Congratulations to Sun reporter Joyce Tsai who is headed to Taiwan to cover the upcoming election and to report on the connections between Taiwan and the Greater Lowell area. Her upcoming series should be a great read for all. Hiroko Sato has a story on the Groton-Dunstable HS Chorus raising funds to go to London to perform and then hopefully to the L.A. Olympics and Political reporter Chris Camire has a look at the New Hampshire Primary and what the voters concerns are. Pick up or subscribe to Home Delivery or the Ed-edition of the Regional Newspaper that covers Lowell the most. The SUN
Political Column:
Starts with ANOTHER attack on the city Administration over not releasing information about Absolute Investigations,the firm the city used in the Investigation of Sandy Ames the former (and now deceased)Plumbing Inspector citing that the IG’s Office has NOT released a final report so in the solicitor’s opinion the investigation is still on going.
It supports the attack against the Manager and Administration by quoting former Councilor Bud Caulfield who is quoted has saying “I believe the manager was investigating different people who he thought were hostile to his administration — not because they did anything wrong. It was a total abuse of power and taxpayer’s money,”
The Column also takes a shot at Councilor Kevin Broderick and claims that there is now tension between he and Rodney Elliot over the Mayor’s vote and drags up the McBee Development LLC issues of several years ago.
There is also a repost of an earlier item from the “daily” on-line Column Blog earlier this week over the location of the Celebration Lunch for the Council and a mention that current Treasurer Steve Grossman may be setting himself up for a run at the governorship in light of all the issues that Lt. Gov. Murray has faced.
Onto other things:
Sun Editor Jim Campanini called into WCAP yesterday ranting against the City Manager who was a guest on Saturday Morning Live and proving to the community that HE has a personal Issue and dislike of the City Manager. He was rambling and you could hear the disdain in his voice.
The personal issue is twofold according to the gossip that is Lowell Politics. One is because Lynch succeeded Campy’s friend John Cox and the other is because of the Manager’s personal life and the fact he was “seeing” a Sun (now former) employee and that employee didn’t feel she had to inform the Editor of her private life and when the Editor found out we was angry and held it against the City Manager who he thought was using this person to give him favorable coverage and “poisoning HIS newsroom”.
The Sun has continued to attack this administration and report stories that have a negative slant toward the Manager and his administration.
Take the situation at the Lowell Housing Authority.
This Manager in 2010 reached agreement top have LHA pay a flat rate for permits and REQUIRED LHA to get permits and Inspections. Prior to that a 1938 agreement states they do not need to. This Manager was the first and only Manager to challenge that and was successful and yet all we hear about is the 132 units that were uninspected.
IF Councilor Elliot who has been a councilor for 14 years and the SUN which has been around for many and Campy who has been there since 1989 and Editor for many years are such protectors of Public Housing, why haven’t they gone after ALL work done BEFORE 2008?
Why hasn’t there been ANY editorials stating that past Administrations have allowed this 1938 agreement to endanger residence and deprived the city of mush needed and deserved fees?
Because it isn’t about anything but attacking City Manager Bernie Lynch.
If you have read this blog you know I have had my disagreements with the Manager (Library issue, Trash Barrels etc) but all in all he has done a good job.
The 2008 renovations are NOT a true issue and they are being used has a tool to attack the Manager and his administration!
Did you read in the Sun anytime last week about the Federal Govt’s Housing and Urban Development Office sending a letter stating that they have received and reviewed the LHA issue and agree with the direction the city is proposing to fix the problem and offered to assist in any way? NO ! Because it doesn’t fit. The SUN only wants NEGATIVITY related to the LHA and City.
The Sun is trying to beat this Manager over the head with an issue that existed BEFORE he became Manager and one he has addressed and is now addressing.
Was he in charge in 2008? YES Could the city have done a better job of oversight? YES Has the Inspectional Service Dept. been overhauled and are they operating better? YES
Can and should the City do a better job with communication between ALL depts. involved in any form of Building/Renovation from the Inspection, Fire and Health issues? YES and I am sure in the current weeks Councilor will address this.
I’m hoping Councilor Elliot ask for the Task Force that Chris Scott wrote about this week to be reformed and have a WEEKLY meeting set up with Monthly reports given to councilors on all building/Inspection related issues so that events like this cease to exist.
I have no issue with Councilor Elliot asking legit questions like the ones he asked this week but if he is truly trying to convince the voters/citizens of Lowell this is about public safety then why isn’t Rodney or the Sun asking questions about work done under Manager’s Gallagher, Taupier,Campbell, Martin or God forbid John Cox?
Think LHA hasn’t done anything in the way of renovations before 2008? Where was Rodney or the Sun then? Or was it that there were no disgruntled former employees to use for material to attack the administration with? Both the Sun and Councilor Elliot are using former disgruntled employees as their source to attack the Manager.
I’d like to see if any former SUN employees attacked Campy or the SUN on local radio and blogs if he would just dismiss them has being disgruntled and having an agenda against the SUN for firing/releasing them? But again using disgruntled employees or 12 year old children to translate information seems to be sources that the Publisher,Editor and Sun condone.
Further proof of the SUN bias is that they are quick to bring up McPhee development so they can slam Councilor Broderick but NEVER mention that the Inspector General 1st came to Lowell BECAUSE a cousin of Councilor Elliot had renovations done to his house and was still being assessed at a much lower rate than what the real value of the home was. Oh sorry I guess it doesn’t matter that former Building Commissioner Camacho never notified the Assessor work was complete.
Another example is the Editor doesn’t like the New Mayor and openly stated he preferred Councilor Elliot. One reason may be that Mayor Murphy doesn’t feed the Sun stories like Councilor Elliot and another could be that this Mayor doesn’t spend money like Councilor Elliot advertising in the Sun.
On City Life Campy and Bill Taupier were disrespectful toward new Mayor Patrick Murphy and the Sun IMHO will go out of their way to attack the Mayor whenever they can.
Case in point, according to Mayor Murphy the first questioned asked by reporter Lyle Moran of the new Mayor had nothing to do with what his view of the city was or what his goals or outlook regarding Lowell’s future or the Lowell School System would be but instead was “Where was the City Council luncheon being held? A Deep and important question from the SUN City Hall reporter.
Mayor Murphy wanted me to let people know he likes the Owl Diner and has eaten there many times and that is why he called Mickey O’Keefe (who used to train the Mayor and his brother) to see if it was available just like he inquired about the Old Court and several other downtown establishments and told the reporter that!
Funny I didn’t read any other business name in the SUN did you? Mayor Murphy also stated that he thinks the Sun is being disrespectful to Tom Shanahan, The Owl Diner and Mickey O’Keefe in trying and make this a political thing. It isn’t and never was. It had NOTHING to do with Elliot or Caulfield.
My prediction is we can look forward in 2012 to many negative stories about the City Manager – City Administration, Mayor Murphy and LHA in an effort to get Editor Campanini and Publisher Mark O’Neil personal “scores” settled.
That would be the firing or leaving of City Manager Lynch and the permanent retirement of Kendall Wallace from the Sun.
BTW – I am NOT the first to complain about the Editor, here are a few Links that I came up with in a quick search of his name:
My personal favorite since the Editor called me a Flip-Flopper refers to a 2007 Letter to the Editor from the Biggest Flip-Flopper in Lowell Political History who is now the Editors favorite Councilor and includes this great Bolded line that the City Manager could use because is as true in 2012 has when it was stated in 2007:
Mr. Campanini used inaccurate information to mislead the public to believe that I was not doing my job or that I do not work hard. I have other faults in life, but working hard is not one of them.”
“Deeb was shockingly defeated in the recent election by a … cook.”
