| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Middle-Man 1
Senior Member
188 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2007 : 10:41:34 PM
|
| You can always vote them out after 2 years if they go into the tank for whomever the mayor is at the time. I know a lot of damage can be done in two years as is evident with the current administration. But if the members who back the chief executive without justification get voted out of office the next bunch will learn not to be mindless water carriers for the guy at the top. A pink slip is a powerful motivator to force them to do the right thing. You just have to get the voters to hold them accountable as I believe they will hold the current mayor accountable in the coming months. |
 |
|
|
Citizen Kane
Advanced Member
1082 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2007 : 10:47:48 PM
|
| Oh Middle Man, you talk about the voters as though that's the answer to everything. Sadly, as we've seen from our own history in this city, it isn't. You have to get people to run against the establishment to begin with, which is not an easy thing (as is evidenced by the sad lack of candidates for the School Committee), because it takes time and costs money to run for office, and it often means bending your ideals and principles to get the money you need to back your run. It would be great if we lived in a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" political world, but . . . we don't. We don't have an overwhelming number of people who have pulled papers to this point for Common Council and Board of Aldermen, and even fewer for School Committee. We can't vote people out if we don't have legitimate options for voting others in. |
|
|
|
H1ghCh4r1ty
Advanced Member
967 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2007 : 11:05:16 PM
|
Everett is a strange city when it comes to politics.
It seems like most of the intelligent people in the city prefer not to run for public office.
The less than intelligent candidates always seem to get the most votes.
That seems to be a majority for the voters of Everett.
I ask people why did you vote for:
Wayne? answer, he has always been nice to me
Carlo? answer, he seems like an intelligent person
Kate? answer, always there for us
Just a few examples.
I remember a woman named Donna White, an attorney, who lived in Rosie's ward in north Everett. Donna defeated Rosie in the council race one year. Ms. White was a refreshingly intelligent voice on the City Council for two years. She was defeated by Rosie in the following election. When I asked the elderly voters why they voted Rosie back in, they replied that they did not have anything in common with that "young woman".
Oh well................
Emile Schoeffhausen |
|
|
|
Middle-Man 1
Senior Member
188 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2007 : 07:11:06 AM
|
| That's the way it's supposed to work Citizen. I know sometimes depending on the voters is living in fantasyland but what has the current system gotten us? The owner / occupant exemption was lost. Taxes are up 15-20 % in a year and a half. It's not like the memevers of the council have stopped anything important from happening. Just a bunch of grandstanding on ectv. The city could save about $400,00 a year by eliminating their pay, health insurance, pension liability, administrative costs etc. I still think it is way past time for this group to be disbanded. |
|
|
|
Citizen Kane
Advanced Member
1082 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2007 : 07:51:12 AM
|
Of course it's supposed to work that way. It'd be great if there was a qualified, crowded field from which to choose, but it rarely works that way. Don't get me wrong -- I agree with everything you say; unfortunately, it seems that the reality of things is quite the opposite. Voter turnout -- not just in Everett -- is at such a low point. I'm no sure that we're at an all time low, but we have to be pretty close. Does anyone know what the voter turnout was during the last mayoral election? I'm not sure, but I don't think it was that impressive.
Emile is absolutely right in his analysis; in general people tend to vote in terms of likeability as opposed to actual ability. This isn't to say that we don't have both in some of our elected officials, because I believe we do have those who genuinely want to do the right thing, but each election cycle it becomes more and more discouraging. |
|
|
|
H1ghCh4r1ty
Advanced Member
967 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2007 : 10:43:11 PM
|
a. Illegal immigrants can't vote.
b. Registered voters are largely moving out of Everett.
a+b= diminished voter base
if my analysis is true, the voter base will continue to diminish over time.
Emile Schoeffhausen |
|
|
|
Middle-Man 1
Senior Member
188 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2007 : 09:21:05 AM
|
You certainly are correct. This is just another reason there are a lack of people running for elected offices. How many people are there that are :
1. qualified
2. ambitious enough
3. have the time to put into it
4. have the money necessary or can raise the money needed
5. want the aggravations that go with it once you win
There are too many positions to fill. Let's do away with the common council and save the city a substantial sum of money. The few current members on that board who have a clue can then create some competition for the board of alderman to keep them from being the mayor's rubber stamp. Most here seem to like Ms. Bruno & Ms. DiFlorio. They could challenge RVC. Hickey could keep Mr. Diperri honest. Sal DiDomenico can vie for Stats spot to create competition for Mike Marchese. I'm not sure if theres any hope for wards 1,2 and 6. You can't win'em all. There are too many low watt bulbs on this council who got only a handful of votes in a single ward to get put in office. They have no buisness making decisions that effect the rest of the Everett population. You know who they are. No need to list them here. |
|
|
|
H1ghCh4r1ty
Advanced Member
967 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2007 : 4:01:52 PM
|
The Pup and I like your style, MM1
Emile Schoeffhausen |
|
|
|
Middle-Man 1
Senior Member
188 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2007 : 08:32:22 AM
|
| Thank You for the kind words. A little positive feedback for a new guy is welcome here. |
|
|
|
Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 11:28:47 AM
|
Dear Keanu:
Here's a towel - you need to dry off from your dip in the Koolaid.
While you've done a nice job trying to spin the news, you've made several errors.
1. The IG's letter came out just this past December, 2006, after the investigation was concluded. It couldn't have come out in 2002, 2003 or 2004.
2. Smith couldn't take the issue up then, because the investigation hadn't concluded until 2006.
3. "Why generate a letter like that unless it is pushed by someone that can pull strings," is a completely disconnected from any understanding of how the IG's office operates. You betray yourself as silly and uninformed.
4. Suggesting that the story about the IG's letter is a "smear" on the mayor by "certain members of the BOA" implied that you also understand that he shouldn't have hidden the letter for the last five months.
5. These are not just allegations; they are "findings" by the Inspector General.
6. While the power to do anything about the superintendent does rest with our gutless school committee - there is nothing to prevent the mayor from speaking up about it. That would be called leadership. Using EPS employees and supplies is against the law. The mayor should be speaking up about it. Give John McCarthy and David Ragucci credit - both tried to reign in this corrupt superintendent.
In closing...this sums up my understanding of what leadership is...and why the mayor pales by comparison.
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Teddy Roosevelt "Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
No - thank you for your time.
|
|
|
|
keanu
Member
45 Posts |
 Posted - 05/15/2007 : 12:00:15 PM
|
You can twist it around all you want. I was well aware of FFF's situation in 2002 2003 and 2004. My point is it was never a big issue until now. It's been all over the papers for years about the air conditioners and mowing the grass etc............ And you know what.. NO ONE CARED. Now when it suits your purpose you care.
The School Committee should have forced him to resign in 2002. I dont care what letter came in in 06. It's very suspisious that it comes out now stating that the statue of limitations has run out. Put the blame where it belongs with that joke of a school committee that the city has. I ahve been disgraced for years that he's still there. How can he get away with all that! I ask that to MR ALACONDA.
FFF "CLAIMS" he paid it back. I would like to see proof that he paid it back in 2002. The school committe pushed it under the rug. No one else.
|
|
|
|
EverettsPride
Advanced Member
1140 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 12:02:59 PM
|
People cared, I know I did. The idiots on the school committee do not care about the people who voted them in. They do not care about our kids, they care about FFF. That is why nothing happened.
Sally |
|
|
|
EverettsPride
Advanced Member
1140 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 12:04:00 PM
|
P.S. Thanks for posting your letter. It encouraged me to write my own letter to Mr. Hausle, and the school committee members.
Sally |
|
|
|
massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 12:51:00 PM
|
Court, as usual, you are right on target. I applaud Smith for bringing this up at the meeting. It is totally baffling to me, that people say we don't care what Fred has done. People have cared as far back as the McCarthy Administration. Fred has owned his hand picked bunch of sap heads since the day they gave him that ridiculous perpetual contract of his. Grant you, that wasn't the present board but they have all been the same since day one.
Personally, I would like to see the Mayor lead and speak up about this situation. It will never happen. He owes Fred way too much. I hate the thought of Fred getting away with all this and then retire and we have to pay his pension to boot.
Thanks Mayor Hanlon and Robert Alconada, you both have truly done a disservice to the people of Everett. |
|
|
|
keanu
Member
45 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 1:03:14 PM
|
| MASDEE you obviously have a personal vendetta. All you do is bash the Mayor and you know Mayor Hanlon could not do anything about FFF so get over yourself and take it up with Mr. Alaconda if you really care like you say you do. All this wining and noe one does anything but blame other people. PALEEEZZZ. |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Aldermans Agenda 4/9/07
