Update: Blogging/Writing etiquette apparently is that unless it is an attributed direct quote than I should not use ” ” so I will drop them but the question still remains and I have asked the Manager for a response.
What is going on with those in charge lately. first we have the Tech School Supt. saying ‘I don’t work for the School Committee, I work for the district, I work for the commissioner of education,”
Now comes a report in today’s Sun that City Manager Bernie Lynch hasn’t followed up on a City Council vote to look to expand the License Commission because it was a council initiative, not an administration proposal.
Lynch acknowledged that he had not called members of the state delegation about the council-approved effort. The manager said he had not done so, because while he fully supports expanding the board, it was a council initiative, not an administration proposal.
In response, Kennedy said Lynch works for the council, so he should push council initiatives with the delegation. Beginning late last Friday, Kennedy said he was taking matters into his own hands and started reaching out to the state elected officials himself to explain why the board should be expanded.
WHAT?? Doesn’t the City Manager work FOR THE COUNCIL and isn’t he supposed to follow up on their motions?
Seems to be Performance based budgeting was a Council initiative that the Manager followed up on. Why not this? Could the fact that the councilor who proposed the motion is somewhat a Manager critic, especially when it comes to filling vacancies on this and other boards so the Manager chose to not follow it up?
This entire City Council including those supporters of the Manager should be appalled and enraged at that reply from the City Manager which basically says I don’t have to follow through on initiatives that aren’t mine.
PS: you can now find me on Twitter – @gnutter50
Be careful with the use of quatation marks. Some may consider that quote is attributed to Lynch, when it is not. The reporter has framed the managers mindset, This is different from the words attributed directly to Santoro.
We can’t even assume that C.Kennedy is circumventing the Charter and “taking matters into his own hands.” Although we know, by his own words, Kennedy is determined to be in the front seat. When he said that, I don’t normally worry about Kennedy steering the City. But, I will be looking for his footprints on C.Elliott’s back when the Mayoral derby begins in Nov.2013. Assuming they both get re-elected, of course.
PS. I do think the CM should follow up any any motion that is duly voted and passed by the Council, as a general rule. I’d allow the CM some discretion on the timeline of execution, but that’s about it.
Jack,
Are you saying that when a reporter writes – The manager said he had not done so, because while he fully supports expanding the board, it was a council initiative, not an administration proposal.
That the Manager never said that and the reporter is lying? The story clearly states The manager said, so is this not the managers words?
Better yet, I’ll email and ask the Manager direct.
What Jack is saying, and I will fully support as a former reporter, is if it’s not a direct quote you never put in in quotation marks. It is misleading.
So reporters, stretch the truth or paraphrase as they see fit even when stating The Manager said
quoting and paraphrasing are two different animals.
Okay so the line in the story states The manager said he had not done so, because while he fully supports expanding the board, it was a council initiative, not an administration proposal.
So if he said that why isn’t that a quote? and when is it paraphrasing and what responsibility to the readers does a writer or editor have to insure he / she isn’t misrepresenting the person they are reporting about? Reading that statement the way is was written clearly leaves the impression (at least to me so maybe others as well) that the Manager didn’t follow it up because it wasn’t HIS Administrations initative.
I’m not going to get into what was or wasn’t said in the conversation, because I do not know. However, all I am trying to point out is that unless someone said those exact words . . . you don’t put them in quotation marks.