The News Tribune sees 'potential' in development. Borderline sees something else.

Ever get the feeling that developers dominate Waltham?

Borderline sure does after reading an article by correspondent Samantha Monk in the Daily News Tribune, entitled "Analysis shows Waltham could nearly double its population".

I've written about the Tribune's pro-real estate bias before, but this latest article takes the paper to new lows, starting with the first paragraph:

"The city has potential for great changes in the years ahead."

What are the "great changes"? Why, more development! The article refers to a report prepared by the city Planning Department, which finds that "the city has the potential to build thousands of new homes and millions of feet of commercial space, producing substantial revenue."

Sure, the article mentions "caution" and "concern" from residents and the League of Women Voters (who had some role organizing a meeting with city officials) regarding development, but the damage is already done: "Potential" is equated with more development.

Is this what people really want? Maybe some do -- namely, developers and their associates, who are interested in lining their own pockets, even if it means breaking the law. Maybe some city officials and councilmen too, who are friendly with these characters. But no ordinary resident of Waltham I know has ever said, "Hey, you know what Waltham really needs? More townhouses!"

Message to elected officials: We don't need no more stinkin' development in Waltham. There are already too many condos, office parks, and strip malls here. We should be looking at Lincoln as a model for development, not Framingham.

Message to the News Tribune: Please do a better job of eliminating pro-development bias from your correspondents' articles. We know you receive a lot of money from real estate advertisements and commercial inteersts, but remember who your readers are.