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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 08/31/2008 : 11:14:37 AM
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Since they were the only two running, I think Adam would have served the council better.
I didn't think the two Napolitano's were related but that is not a popular name. Even though Daniel is not my ward, I am curious where he stands on Wood Waste since it's going to the council.
It's time to start cracking down on these constant no-shows. It's not fair to the rest of the council that they have to pick up the slack for them and they get the same pay. Then these same no-shows only show up to stir the pot. |
Edited by - Tails on 08/31/2008 11:17:37 AM |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2008 : 2:03:32 PM
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I'd love to see them crack down on the no shows. As far as I'm concerned, they're stealing from every tax payer in the city. Unfortunately, some of them continue to get re-elected even though they don't show up! What's that tell you about the voter in this city?
Charter reform is long past due. I hope to see it in my lifetime, but I'm getting old and it seems the only thing that happens quickly is my birthdays.........
Most nights I don't get in early enough to catch the meetings anymore so I'm not as up on things as I should be. Is Sergio Cornelio at most meetings? He works an evening shift for the city. How does he manage those hours, Monday night meetings and committee meetings?
Lou Sierra was always really bad in that area and Joe King shows up but sleeps through the first half of the meeting and then goes home to bed. I can't figure out what we're paying most of them for! |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2008 : 6:45:33 PM
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I can’t remember the last time Lou Sierra showed up for two consistent meetings in a row. There is always an excuse.
I have to say Sergio has been at the meetings. I always see him flying around the city in that yellow truck though.
I see Joe King sleeping and one meeting he got mad and sat in the audience. Don’t know what the problem was or what he said. The last meeting I was proud of Joe King though.
Simonelli wants an open public hearing concerning all matters with Wood Waste and Tomassi-Hicks tried to push that issue to the Town Meeting. Joe King was the only one that stood up in defense to his brother (Simonelli) and said that he (Simonelli) was absolutely correct, we need an open public hearing concerning Wood Waste. There are too many issues and Joe King mentioned something about taxes. I didn’t hear that yet.
Now concerning Wood Waste, Thibeault wants to dump the waste on lower Broadway BEFORE the enclosure. Here we go again and he will NEVER build that enclosure. He will DESTROY lower Broadway. Thibeault is already fixing the spurs on the train tracks. Who’s allowing him to do that?? As of right now he is not permitted to have that type of facility on lower Broadway.
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2008 : 10:38:06 PM
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When I first saw the D.J. Napolitano piece on Boston.com this morning, I wasn't really that interested in posting it. But then, I thought about and had the same types of questions that Justme posed about it. So I went back and got it to post to see if it was only me. Obviously, it wasn't.
I feel that there is a big difference in maintaining a temporary residence to attend school and running for office in a city or town other than where your permanent residence is located. But, in terms of the services that you can provide your constituents in either case, they are pretty much the same. I would have to assume that Mr. Napolitano isn't commuting daily to Worcester. However, he isn't far enough away that he couldn't show up for a meeting every two weeks. With the demands of college, I'd doubt that he would have perfect attendance. But holding that position is not just about showing up for a meeting every two weeks.
The ironic thing about this is a precedent for allowing this type of situation on the city council. It was set by Stephanie Smith when she was an undergraduate and spent a semester in London. I don't recall much being made of that at the time.
I wonder how many members of the common council that voted for Mr. Napolitano to fill the vacant position were aware of this situation at the time? I wonder how many of them may come to regret that decision? I made a post in the Advocate thread that I didn't feel very good about the picture of Mr. Napolitano in this week's paper. This news doesn't do anything to help me feel any better.
I know that I've painted a very ugly picture of this situation: but, I truly hope that it does not turn out that way. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2008 : 09:23:09 AM
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Tetris, you did not paint an ugly picture of anything. Facts are facts and past situations make us learn. I'm glad you posted it and have these appointments ever been in the globe before? I dont recall, but I could have missed it.
I have my suspicions of this appointment.... but I'll wait and see how he does.
The city council gets constituents complaints/concerns daily. I am in no way saying they have to deal with it on a daily basis, but college (in my opinion) is a priority. Being far away, something will slip through the cracks. At least Stephanie was at Northeastern in Boston.
I hope he isn't a follower like another "youthful" councilor who does what ever his boss the Mayor tells him. He may shock me, and I hope he does.
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2008 : 1:08:27 PM
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In my last post in this thread, I tried to stay on points connected to the Globe item but I do also have some comments on the other issues that were raised in the conversation about the article.
We get the elected officials that we do in this city that because our elections are most often glorified popularity contests rather than referendums on the issues. I'm all for a smaller government. We barely have enough qualified people in office right now to support a nine person board of selectmen. Even though I'd be I favor of a smaller legislative body, I read an interesting post on Topix the other day. The gist of the post was that with a smaller legislative body, it might be easier for the board to be stacked with like "thinking" members, i.e., the school committee. If the city does downsize to a smaller legislative body, the voters of the city are going to have to change too. Much more emphasis is going to be needed on electing the most qualified candidates rather than the most popular ones.
I believe that Councilor Cornelio has had perfect attendance at of the meetings of the common council and the budget hearings but I could not swear to it. Besides the budget committee and the elections and returns committee, to which all the members of the common council belong, the only committee assignment that Cornelio has is the Public Service committee. I don't know how often that committee meets but I would be willing to bet it isn't very often. From first hand experience, I can tell you that more than a handful of city council members were in attendance at the recent planning board and the town meetings but Cornelio wasn't among them at either event.
Like Tails, I have seen Councilor Cornelio bombing around town at night in a city pick-up truck leading me to wonder exactly what it is that he is suppossed to be doing. I know that it is expressly allowed under MGL for a city employee to also be an elected city official; but, as I have stated before, I don't happen to agree with. In a small town, it's probably OK; in a city of this size, it's unnecessary. I really disagree with it in this situation though.
First off, to have the mayor be responsible for his economic livelihood in both of his jobs just seems wrong. What exactly is he doing at night at city services anyways? It doesn't seem so vital that he doesn't have the flexibility to attend meetings when necessary. Who, if anyone, fills in when he needs to be elsewhere? Lastly, I'm hoping that his compensation has been adjusted accordingly for the time he is away from his night job. I know that we doesn't collect two paychecks from the city; but, it was his choice to run for elected office. He shouldn't be compensated for whatever his city services job is if he is required to be away from it. As someone who lives in Ward 1, Mr. Cornelio will never get a vote from me as long as this situation persists in its current form.
No shows. After one common councilor was allowed to attend almost no meetings last year without any explanation, it is doubtful that the "good ole boy and girl network" will ever do anythihg about it. The only answer is to cut down on the size of the body and elected responsible people who are able to make the time required for the job or will step down when they find that they no longer can. |
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turk182
Member
88 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2008 : 10:56:08 AM
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Tetris
I have looked around Boston.com for the D.J. Napolitano piece can you post a link?
Thanks
"Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb" |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2008 : 11:21:57 AM
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| LIBRARY FUNDS - The state Board of Library Commissioners has awarded Everett a provisional $1.6 million grant to help fund the renovation of the 110-year-old Shute Library. Everett's project, which also involves a slight expansion, had been on a list of library projects approved for funding once state money became available. To access the grant, the city must cover the remaining project cost by December, 2009. Library director Deborah Abraham said the project was estimated at $3 million several years ago, but that figure needs to be updated. The Shute is the smaller of Everett's two libraries. - John Laidler |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2008 : 11:54:57 AM
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I'm not too clear on this sentence:
"To access the grant, the city must cover the remaining project cost by December, 2009."
Does that mean the work must be complete by December 2009 or the city has to commit to picking up the rest the money that is not funded in the grant, for the entire project or...........something completely different?
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2008 : 12:01:23 PM
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| My guess would be that it means that the actual cost of the projection will have to be updated and the city's share of the funding (i.e., how it intendeds to pay for it) would need to be in place by December 2009. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2008 : 12:06:03 PM
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| Thanks......as always! |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2008 : 06:28:52 AM
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Primary struggle heats up
Matewsky seeking Smith's House seat
By John Laidler
Globe Correspondent / September 7, 2008
Email| Print| Single Page| Yahoo! Buzz| ShareThisText size – + An electoral showdown between two popular Everett political figures is growing more heated as it heads toward a finale.
Freshman state Representative Stephen "Stat" Smith is battling Alderman at Large Wayne A. Matewsky in the Sept. 16 Democratic primary in the 28th Middlesex District, which includes Everett and two Malden precincts. With no other contenders for the seat, the primary winner has a clear route to victory in November.
In a sign of rising temperatures in the race, Matewsky last month filed a criminal complaint against Smith in Malden District Court, alleging that his opponent had made serious threats against him on two occasions during the campaign.
Following a hearing on Aug. 12, assistant clerk magistrate Paul Burns continued the hearing for 90 days, according to another assistant clerk magistrate, John Sullivan.
Smith acknowledged making pointed remarks to Matewsky in which "I could have used a better choice of words." But he said he was speaking in the context of the election and meant no physical threat.
Sullivan said that typically the continuation of a hearing would mean that "if in fact no similar issues were to occur between the parties, the matter may in fact be dismissed" when the hearing resumes.
More recently, Matewsky said Aug. 29 that 106 of his campaign signs had been damaged by Smith's campaign over the preceding week. Smith said his campaign had nothing to do with damage to Matewsky's signs.
In an interview, Matewsky said that he would bring representation to the district in the tradition of former representatives Edward G. Connolly, William Hogan, and George Keverian. "Those are the people I looked up to as my state representative. [Smith] is definitely not in that category."
Retorted Smith, "On my worst day, and on [Matewsky's] best day, he couldn't do the job I do day in and day out."
A former common councilor and alderman and current School Committee member, Smith, 53, narrowly lost to Connolly in the 2004 primary. Following Connolly's death in 2006, Smith won a hard-fought race to claim the seat. He was elected to the School Committee last year.
Matewsky, 50, is a 27-year City Council veteran. Appointed to a vacant Ward 1 Common Council seat in 1981, he was elected to the seat that fall, and went on to win reelection 12 times before running successfully for alderman at large in 2007.
Both have their strong backers.
Among those siding with Smith is School Committee member and former Housing Authority chairman Joseph Guiliano.
"He's a hard worker. He's never afraid to speak on issues. He's never walked away from a tough vote," Guiliano said of Smith.
"Even to this day, as a freshman state representative, he makes some tough votes," he said, recalling Smith's vote in favor of casino gambling, a position at odds with House leadership.
Ward 4 Common Councilor John Leo McKinnon is in Matewsky's corner.
"He's a people's person," McKinnon said of Matewsky. "If any constituent calls him, he gets back to him right away. I think he'd be a fast learner up there" at the State House. "He's been in city government 27 years and done a tremendous job here as a councilor and now as an alderman at large."
Matewsky is a justice of the peace. He is also a union bricklayer, performing side jobs in that trade.
"I bring the experience of helping people with any and all constituent problems," said Matewsky, who was Common Council president in 1999 and 2005. "That's why I've been so successful in city government, being elected year after year. People know me and they are happy with my representation."
As a state legislator, he said he would work to increase fuel assistance to seniors and low-income people in the community. He said he would also continue to be an advocate for veterans, and seek more funding for the local schools.
Smith, who manages real estate properties, said he is running on his record, including delivering to Everett its largest-ever school aid amounts in each of the last two years, and helping expand funding for the Chelsea Soldiers' Home.
He said he has also helped in obtaining rate relief for Massachusetts Water Resources Authority communities.
"I put all my effort into being a state representative and I've done a great job for the district," he said.
Smith said he would continue to focus on securing state funding for the district, and on providing timely assistance to constituents.
"I have one of the busiest districts on Beacon Hill and I attempt to help every single person that calls me," he said.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2008 : 07:37:00 AM
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Unions rush to protect details
Local police deals skirt restrictions in governor's plan
By Matt Viser
Globe Staff / September 14, 2008
Local police unions throughout Massachusetts, faced with an early October deadline, are scrambling to add language to labor contracts that would protect lucrative road construction details that can earn officers thousands of dollars in extra pay.
If successful, the moves by officers in cities and towns could undermine Governor Deval Patrick's plan to reduce police officers stationed at Massachusetts road projects and replace them with less expensive civilians, known as "flaggers."
It is another twist in the long-running political saga over whether costly police details should be curtailed in Massachusetts, which is the only state that automatically assigns police officers to nearly all utility and road work sites.
Patrick scored a political breakthrough this year when he gained permission from lawmakers to set up a scale of dangerousness to determine if a police presence is needed. Under his draft plan, police details will only be required at projects on major roads where cars are traveling fast. Flaggers will be posted at safer locations.
But police are looking to exploit an exemption included by the governor in his proposal. The new rules will not apply at the local level if, by the time they take effect, cities and towns have already adopted a police detail requirement, either in a police union contract or municipal ordinance. The rules are scheduled to take effect as early as Oct. 3.
In several cases already, local officials, hoping to use the issue as a bargaining chip with unions, have looked favorably on the police efforts to preserve the details
In Revere, for instance, city officials say they are willing to protect details in the union contract in exchange for officers agreeing to accept mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
"I'm a huge supporter of the governor," said Revere Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino. "But on this issue I'm not convinced that the city of Revere is better served by having flagmen on the streets instead of police details. I don't see that there's significant savings."
Chelsea city officials last week proposed an ordinance that would protect police details in their community and prevent the state from using civilian flaggers. Hopkinton officials have asked the Patrick administration to delay the state regulations to give them more time to devise new bylaws.
The state will hold a public hearing to discuss the new rules tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the State Transportation Building. As of Friday, Patrick administration officials were deciding whether to eliminate the exemption in response to union leaders' maneuvers.
"The administration is giving strong consideration to removing that provision from the proposed regulations," a senior administration official said.
The new regulations would place civilian flaggers on nearly all state roads where the speed limit is below 45 miles per hour, as well as on low-traffic roads where the speed limit is higher. Flaggers would also be used on sites where barriers are used to block off construction sites on a high-speed, high-traffic road.
Some roads - generally those with speed limits of 45 miles per hour and above and with more than 4,000 vehicles per day - would still rely on police officers to monitor traffic.
The new regulations will easily apply to state roads, which the state has jurisdiction over. But the current dispute is over local roads, where the vast majority of projects are conducted.
The last-minute push is being led by the Quincy-based International Brotherhood of Police Officers. The union has posted a three-sentence clause on its website for local unions to insert into their contracts. All local officials would have to do is put their city or town name into the blank space.
It is difficult to tell how many cities and towns will go to bat for local police unions, but many local officials contacted last week said they had been approached by their police union. Local police union officials did not respond to a request for comment. The State Police union also has opposed the governor's initiative.
Although there are no statewide regulations requiring the use of police details for Massachusetts road projects or utility jobs, state and local officials have used them for decades at construction sites anyway, in deference to politically powerful unions. It is a longstanding practice and typically has not been included in any local bylaws or mandated as part of collective bargaining agreements.
"The local police are feeling this will cut into their authority and being able to determine what is needed and what isn't," said Anthony J. Troiano, town manager in Hopkinton. "It's all very fluid. Who knows what will happen in the next two weeks?"
Hopkinton town officials declined to alter union contracts, but instead sent letters to state officials asking them to delay implementation of the regulations until July 1, 2009, to give them time to hold town meetings and adopt new bylaws.
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which represents local officials across the state, is advising city and town leaders to avoid inserting the new language into police contracts.
"We strongly support the reforms that have been put forward," said Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. "Even though the cost projections are relatively modest, we feel it's important for communities to be empowered to manage all aspects of their government."
Police have argued that the presence of a cruiser and a uniformed officer slows traffic and provides the best protection for the public and for road workers. Police have at times also made arrests or caught suspects on unrelated cases while on police details.
Some city officials said they did not expect the savings accrued by switching to flaggers to be significant.
"I've gone from being excited about the opportunity to finally addressing this issue, to saying it makes no sense whatsoever not having police officers on site," said Jay Ash, the city manager in Chelsea, where about eight police officers are on police details each day.
Ash said a union flagger would earn $34.84 an hour in Chelsea, compared with $35 an hour for police detail officers.
But an estimate calculated by the administration shows that - on state-funded road projects - annual savings could be between $5.7 million and $7.2 million of the $20 million to $25 million spent annually on police details.
The Boston City Council is expected to preserve contract language and city ordinances that guarantee the use of details.
Councilor Sam Yoon said the city should study whether a city ordinance requiring paid details at construction sites is costly for residents. But there appears to be little appetite on the council or from Mayor Thomas M. Menino to change the arrangement.
"I think we are a very prolabor council," said City Council president Maureen Feeney.
John C. Drake of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company. |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2008 : 12:23:59 PM
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EVERETT
REMEMBERING A HERO - A ceremony will be held at Glenwood Cemetery at 10 a.m. today dedicating a newly installed gravestone for a Chelsea resident killed in World War I. Fred C. Dulevitz, 19, died in October 1918 in the Battle of Verdun, in France. A member of the Army's 26th (Yankee) Division, Dulevitz was killed trying to pass through an enemy barrage to deliver an urgent message to his battalion commander. He was buried at Glenwood in 1921, but over the years, no stone or marker was placed on the spot. That omission was corrected through the efforts of retired Chelsea High teacher and Everett resident Ernie Sullivan. Using documents compiled by Sullivan through his research, Everett veterans services director Joseph F. Hickey successfully applied to the Veterans Administration to provide a gravestone for Dulevitz. Among those expected to attend the ceremony are Alexander R. Dulevitz of Texas, a nephew of Fred Dulevitz, and a representative of the French Consulate in Boston. The public is invited to attend.
- John Laidler
STREET REPAIR MEETING - Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. will hold a neighborhood meeting tomorrow to inform residents about a planned street and sidewalk reconstruction project. The affected streets are Marie and Edith avenues, Henry Street, and Kenwood and Elliot roads. The project, paid for with a federal Community Development Block Grant secured by the city, is scheduled to begin this month. The mayor will be joined at the meeting by community development director Marzie Galazka and a representative from D & R Construction Inc., the Stoneham firm that was awarded a $619,248 contract to undertake the project. Neighbors will have a chance to ask questions and voice concerns at the meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. at Shute Memorial Library. - John Laidler
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BOSTON GLOBE
