August 31, 2006
College for Convicts: Yes or No?
I am not a die-hard liberal when it comes to providing creature comforts to vicious criminals. Despite my Christian upbringing, I don't want any killer to enjoy even the most simple taste of freedom: like earning a college degree while behind bars. 
Maybe I am wrong, and someday, maybe my Creator will chastize me, but I find it obscenely outrageous that a prestigious school like Boston University would allow convicted murderer Richard Seymour to earn two degrees while serving a life sentence. As recounted in a front-page story in The Sun (Aug. 31), Seymour has been denied parole for a second time in the bludgeoning death of his 18-year-old son. He beat the boy with a hammer and then pounded him with a propane gas tank until the kid was barely recognizable. Now I have a 24-year-old son and God knows he has, at times, tested me to the limit. But I could never raise a hand to him or any other human being unless it were a life-and-death situation. That's just the way I am. Regardless, this killer father has earned two college degrees from an elite school, one that charges $31,000 a year for tuition. The prisoner program is a regular feature at BU. When liberals say that prisoners have to be given a chance to improve their lives, I ask, "why?" What benefit is it to waste good money and good instruction on Seymour, who is serving a lifetime sentence, when there are so many at-risk kids out there who could use the same break to hopefully create a better life for themselves and society? Let Seymour learn how to knit, so he can make sweaters for the poor in Third World countries or something. But giving him access to the fine teachers at BU is an obscene waste. BU is a private institution and does do many good academic things for inner-city youth and the poor. But I find it hard to believe that its prisoner program for convicted killers is deserving of merit, when Seymour himself told the parole board he had no intention of using his master of arts in interdisciplinary studies to find a job if he received his freedom. He wanted to go back to being a concrete laborer, at 57 years old. Right.
Hard time probably doesn't help change a killer. Probably it deepens the hated they have for the world and civilized society. But it makes me feel better and safer that the killer is behind bars, denied all freedoms, and drowning in his or her thoughts of what he/she would do with their freedom. That's mental torture and that's what prison should be for savage killers or all sorts. Not college.
Should BU cancel its prison program? What do you think?
Posted by JimC at 9:02 AM | Comments (9)
August 30, 2006
Power Lunch with Marty Meehan
I had a nice conversation and lunch with Congressman Marty Meehan today. We broke bread at LaBoniche, where we enjoyed a far-ranging discussion of 1.) the Massachusetts gubernatorial race; 2.) the November congressional races; 3.) the 2008 Presidential election; 4.) the war in Iraq; 5.) immigration; and 6.) retirement.
The congressman and I may differ on our world views, but we always enjoy a stimulating conversation. I can honestly say I've come away from our lunches with some meaningful information. Meehan works very hard at keeping himself informed on defense issues and quality of life issues that impact all Americans, not just Massachusetts residents. Meehan actively engages Republicans in his congressional dealings, and the dialogue helps him to understand both sides of the issue. Most of the time, Meehan tries to build bipartisan consensus but it isn't easy in these days of partisan politics. He admits that Congress is divided on many important issues and it is harming the nation. A lot can be laid on the war on Iraq, but Meehan readily admits that having one party in control of both legislative branches of government is making harder for new ideas to filter to the discussion level. It shouldn't be a Democrat-Republican thing, says Meehan. Instead, everyone should be heard. I agree. Unfortunately, things in Washington don't work that way.
For what it is worth, I'll take each subject in order and give you some Meehan insights. Here goes:
1. THE MASS. GUBERNATORIAL RACE: Meehan is a longtime friend of AG Tom Reilly and naturally would like to see him win the September primary. Can he do it? Meehan says Reilly's people have to get out the vote to counter Deval Patrick's liberal base, which is more prone to vote in the primary. The key could be Chris Gabrieli. "He's surging in the polls and if that translates into votes, it could hurt (Tom Reilly) and make Patrick the winner," said Meehan. The next two weeks of campaigning will be interesting, he added. "There hasn't really been any negative campaigning. It remains to be seen if the candidates change course with such a close election likely."
2. NOVEMBER CONGRESSIONAL RACES: Meehan believes the Democrats have a good chance of winning control of the House. He believes Bush policies in Iraq, which are proving unpopular in many polls, will bring out the vote in key matchups and give the edge to Democrats.
3. 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: This was the most interesting aspect of our lunch, besides the delectable grilled chicken salad I had the pleasure of eating. Meehan speculated that it would be a great Democratic nomination process if Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. John Kerry, and former Sen. and Clinton VP Al Gore decided to throw their hats into the ring.
Wow! Now that would generate excitement as a battle of heavyweights and different ideas. I beleives this is exactly what the Democrat Party needs to win back supporters of all stripes. Meehan believes Hillary Clinton has the inside track as of today — and a lot of campaign cash — but that her moderate positions may cause liberals she has courted to flee her camp. "She's doing a Joe Lieberman," said Meehan, recounting Lieberman's centrist views on Iraq and national security that led to his defeat in the recent Connecticut primary.
Meehan said Gore, if he decides to run, might turn out to be a stronger candidate than Kerry. The former vice president has made a comeback of sorts with his high-profile crusade on global warming and his pointed condemnation of Bush policies concerning the war on terrorism. Meehan, however, wasn't writing off Kerry. If the anti-war movement continues to grow and take hold, Kerry would emerge in a stronger spot. "It will be interesting to watch what happens after the November election," said the congressman.
As for the GOP race, Meehan thinks Sen. John McCain of Arizona has a better than 50-50 chance to win the Republican nomination. McCain is well-liked in the Senate although he does have "a temper", said Meehan. The congressman has worked well with McCain in the past, particularly on campaign finance reform. Meehan speculated that McCain would be smart to tab Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as his running mate. When I said, 'aren't people tired of having the Bushes around?, Meehan replied, "The goal would be for the Republicans to lock up Florida and Texas, key electoral states. If Hillary wins Florida and Ohio, the Democrats win."
I suggested that former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former congressman Newt Gingrich would make for interesting candidates. Meehan thought that Giuliani would be done in by the GOP right wing for his liberal stance on abortion, but remained intrigued by Gingrich. "He's a very smart guy and lately he's been hammering the Bush administration on mismanagement of the war. He'd definitely shake things up," said Meehan.
4.) THE WAR IN IRAQ: Meehan called it an absolute mess, not just from a U.S. perspective but also from an Iraqi one. "I can't understand why a person would be a suicide bomber and be willing to kill himself and innocent Iraqis. It still makes no sense," said Meehan. He said he still believes Iraqis want a national government. "They want to succeed. They have pride. But the ethnic hatreds go back centuries and it might take centuries before that is rooted out." America is caught in the middle of it.
"We can't walk away overnight," said Meehan. "However, we have to be working toward the day we do leave the Iraqis in control."
I asked Meehan what he would do if he were President (he smiled broadly, showing me the ambition in his eyes.) "First, I would get more countries involved in the process of helping Iraq. Strong U.S. diplomacy hasn't happened and it has hurt us. We need to engage the Arab nations and convince them to take leading roles. We need to listen to them. We have to build trust ." said Meehan.
Second, Meehan said, is increased training of Iraqi security forces by Arab partners, like Egypt. "Let the Arab nations come in and help us. American troops are targets for insurgents of all sorts, even when we do good things. We've got to try and get out of the way and let others gradually take over. The key," said Meehan, "is a higher level of international diplomacy by the United States."
6.) IMMIGRATION: Meehan is disheartened that Congress failed to approve legislation after much work went into a compromise plan. "It's better to do something than nothing, right? We just left it hanging once again after both Democrats and Republicans worked hard to put together a plan that would tighten our borders and resolve a major problem." Meehan said the worker visa proposal had merit. "Give immigrants a chance to work toward U.S. citizenship. Most are peaceful and harding working. They do work that most Americans don't want to do. They are building families right here. We can't just pack up 13 million of them and tell them to leave. It's not going to happen. It would be impossible to even think it could happen."
7.) ON RETIREMENT: Meehan said people who are counting on Social Security as their only financial option for retirement are making a big mistake. "Reform has to come eventually, and that means that benefits will have to be reduced. We just can't afford the payouts that will be demanded," he said. Meehan said Americans have to save more of their hard-earned cash. "It's getting more and more difficult with the strains on family budgets, but we have to save a portion of our salaries. We can't think that government will continue to provide when the changing demographics say otherwise."
Once again, it was a fine lunch (we split the $32 bill). I commend U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan for being so open and candid in his views. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you have to agree it's refreshing to hear a lawmaker deliver a straight answer to a question.
Now what do you think?
Posted by JimC at 2:01 PM | Comments (5)
August 29, 2006
I'm Back, Broke, but Rested
Ladies and Gentlemen, I can't tell you how grand it is to be back at blog central, where it appears that everyone behaved themselves in my short absence. Saratoga Springs was absolutely fantastic. I ate several wonderful meals at the famous Wishing Well Restaurant, the Ripe Tomato (the crab ravioli was an 8th Wonder of the World) and Ciro's (too expensive but celebrity packed with the rich and famous, excluding me of course.) The racing at the old grand dame of America thoroughbred tracks brought out the best 3 year olds in the nation. I saw Bernardini extent his mastery of the breed, with a stunningly easy score in the Travers Stakes. I also saw a new star in Discreet Cat, which won handily in an earlier stakes event and will likely show up on Breeders Cup day. Sadly, Bluegrass Cat, one of my favorites, suffered a career-ending injury in losing to Bernardini.
Overall, I lost money, but then I expected too. I was riding a high for two days, when I hit a $225 exacta. I played with the track's money on Friday and even bought lunch for my four compatriots. Then I was nosed out in a big race on Saturday, losing $70 on one ticket alone. Soon after, I felt like Tito Francona, as a steady slide began. I took a break to take a walk around the historic grounds, meeting world famous horse artist Nick Martinez who was manning a booth, and felt the time out would do me good. My return to the betting ranks produced a winning trifecta ticket, topped by a horse named Incriminate, and I thought the worst was over. But I could never push back over the top. I can't complain, however. My friend bought two $12 cigars at a nice shop off Broadway Street in downtown Saratoga, and we enjoyed a martini while sitting outside at the Wine Bar, a fabulous spot to watch the world go by. And it did. Everyone should take a vacation, and everyone should enjoy themselves. I reserve a cigar for only special occasions and this was one of them.
But now that I'm back, I'm ready to roll. The big news is that 1.) Lowell has a $6.3 million deficit and 2.) that the three Democratic gubernatorial candidates a locked in a statistical deadheat, according to a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll.
The city deficit is no surprise and people who are acting like it is, and trying to pin blame on others (from former City Manager John Cox to the present City Council) are all washed up. Lowell is far from going backrupt. There is $7 million in the Water and Sewage Enterprise Fund, which can be tapped in an emergency with state Dept. of Revenue approval. There is also $2 million in an emergency reserve fund that was set up in 1992 when the city was going backrupt and being operated by a state finance advisory board. This money still exists and has never been tapped. Will either of these funds be needed? I doubt it.
The problem is that Lowell has spent its cash reserves to balance the budget. This was done to keep taxes reasonably low during the recession, when Lowell lost $17 million in state aid, and now we are facing more fiscal challenges ahead. Could John Cox have been more forrthcoming with DOR letters that highlighted "accute fiscal concerns"? Absolutely. But the "concerns" were not "crises" and never will be. After all, Cox and the council guided Lowell through the recession with great success. Now all that success is being cast aside as certain politicians try to position themselves for re-election by finding fault with the way the money was spent or not spent (a $1 million deficit remains in the snow and ice removal account.) Hey, it the council and City Manager Bernie Lynch can't solve a $6.3 million prroblem - if that number is really the real figure - then all Lowell taxpayers and residents are in trouble. This is a challenge, not a crisis. Leaders should step up and be leaders. Lynch is doing his job to call attention to budget flaws that have arisen from a miscalculation of anticipated revenues. The question now is to correct those flaws, and create a better budget map so this won't happen again. I think the council is smart enough to listen to Lynch's recommendations, when he has them, and make a decision that will move the city ahead, not backwards. One thing I am sure of: taxes are going to have to increase. They've been kept artificially low for too long. And the reserve accounts have to be built up in order to plan for capital projects. The council will have to make a tough decision, but if it is presented well to the people, and backed up with justification for what is expected down the line, I don't see a problem. However, I do see a problem if the budget deficit and tax issue is used as a political football. The divisions are deep already and getting deeper. It's about time the council moves on and become the strong leaders we expected of them when they were voted into office.
As for the Democratic gubernatorial race, I'm astounded that AG Tom Reilly is hanging in there. His TV ads seem to have given him a boost. Deval Patrick, the darling of the liberal left, looks like his support has topped off while Chris Gabrieli is riding the best wave of support that money can buy. Reilly and Patrick have ground networks in place. Those are the people who vote. I'm not so sure about who is in Gabrieli 's trenches, so I consider his poll numbers to be "soft." I think it will come down to Patrick and Reilly in the primary. The race is still too close to call but I'm setting the odds to win like this: Patrick, 2-1; Reilly, 3-1; Gabrieli, 5-1. Lord knows I've been nosed out of winners all week at Saratoga, so I could be seeing it from the wrong angle. What do you think?
Posted by JimC at 10:02 AM | Comments (7)
August 27, 2006
Take It Easy ... Campy's coming back
"Well, Im a standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed
Ford slowin' down to take a look at me"
-- From The Eagles' "Take It Easy"
More on that song later. For now, I want to assure all of the faithful readers of thesunblog.com that Thomas Paine, I mean Jim Campanini, will be returning to this space soon, after a well-deserved vacation. I was only too happy to fill in for a few days, and enjoyed the participation of readers in the discussion of the city budget. I'll use my last entry of the week to highlight some of the must-reads in today's Sunday Sun. It's the best $1.75 you can spend (savings from the coupons inside will more than pay for it), and it's a perfect day to curl up in your favorite chair with a cup of coffee and the local newspaper. Yes, this is a shameless plug, but somebody's got to do it. Here's only a sample of what you'll find in today's Sun:
-- Dave Perry, the New England Press Association's 2005 Journalist of the Year, captures all of the zaniness of the Patriots-themed wedding of Claire Catenacci and Dennis Cloutier, both of Lowell, on the grounds of Le Chanteclerc Club in Dracut on Saturday. This couple love the Patriots as much as they do each other.
-- In SundayStyle, reporter Rachel Briere takes a break from the baubles, bangles and beads beat long enough to take us inside the 125-year-old Merrimack River Valley House, which has been housing elderly women for 125 years. Anyone who's driven by the distinctive home on the edge of the Acre and wondered, "What's that place all about," won't have to muse anymore. Briere gets you inside.
-- Veteran Sun Sports scribe Carmine Frongillo profiles Westford's Mark Spinney, a standout lineman for the Bishop Guertin High School football team who's being heavily recruited by Division 1 colleges. Frongie also teams up with Lynn Worthy for coverage of the Lowell Spinners, who played at Fenway Park yesterday. And Dave Pevear's piece on the current state of the New England Patriots should cheer up Boston sports fans reeling from the recent unraveling of the Boston Red Sox.
-- Now back to that song at the top of this entry. It's been running through my head all morning, because "A corner in Winslow, Arizona" serves as the dateline to Dennis Shaughnessey's centerpiece on the Travel page. Shaughnessey was among nine New Englanders who traveled to Arizona to lend a hand to members of the Pima, Hopi and Navajo Indian tribes. The trip was organized by Paul Mangum, dean of students at the Northeast School of Theology and Missions in Dracut. Shaughnessey paints a compelling portrait that contrasts the enormous wealth and the abject poverty in the breakthtakingly beautiful Southwest. Funny, when I head west for vacation it's to try my luck at the card and dice tables of Las Vegas. When Dennis vacations in the West, it's to build homes and hope for people who really need it. I admire him.
Shaughnessey's selflessness also had me remembering what George Behrakis said last week as he was honored at the Saints Memorial Foundation's annual golf classic at Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover. Behrakis helped the foundation raise a record $261,000. The self-made millionaire from the Acre who never turns his back on his native city or to people in need, reminded all of us that night to "give from your heart, not from your pocket."
Advice a person of any means can take to the bank.
-- Posted by guest host Charles St. Amand, Sun managing editor
Posted by Charlie at 12:10 PM | Comments (1)
August 25, 2006
Skating on thin ice in Pelham
As the father of a 14-year-old who seems to go through skateboards like I do golf tees, I’m not surprised that the kids at the Pelham skate park aren’t keeping the place pristine. Anyone who has teenagers knows that their definition of clean is not remotely close to ours.
But what’s been happening at the Pelham skate park seems to be far worse than a few discarded candy wrappers and energy-drink cans. A photo on Page 1 of Friday’s Sun showed a couple of patrons of the park picking up a rather large, unsightly pile of trash. And these kids were spurred into action only because Sun reporter Jen Myers informed them of Parks and Recreation chief Darren McCarthy’s ultimatum: Clean up your act by Monday or the park will shut down indefinitely.
Pelham skate park patrons have rolled down this road before. In March, they faced a similar ultimatum when vandalism and trash became a big problem. Even if they get another reprieve this time, park users need to know that they have two strikes against them, and McCarthy will have no choice to shut down the park for good if problems continue. He might not even give them a third strike. Another Page 1 photo in Friday’s Sun features seven kids at the park. The two kids on bikes are wearing helmets. The five kids with skateboards, including one airborne skater, are not wearing helmets. That’s a violation of park rules, and damning evidence for McCarthy when he decides whether the park stays open.
You’d think the kids would wise up and treat the park right so they wouldn’t mess up a good thing, but for some strange reason I think some can’t help themselves. Here’s my theory:
A lot of suburban kids these days live pretty sheltered — and supervised — lives. I know mine have. I can remember when I was young, I’d take off to Gallows Hill Park or Witchcraft Heights Park in Salem with my friends for the entire day. All my mother knew was that I was “out playing.� I’d make sure I came home for supper. Times have changed, for the worse. We have to keep much closer watch on our kids. Letting an 8-year-old go off to a park with his friends unsupervised in our minds is tantamount to child neglect. Nowadays when our young kids want to play together, it’s at our homes. If they go to a park, it’s with a parent keeping watchful eye over them.
So by the time they get to be teenagers, and parents finally begin to loosen the reins on them, freedom is an entirely new experience for them. Some respect it; others abuse it. That’s what’s happened here in Pelham. I’m sure a lot of kids respect their newfound freedom — and the skate park. It’s the kids who can’t handle their independence who are threatening to ruin it for everyone.
Money is being raised in my hometown, Pepperell, to build a skate park. My son can’t wait to be able to see ramps and quarter-pipes on Town Field. I’d like to think he will abide by the rules and do his part to keep the place clean, and we’ll certainly remind him of that before he heads out the door, helmet in hand. But I also wonder if these skate parks, to avoid any problems, need to be fenced in, staffed, and locked up after dark.
What do you think? Can skaters clean up their act, or do they need to be baby-sat? Is our constant supervision of our children leaving them unable to handle freedom when they finally get it? I’d like to hear from skaters as well as parents.
— Posted by guest host Charles St. Amand, Sun managing editor
Posted by Admin at 2:49 PM | Comments (1)
August 24, 2006
Snakes on a Statehouse
The House of Representatives this week voted to make the garter snake the official state reptile. Did Matt Amorello get any votes? How about Billy Bulger or his brother Whitey? Can you be on the lam and still be voted the state reptile? In Massachusetts probably, and they’ll even give you a state car to flee.
Frankly, I wish the Legislature would find better things to do with its time than approve nonsense legislation. Oh, come on, you say, it only took a few minutes during an informal session of the House, and two third-graders from Kingston came up with the idea. Isn’t this a nice way for them to see the legislative process up close?
Call me a curmudgeon, but these kids would get a more realistic look at how things work under the golden dome if they let the bill die in committee, or pass it only after adding an amendment that would temporarily hike tolls on the Mass. Pike “until such time as the Legislature finds it no longer necessary� (i.e., never). Then these kids would understand how Beacon Hill really operates.
Should the garter-snake bill slither through the Senate and wriggle onto Romney’s desk, it would bring the number of such “official� designations to 51, according to The Boston Globe.
Here’s a list:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/gl-2-toc.htm
Earlier this month, the governor signed legislation making basketball the official sport of the commonwealth. The excuse for this sorry exercise is that basketball was invented in Springfield in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian. If you asked most Bay State residents what the state’s official sport should be, basketball might — might — rank third, after football and baseball. And hockey could actually nudge out basketball for third. I base my highly unscientific opinion on the results of a recent question posed to visitors to http://www.lowellsun.com: “What sport are you most likely to watch on TV?� Here’s how the 372 votes were divided:
Football — 33 percent
Baseball — 30 percent
NASCAR — 30 percent
Golf — 3 percent
Hockey — 3 percent
Basketball — 2 percent
I’m sorry, but this state has too many problems for the pros on Beacon Hill to spend time with anything else. It really bugs me. Actually, it ladybugs me. That’s the state’s official insect.
— Guest host Charles St. Amand, Sun managing editor
Posted by Admin at 9:51 AM
August 23, 2006
Lowell seeing red
You just knew when Bernie Lynch announced at his very first City Council meeting as city manager
that he had some “very serious concerns� about city finances, it wasn’t the last you’d hear about it.
Then last week we learned that the state Department of Revenue in January placed the city on a short list of communities across the state with “acute fiscal issues.�
“Very serious concerns�? “Acute fiscal issues�? City taxpayers could almost feel their wallets getting lighter at each revelation.
Then last night, Lynch added numbers to the story, putting the bleak fiscal picture into sharper focus. The numbers are staggering:
City deficit: $6.3 million, give or take.
• Free cash total: Drained to a mere $500,000 (down from $17 million in fiscal 2003).
• Likely average property-tax increase: 10 percent, or about $250 (although, as we learned from the recent revaluation sticker shock, that number can vary wildly).
• “Local receipts� revenues: Down $2.5 million from last year.
The blame game is only in its early innings:
• Some say it’s former City Manager John Cox’s fault for keeping the DOR’s warning and a lowered bond rating under his hat. Councilor George Ramirez last night decried Cox’s buttoned lips as a “breach of the public trust.�
• Others say it’s the City Council’s fault for constantly dipping their cups into the surplus-cash well — even though the city is not near its tax-levy limit allowed under Proposition 2 1/2.
• And some say the big problem isn’t at City Hall but under the golden dome of the Statehouse. The Legislature has cut Lowell’s local aid to $138 million, down from $156 million five years ago, while at the same time refusing Gov. Mitt Romney’s call to save money by, say, merging MassHighway and the Turnpike Authority. They’d rather keep a patronage limo in the high-speed lane than help communities running on empty.
“We’ve had no alternative but to use free cash, particularly when state aid was cut in 2002, 2003 and 2004,� Councilor Bud Caulfield said last night. Point well-taken, Bud, but at some point the bill comes due, and right now it’s $6.3 million.
When he applied for the city manager’s job, then-Chelmsford Town Manager Lynch said he was looking for a new challenge. He certainly got it, but I don’t think this is a case of “Be careful what you wish for.� This is exactly why he took the job, and he’s obviously been cramming for the test since before the council selected him. At last night’s City Council meeting, he showed solid knowledge on a wide range of city issues, including the Hamilton Canal District, the new parking garage in the Jackson/Appleton/Middlesex streets area and the city’s ongoing efforts to solve its sewer-overflow problem. That doesn’t surprise me. He told me on Monday that he spent most of Sunday studying the city budget.
Lynch doesn’t see much wiggle room in the budget, but maybe you know something he doesn’t. Do you know about any fat in the budget, or a different solution for the city’s budget mess besides raising taxes? And who do you think is most to blame? I welcome your feedback.
— Guest host Charles St. Amand, Sun managing editor
Posted by Admin at 1:20 PM | Comments (9)
August 22, 2006
On the Links with Bernie Lynch
Yesterday, on the first day of my vacation, I had the pleasure of hosting City Manager Bernie Lynch in a Sun-sponsored round of golf at Indian Ridge in Andover. The event was the annual Saints Memorial Medical Center golf tournament, the hospital's major fundraiser. Lowell businessman and philanthropist George Behrakis was the event's chairman and honoree.
It was a glorious day for Saints. The tourney raised a record $260,000, the most for any charity golf event ever held in the Merrimack Valley. Many of Behrakis' old pals, from Army buddies to school chums to successful Greek entrepreneurs, jetted in for the tourney and dinner.
As to the golf, the Sun foursome - Lynch, City Editor Chris Scott, Managing Editor Charles St. Amand and myself - played bravely, if not erratically, over the long, but fun afternoon. Manager Lynch was definitely the best shotmaker of the bunch. He hits a very commanding and consistent drive and his iron play is highly respectable.
If only one part of his game showed inattention, it was his putting. The manager has not had many opportunities to play over the past year, he said, so it was good to get out on the fairways with some professional hackers, er, journalists. In between shots, there was plenty to talk about. Lynch said he is thoroughly enjoying his new job and meeting a bevy of Lowellians. He truly likes Lowell, and believes in the city and its cooperative spirit to get things done. That said, the manager knows there are real challenges ahead. The city's infrastructure is suffering from years of neglect caused by a lack of available funds. It's no one's fault, said the manager, just that all cities and towns have suffered through revenue reductions. the sheer size of the city's needs, from roads to sidewalks to parks to government buildings, magnifies Lowell's problem. Now is the time to prioritize the order of how to get some of these things done in a reasonable, coherent fashion, said Lynch. And that is what he is best at and why the City Council tapped him for the key leadership role. Lynch would like nothing better than to map out a strategic plan for the future. But it will take resources - financial resources - and a lot of cooperation from taxpayers, city workers and civic and business groups. Lynch makes no bones about the fact that the city will most likely have to raise revenue on its own to get started on some necessary projects, because Lowell can't depend on the state to come through with increased aid. In other words, Lowell can't wait. The time to build is of the essence. Taxes will have to increase to meet some of the financial demand. Lynch understands the fine balance that must be achieved in taxation, since Lowell is not a wealthy city like Cambridge. He hopes to map out a plan for the council and let its members decide how they want to proceed. One thing for sure, however, Lynch wants to get the city in a strong financial position so it can take off in the next economic boom period. Sound decisions, rather than tough decisions, will have to be made, said the manager. It will be his job, he said, to communicate all essential facts to the council and let members do the job they do best: govern.
I hope the manager enjoyed the day as much as I did. I tried my best to keep that pesky City Editor, Chris Scott, away from him. Scott, the lead author on The Sunday Column, kept pumping Lynch for juicy information in between every shot. The manager held his own under withering interrogation. I figured if Lynch could withstand that pressure, and still execute as well as he did, he's going to be around for a long time and with good results.
Posted by JimC at 7:22 AM | Comments (2)
August 21, 2006
Off to The Races: Political and Otherwise
OK, political junkies, I'm leaving on vacation for Upstate New York and Saratoga. I've got an incredible wife of 18 years who allows me each year to embrace my second most irrestible passion (she's No. 1), fabled Saratoga Race Course and the gretest horses on earth. I'll be going up with three friends, all partners in G-Biscuit Stable with me. (By the way, today we have three horses running at Suffolk Downs. Lucky Geisha in the 6th, Purple S Shamrock in the 8th; and Gee's Bend in the 9th. It'll likely be their last appearance in Boston before heading out for the fall season in Maryland.) Anyway, I'm leaving the blog lines open while I'm away. That means you can have a field day while I'm gone. Charlie St. Amand, The Sun's managing editor, will be monitoring the blog and hopefully posting some interesting items to discuss. But I think it would be best if the political junkies engage each other, and start your own subject strings. Just post under the comments to this and get it going. Be nice - and thoughtful.
I'll leave you with two thoughts: Did anyone see Newt Gingrich on TV Sunday? Speaking on a morning news program, he rattled President Bush's cage and called for the immediate dismissal of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Gingrich sounded like a Republican presidential candidate. He's wicked strong on national defense, but he had scathing criticism for the way Rumsfeld has carried out America's duties in Iraq. Coming from Rootin' Tootin' Newt, this is big. It sounded like Newt was moderating some of his past right-wing rhetoric. Very interesting. Could Newt win the GOP nomination for president? If anything, he's more energetic than Sen. John McCain, the frontrunner, and even more intellectual. What do you think?
Second, Se. John Kerry's blast at Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman is disturbing. Kerry wants Lieberman to end his Independent campaign to give Democrat Ned Lamont a clear shot at a November victory. Lamont defeated Lieberman in the primary, largely on his anti-war, let's withdraw now from Iraq position. Kerry said Lieberman is dead wrong on the war with Iraq and should back down. Kerry, of course, is the king of the anti-war crowd. He's trying to position himself for another presidential run. Good luck, John.
The timing of Kerry's blast was revealing. Lieberman leads Lamont by a short margin in the latest Connecticut polls, with the GOP challneger a non-entity. Lieberman makes a good point to counter Kerry's charge. "I vote 90 percent of the time Democrat." This means Lieberman is open to new ideas, rather than purely partisan like Kerry and our other U.S. Senator, Ted Kennedy. After the latest terror scare in London, Lieberman's viewpoint on the war on terror has shaken up dormant moderate Democrats, who see Lamont's as a cut-and-run candidate.
A key Rasmussen poll finding: 55 percent of Connecticut voters trust Lieberman more than Lamont when it comes to the war on terror. It's shaping up as an interesting race. I say Lieberman and his moderate political views, except on Iraq, wins. Let me know what you think. I'll be checking in from the Carousel at Saratoga.
Posted by JimC at 9:38 AM | Comments (6)
August 17, 2006
He's no Judge Judy
Anyone see the story in today's Boston Herald about Lowell District Court Judge James McGuinness Jr? The Sun is picking up all the details and more for Friday's edition about the practices of this overpaid, shaggy-haired, whacked out barrister. On Monday, McGuinness, who recently received a 13 percent pay raise from the Legislature, repaid taxpayers by letting a perennial LOwell Police problem child, er, mom off the hook. Judge MisGuided as he should be known, told Grimary ''Mara" DeJesus that he'd wipe out her $250 court costs if she could recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Well, the 25-year-old Lowell mom couldn't even recite the words on her T-Shirt, which was emblazoned with the words "Lowell< Massachusetts." She got through 12 words of the 31-word Pledge beforre quitting. So what did the Judge do? He started laughing and cut the ignorant U.S. citizen some slack. "You're free to go," the judge told DeJesus, who had toted her 9-month-old son and 7-year-old son to court to see the American judicial system in all its glory. It just so happens that Mrs. DeJesus was in court to answer on charges of smashing her neighbor in the face with a garden house. She also has been accused of spitting at a Lowell cop. The charges had been pending since 1998. DeJesus also has a history of assaults and resisting arrest. What a way to get her to set a good example: set her free after mocking the Pledge of Allegiance.
This is the same Judge MisGuided who set free Mr. Negron, the 20-year-old who chopped off the ears of his puppy pit bull. No fine, no time. He let Negron walk out of his courtroom on personal recognizance on Tuesday. With judges like MisGuided, who needs a courtroom any way? And to think, he's got life tenure and a $118,000 a year salary! I'd like to know what would have happened if DeJesus succeeded in saying the Pledge correctly. Would the judge have given her the keys to the courthouse, or would he have given her a golden opportunity to spit on the U.S. flag, without recrimination? These are the patronage hacks that get a bench job for life. Only in America. Only in Lowell.
Read all the details in Friday's Sun. And let me know how you feel about this good liberal judge, who goes around using the Pledge of Allegiance like it were a citizen's joke or something.
Posted by JimC at 5:21 PM | Comments (8)
August 16, 2006
Gabrieli on the Move, but can he win?
Wow, Christopher Gabrieli is opening up his wallet and look what's happened. Three months ago, he registed just 18 percent of the vote in a survey of likely Democratic voiters. Now he's over 30 percent, ahead of Attorney General Tom Reilly, and closing in on the darling of the liberals, Deval "Jesse" Patrick. What a difference $5.2 million can make! 
That's how much Gabrieli has poured into this otherwise boring Democratic primary campaign. His television ads have boosted his prospects. Reilly is also spending money on TV ads, but so far he's received little traction. His poll numbers are sinking, just like the Red Sox. Patrick is hanging in as the front runner, without spending a dime on TV. That's pretty good. His campaign will likely go on an ad blitz soon to try and dent Gabrieli's surge.
Normally, I don't like to see millionaires buy election victories.. But Gabrieli is on a mission, after the Reilly camp dumped him in favor of Marie St. Fleur for lt. gov. She subsequently was exposed as a tax cheat and stepped down as Reilly's running mate. The AG hasn't recovered. I like Gabrieli's drive to get back at Reilly and push him from the gubernatorial mantle. Suddenly, Gabrieli has a chance to win the primary in a tight race with Patrick. It should be an interested September. The primary is a month away.
Will Patrick hold on" Will Gabrieli keep surging? Can Reilly rebound?
Who is going to win? Let me know, will ya?
Posted by JimC at 9:18 AM | Comments (5)
August 15, 2006
Sell the Mass. Turnpike?: Let's deal
A storry in today's Sun by Statehouse reporter Erik Arvidsen raises an interesting question: Why not sell the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the toll roads under its supervision to a private company? It seems too good to be true
but other states, as mentioned in the story, have done so with their own highway systems.. Illinois, Virginia and Indiana are noted in the story, for signing leases with giant companies to take over all infrastructure and set toll fees. The beauty of this plan is that the companies run the highways like a business. They demand efficiencies from workers and they get it - or else they go out of business.
The Mass. Turnpike Authority has lived longer than it was originally intended and become a patronage haven. It has the same payroll as the MassHIghway Dept. yet covers one-tenth the amount of road miles as Mass.Highway. It's time for a change now that Matt Amorrello has stepped down from his throne.
The next governor the Commonwealth and the Legislature should seriously consider getting rid of this drain on Massachusetts' finances and pride. The Big Digaster needs repairs for both ceiling tiles and its reputation. I say sell it. Let someone else deal with it. Better still, give it away.
What do you think?
Posted by JimC at 9:06 AM | Comments (8)
August 12, 2006
Is America Too Soft On Terror?
In the next few weeks, if not in the next few days, details will leak out as to how British intelligence officers foiled a possible al Qaida operation to blow up 10 U.S. bound commerical airliners in mid-fight using liquid explosives stored in carry-on bags. My guess is that the Brits didn't go to a judge for permission to put the British-born suspects, who are Muslims, under all kinds of surveillance. What is known is that the Brits tracked financial transactions from Pakistan to Britain and also the movements of the suspects. They also monitored telephone conversations. In Britain, law enforcement officials need just "probable suspicion" to launch a secret investigation involving eavesdropping equipment. In America, our courts say a threshold of "probably cause" must be met. This means law enforcement has to have some documentation or evidence to back up a judge's decision to use special surveillance options to track potential suspects. Could America have broken up this plot without the FBI and CIA taking heat from civil libertarians, saying the suspects' rights were violated? It's interesting because the Bush administration recently took a lot of heat after the media reported that security officials were secretly scrutinizing large, overseas transactions that originated in this country and were destined for financial institutions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. This is precisely what the Brits did.
What gets me is that U.s. law enforcement officials have done a good job in identifying potential terror suspects. They've broken up 15 domestic cells since 9/11 and all they do is get heat from civil libertarians who want to make it harder for them to do their job. Ordinary Americans are not getting harassed or losing their rights. Could the government go overboard? Absolutely. But so far that has not happened. The problem of who wants to attack us is clear. People with extremist Muslim views.
It's come to the point that I wonder if America, in the future, would take all necessary means to protect itself from harm because of the high-falutin, moral standard some Americans want to take in this fight against global terror.
One well-respected Lowellian put this question to me recently: "Do you think today's Americans would chose to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima if they could swap places with a previous generation that had to make a terrible choice to kill millions to end a terrible war and save the world?
My answer is "no." We've gone soft and we are unwilling to meet the brutal threat of jihadists with our own brutality needed to make them fear us. Diplomacy alone won't end their hatred of us, or their desire to kill Americans and Jews.
Would we drop a bomb on Iran or Syria if we knew it would be the end-all of al Qaida?
Tell me what you think.
Posted by JimC at 3:10 PM | Comments (6)
READ ALL ABOUT IT: EDITOR MAKES GAFFE
Well, today's editorial in The Sun contains an embarrassing mistake. And I am the perpetrator. In the editorial, titled "Crack Down On 111F cases," I refer to the city manager as Brian Martin. Ouch!!! I admit, Martin was on my mind. Several people called on Friday to ask me about the Scotty Boyle coaching situation at Lowell High School and Martin's name invariable came up. Martin is the athletic director at Lowell High, who recently notified Boyle that he could no longer coach both the varsity football and basketball teams, specifically the latter. There are no excuses for the gaffe, but Martin's name must have slipped into my subconscious. This is what happens when Sharon Flaherty, The Sun's editorial page editor, is on vacation and isn't around to check my work. So I want to apologize to Brian Martin, City Manager Bernie Lynch and, most of all, Sun readers for the mistake. Yes, Jim Campanini, is human and fallible. Of course, we've known that for a long time. Still, the mistake shouldn't detract from the editorial's message: 111F, which allows public safety workers injured on the job to collect their full salaries, tax free, during their recovery periods, is ripe for abuse and municipalities have to do a better job monitoring the system. In the editorial, I point out four ways that cities an towns can prevent abuse of the system. It is up to City Manager Lynch and Police Superintendent Ed Davis III to use all the tools available to the city to see that injured officers attend their scheduled doctor's appointments and return to work in a timely fashion. At present, the city's monitoring system is lax. It has to be tightened to prevent abuse.
Posted by JimC at 12:15 PM | Comments (6)
August 9, 2006
The 111F factor: Are Police Gaming the System?
In today's newspaper (Thursday, Aug. 10), The Sun features a Page One story documenting the latest update on the City of Lowell's perennial police problem: officers injured on the job who are collecting their full tax-free salaries while continuing to make a living at other enterprises. This is the state law known as 111F which gives officers injured on duty special privileges to abuse taxpayers. Now not all injured officers game the system. But in Lowell's case, there is and has been an epidemic of 111 cases. Today's story focuses on Nicolina Gray, an officer since 1999. Her claim to fame is that she has been on 111F longer than she has actually worked in uniform. Nearly four years collecting a full pay check for a hand injury. According to my police sources, Gray hasn't been seen in about a year and one of Lowell's finest suspects she is out of the country. Imagine that! What gets me is that injured officers are supposed to report to their doctor on a regular basis and keep the city informed of their recovery progress. The city, however, just started monitoring these checkups. For years, though, no one really knew if the officers were going to the doctor's office or Vegas. Here's a cutie: injured officers can travel out of state. They can also hold second jobs. They can go night-clubbing and dance the night away, as long as it doesn't affect their injury.
Several officers have been out on 111F for years. At least one is trying to get a psycho retirement and refuses to come back to the job.
City Manager Bernie Lynch and Police Chief Ed Davis are now trying to crack down on the abusers, but it will be difficult.. The law - and bagjob doctors — are behind the officers. Remember when cops used to walk the beat, jump over fences and walls to run down criminals, climb trees to rescue pets, tackle thugs in the street, and bust-up punks preying on the public? Now they slip on ice and go out of work for a year. In one case not too long ago, an officer arriving at work jumped out of his car and wrenched his back. He was off the job for four months.
I'm all for taking care of officers who are injured in the line of duty — where duty is honorable and public safety is upheld. But the shenanigans of some scam-officers really tarnishes the good guys and gals in blue who show up daily with muscle aches and pains, family problems,, and other woes like the rest of us. They are the heroes. The law as it stands now is actually an incentive to abuse the system for tax-free pay. It's outrageous. It should be outlawed.
Are police officers gaming the system? Read the story in today's Sun and let me know what you think.
Posted by JimC at 8:21 PM | Comments (15)
August 7, 2006
Cox for City Council: Yes or No?
Should former City Manager John F. Cox consider a run for Lowell City Council in 2007?
If so, do you think he will top the ticket?
What are your thoughts on the matter?
Posted by JimC at 8:31 AM | Comments (6)
Lord's Prayer: Yes or No?
Is it appropriate that the Lowell City Council opens every meeting with the Lord's Prayer? Should they change to a non-denominational prayer? Does it bother you that councilors use a Christian prayer to open its governmental meetings?
Let's hear from the citizens.
Posted by JimC at 8:29 AM | Comments (19)
August 4, 2006
Cox for Council Bash?
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There's no doubt, however, that Cox can still attract a crowd. He's got a huge gallery of friends and admirers.
Testimonials were delivered by former Rep. Ed LeLacheur who said he'd like to become the friend that JOhn Cox is to him. Councilor Armand Mercier pleaded for Cox to run for Council, saying the city needs his leadership. Councilors Rita Mercier and Edward "Bud" Caulfield followed with similar tributes. Reps. Nangle and Tom Golden issued kind words and a warm note from Sen. Steven Panagiotakos, who was on vacation, was read aloud. Former Rep. Susan Rourke delivered praise from MIddlesex County Sheriff Jim DiPaola and Governor's Council member Michael Callahan, one of the funniest MC's around and a perennial St. Patirck's Day must-hear, closed the night with a few jokes and fond memories about Cox's days at the Legislature. Dracut Selectman Bob Cox, John Cox's brother, hosted the event in fine fashion.
Maybe this was the start of a campaign. I don't know. All this could fade in a month or two. But one thing rings true: many people care for and about John Cox and hold him responsible for the good things that have happened in Lowell over the past six years.
Posted by JimC at 9:22 AM
August 3, 2006
Harshbarger for Patrick: Big Deal or Not?
Does Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick gain anything by winning the endorsement of former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger? Yes and no.
Yes, because Harshbarger was once a close friend of present Attorney General Tom Reilly. If you take this as a shot at Reilly, well, Patrick comes out on top.
On the other hand,, Harshbarger is a failed candidate for governor himself. He lost to Republican Paul Cellucci. He hasn't run a statewide election in eight years. Most registered Independents probably don't care one way or the other who Harshbarger is endorsing and why.
If Patrick thinks he can gain from Harshbarger's wisdom, good for him. I guess it's better to have the endorsement than none at all, but Harshbarger isn't going to do much unless he can raise money for Patrick. And I don't see it happening.
What I do find interesting is that Patrick hasn't mounted a TV ad campaign. Still, he maintains a slight lead on Reilly and Chris Gabrieli in most Democratic primary polls. That's a good sign. Reilly and Gabrieli are making the push on the airwaves. Neither has any stimulating ads from what I've seen, but we'll know soon enough if they've had an effect. New polls should be coming out any day now.
Patrick's holding off on his spending until Labor Day, when people get focused on the campaigns. It could be a winning strategy . A late ad blitz could cement his lead and galvanize supporters.
Reilly, however, has a strong ground network in place. Plus, he's got Middlesex DA Martha Coakley, who's running unopposed for his AG's job, pulling for him in the state's most populated county.
It's going to be an interesting final six weeks to the primary. Right now, I'm handicapping the race like this: Patrick, 3-1; Reilly, 2-1; Gabrieli, 6-1.
Posted by JimC at 5:12 PM
Scotty Boyle: Broiled and Roasted
Do you know how hard it is this day and age to find a good, quality coach to work with high school kids on academics and athletics? Very hard.. That's what makes Lowell High School Athletic Director Brian Martin's decision to bounce Scotty Boyle even more incredulous.. Boyle coaches two sports: basketball and football. He excells at both working with urban kids. So what does Martin do? He leaves an e-mail message on Boyle's phone, telling him his contract as basketball coach won't be renewed next year. That was it. Now why didn't he tell Boyle to make a choice on which job he wanted. It leads me to speculate that Martin already has a "friend" in mind to take over the hoop duties. I thought Education Reform, taking the selection of coaches out of the school committee's hands, was designed to depoliticize these hirings. All ed reform did was give more power to ADs to be political.
Boyle has been an outstanding ambassador for all coaches at Lowell High. I have never met the guy, but I've seen him work with kids and the results he gets. Today, I heard from two single parents who said Mr.. Boyle is like a Big Brother to my son. "He gets my son to go to school, to study and to practice. My son couldn't tell time before. But Mr. Boyle has been a role model," said one mother who couldn't understand Martin's decision. She said she had no one to turn to, so she called The Sun.
If Martin did ambush Boyle by e-mail, shame on High School Headmaster Bill Samaras and School Superintendent Karla Brooks Baehr. This is no way to treat a stand-up guy. But I have to believe that Martin wasn't working on his own; he had to have gotten a sign-off from Samaras and/or Baehr. You just don't sideline a popular coach without checking with the bosses. Unless, of course, Brian Martin thinks he's the boss at the high school.
Martin's a good guy too, which makes this all so incomprehensible. There has to be more to the story here. Did Boyle do something that offended Martin and this is payback? Did Boyle offend a Lowell High alum? I don't know what's going on, but this wasn't the way to handle things.
Boyle's done a great job turning around the basketball program and he's kept the Red Raiders grid team on a steady climb since taking over the job. Winning, however, isn't everything. Boyle loves coaching. He loves working with kids and building character. I have never heard a single bad word uttered about Scotty Boyle from anyone. And that, my friends, is why this is so shocking.
Tell me, please, who is in line to take Boyle's job? Martin had to have a successor in mind to pull this stunt while Samaras and Baehr were on vacation and out of the city.
Posted by JimC at 4:53 PM
August 2, 2006
Thank Florida for the Death Penalty
You've got to love Florida and the 11 other states that still recognize the evil in man and honor that fact that some human beings just aren't worth keeping alive on the taxpayers' dime. The cse in point is the baseball bat slaughters of six people last year in Florida, including Erin Belanger of Hudson, N.H., and her boyfried, Francisco Ayo-Roman. If you haven't been following the details in The Sun, here it is:
Troy Victorino, a career Sunshine State scumbag, was convicted with five other drug-infest men for bludgeoning to death Belanger and her friends with baseball bats. Now just think of the carnage of killing six people with baseball bats. You won't see this gruesome scene on CSI Miami because the FCC would pull the plug. But can you imagine the pain and horror of bat meeting flesh? Anyway, Victorino killed Belanger because she found the bum squatting in her grandmother's home and called police when the crew wouldn't leave. He took out his vengeance with death.
A Florida jury found Victorino, 29, and his top henchman, Jerome Hunter, 20, guilty and recommended they be SENTENCED to death. Hooray for justice! Sadly, if this were Massachusetts, Victorino and his crew would be safely ensconced behind prison walls for life, with TVs, computers, marriage offers, thrree square meals a day, use of a gymnasium, etc. They'd even be given the chance to find God, getting regular visits from chaplains who make a career out of "converting" killers. Of course, taxpayers would pay the freight. It now costs nearly $30,000 to house an inmate for a year in Massachusetts (must be the lobster tails in summer). What a waste, indeed. Liberals in this state think these people are worth saving. I wish the Florida DA could send these liberal politicians the crime scene photos of Erin Belanger and her friends, who died in unrecognizable form and flowing pools of blood.
I for one applaud Florida and their death penalty. And I hope they speed up the appeals process so that Victorino can find God as soon as possible and get the real judgment he deserves.
Posted by JimC at 9:03 AM | Comments (5)
August 1, 2006
The Lynch Era Begins
The first day on the job, and already City Manager Bernie Lynch has more than eggs Benedict on his plate.
Good morning, Mr. City Manager, I know you are reading this.
I was very impressed with your Opening Address yesterday at City Hall.
The line about government should be run like a business, "the people's business", was right up my alley. Sun editors and reporters will continue to remind you of that point over the next two years when contract deliberations begin and more city workers try to file F-111 disability claims. It always boggled my mind how certain police officers, like the changing of the seasons, went on disability just as the leaves starting to fall from the trees in November and suddenly reappeared on the work details scene (at $40 an hour) guarding manhole covers at the first April thaw. Where, Mr. City Manager, do they do their physical rehab, in Winter Haven? It was an issue your predecessor, JOhn Cox, never got a handle on. But neither did the police chief either. Maybe you can.
If fact, check out the police officer who is presently out on an F-111, collecting his tax-free salary, but volunteering two or three days of his time, when he should be in therapy, working at the Lowell Police Academy. Guess where this guy was injured on the job? In 2005 at this very same police academy!
So now he's collecting his full pay as a disabled volunteer. Only in Lowell.
Anyway, your first act as city manager was a great one: Extending the hours at the city's swimming pools until 7 p.m. over the next heat-searing days. Like an editorial I wrote two weeks ago, that got nary a response from city councilors, poor kids who can't get to the beach deserve a few public services. And if they can cool off at local pools, and stay out of The Sun's police log, all the better.
I like the way you are already thinking about non-voters.
I know The Sun did a story about the challenges you will be facing. They are legitimate challenges too. My head starting spinning yesterday during your speech. You mentioned at least a dozen issues and how the city will have to balance its priorities and make progress on all of them. I quickly grabbed for my wallet to make sure it was in my pants pocket. I started to perspire more than usual too. Please, Mr. City Manager, help me to help you: don't raise my taxes. If you must raise them, find some efficiencies first. I think a thorough review of the budget is in order first. After you do that, we can bargain for a tax increase if necessary. But if you've seen the HBO hit special "Deadwood", you know where I'm coming from.
As I see it, the biggest challenge you face is located in the Bon Marche Building, or next to it, on Merrimack Street. No it's not the School Department, although Karla and her crew should be on any professional manager's to-do list. It's the United Teachers of Lowell, and their BMW-driving president, Paul Georges. He's been stealing the city blind for over a decade, talking about how more money was needed to improve education in the city. Well, guess what, Mr. City Manager? Since 1992 and the Education Reform Act,, teachers' salaries in the city have more than doubled. The pay is even higher than the affluent community of Chelmsford where you just came from. And how has the higher pay translated into improving education? Nada. We now have 17 underperforming schools where once we had only two. God Bless America, Mr. City Manager. It's a myth that money solves problems. You even quoted one of the best tax-and-spend liberals in your speech yesterday., the late Robert F. Kennedy. Yes, I admired RFK too for his promise of hope. But even I believe RFK would revolt from the waste that teachers unions and liberal-thinking educators have promulaged on urban centers.. They take more than they give, and that's the case in Lowell.
Here it is August, Mr. City Manager, and a familiar union cry is upon us: we want a contract. Georges isn't happy that the School Committee is digging in its heels, only putting out $1.1 million for a 1 percent pay raise next year. He wants more, naturally. Mr. Manager, you have to dig in with the school board. It will give them backbone down the stretch. Georges like to play to the parents who need teachers for baby-sitters come September and he'll start his mantra soon enough. We'll strike. We'll work to rule. I say fine. If teachers strike, fire them. If they work to rule, that's good too. At least we'll get something out of them.
But they shouldn't get a penny more until Lowell has what Lowell kids need: an extended school day and accountability from a union that refuses to deliver in the classroom on a consistent basis.
Mr. Manager, welcome to the big city and your first big city challenge. The swimming pools were one thing; swimming with sharks is another.
JIm Campanini asks: What do you think City Manager Bernie Lynch should do? Post your responses.
Posted by JimC at 9:25 AM | Comments (14)
