Live blog: City Council 10/20/2009

With a war breaking out between the Telegram and Gazette and Worcester’s Police Department, and with only two weeks before elections, tonight should be a rip-roaring one.

Kate Toomey walks into the room wearing a matching crimson skirt and jacket. Ruston starts singing to her “laaaaady in red”. David Rusford comments “she’s ready for her inauguration”.

7:20 p.m.: Running a little late tonight, but now we’re off..

7:29: Councilor Ruston is pushing City Manager O’Brien to state a specific date and is questioning him of why he is confident the City Square Project is going to happen when it has just been pushed further and further with nothing done. He says we need to get this project done so we can move onto other areas of the city that need improvement as well. O’Brien cannot give a specific date but confirms that yes, the City Square Project will happen and be completed.

7:31: Rosen stands to say how lovely the new Worcester Economic Development booklet is. Beautiful photos, ads that helped pay for it, information even he never knew about the city, and he likes that it’s free to tax payers.

7:34: O’Brien says legislation says Worcester Airport must be transferred to Massport by next June. No matter what. O’Brien says although June is the deadline, he’s confident from all the recent meetings had between Worcester and Massport, the transfer will be made before then.

7:47: Haller rolls of her appreciation for totally renting and having a restaurant going into the Hadley Building, PharmaSphere being the first business to move into an abandoned building in the industrial park, progress at Four Corners, and all the other renewal of buildings in South Worcester.

7:51: Councilor Paul Clancy brings up Worcester Crossing, a 33 million dollar project that doesn’t pull from tax payers, and will produce 1 million dollars in property taxes. The developer would like to use green energy in the parking lots, such as small windmills on the lights. Clancy asks if the small wind power ordinance can be prioritized so the developer can put the mini-turbine-lights in while construction is still happening.

Blog Log Digital 10/19/2009

Posted by “Dee Wells” on www.worcesterismajor.blogspot.com

When magazines headlines invoke lines from famous Hip Hop songs, you know that the music’s range is significant. This week, NewsWeek called upon Eric B. & Rakim’s “I Aint No Joke” to dub Vice President Joe Biden as no joking matter. (I guess President Obama’s ratings, in NewsWeek’s eyes, has fallen so much, that he was not a good choice for this week’s cover?) Well, at least this way NewsWeeks sells some extra magaiznes and VP Biden gets some time to shine.

Posted by “jlynnefrank” on www.twitter.com

Why did it have to snow in worcester creating black ice …..

The Worcester PD didn’t take long to voice its objections to Sunday’s T&G story about the past reputation of some college criminal justice programs as “diploma mills.” The WPD issued a somewhat strange press release that it was revising its media policy (see full release below), apparently to favor radio and TV news operations over print. Just how isn’t made clear. We’ll try to find out. Note that some of the release is written in first person — is the person speaking spokesman Kerry Hazelhurst? Chief Gemme? We’ll try to find that out, too.

Worcester Police Department
9-11 Lincoln Square
Worcester, MA 01608

Press Release: Revised Media Policy
For Immediate Release
Monday, October 19, 2009
Contact: Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst
Public Information Officer
(508) 799-8611

The Worcester Police Department is compelled to alter the existing media policy in order to better serve the community. The department through our media relations person is now focused on getting relevant information in a timelier manner to the local radio stations and television station. We are also looking at more direct, contemporary electronic methods to transmit information to the public.

This change in policy may affect the print media but as Daniel Lyons recently wrote in Newsweek magazine, “They didn’t adapt… Because for decades these companies enjoyed virtual monopolies, and as often happens to monopolists, they got lazy. They invested their resources in protecting their monopolies, using bully tactics to keep new competitors from entering their markets. They dished up an inferior product and failed to believe that anything or anyone could ever take their little gold mines away from them.”

The internet version and the print version of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, while guilty of the above, are trying to remain relevant as a legitimate news organization. Unfortunately, the dark, dirty, and poorly lit newsroom is affecting their neutrality, professionalism, and integrity. Because of this, the media policy of the Worcester Police Department must use all relevant media to get the message out to the community and remain transparent as an organization.

I believe that in order to survive as an enterprise the T & G now places a premium on hyperbole over reality, fiction over fact, and innuendo over truth. This may seem biased on my part, but I believe that many detached readers have reached the same conclusion.

An example of this can be found in a recent on-line article and headline that read: “Extra pay for police based on ‘degrees that are useless.” Compounding this hyperbole is the print version article with a front page, above the fold headline that referred to local colleges that awarded criminal justice degrees as “sheepskin mills.”

These headlines and the weak content of the articles should not surprise the reader. If you have followed the decline in the standards at the T & G you recognize their new standard operating procedure. This adopted SOP is based on a dysfunctional hat-trick: hyperbole, fiction, and innuendo.

Some quick observations of the articles show that the writer questions the validity of 117 of the 134 master’s degrees, but offer no bases or testimony to support their claim. They inflate the Quinn Bill payments to individual officers because they are not held accountable for the content. You can objectively review much of what they have written and what is perfectly clear is that they will not let the truth get in the way of providing fodder for the bloggers.
A Times Company top executive said recently that “they had ended their consideration of a Globe sale, and looked forward ‘to charting our future together.’ The company did not rule out a sale of the Worcester paper. Stating, we continue to assess strategic alternatives for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, and are determined to reach a conclusion there quickly. We will provide a full update to our colleagues in Worcester as quickly as possible.”
I am sure that this uncertainty coupled with the rash of layoffs, the dark and dingy work environment, and declining circulation is the cause of their shift to information based upon hyperbole, fiction, and innuendo.
As a police department, we are prepared to work with the T & G but they need to address these deficiencies. If they do, the community is better served. I am sure many public figures and media outlets may question our shift in media strategy because they fear a dying medium. But fairness and integrity demands our shift in media policy. However, if the T & G wants to remain relevant on police issues they need to heed the words of Walter Cronkite, “we journalists had to be right and we had to be fair… a never ending crusade for the truth.”

Possibly a Public Law School – Massachusetts first

Last week a letter from the Southern New England School of Law was sent to the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth offering to donate the school to UMass. While Dartmouth has not accepted the donation, they are in the process of coming up with a proposal after reviewing any financial and, or legal issues. If UMass accepts, it would give Massachusetts its first public Law School.

What does this mean for Worcester?

Ghost in the machine

We apologize for the computer problems that prevented us from live-blogging Tuesday’s City Council meeting at Daily Worcesteria. Fortunately, gavel to gavel, the entire thing lasted only about 40 minutes and was relatively uneventful, perhaps delayed compensation for last week’s three-hour love-in.
Some highlights:

AS BALTIMORE GOES …: Does the city get maximum value on properties it wants to sell? Councilor Mike Germain doesn’t think so, and proposed the city ditch the current auction system for unloading surplus properties and instead put them up for public sale and have them marketed by real estate professionals. “We’re leaving money on the table,” he said. Germain noted that both Philadelphia and Baltimore have had great success converting to public-sale strategy, and the mayor of Baltimore is coming to the Statehouse to talk about the program. Councilor Rick Rushton was largely in favor and asked the city manager for a report listing the number of properties sold over the last three years and the prices attached to them. Councilor Phil Palmieri was skeptical that the “city is built for this proposal” and Germain accused him of “walking away” from the city making money.

25-75, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: City Council did not engage the Sect. 19 issue on Tuesday, but City Manager Michael O’Brien did heed a request made last week by Councilor Joe Petty, informing the council that he would not make any changes from the 25 percent health coverage contribution for city retirees without the council’s endorsement. Virginia Ryan, co-chair of the Worcester Coalition of Retirees, contended that if Sect. 19 (coalition bargaining) had been adopted a year ago the city would have saved millions on legal fees and other costs. “City retires are being treated like trash,” she said, to scattered applause from the retirees in the audience. As an aside, Germain said he was troubled to have learned of O’Brien’s decision when listening to the manager’s appearance on WTAG rather than getting a heads-up earlier.

Live blog: School Committee Debate

5:51 p.m.: Jokes are made between panel members and school committee candidates about the plentiful amount of Italian’s running. On the other side of the room radio host Hank Stolz does a television interview regarding issues that are sure to be brought up at tonight’s debate. What is going to happen when there are 30, 40 students in one classroom? We’ll find out…

6:05: First question is on readiness schools project

6:07: Brian O’Connell seems to be in favor of readiness schools as it’s similar to another project he’s been pushing for this year. “It has some issues that need to be addressed” and also notes state funding is important for it to work properly.

6:09: Dianna Biancheria is questioned on what is going to happen when stimulus money is not available for the 2011 fiscal year “I feel at this time we need to apply for monies whether it be state or federal” and suggests we look at “other avenues we have not adopted”.

6:10: Jack Foley suggests we look at our current operations and make sure we’re being as efficient as possible. A couple areas he says we need to look at are medicare payouts and the administrative overhead.

6:12: Robert Bogigian seems to be going off topic slightly. He expresses his excitement for Superintendent Doctor Boone’s new ideas and is hopeful they will help the district.

6:14: Mary Mullaney agrees that hiring Doctor Boone seems to be a good thing but says, “she’s not a magician”. She makes the point that we need to be ready for things like school closing and more cuts.

6:19: Tracy Novick saw an interest from Worcester’s business community when the Superintendent hiring was happening, and thinks the energy shown needs to continue, and work closely with the school system to help both groups.

6:21: Mary Mullaney agrees and encourages the Chamber, who is hosting this event, to get involved as much as possible, like adopting a student. “If every business adopted a school… you would see great improvements”.

Blog Log Digital 10/12/2009

Posted by “Pink Granite” on www.pinkgranite.blogspot.com

The Boston Red Sox lost today. That means, as far as our Red Sox are concerned, the major league baseball season is over. We are not happy campers in this neck of the woods.

Posted by “Fire_Bad” on www.derekking.blogspot.com

There’s an old guy outside my market with a petition. Every time I walk by, he asks me if I want to sign his petition to reduce the sales tax. I decline and think to myself, if you’ve got one to increase the sales tax, maybe I’l sign that petition, but I have no interest in mixing it up with him. Guys that age get all red and shaky, knock shit over with flailing arms and get heart attacks. So fuck that. I give him the same answer I give the Jehovahs:
“I appreciate what you’re doing, but no thanks.”

Live blog: Council at large debate

6:01 p.m.: Host for tonight’s debate Tony Vigliotti starts the night off welcoming the candidates and community members.

6:03: Six of the seven candidates are ready to go. Mike Germain is missing. We can guess he’s at his campaign kick-off party hosted at 55 Pearl Restaurant tonight 5:00-7:30.

Should the city go to a single tax rate?

6:06: Bill McCarthy believes that yes we should, and believes many businesses are not coming into the city because of the current policy.

6:08: Joe Petty disagrees that right now is not the time for a single tax rate as residents cannot afford it.

Mary Keefe is asked what her vision for Worcester Airport is

6:09: Using the word “if” the airport is going to continue to function, Keefe suggests the possibility of alternative transportation to and from the airport.

6:12: Steve Buchalter suggests we need to look at more creative ideas to improve the pilot program the city has with local college and universities. “I don’t think money is the answer, I think service is”, says Buchalter when asked if the colleges owe the city money.

6:17: McCarthy touches on corruption within police departments. This could get interesting.. Schaffer asks to clarify if McCarthy is saying without more funding, Worcester is looking at corruption in their P.D.? McCarthy says we need to have priorities for our budget, and one of them is putting money towards our Police Department so we can hire the best officers possible.