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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 1:44:38 PM
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| What does Mr Hickey needing the money have to do with anything? I am sure Mr Rice needs his pay check too. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 03/06/2008 : 3:09:35 PM
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| It's very unfortunate that Mayor DeMaria does not understand the magnitude of people that are horrified by his actions, his treatment towards a veteran of our military service and especially making this entire issue political. I am not speaking about what's just being said on blogs. It's word of mouth, I am lifetime resident of Everett and have many family and friends that still live in Everett. I walk to the square almost every Saturday, do a little shopping, post office, lunch, etc...and I will tell you by word of mouth people are very disappointed. He promised people he was going to "Give them back their city" and he was not in this for himself or to just hire friends like he was claiming the other candidates were doing. He also told me Thiebault was not going to be involved with the city but he goes and hires someone from his firm and he's very close to purchasing the old city yards. My point is I am very disappointed with this NON New Beginning it's more same ole. He better do the right thing and leave Veterans Services alone. Nothing is set in stone but there is talk about merging offices with the Veteran's Office. We all know, especially after Vietnam with the homeless Vets that Vet's stay anonymous and will not feel comfortable going to a merged office. HUGE mistake if that happens. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 4:40:20 PM
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Tails,
I did some research into MGL Chapter 115 and have included some pertinent sections of it below. I'll post some comments on my read of these sections at end of this post.
LOCAL DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS’ SERVICES
Chapter 115: Section 10. Creation; directors; districts; treasurer of district
Section 10. The mayors of cities and the selectmen of towns, other than cities and towns which become part of a district as authorized by the second paragraph of this section, shall cause to be established and maintained in their respective cities and towns a department for the purpose of furnishing such information, advice and assistance to veterans and their dependents as may be necessary to enable them to procure the benefits to which they are or may be entitled relative to employment, vocational or other educational opportunities, hospitalization, medical care, pensions, and other veterans’ benefits. Each department so established and maintained shall be known as the department of veterans’ services, and the officer in charge thereof shall be known as the director of veterans’ services. Such director and any assistant or deputy director appointed under this section or section eleven shall be a veteran and shall be appointed in a city by the mayor, with the approval of the city council, and in a town by the selectmen.
Two or more adjoining towns, or two or more adjoining municipalities only one of which is a city, may, in a city by vote of the city council thereof, and in a town by vote of the selectmen thereof, form a district for the purposes set forth in the first paragraph of this section, including the appointment and compensation of a director of veterans’ services, for the enforcement therein of such purposes and of such other provisions of law as it may be his duty to enforce. Any constituent city or town by vote may withdraw from the district at the end of any fiscal year of such city or town if such withdrawal is voted in the manner aforesaid not less than sixty days prior to the end of such fiscal year and notice of such vote is filed with the other municipalities comprising the district.
Chapter 115: Section 14. Control and direction of commissioner; separate and independent location
Section 14. Departments established and maintained under sections ten to fourteen, inclusive, shall be under the general direction of the commissioner, and they shall be physically located independently of, and separate and apart from, any other public or private agency, board, bureau, social agency or society, except a department or agency disbursing aid or relief or veterans’ benefits under this chapter.
It is not possible under MGL to combine the Department of Veteran's Services with any other department in the city (Section 14). Also, there is no possibility for Everett to become part of a district since only one city may be part of any district and all of the municipalities adjoining Everett are cities (Section 10). Therefore, the department has to stay as it is.
It is also interesting to note that under MGL, "city council" approval of the director of veteran's services is required (Section 10); I can't recall this ever happening before in Everett, but I could be wrong about that. I'm exactly not sure what "city council" means in terms of this city's unique form of government. In Everett, approval of appointees is usually a function of the Board of Aldermen. However, if this law was written without taking Everett's uniqueness into consideration, it may require approval of both boards. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 4:58:01 PM
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| Perhaps the Mayor needs a copy of section 14. I will gladly send him this. This is what I mean when I say he is jumping the gun. He needs to slow down and think things through more carefully. I think he got a break here before he went and made another mistake. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 5:39:39 PM
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Tails,
There are some words of wisdom in your last post that I believe we could all benefit to live by. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 09:25:02 AM
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There is a letter To The Editor in todays Independent about the Veterans Service Administrator. It says the choice for the VSO is between Joe Hickey and Millie Cardillo. I have not read or heard that anywhere, has anyone else? There has been plenty of rumors flying around with these two names in the mix.
If one of these two are appointed, don't they have to be out of office for six months? I thought I read that somewhere. Does that mean Veterans Services will be without a director for at least another six months? It has already been going on for too long. This is one appointment, I believe, the mayor should make sooner rather than later. |
Edited by - massdee on 05/14/2008 10:04:52 AM |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 09:46:20 AM
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If true, I sense a Loophole.
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 10:11:11 AM
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It’s really heartbreaking the way this entire situation has been handled. You would have thought the article -Real Heroes Walk in the Shadows- just one of many......would have been a wake up call to this administration of the importance of this during our time of war on terrorism. My personal opinion is the office needs a man only because Gerri is already there for the women veterans. Some of the older veterans may not feel comfortable speaking to a woman (or man for that matter) that holds/held a political seat. I guess it’s a wait and see. What a shame.
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 11:06:30 AM
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| I believe politics should be left out of this appointment. The veterans needs, must come first. I feel they would be better served by someone who is not a city hall insider. |
Edited by - massdee on 05/14/2008 12:42:00 PM |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 12:50:21 PM
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| This whole thing makes me sick and reeks of politics yet again. I had hopes that this administration would do the right thing however, it does not appear that’s happening. How come the newspapers are privy to this information before anybody else? What are they being set up for? Now I know this administration will never put the needs of the veterans first and never had any intention of doing so. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 12:53:57 PM
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| and.....perhaps the Independent should have also printed a copy of MGL on this matter right next to the letter to the editor. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 12:58:21 PM
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Tails,
You might have misunderstood my post. The newspaper printed the Letter to the Editor, but the Independent didn't write it. It was written by a Mr. Michael Steiner. |
Edited by - massdee on 05/14/2008 1:00:53 PM |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 1:11:01 PM
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I understood that the Independent didn't write the letter, but they printed it. Don't they check into letters that are written to the editor for accuracy before printing? The letter is claiming it's between two political seats. If that is true, so much (again, like the solicitor) for the exhaustive search and MGL says you must have been resigned from your seat for six months. With articles like this You must be logged in to see this link.
the veterans do not have another six months to wait. This is about their needs first and who will benefit them best, not city hall.
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 1:15:46 PM
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Tails,
Thanks for the clarification, now I understand what you were saying. |
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Veteran’s Services
