Today would have been my Dad’s 83rd Birthday, we lost him 6 years ago this May but think of him often.

Which brings me to offer condolences to State Rep. Dave Nangle and his family who lost their Dad this week.

Today’s Sun (full of ads) has a recap of the Tewksbury and Billerica Elections (including the defeat of the override for the athletic complex at Tewksbury Memorial High school) also Chaz Scoggins has a look back at his 40 years of covering the Red Sox including a note at the end to let us know he will be retiring after this season. Mr. Scoggins I believe has also served as an official scorer at Fenway and I remember a famous David Ortiz rant against he and other scorers. Lyle Moran informs us that the City Manager plans to fully fund the City Pools this summer. Pick up a copy of the Regional Paper or subscribe to Home delivery or the e-edition of the SUN.

Political Column: Reviews the growing Murphy / Elliot feud including highlighting what I said earlier this week that this week it was the Mayor who started the personal attack a fact that the Mayor’s brother didn’t and doesn’t agree with (see his response to my Wednesday Tax rant).

The column rehashes the “controversy” involving the infamous 2010 Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council letter supporting the bladder Dam and how the City Manager wasn’t aware that the Council was still active.

It also correctly points out that the “Truce” between the city administration / Lowell Police and the License Commission is over and the tension is back. Someone should point out to my friend John McDonough that he has only to look at this board and especially Wally Bayliss to see that his argument that all board and commission members are in the City Manager’s pocket is way off base!

Other things:

If you missed Saturday Morning Live yesterday on WCAP you may have missed State Rep. Kevin Murphy calling in during our Tax discussion with City Councilor Rodney Elliot. Rep. Murphy wanted to inform us that the House budget would include the additional $1.65 Million dollars the City received AFTER the budget last year that resulted in a slightly less than 2.5% Tax Increase last year here in Lowell.

Combined with the estimated $2.2 Million in savings from the switch to the GIC there should be NO REASON for the property Taxes in this city to increase and in fact should at the very least stay the same and allow the City to possibly increase police and or fire.

I found in humorous that Councilor Lorrey would question whether the City Council should get involved with the budget before it is presented to the Council and yet for the past couple of years No council or council candidate has had an issue with the Manager going to the Neighborhood Groups and presenting a budget presentation to them BEFORE the Council.

I’d like to see he or Councilor Kennedy bring forth a motion to the Manager that the budget be presented to the City Council BEFORE the Manager or anyone from his administration presents it to the Neighborhood groups or civic groups. The Council is the board of directors and they should hear numbers before the public.

The scuttlebutt is beginning to emerge that the city may reduce the amount of money given to the Schools because of decreased enrollment and the additional monies that the state is giving. Look for the School Committee to possibly pull a page from the Manager’s playbook and hold a series of informational meetings at the various schools to lobby for at the very least the same funding from the City as the past year.

Many schools are in dire need of a coat or two of new paint and repairs and the city which owns the buildings hasn’t offered any type of long term capital plan to make these repair or address the maintenance required. The Manager has 3-5 year plans for the Enterprise funds and for the city, why can’t we come up with a maintenance / painting plan for the schools?

Think about this, in 6 years the average Tax increase has been 2.5% meaning that in that time taxes have risen 15%. Find me anyone who salary has gone up 15% in the same six years! Now add in the rising cost of Sewer /water, fees, gas and food and tell me how this Council can’t support Councilor Elliot,Kennedy and Mendonca in suggesting / instructing/recommending or ordering the Manager to come in with a no tax increase budget for fiscal year 2013/2014.

Those who expected fireworks between us or Councilor Elliot to throw me out of the room on WCAP yesterday were disappointed. The councilor and I may disagree on many issues and I may have criticized him many times but I have also shown on many occasion that he has been correct on certain issues and on this Tax Issue I agree with him 100%. We will never be friends or socialize but we can both be civil and agree to disagree and debate issues.

Who would have thought that Dracut Schools would be better off with Spencer Mullin than Stacey Scott? There is no doubt that Mulllin left the school system in better shape than Scott is and it appears Scott is taking the IT Director and his Asst. Supt. with him to Framingham (according to someone in Framingham I spoke with).

Dracut by July 1 will need a Supt. , Asst. Supt., Special Ed Director, IT Director and Business Manager plus the school system is facing making severe budget cuts without a Supt. in place to offer any guidance or who has to work within this budget but who will have to live with it.

They also may lose a few more Principals and administrators before all is done. It is a mess!

Robinson Middle School Legacy Wall Project
Come share your fondest memories, reunite with old friends and help us design
the schools legacy wall by creating your own legacy tile.

Please make checks payable to:
The Robinson School PTO
and send your $20 donation to:
Legacy Wall
C/O Robinson School
110 June St. Lowell MA 01850