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Menino flack to debate organizers: Stop annoying us, puny little people
By adamg on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 10:06am
Maybe Tom Menino figures he can keep delaying negotiations over debates until after the election. The Herald reports His Honor continues to play coy on the whole debate issue, while his mouthpiece tut-tuts a group organizing forums as unworthy of the mayor's attention because he finds it "doubtful" the group can actually organize a debate.
Kevin McCrea, who says he'll debate anyone anytime, fulminates:
... What does that mean? You mean they can't invite a bunch of people and put 4 chairs and a microphone on a stage? I would believe that Menino might not be able to handle that on his own, but MassVOTE?
The arrogance and disregard for the people shown by Menino is truly incredible. What is more incredible is how the mainstream media in this town play along with his invisible suit as well. The TV stations and the Globe and the Herald play along with this ruse because they are afraid of his vindictiveness, and they aren't doing the fourth estate's job which is to expose what is going on. ...
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Comments
The Mayor as a model of getting speech therapy.
The Mayor could be a model of getting speech therapy from a speech therapy/pathology clinic. Boston is a training center for speech therapists/pathologists . By getting therapy The Mayor would be supporting that industry as he supports other professional fields. By getting therapy The Mayor would give a voice to a sensitive matter where others shy away from getting the therapy. The Mayor did this for weight management. Who handles the marketing for The Mayor?...
What about OCD therapy for blog commenters?
Who handles your marketing?
the union
The stenographic reporters union!
"The Mayor did this for weight management."
Yes, and didn't THAT work out well for him...
Does he really want to get re-elected?
So he cancels the parade of sail and fireworks for the Tall Ships (my cousins were coming in from Germany for the festivities - we've decided instead to make quick work of the ships and do other activities outside the city), picks yet another fight with the fire department (justified or not - even a semi-functional family does their dirty laundry in private), tries to bully half the city with the budget as leverage for new taxes (good for the teachers for calling his bluff) and now the guy won't even sit at a table and discuss the issues.
One thing is clear, whether you support McCrea like me, Flaherty or Yoon - it's time for some fresh blood - he seems to be saying that himself.
Really?
Stevil,
Wow that really stinks .... no fireworks for your cousins from Germany...bummer! Maybe if you called Menino & explained he would reconsider.
I mean, seriously they are flying all the way here....the least we could do is forget about the fact that we are currently mired in the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS19...
As a lifelong taxpayer of the City of Boston, I am glad Menino told Dusty Rhodes to shit in her hat. Why should we be left holding the bag for her Boat Party? I understand it goes with the territory as the Capitol city, however not during these fiscally nightmarish times.
Sail Boston:
“The mayor said he could not take a chance on the money coming in, as he did years ago. After the Tall Ships event in 2000, the state failed to reimburse the city for the public expenses of putting on the spectacle, which typically boosts state tax revenue through meals and sales taxes but does little for the city coffers. This time, Menino has asked the Sail Boston to provide the money for public safety up front.”
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/200...
In regards to picking a fight with the Fire Department, get your facts straight. The Boston Fire Department has got it made.
Boston Fire Department:
A report by city officials in Columbus, Ohio, ranked Boston SECOND in the nation in the per capita cost of fire and emergency services .... Boston spent $285 per resident on its fire department during the last fiscal year
• http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/art...
• Boston Firefighters on Disability Race to Retire: http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.j...
• US probes firefighter disability abuse: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/art...
•
In regards to other candidates…. Even Adam wants to know…….“The Globe didn't ask Flaherty if he'd used any of his oversight powers as city-council president or just plain old city councilor to look into fire-department pension abuse, but does note Flaherty has the endorsement of the firefighters' union.”
Change for the better, with these challengers…. Get real!! These clowns just want a change of scenery.
I will gladly take four more years with Menino !!
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback Dot Joyce
First, the point about my cousins is - we're bagging the Sail Boston event so instead of them spending hundreds of dollars in Boston and Mass - we've decided it would be more interesting going to Maine and spend money (the two twenty-somethings love to shop) than hang around and see the ships just parked at the piers. We're just 8 people - but I'm sure a lot more than just us were primarily looking forward to the parade of sail and fireworks - that's less revenue for the state (sales tax) and ultimately hurts the city's businesses, restaurants etc. - which are already hurting.
To your points:
1) As far as I know, Sail Boston applied for all their permits and they were granted and the organizer has zero legal obligation to pay the city anything (although I agree they should chip in - as should the organizers of the St. Pats parade, the Pride Parade and others). 90 days before a multi-million dollar event that had been planned for years the mayor decides to throw a tantrum and blame them for the problem? That's extortion old school style. Sail Boston didn't do anything wrong - the state stiffed the city - not the organizers (who did volunteer to chip in after they got some revenue - but the mayor wanted to be paid up front).
2) The state has a financial crisis - anybody who thinks the city has a financial crisis needs their head examined and a math lesson. Our already bloated budget has gone up 58% in the past 10 years, and is actually increasing by 1% after accounting for stimulus funds. Note to the uninformed like our mayor - when your budget goes up 1% in a zero inflation environment - that's not a crisis.
3) I agree that the FD is equally or more to blame. Both sides need to grow up, sit down around a table and hammer this out. This is ridiculous on both sides - at least one person has died already possibly/probably due to this BS - to your point I'll give the mayor the edge - but he's not without fault in this fight by a longshot.
4) As for the other candidates - as I said - I'm supporting McCrea as the only businessman in the hunt. Politicians think money grows on trees. McCrea's the only one I've heard say we have enough money and we need to learn to live within our means.
And you say you would be happy with another 4 years of Menino and you're a taxpayer? Consider this - over the past 10 years residential property taxes are up 100%. Even another 4 years like that with a 40% increase will pulverize many homeowners already on the margin and may be enough for many of the higher end homeowners to just say it isn't worth it anymore which will boomerang on the neighborhoods (and based on my analysis this is a likely possibility - can't figure it out yet because the city so far refuses to provide the data). I'll be sure to put a post out here if they ever come forward with the stats.
Happy 4th to everyone! Tomorrow I WILL be enjoying fireworks!
Too long
Yes - he's acting like a monarch - not a mayor. Sixteen years is too long for anybody to be in that job - never mind twenty.
and let's get rid of Rich Daley in Chicago and Ted Kennedy and .
Sam Yoon was just in Chicago extolling some of their programs. Apparently a fifth term mayor can run things just fine ...