Left In Lowell

Alternet has a video of a computer programmer who “testifies under oath before the U.S. House Judiciary Members in Ohio (back in 2004)”. When asked how he knows that non-paper-verified voting machines are manipulable, he states, “Because in October of 2000, I wrote a prototype for Congressman Tom Feeney [R-FL]…”

Damned scary stuff, even if you’ve been following it. (Thanks to my hubby for the link.)

Up at 5:30 this morning (Wednesdays are my early days), and nothing is on but crappy local news (dog bites man, tune in after the commercial). Today I ran into yet another example of apparently-biased lazy-ass editing and reporting by Channel 7 News.

They were reporting about the 2,500 discharged Marines who have been involuntarily recalled back to war theatres in Afghanistan and Iraq. They mentioned that many had been on multiple tours already…and so on. (more…)

Kristin at The Fray points to a Globe report that Gabrieli has shattered the personal funds spending record of Governor Romney’s 2002 campaign, a record which I believe includes Romney’s general election bid. Romney spent $6.3 million of the $10.4 election total from his own coffers. We’re four weeks to the day of the primary, and Gabrieli has sunk almost $7.5 million of his own money into just the primary, raising less than half a million ($370K) from other donors. Much of this personal fortune was spent bombarding the airwaves all summer, the key component in his whole campaign.

So, what has this earned Gabrieli? Well, his name recognition was already pretty decent, so it was about him making his case to the voters. (As much as some people label the ads with his kids “cute,” what the heck did it tell anyone about why to vote for him?? Cuz his kids are brave enough to get in front of a camera?)

So far this summer, the polls showed Gabrieli getting the expected boost from his long ad blitz, generally switching his third place spot with Reilly. Patrick holds a steady 34-35%, including in a poll released today, and again one can expect those numbers to be boosted a bit by Patrick’s new ad campaign. Another poll just released shows Gabrieli ahead by 8%, but a look at the internals shows a significant number of those polled were not in the “likely primary voter” category. Among those most likely voters (ones who showed up to 2002’s Dem primary) Gabrieli is only ahead by three points, and that is at 30% to Patrick’s 27% with a largish MoE of 6.7%. It appears he hasn’t truly broken 30% in any poll.

So what do I think those numbers all mean? I think they speak to the point I’ve been making all along: it’s all fine and good to spend gazillions on TV ads, but will someone who’s watching an ad suddenly say to themselves, “I must make sure I get to that primary to vote for this guy! When is it again?? Let me mark the calendar!” It doesn’t seem like Gabrieli has been getting bang for his buck; with the exception of the strangely different Ch 7/Suffolk poll, Patrick’s numbers have stayed steady, and Gabrieli hasn’t broken above 30%. More to the point, those supporting Patrick are being systematically contacted and identified and will be encouraged to go out to the polls come primary day, while Gabrieli has to rely on voters to decide electing him is important enough to drag themselves out on a work day.

This is the reason I’ve so adamantly supported Patrick’s campaign. It’s a different kind of politics. It’s that rare convergence of a great progressive, charismatic, practical outsider candidate, with a campaign whose trust in the grassroots is the sort of which Massachusetts has not seen in a long time. Who knows if Gabrieli could have elicited the same support given a whole year (I know this sounds biased, but I highly doubt it. He’s likeable, but not dynamic.) Does the TV viewer feel the same stake in Gabrieli’s candidacy as Patrick supporters do in his? The answer to that question will come on September 19th.

A reminder, too, folks, that if you need to change your registration or register to vote, and you plan to vote on Sept 19, the deadline is August 30th. You can get voter registration cards from your city or town hall.

Today’s Lowell Sun (thanks to a friend, who sent the link) features a look at The Fine Print ‘zine, a socially conscious, themed publication whose first issue was published in February of this year. Supported by local dollars and headed up by UMass-Lowell students, the fourth issue is due out soon. If you’ve eaten in any local coffeeshops or restaurants this year, you’ve probably picked one up.

Part art, part debate, and part issue advocacy, the provocative guerilla publication is next taking aim at war. The conversation rolls on.

Yet another attack on Patrick’s corporate past and his progressive creds, to loosen Patrick’s considerable liberal support. And once again, the facts are twisted by opponants, when actually, it appears that Patrick did the right thing when working for the United Air Lines corporate board, advocating for domestic partner benefits for same-sex partners and succeeding at getting United to be the first airline to do so.

Once is an anomaly, twice is a line between two points, three times plus is a pattern. Again, it appears this attack on Patrick’s corporate service originates (sneakily) from the Reilly campaign (it has their media fingerprints all over it). And once again, the Globe misleads its readers into thinking there’s a controversy, when instead there’s a complex set of facts that when put together, gives me, at least, a picture that Patrick is both a good lawyer and a powerful advocate for corporate reform from the inside. He advocated on behalf of his employer, United, for the reason David states in his post, while subsequently making history within the company and helping same-sex couples.

I’m tired of Reilly spewing distorted or outright wrong facts in this campaign. While both Patrick and Gabrieli have positive, idea-driven campaigns (however much I hate how Gabrieli got in the race and how he’s running it, I have to admit that), Reilly has nothing to run on but being for the tax rollback (making him Healey Lite) and distorting his biggest opponant’s record. Chris, watch out, if you become the frontrunner be prepared to answer attacks such as these.

I have no issue with legitimate questions about any candidate’s past; however, Reilly goes beyond the pale and into Karl Rove Republican territory with his tactics. Sad that he has nothing else to resort to.

Not much reported here in the US, and more than disturbing, is the amassing of Turkish and Iranian troops along their border with northern Kurdish Iraq. Now the Guardian is reporting that Iran and Turkey are shelling parts of Kurd territory in Iraq. Both countries have a history of oppressing the Kurdish minorities within their borders. Turkey outlawed their use of their own language until last decade, and even now that language is restricted. They have continually used the term “terrorist” to excuse using violence against them. It is again one of those situations where treating a whole ethnic people as dogs turned many of them into rebel seperatists.

Turkey and Iran fear an independent Kurd territory in Iraq. It might give their own Kurds ideas - stupid things like freedom from oppression and such. Turkey ought to look at its own handling of their crisis for the origins of the violence some Kurds have turned to against Turkey. Instead, they’ll join the US’s enemy in violence against Kurds in another country. I’m severely disappointed in this otherwise-democractic ally.

The new City Manager has a heap ‘o trouble to deal with, with Lowell reportedly on the “short list” of the Dept of Revenue’s towns with “acute fiscal issues,” the dubious honor shared by less than 15 other communities right now - including deep-in-the-hole Springfield.

Yes, Virginia, we are being audited.

It seems only yesterday certain people were praising former CM Cox for his fiscal abilities and giving him undue credit for the revival of some parts of Lowell. Now, it appears, as Councilor Rodney Elliot states, “we were left in the dark by the previous administration.” Indeed, the Sun reports that the DOR sent a letter to Cox in January and March of this year, but the City Councilors appear not to have been informed.

Makes you wonder if John really jumped ship so he wouldn’t have to deal with this, doesn’t it? After all, rumors abounded that he was planning to resign anyway.

Particularly ominous to me was this (emphasis mine) :

“It is crucial that we act quickly to close out the books on FY 2006 and commence the audit for that period,” Lynch wrote in the memo. “Without DOR approval of a free cash number and a tax rate, we will be forced to borrow funds in order to pay operating costs including salaries and utilities.”

Lynch said the audit should have started early last spring, because it can take up to six months to complete the process.

But no worries. Wally Fernandez assures us this is no big deal: “My view is they are not serious…What it all means is we have to tighten up the budget. There’s just not enough revenue.”

Remember that, next year when you-know-what hits the fan during the confusion of trying to set the right tax rate. Even in a normal year, it’s no small task. Imagine trying to do it with two hands tied behind your back and your head stuffed in a toilet. I think we can safely say no one can envy Lynch the job ahead.

The Boston Herald: always good for a scandal, right?

Not so much with Killer Coke. (more…)

Internally, us Lowell for Deval people are ramping up our campaign here. If you’re on our email list, keep an eye out. We have 33 days. If you think Deval Patrick is the man for the job, commit to spending a couple hours a week or more for the next five weeks. This campaign only succeeds as much as YOU succeed! Don’t be regretting your inactivity on Sept 20th.

On that note, I won’t be posting GOTV for Deval events on this website much anymore. If you want to help, simply send me an email (lynne [at] leftinlowelldotcom, replace appropriate bits) and give me your name and phone number, and you’ll be in the loop.

Some of us got a chance to preview two new Deval Patrick ads last night. I’m not going to say much about them, but you’ll be able to see the first one too, today, 2:30, on DevalPatrick TV! Tomorrow morning it airs on the television. Then we’ll see what the polls have to say.

-b in comments to the last open thread posted something really interesting: a fairly new Lowell Police Department blog. If Lowell was once a model of community policing, maybe this sort of local public communication about crime and safety in Lowell can start a new renaissance in the LPD’s connection to the public.

At the very least, it’s innovative, and they allow comments. I’ve added a link to the Lowell Area Bloggers/Forums section on the right sidebar. If there are any other new local blogs talking about Lowell or other communities out there, feel free to contact me. One of the best things an established blog can do is promote new ones.