Left In Lowell

The Selection Process

20 Responses to “The Selection Process”

1. Mike Says:
   June 16th, 2006 at 8:09 am

   Nothing to do with this, but I think this story deserves it’s own posting….

   http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid15150.aspx

   Tenants may pay for a law sneaking through Beacon Hill

   You’re getting screwed (yet again)

   By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN

   6/14/2006 6:42:06 PM

   If you rent an apartment in Massachusetts, you are about to be screwed — thanks to a stealth, one-sentence piece of legislation. The bill was engrossed in the House on Monday, which means it was adopted without debate or a vote. It now heads to the state Senate.

   If the bill goes through, landlords will use computerized energy-monitoring systems to determine what percentage of heat or air-conditioning resources an apartment uses. Landlords will then bill tenants accordingly. Passage of the bill may result in new energy fees based on undisclosed formulas, which the landlords would not need to explain or justify.

   Though the bill was virtually ignored by most interest groups, one entity extensively lobbied in favor of it. That company, San Diego–based Ista North America, sells — would you believe it? — computerized energy-monitoring systems. According to state records, Ista paid local lobbying powerhouse Suffolk Group $42,000 to lobby for the bill last year. (This year’s lobbying figures are not yet available.)

   In the house, the bill was sponsored and spearheaded by Democrat Thomas A. Golden Jr. of Lowell, who earns more than $100,000 a year selling property with United Estates Realty, in Lowell, and owns rental property of his own. Golden got more than half of his campaign contributions from political-action committees and lobbyists last year — including three Suffolk Group lobbyists — and more from individual realtors and property owners. Multiple calls to Golden’s office were not returned.

   State Senator Steven C. Panagiotakis, also of Lowell, is sponsoring the bill in the Senate. He owns two rental properties in Dracut.

   In theory, properly allocated utility costs could prompt frugality and save resources. With that in mind, the state passed a lengthy, complex law two years ago allowing landlords to bill tenants for water usage.

   Unlike that law, however, the proposed energy bill does not provide assurances to tenants or protect against eviction if one fails to pay the new fee. As a result, groups like MassPIRG and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute have opposed it. “It is ill-motivated, poorly conceived, and poorly written,” says Charlie Harak, of the National Consumer Law Center in Boston.

   The bill would not require landlords to explain how “cost allocation” is determined. By time? Temperature? Coin toss? According to the company’s Web site, Ista’s products use a Resident Utility Billing Service (RUBS) formula, “which bases consumption on variables like square footage or number of occupants.”

   And most important of all, the bill does not establish state oversight or regulation of the energy-monitoring systems. As a result, tenants would have no way of discovering whether they’re being overcharged by landlords, and no recourse if that turns out to be the case.

2. waittilnextyr Says:
   June 16th, 2006 at 8:11 am

   Interesting group of resumes. After going through them and taking them for what they are worth, I would think that there should be more than 5 persons selected for final interview, although this will take added time and money. My vote for who to interview based on these is:
   Frank Keefe
   Bernie Lynch
   Monica Lamboy
   Paul Cohen
   David Owen
   Diana Prideaux-Brune
   Michael Casey

   An for a few others, time and money permitting:
   Robert Hatem
   Joseph Allessandrine
   Kevin Joyce
   Stanley Usovicz

3. inside/outside Says:
   June 16th, 2006 at 9:46 am

   Keefe, Lynch, Lamboy, Prideaux-Brune are definite interviews in my mind, with e edge going to Keefe and Prideaux-Brune.

   As for Joyce and Usovicz, why bring in more problems as noted in Salem and Boston. Note the other thread where Usovicz got ousted in Salem after being tagged with massive budget deficits and embattled, old school Joyce in Boston. Want more of the same, bring them in, if you don’t go for the good government folks.

4. K-R-S Says:
   June 16th, 2006 at 1:16 pm

   Joyce cost the City of Boston ALOT of money in settlements, screwed with a bid process and harrassed his subordinates..having
   him (Joyce) would make the Cox. Administration look like a walk in the park.

5. K-R-S Says:
   June 16th, 2006 at 10:05 pm

   The “chosen” Interviewees
   Diane Prideaux-Brune
   Bernie Lynch
   Paul Cohen
   Frank Keefe
   Ed(?) Kennedy
   As heard this afternoon on WCAP VIA RM.

   Also, don’t forget the CityWide Food Drive Saturday, 6/17, 8am-noon
   Drop off locations all over the city!

   McAuliffe School (Christian Hill)
   Rielly School (Belvidere)
   Revolving Museum (Downtown)
   Elks Lodge (Pawtucketville)
   Lowell Wish (Foundry St off of Plain St.)
   Callery Park (Highlands)

   All manner of non perishable food items are welcome. Also Blue Jeans (For Lowell Wish Project) all sizes and styles.

6. Robert Says:
   June 17th, 2006 at 5:56 pm

   Ed Kennedy has a better chance of being elected Pope.

7. K-R-S Says:
   June 17th, 2006 at 6:40 pm

   Out of the five..in terms of actual municipal managment experience..there are two Bernie Lynch or Paul Cohen.
   How can we opt for a mgr. that “Clearly” has no municipal management experience…this would put us right back at square one.
   We’ve all been supporting the notion of a professional mgr..I think for the CC to choose otherwise would be a serious error.

8. SD Says:
   June 17th, 2006 at 10:58 pm

   KRS: I think Keefe’s state management experience (running the governor’s budget office is quite an experience) is comperable.
   I think somebody like Lamboy who also ran a huge gov’t department would have been a good candidate.

   I can’t see how Kennedy got on this list with Lamboy and the manager from Biddeford, ME and other more qualified candidates on the list.

   Maybe Kennedy was just chosen by the councilors because he had been one of them. whatever.

9. K-R-S Says:
   June 18th, 2006 at 8:02 am

   I agree SD, I think Lamboy should have been consideration considering her lengthy education and practical experience.
   Her experience in the (politics/depts) communities she has worked make Lowell look like a tea party…I was duly impressed by her (Lamboy) resume..perhaps Kennedy is the one they all know isn’t going to get the job but put him on the list to interview just
   to make the other four appear better qualified?

10. pete the pirate Says:
    June 18th, 2006 at 11:03 am

    i also agree that lamboy has avery impressive resume.
    you folks apparently have a hair across your butt regarding kennedy. his resume was’nt bad, so i guess those were personal opinions. lets hear from the anti-lynch people, etc., is that the answer to a problem thats out of our hands.
    lets not go negative, theres way to much of that in city hall.

11. K-R-S Says:
    June 18th, 2006 at 12:47 pm

    Pete..from a personal standpoint and looking at Kennedy’s resume, there doesn’t appear to be any indiaction that Kennedy has any
    municipal management experience. That’s my opinion..this is just pure discussion with no hairs across anybody’s asses. : )

12. pete the pirate Says:
    June 18th, 2006 at 10:57 pm

    cox did’nt have either and he lasted 5 yrs. i also think he did a good job, just did’nt stroke the right people.

13. paddy Says:
    June 19th, 2006 at 2:10 pm

    This is a done deal,Diane Pridaux Brune is the winner. This is know diffrent than ny other time.The council is playing with you if you think there was process. They present Three f’s one d and a c- and say she is the best choice.

14. paddy Says:
    June 19th, 2006 at 2:10 pm

    This is a done deal,Diane Pridaux Brune is the winner. This is know diffrent than any other time.The council is playing with you if you think there was process. They present Three f’s one d and a c- and say she is the best choice.

15. Mike Says:
    June 19th, 2006 at 8:11 pm

    Paddy may be on to something.

16. K-R-S Says:
    June 19th, 2006 at 9:12 pm

    I think you & Paddy are right Mike…I hope this is not the case. This wouldn’t be a fair & open search, now would it??

17. Eleanor Rigby Says:
    June 20th, 2006 at 12:41 pm

    We hoped for an open and fair search, but to say Lowell Pols ever conduct an open and fair
    search for anything is like saying Fox News really is Fair and Balanced.

    I think the frontrunner right now is Dianne P-B with Lynch or Keefe the “compromise” candidates.

    I RARELY agree with the paper about much of anything, but I did like Campinini’s (sp) list of
    finalists. He is also correct in saying the process is flawed and should have included a
    larger group to be initially interviewed.

18. K-R-S Says:
    June 20th, 2006 at 1:33 pm

    Eleanor…just read Campinini’s piece, as well as the Ed piece in todays Sun..I agree wholeheartedly..there was so much
    potential in mnay of the resumes not chosen. I don’t get the “picks”. The more fair process, would be to open it up to 10 viable
    candidates, conduct interviews and whittle that down to five or 3 with a far more lenghty interview process for the finalists.
    I do beleive our CC has done the residents of this city a disservice by not including in their picks those candidates that were
    more qualified. The CC can still expand their list..Can’t they?? They set the rules, so why shouldn’t they be able to bring in
    more candidates?

19. Eleanor Rigby Says:
    June 20th, 2006 at 5:39 pm

    I suppose they could bring in more candidates from the list, but it’s not likely. To do so
    at this point would be to:
    1. admit a mistake
    2. raise public questions about the quaility of the folks they already picked.
    I don’t see either thing happening.

20. Mike Says:
    June 20th, 2006 at 9:20 pm

    I think the Sun sees the writing on the wall with todays articles and editorials, which are going at length to show DPB isn’t as qualified as some other folks that weren’t selected.

Leave a Reply