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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2011 : 5:47:42 PM
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Low-income heating assistance awarded to Malden, Medford
Posted by Marcia Dick November 11, 2011 10:02 AM
The Patrick-Murray Administration yesterday announced $77.6 million in federal funding to provide heating assistance to low income residents in Massachusetts. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding will be distributed to 22 regional agencies across the Commonwealth that will administer the funds to households in need.
In anticipation of higher fuel costs, Governor Deval Patrick organized a bipartisan coalition of more than a dozen governors to send a letter urging Congressional leaders to bring LIHEAP funding for FY2012 up to the same levels it was funded in FY2011. The letter, citing 27 percent and 15 percent increases for retail prices of residential heating oil and propane fuels respectively and an overall 10 percent increase for households using delivered fuels, calls on Congress to provide $4.7 billion for the program nationwide. The level funding would provide Massachusetts and other states with the resources to help keep vulnerable families warm this winter season.
The Tri-City Community Action Program, Inc., which serves low-income residents in Everett, Malden, and Medford, received $2,008,730.
"These critical funds will help our families and individuals in need of assistance to heat their homes this winter," said Governor Deval Patrick. "My thanks go out to the Obama Administration and our Congressional delegation for their support, and we will continue to advocate for more resources to sustain this program into the future."
"This significant funding will help us keep more of our residents warm this winter,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. “We look forward to working with our partner agencies to provide assistance to those in need as we head into these cold winter months.”
The fuel assistance funds provide eligible households with help in paying a portion of their winter heating bills. Eligibility for the program is based on household size and the gross annual income of every household member, 18 years of age or older. The maximum income eligibility for LIHEAP is 60 percent of estimated state median income. Current benefit levels vary depending on household income.
Funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, LIHEAP is managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development in conjunction with 22 regional nonprofit and local government organizations.
“I’m glad some LIHEAP funding is finally getting out the door to assist Massachusetts families with heating their homes," said U.S. Senator Scott Brown. "Now, Congress and the Obama Administration must work together to make sure this critical program receives sufficient funding this winter."
Last year, DHCD served more than 210,000 Massachusetts households through the program, and expects the need to be even greater this winter.
"I applaud Governor Patrick’s announcement of the swift distribution of LIHEAP funds," said Congressman Edward J. Markey. "After facing the immediate challenges of the October snow storm, it is essential that our constituents receive the home heating support they need. Massachusetts families should not be forced to choose between heating and eating during these tough economic times, and this program is a lifeline to prepare for the upcoming winter. I look forward to continuing our work with the Governor to ensure that we get the maximum amount of funding for this program to ensure that Massachusetts residents aren’t left out in the cold."
“The weather is turning and so many people will have trouble heating their homes this winter because the cost is so high," said Congressman Mike Capuano. "These federal funds can make it a little easier for families to get through the cold winter. I hope we’ll be able to do more in the months ahead.”
“This is another important example of federal tax revenues being put to good use," said Congressman Barney Frank. "My only regret is that bad national spending priorities continue to put so much money into wasteful areas like military bases in Europe and agricultural subsidies for the wealthy – and too little for programs like this."
“There are thousands of families across Massachusetts who rely on LIHEAP assistance to heat their homes each winter,” said Congressman Stephen F. Lynch. “As anyone who lives in New England realizes, this funding is critical and I am very pleased to see that it will now be allocated to those in need.”
“Adequate funding for LIHEAP is absolutely essential for thousands of our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “I’m especially proud of the work that Citizens for Citizens in Fall River and the Worcester Community Action Council do to help those in need. Along with my colleagues in the delegation, I will continue to fight for this vital program.”
“Many of our local seniors and working families are already struggling to cover heating costs," said Congressman John Tierney. "With this funding, hopefully those in our community who need a little help to get through the cold winter months may not have to choose between putting food on the table and purchasing fuel to heat their homes. I know the community action agencies in this district work very hard to get this assistance where it is most needed, and I and the delegation will be working to ensure future needs are met as well.”
“As last weekend’s storm demonstrated, losing power and heat during the winter time can be dangerous for any household," said Congresswoman Niki Tsongas. "For far too many families, insufficient access to heat is a reality throughout the winter. The release of these federal funds will help some households defray heating costs, but many more remain in need of assistance this winter which is why we will continue to fight to restore fuel assistance funding to appropriate levels."
“Families and individuals across the Commonwealth are struggling to make ends meet and this funding is essential to protecting families in need and helping them get through another tough winter,” said Senate President Therese Murray. “More than $4 million of the federal funds are being directed to the South Shore Community Action Council in my district and I’m happy that we will be able to help our most vulnerable residents heat their homes."
“The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding helps to ensure that no family will be left out in the cold this winter,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “I applaud the Patrick-Murray Administration for their hard work in making these critical funds available to families in need across our Commonwealth.” |
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Baby Huey
Member
95 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 07:17:06 AM
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Everett finally abandoning its bicameral government
Last city in the US to do so
If you stand around long enough in downtown Everett, there’s a chance you’ll bump into an elected official. In this city, where 38,000 people are squeezed into 3.4 square miles, everyone seems to know at least one of the 25 members of the bicameral City Council - a form of government that has been in existence here for more than 100 years.
Established to mirror the state and federal legislation system, bicameral governments were once popular in New England but began to be phased out early in the last century. Everett remains the last municipality in the United States to have a bicameral City Council.
Beginning in 2014, the bicameral government will become a footnote in the history books. Last month, residents voted to abolish the 25-member, dual-branch Common Council and Board of Aldermen and replace it with a streamlined 11-member City Council.
The vote - which also included prohibiting future city councilors from signing up for the city’s health plan - came after the city established a commission to look into changing the city’s 119-year-old charter.
“We’re all talking about downsizing and tightening our belts. It’s time,’’ said Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria, who believes that the city will save money by eliminating 14 government positions and health premiums for 13 council members.
Everett now pays the 25 representatives a total of $150,000 a year - the 18 Common Council members each earn $5,500 annually, and the seven aldermen make $7,200. The city also pays out another $181,000 a year for health premiums for the 13 councilors who signed on to the city’s health plan.
Beginning in 2014, the city will save at least $181,000 annually after it stops offering health insurance to councilors. Other potential savings are unclear. When the new City Council is elected in two years, the council will vote to set its own salary. The current pay for city councilors in surrounding cities shows no regional consensus: In Chelsea, councilors earn $8,000 annually; in Melrose, $5,000; in Revere, $15,460.
In Everett, some councilors looked toward the city’s distinction of having the last local bicameral government as a badge of pride. Until 1967, they shared a fraternal bond with Waterville, Maine - which was the only other city in the United States with a bicameral local government - communing with picnics and summer softball games. But Waterville abolished its bicameral system in 1968, leaving Everett as the sole city to cling to a form of government with roots in Colonial America.
Everett City Clerk Mike Matarazzo said the lore of standing out and having the last form of anything in the United States helped keep the bicameral system in place.
“There’s something about being the only one in the country. It was a distinction,’’ said Matarazzo, who served for 18 years on the Common Council.
If it was a distinction, it was also a platform for aspiring politicians who used the Common Council and Board of Aldermen as a stepladder to higher government. George Keverian, a former speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and former lieutenant governor Sumner Whittier were first elected to the Common Council. And for the last 75 years, every elected mayor of Everett first apprenticed in the bicameral system.
There has always been some tension between Everett’s 18-member Common Council and its seven-member Board of Aldermen. Aldermen have the upper hand, and approve licenses and most mayoral appointees. Still, the two branches work together to approve all major spending and the city budget. Each body meets separately every two weeks, and since each branch requires two votes to approve any new ordinance, the process of crafting one piece of legislation - such as a proposal to install a new stop sign - could take up to a month. In recent years, residents became more critical of the legislative process, with some calling it duplicative and inefficient.
“The people saw this bicameral government as a place of bickering, gridlock, and confusion. When you have 18 in one branch and seven in the other, there’s no consensus,’’ said Paul Schlosberg, a former city councilor who served as chairman of a city charter committee that recommended eliminating the two-branch system. “With the new City Council you’ll be able to pinpoint responsibility, where one branch can’t blame another. It makes it easier for the public to see who’s making the decisions.’’
DeMaria, who served on the Common Council and the Board of Aldermen before being elected mayor, said he believes the role of the 18-member Common Council hasn’t changed in decades. The council comprises three representatives from each of the city’s six wards; six aldermen are also elected by ward. This allows one resident from every 10 streets of a neighborhood to serve in city government.
“It was not really about initiating legislation,’’ said DeMaria, who called the Common Council representatives extended city workers. “They are extended cops, firemen, DPW workers. They are the guys that get the potholes fixed and the dogs out of the park, and who call the police when kids are in the park too late. That’s their role.’’
Some councilors who led a group that opposed charter change say the move will cost Everett more in the long run, and also will remove the extra eyes and ears that city officials have in neighborhoods. Under the new charter, just one member of the new City Council will come from each ward and the rest will be elected citywide.
“Why would you fix something that is not broken?’’ said Rosa DiFlorio, who has served six years on the Common Council. “I thought it was the best form of government. You had checks and balances.’’
Rosemary Miller, who is beginning her third term on the Common Council, said the new City Council members will expect more than the $7,200 salary the current aldermen earn.
“When you have less people doing the same amount of work, they’re going to expect more money,’’ said Miller.
Miller said if salaries increase, the city will pay more for pensions when council members retire. To be eligible, elected officials must serve at least 10 years. Currently, the city pays out $21,282 annually for pensions for six former councilors and aldermen: William Apruzzese, Warren Clifford, Gilbert Dell Isola, Joseph Marchese, John Ragucci, and Peter Simonelli.
Michael Marchese, president of the Board of Aldermen, also opposed the change. He called the bicameral system “an inexpensive way for people to have access to government officials.’’
But residents like Conrad Casarjian dismissed Marchese’s assertion and said it was time to count every penny spent.
“It’s time we stop subsidizing unneeded politicians’ income,’’ he said. “There was a strong vested interest in maintaining the system because everyone had the ear of some politician, and everyone was related. It was good for exerting one’s personal influence on the political scene.’’
Steven A. Rosenberg can be reached at srosenberg@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @WriteRosenberg.
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company. |
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kittycat
Member
66 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 09:53:58 AM
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Conrad Casarjian - Executive Profile
MA - Owner - Gold N Oldies Jewelry & Antiques
Mar 10, 2011 ... Conrad Casarjian is associated with Gold N Oldies Jewelry & Antiques with the
role of Owner. and is located in Everett, MA.
do I need to say more Demaria supporter |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 1:36:04 PM
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| The article is a little on the BS side as far as cost savings go. I think City Clerk Matarazzo said it the best. Kittycat, I don't know where the Boston Globe finds these "civilians" for their comments. I wish they would find me, I have a lot to say. |
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Linda M
Member
43 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2011 : 09:12:24 AM
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Boxford — The names of three finalists for the Boxford Police Chief’s position were announced Monday night at the selectmen’s meeting.
The three finalists are:
· Thomas Fowler of Connecticut, the current deputy chief of police for the Branford, CT Police Dept.;
· Michael Murphy, the current chief of police in Revere; and
· John Stankiewicz, a current Police Captain in the Longmeadow Police Dept.
Chairman of the search committee Steven Mazzie, who is a police chief in Everett and a Boxford resident, worked with four committee members including Town Administrator Alan Benson, Selectmen Peter Perkins and Steve Davis, and town constable Mark Balding to choose the finalists who must still undergo a special assessment process and an interview before the board of selectmen. More than 70 applicants applied for the Boxford police chief job.
Mazzie told the selectmen Monday night, “I think you will be pleased with the outcome. . . the three finalists are all seasoned veterans, each has over 25 years of law enforcement experience and is in a top management position, coming from cities and towns where they worked to make positive things happen,” added Mazzie.
Fowler, who has been deputy chief of police for the Brandford, CT police dept. since 2007, has worked for that department since 1986, working his way up the ranks as a police officer, sergeant, lieutenant and deputy chief. He holds a master’s degree in public administration as well as attended the FBI National Academy and PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police. “I have 12 years of experience at the command level as a police lieutenant and deputy chief of police,” he said in a letter to Boxford’s search consultants MMA Consulting Group, Inc. of Brookline.
Heading up the Revere Police Dept. as chief since 1986, Chief Murphy has overseen the municipal Police Dept.’s internal affairs operations and managed a Special Operations Unit. He has also served as commanding officer of a patrol division and liaison to the city’s license commission. “I overcame budget and staffing challenges, continuously providing high-quality police services within a diverse community,” said the Revere chief of police in his application cover letter.
With more than 29 years of law enforcement experience, Police Captain Stankiewicz has spent 11 of those years in management, joining the Longmeadow Police Dept. from 1982 to the present.
“I have played a significant role in managing select budgets, creating operational plans, writing policy, providing training for both sworn and civilian personnel, supervising, delegating, maintaining staffing, improving working conditions, enhancing media relations, coordinating event security, developing community surveys, acquiring more than $870,000 in grants while maintaining current knowledge of laws of my profession,” added Stankiewicz in his letter of application.
When Selectman Mary Anne Nay pointed out that two of the final candidates would have to relocate to take the Boxford chief’s job, Mazzie reassured the selectmen that those candidates expressed during the screening process that they have made a commitment to relocate to the area.
When Nay asked if a candidate from Revere might find Boxford less of a challenge, and perhaps even a little boring, Mazzie replied that the finalists are all police veterans who are likely seeking an opportunity “to work in a different environment with fewer problems and less headaches. There will still be issues and challenges. And they’ve identified the issues in their interviews,” Mazzie said.
Next week the three candidates will take part in a daylong screening process that involves responding to drills and scenarios they might encounter in the chief’s job. An assessment center will be set up and run by the town’s consultant, and the selectmen will be allowed to watch the finalists performance live or via videotapes at a later time.
“ I want to thank all of the people who applied for the chief’s position from Boxford and surrounding communities, even from as far away as Colorado. It was a lot of work trying to be as fair as we could to pick the best candidates for the town,” added Chairman Peter Perkins.
Read more: Police chief field narrowed to 3 finalists - Boxford, MA - Tri-Town Transcript You must be logged in to see this link. |
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Linda M
Member
43 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2011 : 09:15:26 AM
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Police Chief Selection:
36 • Police Chief Search Committee: Two applicants for the Police Chief Search
Committee were interviewed.
38 • Steven A. Mazzie, has been a resident of Boxford since 1998. He was
born and raised in Everett and has worked with the Everett Police
40 Department since 1992, where he is now serving as the city's police chief,
since 2003. He is president of the Massachusetts Police Chiefs
42 Association. He is married with two children. MOTION by Costello,
seconded by Nay, to appoint Steven Mazzie to the Police Chief Search
44 Committee for a term ending June 30, 2012. The Motion passed
unanimously, via roll call vote |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 12/20/2011 : 12:07:05 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Linda M
Police Chief Selection:
36 • Police Chief Search Committee: Two applicants for the Police Chief Search
Committee were interviewed.
38 • Steven A. Mazzie, has been a resident of Boxford since 1998. He was
born and raised in Everett and has worked with the Everett Police
40 Department since 1992, where he is now serving as the city's police chief,
since 2003. He is president of the Massachusetts Police Chiefs
42 Association. He is married with two children. MOTION by Costello,
seconded by Nay, to appoint Steven Mazzie to the Police Chief Search
44 Committee for a term ending June 30, 2012. The Motion passed
unanimously, via roll call vote
Very interesting, thank you.
FACT - The Everett, MA violent crime rate is 75% greater than the Massachusetts average and 64% greater than the national average.
The Everett, MA property crime rate is 52% greater than the Massachusetts average and equal to the national average.
Overall, the Everett, MA crime index is 55% greater than the Massachusetts average and 6% greater than the national average.
Boxford is exactly where the Chief of Police in Revere belongs. He absolutely can not handle Revere.
As for Steve Mazzie.....I like him on a personal level, but as Chief of Police in Everett, he's become too complacent. He may be strong in grant writing but he's not in "on the street" public safety. Maybe he's thinking too much about Boxford than Everett where he works and gets paid. Attending meetings and telling people what they want to hear is not someone who is strong in public safety, and it shows in performance. And I'm not buying any hot air coming from the administration and phony balony stats that everything is wonderful, because it's not. I've never seen more "lack of" police presence when we need it the most. We are accelerating at high speed into becoming the next Dorchester like never before.
I know there's crime everywhere but nothing compared to these days. And I really don't care if other cities and towns choose to sweep it under the rug too. This is where we live, and should be as safe as possible. The streets are a reflection of how the chief runs his station. And to hear that money is an issue is bull ****. Forget about buying new fancy cars and get patrols on the streets.
Issues in Everett are a combination of lackadaisical government and a latchkey Chief. The city council does not dare bring up crime, and if they do, like Mike Marchese tried to...they get ridiculed by the mayors pets and called a trouble maker. Drive around the city on a Saturday night and take the pretty flowers out of the equation and look at the drug dealers, hookers, gangs all on the streets. Then we have high robberies, murder, stabbing' s with no regard for human life. We are being invading by illegal aliens who think they can come here, commit crimes and walk around so blatantly like they have more rights than us. The sad part is they are getting away with it! 90% of the Everett crimes are committed by immigrants or illegals and that is a true statistic! There are laws written that gives cities and towns authority to investigate and detain illegals. What has Mazzie done about it?
We need someone in charge that's going to take the bull by the horns and say enough.
As for the article, I wonder if Mazzie got paid for that since the applicants were interviewed for the committee. Could be a conflict. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2011 : 12:59:49 PM
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| I think that it's funny that the Chief clearly lives in Boxford but if you look at his donations on the Mayor's campaign finance reports, he lists an Everett address. |
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Boston Globe 2011
