Who says the Lowell Sun isn’t fair? After being critical of the City Council in an editorial titled
If councilors snooze, taxpayers will lose regarding the upcoming budget and saying

“When City Manager Bernie Lynch unveils his proposed fiscal 2013 budget, everything will seem hunky-dory. But the City Council shouldn’t be snookered into sleep mode — as the majority usually is during its rubber-stamp budget season — because there is a whole lot of fiscal uncertainty on the horizon.”

The Sun ran a front page story in yesterday’s paper by Lyle Moran titled ” ‘Very positive picture for the city of Lowell’

and the article starts off very positive: City Manager Bernie Lynch is touting his fiscal 2013 budget as a document that demonstrates the fruit of his administration’s work over the last six years to turn around the city’s finances without decimating public services city residents desire.

BUT if you keep reading the words used by the reporter Mr. Moran, it seems to be a less than positive spin the reporter is trying to put on it. YES it is factual but when you read it, it isn’t in any way an endorsement of the budget nor positive presentation about the budget. It appears the reporter wants to show Lynch is maybe addicted to taxes..where would he get this idea?

(BOLD MINE)
Lynch told The Sun’s editorial board Friday the city’s strengthened financial picture is evidenced by a budget that calls for significant increased investments in public services prioritized by the City Council, while including a much smaller property-tax increase than the manager typically seeks

But the growth in spending on certain public services does not mean taxes will rise the typical 2.5 percent Lynch has asked the council to approve in prior years.

While the tax increase will be smaller than expected, Lynch is calling for a 5 percent mid year increase in sewer rates. The increase will raise the average sewer bill from $325 to $341.

The budget also forecasts a 15 percent rate increase spread over the four subsequent years.

Speaking of negativity, can the members of the Greater Lowell Tech School Committee make themselves look any worse? One or more members is leaking every possible negative story to bloggers, local cable shows and the Sun at every opportunity, ( Today’s Sun Front page and Political Column) while the Chairman is allegedly writing memo’s for the Administration to sign and appointing 2 former teachers to the contract negotiations committee including one who is replacing a member who did not seek re-election and who himself will be resigning in the next month or so.

Then the Supt of the School, appears to not know what the School Committee Policy which was just voted on is regarding elimination positions. From today’s Sun (Again BOLD mine):

Santoro said the School Committee was notified of the layoffs around the same time the teachers were being told because the committee is not required to give approval for layoffs.

Until a reporter pointed out this policy to Santoro, she had said it is the role of the superintendent and assistant-superintendent/principal to hire, dismiss or lay off staff, and the School Committee is informed of those decisions

Why would ANYONE in their right mind want to be appointed to the Technical School Board which offers NO Stipend, No Insurance, has more in-fighting than the Lynch / Elliot feud and has a combative relationship with its Teacher’s Union? How many of these interested candidates have attended a meeting live or will show up for this June 14th meeting? How many even watch it streaming live? or know that is even available?

Speaking of which, rumor’s circulating in the bubble (as my friend Jack calls it) say that Jackie Doherty has secured the vote of at least 1 current member of the current Lowell School Committee. Which is surprising since this vote is allegedly from the same person who was the first to publicly post they were NOT the leak in the Contract Leak Fiasco last year involving Jackie Doherty.

Let’s see if I have this correct, Liz Warren can “misspeak” about anything including heritage and ethnicity but Scott Brown was attacked last year for putting himself through school by posing nude and gets blamed for supporting Wall Street even after it is learned Warren flipped more Foreclosed Houses than George Berakis or any Good Ole Lowell Boy ever thought of…LOL gotta love the Liberal Democratic Blind Loyalist!

Republican George Boag DID qualify for the Primary and will face Dracut Chairwoman Cathy Richardson in a Republican Primary for State Rep. with the winner facing Colleen Garry in November. Rumors had it that Boag had not acquired the needed signatures but that was untrue. Will he and Richardson have any debates before the primary?

Speaking of Rep. Garry, I am curious to see what either Republican will use to attack or separate her from them. Colleen has been a fierce fighter against raising any sales tax, a promoter to allow businesses to open and compete against New Hampshire during Holidays and Sundays and is a big supporter of requiring voter identification. Her length of service is an asset and she sits on the Ways and Means committee.

Colleen also voted against the pre-registration of 16/17 year olds to vote realizing it mandates more work on city and town Clerks and Election Depts. without offering any financial support to these cities and towns which are already running bare boned departments.

BTW Cathy Richardson could continue to serve out her term on the Dracut Selectman Board even if she won the State Rep. race.

Why would the State Legislature vote to allow / encourage private day care facilities to unionize to be able to negociate better rates from the state? That is like a boss telling his employees to unionize and come back to ask for bigger raises.

Also why would Treasurer Grossman want to allow on-line lottery sales and hurt the already struggling small mom and pop stores? Not exactly friendly to the small business people who pay the property tax or rent the local storefronts.

SUPER CUTS on Bridge St. in the Market Basket Plaza on Bridge St. is now open and my friend Ryan Rourke is getting his new shop ALL MIXED UP ready to open at the site of the old Yum Yum shop in Dracut on Broadway Road in early July. The New DCU / Dunkin Donuts is open on Bridge St / corner of W.6th St in Lowell also.

Back on City Life from 6:00 -7:00 am this Wednesday with Linda Bown and George and John to talk Lowell Budget, Tech School Committee and Police Cruisers and with Warren, Tom, Shawn and Dennis on 980 WCAP Saturday Morning Live (6:00 -10:00) next Saturday from 7:00 -9:00.