I attended Monday's meeting between Lisa Signori and the Mayor's budget people and the City council. It was held in the Curley room, not the City Council chambers and thus could not be televised so anyone interested in the budget could see what was going on. Not very transparent.
First of all, there is no real budget deficit. The fiscal year 2010 budget will be larger than the fiscal year 2009 budget by an "anemic" 11 million dollars. The city is going to increase property taxes by 61 million dollars on the citizens, an increase of 4.5 percent from this year. This "deficit" that the Mayor is talking about is a deficit because he wants to increase the budget by 6.25 % next year according to Mrs. Signori.
The 140 million they say they are short breaks down as follows:
55 million dollars in salary increases to city personnel (5% increase per employee!)
33 million dollars in higher health care costs (12 % increase!)
15 million dollars more in additional pension costs (up 7%!)
11 million dollars in increased interest and debt service (???)
24 million dollars in increased department budgets (over and above payroll!)
13 million dollars in additional payments to the state (Charter schools & MBTA)
__________________________________________________________
$151 million
-(11 million increase in revenue)
$140 million
Lisa explained that this budget planned on 49 million in cuts from the state but that the cuts will more likely be about 40 to 42 million. There is 7 to 9 million.
We have 110 million dollars in reserves. We are also expecting a 22 million cut in state aid in fiscal year 2008.
Then John Dunlap, the Mayor's labor relations person spoke. He was explaining the Mayor' proposed wage freeze to the city's 24 unions. It was very interesting the term he used "wage deferral". In other words, if the unions go along with this wage deferral for 364 days (enough time to get Menino re-elected?) that then the Mayor would make it up to the unions. John explained that the average salary for a city employee was $60,000 per year. If they can implement the wage freeze they estimate they can save 900 jobs. This would save the 55 million dollars in salary increases, and the raises would be given on the last day of the fiscal year so that pensions, steps, etc. would still be realized in that fiscal year.
Councilor Flaherty asked how we were going to pay for the contracts the City signed this year. Lisa explained to him that every year in the budget money is set aside ahead of time anticipating these contract signings. I was surprised Mike didn't know this after his many years on the council. He voted for raises for all council staff just last August, after Councilor Ross and Councilor Murphy sent a report to the council that we had money left over from this fund to be able to afford raises for all council staff. This has been a line item in the budget for as long as I've been paying attention.
Another thing that Lisa didn't explain to the councilors and which no one seems aware is that every year the proposed budget is conservative and usually forecasts revenue at about 50 million below what it actually will be. Conservative forecasting is good, but the Mayor and the budget people should be honest with the citizens about this. So, when the question was asked about how we will handle the 22 million shortfall in state aid, they didn't give a direct answer. The answer should be: we have a 50 million dollar slush fund so we can absorb this.
Bottom line: why is the Mayor proposing a 6.25% increase in the City Budget when the cost of living is nearly flat, and people are struggling just to hold onto their jobs. There clearly is enough money to afford the police and teachers that this city needs. The Mayor has increased the city payroll by 1200 people over the last 5 years, only 200 are cops and 75 are teachers. What do those other 925 do? Why does he use scare tactics against police and teachers? It is not honorable or honest.
When I am elected Mayor, if there have been any cuts in police and teachers in the next year, I will put those people back on the payroll in my first 100 days in office.
Tomorrow: My solutions to the budget "crisis".
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Late night thoughts...
I was super busy today: on the jobsite in jeans in the morning, then into the suit for the City Council's briefing on the budget by Lisa Signori, back into the work clothes in the afternoon, hire two campaign staff, then off to a community meeting with the BRA at the convention center. Now business paperwork, answering emails, etc.
Some thoughts that I will expand on later: if the budget crisis is so bad, and the Mayor is so concerned about it, why doesn't he come over and meet with the City Councilors to try and figure out the problems. What else is he doing on a Monday morning at 10:30 that is possibly more important that working through the fiscal crisis. If I was Mayor, I would sit down with the city councilors myself, and try and find real solutions, instead of hiding behind Lisa Signori. Not real leadership in my estimation.
The City councilors seemed concerned, although 3 of them didn't even show up for what is clearly the most important item on the city agenda. They asked some questions, but not the tough thorough questions that need to be asked. After the meeting I was speaking to one of the councilors that said we could save millions by bringing the cities pensions and health care in conjunction with the State's program, something I have advocated. But, the councilor said they couldn't get anywhere with it because of the Mayor and some of the unions. In these tough times, if you know a way to save millions you need to speak out. Again, this is not leadership, and if I was Mayor I would be looking for every cost saving measure I could so that we could maintain safe streets, and build much better schools than we have now.
More later on the specifics of the Mayor's smoke and mirrors budget. The bottom line is that there is no $140 million shortfall, there will be no cuts in police or schools, it is just that when the rest of America is trying to tread water, the Mayor wants to increase the City budget by 6.25 %. Plus, the Mayor and Lisa Signori promised that property taxes will go up by 61 million dollars next year in FY 2010.
I will be on Joe Heisler's Talk of the Neighborhoods tomorrow night at 7 pm!
Some thoughts that I will expand on later: if the budget crisis is so bad, and the Mayor is so concerned about it, why doesn't he come over and meet with the City Councilors to try and figure out the problems. What else is he doing on a Monday morning at 10:30 that is possibly more important that working through the fiscal crisis. If I was Mayor, I would sit down with the city councilors myself, and try and find real solutions, instead of hiding behind Lisa Signori. Not real leadership in my estimation.
The City councilors seemed concerned, although 3 of them didn't even show up for what is clearly the most important item on the city agenda. They asked some questions, but not the tough thorough questions that need to be asked. After the meeting I was speaking to one of the councilors that said we could save millions by bringing the cities pensions and health care in conjunction with the State's program, something I have advocated. But, the councilor said they couldn't get anywhere with it because of the Mayor and some of the unions. In these tough times, if you know a way to save millions you need to speak out. Again, this is not leadership, and if I was Mayor I would be looking for every cost saving measure I could so that we could maintain safe streets, and build much better schools than we have now.
More later on the specifics of the Mayor's smoke and mirrors budget. The bottom line is that there is no $140 million shortfall, there will be no cuts in police or schools, it is just that when the rest of America is trying to tread water, the Mayor wants to increase the City budget by 6.25 %. Plus, the Mayor and Lisa Signori promised that property taxes will go up by 61 million dollars next year in FY 2010.
I will be on Joe Heisler's Talk of the Neighborhoods tomorrow night at 7 pm!
Monday, January 26, 2009
My statement about the budget
Dear Council:
Thank you for holding this hearing today. With the economy in a downturn, many people are concerned with how our valuable tax dollars are being spent.
First of all, I would like to assure all of the police officers and teachers in the City of Boston that there is more than enough money in the budget to retain your important jobs, if the proper financial decisions are made by our elected leaders.
I am here to ask for more honesty and transparency from City Hall on the budget. We have heard the number of $140 million deficit thrown around by the Mayor, but he refuses to disclose what adds up to $140 million, and he uses the scare tactic of threatening to lay off police and teachers to try and increase taxes. I applaud and support the members of the council who have stepped up and said there will be no cuts to police or teachers. This is an honest response.
Shame on City Hall for scaring schoolchildren and parents and the people on our streets by floating the idea that teachers and police officers need to be laid off. We need honesty and fiscal responsibility about the budget.
Also remember this is a budget shortfall for a proposed budget that is 6.25% larger than the one we are in right now. Why do we need to increase the budget 6.25 percent a year, when the cost of living only goes up approximately 3 percent a year? The price of gas, labor and other goods is down, why do we have to keep paying more?
In the last 5 years City Hall has grown the number of city employees by 7 percent or about 1200 workers. Of those, only about 200 are police officers and 75 are teachers. Surely, no one is more important than them, why aren’t we talking about laying off the other 925 non-essential workers the city lived with 4 years ago first before threatening our first responders and children’s educators. In addition, the city council has increased its central staff by 8.5% in just the last two years.
We need more fiscal responsibility. When the Fiscal Year 2010 budget came out last July it already had a projected deficit of 33 million dollars. What did the Mayor and City Council do in response to this looming crisis, while the rest of America was tightening its belt? The City Council held a hearing attended to by only two members where they suggested raises for all city council staff. That passed the full council without objection. The Mayor in the fall gave raises to all of his department heads, then made the raises retroactive 10 months, effectively giving them bonuses. This is not the type of fiscal responsibility we need in the face of a budget deficit.
The question must be asked: Why did City Hall give the right to the parking revenues from our Winthrop Square garage to the BRA, and why does the BRA's RFP for the redevelopment of the site state that the BRA will be the landlord collecting the rent on the land -- when the City could, and should, simply sell it to collect over $100 million, and then receive annual tax income or collect the land rent for our City budget?
I applaud the City Council talking about one of my big concerns: transparency. However, 11 days ago I wrote to Councilor Ross and requested financial data. No reply whatsoever, even though it is required by law within 10 days. Talking about transparency and actually working towards transparency are two different things.
I’d like to end with one example. Two years ago the City Council added a full time position to its staff to hire Paul Walkowski. The City Council hired Mr. Walkowski to write a long report about how the City Council could get around transparency or exempt itself from the Open Meeting Law. The City has now payed him over $100,000 for his ideas on this matter
If any teacher or police officer gets laid off, or any cut gets made to education funding, call your Mayor and City Councilor and ask them what are we paying Paul Walkowski to do and how is that more important than keeping our streets safe and our children being educated. I understand Mr. Walkowski is going to retire soon, we need to change the City Law back to the way it was before the Mayor and Council amended the law to add this position and save the taxpayers the salary and perks that go with this useless job.
Thank you for holding this hearing today. With the economy in a downturn, many people are concerned with how our valuable tax dollars are being spent.
First of all, I would like to assure all of the police officers and teachers in the City of Boston that there is more than enough money in the budget to retain your important jobs, if the proper financial decisions are made by our elected leaders.
I am here to ask for more honesty and transparency from City Hall on the budget. We have heard the number of $140 million deficit thrown around by the Mayor, but he refuses to disclose what adds up to $140 million, and he uses the scare tactic of threatening to lay off police and teachers to try and increase taxes. I applaud and support the members of the council who have stepped up and said there will be no cuts to police or teachers. This is an honest response.
Shame on City Hall for scaring schoolchildren and parents and the people on our streets by floating the idea that teachers and police officers need to be laid off. We need honesty and fiscal responsibility about the budget.
Also remember this is a budget shortfall for a proposed budget that is 6.25% larger than the one we are in right now. Why do we need to increase the budget 6.25 percent a year, when the cost of living only goes up approximately 3 percent a year? The price of gas, labor and other goods is down, why do we have to keep paying more?
In the last 5 years City Hall has grown the number of city employees by 7 percent or about 1200 workers. Of those, only about 200 are police officers and 75 are teachers. Surely, no one is more important than them, why aren’t we talking about laying off the other 925 non-essential workers the city lived with 4 years ago first before threatening our first responders and children’s educators. In addition, the city council has increased its central staff by 8.5% in just the last two years.
We need more fiscal responsibility. When the Fiscal Year 2010 budget came out last July it already had a projected deficit of 33 million dollars. What did the Mayor and City Council do in response to this looming crisis, while the rest of America was tightening its belt? The City Council held a hearing attended to by only two members where they suggested raises for all city council staff. That passed the full council without objection. The Mayor in the fall gave raises to all of his department heads, then made the raises retroactive 10 months, effectively giving them bonuses. This is not the type of fiscal responsibility we need in the face of a budget deficit.
The question must be asked: Why did City Hall give the right to the parking revenues from our Winthrop Square garage to the BRA, and why does the BRA's RFP for the redevelopment of the site state that the BRA will be the landlord collecting the rent on the land -- when the City could, and should, simply sell it to collect over $100 million, and then receive annual tax income or collect the land rent for our City budget?
I applaud the City Council talking about one of my big concerns: transparency. However, 11 days ago I wrote to Councilor Ross and requested financial data. No reply whatsoever, even though it is required by law within 10 days. Talking about transparency and actually working towards transparency are two different things.
I’d like to end with one example. Two years ago the City Council added a full time position to its staff to hire Paul Walkowski. The City Council hired Mr. Walkowski to write a long report about how the City Council could get around transparency or exempt itself from the Open Meeting Law. The City has now payed him over $100,000 for his ideas on this matter
If any teacher or police officer gets laid off, or any cut gets made to education funding, call your Mayor and City Councilor and ask them what are we paying Paul Walkowski to do and how is that more important than keeping our streets safe and our children being educated. I understand Mr. Walkowski is going to retire soon, we need to change the City Law back to the way it was before the Mayor and Council amended the law to add this position and save the taxpayers the salary and perks that go with this useless job.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Menino is not transparent about the budget
In one of the articles about my announcement for Mayor, they get a comment from Dot Joyce the Mayor's press spokesperson who says that the Mayor is transparent about the budget. But, as is so often the case, he is not being honest. Ed Mason from the Herald asked for information for his January 15, 2009 article about the budget and the Mayor refused to provide information. That is not being transparent. The quote from Mr. Mason is: "Menino and his aides declined Herald requests for city budget documents detailing grim losses ahead." I know I stopped believing what the Mayor has been telling the public years ago.
My Interview with NECN
I just did an interview with NECN. They asked Michael Flaherty to do an interview but apparently he is not yet ready for prime time, and isn't giving interviews.
Writer, blogger, Paul McMorrow endorses Kevin McCrea!
Paul McMorrow, who works for Banker and Tradesman and Boston magazine, and has his own personal blog endorsed my candidacy on his blog! Now he only endorsed me until someone else got in the race, I hope I can still fight hard for his endorsement now that Flaherty is in. I first learned of Paul when he was a writer for the Weekly Dig and he helped to expose the secret meetings that Flaherty was running.
Thanks Paul!
Thanks Paul!
Questions about Flaherty (and Yoon and Menino) and Transparency
According to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald and you can see the video at Universal Hub Michael Flaherty sort of announced that he is running for Mayor.
As you can see in his video he talked about the need for Transparent Government! I'm happy to hear that Michael is following my lead on calling for transparent government. However, I am not convinced that his call for transparency is very heartfelt, nor are the other officials in City Hall.
While he was City Council President he rejected numerous letters from Councilor Felix Arroyo asking him to stop holding secret meetings with other councilors and with the Boston Redevelopment Authority. He refused my numerous olive branch offers to sit down and settle the Open Meeting Lawsuit, "McCrea v. Flaherty" and to craft better Open Meeting Laws. He refused my olive branch to allow him to revisit the vote giving the BRA 10 more years of power with no oversight. In response to a question in the last election cycle about what the one thing he wished he could redo, he cited that example as the worst decision he has made.
Most recently, I wrote a letter to the Mayor, the City Councilors at Large, President Ross, and my City Councilor Turner requesting that they make City Government and the BRA at least as transparent as Sarah Palin's Alaska. The response so far? Deafening silence. Not a single response from any of them. Saying you care about transparency and working towards it are two completely different things.
One of the things that goes along with transparency is disclosure of your possible conflicting interests. He is an attorney at the law firm of Adler Pollock & Sheehan. According to his biography on their website you can hire Michael for business and corporate law, and real estate matters. It would seem to me to be a conflict of interest that you can hire a city councilor to do legal work on business and real estate deals on the side. If he truly cares about being transparent he should disclose all the Boston clients of Adler Pollock and Sheehan.
I would also like to ask him if he will continue working as an attorney if he gets elected Mayor. If not, why is it okay for a member of the legislative branch to do side legal work but not the executive branch? I would consider either job a full time job I was hired to do by my constituents.
Finally, with Councilor Flaherty's new found interest in transparency I invite him to Courtroom 306, at Suffolk Superior Courthouse on February 24, 2008 at 2 pm. That is when the next, and hopefully final hearing in the "Kevin McCrea v. Michael Flaherty" Open Meeting lawsuit will be held. While I have been fighting for nearly four years for transparency on behalf of the citizens of Boston, Councilor Flaherty has been fighting hard against transparency and has yet to show up once in court on this matter. Instead, he has been hiding behind a phalanx of taxpayer paid lawyers, filing numerous motions delaying and denying the charges, spending nearly $200,000 of taxpayer money, before finally admitting guilt.
Just to bring everyone up to speed about this hearing, I have filed papers with the court requesting that the Judge impose rules furthering transparency at Boston City Hall. Michael Flaherty's lawyers, on his and the councils behalf, (and at our expense) have filed papers that the rules at City Hall are perfectly fine and that everything should stay the same. The judge will hear testimony, and decide the sanctions since Michael Flaherty and the Boston City Council have admitted violating the law on all counts alleged in the case.
I look forward to seeing Michael Flaherty there, and hearing his testimony as to why the current transparency rules at City Hall are perfectly fine. If he really cares about saving taxpayer money why doesn't he just call off his taxpayer paid attorney's and come on his own, after all he is an attorney. I will be speaking on my own, despite the fact that I am not a trained attorney. I don't need to hire someone to speak on my behalf about my thoughts on transparency. I'm sure the Judge and the citizens of Boston would be very interested in his thoughts on transparency.
In his Youtube video Michael talks about "accountability and direct responsibility". Part of that is being responsible for your actions. A contrite apology to the court, and to the citizens on Boston for holding closed meetings for years, wasting the courts and taxpayers time and money, would go a long way towards making me believe he now believes in transparency.
As your Mayor, I would make Boston the most transparent and accountable city in the world. All transactions, job postings, legislation, income, expense, etc. would be available on line. Until the Mayor and his other challengers set the bar that high, you know they don't truly care about getting rid of the back room deals.
As you can see in his video he talked about the need for Transparent Government! I'm happy to hear that Michael is following my lead on calling for transparent government. However, I am not convinced that his call for transparency is very heartfelt, nor are the other officials in City Hall.
While he was City Council President he rejected numerous letters from Councilor Felix Arroyo asking him to stop holding secret meetings with other councilors and with the Boston Redevelopment Authority. He refused my numerous olive branch offers to sit down and settle the Open Meeting Lawsuit, "McCrea v. Flaherty" and to craft better Open Meeting Laws. He refused my olive branch to allow him to revisit the vote giving the BRA 10 more years of power with no oversight. In response to a question in the last election cycle about what the one thing he wished he could redo, he cited that example as the worst decision he has made.
Most recently, I wrote a letter to the Mayor, the City Councilors at Large, President Ross, and my City Councilor Turner requesting that they make City Government and the BRA at least as transparent as Sarah Palin's Alaska. The response so far? Deafening silence. Not a single response from any of them. Saying you care about transparency and working towards it are two completely different things.
One of the things that goes along with transparency is disclosure of your possible conflicting interests. He is an attorney at the law firm of Adler Pollock & Sheehan. According to his biography on their website you can hire Michael for business and corporate law, and real estate matters. It would seem to me to be a conflict of interest that you can hire a city councilor to do legal work on business and real estate deals on the side. If he truly cares about being transparent he should disclose all the Boston clients of Adler Pollock and Sheehan.
I would also like to ask him if he will continue working as an attorney if he gets elected Mayor. If not, why is it okay for a member of the legislative branch to do side legal work but not the executive branch? I would consider either job a full time job I was hired to do by my constituents.
Finally, with Councilor Flaherty's new found interest in transparency I invite him to Courtroom 306, at Suffolk Superior Courthouse on February 24, 2008 at 2 pm. That is when the next, and hopefully final hearing in the "Kevin McCrea v. Michael Flaherty" Open Meeting lawsuit will be held. While I have been fighting for nearly four years for transparency on behalf of the citizens of Boston, Councilor Flaherty has been fighting hard against transparency and has yet to show up once in court on this matter. Instead, he has been hiding behind a phalanx of taxpayer paid lawyers, filing numerous motions delaying and denying the charges, spending nearly $200,000 of taxpayer money, before finally admitting guilt.
Just to bring everyone up to speed about this hearing, I have filed papers with the court requesting that the Judge impose rules furthering transparency at Boston City Hall. Michael Flaherty's lawyers, on his and the councils behalf, (and at our expense) have filed papers that the rules at City Hall are perfectly fine and that everything should stay the same. The judge will hear testimony, and decide the sanctions since Michael Flaherty and the Boston City Council have admitted violating the law on all counts alleged in the case.
I look forward to seeing Michael Flaherty there, and hearing his testimony as to why the current transparency rules at City Hall are perfectly fine. If he really cares about saving taxpayer money why doesn't he just call off his taxpayer paid attorney's and come on his own, after all he is an attorney. I will be speaking on my own, despite the fact that I am not a trained attorney. I don't need to hire someone to speak on my behalf about my thoughts on transparency. I'm sure the Judge and the citizens of Boston would be very interested in his thoughts on transparency.
In his Youtube video Michael talks about "accountability and direct responsibility". Part of that is being responsible for your actions. A contrite apology to the court, and to the citizens on Boston for holding closed meetings for years, wasting the courts and taxpayers time and money, would go a long way towards making me believe he now believes in transparency.
As your Mayor, I would make Boston the most transparent and accountable city in the world. All transactions, job postings, legislation, income, expense, etc. would be available on line. Until the Mayor and his other challengers set the bar that high, you know they don't truly care about getting rid of the back room deals.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Press Release-I'm running for Mayor!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-Campaign to Elect Kevin McCrea Mayor of Boston!
January 22, 2009
“I am running for Mayor of the City of Boston,” announced Kevin McCrea. “It’s time for a change at City Hall, and I will bring that change.”
“We need to end the cycle of career politicians. I am a businessman, and I am running as a common citizen. I’m independent, I’m informed, I have fresh ideas -- and I believe in honest government that includes the citizens. I’m not locked into a political system that dictates I must ‘go along to get along,’” states McCrea.
“I am going to end the waste and abuse in Boston City government. I will ensure that all of our public officials, boards and agencies are held accountable for their decisions. Honest, open and accountable government will enable us to build an exemplary school system based on neighborhood schools, to lower taxes, and to provide better services to all our citizens. Under my leadership, Boston will have great public schools, the safest streets, and the most environmentally green government,” McCrea promised.
McCrea is well known as a good-government activist who asks the tough questions. But he’s proven he’s not just all talk. In 2005 he sued the Boston City Council for violations of the open meeting law, and after a four-year struggle, he has won. His blog, http://electkevin.blogspot.com/, talks about big issues: Why has Mayor Tom Menino given away hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of City-owned property to the BRA? Why doesn’t Boston have transparent government? Why have the ranks of City Hall employees increased, while the population stays level and student enrollment falls?
McCrea is passionate when it comes to our schools and the education of our youth. “We have so much administrative staff. We should use more of our resources for teachers, to reduce our class size,” says McCrea. “I’m going to do my homework and report on where our money is going, so we can finally give our kids what they need to succeed.”
McCrea is a resident of the South End. His company, Wabash Construction, has built several “Best of Boston” projects, and specializes in historic renovations. His developments have been recognized by the National Parks Service for their historic significance, and even awarded historic tax credits. In 2002, he completed a BRA project in Roxbury and voluntarily sold 20% of the units as affordable housing.
McCrea has a long history of civic involvement, working with the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans and Boston Community Capital in Roxbury and Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans.
McCrea has been active in the Big Brother/Big Sister program and coached South End youth baseball. He served as an advisor for the carpentry program at Madison Park Trade School in Roxbury.
McCrea is an active member of the Claremont Neighborhood association and a member of the Ward 9 democratic committee.
He is kicking off his campaign tonight at 7:00 pm at the home of Kevin Barry and Barry Mullen, 55 St. Marks Road, Dorchester, MA 02124.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Great Obama Inauguration Party tonight co-hosted with Amanda Barros and MoveOn.org
We had a great party tonight in honor of the inauguration of Barack Obama. Young and old, people of all persuasions came to together to celebrate the end of the worst presidency in my lifetime, and the hope that positive change has come to America.
We were graced by the presence of native American poet Blackfoot Warrior who honored our guests and me with an original poem:
Our People's Struggle
We believe We believe
Now It's Done! A change has come
You've been swore in,
But your not alone do you stand we the
people will be with you hand-hand
With the strength of the people behind you
The course you will stay,
Upon your shoulders lot's of pressure
been laid.
We the people just that with your
guidance, wisdom, knowledge you'll
bring us out of the is darken tunnel
for in you vision you can see the light
cause our vision and yours are the same
make the future brighter
That's why we believe in change and you
all Americans are (one) weather
red, white, black or blue
that change has come for me and you!
Our Co-host Amanda chimed in:
Hey Kevin,
I just wanted to give you kudos for opening up your house to the community to celebrate this monumental moment in our lives. I think we did an amazing job inviting people who are very open-minded and seemed committed in helping out with changing the world. I thought it was really cool how the older people who attended the event were eager to mingle with the younger folks. After leaving and during the course of the night, my friends and i joked on how random and "mixed" the party was. We all thought it was cool to be around older people who are very inspirational, educated and friendly. Not say that the professors and administrators are not like that at UMASS but, we've never interacted with them in a setting like last night. Anyways, i can ramble about last night but, I'll end it here.
Lastly, my friends wanted to send you a huge thank you and said they'll friend request you (on Facebook) to keep in touch. I tagged all of them your recent wall photo so it would be easier for you and them to make that connection. For future parties, you might consider ordering more food.lol Alright, my vacation is officially over and now i have to get myself back in the school mode.
Peace,
Monday, January 19, 2009
Menino-Why let the facts or his ignorance get in the way of a good story
I was at the City Year Celebration and March today for Martin Luther King day. Sonia Chang Diaz gave a great speech using the african proverb about moving your feet to inspire the "young hereos" to not just talk about change but to actually move your feet and change things.
Mayor Menino on the other hand was his usual self. He did inspire me a bit by saying that "You don't have to wait, you can lead today!" Maybe he is hinting that he is going to step aside for some more youthful leadership?
But, to inspire the kids he told them to look at Obama, that he "started off at a public housing development in Chicago and now he is President". That sure sounds nice but it isn't even remotely true. But then facts aren't always the Mayor's strong suit.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a Mayor who actually knew what he was talking about, or who had a fact checker look over his speeches? Obama was in Indonesia in private schools until he was 10, and then he lived in Hawaii and went to the most prestigious private school in Honolulu until he went to private colleges Occidental, and Columbia. Only after all of that did Obama go to Chicago to work as community organizer.
The fact is that only 1 in 8 kids who goes to the public high schools that Menino has provided will get any sort of college or associates degree. I do know that Tom is smart enough not to give that fact to the Boston youth in front of him.
Mayor Menino on the other hand was his usual self. He did inspire me a bit by saying that "You don't have to wait, you can lead today!" Maybe he is hinting that he is going to step aside for some more youthful leadership?
But, to inspire the kids he told them to look at Obama, that he "started off at a public housing development in Chicago and now he is President". That sure sounds nice but it isn't even remotely true. But then facts aren't always the Mayor's strong suit.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a Mayor who actually knew what he was talking about, or who had a fact checker look over his speeches? Obama was in Indonesia in private schools until he was 10, and then he lived in Hawaii and went to the most prestigious private school in Honolulu until he went to private colleges Occidental, and Columbia. Only after all of that did Obama go to Chicago to work as community organizer.
The fact is that only 1 in 8 kids who goes to the public high schools that Menino has provided will get any sort of college or associates degree. I do know that Tom is smart enough not to give that fact to the Boston youth in front of him.
Violence, tragedy in South End-MLK would not be pleased
My friend Carlos and his friends were coming home from celebrating last night about 2 a.m. on Tremont Street in the South End. Two black males, one of them looking like "the guy with the dreadlocks in the movie Predator" drove by in a late model black Ford Bronco like vehicle and made some gay bashing comments. One of Carlos' friends yelled back. The large males got out of the Bronco and beat up two of the 3 guys, breaking the nose of one of them getting blood all over everyone. He spent the night at BMC and now has to get facial reconstruction surgery.
A terrible way to start off MLK day, especially on the Eve of the Obama inauguration.
The license plate of the vehicle started with "WJ9..." If anyone has any information please contact the police, who responded to the incident, or if you need to be anonymous send me an email.
A terrible way to start off MLK day, especially on the Eve of the Obama inauguration.
The license plate of the vehicle started with "WJ9..." If anyone has any information please contact the police, who responded to the incident, or if you need to be anonymous send me an email.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Mayor Menino doesn't believe in Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, or sharing
I was honored a couple of months ago when the South End News contacted me about writing an opinion column for them. I was even more impressed when they told me I could write about anything I want, from physics, to motorcycles, to corruption at City Hall.
After just two columns written the Mayor's people have already contacted my editors to complain about my columns, and to complain that (God forbid!) I am contacting City Hall and asking for information! They are already complaining about columns that I haven't even written yet that I am getting research on!
You read that right. The government is complaining to the press, that a citizen has the audacity to ask the government for information. Call me crazy, but the government that I believe in answers the questions of not just the press, but of the citizens that are concerned with what is going on. The national media expressed outrage that Governor Blagojevich would try and control the editorial decisions of the Chicago Tribune. Well, we have the same kind of heavy handedness here at City Hall in Boston.
The Mayor used the phrase "together we can" at his State of the City address. We can't work on unity when the Mayor won't share the information of what goes on in our city. The information belongs to the citizens, not the Mayor. Just like all those blue signs around the City that say "Welcome to Back Bay, Thomas Menino, Mayor" or "Welcome to Jamaica Plain, Thomas Menino, Mayor" they are owned by the people, payed for by the people, and installed by the people. Someday, he won't be Mayor and the people are going to have to spend the money to change those signs. If he wants to look for ways to start saving money, he will stop requiring that his name goes on everything. Until he does that simple money saving step, you know his ego is getting in the way of fiscal reform and progress in this city.
I suggest that if the Mayor doesn't like what I have written, that he sit down and pen an opposition. I'm sure the South End News would be delighted to receive a thought piece from our honorable Mayor. In fact, I will gladly give him my space in the paper and even donate my salary to a worthy cause. Instead, he resorts to his backroom, out of sight tactics to try and control what is going on. Needless to say, but I'm not impressed nor surprised by his actions.
A former City Hall employee was listening to my phone conversation with my editor, and the employee told me a story about a former Menino aid who boasted to him about how years ago after another South End citizen wrote a letter to the editor of one of the local papers critical of the Mayor, the aid was told to go digging around the house of that citizen looking for violations to punish that person. I haven't checked the veracity of the story, but the sad truth is that in this city people easily believe that our Mayor could be that sort of petty and vindictive person.
What I do know is that when I ran for City Council four years ago, and was openly critical of the Mayor, that the assessment of my family's home at 218 West Springfield Street was increased by $700,000 dollars despite the fact that we hadn't done any improvements in years. As far as I can tell by the online City Assessment Records, the house is still the highest assessed brownstone in the South End. I've spent some time looking at the records, asking brokers and historical people what the most expensive properties sold are. That's right, here on unassuming West Springfield Street is supposedly the most expensive house in the South End. More expensive than the mansions on Union Park, or the secluded charm of Montgomery Park with their private garden. Check it out for yourself, and if you find one assessed higher please let me know. You would think the Mayor would give me an award for taking a former condemned crack house and spending nine years hand building the most expensive house. Isn't that what working hard and achieving and rebuilding your neighborhood are all about?
In closing, I'd like to thank again my editors at the South End News for having the courage to stand up to this sort of bullying. This isn't the only time that the Mayor has complained to them about articles they've published, but they've held their ground and believed in the power of the press. I hope the Mayor will take the time to read the first amendment and ponder about what makes this country great.
I won't hold my breath waiting for his personally written response.
After just two columns written the Mayor's people have already contacted my editors to complain about my columns, and to complain that (God forbid!) I am contacting City Hall and asking for information! They are already complaining about columns that I haven't even written yet that I am getting research on!
You read that right. The government is complaining to the press, that a citizen has the audacity to ask the government for information. Call me crazy, but the government that I believe in answers the questions of not just the press, but of the citizens that are concerned with what is going on. The national media expressed outrage that Governor Blagojevich would try and control the editorial decisions of the Chicago Tribune. Well, we have the same kind of heavy handedness here at City Hall in Boston.
The Mayor used the phrase "together we can" at his State of the City address. We can't work on unity when the Mayor won't share the information of what goes on in our city. The information belongs to the citizens, not the Mayor. Just like all those blue signs around the City that say "Welcome to Back Bay, Thomas Menino, Mayor" or "Welcome to Jamaica Plain, Thomas Menino, Mayor" they are owned by the people, payed for by the people, and installed by the people. Someday, he won't be Mayor and the people are going to have to spend the money to change those signs. If he wants to look for ways to start saving money, he will stop requiring that his name goes on everything. Until he does that simple money saving step, you know his ego is getting in the way of fiscal reform and progress in this city.
I suggest that if the Mayor doesn't like what I have written, that he sit down and pen an opposition. I'm sure the South End News would be delighted to receive a thought piece from our honorable Mayor. In fact, I will gladly give him my space in the paper and even donate my salary to a worthy cause. Instead, he resorts to his backroom, out of sight tactics to try and control what is going on. Needless to say, but I'm not impressed nor surprised by his actions.
A former City Hall employee was listening to my phone conversation with my editor, and the employee told me a story about a former Menino aid who boasted to him about how years ago after another South End citizen wrote a letter to the editor of one of the local papers critical of the Mayor, the aid was told to go digging around the house of that citizen looking for violations to punish that person. I haven't checked the veracity of the story, but the sad truth is that in this city people easily believe that our Mayor could be that sort of petty and vindictive person.
What I do know is that when I ran for City Council four years ago, and was openly critical of the Mayor, that the assessment of my family's home at 218 West Springfield Street was increased by $700,000 dollars despite the fact that we hadn't done any improvements in years. As far as I can tell by the online City Assessment Records, the house is still the highest assessed brownstone in the South End. I've spent some time looking at the records, asking brokers and historical people what the most expensive properties sold are. That's right, here on unassuming West Springfield Street is supposedly the most expensive house in the South End. More expensive than the mansions on Union Park, or the secluded charm of Montgomery Park with their private garden. Check it out for yourself, and if you find one assessed higher please let me know. You would think the Mayor would give me an award for taking a former condemned crack house and spending nine years hand building the most expensive house. Isn't that what working hard and achieving and rebuilding your neighborhood are all about?
In closing, I'd like to thank again my editors at the South End News for having the courage to stand up to this sort of bullying. This isn't the only time that the Mayor has complained to them about articles they've published, but they've held their ground and believed in the power of the press. I hope the Mayor will take the time to read the first amendment and ponder about what makes this country great.
I won't hold my breath waiting for his personally written response.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Doug Bennett reports in!
Doug Bennett calls in to report he has gone around the city once and is starting again, in Charlestown. He reports a lot of anger with the corruption at City Hall and that he knocked on over 30,000 doors so far.
Bob Terrell will make his official announcement for at-large later on this month.
Bob Terrell will make his official announcement for at-large later on this month.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tom Menino's Ponzi Scheme
Here is my latest article for the south end news.
January 1, 2009
Mayor Menino’s Ponzi Scheme
When I was a young boy my mother bought me a book called “Great American Crimes and Trials” and I remember being fascinated by the story of Charles Ponzi, the Italian immigrant who made millions in Boston in a short amount of time by promising immense returns based upon inequities in international stamp exchange rates. Once Barron’s did some actual financial analysis of the scheme, the house of cards collapsed.
Maybe thanks to my mom’s early intervention, I’ve had a penchant for smelling too good to be true deals. Long time South Enders will remember many stories in the South End News about Nancy and John Burgess swindling locals in financial and real estate deals. I worked with the Attorney General’s office to catch them, culminating in a heart stopping arrest at 16 Holyoke Street of John Burgess by a broad State Policeman, who made John put his hands against the wall to handcuff him—right into the wet plaster we were installing on my jobsite! Years ago, the Midwestern wing of my family, mostly farmers and union workers came to me with an investment vehicle they were involved in bankrolling worldwide concerts. I warned them that the consistent returns, constant reinvestment, lack of documentation and incorporation in Louisiana seemed dubious. Alas they were blinded by the dollars and lost everything except for my surfer cousin who was too lazy to send in the reinvestment documentation and got his $10,000 out!
Ponzi is in the news again thanks to Bernard Madoff who has taken investors and charities for a $50 billion dollar ride, including many in the Boston area. Modern Ponzi artists don’t offer the doubling of money in 90 days like Ponzi did, but instead slowly lull the victim into a false sense of security before they get whacked.
I’d like to warn you about the Ponzi scheme that our Mayor is weaving. From his office on the fifth floor of City Hall he can look south right at 27 School Street where Ponzi used to operate from, and I believe they are not just sharing a common locale, but the knowledge that their financial basis is not stable.
Like derivatives and other discredited financial tools, it is a bit complicated (otherwise you could easily discern it isn’t solid!) but I will try and simplify. In Massachusetts Proposition 2 ½ is in place to protect citizens from unreasonable increases in their property taxes imposed by the politicians. The total property taxes collected, known as the levy, should only increase by 2.5% percent a year. However, the city can also add on taxes generated by the value of new construction. This practice has helped to drive up Boston’s levy by 5.4% annually over the past 10 years, almost double the rate of inflation in a city with virtually no population growth and a shrinking student population. This now adds approximately $60 million in new tax burden for city residents and businesses every year.
So when the Mayor pushes new high rise towers like Columbus Center, allows developers to exceed zoning limits agreed to by the citizens , or tries to sell City Hall, he knows, like Ponzi, that he needs that new revenue to pay off his old debts. The old debts in this case being the union contracts he signs with pay increases of more than 2.5 percent a year with outrageous pension and benefit clauses, and an army of new city employees he hires to do his bidding. There has been an increase of 7 percent of city employees in the last 5 years (16,048 workers in 2004 and 17,216 projected for 2009), and the school enrollment has dropped (55,800 students in 2008/2009 as opposed to 57,742 in 2004/05 school year). According to his own figures, these new employees to the City Payroll would be the 40th biggest company in Boston on their own (http://www.cityofboston.gov/bra/PDF/ResearchPublications//pdr509.pdf) right behind the Faulkner Hospital and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Are you getting 7 percent better service from City Hall? Why do we still test in the bottom 5% of school districts in the state? Exactly what are those 1200 additional workers doing? Why is he talking about laying off cops when there are 1000 other city workers that should go first?
The economy which popped Madoffs’ bubble is about to pop Menino’s bubble as well. If we don’t get new investors (new construction) we can’t pay out requested withdrawals (union contracts and new hires) and the whole scheme comes unraveled through budget cuts and layoffs. In this economy, with the credit crunch, getting new construction done will be extremely difficult. Again, the tax rate structure is complicated, but because the value of commercial real estate is dropping, we the residents are going to be made to make up the difference essentially like loan guarantors for Menino’s poorly negotiated contracts, pensions and new hires. At least cities like Newton and Wellesley are taking their funds and building new state of the art schools, what do we have to show for the additional $212 million over and above the allowed Proposition 2.5 percent increase Menino and the City Council have levied on us in the last 7 years? We haven’t built a new high school since Menino has been Mayor.
On Ponzi’s deathbed he had a message for the Bostonians he swindled “Even if they never got anything for it, it was cheap at that price. Without malice aforethought I had given them the best show that was ever staged in their territory since the landing of the Pilgrims! It was easily worth fifteen million bucks to watch me put the thing over.” I’ll bet his victims didn’t feel they got their moneys worth from him, and I doubt that Madoff’s investors, or Boston taxpayers feel they are getting the best investment for their money either.
Financial Analyst Steve Wintermier contributed to this article
January 1, 2009
Mayor Menino’s Ponzi Scheme
When I was a young boy my mother bought me a book called “Great American Crimes and Trials” and I remember being fascinated by the story of Charles Ponzi, the Italian immigrant who made millions in Boston in a short amount of time by promising immense returns based upon inequities in international stamp exchange rates. Once Barron’s did some actual financial analysis of the scheme, the house of cards collapsed.
Maybe thanks to my mom’s early intervention, I’ve had a penchant for smelling too good to be true deals. Long time South Enders will remember many stories in the South End News about Nancy and John Burgess swindling locals in financial and real estate deals. I worked with the Attorney General’s office to catch them, culminating in a heart stopping arrest at 16 Holyoke Street of John Burgess by a broad State Policeman, who made John put his hands against the wall to handcuff him—right into the wet plaster we were installing on my jobsite! Years ago, the Midwestern wing of my family, mostly farmers and union workers came to me with an investment vehicle they were involved in bankrolling worldwide concerts. I warned them that the consistent returns, constant reinvestment, lack of documentation and incorporation in Louisiana seemed dubious. Alas they were blinded by the dollars and lost everything except for my surfer cousin who was too lazy to send in the reinvestment documentation and got his $10,000 out!
Ponzi is in the news again thanks to Bernard Madoff who has taken investors and charities for a $50 billion dollar ride, including many in the Boston area. Modern Ponzi artists don’t offer the doubling of money in 90 days like Ponzi did, but instead slowly lull the victim into a false sense of security before they get whacked.
I’d like to warn you about the Ponzi scheme that our Mayor is weaving. From his office on the fifth floor of City Hall he can look south right at 27 School Street where Ponzi used to operate from, and I believe they are not just sharing a common locale, but the knowledge that their financial basis is not stable.
Like derivatives and other discredited financial tools, it is a bit complicated (otherwise you could easily discern it isn’t solid!) but I will try and simplify. In Massachusetts Proposition 2 ½ is in place to protect citizens from unreasonable increases in their property taxes imposed by the politicians. The total property taxes collected, known as the levy, should only increase by 2.5% percent a year. However, the city can also add on taxes generated by the value of new construction. This practice has helped to drive up Boston’s levy by 5.4% annually over the past 10 years, almost double the rate of inflation in a city with virtually no population growth and a shrinking student population. This now adds approximately $60 million in new tax burden for city residents and businesses every year.
So when the Mayor pushes new high rise towers like Columbus Center, allows developers to exceed zoning limits agreed to by the citizens , or tries to sell City Hall, he knows, like Ponzi, that he needs that new revenue to pay off his old debts. The old debts in this case being the union contracts he signs with pay increases of more than 2.5 percent a year with outrageous pension and benefit clauses, and an army of new city employees he hires to do his bidding. There has been an increase of 7 percent of city employees in the last 5 years (16,048 workers in 2004 and 17,216 projected for 2009), and the school enrollment has dropped (55,800 students in 2008/2009 as opposed to 57,742 in 2004/05 school year). According to his own figures, these new employees to the City Payroll would be the 40th biggest company in Boston on their own (http://www.cityofboston.gov/bra/PDF/ResearchPublications//pdr509.pdf) right behind the Faulkner Hospital and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Are you getting 7 percent better service from City Hall? Why do we still test in the bottom 5% of school districts in the state? Exactly what are those 1200 additional workers doing? Why is he talking about laying off cops when there are 1000 other city workers that should go first?
The economy which popped Madoffs’ bubble is about to pop Menino’s bubble as well. If we don’t get new investors (new construction) we can’t pay out requested withdrawals (union contracts and new hires) and the whole scheme comes unraveled through budget cuts and layoffs. In this economy, with the credit crunch, getting new construction done will be extremely difficult. Again, the tax rate structure is complicated, but because the value of commercial real estate is dropping, we the residents are going to be made to make up the difference essentially like loan guarantors for Menino’s poorly negotiated contracts, pensions and new hires. At least cities like Newton and Wellesley are taking their funds and building new state of the art schools, what do we have to show for the additional $212 million over and above the allowed Proposition 2.5 percent increase Menino and the City Council have levied on us in the last 7 years? We haven’t built a new high school since Menino has been Mayor.
On Ponzi’s deathbed he had a message for the Bostonians he swindled “Even if they never got anything for it, it was cheap at that price. Without malice aforethought I had given them the best show that was ever staged in their territory since the landing of the Pilgrims! It was easily worth fifteen million bucks to watch me put the thing over.” I’ll bet his victims didn’t feel they got their moneys worth from him, and I doubt that Madoff’s investors, or Boston taxpayers feel they are getting the best investment for their money either.
Financial Analyst Steve Wintermier contributed to this article
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Yoon not doing his followup with the BRA
A couple years ago Sam Yoon and the Mayor worked out a back room deal over the proceeds of the Winthrop Square Garage.
I have been keeping my eyes on this because it is one of those BIG DEALS where inside connected people get huge amounts of city property for free and the citizens get nothing, while the politicians collect nice campaign contributions.
I was at the Mayor's speech last night and even with his fuzzy numbers it doesn't add up. He said we will have a 140 million dollar shortfall, but he is going to give 40 million to developers. If, instead, he sold the Winthrop Square Garage lot which is estimated to be worth close to 100 million dollars and didn't give 40 million dollars to developers but instead maintained teachers and cops the budget is magically solved. The other part of the puzzle the Mayor doesn't tell us is that the projected buget is going to be flat, there isn't really going to be a decrease in the City Budget. Any potential layoffs are going to be because of poor contracts and pensions he has negotiated which is one reason he is calling for a wage freeze. But why get actual money for City Property when he can give it away to the BRA for free and then collect campaign contributions?
Part of the Yoon/Menino backroom deal is that Boston Housing Authority is supposed to receive the funds from the parking garage revenue to help maintain security.
I've asked Sam Yoon's office over the past couple years for a copy of his secret agreement with the Mayor, and originally Sam's response was essentially that when the time comes to be transparent, he will be transparent. Recently his office released the almost 2 year old memo to me (I think they even posted it on my blog somewhere).
I asked his office what payments the BHA was receiving and I was told that the BRA was not forthcoming with the information and that Sam was getting stonewalled by them.
So, I called up the BRA and their spokesperson Jessica Shumaker was kind enough to send the information right over to me. Thanks, Jessica! I told her that Sam Yoon's office said they couldn't get the information and she said he should have just called for it and they would have given it. I suggest to Sam that before he tells people that the BRA is stonewalling, that he should actually make sure they are stonewalling.
The payments from the BRA to the BHA so far are as follows:
4-30-08 $2,000,000
5-31-08 $ 910,747
10-31-08 $ 283,361
11-18-08 $ 269,049
This is a perfect example of why back room deals shouldn't be done. The public is excluded and can't see where their money is being spent. This is why I sent the letter (see below in my blog) to all the elected leaders in Boston asking them to propose that all payments and income from the BRA and the City of Boston should be online. Three councilors are proposing transparent government initiatives today, why not just the whole thing properly????
More on why they don't want this later!
I have been keeping my eyes on this because it is one of those BIG DEALS where inside connected people get huge amounts of city property for free and the citizens get nothing, while the politicians collect nice campaign contributions.
I was at the Mayor's speech last night and even with his fuzzy numbers it doesn't add up. He said we will have a 140 million dollar shortfall, but he is going to give 40 million to developers. If, instead, he sold the Winthrop Square Garage lot which is estimated to be worth close to 100 million dollars and didn't give 40 million dollars to developers but instead maintained teachers and cops the budget is magically solved. The other part of the puzzle the Mayor doesn't tell us is that the projected buget is going to be flat, there isn't really going to be a decrease in the City Budget. Any potential layoffs are going to be because of poor contracts and pensions he has negotiated which is one reason he is calling for a wage freeze. But why get actual money for City Property when he can give it away to the BRA for free and then collect campaign contributions?
Part of the Yoon/Menino backroom deal is that Boston Housing Authority is supposed to receive the funds from the parking garage revenue to help maintain security.
I've asked Sam Yoon's office over the past couple years for a copy of his secret agreement with the Mayor, and originally Sam's response was essentially that when the time comes to be transparent, he will be transparent. Recently his office released the almost 2 year old memo to me (I think they even posted it on my blog somewhere).
I asked his office what payments the BHA was receiving and I was told that the BRA was not forthcoming with the information and that Sam was getting stonewalled by them.
So, I called up the BRA and their spokesperson Jessica Shumaker was kind enough to send the information right over to me. Thanks, Jessica! I told her that Sam Yoon's office said they couldn't get the information and she said he should have just called for it and they would have given it. I suggest to Sam that before he tells people that the BRA is stonewalling, that he should actually make sure they are stonewalling.
The payments from the BRA to the BHA so far are as follows:
4-30-08 $2,000,000
5-31-08 $ 910,747
10-31-08 $ 283,361
11-18-08 $ 269,049
This is a perfect example of why back room deals shouldn't be done. The public is excluded and can't see where their money is being spent. This is why I sent the letter (see below in my blog) to all the elected leaders in Boston asking them to propose that all payments and income from the BRA and the City of Boston should be online. Three councilors are proposing transparent government initiatives today, why not just the whole thing properly????
More on why they don't want this later!
Cancelling the contract with the judge that never began
There is an article in today's globe about the new council president sending a letter to corporate council telling him to cancel the contract with the ex-judge looking into councilor Turner. The only problem with this is that they never even signed a contract with the ex-judge.
Apparently, they read my blog and agreed with me that it better not to waste so much money on a fools errand.
I received an email yesterday from a city attorney whom I had asked for a copy of the contract as soon as it was signed. The response was that the contract still wasn't signed.
Apparently, they read my blog and agreed with me that it better not to waste so much money on a fools errand.
I received an email yesterday from a city attorney whom I had asked for a copy of the contract as soon as it was signed. The response was that the contract still wasn't signed.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Some of what I would propose if I was giving the Mayor's Speech Tomorrow night:
Changes in Boston to be introduced in the next 100 days:
ETHICS AND GOVERNMENT
1) Introduce legislation to abolish the BRA as an independent agency and put it under the control of the citizens of Boston through their elected officials. All revenue streams will be given to the City of Boston controlled through the budget process.
2) Legislation to eliminate no bid contracts
3) Introduce separate planning and development departments, so that citizen desires for livable neighborhoods can be implemented, and so responsible, accountable, development will be introduced to advance the needs of the city.
4) Enact transparent pension and disability guidelines and reforms for all departments.
5) Introduce the strongest open meeting laws in the country, to assure the citizens that no back room deals are being done.
6) Introduce legislation that the City Budget must include funding for a minimum of 2300 police officers.
7) Introduce legislation that elected officials pay raises may only be voted on 4 months or less prior to their re-election.
8) Introduce term limits for Mayor.
9) Admit a mistake, and fix the Fire Departments Equipment!
FINANCE
1) Double the Financial Commission’s budget so that competent professionals can do the monetary auditing this city needs. Introduce legislation that the Financial Commission is a fixed percentage of the city budget.
2) Save money by putting the City of Boston employee’s health care policy in conjunction with the State policy.
3) Elimination of taxbreak giveaways to rich developers for private projects. If a project does not make sense on its own to commercial developers and banks, the citizens of Boston should not fund it.
4) Require zero based budgeting for all departments so that all expenses in each calendar year are thought about, and justified. Publish all budgets online.
5) Publish on line all expenses and income by the City of Boston and the BRA.
6) List all property owned by the City of Boston and the BRA online, identify which parcels need to kept for future City needs such as Parks, Schools, Transportation, and sell all others reducing the tax burden on existing homeowners, spurring construction and development to create much needed jobs.
EDUCATION
1) Introduce legislation to end mandatory busing. Convene a committee of leaders from across Boston such as Mel King, Superintendent Johnson, Governor Patrick, the Boston Foundation, and others to insure that we get and maintain an exceptional and equitable school system for all of Boston’s neighborhoods.
2) Introduce legislation to build the best in the country science, math and Green Technology exam high school.
3) Develop plans to highlight, challenge, acknowledge and reward the excellence of our students. Use our BNN network to introduce and televise a city wide spelling bee, A “Brain Game” quiz show of school v. school, and televise our high school athletics. Students can get excited by both participating in and producing these shows.
4) Introduce legislation to provide low cost home loans for teachers who live in the city. We need to reward and retain our teachers for the valuable work they do.
5) Introduce legislation to mandate the City Budget provide a minimum of 12/1 student to teacher ratio. We should not lay off a single teacher, we need to build the best in the country education system so that we can continue to be a world leading knowledge based society.
ENVIRONMENT
The goal is to make Boston as energy efficient as any City in America in 4 years.
1) A key part of the environment is clean streets. We need to hire quality assurance professionals to make sure our trash disposal companies are doing the required job they are being paid to do.
2) Mandate that all non-essential city or state vehicles also be hybrid or have 30 mph minimum standards, including the Mayor’s vehicle. Move up the date for converting taxicabs to hybrids.
2) Mandate dual use toilets in new housing developments and renovations.
3) All replacement lights in public buildings and subsidized housing to use fluorescent lighting. Within 5 years all new lighting fixtures will need to be fluorescent or other high efficiency equivalents.
4) Mandate that new hot waters systems, especially in public buildings and subsidized housing be more efficient. All gas hot water systems to be converted to “insta-hot” systems in 10 years.
5) Mandate that shopping centers and parking lots of a certain size provide recycling stations for the public use. Provide similar recycling stations on public property in each neighborhood.
7) Eliminate school busing in Boston and convert needed buses to Bio-fuel. Work in partnership with our local businesses to use all used cooking oil to fuel Boston buses.
ETHICS AND GOVERNMENT
1) Introduce legislation to abolish the BRA as an independent agency and put it under the control of the citizens of Boston through their elected officials. All revenue streams will be given to the City of Boston controlled through the budget process.
2) Legislation to eliminate no bid contracts
3) Introduce separate planning and development departments, so that citizen desires for livable neighborhoods can be implemented, and so responsible, accountable, development will be introduced to advance the needs of the city.
4) Enact transparent pension and disability guidelines and reforms for all departments.
5) Introduce the strongest open meeting laws in the country, to assure the citizens that no back room deals are being done.
6) Introduce legislation that the City Budget must include funding for a minimum of 2300 police officers.
7) Introduce legislation that elected officials pay raises may only be voted on 4 months or less prior to their re-election.
8) Introduce term limits for Mayor.
9) Admit a mistake, and fix the Fire Departments Equipment!
FINANCE
1) Double the Financial Commission’s budget so that competent professionals can do the monetary auditing this city needs. Introduce legislation that the Financial Commission is a fixed percentage of the city budget.
2) Save money by putting the City of Boston employee’s health care policy in conjunction with the State policy.
3) Elimination of taxbreak giveaways to rich developers for private projects. If a project does not make sense on its own to commercial developers and banks, the citizens of Boston should not fund it.
4) Require zero based budgeting for all departments so that all expenses in each calendar year are thought about, and justified. Publish all budgets online.
5) Publish on line all expenses and income by the City of Boston and the BRA.
6) List all property owned by the City of Boston and the BRA online, identify which parcels need to kept for future City needs such as Parks, Schools, Transportation, and sell all others reducing the tax burden on existing homeowners, spurring construction and development to create much needed jobs.
EDUCATION
1) Introduce legislation to end mandatory busing. Convene a committee of leaders from across Boston such as Mel King, Superintendent Johnson, Governor Patrick, the Boston Foundation, and others to insure that we get and maintain an exceptional and equitable school system for all of Boston’s neighborhoods.
2) Introduce legislation to build the best in the country science, math and Green Technology exam high school.
3) Develop plans to highlight, challenge, acknowledge and reward the excellence of our students. Use our BNN network to introduce and televise a city wide spelling bee, A “Brain Game” quiz show of school v. school, and televise our high school athletics. Students can get excited by both participating in and producing these shows.
4) Introduce legislation to provide low cost home loans for teachers who live in the city. We need to reward and retain our teachers for the valuable work they do.
5) Introduce legislation to mandate the City Budget provide a minimum of 12/1 student to teacher ratio. We should not lay off a single teacher, we need to build the best in the country education system so that we can continue to be a world leading knowledge based society.
ENVIRONMENT
The goal is to make Boston as energy efficient as any City in America in 4 years.
1) A key part of the environment is clean streets. We need to hire quality assurance professionals to make sure our trash disposal companies are doing the required job they are being paid to do.
2) Mandate that all non-essential city or state vehicles also be hybrid or have 30 mph minimum standards, including the Mayor’s vehicle. Move up the date for converting taxicabs to hybrids.
2) Mandate dual use toilets in new housing developments and renovations.
3) All replacement lights in public buildings and subsidized housing to use fluorescent lighting. Within 5 years all new lighting fixtures will need to be fluorescent or other high efficiency equivalents.
4) Mandate that new hot waters systems, especially in public buildings and subsidized housing be more efficient. All gas hot water systems to be converted to “insta-hot” systems in 10 years.
5) Mandate that shopping centers and parking lots of a certain size provide recycling stations for the public use. Provide similar recycling stations on public property in each neighborhood.
7) Eliminate school busing in Boston and convert needed buses to Bio-fuel. Work in partnership with our local businesses to use all used cooking oil to fuel Boston buses.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Letter to our elected officials about transparency
Kevin McCrea/218 West Springfield Street/Boston, MA 02118
January 9, 2009
Dear Boston Elected Officials:
With the recent ethics scandals afflicting our local politicians, transparency and openness in government are getting renewed interest. Since the government is an extension of its citizens and is entrusted with the citizen’s money, I ask you as a first step to be transparent with our money.
With the exception of one City Councilor, all of our elected officials in Boston are, like me, Democrats. I hope you share with me the ideals outlined by the national Democratic Party:
“The Democratic Party is committed to keeping our nation safe and expanding opportunity for every American. That commitment is reflected in an agenda that emphasizes the strong economic growth, affordable health care for all Americans, retirement security, open, honest and accountable government, and securing our nation while protecting our civil rights and liberties.”
I believe it is past time for our Boston City Government to be open, honest and accountable. I have heard from many people, even City Councilors, that they can not get information from the City of Boston and the Boston Redevelopment Authority. It is time to change the way our city does business with its Citizens.
As we usher in the era of “Change we can believe in”, I request that we begin with one simple change: the online publication of all payments and all expenses incurred by the City of Boston and the Boston Redevelopment Authority. This will go a long way towards establishing the “open, honest, accountable” government called for by our national committee.
In Boston, and Massachusetts, we are proud of our progressive heritage, and of being the “bluest of the blue states”. However, we still have work to do on transparency. Even the “red” state of Alaska, under Governor Palin, has already instituted this policy of online posting of all state expenses of over $1000.00. I am sure that with our wealth of local high tech talent we can do better and post everything online.
If the Boston Redevelopment Authority refuses to cooperate, you should refuse to provide the millions given to them in funding from the City of Boston budget each year, and start charging them rent for their use of the ninth floor of City Hall.
I look forward to you taking this opportunity of public interest in government accountability to provide the citizens of Boston with the “open, honest and accountable government” that we deserve.
Sincerely,
Kevin McCrea
January 9, 2009
Dear Boston Elected Officials:
With the recent ethics scandals afflicting our local politicians, transparency and openness in government are getting renewed interest. Since the government is an extension of its citizens and is entrusted with the citizen’s money, I ask you as a first step to be transparent with our money.
With the exception of one City Councilor, all of our elected officials in Boston are, like me, Democrats. I hope you share with me the ideals outlined by the national Democratic Party:
“The Democratic Party is committed to keeping our nation safe and expanding opportunity for every American. That commitment is reflected in an agenda that emphasizes the strong economic growth, affordable health care for all Americans, retirement security, open, honest and accountable government, and securing our nation while protecting our civil rights and liberties.”
I believe it is past time for our Boston City Government to be open, honest and accountable. I have heard from many people, even City Councilors, that they can not get information from the City of Boston and the Boston Redevelopment Authority. It is time to change the way our city does business with its Citizens.
As we usher in the era of “Change we can believe in”, I request that we begin with one simple change: the online publication of all payments and all expenses incurred by the City of Boston and the Boston Redevelopment Authority. This will go a long way towards establishing the “open, honest, accountable” government called for by our national committee.
In Boston, and Massachusetts, we are proud of our progressive heritage, and of being the “bluest of the blue states”. However, we still have work to do on transparency. Even the “red” state of Alaska, under Governor Palin, has already instituted this policy of online posting of all state expenses of over $1000.00. I am sure that with our wealth of local high tech talent we can do better and post everything online.
If the Boston Redevelopment Authority refuses to cooperate, you should refuse to provide the millions given to them in funding from the City of Boston budget each year, and start charging them rent for their use of the ninth floor of City Hall.
I look forward to you taking this opportunity of public interest in government accountability to provide the citizens of Boston with the “open, honest and accountable government” that we deserve.
Sincerely,
Kevin McCrea
Conversation with Parks Department and Big Idea!
I had a conversation with a spokesperson from the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. What is clear is that the special Committee on the Parks didn't talk with them very much about mutual goals.
One good piece of information is that the fountain much talked about is being slated to be fixed this year. I guess we already have the money for that!
They confirmed that Mike Ross is a Trustee for the Fund for Parks and Recreation, a 501c3 organization already set up to raise funds for improvement of the Parks. When Councilor Ross proposes setting up a new fund or conservancy for the Boston Common is this a tacit admission by Councilor Ross that he and the organization he is a trustee of can't do the job properly? Between the Fund for Parks and Recreation and the Friends of the Common it seems as if we have plenty of groups set up to raise additional money for the Boston Common. The spokesperson said they thought the Friends of the Common had 6 million in their Trust which is huge considering the entire parks budget for the year is less than 20 million.
There seems to be a lot of confusion about the Park Rangers. I was initially told that they were hired with external funds but now there are 12 full time rangers, but then I was told that maybe some of the rangers used to be full time employees. Quite confusing, but the reality is that the overall number of employees for the Department has increased and their budget has increased so if there was a cut in rangers it was a conscious decision by the Department, the Mayor and the Council who approves their budget.
Finally, the nice person I was speaking with told me about some of the things the Parks Department would like to see done. The first is to continue the fence along Tremont Street. She said the sections are about $10,000 apiece. I suggested that she should fund raise by "selling" each section of fence with a plaque on the bottom corner that says "Donated by Kevin McCrea/Wabash Construction/2010". My college repaved our sidewalks by selling bricks with these emblems on it. I'm sure many individuals and businesses in Boston would step up to provide a section of Fence which will probably be there for at least a century or two.
I offered to buy the first section for $10,000 as long as I get the corner by Park Street and Tremont Street. I have been attending Mass at the Paulist Center on Park Street since I was a teenager, and I'd love to contribute with something permanent to the great and historic Boston Common.
She thought it a great idea, and was moved to say "you've made my day, my week, my year". I thought her praise a bit effusive, but told her I'm just happy to help out and I hope they take the ball and run with it if that is what they really need.
Remember Robert Frost, "Good fences, make good neighbors"!
One good piece of information is that the fountain much talked about is being slated to be fixed this year. I guess we already have the money for that!
They confirmed that Mike Ross is a Trustee for the Fund for Parks and Recreation, a 501c3 organization already set up to raise funds for improvement of the Parks. When Councilor Ross proposes setting up a new fund or conservancy for the Boston Common is this a tacit admission by Councilor Ross that he and the organization he is a trustee of can't do the job properly? Between the Fund for Parks and Recreation and the Friends of the Common it seems as if we have plenty of groups set up to raise additional money for the Boston Common. The spokesperson said they thought the Friends of the Common had 6 million in their Trust which is huge considering the entire parks budget for the year is less than 20 million.
There seems to be a lot of confusion about the Park Rangers. I was initially told that they were hired with external funds but now there are 12 full time rangers, but then I was told that maybe some of the rangers used to be full time employees. Quite confusing, but the reality is that the overall number of employees for the Department has increased and their budget has increased so if there was a cut in rangers it was a conscious decision by the Department, the Mayor and the Council who approves their budget.
Finally, the nice person I was speaking with told me about some of the things the Parks Department would like to see done. The first is to continue the fence along Tremont Street. She said the sections are about $10,000 apiece. I suggested that she should fund raise by "selling" each section of fence with a plaque on the bottom corner that says "Donated by Kevin McCrea/Wabash Construction/2010". My college repaved our sidewalks by selling bricks with these emblems on it. I'm sure many individuals and businesses in Boston would step up to provide a section of Fence which will probably be there for at least a century or two.
I offered to buy the first section for $10,000 as long as I get the corner by Park Street and Tremont Street. I have been attending Mass at the Paulist Center on Park Street since I was a teenager, and I'd love to contribute with something permanent to the great and historic Boston Common.
She thought it a great idea, and was moved to say "you've made my day, my week, my year". I thought her praise a bit effusive, but told her I'm just happy to help out and I hope they take the ball and run with it if that is what they really need.
Remember Robert Frost, "Good fences, make good neighbors"!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Tracking down the money at Winthrop Square Garage
A couple years ago Sam Yoon and Mayor Menino made some sort of back room agreement with the BRA about the "excess" money from the Winthrop Square parking garage going to the BHA.
I have been asking the Mayor and Councilor Yoon for information about the agreement and how much money has come from the BRA and what the terms of the agreements are. Of course, I have not received any hard information from anyone.
Does it seem right to say to the public that we don't have any money, when we don't know where all our money streams are coming from?
So, today I made a public records request and we will see what we find.
Dear Jessica,
Under the freedom of information act I would like to request the following documents related to the Winthrop Square garage:
1) Copy of the contract with the parking operator
2) Copies of all payments made from the BRA to the City of Boston for parking revenue in the last 3 years
3) Copy of any contract between the City of Boston and the BRA regarding the Winthrop Square Garage.
Thank you for your timely reply.
Sincerely,
Kevin McCrea
South End News
I have been asking the Mayor and Councilor Yoon for information about the agreement and how much money has come from the BRA and what the terms of the agreements are. Of course, I have not received any hard information from anyone.
Does it seem right to say to the public that we don't have any money, when we don't know where all our money streams are coming from?
So, today I made a public records request and we will see what we find.
Dear Jessica,
Under the freedom of information act I would like to request the following documents related to the Winthrop Square garage:
1) Copy of the contract with the parking operator
2) Copies of all payments made from the BRA to the City of Boston for parking revenue in the last 3 years
3) Copy of any contract between the City of Boston and the BRA regarding the Winthrop Square Garage.
Thank you for your timely reply.
Sincerely,
Kevin McCrea
South End News
Replies from City Councilors & the Mayor
I received my first official "NO COMMENT" from Councilor Linehan's office who didn't want to answer three questions for the South End News about a the year he spent on the special committee for the Boston Common.
I've made a couple requests from the South End News to the Mayor's office who say they will get back to me, but....as Howie Carr says When the phone doesn't ring I know it is you hiding stuff!
We asked Councilor Flaherty where he was during the rules committee meeting and what he was working on, but no reply.
Councilor Ross neither posted his proposed changes to the Rules online as he promised he would when he became council president, nor did he even respond to a direct email asking for a copy of the proposed changes. How can you get citizen input if you don't include the citizens? So, it seems like it took less than a couple weeks before Ross reneged on his first promise of transparency for the City Council.
I also asked Councilor Yoon's office for a copy of the proposed rules, but they didn't send those along either. Not too transparent of him either.
IF they aren't transparent about how they are going to conduct their meetings, it doesn't give much hope about what they will do when they actually have to work on something.
WHAT IS SO SECRET ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO RUN YOUR MEETINGS? Robert's rules of order are availabel in most bookstores and amazon.com.
I've made a couple requests from the South End News to the Mayor's office who say they will get back to me, but....as Howie Carr says When the phone doesn't ring I know it is you hiding stuff!
We asked Councilor Flaherty where he was during the rules committee meeting and what he was working on, but no reply.
Councilor Ross neither posted his proposed changes to the Rules online as he promised he would when he became council president, nor did he even respond to a direct email asking for a copy of the proposed changes. How can you get citizen input if you don't include the citizens? So, it seems like it took less than a couple weeks before Ross reneged on his first promise of transparency for the City Council.
I also asked Councilor Yoon's office for a copy of the proposed rules, but they didn't send those along either. Not too transparent of him either.
IF they aren't transparent about how they are going to conduct their meetings, it doesn't give much hope about what they will do when they actually have to work on something.
WHAT IS SO SECRET ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO RUN YOUR MEETINGS? Robert's rules of order are availabel in most bookstores and amazon.com.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Thoughts from City Hall and the State House
I had to go to City Hall today to get some stuff from the BRA, so I stopped in at the City Council meeting of the Rules committee. It was held in the Curley Room where they don't video tape and show the banter on TV. Not as transparent as having it in Council Chambers and posting it on the city website. Also, President Ross's proposed Rules changes are not available online. I thought he was going to post everything online?
Anyway, I was just there a couple minutes (didn't want to get a parking ticket!) and one of the changes he proposes is changing from 17 committees to 13 committees so that council staff could be more efficient. Also it will make special committees more important such as his committee on Boston Common. He thought maybe they would have a groundwater committee, as an example.
Interesting that so few Councilors were there: Flaherty, Murphy, and Connolly were 3 of 4 city councilors at large not there. Consalvo, Tobin, Turner, Yancey were certainly not there either. Where could they all be on wednesday at 2 pm? Maybe in their law offices? I guess they don't care too much about how the council will be run, or for lobbying for any of the committees they care about.
Councilor Yoon's spokesperson says Sam is going to re-propose his 1/2 penny sales tax to aid safety in the city.
Also, I went and congratulated Sonia Diaz at her open house at her Senate Office. It still seems surreal that we have a Senator in our District who you can get in contact with and get an honest answer from.
Anyway, I was just there a couple minutes (didn't want to get a parking ticket!) and one of the changes he proposes is changing from 17 committees to 13 committees so that council staff could be more efficient. Also it will make special committees more important such as his committee on Boston Common. He thought maybe they would have a groundwater committee, as an example.
Interesting that so few Councilors were there: Flaherty, Murphy, and Connolly were 3 of 4 city councilors at large not there. Consalvo, Tobin, Turner, Yancey were certainly not there either. Where could they all be on wednesday at 2 pm? Maybe in their law offices? I guess they don't care too much about how the council will be run, or for lobbying for any of the committees they care about.
Councilor Yoon's spokesperson says Sam is going to re-propose his 1/2 penny sales tax to aid safety in the city.
Also, I went and congratulated Sonia Diaz at her open house at her Senate Office. It still seems surreal that we have a Senator in our District who you can get in contact with and get an honest answer from.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Better than I could have said it:
Paul Krugman has a great blog post in the NY times:
The trouble with Sanjay Gupta
So apparently Obama plans to appoint CNN’s Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore “fudged his facts”, when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong.
What bothered me about the incident was that it was what Digby would call Village behavior: Moore is an outsider, he’s uncouth, so he gets smeared as unreliable even though he actually got it right. It’s sort of a minor-league version of the way people who pointed out in real time that Bush was misleading us into war are to this day considered less “serious” than people who waited until it was fashionable to reach that conclusion. And appointing Gupta now, although it’s a small thing, is just another example of the lack of accountability that always seems to be the rule when you get things wrong in a socially acceptable way.
This is how I have felt many times in my life. The well dressed, empty thought mouthpiece says assuredly: "there is nothing to this", for example all the city councilors when we filed the open meeting law case, or currently when they claim the city budget is under fire.
I was right about the Open Meeting Law violations, and they were wrong. The city budget as Steve W has shown numerically many times is not under some great distress and the proposition 2.5 increases will make up for the loss of state aid, with a slight bit of belt tightening maybe a couple percent, maybe none if fuel prices remain low, and the exodus from the Boston Public Schools continues.
The fact that City Hall will not release actual numbers should tell you who is telling the truth and who is hiding things.
The trouble with Sanjay Gupta
So apparently Obama plans to appoint CNN’s Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore “fudged his facts”, when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong.
What bothered me about the incident was that it was what Digby would call Village behavior: Moore is an outsider, he’s uncouth, so he gets smeared as unreliable even though he actually got it right. It’s sort of a minor-league version of the way people who pointed out in real time that Bush was misleading us into war are to this day considered less “serious” than people who waited until it was fashionable to reach that conclusion. And appointing Gupta now, although it’s a small thing, is just another example of the lack of accountability that always seems to be the rule when you get things wrong in a socially acceptable way.
This is how I have felt many times in my life. The well dressed, empty thought mouthpiece says assuredly: "there is nothing to this", for example all the city councilors when we filed the open meeting law case, or currently when they claim the city budget is under fire.
I was right about the Open Meeting Law violations, and they were wrong. The city budget as Steve W has shown numerically many times is not under some great distress and the proposition 2.5 increases will make up for the loss of state aid, with a slight bit of belt tightening maybe a couple percent, maybe none if fuel prices remain low, and the exodus from the Boston Public Schools continues.
The fact that City Hall will not release actual numbers should tell you who is telling the truth and who is hiding things.
Gunfire this morning?
I woke up this morning in the south end around 4:30 to a series of gun shots. It sounded like between 6 and 15 shots. Anyone else hear it? Was it gun fire? It sounded like at least two different guns shooting.
Go Bernstein, Reilly and those Nutty Bloggers!!!
I heard a story last night from someone that said that Menino was recently at a local political watering hole (foley's?) telling those assembled that he had 18,000 city workers that would vote for him, and that the press is in his pocket and won't write anything critical except for the Phoenix and some nutty bloggers!
Congratulations to my Mom!
My mother, Joanne Fitzgerald McCrea, has been named to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. She was invited to Senator Kerry's swearing in ceremony in Washington, D.C. this week and took the train down there to participate, after working on his reelection campaign.
My mom is one of those people that believe that good government can help people get ahead in life, and I salute her for working hard to try and make peoples lives better.
Thanks Mom,
Love,
Kevin
My mom is one of those people that believe that good government can help people get ahead in life, and I salute her for working hard to try and make peoples lives better.
Thanks Mom,
Love,
Kevin
Monday, January 05, 2009
City Council still hasn't hired the Judge to Look into Turner despite what Feeney and Ross say.
I received the following email from the City of Boston Law Department today:
I apologize, with holidays there have been overlapping vacations. The First Assistant who handles all contracts such as Judge Swartwood's was out today but will be in tomorrow. I left your contact information and asked that you be sent all contract documents when such documents are sent to the other news outlets that requested the documents. Therefore, I can only assume that the contract is still in the process of execution.
So, it is now January 5, 2009 and despite Councilor Feeney saying they have hired this judge, according to the Law Department they haven't hired the judge. The contract should be a public document that obviously many of us in the news would like to see so should be released as soon as they sign it. Unless of course they are hiding something, but the City of Boston would never do that.
Congratulations to Councilor Ross on becoming president, and I applaud him for saying he will post everything online. Here's a suggestion, make sure the Green Sheets are posted every week so everyone can know what things can be brought up for a vote at any time.
I apologize, with holidays there have been overlapping vacations. The First Assistant who handles all contracts such as Judge Swartwood's was out today but will be in tomorrow. I left your contact information and asked that you be sent all contract documents when such documents are sent to the other news outlets that requested the documents. Therefore, I can only assume that the contract is still in the process of execution.
So, it is now January 5, 2009 and despite Councilor Feeney saying they have hired this judge, according to the Law Department they haven't hired the judge. The contract should be a public document that obviously many of us in the news would like to see so should be released as soon as they sign it. Unless of course they are hiding something, but the City of Boston would never do that.
Congratulations to Councilor Ross on becoming president, and I applaud him for saying he will post everything online. Here's a suggestion, make sure the Green Sheets are posted every week so everyone can know what things can be brought up for a vote at any time.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
My prescient TV commercial from City Council Race 2005 is on Youtube!
If I couldn't be elected, at least I could say I told you so! My video whiz brother posted my city council TV commercial from 2005 on Youtube.
Notice that I told about the corruption with the Roxbury Mosque that the Boston Phoenix just recently wrote the full report about, and of course I promised to keep my eyes on City Hall, something that someone should have been doing, and the Feds finally did.
What were the other candidates promising then?
Menino: ???
Murphy: more PILOT payments
Flaherty: safer streets
Yoon: everything would be better
As John Wooden would explain in his pyramid of success, first you learn to put your socks on correctly before you run. In Boston, first you have to end the corruption, waste fraud and abuse before you figure out what to do with the money.
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zRq3GxDBhg
Notice that I told about the corruption with the Roxbury Mosque that the Boston Phoenix just recently wrote the full report about, and of course I promised to keep my eyes on City Hall, something that someone should have been doing, and the Feds finally did.
What were the other candidates promising then?
Menino: ???
Murphy: more PILOT payments
Flaherty: safer streets
Yoon: everything would be better
As John Wooden would explain in his pyramid of success, first you learn to put your socks on correctly before you run. In Boston, first you have to end the corruption, waste fraud and abuse before you figure out what to do with the money.
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zRq3GxDBhg
No behind the scenes support for Maureen Feeney hiring a special investigator
I have been calling various city councilors this week to get their take on Maureen Feeney's hiring of the $50,000 or so consultant to look into Chuck Turner. Of course, these fearless leaders won't come out and say anything but "off the record" everyone I spoke to was against it, calling it "outrageous". One made the point that remember this has to be signed off by Menino. What is it that Menino and Feeney have in for Turner???
Could it be that Menino and Feeney are mad at Dianne and Chuck because a perfectly good behind the scenes deal involving all four was done with some liquor licenses, some raises, etc. and everyone ended up good and then they had to go and ruin it by getting cash payments on camera? As Howie Carr would say, where is the bagman?
Notice that Feeney and Menino aren't hiring any special investigators to look into the licensing Board!!! It takes two (or more) to tango, and Chuck and Dianne wouldn't have gotten any money if the licensing board wasn't involved.
With the City saying we have to lay off teachers and cops, I say the first one to get laid off is the $500 an hour judge.
Could it be that Menino and Feeney are mad at Dianne and Chuck because a perfectly good behind the scenes deal involving all four was done with some liquor licenses, some raises, etc. and everyone ended up good and then they had to go and ruin it by getting cash payments on camera? As Howie Carr would say, where is the bagman?
Notice that Feeney and Menino aren't hiring any special investigators to look into the licensing Board!!! It takes two (or more) to tango, and Chuck and Dianne wouldn't have gotten any money if the licensing board wasn't involved.
With the City saying we have to lay off teachers and cops, I say the first one to get laid off is the $500 an hour judge.
Mayor Menino's police layoff folly
The Mayor seems to have run into a buzzsaw and given potential challengers an issue to slam him with. Laying off 200 cops is not only unnecessary it is politically wrong and more importantly wrong for the City.
As my financial guy Steve W. writes:
City hall is making a mountain out of a molehill and you can prove it - if you are interested in the hard numbers happy to sit down and show you how this shell game works.
Bottom line - to justify 7-10% cuts on boston's budget due to state aid cuts, the state would have to cut net aid by at least 65% or about $225 million and possibly as much as 85% or $310 million- none of the numbers coming out of Beacon Hill are even remotely close to that (we are hearing 15-20% or $50-75 million cuts in net aid worst case - even after the additional $1 billion cuts announced this week).
As my financial guy Steve W. writes:
City hall is making a mountain out of a molehill and you can prove it - if you are interested in the hard numbers happy to sit down and show you how this shell game works.
Bottom line - to justify 7-10% cuts on boston's budget due to state aid cuts, the state would have to cut net aid by at least 65% or about $225 million and possibly as much as 85% or $310 million- none of the numbers coming out of Beacon Hill are even remotely close to that (we are hearing 15-20% or $50-75 million cuts in net aid worst case - even after the additional $1 billion cuts announced this week).
More thoughts from Pakistan and on making peace
My previous article focused on the free reign of hate speech in some Pakistani media outlets that made liberal use of a mix of unsubstantiated conspiracy theory, faulty facts, racial hatred and religious intolerance, and my perspective was formed particularly by watching Zaid Hamid who does the show “Brass Tacks.”
In the week since, I have found the rhetorical violence present in the “lectures” of Zaid Hamid followed up by a close dose of how it informs the reality of Brass Tacks and Zaid Hamid. Since the article he has circulated to the members of his mail group that I have attacked him at the behest of the Zionist Banking System, the Kufr Dajjal and that their “war” has entered a new stage. He encouraged members to write to me, and they have in force. From veiled threats, to how my picture in this column looked like the dajjal (I am content with how God made me), or my membership to the “Illuminati” amongst a number of others have all come my way, including links to documentaries on YouTube from where they have done their “scholarly research…” Brass Tacks has a huge Islamic component, I wonder if Zaid Hamid has forgotten the lessons of “tomat”, or allegations, and how Islam views it.
While at first I thought Zaid Hamid to be well-intended but misguided, what I have now seen firsthand demonstrates delusion. In this postmodern world where people have surrendered a good deal of their intimate freedoms to impersonal institutions, where the interlinked nexus of governments and corporations creates ripples that people find difficult to understand, the conspiracy theorist takes the easy way out by assuming that all events are at the hands of a secret few. Despite the invalidity of these theses, they have staying power because they offer no proof, and hence they cannot be disproved, especially if they are the product of a paranoid imagination. Common to most of these conspiracy theories is “de-individualization”, which is lumping people into impersonal groups and taking their humanity away from them. That’s what Zaid Hamid does when he rants about the inferiority of Hindus, the inherent evil nature of Jews or Pakistani leaders he disagrees with. He neglects to realize that his method is what also drove the neoconservatives in creating a world in their own ethnocentric image and in the killing fields of Iraq. This method also drove the perpetrator of the Marriot, who was so convinced of his mission that he didn’t mind killing scores of the poorest for a few choice targets.
As far as me being a Zionist Banker goes, I have never worked for a bank, or own shares in any. I did work briefly once for the World Bank, a development organization (one that I also believe has done some harm to the people it is mandated to help), but that was a short-term consultancy to research the value chain of apples for export and it had nothing to do with lending money. I do have two bank accounts, and the public is welcome to verify that in neither is there an exemption from paying the government Zakat, nor are there any withdrawals before it is imposed.
Let’s hold Zaid Hamid to his own standards by looking at his record. On the website of his security consulting firm, also called Brass Tacks, he proudly mentions testimonials from employees of both Deutsche Bank and Bank of America (amongst ten other banks), and from Shell. Wait a second! Isn’t this the same Zaid Hamid who does a TV programme that claims banks are in the hands of the Zionist Jews hungry to kill all Muslims? What is he doing profiting from protecting them after creating public animosity towards them? Is this the same Zaid Hamid who believes the world is being overrun by multinationals that are out to secure resources that will eventually harm Muslims? What is he doing profiting from protecting Shell, which has just signed an agreement to sell natural gas in the Governorate of Basra in Iraq under the US occupation? He is not living what he is preaching. He devours banks and multinationals on television but profits from them when the cameras stop rolling.
One of the major world conspiracies happens to be that the invasions of the US were conducted at the behest of Halliburton, an energy company with known ties to individuals of the US administration. Well, the Bank of America (BOA) has just recommended the stock of Halliburton after the CFO of the energy company met with BOA officials. So by one degree of separation, isn’t Brass Tacks, the company of Zaid Hamid, linked to Halliburton because of the BOA connection?
Now I want to clarify that all the above facts are true, but I do not believe in the yarn I wind around them to make them connect. I do not believe for a second that Zaid Hamid intends to create fear and profit from it. He just happened to be a security expert who landed on TV with a pre-existing business and started preaching his prejudices derived from random conspiracy theories. I wrote the scenario above to illustrate how the coincidental can be woven together to make a compelling narrative that has no real truth, nor is it causal or correlated. It is thinking like this that I wish Zaid Hamid would question himself on, because as demonstrated above even he could fall prey to the world where nothing is substantiated and the dicey is used as truth to fan hatred.
As far as profiting from concerns he preaches against, well that’s for him to resolve. But the absolutism that Zaid Hamid holds others to, he does not hold himself to apparently.
This absolutism is not just moral in his case, its intellectual as well. In his recent programme, he described how income taxes were one of the greatest conspiracies of the USA. Had he just bothered to look into the system of income taxes and public finance, he would have realized that a progressive taxation system is one of the greatest tools to redistribute wealth and to help the poor. Accidents of birth, talent and intelligence can be mitigated into a more just society when there is a documented tax base, and societies can pay for services to the economically disadvantaged. A progressive taxation system can make sure that there are good hospitals, schools, pensions and other benefits that can help them overturn an unequal society by redistributing from the rich to the poor. The welfare state that all populist Islamic leaders promise will be based on the progressive income tax system, not government sales tax (GST.) If we had no income taxes, and only GST then we would be taxing consumption, and for the poor food is a large part of that, which means relative to income no income taxes and only GST it would penalize the poor more than the rich and they would eat less. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
For example, Zaid Hamid has been insinuating for the longest time that most of Pakistan’s leaders are in the pockets of the CIA. I am sure some are. However, Zaid Hamid makes one exclusion to his thesis, General Musharraf, someone who overtly cooperated more with the US than anyone else in Pakistan’s history. Now exactly how Zaid Hamid has the knowledge to make this distinction, no one knows. By continuously insisting on television the he is the only one who knows these things, he is creating the cult of personality, not that of objectivity. After all, this is a man who decries the state of representative politics, of democracy, but that does not mean he has the right to do away with it, because the only alternative in his eyes would be someone he approves of (himself?), not who the people choose.
In the end, I would like to add a few cautionary notes. Brass Tacks is not a programme entirely without merit, and neither is Zaid Hamid. For example, he is right when he discusses the rancid imperialism of the US and its misadventures abroad, he is right when he believes that unfettered capitalism is bad, or that Muslims need to awaken from their slumber. He is right when he mentions there are flaws in an economic system that allows for hot money, that sells credit irresponsibly for mindless consumption. These are legitimate themes, and the fact that Zaid Hamid is non-sectarian is applause worthy.
But where Zaid Hamid should draw the line is upholding the facts that withstand query, abstaining from hate speech even if he opposes large swathes of humanity and verifying tracts that may not fit into his presuppositions. There is a place for both the right and left on television, after all that is what creates consensus through dialectic. What should be common is remembering Islam is a religion of peace.
In the week since, I have found the rhetorical violence present in the “lectures” of Zaid Hamid followed up by a close dose of how it informs the reality of Brass Tacks and Zaid Hamid. Since the article he has circulated to the members of his mail group that I have attacked him at the behest of the Zionist Banking System, the Kufr Dajjal and that their “war” has entered a new stage. He encouraged members to write to me, and they have in force. From veiled threats, to how my picture in this column looked like the dajjal (I am content with how God made me), or my membership to the “Illuminati” amongst a number of others have all come my way, including links to documentaries on YouTube from where they have done their “scholarly research…” Brass Tacks has a huge Islamic component, I wonder if Zaid Hamid has forgotten the lessons of “tomat”, or allegations, and how Islam views it.
While at first I thought Zaid Hamid to be well-intended but misguided, what I have now seen firsthand demonstrates delusion. In this postmodern world where people have surrendered a good deal of their intimate freedoms to impersonal institutions, where the interlinked nexus of governments and corporations creates ripples that people find difficult to understand, the conspiracy theorist takes the easy way out by assuming that all events are at the hands of a secret few. Despite the invalidity of these theses, they have staying power because they offer no proof, and hence they cannot be disproved, especially if they are the product of a paranoid imagination. Common to most of these conspiracy theories is “de-individualization”, which is lumping people into impersonal groups and taking their humanity away from them. That’s what Zaid Hamid does when he rants about the inferiority of Hindus, the inherent evil nature of Jews or Pakistani leaders he disagrees with. He neglects to realize that his method is what also drove the neoconservatives in creating a world in their own ethnocentric image and in the killing fields of Iraq. This method also drove the perpetrator of the Marriot, who was so convinced of his mission that he didn’t mind killing scores of the poorest for a few choice targets.
As far as me being a Zionist Banker goes, I have never worked for a bank, or own shares in any. I did work briefly once for the World Bank, a development organization (one that I also believe has done some harm to the people it is mandated to help), but that was a short-term consultancy to research the value chain of apples for export and it had nothing to do with lending money. I do have two bank accounts, and the public is welcome to verify that in neither is there an exemption from paying the government Zakat, nor are there any withdrawals before it is imposed.
Let’s hold Zaid Hamid to his own standards by looking at his record. On the website of his security consulting firm, also called Brass Tacks, he proudly mentions testimonials from employees of both Deutsche Bank and Bank of America (amongst ten other banks), and from Shell. Wait a second! Isn’t this the same Zaid Hamid who does a TV programme that claims banks are in the hands of the Zionist Jews hungry to kill all Muslims? What is he doing profiting from protecting them after creating public animosity towards them? Is this the same Zaid Hamid who believes the world is being overrun by multinationals that are out to secure resources that will eventually harm Muslims? What is he doing profiting from protecting Shell, which has just signed an agreement to sell natural gas in the Governorate of Basra in Iraq under the US occupation? He is not living what he is preaching. He devours banks and multinationals on television but profits from them when the cameras stop rolling.
One of the major world conspiracies happens to be that the invasions of the US were conducted at the behest of Halliburton, an energy company with known ties to individuals of the US administration. Well, the Bank of America (BOA) has just recommended the stock of Halliburton after the CFO of the energy company met with BOA officials. So by one degree of separation, isn’t Brass Tacks, the company of Zaid Hamid, linked to Halliburton because of the BOA connection?
Now I want to clarify that all the above facts are true, but I do not believe in the yarn I wind around them to make them connect. I do not believe for a second that Zaid Hamid intends to create fear and profit from it. He just happened to be a security expert who landed on TV with a pre-existing business and started preaching his prejudices derived from random conspiracy theories. I wrote the scenario above to illustrate how the coincidental can be woven together to make a compelling narrative that has no real truth, nor is it causal or correlated. It is thinking like this that I wish Zaid Hamid would question himself on, because as demonstrated above even he could fall prey to the world where nothing is substantiated and the dicey is used as truth to fan hatred.
As far as profiting from concerns he preaches against, well that’s for him to resolve. But the absolutism that Zaid Hamid holds others to, he does not hold himself to apparently.
This absolutism is not just moral in his case, its intellectual as well. In his recent programme, he described how income taxes were one of the greatest conspiracies of the USA. Had he just bothered to look into the system of income taxes and public finance, he would have realized that a progressive taxation system is one of the greatest tools to redistribute wealth and to help the poor. Accidents of birth, talent and intelligence can be mitigated into a more just society when there is a documented tax base, and societies can pay for services to the economically disadvantaged. A progressive taxation system can make sure that there are good hospitals, schools, pensions and other benefits that can help them overturn an unequal society by redistributing from the rich to the poor. The welfare state that all populist Islamic leaders promise will be based on the progressive income tax system, not government sales tax (GST.) If we had no income taxes, and only GST then we would be taxing consumption, and for the poor food is a large part of that, which means relative to income no income taxes and only GST it would penalize the poor more than the rich and they would eat less. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
For example, Zaid Hamid has been insinuating for the longest time that most of Pakistan’s leaders are in the pockets of the CIA. I am sure some are. However, Zaid Hamid makes one exclusion to his thesis, General Musharraf, someone who overtly cooperated more with the US than anyone else in Pakistan’s history. Now exactly how Zaid Hamid has the knowledge to make this distinction, no one knows. By continuously insisting on television the he is the only one who knows these things, he is creating the cult of personality, not that of objectivity. After all, this is a man who decries the state of representative politics, of democracy, but that does not mean he has the right to do away with it, because the only alternative in his eyes would be someone he approves of (himself?), not who the people choose.
In the end, I would like to add a few cautionary notes. Brass Tacks is not a programme entirely without merit, and neither is Zaid Hamid. For example, he is right when he discusses the rancid imperialism of the US and its misadventures abroad, he is right when he believes that unfettered capitalism is bad, or that Muslims need to awaken from their slumber. He is right when he mentions there are flaws in an economic system that allows for hot money, that sells credit irresponsibly for mindless consumption. These are legitimate themes, and the fact that Zaid Hamid is non-sectarian is applause worthy.
But where Zaid Hamid should draw the line is upholding the facts that withstand query, abstaining from hate speech even if he opposes large swathes of humanity and verifying tracts that may not fit into his presuppositions. There is a place for both the right and left on television, after all that is what creates consensus through dialectic. What should be common is remembering Islam is a religion of peace.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
My New Year's Resolutions
1) My wife is a princess, treat her as such, and be thankful for her being in my life!
2) Don't lose my temper, no yelling, especially with people I respect.
(NY Yankees excepted)
3) Don't be silent. Speak out about injustice, corruption and waste.
4) Be the person I want to be.
Christmas was interesting this year, I truly have everything I could have ever hoped for, so it was tough for my family to get me stuff. Books on politics and history were the worthy solution!
When I got out of college I promised myself that as long as I had 3 things: a place of my own, a motorcycle and a killer stereo that I would be happy. I've never forgotten how happy a simple life can be. I hope that this year comes with your health and peace of mind intact, and that you can appreciate with me the fact that we live in a country where I am free to write a blog such as this, speaking truth to power.
What are your resolutions?
2) Don't lose my temper, no yelling, especially with people I respect.
(NY Yankees excepted)
3) Don't be silent. Speak out about injustice, corruption and waste.
4) Be the person I want to be.
Christmas was interesting this year, I truly have everything I could have ever hoped for, so it was tough for my family to get me stuff. Books on politics and history were the worthy solution!
When I got out of college I promised myself that as long as I had 3 things: a place of my own, a motorcycle and a killer stereo that I would be happy. I've never forgotten how happy a simple life can be. I hope that this year comes with your health and peace of mind intact, and that you can appreciate with me the fact that we live in a country where I am free to write a blog such as this, speaking truth to power.
What are your resolutions?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thoughts from Pakistan on an American redrawing of the Middle East
While I was traveling through Pakistan this time last year, I made the acquaintance of Fazi Zaka, a journalist and Rhodes Scholar from Pakistan. He recently sent me an article he wrote about a map you may have read about in the Armed Forces magazine about a hypothetical redrawing of the borders of the Middle East.
My time in Pakistan, the friends I made and the articles I've read show how diverse and different the country is which can not be painted in broad strokes as American politicians and press would like to. Just as a foreigner would be wrong to think they understand everything about Massachusetts politics by studying what Ted Kennedy writes, the truth is usually much more complicated and subtle understandings can make a large difference.
Here is Fazi's article:
Fasi Zaka
From my experience, there are two major sources of interest in cartography in Pakistan. The first is the Tolkien books the youth devour in their spare time, the second is the legendary smoking gun about a map made by the United States to eventually redraw the borders of Pakistan.
This US map has been talked about endlessly in the Senate in Pakistan, the media and personal conversations. It is the evidence of the sinister plan for the dismemberment of our country, and often the basis of the argument to end our cooperation with the US. There may be many valid arguments about ending our cooperation with the US based on moral grounds, but this map certainly isn’t one of them.
I first learned of the exact origin of this map from Babar Sattar’s article “Rethinking Conspiracies” which explained that it came from an article in the Armed Forces Journal. I believe some more space needs to be allocated to this particular issue.
The article in the Armed Forces Journal is by Ralph Peters, titled “Blood Borders” (How a better Middle East would look). I am not a security expert, and my first reaction was that the Armed Forces Journal was of dubious quality, but through checking references and the publisher profile I realized this was not true.
So this “devil map” actually came from a reputed source, though it must be clarified not from the US government itself. The map on its look looks sinister, it seems like a vision of an imperialist that takes territory away from Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Yemen amongst others.
But one of the beauties of literacy is that reading helps give context. I imagine the map has been distributed widely without the accompanying article that explains this exercise in revised borders.
Ralph Peter’s article is about preventing bloodshed and creating peace. His explanation for this is that if this region’s map was redrawn into ethnic lines then more viable states would result that are not drawn into ethnic bloodshed.
Peter’s questions the love for the borders of certain countries, especially given the context that it was the Europeans who drew these nation states somewhat arbitrarily in an exercise of imperial power. Think of the lasting problems of Kashmir, of the Kurds amongst, and now the Sunni’s of Iraq. The only way their sentiment for self determination has been kept in check has been through brute force.
Interestingly, and this is not something that is highlighted, is that this map also has Israel losing territory and shows it back into its pre-1967 borders. Also it contains a suggestion for Mecca and Medina to be controlled by all the Islamic countries in the world as part of a consortium of rulers for pluralism.
The emphasis of the article is also quite strong on the possibility of realigning the Muslim world based on the basis of Islamic sects, that is avoiding the schisms one found in Iraq before and still finds in Syria and Turkey where rulers control with an iron fist because they subscribe to a different version of the Islamic faith, and the rigid control is to avoid the break out of violence in countries with simmering tensions, like Yugoslavia after Tito and Iraq after Saddam.
The map is essentially an intellectual exercise, one the author also hints at being impractical. Of course such a realignment of borders is wholly impractical, and also denies Muslims the possibility that they are able to overcome their differences and embrace pluralism.
Other than maybe the Kurds and some pockets of Shia-Sunni differences, the proposed map also overlooks the fact that several generations have been born within these borders drawn by arrogant imperial powers. If most of the people where changes have been proposed by Peter’s article are surveyed today, I am sure that most, with the probable exception of the Kurds, will not wish for any change in the territories that define their states.
But these criticisms aside of an article that is an exercise in an intellectual hypothesis, nowhere in it does one find the gist that it is an insidious attempt of western neo-imperialist sanction in creating a world in their image. This map is impractical, but it is not an imperialist one, in fact it seeks to reverse the injustices to some parts of the Middle East that were committed almost a century ago. However, the part where Pakistan ends up losing territory so the Pakhtuns can be part of Afghanistan (a movement no one backs today) and where Baluchies can have their own state with parts of Iran incorporated show an utter lack of understanding about the ends of the people resisting state machinery in Pakistan. It’s about underdevelopment, NOT about ethnic separation.
The map of Ralph Peters is now subject to greater scrutiny than was once intended, and incorrect inferences have been made. It is right to suspect the myopic aims of the West, especially after the Bush administration, but this map is not part of them.
My time in Pakistan, the friends I made and the articles I've read show how diverse and different the country is which can not be painted in broad strokes as American politicians and press would like to. Just as a foreigner would be wrong to think they understand everything about Massachusetts politics by studying what Ted Kennedy writes, the truth is usually much more complicated and subtle understandings can make a large difference.
Here is Fazi's article:
Fasi Zaka
From my experience, there are two major sources of interest in cartography in Pakistan. The first is the Tolkien books the youth devour in their spare time, the second is the legendary smoking gun about a map made by the United States to eventually redraw the borders of Pakistan.
This US map has been talked about endlessly in the Senate in Pakistan, the media and personal conversations. It is the evidence of the sinister plan for the dismemberment of our country, and often the basis of the argument to end our cooperation with the US. There may be many valid arguments about ending our cooperation with the US based on moral grounds, but this map certainly isn’t one of them.
I first learned of the exact origin of this map from Babar Sattar’s article “Rethinking Conspiracies” which explained that it came from an article in the Armed Forces Journal. I believe some more space needs to be allocated to this particular issue.
The article in the Armed Forces Journal is by Ralph Peters, titled “Blood Borders” (How a better Middle East would look). I am not a security expert, and my first reaction was that the Armed Forces Journal was of dubious quality, but through checking references and the publisher profile I realized this was not true.
So this “devil map” actually came from a reputed source, though it must be clarified not from the US government itself. The map on its look looks sinister, it seems like a vision of an imperialist that takes territory away from Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Yemen amongst others.
But one of the beauties of literacy is that reading helps give context. I imagine the map has been distributed widely without the accompanying article that explains this exercise in revised borders.
Ralph Peter’s article is about preventing bloodshed and creating peace. His explanation for this is that if this region’s map was redrawn into ethnic lines then more viable states would result that are not drawn into ethnic bloodshed.
Peter’s questions the love for the borders of certain countries, especially given the context that it was the Europeans who drew these nation states somewhat arbitrarily in an exercise of imperial power. Think of the lasting problems of Kashmir, of the Kurds amongst, and now the Sunni’s of Iraq. The only way their sentiment for self determination has been kept in check has been through brute force.
Interestingly, and this is not something that is highlighted, is that this map also has Israel losing territory and shows it back into its pre-1967 borders. Also it contains a suggestion for Mecca and Medina to be controlled by all the Islamic countries in the world as part of a consortium of rulers for pluralism.
The emphasis of the article is also quite strong on the possibility of realigning the Muslim world based on the basis of Islamic sects, that is avoiding the schisms one found in Iraq before and still finds in Syria and Turkey where rulers control with an iron fist because they subscribe to a different version of the Islamic faith, and the rigid control is to avoid the break out of violence in countries with simmering tensions, like Yugoslavia after Tito and Iraq after Saddam.
The map is essentially an intellectual exercise, one the author also hints at being impractical. Of course such a realignment of borders is wholly impractical, and also denies Muslims the possibility that they are able to overcome their differences and embrace pluralism.
Other than maybe the Kurds and some pockets of Shia-Sunni differences, the proposed map also overlooks the fact that several generations have been born within these borders drawn by arrogant imperial powers. If most of the people where changes have been proposed by Peter’s article are surveyed today, I am sure that most, with the probable exception of the Kurds, will not wish for any change in the territories that define their states.
But these criticisms aside of an article that is an exercise in an intellectual hypothesis, nowhere in it does one find the gist that it is an insidious attempt of western neo-imperialist sanction in creating a world in their image. This map is impractical, but it is not an imperialist one, in fact it seeks to reverse the injustices to some parts of the Middle East that were committed almost a century ago. However, the part where Pakistan ends up losing territory so the Pakhtuns can be part of Afghanistan (a movement no one backs today) and where Baluchies can have their own state with parts of Iran incorporated show an utter lack of understanding about the ends of the people resisting state machinery in Pakistan. It’s about underdevelopment, NOT about ethnic separation.
The map of Ralph Peters is now subject to greater scrutiny than was once intended, and incorrect inferences have been made. It is right to suspect the myopic aims of the West, especially after the Bush administration, but this map is not part of them.
How to solve the School Budget (shortfall) for next year
Again, just rational common sense. But as Mark Twain said, to paraphrase, "Common sense doesn't seem to be too common at Boston City Hall"
From the financial maniacal one:
The city collects $1.4 billion in property tax, $500 million from state aid and $500 million from fees/fines/interest etc. If state aid goes down by $50 million and other income goes down by an unprecedented 15% or $75 million, half of that will be offset by property tax increases under prop 2 1/2. So we will have a NET budget decrease next year of about $75 million in a virtual armageddon scenario. If the school system has to account for 1/3 - that's $25 million or a 3% budget cut. We put $10 million in this year to supplement high fuel costs that disappeared - save that and apply to next year, cut it from next year's budget and you are now only $5 million short of a flat budget. Lose 200 non-teacher heads through attrition in your 9000 person staff that has been growing over the past decade while the school population has been shrinking and add that to the savings from the 6 or so planned school closings and boom - balanced budget, no layoffs and the teachers get the raises they deserve. Now Tom that didn't hurt so bad, did it?
From the financial maniacal one:
The city collects $1.4 billion in property tax, $500 million from state aid and $500 million from fees/fines/interest etc. If state aid goes down by $50 million and other income goes down by an unprecedented 15% or $75 million, half of that will be offset by property tax increases under prop 2 1/2. So we will have a NET budget decrease next year of about $75 million in a virtual armageddon scenario. If the school system has to account for 1/3 - that's $25 million or a 3% budget cut. We put $10 million in this year to supplement high fuel costs that disappeared - save that and apply to next year, cut it from next year's budget and you are now only $5 million short of a flat budget. Lose 200 non-teacher heads through attrition in your 9000 person staff that has been growing over the past decade while the school population has been shrinking and add that to the savings from the 6 or so planned school closings and boom - balanced budget, no layoffs and the teachers get the raises they deserve. Now Tom that didn't hurt so bad, did it?
Thoughts from an anonymous City employee
In response to one of my blog posts, a City Employee who I deal with on a professional basis sent the following:
Sad truth is, Menino once inspired me (back in the early 90s which is why I went to work for the city) but politics and power can have egregious effects on even the most idealistic ones (enter, stage left, my old boss). I wonder how many talented people leave government because of the pinheads running the show. The one thing any politician is good at is getting elected, it doesn't mean they'll be any good at what they're elected to do. Hence you would have been a good and effective City Councillor but getting elected is another skill set. I sure hope Obama is the exception, JFK and Clinton are the only ones in my lifetime who were such exceptions.
Sad truth is, Menino once inspired me (back in the early 90s which is why I went to work for the city) but politics and power can have egregious effects on even the most idealistic ones (enter, stage left, my old boss). I wonder how many talented people leave government because of the pinheads running the show. The one thing any politician is good at is getting elected, it doesn't mean they'll be any good at what they're elected to do. Hence you would have been a good and effective City Councillor but getting elected is another skill set. I sure hope Obama is the exception, JFK and Clinton are the only ones in my lifetime who were such exceptions.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Contribute to the Campaign to Elect Kevin McCrea before 2009!
You only have two days left to contribute to my campaign before the end of the year.
Please send checks to "committee to elect Kevin McCrea" at 218 west springfield street, boston, ma 02118.
Remember you can only donate $500 per year, so if you were thinking of giving me a $1000 handshake, you should split it up into two equal handshakes of $500, one now and one after the stroke of midnight wednesday!
Thanks for the support!
Please send checks to "committee to elect Kevin McCrea" at 218 west springfield street, boston, ma 02118.
Remember you can only donate $500 per year, so if you were thinking of giving me a $1000 handshake, you should split it up into two equal handshakes of $500, one now and one after the stroke of midnight wednesday!
Thanks for the support!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
"City Council has different ethical standards than Congress"
I called up Councilor Feeney's office last week to get some clarification about the hiring of the ex-judge at $500 an hour to look into Councilor Turner. A $50,000 price tag has been bandied about in the press, but Feeney's spokesperson said that it wasn't correct. In fact, the City still hadn't signed a contract with the guy.
Now call me crazy, but usually you don't announce to the press that you have signed some one up to do a job, until you actually have signed someone up to do a job. That kind of gives the other party all the bargaining leverage. If the City tries to negotiate hard on an issue, the judge could threaten to walk and then how would that make the City Council look? But, then the City and the City Council seem to have buckets of money at their disposal for these fleece quests, so who cares? Lord knows we don't have to tighten our belts in these tough times.
The breakdown was explained to me as follows: $500 an hour for the judge, $90 an hour for his investigator, but apparently the bulk of the work is going to get done by unpaid interns. That's great, the City Council is going to decide whether to oust an elected official who hasn't been found guilty of any crime (yet), based upon the work of unpaid interns. That sounds like a fair and democratic process. Unpaid interns (from California?) are going to determine whether Chuck Turner is qualified or unqualified to serve. The report is due in February! No signed contract yet and the report is due in two months?
I asked about the comparisons to Richard Jefferson the Congressman from Louisiana who has been serving in Congress for almost 3 years since his indictment, including winning an election. Councilor Feeney's office spokesperson told me that "The City Council has different ethical standards than Congress". I asked does that mean 'higher' standards than Congress, to which the reply was in the negative, not 'higher' just different.
Finally, I asked whether the other councilors voted to hire this guy and was told that no, Councilor Feeney and the Corporate Counsel decided she had the authority to do it on her own. That sounds a bit iffy to me that the City Council President could hire someone with out any parameters of cost without authorization from anyone. If it is true, it is a dangerous precedent to set. What if she wanted to hire her friends consulting firm for $100,000 to look into Turner does that need to be authorized by anyone? The lack of checks and balances at City Hall is incredible. The spokesman said the contract isn't for $50,000, and from his statements it seemed like it could be more, it could be less, it could be anything.
I've asked for a copy of the contract once it becomes finalized.
Now call me crazy, but usually you don't announce to the press that you have signed some one up to do a job, until you actually have signed someone up to do a job. That kind of gives the other party all the bargaining leverage. If the City tries to negotiate hard on an issue, the judge could threaten to walk and then how would that make the City Council look? But, then the City and the City Council seem to have buckets of money at their disposal for these fleece quests, so who cares? Lord knows we don't have to tighten our belts in these tough times.
The breakdown was explained to me as follows: $500 an hour for the judge, $90 an hour for his investigator, but apparently the bulk of the work is going to get done by unpaid interns. That's great, the City Council is going to decide whether to oust an elected official who hasn't been found guilty of any crime (yet), based upon the work of unpaid interns. That sounds like a fair and democratic process. Unpaid interns (from California?) are going to determine whether Chuck Turner is qualified or unqualified to serve. The report is due in February! No signed contract yet and the report is due in two months?
I asked about the comparisons to Richard Jefferson the Congressman from Louisiana who has been serving in Congress for almost 3 years since his indictment, including winning an election. Councilor Feeney's office spokesperson told me that "The City Council has different ethical standards than Congress". I asked does that mean 'higher' standards than Congress, to which the reply was in the negative, not 'higher' just different.
Finally, I asked whether the other councilors voted to hire this guy and was told that no, Councilor Feeney and the Corporate Counsel decided she had the authority to do it on her own. That sounds a bit iffy to me that the City Council President could hire someone with out any parameters of cost without authorization from anyone. If it is true, it is a dangerous precedent to set. What if she wanted to hire her friends consulting firm for $100,000 to look into Turner does that need to be authorized by anyone? The lack of checks and balances at City Hall is incredible. The spokesman said the contract isn't for $50,000, and from his statements it seemed like it could be more, it could be less, it could be anything.
I've asked for a copy of the contract once it becomes finalized.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Sarah Palin believes in Transparent Government-why can't Boston or the State House do the same?
A great holiday conversation starter: who is more qualified, Sarah Palin or Caroline Kennedy? Anyway, for all of her offbeat belief system, Sarah Palin seems to be at heart a reformer, and 'goo goo' (good government) person. She has made every State Expenditure of more than $1000 available online for any citizen to look at.
Just imagine if you could look at those checks to Cognos, or to the $500 an hour judge Feeney is hiring.
Good job Sarah! Read more about it at:
http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Alaska_Check_Register_Online
Just imagine if you could look at those checks to Cognos, or to the $500 an hour judge Feeney is hiring.
Good job Sarah! Read more about it at:
http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Alaska_Check_Register_Online
Friday, December 26, 2008
Sam Yoon wants $100,000 by the end of the year!
Sam Yoon has been busy sending fundraising requests out to people. Here is the latest request from him. If you link to his website, you'll see he updated his blog last in 2005. I wonder if he is still happy that he didn't endorse the Democratic nominee from the primary for State Senate, Sonia Chang-Diaz. Apparently he didn't think my district needed "new leadership with vision to move Boston forward".
From Sam@samyoon.com
A lot has been written about next year’s mayor’s race. You may have even read some of the stories abojavascript:void(0)ut who’s in and who’s out, and yes, my name is being mentioned. See the most recent Boston Globe article from Wednesday.
While I’m still considering all my options, the insiders say it takes a hundred thousand dollars going into next year to be competitive.
It looks like we may fall just short of our year-end goal.
Your help now will make the difference.
That’s why I’m asking you to please make a contribution of $100, $50, and $25 - anything you can afford.
Your small donation will have a big impact.
You will be sending a message that we’re ready for new leadership with vision to move Boston forward.
Thank you, and may 2009 be a healthy, happy and prosperous new year for everyone.
From Sam@samyoon.com
A lot has been written about next year’s mayor’s race. You may have even read some of the stories abojavascript:void(0)ut who’s in and who’s out, and yes, my name is being mentioned. See the most recent Boston Globe article from Wednesday.
While I’m still considering all my options, the insiders say it takes a hundred thousand dollars going into next year to be competitive.
It looks like we may fall just short of our year-end goal.
Your help now will make the difference.
That’s why I’m asking you to please make a contribution of $100, $50, and $25 - anything you can afford.
Your small donation will have a big impact.
You will be sending a message that we’re ready for new leadership with vision to move Boston forward.
Thank you, and may 2009 be a healthy, happy and prosperous new year for everyone.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!!!!
Christmas Day 2008
Merry Christmas and season’s greetings of peace to all.
Since I was young, I have enjoyed the annual Christmas letter sent from my daredevil pilot uncle Michael. I’ve tried to send one out every year for awhile, because time and life is short and Clara and I have made so many friends whom we wish all lived on our block so that we could spend more time with, and stay closer to. But such are the vagaries of life, that we spread hither and dither, and some of you express appreciation to know what we are up to. If you have heard it all before, skip the rest of this and come over for a drink sooner rather than later, for the rest of you: Read on!
As most of you know, Clara and I took 2007 to ride our motorcycles around the world. We spent last Christmas in Udaipur, India where James Bond’s Octopussy was shot. We are hoping to write a book about our travels to 42 or so countries; I want to call it “The World is Full of Good People”, Clara who is smarter and more practical thinks it should be called “Adventure Honeymoon: Building Bridges to the World”. Either way, she is the star of the book, a five-foot-two-inch dynamo who had less than 1000 miles of seat time on her bike, taking off for what would be 36,000 miles on the odometer as we circumnavigated the Globe, through Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, the Subcontinent and Himalayas before ending in South East Asia. It was difficult at first, with her experiencing a few drops and falls, and our getting used to each other and the rhythms of the road. In Mexico and Ecuador it was NOT okay to take pictures of her sliding through a puddle and getting mixed up in a barbed wire fence. By Bolivia, it was okay to snap a shot of her sideways in a sand dune desert that passed as a highway. When we got to Transdneistr, she was staring down corrupt Cyrellian guards as I was trembling in my boots. To read more, please visit our blog at www.motomoments.blogspot.com. To all of our new friends we met along the way, thank you so much for all of your help, and for confirming for me the basic goodness of most people.
We arrived back in Boston in March, although we had rented out the BIG House and didn’t get back in it until July, so in the meantime we lived in a one bedroom section-8 apartment of ours in Roxbury. For Clara it was confining, for me it was like being in college again, sleeping in sleeping-bags on a mattress on the floor, an old door on two file boxes serving as a desk. We cleaned the back yard and planted a garden, as Clara looked for work, and I got back up to speed with construction stuff. It ended up being a brutal few months, as I was working on renovating a house recently purchased by the people renting our house. It is amazing to me how the rich (they make $500,000 a year between them) can be so nasty and miserable. We eventually had to evict them from our house, as they screwed over everyone from roofers, to heating people to electricians. They owed one subcontractor $500, sent him a check for $250 with a note that said “times are tough for everyone”. The problem is that working people are so used to getting the shaft from the rich that they tolerate it. For example, President Bush, Congress and the Bailout. Somehow I don’t think many of you reading this are going to get your share of the $20,000.00 or so per person they just handed out to Wall Street. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Welcome to America!
Meanwhile, Clara couldn’t find a job back with the Veteran’s Administration where she had worked. Her doctoral specialty is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Why would the VA need anyone with experience in PTSD working with Veterans??? Probably because we ONLY have two wars going on, and our vets are already not getting all the care they need. So, she took a job which she is really enjoying, working within walking distance at a private practice here in Boston. Seems as if non-veterans have the need and money to afford Clara’s excellent service.
Amazingly, the corruption in Boston hadn’t been solved in the two years that I was gone. I started to blog again about the myriad roadblocks that City and State government put up to keep residents from doing honest business and getting good schooling for their kids. Some people have started to take notice, and I was recently hired as a columnist by the South End News, my local weekly paper which had been keeping tabs on my ranting. The column was named by Clara and is called ‘No Comment?!’ in honor of all those politicians who won’t answer questions. It can be found at http://southendnews.com Only my city councilor and my state senator are currently under indictment by the FBI. My state representative who told me two years ago he was going to call me back after the election to talk about my ideas for Open government reforms has not been arrested and has not called me back. Yet.
This year we received the decision in the lawsuit McCrea v. Boston City Council in which the Boston City Council has spent about $200,000 of taxpayer money fighting an $11,000 fine in defending the Council’s right to meet behind closed doors and talk about the planning, zoning and development of the City, and other things and exclude the public from knowing anything about it. It went through the appeals court, and the McCrea decision is now case law in Massachusetts. The City Council plead guilty to all remaining counts in November to avoid a trial, setting our case up to be the largest fine in state history for a body violating the Open Meeting Law. Every once in awhile the citizens win one, thanks to my co-plaintiffs Shirley and Kathleen, who spoke to truth to power and to $600-an-hour lawyers and won.
I took Clara to the beaches of Central America for her birthday in August. While we were there, I decided to try the other side of the fence and “play ball” with a local politician. With my limited-but-getting-better Spanish I negotiated a deal with a guy running for Mayor. I would give him $50 and a pair of boxing gloves, and if he got elected he would let me exceed the zoning limits and build a hotel with a rooftop casino, if I hired some of his friends and family members to do some construction and engineering on the building. It really opened my eyes to how things get done in Boston, and what is the problem with that??? It creates jobs!! It cleans up neglected neighborhoods!! Everyone is a winner!!! Well, except for all the people left in shadows around me, and whose views I would block, but hey they have less money than me so they have less rights right? Unfortunately, I heard he lost the election.
My South End Youth baseball team, The GIANTS, won the championship again. We are undefeated in the playoffs for the last 4 years running. The kids were the champs, not me, as I lost my composure and had to retire early. I’m probably asking too much for the league to abide by the rules it sets for itself. As Clara would say, I’m a tortured individual who finds problems everywhere instead of seeing the glass half full. We had a bunch of great kids on the team who have been with me for years, including a new kid this year: God. Yes, I drafted God West in the second round (unbelievable: God was still available in the second round. I know!) and his adorable smile and attitude, as well as other great players like Ryan, Jorge, William made for a great summer. There really is a special warmth in the heart when you hear a kid call you “coach” with adoration, respect, and desire for instruction. I recommend it to everyone. Thanks to fellow coaches Mario, Bill and Ryan for a great year. Mario got me to go VT for a weekend wiffleball tournament to raise money for the Travis Roy foundation. Nothing like two straight days of pitching whiffle ball on miniature Fenway Park and Wrigley Field diamonds to remind you that you are not a teenager anymore.
Another thing that makes you realize you are not a teenager is breaking your wrist playing basketball with a bunch of big, strong Northeastern University “kids”. I was fortunate enough to do this in September, so that by the time our Thanksgiving family get-together happened in Hawaii I could take off the cast and swim, although it wasn’t strong enough to surf. The stench in my cousin’s house, however, was strong enough to get Clara to move out after one night and into a beautiful beach-front resort. There are compromises to be made in marriage, I’m learning. Don’t get me started on the state of health care in the country, as this is a family newsletter. But why would you pay 50% more for something that is of inferior quality? USA wake up!
I’m sorry if any of you lost money in this tiny correction that is happening, but, you trusted Congress, President Bush and Wall Street with your money. What were you thinking? And people call me crazy????
On a serious note, friends have noticed a difference with me and Clara since we’ve returned. Living for over a year out of 4 metal boxes makes you appreciate what is and isn’t important in life. We are more appreciative of time and friends, of conserving the world, intolerant of intolerant people and religions, and less materialistic. (Hard to believe I could be less of a consumer, but I am.) I love the library! I’m currently designing and hope to start building this year an off-the-grid house, with recyclable grey water; it is an interesting challenge.
The happiest man I know, is a motorcyclist from the D BIG BIKES motorcycle club in Thailand who befriended us and let us stay with him in Bangkok, and spent much time helping us to ship our bikes back to the USA. He has sold everything and is back to being a Buddhist monk in north Thailand (All Thai men spend time as a monk young in life, even the King). He is eternally giving and happy, and we stay in touch. All he has is his orange robe and his bowl to beg for his meals every morning. Life is a state of mind, and if we choose to be happy and to bring happiness, it will be returned. I am grateful to Ood for including me in his life.
This country was built on fantastic ideals, worth fighting and dying for. People around the world look to us as a beacon of hope for what is possible if we are given freedom and equal rights. They are smart enough to separate George Bush from the rest of us, but they question what direction we are going. It saddens me to have to spoil their vision of America, of a land without corruption, where everyone gets the same chances. My time in New Orleans shattered that ideal. We visited Tsunami-ravaged areas in Southeast Asia where they have completely rebuilt, but when I went back to New Orleans in September it almost seemed as if nothing had been done in the year-and-half since I left.
However, to end on a positive note, one of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill “America can always be counted on to do the right thing…After they have exhausted all other possibilities.”
Let’s work together to do the right thing. Don’t tolerate empty platitudes from your elected officials. Even better, run against them! You will always have two votes from Clara and I. Make new friends, come visit us old ones or invite us to see you! Clara is excited about getting back on her bike in the springtime and finding new adventures!!!
Have a great New Year’s and 2009
Peace and Love,
Kevin and Clara
218 West Springfield Street
Boston MA 02118
P.S. Check out FireWater’s album: The Golden Hour. I can’t stop playing it. An American musician fed up with George Bush and our wars, traveled around the Middle East and Southeast Asia to meet our “enemies” (sound familiar?) He made music with local musicians, recorded it on his Mac and it is great. I crank it up and dance to it, it gives me energy to keep fighting the MAN. See it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d52mb9xeGwI
Merry Christmas and season’s greetings of peace to all.
Since I was young, I have enjoyed the annual Christmas letter sent from my daredevil pilot uncle Michael. I’ve tried to send one out every year for awhile, because time and life is short and Clara and I have made so many friends whom we wish all lived on our block so that we could spend more time with, and stay closer to. But such are the vagaries of life, that we spread hither and dither, and some of you express appreciation to know what we are up to. If you have heard it all before, skip the rest of this and come over for a drink sooner rather than later, for the rest of you: Read on!
As most of you know, Clara and I took 2007 to ride our motorcycles around the world. We spent last Christmas in Udaipur, India where James Bond’s Octopussy was shot. We are hoping to write a book about our travels to 42 or so countries; I want to call it “The World is Full of Good People”, Clara who is smarter and more practical thinks it should be called “Adventure Honeymoon: Building Bridges to the World”. Either way, she is the star of the book, a five-foot-two-inch dynamo who had less than 1000 miles of seat time on her bike, taking off for what would be 36,000 miles on the odometer as we circumnavigated the Globe, through Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, the Subcontinent and Himalayas before ending in South East Asia. It was difficult at first, with her experiencing a few drops and falls, and our getting used to each other and the rhythms of the road. In Mexico and Ecuador it was NOT okay to take pictures of her sliding through a puddle and getting mixed up in a barbed wire fence. By Bolivia, it was okay to snap a shot of her sideways in a sand dune desert that passed as a highway. When we got to Transdneistr, she was staring down corrupt Cyrellian guards as I was trembling in my boots. To read more, please visit our blog at www.motomoments.blogspot.com. To all of our new friends we met along the way, thank you so much for all of your help, and for confirming for me the basic goodness of most people.
We arrived back in Boston in March, although we had rented out the BIG House and didn’t get back in it until July, so in the meantime we lived in a one bedroom section-8 apartment of ours in Roxbury. For Clara it was confining, for me it was like being in college again, sleeping in sleeping-bags on a mattress on the floor, an old door on two file boxes serving as a desk. We cleaned the back yard and planted a garden, as Clara looked for work, and I got back up to speed with construction stuff. It ended up being a brutal few months, as I was working on renovating a house recently purchased by the people renting our house. It is amazing to me how the rich (they make $500,000 a year between them) can be so nasty and miserable. We eventually had to evict them from our house, as they screwed over everyone from roofers, to heating people to electricians. They owed one subcontractor $500, sent him a check for $250 with a note that said “times are tough for everyone”. The problem is that working people are so used to getting the shaft from the rich that they tolerate it. For example, President Bush, Congress and the Bailout. Somehow I don’t think many of you reading this are going to get your share of the $20,000.00 or so per person they just handed out to Wall Street. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Welcome to America!
Meanwhile, Clara couldn’t find a job back with the Veteran’s Administration where she had worked. Her doctoral specialty is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Why would the VA need anyone with experience in PTSD working with Veterans??? Probably because we ONLY have two wars going on, and our vets are already not getting all the care they need. So, she took a job which she is really enjoying, working within walking distance at a private practice here in Boston. Seems as if non-veterans have the need and money to afford Clara’s excellent service.
Amazingly, the corruption in Boston hadn’t been solved in the two years that I was gone. I started to blog again about the myriad roadblocks that City and State government put up to keep residents from doing honest business and getting good schooling for their kids. Some people have started to take notice, and I was recently hired as a columnist by the South End News, my local weekly paper which had been keeping tabs on my ranting. The column was named by Clara and is called ‘No Comment?!’ in honor of all those politicians who won’t answer questions. It can be found at http://southendnews.com Only my city councilor and my state senator are currently under indictment by the FBI. My state representative who told me two years ago he was going to call me back after the election to talk about my ideas for Open government reforms has not been arrested and has not called me back. Yet.
This year we received the decision in the lawsuit McCrea v. Boston City Council in which the Boston City Council has spent about $200,000 of taxpayer money fighting an $11,000 fine in defending the Council’s right to meet behind closed doors and talk about the planning, zoning and development of the City, and other things and exclude the public from knowing anything about it. It went through the appeals court, and the McCrea decision is now case law in Massachusetts. The City Council plead guilty to all remaining counts in November to avoid a trial, setting our case up to be the largest fine in state history for a body violating the Open Meeting Law. Every once in awhile the citizens win one, thanks to my co-plaintiffs Shirley and Kathleen, who spoke to truth to power and to $600-an-hour lawyers and won.
I took Clara to the beaches of Central America for her birthday in August. While we were there, I decided to try the other side of the fence and “play ball” with a local politician. With my limited-but-getting-better Spanish I negotiated a deal with a guy running for Mayor. I would give him $50 and a pair of boxing gloves, and if he got elected he would let me exceed the zoning limits and build a hotel with a rooftop casino, if I hired some of his friends and family members to do some construction and engineering on the building. It really opened my eyes to how things get done in Boston, and what is the problem with that??? It creates jobs!! It cleans up neglected neighborhoods!! Everyone is a winner!!! Well, except for all the people left in shadows around me, and whose views I would block, but hey they have less money than me so they have less rights right? Unfortunately, I heard he lost the election.
My South End Youth baseball team, The GIANTS, won the championship again. We are undefeated in the playoffs for the last 4 years running. The kids were the champs, not me, as I lost my composure and had to retire early. I’m probably asking too much for the league to abide by the rules it sets for itself. As Clara would say, I’m a tortured individual who finds problems everywhere instead of seeing the glass half full. We had a bunch of great kids on the team who have been with me for years, including a new kid this year: God. Yes, I drafted God West in the second round (unbelievable: God was still available in the second round. I know!) and his adorable smile and attitude, as well as other great players like Ryan, Jorge, William made for a great summer. There really is a special warmth in the heart when you hear a kid call you “coach” with adoration, respect, and desire for instruction. I recommend it to everyone. Thanks to fellow coaches Mario, Bill and Ryan for a great year. Mario got me to go VT for a weekend wiffleball tournament to raise money for the Travis Roy foundation. Nothing like two straight days of pitching whiffle ball on miniature Fenway Park and Wrigley Field diamonds to remind you that you are not a teenager anymore.
Another thing that makes you realize you are not a teenager is breaking your wrist playing basketball with a bunch of big, strong Northeastern University “kids”. I was fortunate enough to do this in September, so that by the time our Thanksgiving family get-together happened in Hawaii I could take off the cast and swim, although it wasn’t strong enough to surf. The stench in my cousin’s house, however, was strong enough to get Clara to move out after one night and into a beautiful beach-front resort. There are compromises to be made in marriage, I’m learning. Don’t get me started on the state of health care in the country, as this is a family newsletter. But why would you pay 50% more for something that is of inferior quality? USA wake up!
I’m sorry if any of you lost money in this tiny correction that is happening, but, you trusted Congress, President Bush and Wall Street with your money. What were you thinking? And people call me crazy????
On a serious note, friends have noticed a difference with me and Clara since we’ve returned. Living for over a year out of 4 metal boxes makes you appreciate what is and isn’t important in life. We are more appreciative of time and friends, of conserving the world, intolerant of intolerant people and religions, and less materialistic. (Hard to believe I could be less of a consumer, but I am.) I love the library! I’m currently designing and hope to start building this year an off-the-grid house, with recyclable grey water; it is an interesting challenge.
The happiest man I know, is a motorcyclist from the D BIG BIKES motorcycle club in Thailand who befriended us and let us stay with him in Bangkok, and spent much time helping us to ship our bikes back to the USA. He has sold everything and is back to being a Buddhist monk in north Thailand (All Thai men spend time as a monk young in life, even the King). He is eternally giving and happy, and we stay in touch. All he has is his orange robe and his bowl to beg for his meals every morning. Life is a state of mind, and if we choose to be happy and to bring happiness, it will be returned. I am grateful to Ood for including me in his life.
This country was built on fantastic ideals, worth fighting and dying for. People around the world look to us as a beacon of hope for what is possible if we are given freedom and equal rights. They are smart enough to separate George Bush from the rest of us, but they question what direction we are going. It saddens me to have to spoil their vision of America, of a land without corruption, where everyone gets the same chances. My time in New Orleans shattered that ideal. We visited Tsunami-ravaged areas in Southeast Asia where they have completely rebuilt, but when I went back to New Orleans in September it almost seemed as if nothing had been done in the year-and-half since I left.
However, to end on a positive note, one of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill “America can always be counted on to do the right thing…After they have exhausted all other possibilities.”
Let’s work together to do the right thing. Don’t tolerate empty platitudes from your elected officials. Even better, run against them! You will always have two votes from Clara and I. Make new friends, come visit us old ones or invite us to see you! Clara is excited about getting back on her bike in the springtime and finding new adventures!!!
Have a great New Year’s and 2009
Peace and Love,
Kevin and Clara
218 West Springfield Street
Boston MA 02118
P.S. Check out FireWater’s album: The Golden Hour. I can’t stop playing it. An American musician fed up with George Bush and our wars, traveled around the Middle East and Southeast Asia to meet our “enemies” (sound familiar?) He made music with local musicians, recorded it on his Mac and it is great. I crank it up and dance to it, it gives me energy to keep fighting the MAN. See it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d52mb9xeGwI
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