the New
England First Amendment Coalition might consider or are you still
calculating and figuring out what you try to do next.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
We're still doing some calculating. We are preparing now a
follow up letter to the Attorney General that will obviously
build on what happened to Lynnz Joseph and talk about
that and we'll fight for new regulations, you know. In
(11:22):
twenty twenty three, John Halliard points out in his excellent
Clothes story, in twenty twenty three, we were allowed to
get the driver's records of Boston City Councilor Kendra Laura,
after she drove her vehicle into a jamake a plane
home and to show that she was behind the wheel
despite her license having been revoked. She didn't have insurance,
(11:45):
she had an expired inspection sticker. Today, we would not
be able to get that information. Today, we would not
be able to get the driver's background information for any of.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
The other.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Bus drivers, or transfer according our children to the Boston
public schools.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I might add too, and again I don't want to
politicize this because that's not the purpose of our conversation,
but the then Boston City councilor, who obviously was pretty
embarrassed by what was going on, her son, I believe
was only five or six years old, was in the
backseat of the car and reportedly I don't believe was
(12:24):
wearing a seat belt or was injured somehow in the crash,
whether he was wearing it or not. She eventually was
defeated as she stood for re election, and I suspect
that that ugly automobile crash and all the information that
came forward probably was instrumental in the minds of many
(12:46):
of her constituents as to whether they wanted to return
her to the city council or not. And she was.
She was a very rare incumbents city councilor who lost
the election. And if this law had been in place,
we probably never would have known and her constituents would
(13:06):
have never known about it. And again that is the need,
is the need for transparency. Rob. I appreciate your time.
I know you spend as you have a long day.
I'd love to have you back. Let's stay on top
of this if we can help you in any way,
shape or form. Let us know the New England First
Amendment Coalition great organization. Folks can find it pretty easily.
(13:27):
I assume they could become members or support it whether
they happen, if you bar or not.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Correct, absolutely absolutely, and you'll find a lot of very
interesting resources on our website. Fact dot org any fac
dot org.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Sounds great, rob Berchie, thank you very much for your time.
It's the end of a long day for you, and
I thank you for your time this evening and look
forward to having you back on at some point. Let's
keep on, Let's keep on top of the story.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Thanks Stan for the opportunity and for shedding a light
on decision pleasure my absolute pleasure.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Thanks Bob when we get back and want to open
up the phone lines. I mean, this is a piece
of legislation that was passed in twenty twenty three, which
I don't think if people knew what the legislature was doing,
was in effect removing transparency as well as providing an
(14:26):
opportunity for people who were not here legally to still
apply for learners permits and to seek driving licenses. That
that was not the intent, in my opinion, of this
piece of legislation, but it obviously has been as their consequence,
the effect and the impact of it. We've talked about
(14:49):
it before. Where's Mayor Wu, where is the superintendent of schools?
Where's the attorney general? On this? This is an issue
that I think it's got nothing to do with Democrat
versus Republican. It has everything to do with who's in charge.
If you'd like to join us, And this is a
(15:10):
story that it could have been any It could have
impacted any one of us if we've ever had children
of that age and who have ridden on school buses.
This is just this cannot stand. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven nine three one ten
thirty I think the mayor who found who finds herself
(15:33):
in another controversy today, which we might talk about tomorrow.
I want to know, Mayor Wu, why don't you provide
the information on this accident so we can understand what
happened and potentially why it happened, and as a matter
of fact, how in the heck could have this ever
have happened, that this little boy loses his life to
(15:56):
someone who's driving a school bus, who not only should
have been driving a school bus, but whose driving record
should have proven to the world he was not someone
who should have been trusted behind the wheel. Join the
conversation six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six
one seven, nine three one ten thirty. I got a
couple of other topics, so this is one. Don't wait
(16:16):
around on bring it and let's talk about it. And
if you want to keep on talking about it, we can,
but I will shut it off at ten o'clock if
the interest is not there, because there were a couple
other topics we're going to talk about back on night side.
My name is Dan Ray, and again I'm not tilted
in windmills. I'm telling you right now this is the
court of public opinion and the mayor and the superintendent
(16:37):
in Boston are dead wrong.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Okay, let's go to the phone. It's going to go
to Peter in Braintree first. Peter, you of first this
hour on Nightside. Thanks for getting us. Going love to
know what you think about this story, this little five
year old boy. We know so little now about the
driving record of the driver, what happened, how this child
lost their life. I'm I'm furious over correct. You go
(17:08):
right ahead, Peter.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Okay, I love my five year old daughter to start
until by the school bus in nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Oh my god, Peter, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Oh and I.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Another day there was a kid from the Cape and
who who did every time I I I tried to
communicate with the family and going to the wake and
(17:50):
just so they understand that I understand what they're going through.
And I'm m I got. And it was also the
day that Christine mccalli the Space shows. Yes sure, yeah,
(18:11):
so so my my my pa. My pain is suffering, Peter.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Very very very if I could without causing you additional pain, here,
uh was your daughter?
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
She had was she waiting for the bus, had she
gotten off the bus?
Speaker 5 (18:35):
It was in the one and it was in the
one she was getting on the bus and five years old.
Just the the channel in my life and uh uh
I think.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
The uh, Peter, Peter looking, I don't. I don't want
you to have to relive that.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
I just I just no, no, no, no. The reason
I called, I just said, you know you're talking, You're.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
I would I would.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Be more than happy to go talk to this family.
And you know, I almost like even though it's thirty
years ago.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, Peter, what I what I might suggest to you
is that I do not have contact with the family. However,
in the Globe story this morning, their attorney, one of
their attorneys is an attorney Matthew Fogelman. Rob. If you
could write that down for me, Matthew Fogelman, I'm sure
(19:48):
Peter would be able to contact him and uh and
he would be able to uh reach out to his.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
I would really like to just.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I understand that. And even even if you could just
send a message. But so Rob will help you. Matthew Fogelman.
Rob is the name f O G E. L M
A n H. And make sure that that Peter has
that name. Okay, and if you want to give Peter
my direct line, but Peter, hold hold on, Peter, Yeah, Peter,
(20:24):
just for a second, Robi, if you want to give
him my direct line, I'll be happy to try to
track that lawyer down for him if he has had
any problems with it. Okay, Peter, thank you for your calling.
I'm so sorry at what you went through. Just horrible, horrible,
thank you. All right, thanks, thank you, Peter. Okay, when
(20:49):
we get back, we'll continue our conversation. The number six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. Got a couple of lines at six one
seven nine three one. Why is it in Massachu? It's
you know, a state that is supposed to be as
enlightened as we are, as we claim to be. Let
me put it like that, that we are not able
(21:09):
to look this this, this driver's name is out there, okay.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I assume at some point there must be a grand
jury sitting on this. We're not going to let it die, Okay.
I guarantee you that I'll do a story every week
on it if I have to. But where's the where's
the district attorney? D? A. Hayden? Where is where's the mayor,
where's the school superintendent, where's the attorney general. It sounds
(21:39):
like to me just everybody's going to shut up about it,
and the and and it's going to go away. No,
it's not going to go away as long as this
reporter is like John Hilliard at the Globe, and I
hope someone from the Herald picks up the baton as well.
The only line is six one, seven, ten thirty. Coming
right back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
It's nice with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Well, here we are in New England, where we think
of ourselves as being fairly advanced dealing with an issue
like this, and now we find out that the books
and the information is closed and you have to have
a great First Amendment Coalition, the New England First Amendment Coalition.
Rob Burchie was with us in the earlier in this hour,
(22:26):
the frustrations that they have just trying to get simple
information from our political leaders and our administrative leader. Steven
is in Cambridge. Steve, welcome, How are you, sir?
Speaker 4 (22:38):
Dan?
Speaker 7 (22:38):
I'm well on youse.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'm doing fine. But this is one that I'm going
to stick with. Steve. I gotta tell you.
Speaker 7 (22:44):
I'm glad to hear that. I think you're the first
person I saw that story in the Globe today and
thought it was a very good story. But when I
saw it, I immediately thought of you, because you brought
up these issues. You brought up this matter before I
saw anything in either Globe bar the Herald.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Yeah, well, we were on and I can probably find
the exact date, but sometime sometime in mid March. As
a matter of fact, I can almost pull the date
off here, just so that people know that you're you're
telling telling the truth here. Yeah, it was May fourteenth,
no news on the bus death of five year old
(23:20):
Lens Joseph, And we're going to stick with it. It was.
I thought that John Hilliard and the Globe did a
great job today, and I know that the New England
First Amendment Coalition is a great organization and on this
issue they are one thousand percent right. What do you
think's going on? Why do you think this has been
(23:40):
covered up? Basically?
Speaker 7 (23:42):
I mean, well, I have two points. The first point
is I think that this law was probably designed to
protect illegal immigrants who have very bad driving records, or
his records are completely unknown, and the affirmative action that
(24:08):
was probably put in place by mass legislators and mass
political leaders. And this is a way to cover up
any kind of scrutiny.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
By by the way, let me if I can given
this is an air quotes. Credit to the sponsors of
this piece of legislation, who did not return any calls
today from the Boston Globe, State Senator Brendan Crichton and
state Representatives Christine Barber and Tricia Farley Bouvier. I know
(24:41):
that Tricia Farley Bouvier is a very progressive legislator. Legislator,
trust me on that they surprisingly did not respond to
any any request for comments from the Boston Globe, nor
did the Attorney General, nor did the Mayor's office here
in Boston. It's disgraceful. This little boy's been dead now
(25:03):
for six weeks, six weeks today.
Speaker 7 (25:06):
Well, and I wonder the gentleman from the First Amendment.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yes, Bertie Rob Burchie.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
I can't see why he said this law had good intentions.
I mean, this law is a form of censorship. Well,
the public can't get information, hiding information, How can that
ever be in our nation considered good?
Speaker 2 (25:32):
I think what he was saying and I don't want
to put words in his mouth, but I think what
he was saying was that it was entitled if remember
the Family Mobility Act, and there were a lot of
people said, well, this will be great because people who
were here, even if they're here illegally, they at least
will be able to get driver's licenses. Remember we had
(25:52):
argued a couple of years ago that if they were
going to pass it, have driver's licenses, which if it
was inevitable they're going to pass, said, you know, most
of our driver's licenses are what I would call horizontal.
If you look at them there longer than than taller.
Just turn these other licenses and make them a different shape,
make them, you know more, you know, perpendicular, and so
(26:15):
that police officers when they stop these drivers they who
you know, who were not citizens, uh, and have gotten
a special break from the legislature that that police officers
would know who they're dealing with. But no, the legislature
wanted no part of that. They wanted to give the
(26:36):
exact identical type driver's licenses to people who are not
here legally. And I think what Attorney Bertie was saying
was that that even if the intention of the legislature
was to make driver's licenses available to people so at
least they could maybe survive and become more self sufficient.
(26:59):
And if that was the purpose, the impact of the
result is that information about accidents that involve anyone, whether
they're here legally or US citizens, now going to get shrouded.
Speaker 7 (27:14):
Oh well, I mean I think anything that Again, I
think that you know, for example, when they make it
so that employers can't find out the criminal records of
you know, they say they we want, I mean that
should be up to the employer to make that decision.
I don't think the public should be you know, shield
(27:37):
the truth. Yeah well, I.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Was just saying that you and I think alike. And
if we were in the state legislature, we never voted
for this piece of legislation. Okay, but there are not
enough people in the state legislature who are smart enough.
First of all, look at the leadership up there right now. Uh,
no one in the state legislative leadership is attending MENSA meetings. Okay,
that we know, so they they will just you know,
(28:01):
put a bill through. Nobody reads the bill. All the vote.
Those of you who want to you know, who want
to vote, vote yes, Okay, raise your hand, okay, go
right ahead. They follow the leadership whatever the leadership tells
him to do. That's all a bunch of a bunch
of sheep.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Well, as you always say, Dan, it's it's at the
ballot box that things have to change.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Well, they do, and unfortunately this little boy and his family,
this is being brushed under the rug. I mean, look,
there would be more publicity about this if there was
some person who was homeless who died in the street. Okay,
But this is a five year old boy, little boy
(28:43):
who was simply doing what you know. His family wanted
to get him a bus and go to school and
get his education, and he was doing everything right. He
probably didn't even realize what he was doing at five,
I mean, go to school and all that. But but
there's no there's there's no one up there speaking for
the five year olds at the Massachusetts legislature.
Speaker 7 (29:02):
Okay, it certainly seems not.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (29:05):
Keep on this story. I hope they'd unfolds in a
way that may prevent something like this happening Land.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
I hope so that this law should certainly be amended
for the Attorney General to interpret it this way. I
hold her fault for this interpretation. I think it's an
intentional interpretation. And Steve, by the way, I've had like
a few phone calls here. You heard Peter's call yours.
There's a lot of people who are sitting listening to
the show tonight who don't want to pick up a
(29:32):
telephone and call. I want to hear from the moms.
Can you imagine if that was your child, five year
old child, you'd be going out of your mind totally.
At least I would I invite them to call six
seven take.
Speaker 7 (29:47):
I was just so happy to see that story in
the Globe today.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Globe did a great job on it, and hats off
to the Globe. Hats off to the Globe on that one.
And I don't take my hat off to the Globe too often.
Speaker 7 (29:57):
That they do something right every once in a while.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Absolutely nothing wrong with that, Steve. I appreciate the call.
Thanks Steve, talk soon, all right, good night. Steve is
a great caller. He's one of my cherished callers, and
I hope some of you become great callers. I think
this is an important story. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten, thirty six one seven nine three one ten thirty,
coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's
news radio, Rock to the Calls.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Who goes go to Victor and jamake a plane. Victor,
appreciate your calling. In your next on Nightside, Victor, go
right ahead.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
How are you going, Dan, Good evening, Good evening.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
I have different feelings on this. I actually catch a
list almost every day to go to work in different places.
I can tell you from personal experiences, my personal experience,
some of these drivers.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
Need to be dry. Thing they don't.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I know.
Speaker 8 (31:03):
It is legislation that's put in place that prevents some
of them from driving. However, and I understand people need
to make a living. I understand that totally, but you
have you need to have some safety measures in place.
When I was an electronics class, they said safety first. Okay,
(31:26):
that's how That's how I feel about this issue.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Because a five year.
Speaker 8 (31:33):
Old getting off the bus from kindergarten school just shouldn't
have happened.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Period. It shouldn't have happened.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
It's unbelievable, and now it's being covered up. It's you know,
if well.
Speaker 8 (31:48):
Because no one wants to take the blame. That's this
long short of it.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Well, but but I thought we elected political leaders who
appoint administrative leaders who have some responsibility to the public.
Where's the responsibility to this child, Where's the responsibility to
this child's family, Where's the responsibility to the friends and
relatives of this child and to the general public. I
(32:12):
mean when the city councilor in your neck of the woods, Kendrick,
Laura had her problems with the car, her automobile back
in jun or twenty twenty three. Okay, everybody knew about it,
which is the way it should have been.
Speaker 8 (32:29):
Well, like I said, Dan, I mean, she had a
position on the council board. You know, a five year old,
unless he's a member of a real, real rich family,
they're not going to get a lot of coverage. If any.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Well, we'll keep fighting for it, Victor. And I want
to tell you how much I appreciate you took the
time to call. And I mean that also, thank you,
my friend, Thank you very much. You did a good thing. Tonight.
Let me go to next to Bob and Cambridge Bob
next on nights, I go right ahead, Hi, Dan, how
wire you doing fine? Bob? Thanks for calling in. What's
your take on this?
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Well, thanks for having this subject come up. I recently
retired driving for a bus company here and Greater Boston.
In this company, would it be okay to, you know,
say the name, I'm going to say positive things? Yeah,
go ahead, sure, the bus company. I recently retired from
(33:34):
what's called Transaction Cooperate Shuttles. This is a company that
has been volted several times by the Boston Globe as
one of the tough places to work in a Greater area.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Okay, so yeah, I'm with you on that. But what
I'm saying is I want to focus on this child
and why you're going to tell me the company is
a great company. They check their drivers, and I say,
I'm glad you gave them a plug. But it's more
important we focus on what happened to this child and
why the politicians aren't getting the information out about what
the driver's record was. This driver should not have been
(34:09):
driving a school bus.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Can I can? I can I get into that the
driver right, You're absolutely right. I think a lot of
the blame here goes onto the cup bus company that
this bus driver wasn't dust.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
They should, They should probably lose their contract with the
City of Boston.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
That's at the least and yet probably got this contract.
This is where the politician side comes into it. They
probably got this contract because there's been a lot of
problems in Boston with the school busting in the past
few years.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Oh. Absolutely, missing bus. Absolutely, Bob, And that's what that's
what I want you to talk about. You worked for
a great company. It's like saying, you know, you know,
you know, someone's playing for the first place team. They're
doing great, but we're talking about this team. This team
failed this child and failed this child's family, and now
that it's being covered up. Bob, I got a couple
(35:02):
more I want to get to as well. Thank you
for calling, and thank you to Dan.
Speaker 6 (35:07):
Dan. Thanks. But the blame line, the blame, the majority
of it lies on the supervision and the office people
in that company for letting this guy drive. They should
have been with you.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Totally, Bob. I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you
much appreciate it. Let me go to Billy in Dorchester.
Billy'd like to get you and one more in if
I can go ahead.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Billy. Yes, where's Josh Kraft?
Speaker 2 (35:30):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Yeah, I would think he'd be looking into this. If
he wants to be the mayor of Boston.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Well, I would hope that maybe someone might have said
to him. I'm not going to call him ahead of
time and say, hey, Josh, we're talking about a subject
that you should be I would be hoping that it
have somebody, uh his camp BA staff who would be
sworn enough to say, hey, they're talking about a great issue.
That's the city of that affects the city of Boston
on night side talking to people all over the country.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Shortly after this child was killed, that's the name of
the company, the contractor. And shortly after this child was killed,
they terminated five employees. I believe they checked their credentials
and they weren't up to date, or they were avoided
or not in effect.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
So it took it took it. It took the death
of a five year old child for them to clean
up their act. That's that's great.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
There you go, all who was already hired an attorney
on this.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
You know, well, again, your question is a good one.
Where's Josh Josh Kraft? These are the sort of issues
that I think he should be talking about in my opinion,
Thanks Thanks Billy, Thanks Man David and Leicester Lester. Excuse me, David,
go right ahead. I mispronounced your town in Lester, Massachusetts.
Go ahead, Dave.
Speaker 9 (36:49):
Hello, Dan, thank you very much. You know I just
turned my phone on my radio on, so it sounds
like I may have missed, you know, the religious development
about the quality of the driver here.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
No, there's no late development because they're keeping it all
under wraps. They're keeping it all under wraps, and that's
what we're talking. I wish you had called earlier because
it would have been great to have your perspective. Dave.
I'm running out of time, and I'm going to change
topics because I'm disappointed that there weren't more people who
called on this. To be honest with you, I think
(37:25):
this is an important topic. There's a little kid five
years old, dead, dead, never to come back, never to
come back because they did not supervise this company, and
the company did not supervise its drivers. There's a great
article in the Globe today. I wish you would read it.
It's by John Hilliard following fatal crash little known of
(37:47):
bps driver. And I hope that tomorrow, if you miss this,
you go to Nightside and Demand and listen to the
hour because we did have some good callers, not as
many as I wanted, but we did have the ones
who called were all good. David. I thank you.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
So you hand up with me.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Oh no, I've got to go to the newscast, Dave.
I'm running. I'm literally out of time. I didn't hang
up on you. I'm just saying I wish it called earlier,
and I hope we will stay on this story. I promise.
Speaker 4 (38:16):
Okay, can I hold.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
No, I'm changing topics, David, I'm changing topics. Thank you
very much. Here comes the news at ten o'clock
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVS, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I don't want to channel Bob Lobell, great sportscaster that
I work with at Channel four so many years, but
Brad Marshaan, Why can't we get players like that in Boston.
I'm sure Dan Watkins is heiring me, and he's probably
screaming at the top of his lungs. But I'm only joking.
I hope Marsian wins the Stanley Cup. That's who I'm
rooting for. I don't know Marsian, but I hope he
(00:31):
picks up a Stanley Cup this year. We are not
talking about the Stanley Cup. We're talking about a really
sad story. It was in late April. It was in
a Monday afternoon in April. I think it was April
twenty eighth. If I'm not mistaken, I should check my
calendar here to be absolutely sure. But a little boy,
five year old boy got off his school bus. He
(00:53):
was a kindergarten student at a Boston public school that
was the twenty eighth, got off the bus and somehow
some way of us struck him and he died. And
this has become a big story at least, it's a
big story to me, and it's also a big story
(01:14):
to my guest, Rob Burchie, who is an attorney associated
with the New England First Amendment Coalition. Rob, I guess
let let me leave this in your very competent hands.
This is a case that the New England First Amendment
Coalition is is looking for more information, more public information.
(01:39):
This is a story that has kind of disappeared from
the headlines. Why do we not know more about the
circumstances of the crash that the status of the investigation is.
What was the driving record of this driver who reported
(02:00):
and I believe you folks have on earthed some information
had a pretty poor driving record and maybe arguably never
should have been driving Boston school buses. Welcome to Nightside
first of all, Rob, and maybe you can can can
set the stage for us in terms of the issues
that the New England First Amendment Coalition is I think
so rightfully concerned about.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Thanks some upstand, I'm pleased to be with you. It
is in fact the Transgit case. I was particularly struck
to see the photo in the globe of this boy's
casket emblazoned with Spider Man. You know, it moves your heart.
(02:42):
The transity here is amplified by the fact that we
are able to know so little about the driving history
of the bus driver who struck.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Lens.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
What we do know found out is that he was
taken off the road for two days about two weeks
before the accident, for some retraining. We know that he
had four other crashes in the month preceding when he
struck Lens. We have information that he had three other
(03:19):
accident incidents or indicating that he had three other incidents
right before what happened with Lens hitting a parked car,
hitting a rear tire, or something like that. Why don't
we know more? The reason we don't know more is
really the function of well intentioned law called the Work
(03:46):
and Family Mobility Act, which was intended to allow immigrants
to apply for learners permits, to take road tests, and
to obtain drivers licenses without having to give proof of
their being in the country legally. But the wording of
(04:07):
that statute, and particularly the regulations that the Attorney General
implemented to enforce them, are so broad that they essentially
make it impossible to obtain the driving history of any
Massachusetts resident, which is contrary to what the situation was
(04:27):
before the law was passed. Drivers' histories have always been available.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
We learned about yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Well the other thing that I found interesting, and again
I'm interested in this story. I've done a couple of
hours on the fact that there's so so it's a
real positive information. And John Hilliot from the Globe staff
renewed my attention on this today. And I guess he
(05:00):
had problems here in Massachusetts. But one of the records,
according to the reporter from the Globe, John Hilliard had
speeding tickets in New Jersey in twenty sixteen, Connecticut in
twenty eighteen, and in twenty seventeen, he was in violation
of a New York law of in proper licensed class
(05:21):
or endorsement. Though I guess the details are somewhat sketchy.
This is like a guy that never should have been
driving a school bus. I mean, with this record, it
seems to me, I don't know, and somehow the Massachusetts
and you know, we value transparency. You know, it's up
(05:42):
to your organization, the organization that you're affiliated with, the
New England First Amendment Coalition, to get some of this information.
And I haven't heard much from any of the political leaders.
How frustrating is it to run up against the law
that you characterize as well intentioned back in twenty twenty three,
this Work Family Mobility Act, and realized that the law
(06:06):
was presented as a law which was going to help
people who were here earn a living and get to
work even though they did not have legal status. And
now it seems as if it basically allows a lot
of information to be withheld. I never saw that being
(06:26):
highlighted when this law was passed and we discussed it
a couple of years ago.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Well, you know, Dan, we do say we value transparency
in the Commonwealth, but indeed we have one of the
weakest public record statutes in the country. And the reaction
on this issue has confirmed that meyri Wu and the
school superintendent are both against disclosure of the driving record.
(06:55):
Although I think if you read the regulations, the registry
actually would be allowed to release this information. It's not
required to release the information, but it would be allowed to.
Governor Healy, for Toure credit, has supported a change in
the REGs to allow such histories to be given out.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
But now she's the governor of Massachusetts, and again I
don't want to impugne her motives here. And I saw
on the story that John Hilliard reported that she also
supports releasing the records according to a spokesperson, But it
seems to me that as the governor, she could instruct
the Registry of Motor Vehicles. I guess a little problem
(07:41):
is that the Attorney General is the one who's interpreting
the law and has instructed the Registry of Motor Vehicles
not to release any information, as I understand the checkerboard.
If you will, am, I do I have that for
you accurately.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
You absolutely do. And in fact, in September last year,
well before this incident meeth Act, the New England First
Amendment Coalition of which on our board member, sent a
letter to the Attorney General Campbell uh complaining about the
Work and Family Mobility Act and the regulations under it
(08:16):
because the way it was being interpreted was outside the
scope and intent of the of the Act itself by
making it impossible to get individual driving records or commercial
driver's license records. And what what was that was the
last September. We followed up twice and still have not
(08:39):
received a response to that letter, not even.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
The courtesy of a response, which is troubling. So my
other question is, and again I don't want to I
don't want to put words in your mouth, but I
think you said that Mayor Wou and the Superintendent of
schools in Boston, Mary Skipper, who the the leaders won,
the superintendent of schools the other the mayor of Boston,
who you would think would have the most interest, they
(09:07):
have chosen not to release information. Either are they doing
that as far as you know, with the legal guidance
of the Attorney General, or are they doing it on
their own.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
I don't know, Okay, yeah, I don't know what the
motivation is. I don't understand what the motivation is. When
you're home withhold documents, you just increase suspicion that there's
wrongdoing or something more to hide than what we already
know about.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And I know that the lawyer for the for the
family of the little boy who died, who was killed,
he's trying to get more information. You just I don't know.
You know, for for a an enlightened state, you know
that that believes that if this was one of the
(09:56):
states in other parts of the country where maybe uh,
you know, there's not such a value put on transparency.
You might understand it and say, well, that's that's backwater,
you know, filling the name of the state you might choose,
but this is Massachusetts. And as a little boy who
(10:16):
was dead five years old and you cannot who just
got off his school bus, a kindergarten student who was
absolutely innocent to the world. None of the politicians who
were involved have been impacted as this family has. I
(10:37):
just don't know. The little boy's name is Lens Arthur Joseph.
He was a kindergartener at the up UP Academy in Dorchester.
It's heartbreaking. What is the next move that the New
England First Amendment Coalition might consider or are you still
calculating and figuring out what you try to do next.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
We're still doing some calculating. We are preparing now a
follow up letter to the Attorney General that will obviously
build on what happened to Lynnz Joseph and talk about
that and we'll fight for new regulations, you know. In
(11:22):
twenty twenty three, John Halliard points out in his excellent
Clothes story, in twenty twenty three, we were allowed to
get the driver's records of Boston City Councilor Kendra Laura,
after she drove her vehicle into a jamake a plane
home and to show that she was behind the wheel
despite her license having been revoked. She didn't have insurance,
(11:45):
she had an expired inspection sticker. Today, we would not
be able to get that information. Today, we would not
be able to get the driver's background information for any of.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
The other.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Bus drivers, or transfer according our children to the Boston
public schools.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I might add too, and again I don't want to
politicize this because that's not the purpose of our conversation,
but the then Boston City councilor, who obviously was pretty
embarrassed by what was going on, her son, I believe
was only five or six years old, was in the
backseat of the car and reportedly I don't believe was
(12:24):
wearing a seat belt or was injured somehow in the crash,
whether he was wearing it or not. She eventually was
defeated as she stood for re election, and I suspect
that that ugly automobile crash and all the information that
came forward probably was instrumental in the minds of many
(12:46):
of her constituents as to whether they wanted to return
her to the city council or not. And she was.
She was a very rare incumbents city councilor who lost
the election. And if this law had been in place,
we probably never would have known and her constituents would
(13:06):
have never known about it. And again that is the need,
is the need for transparency. Rob. I appreciate your time.
I know you spend as you have a long day.
I'd love to have you back. Let's stay on top
of this if we can help you in any way,
shape or form. Let us know the New England First
Amendment Coalition great organization. Folks can find it pretty easily.
(13:27):
I assume they could become members or support it whether
they happen, if you bar or not.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Correct, absolutely absolutely, and you'll find a lot of very
interesting resources on our website. Fact dot org any fac
dot org.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Sounds great, rob Berchie, thank you very much for your time.
It's the end of a long day for you, and
I thank you for your time this evening and look
forward to having you back on at some point. Let's
keep on, Let's keep on top of the story.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Thanks Stan for the opportunity and for shedding a light
on decision pleasure my absolute pleasure.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Thanks Bob when we get back and want to open
up the phone lines. I mean, this is a piece
of legislation that was passed in twenty twenty three, which
I don't think if people knew what the legislature was doing,
was in effect removing transparency as well as providing an
(14:26):
opportunity for people who were not here legally to still
apply for learners permits and to seek driving licenses. That
that was not the intent, in my opinion, of this
piece of legislation, but it obviously has been as their consequence,
the effect and the impact of it. We've talked about
(14:49):
it before. Where's Mayor Wu, where is the superintendent of schools?
Where's the attorney general? On this? This is an issue
that I think it's got nothing to do with Democrat
versus Republican. It has everything to do with who's in charge.
If you'd like to join us, And this is a
(15:10):
story that it could have been any It could have
impacted any one of us if we've ever had children
of that age and who have ridden on school buses.
This is just this cannot stand. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven nine three one ten
thirty I think the mayor who found who finds herself
(15:33):
in another controversy today, which we might talk about tomorrow.
I want to know, Mayor Wu, why don't you provide
the information on this accident so we can understand what
happened and potentially why it happened, and as a matter
of fact, how in the heck could have this ever
have happened, that this little boy loses his life to
(15:56):
someone who's driving a school bus, who not only should
have been driving a school bus, but whose driving record
should have proven to the world he was not someone
who should have been trusted behind the wheel. Join the
conversation six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six
one seven, nine three one ten thirty. I got a
couple of other topics, so this is one. Don't wait
(16:16):
around on bring it and let's talk about it. And
if you want to keep on talking about it, we can,
but I will shut it off at ten o'clock if
the interest is not there, because there were a couple
other topics we're going to talk about back on night side.
My name is Dan Ray, and again I'm not tilted
in windmills. I'm telling you right now this is the
court of public opinion and the mayor and the superintendent
(16:37):
in Boston are dead wrong.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Okay, let's go to the phone. It's going to go
to Peter in Braintree first. Peter, you of first this
hour on Nightside. Thanks for getting us. Going love to
know what you think about this story, this little five
year old boy. We know so little now about the
driving record of the driver, what happened, how this child
lost their life. I'm I'm furious over correct. You go
(17:08):
right ahead, Peter.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Okay, I love my five year old daughter to start
until by the school bus in nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Oh my god, Peter, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Oh and I.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Another day there was a kid from the Cape and
who who did every time I I I tried to
communicate with the family and going to the wake and
(17:50):
just so they understand that I understand what they're going through.
And I'm m I got. And it was also the
day that Christine mccalli the Space shows. Yes sure, yeah,
(18:11):
so so my my my pa. My pain is suffering, Peter.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Very very very if I could without causing you additional pain, here,
uh was your daughter?
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
She had was she waiting for the bus, had she
gotten off the bus?
Speaker 5 (18:35):
It was in the one and it was in the
one she was getting on the bus and five years old.
Just the the channel in my life and uh uh
I think.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
The uh, Peter, Peter looking, I don't. I don't want
you to have to relive that.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
I just I just no, no, no, no. The reason
I called, I just said, you know you're talking, You're.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
I would I would.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Be more than happy to go talk to this family.
And you know, I almost like even though it's thirty
years ago.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, Peter, what I what I might suggest to you
is that I do not have contact with the family. However,
in the Globe story this morning, their attorney, one of
their attorneys is an attorney Matthew Fogelman. Rob. If you
could write that down for me, Matthew Fogelman, I'm sure
(19:48):
Peter would be able to contact him and uh and
he would be able to uh reach out to his.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
I would really like to just.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I understand that. And even even if you could just
send a message. But so Rob will help you. Matthew Fogelman.
Rob is the name f O G E. L M
A n H. And make sure that that Peter has
that name. Okay, and if you want to give Peter
my direct line, but Peter, hold hold on, Peter, Yeah, Peter,
(20:24):
just for a second, Robi, if you want to give
him my direct line, I'll be happy to try to
track that lawyer down for him if he has had
any problems with it. Okay, Peter, thank you for your calling.
I'm so sorry at what you went through. Just horrible, horrible,
thank you. All right, thanks, thank you, Peter. Okay, when
(20:49):
we get back, we'll continue our conversation. The number six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. Got a couple of lines at six one
seven nine three one. Why is it in Massachu? It's
you know, a state that is supposed to be as
enlightened as we are, as we claim to be. Let
me put it like that, that we are not able
(21:09):
to look this this, this driver's name is out there, okay.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I assume at some point there must be a grand
jury sitting on this. We're not going to let it die, Okay.
I guarantee you that I'll do a story every week
on it if I have to. But where's the where's
the district attorney? D? A. Hayden? Where is where's the mayor,
where's the school superintendent, where's the attorney general. It sounds
(21:39):
like to me just everybody's going to shut up about it,
and the and and it's going to go away. No,
it's not going to go away as long as this
reporter is like John Hilliard at the Globe, and I
hope someone from the Herald picks up the baton as well.
The only line is six one, seven, ten thirty. Coming
right back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
It's nice with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Well, here we are in New England, where we think
of ourselves as being fairly advanced dealing with an issue
like this, and now we find out that the books
and the information is closed and you have to have
a great First Amendment Coalition, the New England First Amendment Coalition.
Rob Burchie was with us in the earlier in this hour,
(22:26):
the frustrations that they have just trying to get simple
information from our political leaders and our administrative leader. Steven
is in Cambridge. Steve, welcome, How are you, sir?
Speaker 4 (22:38):
Dan?
Speaker 7 (22:38):
I'm well on youse.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'm doing fine. But this is one that I'm going
to stick with. Steve. I gotta tell you.
Speaker 7 (22:44):
I'm glad to hear that. I think you're the first
person I saw that story in the Globe today and
thought it was a very good story. But when I
saw it, I immediately thought of you, because you brought
up these issues. You brought up this matter before I
saw anything in either Globe bar the Herald.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Yeah, well, we were on and I can probably find
the exact date, but sometime sometime in mid March. As
a matter of fact, I can almost pull the date
off here, just so that people know that you're you're
telling telling the truth here. Yeah, it was May fourteenth,
no news on the bus death of five year old
(23:20):
Lens Joseph, And we're going to stick with it. It was.
I thought that John Hilliard and the Globe did a
great job today, and I know that the New England
First Amendment Coalition is a great organization and on this
issue they are one thousand percent right. What do you
think's going on? Why do you think this has been
(23:40):
covered up? Basically?
Speaker 7 (23:42):
I mean, well, I have two points. The first point
is I think that this law was probably designed to
protect illegal immigrants who have very bad driving records, or
his records are completely unknown, and the affirmative action that
(24:08):
was probably put in place by mass legislators and mass
political leaders. And this is a way to cover up
any kind of scrutiny.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
By by the way, let me if I can given
this is an air quotes. Credit to the sponsors of
this piece of legislation, who did not return any calls
today from the Boston Globe, State Senator Brendan Crichton and
state Representatives Christine Barber and Tricia Farley Bouvier. I know
(24:41):
that Tricia Farley Bouvier is a very progressive legislator. Legislator,
trust me on that they surprisingly did not respond to
any any request for comments from the Boston Globe, nor
did the Attorney General, nor did the Mayor's office here
in Boston. It's disgraceful. This little boy's been dead now
(25:03):
for six weeks, six weeks today.
Speaker 7 (25:06):
Well, and I wonder the gentleman from the First Amendment.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yes, Bertie Rob Burchie.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
I can't see why he said this law had good intentions.
I mean, this law is a form of censorship. Well,
the public can't get information, hiding information, How can that
ever be in our nation considered good?
Speaker 2 (25:32):
I think what he was saying and I don't want
to put words in his mouth, but I think what
he was saying was that it was entitled if remember
the Family Mobility Act, and there were a lot of
people said, well, this will be great because people who
were here, even if they're here illegally, they at least
will be able to get driver's licenses. Remember we had
(25:52):
argued a couple of years ago that if they were
going to pass it, have driver's licenses, which if it
was inevitable they're going to pass, said, you know, most
of our driver's licenses are what I would call horizontal.
If you look at them there longer than than taller.
Just turn these other licenses and make them a different shape,
make them, you know more, you know, perpendicular, and so
(26:15):
that police officers when they stop these drivers they who
you know, who were not citizens, uh, and have gotten
a special break from the legislature that that police officers
would know who they're dealing with. But no, the legislature
wanted no part of that. They wanted to give the
(26:36):
exact identical type driver's licenses to people who are not
here legally. And I think what Attorney Bertie was saying
was that that even if the intention of the legislature
was to make driver's licenses available to people so at
least they could maybe survive and become more self sufficient.
(26:59):
And if that was the purpose, the impact of the
result is that information about accidents that involve anyone, whether
they're here legally or US citizens, now going to get shrouded.
Speaker 7 (27:14):
Oh well, I mean I think anything that Again, I
think that you know, for example, when they make it
so that employers can't find out the criminal records of
you know, they say they we want, I mean that
should be up to the employer to make that decision.
I don't think the public should be you know, shield
(27:37):
the truth. Yeah well, I.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Was just saying that you and I think alike. And
if we were in the state legislature, we never voted
for this piece of legislation. Okay, but there are not
enough people in the state legislature who are smart enough.
First of all, look at the leadership up there right now. Uh,
no one in the state legislative leadership is attending MENSA meetings. Okay,
that we know, so they they will just you know,
(28:01):
put a bill through. Nobody reads the bill. All the vote.
Those of you who want to you know, who want
to vote, vote yes, Okay, raise your hand, okay, go
right ahead. They follow the leadership whatever the leadership tells
him to do. That's all a bunch of a bunch
of sheep.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Well, as you always say, Dan, it's it's at the
ballot box that things have to change.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Well, they do, and unfortunately this little boy and his family,
this is being brushed under the rug. I mean, look,
there would be more publicity about this if there was
some person who was homeless who died in the street. Okay,
But this is a five year old boy, little boy
(28:43):
who was simply doing what you know. His family wanted
to get him a bus and go to school and
get his education, and he was doing everything right. He
probably didn't even realize what he was doing at five,
I mean, go to school and all that. But but
there's no there's there's no one up there speaking for
the five year olds at the Massachusetts legislature.
Speaker 7 (29:02):
Okay, it certainly seems not.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (29:05):
Keep on this story. I hope they'd unfolds in a
way that may prevent something like this happening Land.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
I hope so that this law should certainly be amended
for the Attorney General to interpret it this way. I
hold her fault for this interpretation. I think it's an
intentional interpretation. And Steve, by the way, I've had like
a few phone calls here. You heard Peter's call yours.
There's a lot of people who are sitting listening to
the show tonight who don't want to pick up a
(29:32):
telephone and call. I want to hear from the moms.
Can you imagine if that was your child, five year
old child, you'd be going out of your mind totally.
At least I would I invite them to call six
seven take.
Speaker 7 (29:47):
I was just so happy to see that story in
the Globe today.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Globe did a great job on it, and hats off
to the Globe. Hats off to the Globe on that one.
And I don't take my hat off to the Globe too often.
Speaker 7 (29:57):
That they do something right every once in a while.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Absolutely nothing wrong with that, Steve. I appreciate the call.
Thanks Steve, talk soon, all right, good night. Steve is
a great caller. He's one of my cherished callers, and
I hope some of you become great callers. I think
this is an important story. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten, thirty six one seven nine three one ten thirty,
coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's
news radio, Rock to the Calls.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Who goes go to Victor and jamake a plane. Victor,
appreciate your calling. In your next on Nightside, Victor, go
right ahead.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
How are you going, Dan, Good evening, Good evening.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
I have different feelings on this. I actually catch a
list almost every day to go to work in different places.
I can tell you from personal experiences, my personal experience,
some of these drivers.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
Need to be dry. Thing they don't.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I know.
Speaker 8 (31:03):
It is legislation that's put in place that prevents some
of them from driving. However, and I understand people need
to make a living. I understand that totally, but you
have you need to have some safety measures in place.
When I was an electronics class, they said safety first. Okay,
(31:26):
that's how That's how I feel about this issue.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Because a five year.
Speaker 8 (31:33):
Old getting off the bus from kindergarten school just shouldn't
have happened.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Period. It shouldn't have happened.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
It's unbelievable, and now it's being covered up. It's you know,
if well.
Speaker 8 (31:48):
Because no one wants to take the blame. That's this
long short of it.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Well, but but I thought we elected political leaders who
appoint administrative leaders who have some responsibility to the public.
Where's the responsibility to this child, Where's the responsibility to
this child's family, Where's the responsibility to the friends and
relatives of this child and to the general public. I
(32:12):
mean when the city councilor in your neck of the woods, Kendrick,
Laura had her problems with the car, her automobile back
in jun or twenty twenty three. Okay, everybody knew about it,
which is the way it should have been.
Speaker 8 (32:29):
Well, like I said, Dan, I mean, she had a
position on the council board. You know, a five year old,
unless he's a member of a real, real rich family,
they're not going to get a lot of coverage. If any.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Well, we'll keep fighting for it, Victor. And I want
to tell you how much I appreciate you took the
time to call. And I mean that also, thank you,
my friend, Thank you very much. You did a good thing. Tonight.
Let me go to next to Bob and Cambridge Bob
next on nights, I go right ahead, Hi, Dan, how
wire you doing fine? Bob? Thanks for calling in. What's
your take on this?
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Well, thanks for having this subject come up. I recently
retired driving for a bus company here and Greater Boston.
In this company, would it be okay to, you know,
say the name, I'm going to say positive things? Yeah,
go ahead, sure, the bus company. I recently retired from
(33:34):
what's called Transaction Cooperate Shuttles. This is a company that
has been volted several times by the Boston Globe as
one of the tough places to work in a Greater area.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Okay, so yeah, I'm with you on that. But what
I'm saying is I want to focus on this child
and why you're going to tell me the company is
a great company. They check their drivers, and I say,
I'm glad you gave them a plug. But it's more
important we focus on what happened to this child and
why the politicians aren't getting the information out about what
the driver's record was. This driver should not have been
(34:09):
driving a school bus.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Can I can? I can I get into that the
driver right, You're absolutely right. I think a lot of
the blame here goes onto the cup bus company that
this bus driver wasn't dust.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
They should, They should probably lose their contract with the
City of Boston.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
That's at the least and yet probably got this contract.
This is where the politician side comes into it. They
probably got this contract because there's been a lot of
problems in Boston with the school busting in the past
few years.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Oh. Absolutely, missing bus. Absolutely, Bob, And that's what that's
what I want you to talk about. You worked for
a great company. It's like saying, you know, you know,
you know, someone's playing for the first place team. They're
doing great, but we're talking about this team. This team
failed this child and failed this child's family, and now
that it's being covered up. Bob, I got a couple
(35:02):
more I want to get to as well. Thank you
for calling, and thank you to Dan.
Speaker 6 (35:07):
Dan. Thanks. But the blame line, the blame, the majority
of it lies on the supervision and the office people
in that company for letting this guy drive. They should
have been with you.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Totally, Bob. I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you
much appreciate it. Let me go to Billy in Dorchester.
Billy'd like to get you and one more in if
I can go ahead.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Billy. Yes, where's Josh Kraft?
Speaker 2 (35:30):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Yeah, I would think he'd be looking into this. If
he wants to be the mayor of Boston.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Well, I would hope that maybe someone might have said
to him. I'm not going to call him ahead of
time and say, hey, Josh, we're talking about a subject
that you should be I would be hoping that it
have somebody, uh his camp BA staff who would be
sworn enough to say, hey, they're talking about a great issue.
That's the city of that affects the city of Boston
on night side talking to people all over the country.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Shortly after this child was killed, that's the name of
the company, the contractor. And shortly after this child was killed,
they terminated five employees. I believe they checked their credentials
and they weren't up to date, or they were avoided
or not in effect.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
So it took it took it. It took the death
of a five year old child for them to clean
up their act. That's that's great.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
There you go, all who was already hired an attorney
on this.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
You know, well, again, your question is a good one.
Where's Josh Josh Kraft? These are the sort of issues
that I think he should be talking about in my opinion,
Thanks Thanks Billy, Thanks Man David and Leicester Lester. Excuse me, David,
go right ahead. I mispronounced your town in Lester, Massachusetts.
Go ahead, Dave.
Speaker 9 (36:49):
Hello, Dan, thank you very much. You know I just
turned my phone on my radio on, so it sounds
like I may have missed, you know, the religious development
about the quality of the driver here.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
No, there's no late development because they're keeping it all
under wraps. They're keeping it all under wraps, and that's
what we're talking. I wish you had called earlier because
it would have been great to have your perspective. Dave.
I'm running out of time, and I'm going to change
topics because I'm disappointed that there weren't more people who
called on this. To be honest with you, I think
(37:25):
this is an important topic. There's a little kid five
years old, dead, dead, never to come back, never to
come back because they did not supervise this company, and
the company did not supervise its drivers. There's a great
article in the Globe today. I wish you would read it.
It's by John Hilliard following fatal crash little known of
(37:47):
bps driver. And I hope that tomorrow, if you miss this,
you go to Nightside and Demand and listen to the
hour because we did have some good callers, not as
many as I wanted, but we did have the ones
who called were all good. David. I thank you.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
So you hand up with me.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Oh no, I've got to go to the newscast, Dave.
I'm running. I'm literally out of time. I didn't hang
up on you. I'm just saying I wish it called earlier,
and I hope we will stay on this story. I promise.
Speaker 4 (38:16):
Okay, can I hold.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
No, I'm changing topics, David, I'm changing topics. Thank you
very much. Here comes the news at ten o'clock
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