Further Proof that Rodney Elliot is playing politics and is trying to create a situation for his own political benefit and trying to makes his other Councilors look bad is this simple fact.

There is NO need to place an Agenda item that Req. the City Mgr./City Solicitor get an opinion from the Ethics Commission on hiring process for Treasurer.

If Rodney was serious and really felt there was an Issue why didn’t he file his own inquiry on Monday or Tuesday when he claims to have first found out about this? He if is so concerned why doesn’t he have the nerve to challenge this on his own? No Guts no Glory!

Why hasn’t he placed an official inquiry himself? Because A) he knows he has no basis and would look even more foolish than he now does and B) he wants to embarrass some of his fellow councilor, the Manager and Mr. Moses.

Filing a complaint is easy, I went to the State’s website and found the form. Maybe I’ll fill it out and send it in along with Rodney’s outburst on LTC and this motion and ask the State myself if this is a violation of the Plan E charter. Here is what the state says about filing an inquiry:

Filing a Complaint with the Enforcement Division

If you believe that a state, county or municipal employee has violated the conflict of interest or financial disclosure law, you can file a complaint with the Commission’s Enforcement Division. All materials relating to a complaint are required by law to be kept confidential, as well as the name of the complainant. A complaint may be filed by telephone by speaking to an Intake Investigator, or in writing via U.S. mail, or electronically by using the on-line complaint form

Rodney has no guts to take this on himself because he knows he is wrong and its all about getting the SUN to write more glowing articles on him. Instead he wants to have Bud 2nd the motion and force Councilors to respond.

Rodney seems intent on putting this on the floor to force the council to act. That way he can’t be accused of interfering with the Manager and Plan E form of Gov’t. He wants to force all the councilors to do this.They don’t have to and would be smart NOT to.

One of them I’m sure will be smart enough to ask for a substitute motion and ask the Solictor to advise them so they do not violate section 107. Sorry Rodney you get to grandstand and attempt to fool the voters but the majority of Councilors are to smart to get drawn into your desperation.

Maybe he’ll have John Linnehan in the audience cheering him on. If your not familiar with Mr.John Linnehan, he is a certified public accountant who is the chairman of the city’s Board of Parks and has applied for the City Clerk’s job which the City Council oversee’s and is responsible for hiring.

He has wanted the Treasurer’s post for a long time. He was also one of the past presidents and founder of Lowell Youth soccer. Guess who is now the President? Ask Rodney he’ll tell you.

This was in the Sun BLOG back in 2008:

CITY MANAGER Bernie Lynch hired a new treasurer last week, but is taking it on the chin from former and current pols who pushed for a Lowell candidate.

Lynch landed in a no-win situation. If he hired Linnehan and treasury operations went south, he’d be criticized. If he hired outside, he’d still face the heat.

Hmm since Mr. Linnehan was a past soccer president and according to the SUN has “plenty of political connections” doesn’t it stand to reason by Rodney Elliot’s Logic that Rodney should recuse himself from the selection of the next city clerk?

I’m sure over the years Rodney has socialized on more than one occasion with Mr. Linnehan like Tom Moses has with Greg Labrecque yet I haven’t heard Rodney say he was recusing himself?

Guess that only works one way in an Election Year!

Desperate people do desperate things and Rodney has 2 motions on this week’s City Council Agenda that bear this out.

14. C. Elliott – Req. the City Mgr./City Solicitor get an opinion from the Ethics Commission on hiring process for Treasurer.

15. C. Elliott – Req. the City Council adopt residency requirement for city employees similar to the City of Boston Ordinance.

In full Re-Election mode Councilor Rodney Elliot is asking his fellow Councilors to ask the Ethics Commission for a ruling on the hiring of the Treasurer.

I hope the City Manager or CFO Tom Moses ask the ethics commission for a ruling on Rodney’s Actions.
Someone needs to hold him accountable for his allegations made in a public forum in a televised meeting against Mr. Moses and how by this motion he is further seeking to interfere with the hiring that comes under the jurisdiction of the City Manager.

So after 13 years on the Council this Gov’t employee who lives in Lowell but works in Boston wants to require City workers to live here in Lowell.

ONE WEEK before the City Election and with a straight face he wants the voters to believe this is anything more than a desperate campaign stunt. Seeking to bolster his campaign status Rodney is pulling out all stops and making sure to have incumbents fight among themselves the week before the Election.

Maybe he’s figuring if he’s going down, he might be able to take a few people with him.

It is the most desperate and TRANSPARENT attempt at politicking and posturing one week before the election that I have ever witnessed in Lowell politics.

PATHETIC!

Should we be praising Jackie Doherty instead of smacking her around for releasing privileged information? Was this necessary to do and the only way a contract could get settled?

By revealing confidential information about contract negotiations, did Jackie Doherty force the Union’s hand and pressure them into accepting a contract before the Election?

Or did she force the School Committee to weaken some of its demands and try to save some face and gain some political capital by settling a contract weeks before the election?

You have to wonder based on the timetable and events that played out if perhaps by Jackie violating the agreed upon rules of Executive Session that she forced either or both parties to come to a quick agreement and move on and away from this issue.

Did the stories circulating that most union members were unaware of the contract offer of 3% until Jackie leaked prove true and empower the rank and file teachers to apply pressure to the Union to agree to a deal?

The same could also be questioned of the School Committee who provided the raise along with additional funding in step levels (reportedly an additional $100,000 cost) and may have capitulated on the requirement to drop grievances along with the length of the contract. Where they trying to save face and get some positive Political Capital by agreeing to a contract and resolving this issue before Election Day?

Unbelievably this contract expires at the end of June 2012 so the whole long drawn out process begins anew in January. Since the complete agreement hasn’t been released as of yet (sshh we can’t tell anyone the details until the entire Union first see’s it and approves it, Executive session you know!) we don’t know the exact details or amount.

I thought Connie Martin indicated this morning on WCAP that is would be 1.5% now and another 1.5% on the 91st day along with the Step increases but I could be mistaken. That would be the 3% Jackie referred to.

What is unclear is the “Language” issues and extra time by the teachers for parent conferences and such but since no one is NOW talking specifics and complete details, we may have to wait for the Union to ratify.

Also interesting to note in this new age media time that we live in, the settlement was announced by the Lowell School Committee on FACEBOOK! Not the local newspaper, radio or blogs. Guess that shows the importance of new age media and Facebook friending your current school committee members if you want the latest news.

So should we all hail Jackie Doherty for releasing confidential information and applying pressure to both sides to get a contract done?

What message are we sending to students, parents, voters and unions? That by breaking confidential agreements things get done quicker? That the only way to get things done is to leak information and if you get caught, say your sorry and all is forgiven?

Maybe we’ll all know better what message we sent on November 8th!

Lowell Police Department (Official)

The Lowell Police Department in partnership with the Centralville Neighborhood Action Group (CNAG) are inviting all citizens to attend an open community meeting. Topics of discussion will include strategies related to making the streets in Centralville safe against all types of crime. Captain Raymond “Kelly” Richardson and Sara Khun of the Lowell PD will be in attendance at the meeting.

Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011 Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Eagle Park at West Sixth and Hampshire Streets
__________________________________________________________________________________

MacDonald for Lowell
Get Out the Vote Bus Tour
Saturday October 29th 12 Noon – 5pm

Lowell – On Saturday October 29th from 12 Noon – 5pm the MacDonald for Lowell Campaign will be traveling throughout the city making stops, asking for votes and promoting the City Election on November 8th to the residents and businesses of Lowell. MacDonald picked a patriotic themed bus to emphasize the importance of voting and fulfilling our civic duty. Regular stops will be made throughout the City of Lowell to get out the vote and generate excitement for the November 8th City Election. Candidate for Lowell City Council John MacDonald a veteran will be promoting his candidacy and emphasizing his three main issues of Public Safety, Economic Development and Property Taxes. “I’ve been knocking on doors since the middle of April and listening to the concerns of my fellow residents. I want to make sure that we are sending a strong message to Lowell by conducting this tour. I will be a councilor that will work hard and want to earn a vote from my fellow citizens.” said MacDonald
__________________________________________________________________________________________
From Kim Scott Candidate for Lowell School Committee and Pyne Parent

As education budgets continue to shrink nationwide, The Clorox Company’s Power A Bright Future grant program was created to help schools fund new or ongoing programs that allow children to play, create and explore.

The J.G. Pyne Arts School in Lowell (the only Lowell School) is applying to win up to $50,000 in the Power A Bright Future grant program for Smart Boards. After a competitive national nomination period, now it is time for our community to show its support. Help local J.G. Pyne Arts School win up to $50,000 by casting votes starting Oct. 24, 2011.

From Oct.24, 2011 through Dec. 9, 2011, adults and children 13 and older can visit www.PowerABrightFuture.com to vote once a day for the program they believe is most deserving of a grant. New this year to the Power A Bright Future program, neighbors, friends and family can now vote for their favorite school right from their phones via text message

The program that receives the highest number of votes will be awarded the $50,000 grand-prize grant, and the next top vote-getters in the Play, Create and Explore categories respectively will each be awarded a $25,000 grant. Also new this year, Clorox’s judge panel will select one additional lucky school to win a $25,000 judge’s choice grant. Visit www.PowerABrightFuture.com for official rules.

Here are four easy steps you and your readers can take to help give our kids Smart Boards.
1. Text to vote**
• To vote for the J.G. Pyne Arts School Text clorox4289 to 44144
• Vote one time every day!
• Spread the word!
**Msg and Data Rates May Apply.

2. Vote online
• Log on to http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/gallery/detail/?nid=1738
• Vote one time every day!
• Spread the word!

Before last night’s School Committee / Teachers Union negotiations the School Committee met to decide what they should/could do about Jackie’s Breach of the Executive Session.

We know that legally they can do NOTHING but ask her to recuse herself, give her a public censure (a little slap on the wrist) or send the violation to the AG.

What they did was give the wink-wink your sorry and supported a fellow member (one who violated the confidence of a contract negotiations) because she was sorry.

They took no action and they did NOTHING !

Except make Executive Session with the Lowell School Committee a laughable process that means nothing. They can’t tell the public we can’t say anything because they did NOTHING to a member who did, she violated Executive session and her colleagues said That’s okay because you said a week later you were sorry.

They feigned outrage and disappointment at the original leak but once they found out is was one of the gang then they said Aw she made a boo boo its okay. I have to wonder if it was Ms. Laraba would they have been so forgiving?

We have been told and now shown that you can say anything, anytime you are in Executive Session and nothing will happen, there is no law and unless your fellow members are hypocrites or don’t personally like you they will do nothing.

In a symbolic gesture to play to the voters and Unions that they Really Mean it this time, they voted AGAIN as they did in 2008 to pass along any “leaks” to the Attorney General’s Office which we know is an empty threat. There is no Law that says you can’t talk about executive session.

They set precedents that ALL and I do mean ALL information that the Lowell School Committee discusses in Executive Session can now be shared by any committee member or the other side. If the person is revealed to be the leak, all they need to do is say SORRY and life goes on.

Paul you now have carte blanche Thanks to Jackie to leak anything you want and feel free to do so. In fact let me know and I’ll share it and won’t identify you. Unlike the School Committee I do keep my word.

Alison Laraba was apparently the only member to express the same concern she did when the leak first happened. According to Jenn Myers Sun story, Laraba stated:

“My concern is that we all experience frustration and personally I would have expected more and better,” she said. “If we don’t like the system we should change it. We don’t make up the rules as we go along.” Laraba reminded the committee that in 2008, it took a vote making it clear that executive session is not to be breached. At that time, the committee voted to call in the District Attorney’s Office in the case of a suspected leak.

“We are going to be held out to the voters in two weeks,” said Leary. “Our colleague has been through a lot, but has acknowledged the wrongdoing and taken responsibility.”

Not quiet what they were saying at the time of the event.

Conway stated the night of the Leak: for someone to violate that trust and jeopardize the hard work put in by both sides is wrong and unfair to all concerned.

Connie Martin stated: I can’t even guess which one of my colleagues could have possibly been willing to risk the legal action that can result from breaking the laws regarding Executive Session. I can only say that when a public official is only willing to speak under the cover of anonymity…well they, and the citizens they are charged with serving, should be seriously questioning their motives.

Jim Leary was quoted in the article: He expressed frustration that a colleague would leak information when the two sides are “so close to an accord.”

Instead they allowed Jackie to say SORRY and did nothing.

I applaud Alison Laraba for standing up to this violation and to Jackie Doherty. The existing School Committee has now made the process of Executive session moot, no reason to have them and no reason to trust that they will keep the information discussed in them quiet.

Make Jackie or another member frustrated and you’ll read about it in the SUN!