Left In Lowell

No More Back Room Deals

by Lynne at 5:25 pm.

It was Friday afternoon, I’m about to leave the office, and I get an email from a source, news that is something of interest to the city, but also something of a bombshell.

I was nervous posting about the meeting between Cox and two city councilors about tendering his resignation…not because I didn’t trust the source (I did), but because it seemed the sort of thing that a) I could make enemies over (what, like I don’t already have any in Lowell?) and b) it was about a private conversation, albeit between public employees and elected officials. Obviously, the Councilors were hoping to head off controversy by trying to convince Cox to step down nice and easy-like, so they don’t have to be on the record kicking him off, but still getting rid of him (there’s still a lot of unanswered questions about why - as people have said to me, it can’t just be the Stokloska classrooms).

Now, reliable sources have been telling me that they want to replace the City Manager with our State Senator, Panagiotakos, and rumor has it that it’s nothing short of a done deal. Panagiotakos will have the backing of the Lowell Sun, will get in unanimously as he has good relations with the councilors, and everything will be hunky-dory.

Or will it?

This is exactly the reason I “went to print” with the Cox resignation story. I am tired of done deals made in the back rooms of City Hall.

I’ve taken a lot of heat, both personally and in comments, for my opposition to Panagiotakos. Honestly, the guy does have a decent Democratic voting record, though on some very important issues (gay marriage for one) he’s on the wrong side of history. However, it’s his record as a back-scratcher I dislike the most. I don’t operate in a vacuum in Lowell, you know. I talk to a lot of different people. And most of the people say he is part and parcel - indeed - central, to the good ol’ boy network of Lowell, which helped elect him and keeps him there. What’s wrong with a GOB (good ol’ boy) network? After all, it’s been part of the game since forever, right? Well, I’ll tell you. GOBs, just like Republican economic policies, produce haves…and have-nots. If you’re in, there’s all manner of government and personal contacts open to you. If you ain’t (and that’s most of us) you can’t be privy to inner-circle decisions, even those that affect you. If a GOB’s friend is interested in getting a development deal through, the GOB will move heaven and earth for them, even if it isn’t right. And when the GOB wants something - like, say, relection, or maybe needs defending in the papers, the GOB’s network kicks in, even if perhaps the criticisms levied against them are valid.

GOB networks supplant and replace democratic and open governments. They discuss important issues in closed offices with their friends. They decide that a bridge realignment is the right choice out of four different proposed plans, though no such debate has been had in the public arena. If democracy is why I am here, writing, then I - and you, the readers - need to fight the GOB every time you see it. So, I hit the “publish” button last Friday afternoon, apprehensive, but very sure I did the right thing. Because it is better that a private conversation in a back room about a public issue be out in the open, then I save my city councilors or the city manager some embarrassment and myself the headache of snide remarks from Rita Mercier.

No more. No more Good Ol’ Boy back-scratching, no more hidden deals. When there is no more of this, I will consider my job done, close up blog shop, and go back to my private, uncontroversial life. Since I know it’s only human to patronize one’s friends and allies, however, I suspect I’ll be writing for a while yet.

Let’s have a genuine search for the best candidate for City Manager, someone who is non-partisan, non-political, professional, and driven to be a good public servent. This is the most important appointed position in the city. We need real management, not political back-scratching, to bring the city together where it is being torn apart and to show the state of Massachusetts how it’s really done.

Oh, and before anyone complains about how I wasn’t born here in Lowell, I haven’t lived here long, so I have no right to criticize, you asked me to move here. Isn’t the whole Look At Lowell Now marketing campaign aimed at enticing young educated professionals looking for a fun place to live that isn’t overpriced-Boston? Now that we’re here, you can’t complain that we want to speak, to get involved, to evoke change. You either want our money and our contribution and our artistic sensibilities or you don’t. And you can’t live without us. We’re the new lifeblood of the city, and we’re here to make a difference. Now, let’s get to work!

[Filed under Local politics, Corruption] [link]

20 Responses to “No More Back Room Deals”

SoccerMom Says:
April 10th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
Good Job Lynne! I love reading your blogs, keep up the good work! I’ve lived in Lowell for a long time and I’m so sick and tired of the Good Ol’ Boys club and their inner circle.
K-R-S Says:
April 10th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
Excellent piece Lynne! Nicely done.
No one you Know Says:
April 10th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
Good Job!

Just as an aside to how hard it is going to be to even put a dent into the GOB
network. Someone I know that sought public office ran against our boy Pany at one time. The
candidate bought an ad in the local newsletter (I stopped calling it a newspaper a while ago)
for the night before the election, the ad was along the line of a family tree, a who’s who
in local politics and their link to Pany. Funny thing is the local newsletter “forgot” to
run it! Guess what? Pany won the election!

I heard a new one this morning, a local supporter of Cox (because he’s getting a weekly tax
free kiss from the city for over $1K) predicts Gary Wallace, son of Kendall Wallace,
will be the next CM and the city is doomed! Of course if “my” friend were a CM that could
lose his job and “my” friend was and making sure that I got a tax free check every week I’d
be concerned about the downfall of the city as well!
waittilnextyr Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 5:09 am
I think you have hit the nail on the head. It’s been that way for some time, and it is likely to continue. There aren’t too many politiicians that can have the public’s interest first and still be successful. We can only hope that the “annointed” one is reasonably fair to the average citizen.
Rich Douglas Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 5:18 am
This is such an amazing post Lynne. The last paragraph cements the piece so well.
Mimi Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 8:28 am
Lynne:

I totally agree with Rich. Your last paragraph says it all. The GOB has probably never heard of the “law of unintended consequences” but that is what is happening in Lowell. There is a chagne in the air with new people bringing in new ideas.

Perhaps this time, the GOB would continue to prevail but I am optimistic that the future will bring about changes.

I do not think the Councilors were trying to head off controversy by asking Cox politely to leave; if you read the paper this morning, the five courageous ones, not cowards as they were called by a colleague, have clearly taken a public stand and getting beat up for it by those who may have something to lose if Cox is gone.
sharpchick Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 8:37 am
I don’t live in Lowell but I wish you lived in Cambridge, because the same can be said about us. Good work Lynne! :
Susan M. (aka Mariposa) Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 9:18 am
Exactly, what Sharpchick said. (and how kickass is that screenname?!) This isn’t limited to Lowell. What Lynne has laid out here is the essential mission of the progressive democratic movement. The point isn’t whether or not one is a so-called “good democrat”, but how the process works. Keep it open, accountable and fair.

Good on ya, Lynne. I know this is not a conversation that many in our party want to have. For some, it’s more important that dems hold seats, and if they do it by benefiting from the GOB system, that’s fine. But it’s not fine and it’s not good for our democracy, or our party.
Ryan Adams Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 11:34 am
Lynne… you continue to show yourself as one of the best and brightest on Leftyblogs. This peice is poignant and universal. Greater Boston politics have been funamentally flawed from the GOBs for decades now. All around the state, our progressive movement is challenging the GOBs and we’re beginning to tip the scale. Good work! I can’t wait to meet you at the LG forum.
paul@01852 Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 11:55 am
Excellent piece, Lynne! I wish I’d written it myself because it’s the very reason I have become politically active. Suggestion: send it to the editor of the Lowell Sun. It probably won’t be published but if it does it will reach many more people than your blog. And if it doesn’t then the rest of us can write and ask why not!
Lynne Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
Yeesh, people, if my ego gets any bigger, my head will explode. Thanks all.

The GOB is what the media is supposed to help us fight. Unfortunately, as we all know too well, the local media is far too interested in creating policy and swaying opinion to whatever their agenda is, then to give us all the details and facts and keep an eye on elected officials. That’s a generalization (I know good people at the Sun) but it’s an honest critique. Anyone remember the 4 on 4 debate which ended before it even started because the Sun doesn’t like unions? That would have been a debate worth having, but we never had the opportunity.

The fact is, every one of you reading this should consider a run at the City Council. Maybe politics aren’t up your ally, but if you have any inclination, run! Or apply for ZBA or Planning Board positions when they open up. And keep your eyes and ears open, because the only way to evoke the changes we all want is to shine a light in the dark back rooms. If you don’t run, support someone decent and good who is! Work the campaign. There’s a reason why I signed on to the Deval campaign, and it sure as hell wasn’t for any favors anyone promised me. It’s because I actually came to believe he was the right man for the job. But local races need your help too!
Jay Booth Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 3:20 pm
GREAT post Lynne

I’m as democratic as a democrat can be and will never vote republican but sometimes I wish we had a 2-party system in this state, or even better some organized opposition within the democratic party.

As to the GOB network, I really think that most people involved in politics got into it for the right reasons and has stayed in it for the right reasons; let’s face it, there’s a lot better pay in the private sector. But when someone’s back is against the wall, they’ll do what they have to and you hit the nail on the head.
Ryan Adams Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Jay, there is a two party system in this state… the good democrats and the bad.
No one you Know Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 6:44 pm
Jay Booth wrote:
“let’s face it, there’s a lot better pay in the private sector”.

Yes and no, there may be some jobs in the private sector that pay more but not many, and certainly
not many in the private sector that come with the incredible benefits our lawmakers bestow upon
themselves.

I have long maintained that to get the kind of government the founding fathers wanted, the kind
that see elected officials serve for a few terms then return to the farm, we need to eliminate
pensions for elected officials! The day Congress instituted pensions for elected officials we
evolved into a system that encourages “professional” politicians! A good example is Cox. He
was on beacon hill for years, took a couple off and became CM all the while his pension is being
padded.

The CM earns $125K a year. The median Household income in Lowell is $39,192 and family income is $45,901!

And then if you consider what a rank and file state rep or senator is making these days (over 50K)
and compare it with what the average person in his/her district earns, only the folks who come from
very wealthy bedroom communities are in the “don’t earn as much” category. What’s the per capita
income in Lowell? $17,557! There are only 10 communities in the state where the per capita income
is higher than $50K.

My point here is not to trash the lawmakers, but to point out that compared to the rest of us, they
do quite well. Then add to that the pension and health benefits, they aren’t doing as badly as I’m
sure they’d like us to think.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_locations_by_per_capita_income
K-R-S Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
Great point NoOne..The day lawmakers bestowed pensions upon themselves turned them into career politicians..hence the GOB.
Jay Booth Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Ok, the CM makes 125k a year (and the next one hired will make a lot more, the way these positions work is someone is “bought in” and then they get small percentage contractual raises until they retire or get “bought in” somewhere else for a raise), but how much money is in the Lowell budget?

I just tried to google, failed, I’ll take a shot in the dark here and say 200 million. Someone can correct me. But a chief executive running a ~200 million dollar business would certainly be making a LOT more than 125k a year.

Same with the state reps and senators, they have a very competitive job and you have to figure most of them are pretty talented to make it there. Most of them have law degrees, they could work for a law firm and make 150k easy, especially with “state rep” on their resume.

I wasn’t saying they’re doing poorly, simply that for the amount of responsibility they have, they could certainly be paid more in the private sector. And rightly so, I don’t want anyone in gov’t who’s doing it for the money.

In regards to the pensions… I’d agree for elected officials but not for professionals who work for a town/city/state, up to and including city/town managers.
SD Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 10:40 pm
The base salary for a rank and file state rep is $46,410.
Some of the leaders make a bit more, but it isn’t exactly big money for the time invested.
Anonymous Says:
April 12th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
I wondered if someone was going to make the arugment that the CM runs a 200-million dollar corporation. That’s
not a good analogy! If you want to do down that road, the Mayor of Boston runs a 2-Billion dollar corporation,
and only makes $25K more than the CM of Lowell, not a salary of $1-point-125 Million, 9 times as much as the CM of
Lowell , if you want to base it on the size of the “corporation” the Mayor of Boston runs!

I couldn’t find the Lowell budget figure on line either so I am using yours for the sake of discussion.

Perhaps the current CM can make more in the private sector, maybe not. Same with lawmakers. You can NOT assume
that they are taking a pay cut by holding office because as I tried to point out, and perhaps I wasn’t clear. You
need to include in their pay the incredible benefits that they receive. Health, Pension, even things like parking
and the always popular per diem in the case of legislators.

Regarding the fact that you say many have law degrees, I will make a general statement here and I am presenting it
as such. Many of the pols with law degrees finished in the lower half of their class. I believe there was a study
done on this a number of years ago and it was found that the only real option open to those folks who finished near
the bottom of their class in law school was politics and many of them took that route. So the fact that many of
them are lawyers does not mean they will automatically be making 6 figures in the private sector. Those that are
hired by law firms either while they are still sitting or shortly after they leave office are engaging in something
akin to influence peddling, something that if you or I tried to do we would soon become wards of the state!

But, getting back to the point of my post, it was actually not about money, it was about the pension and benefits.

I maintain as long as we allow pension and health benefits to go to elected officials we will have “professional” politicians.
I am certainly NOT advocating taking pension and health benefits away from the folks who work in the public sector, just the
ones who are elected, and yes I know the CM isn’t elected. I also advocate that Lowell should dump Plan E and move
to a representative council with a strong mayor that are elected directly by the voters.
No one you know Says:
April 12th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Sorry, that anonymous post we me!
No one you know Says:
April 12th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
Coincidently WBUR has a program on right now re: CEO pay. According to the guest on the show “On Point” the
AVERAGE CEO pay in 2004 was 431 times the pay of the rank and file worker. So if you want to say the CM of
Lowell is running a 200-Million dollar corporation then his pay, based on rounding up the Per Capita income of
the worker in Lowell,(employees since I don’t know what the average pay of a city employee is but I’ll bet it’s higher than the per capita income) to $18,000 then the CM should be making $7,758,000! So, do you really want to start
comparing the CM’s pay with that of a CEO? Of course not, so you pay people what they are worth, not what they
could maybe get as CEO of Enron!

April 10, 2006

No More Back Room Deals

20 Responses to “No More Back Room Deals”

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