Gerry: State Rep. Kevin Murphy who filed the Home Rule Petition on behalf of the City of Lowell, graciously emailed me this update on the status of the petition:

Gerry,

Due to the Formal Session ending 07/31/2010, no action will be taken relative to the Home Rule Petition. Please contact me in January of 2011 to discuss the status and process of the petition.

Regards,

Representative Kevin J. Murphy
Eighteenth Middlesex

I appreciate the update from Rep. Murphy and the offer to touch base with him in January to follow the process of the petition.

GERRY: Watching the Council meeting Tuesday night I noticed that when the Council and Manager started talking about contract negotiations it was mentioned by both that this would be done in Executive session. I also found in the past few days that even though the “advisory panel” is a quasi-public panel their findings will not be available to the public because it is being used in contract negotiations.

I thought to myself that on Wednesday or Thursday we would see post on Left in Lowell or in the Sun calling for open negotiations. I contemplated writing a post myself calling for it. After all LIL, this BLOG and the Sun have been all over the Greater Lowell Tech about their lack of transparency.

From LIL :”Tonight the Greater Lowell Technical School Committee (GLTSC) will be holding another special meeting to discuss the contract of the school’s newly-elected superintendent, Mary Jo Santoro.

Erin Smith of the Sun has been aggressively following the story and the paper has editorialized on a number occasion, including this past Saturday when they called to “End era of secrecy at Greater Lowell Tech.”

On this BLOG I have called for the Teachers Union and School Committee to be more open and School Committeemen John Leahy and Jim Leary even filed a motion:

Request that the Lowell School Committee enter into negotiations with each Lowell Public School’s union, where it is applicable. And to allow for releasing both the union and administrations negotiating position to the public in writing on a regular basis.

Yet after 3 days nothing, no one is clamoring for the Council or Manager to negotiate in public, including me. It got me to recall George Anthes on City Life saying that Bloggers give Bernie Lynch a break and don’t criticize him. It made me step back and take a look as to why he doesn’t seem to get criticized as much as some elected Officials do.

In my case I tend to be less critical of public officials / candidates be it the Manager, Jim Leary, Jackie Doherty, Kevin Broderick, Rodney Elliot, Franky Descoteaux, Joe Mendonca, John Leahy, Patrick Murphy , Fred Bahou, Steve Panagiotakos , Victor Olson, Paul Morin, Eileen Donoghue, Chris Doherty, Mike Hayden, etc who take the time to respond to me, an average citizen (who happens to be a blogger) and tend to think better of them and treat them better than those who choose to treat me and other bloggers like we are not worthy of their time or response.

Our State Representatives, Vocational School Committeeman (with the exceptions noted above) and Union President Paul Georges seem to avoid answering questions from me and other bloggers (even if we are in their district.) They generally ignore emails and will tell you they don’t read me/us (BS) but yet know exactly what we have written.

The Officials who respond to questions and to criticism seem to get the fact that people read and discuss issues. They want to let the public know why they did or didn’t vote or act in a certain way and are willing to defend their beliefs and their votes. Isn’t that what transparency and open government is about. What’s wrong with an elected official responding to an email and answering why they filed this motion or this bill or why they don’t support this motion etc? Doesn’t the Public have a right to know and to hold them accountable?

Bloggers may not be “journalist” (I don’t consider myself to be) but we are a newer form of communication that gives voters/citizens a place to discuss the news of the day. We turn the spotlight on City, State, Gov. Officials and events and generate debate and discussion.

A smart Politician will respond to the occasional email or question. I never expected the Manager to post the amount of information he did. It made great reading and caused a buzz in the city. I don’t expect that kind of response on every question and would not send him questions on a weekly basis. So on the occasions I ask, I appreciate the fact he responds and does so with many facts and figures. Rodney, Kevin Broderick, Franky & Joe also respond to my emails, usually with short condensed answers when I inquire about a motion they have on the agenda. Patrick Murphy has responded on occasion and has also not responded but time constraint more then ignoring me is usually his reason.

Having Jim Leary or Jackie respond to my school post give all parents a chance to hear the reasoning of the committee from their view. I may not agree with them but I’m glad they feel strongly enough to reply. They show they can take the heat and not take it personally. One week after I blasted Jackie and she responded in kind, we sat next to each other on City Life and then talked in the parking lot after. No apologies from either side, two people who agree to disagree, discuss it and move on.

So I guess George is right that we Bloggers give the Manager more slack than we do others because he responds to the occasional questions when asked and doesn’t deal with us like we are the enemy or we have no place questioning him.I treat the people who treat me with respect the same way. I may hammer them on a specific issue but they understand it is the issue and not personal.

At times it makes me a hypocrite and makes people wonder if I’m on my meds on certain days. To me it’s the issue not the indivisual (in most cases, I have gone off on a few people)

I know the Manager teaches at U Lowell, maybe he can give a class titled ‘How to deal with Bloggers and Criticism” to our 3 Sate Representatives. Of course that would mean they would actually have to stay in the same room and listen to him…..

GERRY: Jack Wilson Candidate for Senate in the Second Essex and Middlesex Race finally response to my question on Plan Design and notes that he (like many others) are awaiting a response from Barry Finegold on the issue of a Financial Control Board in Lawrence.

Wilson on Plan Design:

“As a state legislator I would generally give deference to local petitions from communities. The deference would be given to the local governing body and colleagues who represent the community.

That said, the issue of plan design and covering the cost of municipal workers’ health insurance is one that is taking up the attention of legislators during the current session.

Much work has been done by many legislators to deal with the underlying problem of health care costs, including controlling costs for municipalities. I have maintained during the course of my campaign that the crux of the problem is not the distribution of the cost of coverage but reducing the overall cost of coverage. This proposal deals with one segment of the population.

As a state senator, my focus would be on bringing down overall health care costs for everyone in the Commonwealth, including municipal employees, through a comprehensive effort on the part of the legislature and administration. In the absence of true cost reform, the only winners are the insurance companies. “

On Financial Control Board for Lawrence:

IT HAS NOW BEEN 12 DAYS, since I called for the formation of a finance control board for the City of Lawrence, in response to the imminent public safety crisis created by the recent layoffs of police and fire personnel. Sometimes leadership is about admitting when you are wrong and Barry Finegold has had 12 DAYS to defend his bill or admit the budget cuts have placed the region in a public safety crisis and still no comment from Barry Finegold.

Check out my Facebook group as we count the number of days Finegold remains silent.
Facebook Group: “What Will it Take for Barry Finegold to Speak Up?”

Today’s Lowell Sun has a very good story by Jen Myers about the compensation given to Lowell High School advisors for Clubs and activities (Band newspapers – National Honor Society etc). Much like the Sun’s previous article about LHS Sports coaches being the highest paid around. We know that these people are compensated very well and the Lowell School Committee is responsible for that.

The thing that strikes me in the article isn’t the salaries, it’s the quotes from School Committee members (UPDATED) John Leahy & Jackie Doherty and from Union President Paul Georges.

John Leahy: “Why should you get a raise on your stipend?” “It should be a flat rate.

Jackie Doherty: ” in many respects, the committee’s hands are tied because they cannot reduce any salaries or stipends without negotiating such changes with the union. We can’t touch the stipends until we reach a deal with the union,” she said. “Without union cooperation, we cannot adjust those stipends and we are not going to be able to do that before September.”

They get the raise John because the last time the School Committee negotiated a contract with the Union you gave it to them! Jackie you voted on the last contract and tied your own hands, you can’t touch them now because you (the entire former School Committee) gave them that ability.It’s great to complain about it now and hindsight is 20/20 but you have only yourselves to blame.

For a change I agree with Committee member Alison Laraba , who said “that one of the reasons the committee is in this predicament is that the “small-potatoes” budget items — like stipends — were not addressed in the past.” “We should be looking at the small potatoes,” she said. “Nothing happens until we are in a desperate situation, just like the food-service issue, which should have been addressed earlier, but it took a crisis to bring it to the forefront and finally do something.”

Times have changed and so must the School Committee in the way they negotiate. Everything is on the table and they need to sit face to face with Paul Georges and get rid of their hired negotiator. Hire a lawyer to make sure you stay in the rules but hold a hard-line for a change. You set the tone and the demands and make them give in or eliminate sports and clubs and go to the paper, the radio, City Life and Lowell Blogs and tell everyone it is the Union that refused to give in. Don’t let Georges threat of work stoppage or bad press deter you. Hold the line!

This is why this contract which has dragged on in negotiations since Georges stopped teaching needs to continue to drag on and demand these concessions and demand change and don’t give in. (YOU GAVE HIM THAT ABILITY ALSO, HOW DID THAT WORK OUT FOR YOU?)

Based on current and forecasted revenue’s stop giving away 15 sick days that don’t exist in the private sector. I propose we start 1-5 year teachers with 5 sick days a year – 6-10 year teachers with 7 days a year and 11+ years a cap at 12 days and cap sick day carryover’s at 90 days MAX for everyone starting now. If people have over 90 days they lose them just like in the real world. Teacher’s got these perks in lieu of pay years ago. Pay is now much better but the perks haven’t changed. It is time to make changes now.

It is time to drop stipends for advisors to half of what they now make and bring them in line with other schools, do not give them raises based on the teacher’s contract or seniority, make it a flat rate. Paul Georges and the teachers union need a reality check that they have not received in the last 10 years.

Message to Mr. Georges, times have changed and there is no money so your comments like:

Georges: “That is just the way it has always gone,”
“Decades ago the increases in coaches’ salaries and stipends were lumped in with the teacher raises.”
“the stipends are “not a major part of the budget.”

Don’t have anything to do with the current financial situation. Times they are a changing and it’s time that YOU and your Union realize that. If I had my way you would be saying over and over

“when the committee puts out a demand to slash their salaries, at that point it does not become a discussion.”

Your right, I’m not discussing these things any longer. The School Committee let you stop teaching in April to get this contract done and work on concessions and you have been unwilling to compromise or admit that the landscape has changed. Now it’s time that the School Committee on behalf of the PARENTS/ TAXPAYERS of Lowell take control and set the bar at what we can afford. If your really about the kids then prove it.

So as you state today : “We will have to see what happens at the bargaining table,”

Yes we the Taxpayers / voters will be watching this School Committee closely and you and your union closely to see what happens at the table. We have had enough and the private can no longer afford the public sector, especially a greedy selfish city union.

Gerry: I found it interesting that while I had over 800 “hits” on the first posting by the City Manager, his subsequent post and that of Mr. Sullivan’s stayed around the 400 mark which is what a usual day is. Apparently Mr. Lynch made his points the first time and Mr. Sullivan’s comments don’t hold the weight that I and others may have thought they had.

Mayor Milinazzo when the subject of the Manager’s contract comes up, can you share any information about this wonderful panel you had to have? Under the new Open meeting Law rules I believe they will need to Post when and where they are holding their 1st or next meeting. Who really knows what they have or haven’t done? Waiting until the contract expires shows they really care and thought it was important.

Can the City of Lowell save any money under the Municipal Relief Act passed by the Legislature? Councilor Bill Martin will be asking that question tonight.

Does Bob DeLeo the Speaker of the House, realize what harm he is doing to his leadership team and House Democrats who have opponents this fall by holding out for slots in his district? If the bill doesn’t pass and I’m running against any member of his leadership team I use him and his selfishness against my opponent.

Gov. Patrick did nothing wrong and it wasn’t a political stunt when he was invited and accepted a chance to go oversea’s and visit MA. troops. He would have taken more grief for not going and those who tried to make it a political issue should be ashamed of themselves.

I didn’t see City Life today so if Paul Georges said anything interesting regarding contracts or concessions, please let me know. I won’t hold my breath waiting for replies.

The Sun rumor about WCAP is just that for now a rumor , but no one who knows him would be surprised to think Col. Sam would love to take over and feature himself more.

Another Web Site had an interesting note on a Dracut Real Estate transactions:

96 Parker Ave.: Timothy J. and Mary L. Thorson to USA Army Corps Engineers, $294,642.
96 Parker Ave.: USA Army Corps Engineers to Alkaben H. and Hatish R. Patel, $230,000.

Your Federal Tax Dollars at work. Why did the Army Corps Engineers buy a house and weeks later sell it at a $64,000 loss?

People, even elected town officials and their family are allowed to donate to any candidate they want. Why single out one guy because he happens to be a State employee who gives to Tim Murray? Sorry Brian I just don’t think Mr. Z and his family deserved that shot.

Goodby 7 Million

Gerry: Maybe it’s just me but when the FEDS want to give you money, don’t you have to do everthing in your power to make use of this money BEFORE sending it back?

I don’t profess to understand all this stimulus Let’s Make A Deal money that President Obama and his administration is giving out but how in the heck can the City of Lowell NOT find a use for SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS and get some businesses to move to Lowell?

I hope at the Council meeting tomorrow night when this comes up on the Agenda:
8. Resolution-Waiver of Recovery Zone Bond Allocations

That the Manager or DPD Dept. head can explain in some detail why the City can give back the money so other towns/cities can use it and why we can’t find bsinesses to use it. What type of business did we look at? Why isn’t their any city project that fits this?

I have attached the Manager’s Letter to the Councilors regarding this amendment. (Taken from the City Council Packet on the City of Lowell Website pages 24-28)