So Brian.. just a couple of minor corrections

Jim D was the town treasurer for a time while I was a selectman, and yes before you say it, he was the guy who told me of the retirement benefits I had earned.
But Brian, he never called me like you do to talk about stuff.. nop.. not once. So I guess that means you are closer to me than he was

And Jimmy Gookin is my friend!

But you see Brian, Jimmy never did anything wrong as a public official like your crowd has unless you think that time when he stopped your buddies from setting up the DHA job for one of the MM crowd was bad.

Come to think of it Brian—if Jimmy had not acted when he did, your boys would not have had to use you like they did to try to get rid of the director.. all that ugly publicity !!

I suppose you could also make the case that all of this ugliness from the LT Governor down might have never happened if my friend Jimmy had let your people do whatever they wanted
But Brian… Jimmy would never allow himself to be used like that

So Brian, please consider yourself invited to sml this week to discuss it with Gerry and I, and yes, I know you’ll have to check with the “higher ups”

A Poster the other day referenced a “growing porn industry in downtown Lowell” Most of us had no idea what she was talking about but Scoop Myers at the Sun found out and shared it in this POST on the Column Blog.

You have to read the entire story and the picture with it, but here’s just a snippet to gain your attention:

You may have seen the sexy posters downtown or noticed the rubber-clad patrons entering Gemstones above the Blue Shamrock on Market Street On the second Saturday of every month the club hosts “Jaded Night” a fetish party. They require a “strict fetish” dress code to gain entrance.

Or, you may choose to come dressed as a character such as: Snow White, a banana or a plumber.

I’m afraid to leave the comments available on this but will in hopes you use restraint and knowing I may in fact not publish anything that makes me blush!

What do you think was the TOP Local story of 2011? Here’s my TOP 10 let me know what you think and any I missed.

1) Dr. Chris Scott says she will no longer seek contract after School Committee fails to offer her any contract proposal after 3 months.

2) Rick Johnson’s arrest and mess in City Clerk’s Office

3) LHA and Un-Inspected Units

4) Councilor Rodney Elliot finishing 2nd his highest finish ever and getting snubbed (Again) for Mayor

5) City and Unions reaching Health Care Agreement

6) Selection of Treasurer and Councilor Elliot’s attack on Tom Moses

7) Councilor Decouteaux deciding not to run for re-election at the last moment.

8) Library Staff in-fighting

9) Jackie Doherty’s Leak of Contract Information

10) The defeat of 4 School Committee members (Mayor, Leahy on Council side, Laraba and Doherty on SC)

I would have put Banning Sex Offenders at the Library #11 and New Law on Pit Bulls would have been my 12th because both got a ton of coverage.

Superman had Lex Luthor – Batman had The Joker – Bernie Lynch has Jim Campanini

Warren Shaw has Mike McLaughlin ….they are bitter enemies.

Okay I get it you don’t like Mike McLaughlin. He is a bad guy, done some bad things and deserves anything he gets.

Fine I’m just not buying that his “friends” are all involved in a conspiracy and are always doing things to promote his agenda.

My pal Warren Shaw in his Dracut Dispatch column takes John Ziminni to task for having the nerve to state a rumor about Dracut that most people had heard and do so on TV rather than in a formal setting such as a Selectmans Meeting.

Is it because Mr. Z is from “THAT GROUP” which is according to some the only “group” in Dracut that is perceived to be the McLaughlin group? Is it the fact he had the nerve to talk outside of Dracut about a Dracut issue ? or is it he is friends with Mike McLaughlin so automatically John is guilty of conspiracy to take control of the school system?

You have to read the column with the knowledge that Warren truly believes that McLaughlin is a corrupt politician and is evil, therefor in his view anyone connected with Mike McLaughlin is also of questionable motives and character. The Louisburg Square Issue was many believed the work of McLaughlin and many hold Mr. Z and others in “his” group responsible for missing out on state monies to build elderly housing in Dracut. Old wounds never heal.

I must point out that John was at least partially correct and there is a shortfall in the Dracut School Dept. Budget. There is also some Dracut residents who feel Dr. Scott got a big head from the passing of the Dracut High renovation project, feeling he not the parent group got it through so he is a little arrogant in the way he runs the school dept.

Rick Johnson the former Lowell City Clerk is good friends with Kevin Murphy and Rita Mercier. Because Rick stole money should we assume that Rita and Kevin are trying to take over city hall or are crooks because they choose to stand with their friend and support him?

Warren himself stood by his friend Tom Byrne when many longtime friends jumped shipped because the FBI wire-tapped him. No one attacked Warren for sticking by his friend.

John to my knowledge has never run away from his friendship / association with Mike. He simple states when asked about it, that Mike is his friend, but John is his own man. Many say that Mike helped John get two state jobs and therefore John “owes” Mike, so he MUST do what Mike wants.

In my dealings with John I have found John is a lot like me, a big opinionated guy who says what he thinks and is his own man. He doesn’t care who he ticks off, if he see’s it one way he says it. Probably why we both tick many people off.

Some question why a Selectman spreads “rumors” on a Lowell Cable show. Maybe because he is on the opposite political side from most of the school committee people and they refuse to meet with his Selectman subcommittee made him talk on TV. Maybe he thought the School committee was trying to “hide” the issue and he wanted it brought forward. Maybe he just needed something to talk about and knew this would have legs.

John did what I and on occasion Shawn does, and Warren on occasion will do, talk about a rumor either on our Blog or in Warren’s case his radio show. John did it as a private citizen even though he is also a Dracut Selectman, who is concerned about the schools. Warren, Shawn and I have all heard rumors of shortfalls and layoffs and some of us have heard higher numbers than what the Sun has published or Dr. Mike has said.

I understand there is a bitter dislike for Mike McLaughlin. I get he worked 15 hours a week for $300K and got people jobs with little work and high salaries and has beaten the Ethic Board and Indictments by a sliver.

I just don’t get the assumption that if you were his friend you are guilty and trying to take over a school system.

Mike McLaughlin is bad YES but can we please try to not paint everyone who knew him as being bad also. All John did was talk about a shortfall and possible layoffs, passing along a rumor. Something I and Shawn do all the time. To attack John and state he is trying to take over the schools system is not only untrue but also unfair. No proof is offered other than he’s a friend of Mike’s.

I’m NOT from Dracut, I haven’t lived through the Mike McLaughlin issues that Dracut residents have so I don’t have the dislike/despise that some do. I also have a friendship with Warren / Shawn who are on one side of the Dracut Political spectrum and a friendship with John Ziminni and Colleen Garry (who I’ve known forever) who are on the other side of the political fence. I tend to see both sides of the issue and since I have no dog in the fight usually just stick my neck out and upset one side or the other for saying anything.

Dracut Schools have a shortfall, the Supt. admits to thinking about layoffs. Those are both facts and both have become public knowledge BECAUSE John said it on City Life and a big mouth blogger ran with it and the SUN picked it up and covered the story.

THe Dracut School Committee should take a couple pieces of advise that Warren offers in his column. Stop having Thursday morning budget committee meetings (GN:when most of the public can’t attend because we have jobs) and rather discuss these matters during regular School Committee meetings and control the information by releasing it during an open meeting in front of a camera, it is far less likely to get spun into a speculative rumor.

I know there is no cure for McLaughlinitis and Mr. Z and Colleen Garry will be attacked for their friendship but just remember what has been proven by State Rep. Kevin Murphy and Lowell City Councilor Rita Mercier, TRUE friends stick by you even when you screw up and break the law.

I don’t recall people like Warren or Shawn attacking either of these two people for standing by their friend but then again they are NOT from Dracut or friends of Mike McLaughlin.

Only in Lowell can a simple Inauguration turn into a who’s lying to who routine.

On City Life Tuesday December 27th Councilor Elect Ed Kennedy complained about the date being moved for the swearing in ceremony. He is quoted in today’s Sun as saying ” the state law governing cities with a Plan E form of government, including Lowell, makes no exception for holidays when stating that the swearing-in should take place on the first Monday in January. “The holiday doesn’t really apply to that meeting because that meeting is set by statute,” Kennedy said

Now if he was so against this why didn’t he inform the Clerk or City Council of that and work to get the date changed when he was informed via a letter dated Dec 6th 2011.?

The City Council met at least twice since the letter went out. If Easy Ed is going to work with most of these people shouldn’t he have communicated his concern with his fellow councilors before going on to raise the issue on City Life? Talk about playing to the crowd!

According to City Councilor – Elect Marty Lorrey:

Gerry

The new city clerk had nothing to do with it,I have a letter dated December 6,2011 from Acting city Clerk Robert Slagle informing me that the inauguration will take place on Tuesday,January 3.2012 at 10:00 am.

So why is Councilor Elect Ed going on TV now weeks after the fact to complain?

Which brings us to new City Clerk Michael Geary who is quoted in today’s sun stating: he chose to hold the meeting Tuesday because when he researched how such situations were handled in the past, he learned that in 2006 the swearing-in and organizational meeting were moved to a Tuesday since Monday, Jan. 2, was a holiday that year.

Michael wasn’t elected until Dec. 19th..Is he saying he was so sure of the job he made the decision and had Slagle carry it out? Was he just trying to take some heat off the acting clerk and told a little white lie to the SUN? ( Note : You’ll be on their naughty list Michael.)

If ALL Councilors and Councilor’s elect were aware by early December you would have thought Councilor Elliot might have mentioned that to the reporter Mr. Mills instead of saying : “We should abide by the charter,” said City Councilor Rodney Elliott. “But if we’ve done it this way in the past it doesn’t really matter much to me.” or Councilor Bill (will I ever make my Mayoral vote public) Martin would have told the reporter that. Instead of saying he remembered the 2006 ceremony, was held on Tuesday.

Good Bill did you forget the December Letter? Did you forget telling the Sun and WCAP you would inform everyone this week who you will vote for to be Mayor also?

Only in Lowell can a simple thing like an Inauguration get so screwed up with people posturing and lying!

Received an email appeal from Sen. Candidate Elizabeth Warren yesterday titled Something to prove.

From the info she supplied (including her common man trips this busy holiday season) and the LIL Goal stalling, it appears the candidate is having a tough time meeting fundraising totals.

Notice how far away that quarter of a million is as of Tuesday Dec. 27th?

Wonder if she realizes the average working stiff doesn’t have any extra $$ so close to the Holidays to be able to toss her a few bucks, if she is really “one of us” how can she NOT realize that?

Anyway here are her hopes vs her reality.