Left In Lowell

My appearance on the Warren Shaw show

7 Responses to “My appearance on the Warren Shaw show”

1. TPetty Says:
   October 24th, 2009 at 10:27 am

   Mimi, I heard you on the radio. You did a great job. As for Tom Byrne, he’s an example of old time Lowell politics….which sadly is alive and well in the city. I have no doubt that the pothole on his mother’s property was filled by a city employee as a result of some influence. Everyone who is accused of wrong doing denies knowledge of it(ie. Kazangian, Faticanti, Byrne). We have a chance for positive change on November 3rd, I just hope people take 10 minutes out of their ‘busy’ schedule to VOTE!

2. K-R-S Says:
   October 24th, 2009 at 11:21 pm

   ya’ looked purty…

3. Bob Forrant Says:
   October 25th, 2009 at 10:29 am

   Just thinking about election-related stuff before the Patriots appear live from London!

   Tis a very tangled city hall web that’s been woven and it now appears the threads extend over to and down under into the Chelmsford sewer system. Rats of a feather – perhaps???

   What is surprising is the silence of the city council on all of this. While they lecture us weekly now about how they care about the taxpayers and how important quality delivery of services is to them, the evidence mounts that so, so many things in Lowell are balled up with old boy politics and the age old system of looking the other way so long as my kister is covered and no one horns in on my scheme.

   Smart cars bid wrong, managerial aide fired possibly illegally while the leaders of the firing brag about it on local radio, city worker paving a private parking lot, FBI changing locks, inspector sleeping in between pulling permits for a sitting councilor while on the city payroll, while a school committee member threatens to pull the superintendent’s arms off….I could go on until after election day – but why bother?

   My guess is we are not quite there yet when it comes to fully flushing the rascals out of city hall and its environs maybe through the Chelmsford sewers?? Perhaps a couple of new councilors – but school committee remains the same is my best guess.

   Meanwhile the budget woes the city faces get worse and worse, public safety esp. fire safety is compromised by understaffing issues and councilors just want to get through election day before the full raft of crap hits us all.

   Stay tuned for the wild times we will be witnessing after the election and into the new year when more problems are exposed, the budget shortfalls are too glaring to cover over,and the alleged job creation from the zillions in stimulus dough creates minus nine jobs in Lowell while Wall Street investment bankers laugh all the way to St Bart’s for their annual winter vacation!

   At least UML hockey is off to a terrific start to what could be a great, great season. Go River Hawks.

4. waittilnextyr Says:
   October 25th, 2009 at 11:53 am

   Bob, there is a culture in Lowell politics that makes cronyism seem like the right thing to do, especially when it gets rewarded when too few people take the time to vote, and those that receive the favors have most of the say.

   With another $2M reduction in State aid, plus the council’s approval of revenue in the budget without backing it up with the votes to implement it, there is certainly going to be another round of cuts. One councilor says “let the professional manager solve it” while ignoring the costs associated with the many poor motions proposed by the council.

   In addition to the professional city manager, we need a professional city council!

5. joe from Lowell Says:
   October 26th, 2009 at 5:38 pm

   Ah, Professor Forrant, just a golden ray of sunshine, aren’t you?

   Bob, there is a culture in Lowell politics that makes cronyism seem like the right thing to do…

   Yep.

   Remember the towing contracts a few years ago? A well-connected towing company owner doesn’t get awarded contract, because the City Manager got a better deal for the taxpayers, and several of the most prominent, respected members of the City Council sit in open meeting, on live TV, and rail about how awful it is that such a good guy, whom they know personally, was treated so shabbily.

   They did this with passion and pride, and without the slightest shame, because they didn’t think that doing so was even the slightest bit shameful. They thought, and I’m sure they still think, that it was the right thing to do - that they were fighting the good fight for Lowell.

6. Bob Forrant Says:
   October 26th, 2009 at 7:49 pm

   Joe - my nicknme from students is Mr Sunshine - how’d you know!!!

7. ned Says:
   October 27th, 2009 at 6:18 am

   Cox is the web master Bob.

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