mayor

By Rosalie Tirella

Last night I sat before a little TV set mesmerized - absolutely mesmerized! - by all the whackiness that was flying around the august City Council chambers. You should have been their, folks! OR: You should have at least watched last night’s Worcester City Council meeting on your TV set! You could have sliced the rancor and the nuttiness with a meat cleaver! It was “Reno 911″ Worcester style! What a gas, gas, gas!!!!

Here we go: Nutty Scene #1: Sam Rosario. Rosario, a duplicitous blowhard whom everyone in Worcester thinks is a duplicitous blowhard, is representing the liveries in their quest to become taxis. Sammy is a guy who once told political opponent Joe Cassella to step out of a three-way city council primary race because he (Cassella) had no chance of winning - it was really a race between him (Rosario) and the incumbent (dope Joff Smith). That was before Cassella trounced him and then went on to run against Smith in November and do fairly well - and seemingly (thank God!) put an end to Rosario’s political aspirations. Well, last night Sammy went bonkers. Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

as far as I can see.

Why?

Because after watching this week’s Worcester City Council meeting, I still see the new mayor, Joe O’Brien, doiing or saying anything of interest. He hasn’t offered any intelligent thoughts on anything. I think, at this point, he’s just happy to be able to run the council meeting without fucking up. Like a big kid - happily heading the class while the real teacher (Konnie Lukes) is out of the class.

So, the guy is affable. Big deal! We need Konnie - or at lease her courage, ideas and articulate-ness.

For instance, this week Konnie came up with this: banning plastic bags. That’s right. No plastic bags for shoppers at Price Chopper, Shaw’s etc. Bring/buy a tote to the store. Save the planet. Click to continue »

This just in from the wonderful Roger Frost who read my Worcester Haiti bash post and ACTUALLY LOOKED UP THE BIBLE PARABLE I USED IN MY STORY!

Thank you, Roger!

Here it is, from Roger, from the King James Bible:

Mark 12:41-43 (King James Version)< Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

After reading all the pieces on Joe O’Brien’s inauguration day festivities (I wasn’t invited to the ball and InCity Times was emailed no public announcement about it to post in the paper so our readers could attend - unlike two years ago, when Konnie Lukes became mayor and I got ALL the info and a beautiful invitation to boot), I ask: Will things really change in Worcester with Joe at the helm? Will O’Brien really be any different from a pol who rewards his pals and punishes anyone who doesn’t agree with him? More important: Will things really change/improve in the Worcester Public Schools now that Mayor O’Brien says he wants to make the WPS system the best urban school system in America?

Actions speak louder than words, my momma always told me. This is what I have to go on so far: Click to continue »

By Cheez Wiz

Plan E government makes it easy to blame others in leadership roles. Who’s gonna pay for the mess? The economy gets worse. And all we are hearing about from the political class lately is how Guy Glodis’ effort at state auditor brings with it a political domino play. Silly me, I actually thought the political class cared for us. But it seems more like they just want to get another shiny title and a bump in their state-funded retirement accounts. The police will get their salary bump because of that outdated Quinn Bill. Maybe the Worcester City Council members will be able to blame City Manager Mike O’Brien - even though the Council members were the main beneficiaries of the union funding.

The only bump the property owners of Worcester will get is in their property taxes.

Blaming Mike O’Brien might be the way to push Mike out and to give the Timmy-Jimmy-Joe alliance the “strong mayor” title that has been so elusive with a Plan E government. Click to continue »

By Cheez Wiz

a) Did you hear that Scott Zoback is working for Harriett Chandler now? It’s a fact.

b) Makes sense the [T & G's] Dianne Williamson could become a media flunky for the O’Brien-Murray-McGovern campaign.

c) The BEST thing about the story of the police union-cum-Virginia-”it’s my real hair, honest!”-Ryan: Those unionistas identified whom I would NOT vote for [election day]. It truly shows the magnificence of District 4 City Councilor Barbara Haller and Mayor Konnie Lukes, trying to keep law and order in these difficult financial times.

d) It showed that public safety does not equal higher salries for police. Police Chief Gary Gemme has lost the faith of taxpayers.

e) Why don’t we start a campaign to get all city employees (teachers, police, etc.) to live in this city for a minimum period of FIVE years upon hire? Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

We ask(ed) the good people of Worcester to get out and vote! We ask(ed) the good people of Worcester to cast their ballots for:

* District 4 City Councilor: Barbara Haller

Vote for Barbara Haller!

Spend some time with Barbara Haller, and you’ll quickly realize she has reached a kind of spiritual zenith in (what has become, I think) the dream of her life-time.

Her journey with her beloved District 4 continues, her love for its people still strong and pure. Click to continue »

City of Worcester - final election results - November 2009

Total registered voters - 90,729
Total ballots cast - 20,904

Mayor:

Joseph O’Brien - 10,210
Konstantina Lukes - 5,662
Kate Toomey - 3,721
E. Tsitsilianos - 595

City Councilors at Large:

Joseph O’Brien - 12,200
Kate Toomey - 10,359
Joseph Petty - 9,187
Frederick (”Ric”) Rushton - 8,065
Konstantina Lukes - 7,326 Click to continue »

This is what gets me nervous about Worcester’s mayor-elect, Joe O’Brien: Election night City Councilor at Large Ric Rushton was on the radio and said he is sooo glad Joe O’Brien won Wormtown’s mayoral seat! Then Rushton made this very telling statement: he said if HE had run for mayor of Worcester, Joe O’Brien wouldn’t have run for mayor of Worcester. Rushton said Joe O’Brien CLEARED IT (running for mayor) with him (Rushton) first.

Cleared it with him first.

This is what O’Brien’s detractors don’t like/fear: no matter how vociferously Joe O’Brien claims to be independent/his own man, these backroom political deals/horsetrading will be going on amongst the same 100 or so people. The same 100 or so people who have always controlled things in this town.

That is not democracy. That is machine politics … .

- Rosalie Tirella

p.s. and it just shows you (once again) how stupid Rushton is. (blab, blab, blab)

By Rosalie Tirella

I got my hands on some police union minutes - juicy stuff, when it comes to pols and which political candidates the police unions are backing.  The minutes of a recent meeting of IBPO Local 504 have the cops deciding to hell with District 4 City Counilor Barabara Haller who has worked with them to make Main South and the rest of the inner-city safer - to hell with her and onwards and upwards for Grace Ross, Haller’s opponent. becaise Ross will fund the Quinn Bill and more. The minutes (which are several pages long) state: “Grace Ross is running in District 4. She is totally pro-labor … .” Barbara Haller, according to the police union minutes, “filed an order requesting that the City Manager provide the [City] Council report explaining the steps necessary for the City Council to revise its 1987 vote [editor's note, more like 2006!] relative to the Quinn Bill. President Cummings said that this means only one thing - that Barbara Haller has taken a posititon in direct opposition to our best interests. We need to work in the upcoming election to see that she is defeated.” Click to continue »