Okay so who went and who watched it??? I showed up early to hear from all the other candidates of elected offices and the downtown area was being overrun with Bettencourt signs. You almost couldn't see any signs for Sean. Does he have any supporters? At the debate there was not much cheer for him either. You would think that it was a rally for Bettencourt.
With regards to the debate. Sean did not have a chance. I think he attempted to take a play from Bettencourt and release another PR statement to the Patch and it read like someone was kicking and screaming for attention yet again. It also sounded like he continued on with his tantrum into tonight attempting to make attacks at Bettencourts ability to make decisions even though he was giving plenty of examples.
One area Sean harped on was the city zoning from years back. About 5 to be exact. He dinged Bettencourt for voting against and wasting 5 years to move the city forward. Bettencourt answered back that the plan was much different than the zoning plan that they recently approved. The old plan called for much higher structures and would have have a negative impact on how the city could look if it was approved.
He also attempted to ding Bettencourt on the Regional Voc school. Is it going to be a great school? Yes but if you can't afford the luxury car that the payments can change at anytime even though it is reliable is not a reliable investment when you are on a fixed budget. Sean attempted to slam Bettencourt that it was the wrong decision and that there was no way Bettencourt would be making a strong effort to support it if he was Mayor. This was after Bettencourt said that he will do whatever it takes for Peabody to get the most out of this investment. The reality is that Sean did not have any strong retorts on what Bettencourt was saying. I caught him many times nodding his head in agreement when Bettencourt spoke.
There were many cheap crack shots that had no merit towards Bettencourt. Bettencourt was above them and stuck to the questions and did a great job answering them. Watching this debate, I am not sure how someone would feel comfortable having a personality like Fitzgerald in the Mayors seat. I saw way to much immaturity tonight and have seen it through the campaign with all these attack Press real eases. This is not what I want to see in our next leader.
So I am sure that I will hear people against me which is fine, but I say with all honesty that Bettencourt is the right person for the job. He will wield the power with respect and honor.
OG says...a spirited evening for sure...here is the key point of the night > the rezoning proposal – key to the revitalization of the downtown -- was delayed for years because of a lack of bold leadership......so I guess all of our city leaders need to take a look in the mirror on this point....and then we all need to decide what is meant by 'bold leadership'....and then we have to think back to the Emperor and ask ourselves who ( Fitz or Ted) would more closely mirror the kind of leadership that the Emperor maintained? Now from my somewhat distant view of things Teflon Ted seems to mirror Mayor Mike's style and Fitz seems to mirror the Emperor's style...why do you all think ? so when you look in the mirror who do you want to see looking back at you come November? what would be best for Dark City ??
ReplyDeleteOG,
ReplyDeleteAn excellent comparison
The choice is ours.
Nov 9th will tell.
OMG OG what have you been smoking?????? Sean is NOT a reflection of torigian! He is like Bizzaro Torigian. Did you hear him speak last night? He could not string words together to even make a clear sentence.
ReplyDeleteThe guy is a bully and he showed that last night yet again. He has no support in the city. Half of his disclosed money is from outside the city and he would not be able to run a campaign without that money. He had no supporters there last night and has not had any at the other debates. The whole downtown was filled with bettencourt signs. If Ted runs this city with the unity of supporters as he is his campaign then Peabody has a fighting chance! Go Peabody!
Btw have you seen Sean's house? He can't even take care of his own home....
ReplyDeleteOG says..let me ask this question...has OG ever come out and stated that Sean Fitz will win the upcoming Mayoral election? the answer is NO. Teflon Ted is a a lock to win and he was a lock to win as soon as he put his name on the ballot...because that is how it works here in Dark City....so in essence it does not really matter what Sean Fitz thinks or would do because it is not going to happen...now with that said can I sit here and tell you that I am delighted to see Teflon Ted begin his LONG reign as our new Emperor.....the answer is NO...you see OG has been very consistent on this over time....Teflon Ted is dull folks...and he is a nice guy....but OG happens to think we need some fire and brimstone to help shine the light here in Dark City and I just don't see Teflon Ted doing that...in my view his time on the Council has been quite ordinary, reserved, and dull...maybe I am missing something here but every time I ask what I am missing no one seems to convince me that that may be .....so yes, I think there are some personality tendencies that I like in Sean Fitz for our city at this time...but OG is a realist and the fact of the matter is that he has no chance to beat Teflon Ted here on his home turf....and that's how OG sees it.
ReplyDeleteOG,
ReplyDeleteIMHO, candidate Fitzgerald is more like Mayor Mike. Sean is forever typecast as a Bonfanti loyalist/clone just like Bob Denver will always be Gilligan.
He sat at same table every day with the current Mayor and past community development leader (Mean Jean) when they catered to the special interest groups in an attempt to develop every open parcel of land (look at a few developments near Wilson Square - squeeze in weird shaped houses/condos/apts...just to get more taxpayers on the books versus maintaining open space and preservicng a quality of life for the neighborhoods). The development off Lowell Street that allowed the developer pay off the city in exchange for waiving the 10% affordable housing clause, The CPA (a tax by another name), the one-of-a-kind 9/11 holiday pay for the police department, actions by Trickie Dickie C and thr DPW, Spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on new City Hall windows, property Tax increases up the wha-zoo, etc....
Candidate Fitzgerald drank from the same pot of coffee as the aforementioned cast of characters and now he wants me to think he will be own person?
Other than being a yes man, how did he deal with righting the wrongs - he packed up and went to NH to preserve his own ego versus staying in the Tanner City to right the wrongs we've all come to experience
Bob Denver will always be Gilligan and candidate Fitzgerald will always be a Bonfanti clone.
GP
Nicely said gp. Btw why has he not done anything in the past three years for peabody? He really did just leave
ReplyDeleteOG says...ok GP...so Teflon Ted must be the dramatically positive alternative to the Gilligan clone then right? so please...I am all ears...please tell me what the compelling reasons to vote for Ted...is it simply to avoid more of the Mayor Mike regime? is that your compelling reason?
ReplyDeleteOG,
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for GP, but I think you are absolutely right. I have said it before and I'll say it again: Ted's best quality is that he is not Sean. What's wrong with that? Tell me how being associated with mikey's "regime" can possibly help him?
Some random thoughts for a Monday morning....
ReplyDeleteSaw Ed Charest giving his speech on PAT and was shocked at what I heard. Basically attributed low test scores to Peabody's diversity and thought the biggest issue affecting the school system was funding. Sorry pal...you just lost my vote.
Peabody ranks midway in the state with per pupil funding. What it doesn't do is handle infrastructure requirements the right way (see Higgins or High School), but our yearly expenditure should get us better results than what we're getting.
In regards to diversity and MCAS scores, there are plenty of other cities that rank significantly higher than Peabody that also share a diverse student population. Stop using this as an excuse for declining MCAS scores.
But my real problem with both statements is they are excuses. I'm tired of excuses in regards to the school system. For once I want some goddamn righteous indignation. I want someone to say we don't have a revenue problem, we have a management problem. Buck up school committee, your time is coming.
Second random thought...what the hell is going on in this city? A mugging on Jackson ave? 2 other muggings occurring downtown? Is Peabody really going down the shitter this fast? I'm really disturbed by this, someone talk me off the ledge.
OG says..come on back in here til we are done with you..first of all OG happens to like your spirit...now on the Ed Charest issue..clearly there are different ways of looking at this issue but OG happens to think that the key issues are as follows....I think that our MCAS data analysis is weaker than it should be....this is a key part of improvement process...secondly, I think the whole public education system has virtually no accoutnability and virtually non existent constructive feedback at the teacher level....and finally...where is the public demand for our school system to do better? I am not hearing it from the parents or the School Committee so who is this demand for excellence going to come from ? we read and hear about things like longer school days, teacher accountability, pay for performance and all that stuff and it all seems so remotely removed from the discussion board here in Dark City...and maybe that is why you continue to get mediocrity....as for the acts of violence...we have a good police department...this kind of stuff will happen in a city of 50000 people...no cause for alarm...so come back in off the ledge.
ReplyDeleteNo one is willing to admit that the school system is in this condition as a direct result of inadequate funding.
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestionsl, OG, but they ALL COST MONEY. In order to implement your plan, we would have to raise taxes....and that ain't gonna happen in the "dark city." The good folks at Brooksby Village (and the like) will make sure of that.
Our failure to properly fund the school system sends the message loud and clear to students, parents and teachers: PEABODY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT EDUCATION. How do you expect to attract/retain good teachers with this attitude? Half of my nephews high school teachers from last year are gone! HALF! Do you really think Peabody is attracting the "best and the brightest" students from young families? YOUNG FAMILIES ARE NOT MOVING TO PEABODY!
I hate to say it but it is, and always has been, about the money.
OG says...hold on now...MONEY is certainly part of the answer but to suggest that this all rests on money alone is a purely union sponsored message....when I talk about 'data analysis' with respect to MCAS results I am suggesting that unless you have an effective way of analyzing the data and then incorporating what you learn from that data into some boots on the ground teaching changes then you are throwing money out the window....surely there are those of us here in Dark City that have been clamoring for more focus on education for some time now but we never get what we want do we? now why is that? it's quite simple....there is no real demand for it being the vocal minority who complain about it...look at every 'newer'school committee that you have elected...carpenter, charest, hochman, rossignoll...do they readily accept the norm here in Dark City or do they demand improvements? you tell me...you elected them all with the hope that they would be the voice of change needed...so ask yourself...have they blended in or have they delivered on their campaign promises? I see ONE school committee person truly striving for improvement and that is none other than Beverly Dunne...all the others blend in and take up a seat at the table as far as OG is concerned....OG also sees a school administration that has been wracked with turnover and budget cuts to administrative staff over the past twenty years? how many Asst Superintendents have we gone thru and now we don't have one at all !! this is crazy...yes, it is money based to some extent but this is cultural now and this has become the norm here in Dark City BECAUSE YOU ALLOW IT.
ReplyDeleteOG says..let me add one final thought...the issue here is not really adequate funding...our school budget is adequate...it gets the job done in a basic way..the issue is really insufficient funding for what needs to occur in order for improvement to happen...by level funding the budget to only offset any negotiated contract changes we are not really adding anything to the education component at all..we are only adding to the labor/payroll side of things....we have been playing this game for decades now here in Dark City...every Super puts forth a desired budget that has increases built into for educational needs and support but they NEVER GET IT APPROVED...Perullo, Binkley, Burnett and all the other interim supers that we have seen over the years...why is that? money and values !
ReplyDeleteHate to say it, but I'm starting to lean OG's way on this. I used to think it was all about the funding, but I'm not so sure anymore. Peabody spends roughly $13.5k/per pupil which I think is probably mid-range for the state. The problem is a management one....we don't prioritize the funds properly, we do a lousy job with retaining quality teachers, there is a lack of technology, and our building infrastructure sucks (which is an entirely separate budget item mind you) just to name a few issues.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is a result of years of underfunding, but I would think a competent management staff would have been able to manage this adequately. Personally, I think this falls squarely on the shoulders of the SC and the Mayor. Bonfanti has shown ZERO leadership on education. I mean none. So little that its been simply an embarrassment.
BTW, I was raised and now live in West Peabody. In close to my 30+ yrs in this city I cannot recall another time when crime was so rampant. Muggings, armed robberies, random shootings at houses, a massive drug problem....I disagree with your take on the Police dept. They are basically invisible in this city. I hope the new mayor cleans house here as well. Its time for a new Commish with some fresh ideas on community policing because what they are doing isn't working.
OG says...news flash...there have been drug problems here in Dark City for quite some time...and to fight that battle you need money and solid networking...OG happens to know an officer or two who work on drug investigations here in Dark City and they do a hell of a job with what they have to work with...and all this crime that you speak of is really not out of the ordinary for a city of this size with an economic climate like we have....you are safe and sound for the most part up in your West Peabody-wannabe Lynnfield sections of town...go ask your parental suburban neighbors if they know where their kids are right now...go ask them if they even know who their kids hang around with...'community policing' costs money....so you want more education dollars and more police department dollars....this means you want to see a nice tax hike here in Dark City....guess what? you will not see one because the MAJORITY don't agree with you because they keep voting for candidates who don
ReplyDeletet share your view or have the guts to adopt your view...and that's how OG sees it.
10/24 @850 , Instead of the chief of police running around with the DA on drug speaking tours trying to make names for them both he should devote his time to the drug problem w/i the city. He should be doing his job as the city police chief and not following the Da's coat tails giving lip service about the great job they are doing on the drug issues. I'm sure he and his officers have snitches and does know who is doing drugs as well as selling them. If he were to have the balls he would make sure he tells his officers to tell the drug people the drug war is on in the city and to have them spread the word to the druggies. If drugs are as bad as it has been said in the city then a police stop or two with confiscations legal or not is the answer to the user/dealing aspects. By doing this it costs the dealer and the users a good amount of money to pay the supplier off and the drugs are then confiscated to be destroyed. Doing that makes the persons involved suffer losses and it makes them known well enough for them to either stop their activities or move to another locality. The message gets out with good results when a drug person ,legally or not, is caught.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with the last poster. Its time the police send a clear message that the war on drugs is on. I have a house on my street that everyone in the city knows is dealing drugs. I've spoken to a number of officers who have told me this numerous times, yet nothing has ever been done. And this has been going on for more than 7 years now. At what point does the police actually doing something?
ReplyDeleteIf you let your mind wander a bit towards the police doing an under cover operation ,or, are they complicit with the drug dealer? I bet you'd be inclined to say complicit because it has gone on for seven years and nothing has happened in that time.
ReplyDeleteI remember arguing about "Anonimity vs. A Real Names Policies" with a reader of this blog a couple of months back....
ReplyDeleteThe above comments about law enforcement are excellent examples of why all posters should have the choice to remain anonymous. It is necessary to have frank and open discussions without fear of retribution of any kind. I highly doubt these comments would have been made if the posters were forced to use their real names.
OG says...so you have a house on your street that is a known and confirmed drug dealing establishment for SEVEN YEARS...you have told the police...and nothing has happened? the address please ! Let's put OG on the case and see if something happens....
ReplyDeleteOG and others. PLEASE DO NOT LIST THE ADDRESS OF THE ALLEGED HOME. THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE BLOG AND WILL BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY! THANKS FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
ReplyDeleteOG says...sorry PP...they got me all worked up with this story of alleged police neglect and lack of action....
ReplyDeleteI am an extremely concerned citizen. Tonight I attended the city council meeting. I attended it because of the flood mitigation project and I must say I am disappointed that more citizensapparently don't think it is important enough to attend.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that puzzeled me the most was that Sean Fitzgerald was not there! He claims to care about Peabody and IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR!
I think most will agree that his lack of attendance to this nmeeting shows his true character.
I was also surprised at how quick the meeting was. Manning was flying out of the meeting as quick as she could. For someone that is up for re-election, you would think that she would make an attempt to give the appearance that she wants to be there. I want her gone so bad. Especially at the fact that her and Sean are a team and running together...
ReplyDeleteTheir team is bigger than you might think! I hear that she is somehow related to a candidate running for another office. Is that an issue?
ReplyDeleteI would never vote for Anne Manning. The only reason she gets elected is because she is female. All of you females out there...
ReplyDeleteAre you pying attention???
I ask you, because I am.
Is Tom Serino related to Sean's family in anyway? Isn't his sister Jen a Serino too? Something smells rotten in denmark!
ReplyDeleteManning is related to Birmingham.
ReplyDeleteOG says...is there an election going on here in Dark City ? based on this blog's activity level I would say no....it was nice to see the strong turnout at last week's City Hall forum....gives us a glimpse of what things COULD be like here in Dark City if enough people consistently gave a damn !
ReplyDeleteOG;
ReplyDeleteWhat are your predictions on all the races?
Mine:
Ward councillors are both back.
Gould gets on CC and all incumbents remain.
Bettencourt is mayor.
Damato and Birmingham are light commissioners.
Damato and Alyward for commish,
ReplyDeleteBettencourt mayor,
gould and Croce new cal, Liacos gone
School committee Russell in, Charest gone
Mello and Osborne in for wards
library trustee-who cares
OG says...my predictions? or my hopes? first of all let there be no mistake that Teflon Ted will be our next Dark City Mayor...as soon as his name was placed on the ballot the job was his. As for the At Large bids I have to fall back on 'hopes' and it would be wonderful to see Croce and Gould both be elected. Will that happen? you tell me Dark City...as for the SC race I have to think that we will once again make the new guy (Russell) run twice before we elect him...even though his credentials would make him a very appealing new addition to this SC..Charest has shown his passion for the job but Russell knows his stuff...prove me wrong Dark City...as for Light Commish...I like Birmingham's credentials for the job and I think that D'Amato will win a spot on charm alone...Mello is going nowhere and even though Osborne needs to go I don't see it happening since Forti has no momentum going....and that is how OG sees it...
ReplyDeleteOG says...hats off to all candidates...win or lose...you have my respect for sticking your neck out there and expressing a public desire to serve...many reasonable human beings (myself included) would sit back and say why the hell would anyone want to be involved in local politics today with the national and state economies still struggling? so those who want to serve have my admiration indeed...let us hope they bring the energy and passion that we read about in their campaign literature, that we have heard from them in local forums and that have been told to us personally by candidates out walking around the neighborhoods...OG really likes some of the new candidates out there like Croce, Gould, Forti and Russell....new blood is what we need...let's hope we get it !!
ReplyDelete