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Felix the cat has nine lives
He will fight these charges and Mayor Marty will be labeled a racist withing 48 hours. Tito will go on the attack and more heads will roll in city hall.
Que malo....
Si yo fuera un político honesto en Boston:
1. Siempre defendería un SISTEMA DE SALUD CON COBERTURA UNIVERSAL. Preguntaría a cada representante electo de Boston a nivel municipal, estatal y federal su posición en este tema publicando su respuesta (Sí/No) en el sitio Web de la ciudad de Boston. De esta forma, cualquier ciudadano podría saber cuál es la posición de sus representantes en el problema más importante que tenemos en América hoy en día.
2. Visitaría todas las escuelas públicas en un período de dieciocho meses. Me reuniría con padres, profesores, estudiantes, personal no docente y otras partes interesadas y presentaría un plan para eliminar el traslado en autobús de alumnos de barrios marginales, asegurar la igualdad e introducir un proyecto integral para la ciudad a más tardar para el 1ro de julio de 2019. Esto conllevaría un ahorro aproximado de cien millones de dólares al año que podríamos invertir en escuelas, incluyendo también una nueva escuela estatal dedicada a las Ciencias, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas (STEM) de última generación. Esta escuela se construiría en conjunto con el MIT y otras grandes universidades científicas locales. Hasta que se construya esta escuela no votaré por ninguna subida de sueldo a ningún funcionario público.
3. Realizaría una auditoría profesional a las escuelas públicas de Boston.
4. Realizaría una auditoría profesional a la Agencia de Planificación y Desarrollo de Boston (BPDA). Iniciaría acciones encaminadas a eliminar el BPDA y crear agencias de Planificación y Desarrollo separadas y controladas por los ciudadanos de Boston.
5. Recopilaría todos y cada uno de los acuerdos que la ciudad de Boston, la Agencia de Planificación y Desarrollo de Boston o cualquier otra agencia haya realizado con cualquier espacio público, propiedad o entidad privada, pública o de negocios en lo que respecta a impuestos, usos o beneficios y publicarlo PERMANENTEMENTE en el sitio Web de la ciudad de Boston para que cualquier ciudadano tenga acceso a la información y pueda dar seguimiento a dichos acuerdos. También publicaría en la Web todos los documentos públicos existentes o que se aprueben. Ambas informaciones tendrían una base de datos con buscador para facilitar su localización a través de palabras clave o filtros.
6. Prohibiría el uso de fondos públicos para poner nombres de políticos en carteles, uniformes, edificios y otros artículos que no sean temporales.
7. Cambiaría las fechas del ciclo electoral para que las elecciones para alcalde o alcaldesa coincidan con las elecciones presidenciales. Esto aumentaría la participación, disminuiría el poder de los alcaldes de turno sobre los empleados y ahorraría millones de dólares.
8. Eliminaría el derroche de fondos de los contribuyentes en el Greenway Conservancy y trasladaría el Greenway al sistema de parques de Boston.
9. No permitiría que ningún edificio violara la Ley Estatal proyectando sombras sobre el Boston Common, sin importar cuánto dinero hubiera recibido en contribuciones de campaña o promesas de futuros pagos a la ciudad de Boston. No daría ninguna ayuda o exención fiscal a los promotores de edificios que violaran las leyes.
10. No concedería ningún tipo de prerrogativa fiscal a los poderosos. Las desgravaciones fiscales a ricas corporaciones y adinerados promotores sólo aumentarían la desigualdad en la ciudad de Boston y en los Estados Unidos de América.
11. Investigaría a fondo y haría cumplir que todos los proyectos públicos de la ciudad reporten sobre sus políticas y ofertas de empleo para que se incorporen a una base de datos de búsqueda de empleo en la página Web de la ciudad de Boston.
12. Me aseguraría de eliminar los empleos fantasmas, empleos redundantes o duplicados, contrataciones políticas, etc. No toleraremos el pago a tiempo completo por menos que el trabajo a tiempo completo.
13. Me aseguraría de que las propiedades públicas vayan al mejor postor en procesos de licitación abiertos y transparentes para que los ciudadanos obtengan el valor adecuado para sus activos.
14. Me comprometería a unir las escuelas de negocios locales de Northeastern, la Universidad de Boston, Harvard, MIT y Babson para utilizar sus capacidades y experiencia en el examen de cada uno de los diferentes departamentos de la ciudad de Boston. Les pediremos que hagan estudios de casos de cada departamento para que podamos eliminar ineficiencias y empleos redundantes. Planificaríamos y elaboraríamos planes para el futuro, disfrutando así de un gobierno local que refleje este sector privado de vanguardia que tenemos en Boston.
15. Tomaría el T (metro) u otro transporte público por lo menos una vez a la semana para ir a trabajar (y la bicicleta cuando el buen tiempo acompañe), abogando así por un sistema de transporte público verdaderamente moderno equivalente a los excelentes sistemas que existen en Asia y Europa.
16. Yo pagaría personalmente de mi bolsillo a Howie Carr y su esposa para que disfrutaran un largo fin de semana visitando la Ciudad de México y comparando el metro de Ciudad de México con el metro de Boston. Todo lo que pido es que Howie Carr escriba un artículo objetivo comparando las dos ciudades y que así pueda aprender parte de la gran historia y cultura de nuestros hermanos del sur.
17. Trabajaré para crear una nueva zonificación para que podamos construir micro viviendas económicas donde albergar a nuestros desamparados sin techo, que es la vergüenza de nuestra ciudad y de nuestro país.
18. Quizá no tenga respuesta para resolver la crisis de los opioides, pero sé que necesitamos vivienda y servicios de salud mental, y que el puente y el refugio de Long Island deberían ser arreglados para intentar ayudar a paliar el problema, no venderlo a promotores inmobiliarios o utilizarlo para eventos olímpicos.
19. No apoyaría ningún uso del dinero de nuestros impuestos para organizar eventos como las Olimpiadas, Grandes Premios (Grand Prix’s), ni usaría incentivos fiscales o donaciones de carreteras o terrenos públicos para promover o beneficiar a equipos deportivos privados.
20. Estoy dispuesto a recibir ideas y consejos sobre el desperdicio, fraude, abuso y corrupción en la ciudad de Boston, y no me temblará la mano para investigar todos estos casos, no importando las conexiones o ramificaciones políticas que pudieran tener los interesados. Defendería que se duplicara, como mínimo, el presupuesto de la Comisión Financiera. Además, estaría dispuesto a recibir ideas de ciudadanos sobre cómo ahorrar dinero. Por ejemplo: poner luces LED en los laterales de los camiones de la basura Big Belly’s para que los trabajadores de la empresa Big Belly’s no tengan necesidad de parar y salir de sus camiones para ver si las luces LED están rojas o verdes. Esto ahorraría tiempo, dinero, y reduciría la emisión de gases y el efecto invernadero.
21. Amaría, adoraría, respetaría y protegería a todos los ciudadanos de la ciudad, sin importar su raza, género u orientación. No tendría miedo de señalar y denunciar las injusticias, la corrupción y la intolerancia, aunque desafíe el status quo de alguna clase política o social en la ciudad.
22. Defendería una segunda vuelta electoral y límites a la duración de los mandatos del alcalde y de los concejales.
Finalmente, cada año tomaría $10,000 de mi salario para crear una beca, que se dividiría a partes iguales entre los dos graduados de las escuelas públicas de Boston que escriban los mejores ensayos sobre el tema: ‘El valor que tiene para la democracia disponer de un gobierno honesto y abierto que promueva escuelas públicas, parques públicos, transporte público y bienestar público’. Solicitaríamos a Noam Chomsky que presidiera nuestro jurado para evaluar los trabajos y seleccionar a los dos finalistas. Los demás trabajos destacados por el jurado también serían publicados online.
Two things
First, how the heck are you going to fund all of that.
Second, I throw doubt on you grasp of municipal government as the T is run by the Commonwealth, not the city.
(Sistema de salud con cobertua universal? Que loco!)
Cobuerta universal
I think the writer meant that Adam should pay for everyone's healthcare.
"Cobuerta universal HUB"
no mas...
No mas dinero por 'busing'.
No mas 'patronage'
etc....
¡Gracias, Señor 'theszak'!
¡Gracias, Señor 'theszak'!
Translation available?
Is a translation available for this comment or a summary of what the comment is about?
I don't speak Spanish
But if you google "progressive manifesto", I think you'll get the gist.
/s
Here you go, more or less
If I were an honest politician in Boston:
1. I would always defend a HEALTH SYSTEM WITH UNIVERSAL COVERAGE. I would ask every elected representative of Boston, at the municipal, state, and federal level, their position on this subject, publishing their response (Yes/No) on the website of the city of Boston. In this way, any citizen could know what the position of his representatives is on the most important problem that we have in America today.
2. I would visit all the public schools in the period of eighteen months. I would meet with parents, teachers, students, non-teaching staff, and other interested parties, and I would present a plan to end busing of students from poor neighborhoods, to ensure equality, and introduce an integrated project for the city at the latest the 1st of July 2019. This would bring in a savings of approximately a hundred million dollars each year, which we could invest in schools, including also a new, state-of-the-art school dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This school would be constructed together with MIT and other great local scientific universities. Until this school is built I will not vote for any increase in salary of any public functionary.
3. I would conduct a professional audit of the public schools of Boston
4. I would conduct a professional audit of the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA). I would begin actions towards eliminating the BPDA and create separate agencies for Planning and Development controlled by the citizens of Boston.
5. I would compile each and every one of the agreements that the city of Boston, the Boston Planning and Development Agency, and any other agency have made about any public space, private entity, property, or business, regarding taxes, uses, or benefits, and publish them PERMANENTLY in the website of the city of Boston so that any citizen may have access to the information and can follow those agreements. I would also publish on the Web all existing or approved public documents. This information would have a database with search function to facilitate its localization through keywords or filters.
6. I would prohibit the use of public funds to put the names of politicians on signs, uniforms, buildings, and other articles except on a temporary basis.
7. I would change the dates of the electoral cycle so that the elections for mayor coincide with presidential elections. This would increase the participation, reduce the power of the mayors in office over employees, and would save millions of dollars.
8. I would eliminate the waste of funds from the contributors to the Greenway Conservancy and would shift the Greenway to the Boston parks system.
9. I would not permit that any building violate the State Law by casting shadows over Boston Common, no matter how much money I had received in campaign contributions or promises for future payments to the city of Boston. I would give no help or fiscal exemption to the promotors of buildings that violate the law.
10. I would not concede any type of fiscal prerogative to the powerful. Fiscal exemptions to rich corporations and moneyed promotors only increase inequality in the city of Boston and in the United States of America.
11. I would investigate in depth and make all public projects in the city comply with reporting their policies and employment offers so that they may be incorporated into a jobsearch database of on the webpage of the city of Boston.
12. I would guarantee the elimination of phantom jobs, redundant or duplicate employees, political contracting, etc. We will not tolerate full-time pay for less than full-time work.
13. I would guarantee that all public property goes to the highest bidder in open and transparent bidding so that citizens obtain the best value for our assets.
14. I would commit to bring together the local business schools of Northeastern, Boston University, Harvard, MIT, and Babson to use their capacities and experiences to exam each one of the different departments of the city of Boston. We will ask them to do case studies on each department so that we can eliminate inefficiencies and redundant employees. We will design and develop plans for the future, thereby enjoying a local government that reflects the vanguard of the private sector we have in Boston.
15. I would take the T (subway) or another public transport at least once a week to go to work (and a bicycle when we have good weather), thereby advocating for a public transport system that is truly modern, equivalent to the excellent systems that exist in Asia and Europe.
16. I would personally pay, from my pocket, for Howie Carr and his wife to enjoy a long weekend visiting Mexico City and comparing the subway in Mexico City with the subway in Boston. All I ask is that Howie Carr write an objective article comparing the two cities and that way he can learn part of the great history and culture of our brothers to the south.
17. I will work to create new zoning so that we can construct economic micro-apartments to lodge our forsaken homeless, the shame of our city and our country.
18. Perhaps I don't have a response to solve the problem of opioids, but I know that we need housing and mental health services, and that the bridge to the refuge on Long Island should be arranged to try to help to ameliorate the problem, not sold to real estate developers or used for Olympic events.
19. I would not support any use of our tax money to organize events like the Olympics, Grand Prix, nor would I use fiscal incentives or donations of roads or public lands to promote or benefit private sports teams.
20. I am willing to receive ideas and advice about the loss, fraud, abuse, and corruption in the city of Boston, and my hand won't shake at investigating all of these cases, no matter what connections or political ramifications the interested parties might have. I would argue for the doubling, at a minimum, of the budget of the Financial Commission. Also, I would be willing to receive ideas from citizens about how to save money. For example, put LED lights on the sides of the Big Belly trash trucks so that the workers of the Big Belly company don't have to stop and get out of their trucks to see if the LED lights are red or green. This would save time, money, and reduce the emission of gases and the greenhouse effect.
21. I would love, adore, respect, and protect all the citizens of the city, without regard to their race, gender, or orientation. I would fearlessly point out and denounce injustices, corruption, and intolerance, even though I would have to defy the status quo of some social or political class in the city.
22. I would advocate for a runoff election and term limits for the mayor and councilors.
Finally, each year I would take $10,000.00 of my salary to create a scholarship, which would be divided in equal parts among the two graduates of the public schools of Boston who write the best essays on the theme "The value for democracy of having an honest and open government that promotes public schools, public parks, public transport, and public welfare." We would ask Noam Chomsky to preside over the jury that would evaluate the essays and select the two finalists. The other works judged outstanding would also be published online.
Vote for him
Or her.
PS
Thanks SP!
google can translate it
https://translate.google.com/
But google can't explain what this is doing here.
That's what you get for
That's what you get for pressing 2 before listening to all your menu items which have changed.
Interesting that federal corruption charges...
...are not enough to get fired, but sexual harrasment is. I think both should have the same result since corrupting the fair administration of government is damaging to all of us, but can't help but see the different treatment.
It's simple really
You yell corruption, everyone says "Huh, what?"
But you yell sexual harassment, suddenly you've got a panic on the Fourth of July.
With apologies to Mayor Vaughn
Yes because in this country
Yes because in this country we make sexual harassment a priority....not.
Not true
Having conducted more than 500 workplace investigations over a 35 year period (of which about 20% involved sex discrimination or sexual harassment), my experience has been that the absence of sexually harassment prevention is the clearest sign that it is not an organizational priority.
Sexual harassment is not simply a matter of quid pro quo behavior or unwanted advances by a supervisor towards a subordinate. It often is much more insidious...it often is the existence and fostering of a work environment where one is forced to accept the existence of an inappropriate, sexual charged, environment as a required condition of work.
In fact, my experience has been that most employees rarely complain about harassment because they understand that they place their employment in jeopardy if they speak up. What I have learned is that on those rare occasions when an employee does speak up, it is only because they have exhausted all the informal options of dealing with a situation. By the time sn employee files a complaint, typically the conditions have become so intollerable ble they have no other recourse.
If sexual harassment were viewed as a priority, it is doubtful we would continue to see as many complaints as we do. But remember, formal complaints are only the tip of the iceberg. Society has not reconciled itself in terms of considering sexual harassment as really being a legitimate workplace issue.
It's complicated
Because the federal charges are just that, the City cannot do anything to interfere. Therefore, the accused are on leave and retain the presumption of innocence.
This, on the other hand, is the result of an internal investigation. Arroyo was not facing any criminal charges for his action, so it is easier to resolve. The City investigated and found cause for termination. Do note that Arroyo was on paid administrative leave for almost a month.
If the employees facing criminal charges were fired then found not guilty, it would have been a bigger legal mess for the City. This makes things easier. If they are found guilty, termination will come shortly thereafter. That said, based on other union based cases, there is a chance that Carmen Ortiz' office might not be able to prove the charges.
You have conflated two distinct legal concepts
Violations of rules designed to prevent government corruption most often involve criminal acts and the proof standard for conviction is "beyond a reason doubt."
Contrasting that is the legal concepts of employment discrimination with its relevant secondary issues which tend to be tort actions involving civil liability. The proof standard tend to be a "preponderance of the evidence."
There are federal and/or state laws, regulation and codes which govern public corruption acts with remedies for conviction which include possible imprisonment and fines.
Massachusetts law for addressing sexual harassment is generally governed by Chapter 151B (unlawful discrimination in employment covering things like race, religion, and gender. Notably exception is disability which is covered primarily by Federal law with supporting state regulations.
While to us lay folks is would seem that a disparity in treatment might exist between violating public trust versus harassing someone at work, it really is illusionary. In the first instance, if convicted you can go to prison and pay substantial monetary penalties. Since it does involve the loss of freedom, the legal system presumes you are innocent until proven guilty.
In the matter of workplace conduct, the individual or organization does not face incarceration but the financial penalties can be enormous (potentially in the millions).
Employers have a special set of responsibilities regard work conditions - not only is a manager liable for their individual actions but the employer has a duty to ensure that certain behaviors are not occurring. Moreover, once the employer is given notice that such behavior is taking place, how they respond in terms of treatment of the aggrieved party as well as what actions they took to investigate and remedy the situation holds them open to liability separate from the original bad actor.
My experience has been that in matters pertaining to suspicion of criminal misconduct, formal charges and indictment typically precede suspension from work & if convicted loss of employment. In civil misconduct, suspension might occur & loss of employment happens if found responsible for engaging in certain actions or behavior.
It is tough wrap your brain around why these may seem to be equally compelling issues but the delineation in treatment occurs at the end of the litigation process.
Who will be first to...
blame and attack the victim for complaining about her treatment and work environment?
Nicholas Maduro?
Or is that only a Felix Sr. thing?
again...
enough of the life long townie politicians!!
we need new, outside blood in this city or we will never become a world class city.
nothing but hacks in office in this city.
marty has to go... his judgement is bad.
Go where?
There's essentially nobody running against him. Tito has given up, only 100k in his slush fund, no chance. Marty is mayor for as long as he wants to be.
maybe?
I think Wu or Pressley run next time.
Only if Marty quits
You need money. Money comes from city employees, developers and unions. They own the mayor and he takes care of them.
You need votes. About 15,000 people live in the city and work for the city or its agencies. Get those votes plus a family member and you are more than half way home. Plow the snow, fix a few potholes and kiss some babies and you are mayor for life.
Why is that a lock though?
Certainly there are many folks who have patronage type city gigs and live in the city. However, your average Boston dwelling BTU member isn't that beholden to Walsh. As for union jobs, I'd be interested to see if true, but I'd guess that union members are slowing selling off their high value urban houses to move out of the city to Quincy, Weymount, Malden, etc... So perhaps gentrification as retired middle/upper class people move into the city and younger non-union middle class continue to buy homes in places like Rosi, etc... will erode the old time union base Walsh has. The minority vote is not a lock for Walsh either.
Dare to dream.
Don't bite the hand that gives out 2-4% raises
Every year
No matter what
At least Marty is asking for something in return. Menino handed them out like halloween candy.
Yeah but...
Anyone progressive enough to get elected mayor isn't running on a platform of BPS wage cuts. You think Wu or Pressley wouldn't keep that going?
I agree it's a long shot but it's not like this is a purple city here.
Don't get me wrong
I like both those women and you are right re. their progressive politics.
But you need money and the unions and developers want the bird in hand. There's a reason we haven't unelected an incumbent mayor in over half a century. Money and votes go to the sure thing.
May not be the right thing, just reality. Drove me crazy under Menino, but just the way it is.
#$$$$$$$$ #power
Ay Papi
His old man should buy him a plane ticket to Venezuela.
Sympathy for the person who
Sympathy for the person who was harassed, and sad that someone who was dedicated to the City and wanted to improve our schools & affordable housing stock sabotaged his ability to do that.
I don't know Felix well, though we've been friendly acquaintances a long time. I hope he finds a way to keep working for the public good, soon, but the mayor made the right call for a harassment case.
I don't feel sad for Felix.
His alleged behavior to this employee is very, very disturbing, in both words and actions. Before he resumes working for the public good soon, he needs to get some help fast.
I don't know why you think I feel sad for him
.
Former staff, current staff of Boston City Council
Compare accomplishments of other former and current Staff of Boston City Council... for example "City Messenger", "City Stenographer".
me gusta!
Te Amo 'theszak'
Good to see accountability at the lower levels of government
Now if we could only do something about the elephant in the room: the huge stinking scumbag in the white house who's done all of this and so much more.