Left In Lowell

Newcomer John MacDonald got out of the box earlier and veteran political followers were predicting him a winner because he was doing the necessary early groundwork. All that seems to have slowed down and he is running with the rest of the pack of “can-win” candidates.

What happened, if anything? And why is Wallace being so fickle? (more…)

Whatever you think of the initiative spearheaded by UTEC to allow 17 year old to vote (I am personally for it) in our local muni elections, you have the admire the organization and passion that has gone into it. As a foray into political organizing (be it for an issue, a candidate, or just organizing in general) and as civic involvement goes, I consider that they’ve already won.

Get ‘em early while they’re young, make them feel that their voice is important. Maybe this is the antidote we’ve been looking for to cure cynicism in our politics.

It’d be nice to cap this with a real win, so the kids can showcase how our political system works - organize, fight for your issue, knock on doors, and get a bill you care about passed. There’s no harm as far as I can see to give a voice to kids still in school about how we govern those schools and our city. They are as affected by the policy as anyone could be.

From the press release:

The Vote 17 campaign is unlike any similar past or current bill as it calls for the initiative to appear on Lowell’s local election ballot after full State House approval. Teen organizers are asking that the state legislature allow the voters of Lowell to decide on an issue that has already received full support from all levels of Lowell’s city government and its statehouse delegation. Throughout the bill’s journey, it has gained support from The Lowell Sun Editorial Board, the entire Lowell Statehouse Delegation and bill sponsor Rep. Kevin Murphy, the Lowell City Council, Chief of Police Ken Lavallee, and recent endorsements from SEIU 615 and IBEW 2321. As Vote 17 teen organizers have said from the beginning of their campaign, given such widespread support, they are simply asking to “Let Lowell Vote!”

There will be a press conference on their bill at the United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), 34 Hurd Street, Lowell, this Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 3:30pm.

Clearly, Kendall Wallace reads Gerry Nutter:

City Manager Bernie Lynch has built up a lot of neighborhood and business community support and that should help his council backers as they seek re-election.
Of the seven running for re-election, he has solid support from Mayor Jim Milinazzo, Vice Chairman Kevin Broderick and former Mayor Bill Martin.
Councilors Joe Mendonca and Patrick Murphy have also supported him on most votes, and incumbent Rita Mercier has been more than fair to Lynch.
Only incumbent Rodney Elliott has been a consistent foe, even though he was a key vote in hiring Lynch.

This measure of Wallace puts his other conjecture into context.

Normally, with two open seats on the nine-member council and an open seat on the School Committee, we would be witnessing a much more aggressive campaign.
I’m told attendance at political parties (fundraisers) has been dismal. Candidates who might normally attract 100 or more people are seeing turnouts of 40 or 50. Not only is this a sign of declining interest in local politics, but it robs the candidate of the resources to stage a more-aggressive campaign.
The lackluster campaign in the council is a surprise, not only because there are two open seats, but also because the field of challengers is much stronger than in recent years. Those two facts would indicate we would see a much more intense campaigns not only from the seven incumbents, but also from the 10 challengers.

LEON GAUMOND:
You know, everyone loves to beat on the unknown government. Who knows who the town administrator really is? Who knows who these selectmen are? … What I did was I ended up using technology in the response as a tool to try to make government more accessible and more human at the same time.

It helps to make the community leaders viewed not only as the eggheads you see on television at the selectmen meetings or in the newspaper talking about this, that or the other thing, but they’re also people who have their own families. They have their own lives, they’re trying to be part of a community. (emphasis mine)

Leon Gaumond has been the town administrator in West Boylston for seven years and previously served in a similar position in East Longmeadow. He is president of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association.

Please follow me below the fold. (more…)

Sept. 13th, Council Chamber:

(19:02)”Yes, I have been down there, to the office, looking around, because I think it’s my duty.”

Sept. 20th, Lowell Sun:

Mercier said she does not think “it is my job to be micromanaging that office.”

You make the call.

[Via BMG.] This is pretty hilarious. Of course, it’s natural that Brown would be worried about the recent PPP poll which shows, literally a week after her announcement, Elizabeth Warren leading Brown in a head to head matchup (of course, it being a year out, there’s still time for it to go either way).

A Hill staffer, who spoke with TPM by phone, sends this dispatch from the Senate side in the wake of today’s PPP poll showing former White House financial reform adviser Elizabeth Warren leading Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA):

“Just walked passed Senator Brown’s office and in the hallway was the man himself, lamenting into his cell phone, ‘I don’t understand how she can be down 20 points one week and is now up 2. What is going on?’”

Our tipster describes the scene:

Was heading to a meeting after just having read your reporting on the new poll. Was just about to walk by Senator Brown’s personal office when he walked out of the main door of his office, cell phone in hand. He was mid-conversation but was responding to something on the other line with the line I reported. Was kind of dumbfounded to hear that kind of candor in a very public hallway. I’m guessing he realized that too, because he then looked over his shoulder, saw me, and hurriedly entered a side down to his office down the hall.

The TPM article goes on to say that “other Republicans are dismissing the poll from the Democratic-leaning firm PPP…and suggesting it’s not completely on the level” but that the PPP poll was one of the first polling outfits to zero in on Brown’s win in the special election. Selective memory perhaps?

Please debate on this Open Thread.

We can argue this point, if you like. But, I am of the opinion that several candidates, incumbents & challengers, want to ensure that a certain clique within Lowell is clear that they are not “Bernie Buddies.” Meaning, the candidates are sure to vote against the manager’s fiscal policies, gov’t reorganization efforts and, most importantly, not renew the CM’s contract when it expires. This is pandering at its worse. Watch for phrases like, “rubber stamp” or contradictions like “I support the Manager’s sound fiscal policies, but cannot support the 2-1/2% annual levy increases.”

Another meme, will be, ‘the manager lacks compassion.’ That he is the Tin Man.

The ‘ Tin Man ‘ talking point is particularly nefarious. On it’s face, you figure that the criticism is leveled at the City Manager’s sense of humanity, compassion or “heart.” Whatever you want to call it. The talking point will build in a discussion of layoffs or firings of long time city workers or public servants, as they are called in this context. (Only bullies hurt the servants.) Further, there will be questions about the use of statistics and data in policy making. How Dept heads will be forced to report and budget based on metrics.

What could be more heartless than metrics, huh?

While I can understand the place for compassion in governing, I’ll suggest these talking points are not at all about bolstering the City Manager’s sense of stewardship. What it is about, is preserving a severly flawed approach to governing and the culture within the public sector that protects it. After decades of abuses in city hiring practices, there are pockets of laziness and poor practices enbedded in the system. There is a culture that embraces the “Townie Turnstyle.” Meaning, if they have known you all your life, you get the EZ Pass down at City Hall. Meaning, that there is not a level playing field for those attempting to conduct routine business with the City.

The City Manager has systematically diminished such bogus practices. That, my friends, puts many a nose out of joint.

So, when you hear the sobbing, wails and righteous indignation leveled in defense of some ‘victim.’ When the culprits in these aggressions are branded as, ‘heartless, data wielding, bureaucrats.” When one is coddled as a ‘public servant’ and the other a ‘public menace.’ Please consider that the source is potentially pulling at your heartstrings, with the intent of playing you for a chump.

Update, 9/19/11 I said, “Townie Turnstyle.”

* The office maintained a practice of providing selected persons with free copies of certified records for employees/family/friends, “elected officials and those who are politically connected.”

Now is not the time for headhunting, folks. Let’s take a deep breath and get it fixed.

Update #2, 9/19/11
I have heard that tonight’s “Executive Session” was held as a public meeting, at the request of one or more of the parties involved. I have also heard other details that may surprise or upset folks that are following the happenings around the City Clerk’s office. So as not to misinform, I’m going to hold my tongue. It is very likely that The Sun had a reporter in place to scoop the story, so please look for more accurate details of what transpired tonight, tomorrow morning.

Deep, cleansing breathes, folks.

Jen Myers has the scoop. Here is a teaser.

The open session was held at the request of Gitschier and her attorney, Gary Brackett. It is the legal right of the subject of an executive session to request the meeting be held in public. Staff from Lowell Telecommunication were not available to record the meeting.

But there is another angle to this, that seems to be missed. Why did Rita Mercier force the issue?

It is reasonable, attempting to deduce from what we know, why one side of this brouhaha has done, is doing, and will do. But, I’m stuck on the point that if cooler heads prevailed that day, the events would have played out differently. Maybe, even better.

Please note, when Mercier offered the susbstitute motion, the Mayor provided the opportunity to discuss. That is standard procedure. Not one Councilor availed themselves of the opportunity to intervene.

Now we head towards …. what? Ego war?

Who kept their powder dry?

Councilors were notified of the special meeting on Wednesday, just one day after the council opposed Milinazzo’s motion to extend the term of acting clerk Brian Leahey for 90 days or until a new clerk was hired.

Instead, the council voted 6-3 Tuesday night to appoint Assistant Clerk Angela Gitschier as the acting clerk beginning Monday, Sept. 26.

-snip

The Lowell Police Department’s interviews with Gitschier are detailed in one of the new police reports, Milinazzo told The Sun Thursday. A second report contains interviews police conducted with other employees in the clerk’s office.

The surfacing of the new reports this week comes over a month after a police report detailing allegedly criminal activities of then-Clerk Richard Johnson and charges against him was released and weeks after councilors say they were told the police investigation into the clerk’s office was complete.

Morale in City Hall must be awful, right about now.

PS. We should be careful not to confuse politics with issues. There are 106,000 people in our city. Outside “the bubble,” how many give a rat’s ass about these shenanigans?