Does paying the guys who approve your plans seem a conflict of Interest?

I was sitting in the zoning board of appeals hearings on the 8th floor of City Hall yesterday, with the usual cast of characters, and sure enough Larry Dicara was representing a client before the board and of course it was approved.

Why wouldn't it? Larry is the head of the compensation committee which recently approved raises for the members of the zoning board of appeal. I was wondering if Larry had ever been rejected by the ZBA?? It sure seems like the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals whenever he (and others on the inside) take the stage.


Is it just me, or does this seem a bit shady? Wouldn't you think the whole board should just recuse themselves? Members of the board often recuse themselves when they have any sort of interest in a project.

And we wonder why, as counselor Flaherty mentioned in his last mass email, businesses are leaving Boston. As the recent Nobel laurate spoke about on NPR the other day: the rule of law and open government are essential to economic prosperity.

Won't find that here!!!