Pangy? Murphy? Martin a sell-out? Stop the silliness, Please!
Posted: November 17, 2011 Filed under: Politics 5 Comments »
Neither former Sen. Panagiotakos or State Rep. Kevin Murphy will be Next City Manager and Councilor Bill Martin isn’t a sell-out
Since last Wednesday and increasing after the announced fight for Mayor, the Bernie Bashers, Boo Birds and even some Bernie Supporters have been chirping loudly in the political under currents that swirl around this city and they suggest that the long-term prognosis for Bernie Lynch lasting another 2 full years as the City Manager rest with Councilor Bill Martin and his mayoral vote.
Those in the circle of Lowell insider-political gossip are suggesting that former State Sen. Panagiotakos is one of the main people behind the scene, pushing to get rid of the Manager and the issue is always who they get to replace him. Rumors say he will persuade Martin to vote for Elliot and make it worth his while.
We do know Pangy has enjoyed a friendship with Fred Doyle over the years and the Panagiotakos families have been donators to Doyle. We also know Doyle has been in attack mode against the Manager for close to a year.
However the speculation that the former Senator he has some type of grudge or axe to grind and wants to be the power broker in the city who got Lynch makes little sense to me and the rumors floating around are in my mind senseless.
The scenario’s flying around have Pangy playing King Maker and orchestrating so many moves that it makes little sense to me that he would or even could do all this.
A number of scenarios are floating around but the most interesting (and in my opinion far-fetched) include Martin going for Elliot along with Mendonça, Mercier, Kennedy giving him the 5 votes he needs.
Then in a very convoluted and frankly hard to believe scenario, Kevin Murphy would announce in February that he was NOT running for Re-election opening the door for Rithy Uong. Then the Martin,Elliot, Mendonca, Mercier, Kennedy group would vote to fire the Manager by next July and Kevin Murphy becomes the new City Manager.
The funny thing is both the supporters of the Manager and the Bernie Bashers seem to believe this scenario could actually take place. Those that support him are worried about the low turnout and think people don’t care what happens to the Manager and those that bash him think they smell blood in the water and the time is now to get him out.
They tend to ignore the fact that Kevin Murphy is a very smart man and his income has a State Rep. with a thriving successful Law Practice is more than the Manager makes. I also believe Rep. Murphy recognizes the fact that the City Manager gets all the heat in Lowell and the fiscal situation isn’t getting any better in the next year or two. In what situation would he want to take on that headache?
Former Sen. Steve is also doing well in private practice and knows the headache that comes with being the Manager so he would not take the job and he cannot force out the Manager (and still I’m not convinced he wants to do that) without having a replacement in place and that would need to be a Lowell guy.
Unlike years past when Jim Milinazzo, Bob Hatem and Ed Kennedy went for the job, there doesn’t seem to be many outstanding potential replacements with either a legislative background or a municipal experience hanging around Lowell.
The rumors of TJ McCarthy making a return as City Manger seem as far fetched to me as the Kevin Murphy rumors.
The theory is out there regardless of the many scenarios,is that if Bill Martin supports Elliot for Mayor, than the Manager’s days are numbered because Martin will have sold out for something down the road. Rumors say it shows he would be a party loyalist and follow the will of Pangy with the understanding he would get his later. Supposedly that would be support for a State Senate run in a couple years when Congresswoman Tsongas retires and Sen. Donoghue again goes for the Congressional seat.
Sorry I don’t buy that either, Bill Martin is a smart man and has always finished in the middle of the pack because he stand on his own principals and doesn’t play the game and isn’t the type to sell out. He understands the fiscal situation the city was in 2006 and knows this administration is what brought the city back to solid footing.
If anything I see him working WITH the Manager in getting the Manger to communicate with Council members and the state delegation better than being the key vote to replace him.
Regardless of all the whispering and speculating, until the Mayor fight is over all eyes are on Martin, Pangy and Murphy!
If Gerry has the stones to put this in the light, I have to admit my own part in this drama. These rumors are swirling rapidly in “the bubble.” I’ve done my share of speaking in code and probing the details. That does, in fact, contribute to the rumors growing. When you put feelers out, the effect is a force multiplier.
There is a lynch mob coming for Lynch. The main players in this effort are smart enough to stay in the shadows. All very cloak and dagger. Why. Because, as one candidate put it, “Run against the manager, you lose!”
Doyle was the only candidate openly against Lynch. All others either declared support in an assertive way or tried some measly mouth expression that Bernie Bashers could tolerate.
Folks, while you lean in, striving in good faith to make Lowell fulfill itself, some work to secure a grip on the ladle that gifts the public monies. Past is prologue? Not on my watch. You?
Isn’t this the another example of the grand old Lowell tradition of the domino effect. Wasn’t it just a few years ago John Kerry going to become Secretary of State then Marty going to become Senator and then Pangy chancellor UML then so on and so forth, then someone was going to take his senate seat, and so on and so forth.
However Kevin Murphy wanting to be CM rumor has been floating for a real long time, and the scenario that includes him choosing not to run for re-election in a district that seems to be undergoing a major shift if not in demographics, certainly voter turnout, that part I can believe. Money isn’t going to be the driving factor…if it was, why even bother staying state rep? Also, remember that the headaches that Lynch has are not entirely inherent in the position. Some of them are just personal against him, his perceived status as an outsider, etc. He wouldnt have to deal with those headaches although I’m not sure the current council makeup would be ideal for him.
Pangiotakos is a smart guy. If he wanted to take down the manager, he’d have used a a more credible attack dog than Fred Doyle.
Why is it, that after every election, the rumor factory runs rampant. I go with none of th above. And by the way, did anyone notice the look on the Manager’s face when the subject of Living Waters came up Tuesday? To me, he looked absolutely disgusted. It seems like he has tried to communicate with them and they blew him off. Not my idea of Christian behavior.
The Lowell political power brokers are constantly stirring the political winds for no other reason than to know that they can.
Relative to Manager Lynch, he may well be at the Tito Francona stage, still a good guy but his shelf life is coming to an end. Quite frankly, he’s lasted longer than most people would have predicted. That’s a credit to his skills set. But, like the ex-Sox skipper, the time comes when you are no longer the effective leader you once was….
Tell that to Dennis Piendak & Dracut.
There is a sickness in this city, that treats the CM’s postion like that of the Mayor’s. Who’s turn is it, now?
Cox kept the taxes artificially low and pissed through all the free cash. Lynch comes in to pull us out of the hole. What? Now we gotta kick him out? Lynch isn’t punch drunk. He has game. Let’s keep him in as long as it is working.
The shelf life arguement is designed to facilitate rearranging the deck chairs of the Titanic.