News Talk for the week of Nov. 8

Elections are over for another couple of months as we gear up for the vacated seat of Denise Provost as Alderman at Large.  Narrowing it down to a few of the possible candidates, we know that Marty Martinez, who represents the secular progressives here in the city and whom they would most likely unite behind, is probably going to run.  Also mentioned were Ward 7 School Committee Member Mary Jo Rosetti and Ward 1 School Committee Member Maureen Bastardi – both of whom would have a solid ward base in a special at-large race.  A lesser known name is Tom Bent – the guy that Mayor Joe put as the chairman of the committee for pay the recent pay raises – he would expect to get some city hall support, especially those grateful individuals that will get those raises.  We also heard that former mayoral aide to Dot Gay as well as former aide to Sen. Charlie Shannon – Sean Fitzgerald – is strongly considering a run‚ĶSean probably wouldn‚Äôt be the favorite of Commissioner Stan Koty since neither one has seen eye to eye in a long time, have they?      

DiPaola presents jail plans to aldermen
By George P. Hassett

A jail may be coming to the southeastern section of Somerville, in the area surrounding the district courthouse, said city and county officials this week.
    Middlesex County Sheriff James V. DiPaola met with the Board of Aldermen Thursday to offer his case for a new jail and discuss the possibility of it coming to Somerville. DiPaola presented a short video, complete with an acoustic guitar soundtrack, detailing the outdated, overcrowded conditions at the Middlesex County jail in East Cambridge.

The News Endorses

This year’s statewide general election is an important step in helping Somerville out of the recent fiscal slump we have found ourselves in as a city. There are important choices to make on this year’s ballot so let’s get to it.

Deval Patrick for Governor
We did not endorse him in the primary but in the general election, Deval Patrick has proven himself to be the only candidate with honest, realistic plans for education, the economy and public safety. His stance on the income tax rollback is especially courageous. At a time when politicians are happy to pander to the ignorance of the masses, Patrick has been truthful and direct about the need to maintain the tax rate at 5.3%. And for that he deserves your vote.

Ethics commission charges ex-cop
Alleges Trant used position for personal gain and had homeowner committed to psychiatric facility to gain control of real estate   

By George P. Hassett

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone contends the cop he fired wrongly committed a homeowner to a psychiatric facility to gain control of the man’s property. A union official argues the officer was fired because he inadvertently blocked an underhanded plan by city officials to seize a dilapidated property and sell it at an exaggerated price to a State agency eyeing the property as a possible location for a future Green Line stop. In the middle is the former cop, Scott Trant and his job as a Somerville Police Officer.

Reality Bites for the week of Nov. 1

“I’m going to need an ID that has your birthday on it”
 

Maybe it‚Äôs lack of sleep, I don‚Äôt know, but I seem even more irritable than usual lately.  I decided to come up one rung on the ladder of ‚Äúphoning it in‚Äù this week by creating a list of things I think are obtuse, pedestrian and supercilious at best.
  This past Tuesday morning, a five term Congresswoman from California was stopped from boarding a one-way flight from Boise to Cincinnati because she was on the terrorist watch/do not fly list.  I couldn‚Äôt figure out what‚Äôs funnier ‚Äì the United employee laughing when she was handed a US Congress ID or that someone was traveling from Boise to Cincinnati, one-way.

City worker arrested

By George P. Hassett

A Department of Public Works employee was arrested today after a high speed chase through the city.

News Talk for the week of Nov. 1

The Mayor‚Äôs office submitted their pay raise requests for elected officials this week. It wasn‚Äôt submitted for the board‚Äôs official agenda by 2 p.m. on Thursday but was presented that night to the board as an after 2 p.m. item. The proposal was for $110K a year for the Mayor and sure enough it was approved. And then, in the surprise of the night, Ward 3 Alderman Tom Taylor, stepped up to the plate and said the mayor deserved more and motioned to raise it to $125k —  10 aldermen voted yes 1 voted no.  Who do you think voted no? even the progressives on the board — Rebekah Gewirtz, Walter Pero and Denise Provost — voted in favor. The only Alderman to vote against it was Alderman Bill White.  Aldermen will  now receive 25K a year and School Committee members $10,507. We understand everyone needs more money in this economy and we‚Äôre glad the Mayor‚Äôs pay is finally at a level so we can attract good people to the job, but we think the Police Department and Fire Department should get their raises as well before hundreds of non-union employees in the city get theirs.

Cha-ching! Mayor gets $40k pay raise, unions get mad
By George P. Hassett

Hefty pay raises for city politicians caused police and fire unions, who have not seen  raises in almost three years, to picket City Hall this week.
    More than 100 members of the city’s patrol officer and firefighter unions picketed City Hall for the second time this month Thursday. Officials for both unions said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has not acted in good faith in trying to negotiate and said they will continue to picket until they secure contracts. Both unions are in their third year without a contract.