Unelected officials and accountability.

Slate.com had an interesting article regarding the new Michigan law Public Act 4 that allows the state to take over 'failing' municipalities.

I found a few things pretty scary, namely the new powers granted to an unelected manager.   The Act gives him or her the power to slash municipal obligations to pensioners; ignore all unions and the concessions they have won through contractual negotiations; fire all city employees and privatize/slash all services to save money; eliminate the fire and police departments; and most importantly, not answer to anyone, whether it is a voter or an elected official, all in the name of 'progress.'

The good news?  Pontiac's Emergency Manager doesn't have to pay the City Council and ripped out all the parking meters because it wasn't cost effective to run them.

This article illustrates Worcester's need for a City Council and electorate that needs to be involved in the daily operations of our City and keep our government from being run by a business manager with zero accountability.

Sometimes giving away our democratic oversight in the name of 'progress' and 'reform' isn't all that it's cracked up to be. 

Never in my backyard!

Remember the public outcry over the Worcester Youth Center moving next to Beaver Brook Park neighbors were worried about the the gang members it would bring to a public park and a nice residential neighborhood? 

Remember the crime wave that was going to engulf the West Side when a transitional house for former addicts was opened on Newton Square and the PIP clients were going to hang outside waiting for their girlfriends?

Remember when Paulie made up a whole bunch of BS about the PIP shelter moving to the corner of Chandler St. and Park Ave and hung a banner on his half destroyed/partially renovated three decker and threatened to stop working?

None of those things happened.  Perhaps we should throttle down the rhetoric regarding the temporary relocation of the SMOC Triage Center and recognize that the City's homelessness problem hasn't been solved, and needs a real presence in this City.

After all, it is the Christmas season, and we should be full of good will towards our fellow human beings.

BS, courtesy of the WPD.

The WPD's Press Release regarding the arrests of Occupy Worcester members contained the following gem:

"These types of mass arrests with passive resistance increase the potential for injury to citizens and officers. It creates a confrontational environment that can quickly deteriorate. As a result of the demonstration and arrest, calls from citizens requesting police service were backed up and police response was delayed.  Thousands of dollars in overtime was expended to deal with the mass demonstration and arrests potentially impacting youth and community programs."

I'm not sure how passive resistance and a non-violent occupation of the Worcester Common on a Saturday night can create the potential for injury for anyone involved.  Didn't we hire a media relations expert for the WPD?  Our new hire should be able to come up with a better excuse for tsk-tsking the occupation of the Worcester Common.

Thousands of dollars were spent to arrest 22 people out of a peaceful crowd for what purpose?  Perhaps next time the WPD and the City Administration shouldn't overreact to citizens engaging in a peaceful protest.  Instead they should focus on the calls from citizens requesting real police service, rather than people setting up tents on the Common.  Rumor has it that the WPD had a delayed reaction time to bar fights on Green Street and Shrewsbury Street because they were rounding up the peaceful people.

What should our priorities be?

Q's campaign signs.

I live near Steve's house and pass his signs every day.  They don't bother me, they aren't an eyesore, and there are quite a few of them.  It's also his right to display these signs as a sign of support for his preferred candidates and as a way to thumb his nose at a stupid City ordinance.

Who cares?  It's an Election season!  If he had a few Scott Harshbarger '98 signs, it would be an issue.  All the signs are current, and they will probably be down right after the election.

The City should back off and let the First Amendment live.

Occupy Worcester

I spent the afternoon on the Worcester Common with about 150-200 people interested in beginning a Worcester chapter of the Occupy Wall Street.  The general theme was decidedly non-partisan and full of hope for a better America.  Participants recognized that the two party system has created a government led by the highest bidders working on behalf of the biggest spenders, without best ideas and definitely without the best interests of all its citizens in mind. 

Where will it go from here?  The only ones who know will be the ones to show up.

There will be a General Assembly on Monday, October 10th at 5 PM.  Come speak your mind!

Today's Worcester Driving Moment.

Me (pointing at one way street sign after a wrong way driver cut me off in the cross walk):  "This street's one way!"

Driver: "I know, but the GPS told me to take a right."

Me: "Maybe you shouldn't listen to your GPS all the time."

Driver: "I know I shouldn't do it, but I'm running late for hockey and my son's only one block down from here."

Me: "Maybe you should go around the block instead."

Driver: "How do I do that?"

Me: "Back up, go down Hamilton Street one block, take three rights."

Driver: "Are you sure that's the right way?" 

Me: "More sure than your GPS is."

"My God Worcester Town Board Simple Minded"

No, Bill Randell didn't end his sabbatical from blogging.

It's a sign from Worcester, NY.
(from: http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2011/08/03/rural-partisanship/)