I know that the generation that currently has majority representation on the City Council was born in a different era, and that moving with the times is hard work. I sympathize, I really do. However, we have expectations that the people we elect will do what it takes to get the job done - and that includes learning new skills in order to facilitate the running of the city. Hence, I am disgusted by the words of the complete Luddites on the City Council who refuse to believe that anything other than picking up a phone or meeting in person constitutes communication. Give me a goddamned break already. (Of course, taken in the context that they look for any reason at all to hound CM Lynch to death, it’s more understandable, if even less excusable.)
I’ll embed the 6-minute video Dick Howe posted here, I think he won’t mind. But I also just want to quote and comment some of the things said in it, because it’s worth parsing.
Now for my commentary…centering on the complaints of C. Rita Mercier, since she’s first on the video and also, the easiest to pick apart.
Can anyone else stand the bitchiness that starts off C. Mercier’s little speech here? She begins with, “And thank you Mr. Manager for calling me three times within two days, I really appreciate hearing your voice.” This is the sort of rhetorical tactic you use on your spouse when you are pissed at them for some irritating habit you hate…”Thank you hon for putting up the toilet seat the last three times…” Gah! Really mature and not at all obvious, nope.
She goes on: “And it isn’t to put your neck on the chopping block…” Read, “This is all about putting your neck on the chopping block.” and then here comes the “but”…Rita: “but I believe that when I was very excited about ‘who was the next bidder, who’s the other bidder” - I could assume one, but the other I couldn’t - there were guesses here, guesses there. Then when the bids were going to be open I was waiting with baited breath to know ‘ how much are they going to give us, what’s going on, what’s the competition here.’” She goes on to complain about how she got *gasp!* phone calls at her house from *gasp!* other people who were telling her what the Sun said about the bids.
Besides the grammatical game of Twister she tortures us with here, she is trying to say that in every detail in every way, she wants to know before anyone but fellow city councilors every piece of business of the city. That would be reasonable, if it weren’t insane. Darling, that’s why you hire a City Manager, a full time job which attends to the daily nut.
My favorite Rita line, “But I think I’d like to have this Council know a little bit before people read it in the paper, cuz I don’t get my paper til 4 o’clock.” Um, that’s Lynch’s fault? That you don’t get your paper, can’t get online to read it, or don’t use email? Really? You want a phone call on every little decision before the public gets it, because you’re sick of, as Mr. Lynne says on Dick’s blog in comments, getting scooped by the Sun occasionally?
She then says (getting really hot under the collar), “I don’t know how this got from the Arena Commission to the Sun, and bypassed this very body [gesturing angrily, indicating the Council].” Well, it seems to me, Councilor, that maybe this got to the Sun because someone talked - and it’s just as or more likely that came from the Arena Commission than the City government, before Lynch had a chance to do something with the information such as, I dunno, shoot you a personal phone call.
She then threatens Lynch’s job by a not-so-subtle reference to the former CM and how his ousting related to his lack of communication (you know, the CM she didn’t want ousted for any reason at the time). Oh, Rita! You don’t happen to recall that that city manager really did have a problem with communication? Say, not communicating when he received an audit letter or two from the state Dept of Revenue? Or how his budgets were not so much obscured as, well, completely FUBAR?
We now come to the logic portion of my commentary.
Imagine, if you will, having nine bosses. Imagine you have huge responsibilities like managing millions of dollars of budget, receiving bids for very large projects, planning and development on both the macro and the micro scale, and managing hundreds of employees in many different departments. Imagine if then, all nine bosses insisted on daily contact to find out what you’re up to, or whenever you get information that’s deemed by them important. Not decisions you make, oh no. Just getting the bids in for an RFP warrants an immediate heads-up, hours before the information goes public anyway. Imagine all nine bosses insisted, on top of that, on a phone call rather than something quicker like an email notification. Could you ever get any work done??
You know what that’s called? Micromanagement, and it doesn’t work, even in the private sector. It wastes resources and time and money. Even worse when you’re micromanged by more than one boss - say, up to nine…
Of course, a logical and cogent discussion about reasonable expectations isn’t the point of Mercier’s rant and motion. Oh no, it’s quite plain that any little stick they can find to beat up on Lynch before the election, they will. Even though this is the most communicative and open administration we’ve had in a long time - posting important public documents on the city website, alerting even us lowly bloggers in a timely fashion what will be on the next meeting’s agenda, and offering very transparent budgets that go so far as to showcase the previous years’ funding, where the money comes from, and more - this doesn’t trouble these Luddites. It doesn’t trouble them that they themselves, as JoeS points out on Dick’s blog in comments, are partially to blame for the state of things by deciding to meet only twice a month year round, and that nine calls are unreasonable (and I want to give JoeS credit for being the first to state that the “only reasonable way for more instant communication would be via e-mail or text message, and the councilors are responsible to make sure they can receive in that manner” which is where I got the idea for this whole post).
Oh no. No amount of personal responsibility on their part, either to make sure there are enough meetings to guarantee they are properly informed, or else to join the rest of the 21st century (I’ll even take them joining the 20th!) in order to facilitate the soothing of their poor hurt feelings because they don’t pick up their Luddite paper copy of the Sun until 4pm - none of that has any meaning. Because this is not about the smooth operation of the city or making sure the City Manager is doing a good job. It’s about scoring political points in an election year.
I find that particularly pathetic. Aren’t there enough troubles, and enough successes, in Lowell, to go around? None of them have learned a thing in the last few years. I guess you just can’t teach an old dog new tricks. So then, maybe it’s time for some new dogs?
What I’m hearing about here is that they didn’t like getting ’scooped’ by the Sun. Sorry folks, but that’s going to happen from time to time, no matter who’s the CM. Keep in mind we’re not talking about weeks or days, but hours. If they are complaining about hours, then they are just looking for something to complain about.
This is a disappointing CC. Can’t wait for reelection.
I wonder how many cc’s actually have an email account!
I’d agree with Mr Lynn ‘can’t wait for the election’ but it will be the same old thing. We keep electing the same people over and over on the local, state and federal levels. The definition of an idiot… doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
[Editors Note - this comment has been taken down for its personal attack content. PC, if you would please rewrite your comment without the same level of vitriol we would appreciate it. We’re not against commentary that is hard on someone, but please keep it a little more above board. Thanks - Lynne]
Dont blame mr neither, i voted for mehmed and keegan
this is just the beginning of a conspricy to get rid of
lynch and bring in T.J. Mcarthy as manager.the conspitors
are in no special order Kaz-rita-armand-lenzi- COX - CAMPY
Nangle-golden-, but what can you do if nobody else runs.
stay tuned folks.
Lynne, I disagree with you 99.999999% of the time but you nailed it here. As I said on Dick’s blog, Mercier et al came across looking very petty and the things they were saying about the CM just seemed so bush league. CC Kazanjian actually said: “People say I don’t like the manager, I do like him.” Who the hell says that in a public forum, it seems so unprofessional and playgroundish.
I am sure Mercier is a good woman who loves Lowell very much but between her Boston accent and, as you say, her “bitchy” opening, she looked foolish.
By the way, I love the fact that you call them Luddites - I was trying to think of a word to sum these folks up and you got it!
As I have mentioned to friends and I think I may have even posted on this board last fall.
Unless we want to be faced with nothing but CGOBN (Cox Good Ole Boy Network) candidates this fall then the progressives…Read that to mean LiL and other like minded people…NEED to recruit viable multiple candidates to run for office and put together a slate!
PC - well, at least you admit it. But keep that in mind for the future.
It’s true…candidates are few and far between. Especially as anyone who agrees with most of the commenters on this blog would spend the next two years, if elected, and all the time leading up to it, being beat to crap on the Sun editorial page. It’s sad.
There are a lot of important issues to be addressed by the City Manager, and the last thing he needs is a pack of ankle-biters to deter him from working these issues to his fullest. We have a national recession of historic proportions that is flowing down to the State and the City. But there are opportunities buried within these problems that wise politicians and managers can uncover. Now is the best time to restructure operations to rid the City of any inefficiencies that are burdens leading to structural problems in the budgets. And with the Federal stimulus and economic recovery bills on the verge of releasing funds, there are opportunities for smart growth in urban areas that Lowell cannot afford to miss. The City, State, Federal government can provide exceptional support to spur private investment that should soon find the bonds of restricted capital broken. The City administration can make good use of these opportunities to help the citizens of Lowell. The City Council should give their full support, or at least step out of the way.
Has anyone else noticed that, unless it is in today’s MORNING paper…home delivery guaranteed by 5PM…that there has only been ONE story published from the 4 and a half hour council meeting on Tuesday?
Today would be Friday. So if we rely on the Sun then we are to believe that the council did nothing but talk about Pit Bulls on Tuesday.
This is why Lowell NEEDS an additional source of news!
Today the State (Tim Murray, Dan O’Connell) presented the City of Lowell with a check for $3 million to show their commitment to the Hamilton Canal District redevelopment, one of 16 “Growth Districts” in the Commonwealth. This is the beginning of more significant investment in Lowell by the State, the Federal Government and private entrepreneurs. Let’s hope all of the public officials in the City pull together and make this investment pay off.
Rita will be live on 980 WCAP tomorrow morning at 8 to talk about this.. rather than taking pot shots from the side, why don’t you pick up the phone and call in and ask her outright what she thinks?
It is now 10:30pm and not a word about that $3 million on the Sun website. It really is kind of pathetic that they can’t even get a quick post up about something fairly important.
OK, so ER, Joe and Moonlight…great you voted for these folks and you want a differant government. So, in the next CC election (or the last), do you plan on going door to door, holding signs and donating money?
Your vote is one thing, but the items listed above make or break the success of a campaign.
Guess the Sun missed the letter that went out to all city employees this week telling us we basicaly screwed due to the local aid cuts.
The Manager is doing the best he can, but you’d never know it by the ink and face time show.
I’d love to run for council but given my employment I couldn’t vote on the issues that mean the most to me. Conflict of interest actually would be a problem for me unlike some people.
Guess I’ll stick to signs and donations. When does Ali get back?
K-R-S wrote: “OK, so ER, Joe and Moonlight…great you voted for these folks and you want a differant government. So, in the next CC election (or the last), do you plan on going door to door, holding signs and donating money?
Your vote is one thing, but the items listed above make or break the success of a campaign.”
Like most people responding here, I am amazed (though probably I should not be) at the remarkable city council meeting and the Sun’s failure to cover it, from whatever side the paper wants to cling-on to. As some movie star yelled once ‘You can’t handle the truth’ and I say the councilors moaning and groaning about a lack of communication ‘can’t handle the packet’ of info they now get so why do they need/want more material to not understand? It is abundantly clear from the comments and questions they make that they rarely read through and understood the material they receive. Nor do they listen to presentations and answers to questions that are asked during the meeting. This was oh so obvious during the discussion about the contract negotiations with the Spinners. Perhaps there can be a fine assessed - say $100 a shot to go to the Lowell Transitional Living Center - whenever it is determined that a councilor has asked a question previously asked and answered or asks a question when the answer is there in black and white in the packet of materials in front of them?
Too many councilors want to fiddle and diddle in areas that are not there concern (like the Arena contract until it comes to them for a final vote) rather than deal with the city’s more important business of trying to figure out now how we might deal with substantial cuts in local aid. The manager is developing plans to cope with the expected aid cuts and I will take any bet that the same crew whining about communications will go ‘nutty’ when plans are discussed that might result in layoffs. It is great that council meetings are televised - - but at the same time it allows people to chew up air time with irrelevant posturing, repetition, finger wagging, etc. With all of the progress being made in the city, despite the difficult economic times.
I am concerned that grandstanding councilors will derail all the good efforts made over the past few years. For an example of what could happen if this rankling continues unchecked, take a close look at Springfield, a city at the mercy of an outside-appointed finance control board, which has absolutely no say whatsoever on the way its budget is spent.
I just read today’s “Column”. Honestly are they effing kidding me? We’re not talking making mountains out of mole hills here, we’re talking the paper creating their own issues. The councillors are upset at getting scooped by the Sun? Try not to pat yourself on the back too much editorial staff. It was a FOIA request while the manager was on vacation, big deal. I can’t even wipe my behind with The Sun since I refuse to buy the print edition.
Bernie Lynch is hands down the best communicator the city has had as manager in my time in Lowell. The fact that he doesn’t bow and kiss the ring enough for these idiots shows he’s fair to everyone. Sorry if these people can’t read. Just because their “constituents” want things done with a phone call or backdoor meeting doesn’t mean that’s how good government works.
I was in and out of the car on Saturday morning so I didn’t hear the entire time CC Rita Mercier was on the radio- did anyone take you up on your offer to call in and ask her what she’s thinking on this matter?
I’m not sure, maybe I’ll try to get the clip and post it on my blog.
I was racing back and forth setting up the next interview with Jim Arciero, as well as had been preparing the clips for before she was in, and then while she was there.
I don’t remember any calls other than Jim Campanini who called in to point out that the Sun has no closer connection to the manager than anyone else.. and that his reporters have to work for information just as much as they would expect to… Bernie has no free ride with the Sun (as someone earlier in the show seemed to imply).
I can tell you that Rita was very discouraged with the treatment she gets online. She has always been a very personable and accessible.
I personally think that because she is not up on “modern technology,” she gets the bums’ rush from the blogs.
In my opinion, all she asked was that the manager forge better communication with the counsellors because they often have to respond to constituents first. She’s not looking for every little day to day thing.. but they should be kept up on the key ones.
OK, so ER, Joe and Moonlight…great you voted for these folks and you want a differant government. So, in the next CC election (or the last), do you plan on going door to door, holding signs and donating money?
You know what, Kristin? I’m getting there.
I really am.
When does Ali get back? Oh man, you can say that again.
- Leftyblogs MA Blogroll -
Almost all of my favorite lefty blogs in Massachusetts can be found here. Linking here keeps my own blogroll short but still up to date! Below are some other MA blogs which are not listed at LB.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
My full comment from Dick’s blog:
January 15th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I wonder how many cc’s actually have an email account!
I’d agree with Mr Lynn ‘can’t wait for the election’ but it will be the same old thing. We keep electing the same people over and over on the local, state and federal levels. The definition of an idiot… doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Don’t blame me; I voted for Ali.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
[Editors Note - this comment has been taken down for its personal attack content. PC, if you would please rewrite your comment without the same level of vitriol we would appreciate it. We’re not against commentary that is hard on someone, but please keep it a little more above board. Thanks - Lynne]
January 15th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Dont blame mr neither, i voted for mehmed and keegan
this is just the beginning of a conspricy to get rid of
lynch and bring in T.J. Mcarthy as manager.the conspitors
are in no special order Kaz-rita-armand-lenzi- COX - CAMPY
Nangle-golden-, but what can you do if nobody else runs.
stay tuned folks.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
sorry, no can do.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Lynne, I disagree with you 99.999999% of the time but you nailed it here. As I said on Dick’s blog, Mercier et al came across looking very petty and the things they were saying about the CM just seemed so bush league. CC Kazanjian actually said: “People say I don’t like the manager, I do like him.” Who the hell says that in a public forum, it seems so unprofessional and playgroundish.
I am sure Mercier is a good woman who loves Lowell very much but between her Boston accent and, as you say, her “bitchy” opening, she looked foolish.
By the way, I love the fact that you call them Luddites - I was trying to think of a word to sum these folks up and you got it!
January 15th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
As I have mentioned to friends and I think I may have even posted on this board last fall.
Unless we want to be faced with nothing but CGOBN (Cox Good Ole Boy Network) candidates this fall then the progressives…Read that to mean LiL and other like minded people…NEED to recruit viable multiple candidates to run for office and put together a slate!
Otherwise Always Right in Lowell is correct!
January 15th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
PC - well, at least you admit it. But keep that in mind for the future.
It’s true…candidates are few and far between. Especially as anyone who agrees with most of the commenters on this blog would spend the next two years, if elected, and all the time leading up to it, being beat to crap on the Sun editorial page. It’s sad.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:36 am
There are a lot of important issues to be addressed by the City Manager, and the last thing he needs is a pack of ankle-biters to deter him from working these issues to his fullest. We have a national recession of historic proportions that is flowing down to the State and the City. But there are opportunities buried within these problems that wise politicians and managers can uncover. Now is the best time to restructure operations to rid the City of any inefficiencies that are burdens leading to structural problems in the budgets. And with the Federal stimulus and economic recovery bills on the verge of releasing funds, there are opportunities for smart growth in urban areas that Lowell cannot afford to miss. The City, State, Federal government can provide exceptional support to spur private investment that should soon find the bonds of restricted capital broken. The City administration can make good use of these opportunities to help the citizens of Lowell. The City Council should give their full support, or at least step out of the way.
January 16th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Has anyone else noticed that, unless it is in today’s MORNING paper…home delivery guaranteed by 5PM…that there has only been ONE story published from the 4 and a half hour council meeting on Tuesday?
Today would be Friday. So if we rely on the Sun then we are to believe that the council did nothing but talk about Pit Bulls on Tuesday.
This is why Lowell NEEDS an additional source of news!
January 16th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Today the State (Tim Murray, Dan O’Connell) presented the City of Lowell with a check for $3 million to show their commitment to the Hamilton Canal District redevelopment, one of 16 “Growth Districts” in the Commonwealth. This is the beginning of more significant investment in Lowell by the State, the Federal Government and private entrepreneurs. Let’s hope all of the public officials in the City pull together and make this investment pay off.
January 16th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
And not screw it up by looking like Lowell is an unstable place to develop anything.
I’m looking at you, Rita, Bud, Armand…the other two are hopeless, I could care less what they do. But YOU three should know better!
January 16th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Rita will be live on 980 WCAP tomorrow morning at 8 to talk about this.. rather than taking pot shots from the side, why don’t you pick up the phone and call in and ask her outright what she thinks?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
It is now 10:30pm and not a word about that $3 million on the Sun website. It really is kind of pathetic that they can’t even get a quick post up about something fairly important.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
What’s more important is that they haven’t announced the identity of the final cylon..
Wow.. what a show
January 17th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Shawn, luv ya’ to pieces..but…Huh?
January 17th, 2009 at 12:23 am
OK, so ER, Joe and Moonlight…great you voted for these folks and you want a differant government. So, in the next CC election (or the last), do you plan on going door to door, holding signs and donating money?
Your vote is one thing, but the items listed above make or break the success of a campaign.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Shocking, they only covered the Pitbulls?
Guess the Sun missed the letter that went out to all city employees this week telling us we basicaly screwed due to the local aid cuts.
The Manager is doing the best he can, but you’d never know it by the ink and face time show.
I’d love to run for council but given my employment I couldn’t vote on the issues that mean the most to me. Conflict of interest actually would be a problem for me unlike some people.
Guess I’ll stick to signs and donations. When does Ali get back?
January 17th, 2009 at 10:23 am
K: Shawn’s talking about the new Battlestar Gallactica. Which was awesome, as usual. Man, we waited a lot time for new episodes…
tryin: amazing huh? The Sun is a useless rag, and that is NOT because of the reporters, I want to stress that again.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Sorry, hit the wrong blog with that.. but yeah, it was great.
And the show this morning with Rita and Jim Campanini calling in was great too..
Thanks for the clips, they came in handy
January 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
K-R-S wrote: “OK, so ER, Joe and Moonlight…great you voted for these folks and you want a differant government. So, in the next CC election (or the last), do you plan on going door to door, holding signs and donating money?
Your vote is one thing, but the items listed above make or break the success of a campaign.”
Been there, done that.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Like most people responding here, I am amazed (though probably I should not be) at the remarkable city council meeting and the Sun’s failure to cover it, from whatever side the paper wants to cling-on to. As some movie star yelled once ‘You can’t handle the truth’ and I say the councilors moaning and groaning about a lack of communication ‘can’t handle the packet’ of info they now get so why do they need/want more material to not understand? It is abundantly clear from the comments and questions they make that they rarely read through and understood the material they receive. Nor do they listen to presentations and answers to questions that are asked during the meeting. This was oh so obvious during the discussion about the contract negotiations with the Spinners. Perhaps there can be a fine assessed - say $100 a shot to go to the Lowell Transitional Living Center - whenever it is determined that a councilor has asked a question previously asked and answered or asks a question when the answer is there in black and white in the packet of materials in front of them?
Too many councilors want to fiddle and diddle in areas that are not there concern (like the Arena contract until it comes to them for a final vote) rather than deal with the city’s more important business of trying to figure out now how we might deal with substantial cuts in local aid. The manager is developing plans to cope with the expected aid cuts and I will take any bet that the same crew whining about communications will go ‘nutty’ when plans are discussed that might result in layoffs. It is great that council meetings are televised - - but at the same time it allows people to chew up air time with irrelevant posturing, repetition, finger wagging, etc. With all of the progress being made in the city, despite the difficult economic times.
I am concerned that grandstanding councilors will derail all the good efforts made over the past few years. For an example of what could happen if this rankling continues unchecked, take a close look at Springfield, a city at the mercy of an outside-appointed finance control board, which has absolutely no say whatsoever on the way its budget is spent.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I just read today’s “Column”. Honestly are they effing kidding me? We’re not talking making mountains out of mole hills here, we’re talking the paper creating their own issues. The councillors are upset at getting scooped by the Sun? Try not to pat yourself on the back too much editorial staff. It was a FOIA request while the manager was on vacation, big deal. I can’t even wipe my behind with The Sun since I refuse to buy the print edition.
Bernie Lynch is hands down the best communicator the city has had as manager in my time in Lowell. The fact that he doesn’t bow and kiss the ring enough for these idiots shows he’s fair to everyone. Sorry if these people can’t read. Just because their “constituents” want things done with a phone call or backdoor meeting doesn’t mean that’s how good government works.
Maybe I should run, I couldn’t do any worse.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Shawn,
I was in and out of the car on Saturday morning so I didn’t hear the entire time CC Rita Mercier was on the radio- did anyone take you up on your offer to call in and ask her what she’s thinking on this matter?
January 19th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I’m not sure, maybe I’ll try to get the clip and post it on my blog.
I was racing back and forth setting up the next interview with Jim Arciero, as well as had been preparing the clips for before she was in, and then while she was there.
I don’t remember any calls other than Jim Campanini who called in to point out that the Sun has no closer connection to the manager than anyone else.. and that his reporters have to work for information just as much as they would expect to… Bernie has no free ride with the Sun (as someone earlier in the show seemed to imply).
I can tell you that Rita was very discouraged with the treatment she gets online. She has always been a very personable and accessible.
I personally think that because she is not up on “modern technology,” she gets the bums’ rush from the blogs.
In my opinion, all she asked was that the manager forge better communication with the counsellors because they often have to respond to constituents first. She’s not looking for every little day to day thing.. but they should be kept up on the key ones.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
OK, so ER, Joe and Moonlight…great you voted for these folks and you want a differant government. So, in the next CC election (or the last), do you plan on going door to door, holding signs and donating money?
You know what, Kristin? I’m getting there.
I really am.
When does Ali get back? Oh man, you can say that again.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
When does Ali get back?