mayoral candidate

By Rosalie Tirella

… homes by he and his wife, Lisa Weinberg.

Let’s start with a quote about Joe being a true man of the people!

Telegram & Gazette columnist/Joe O’Brien-p.r.-flak Dianne Williamson was so good at pumping up ol’ Joe in one of her recent columns that he featured her pukey prose on his political mailings/push cards. O’Brien, who is running for mayor of Worcester, after a mediocre stint on the Worcester School Committee (he fought to get teachers who were on maternity leave the ability to work part-time) sent these political cards to practically everyone in Worcester! The quote: “There’s no arguing that he’s a guy [O'Brien] who walks the walk. While he and his wife could afford nicer digs elsewhere … they’ve chosen to buy a home in the heart of Main South … .” - Dianne Williamson, T & G

Oh, puhlease, Dianne! Joe and Lisa are not “walking the walk,” they’re working the real estate system and getting breaks from everyone! Take their home at Oread Place - the Main South abode Williamson writes so lovingly about. When Joe and Lisa bought the house, they paid a lot less than what it’s worth. Only days after they payed $25,000 for the home from the Castle Street Neighborhood CDC, it was mortgaged by Joe O’Brien) and Lisa (Weinberg) for $82,650, courtesy of Bay State Savings Bank. The bank obviously valued the property at over tripple what O’Brien paid for it - only one week after he purchased it! Joe O’Brien was basically paid to buy the house! How many people are able to mortgage their house for more than three times what they paid for it immediately after the purchase?!!

Since the original mortgage of $82,650 in August of 2000, Joe O’Brien and Lisa Weinberg have been given an ADDITIONAL $269,000 in mortgages on that property by various banks over the last six years, some of which have been discharged. The most recent outstanding mortgage is one for $76,000 on June 22, 2007. Click to continue »

Political Action Committee contributions to Joe O’Brien as of 10/16/09:

Mass PAC $500
Roofers Local 33 PAC $200
Local 170 PAC $500
Carpenter Local 107 $500
Painters #35 PAC $500
Local 509 SEIU $100
United Assoc Pipefitters $250
Central Mass AFL/CIO $100
IBEW Local 96 $500
Iron Workers Local 7 $500
UFCW Local $100
Itl Union of Operating Engineers $200
Total: $3,950

Registered Lobbyists donating to Joe Obrien as of 10/16/09 (this list may be incomplete):

Francis Shea 632 E Seventh St Boston $150
David Shapiro 21 Wormwood St Boston $150
Joseph Newman Mass Electric Lobbyist 176 Newport St Arlingotn $125
Paul O’Sullivan O’sullivan Associates 18 Laurelwood Dr Norwell $200
Paul Donovan 82 Park Ave Newton MA $100
Benjamin Josephson 141 Blake St Newton MA $200
Dennis Kearney Kearney Donovan McGee 7 Madison Ave West Winchester MA $200
Michelle McGee Kearny Donovan McGee 19 Concord St Boston $200
John Sutich 35 Winthrop St Apt 1 Boston $100
Barbara Sutton Cassidy Associates 4 Franklin St ALEXANDRIA, VA $500
Scott Ferson Liberty Square assoc 83 School St Belmont, MA $200
Tracy Spicer 5105 Nahant St BETHESDA, MD $500
Matthew Irish 4 Manilla St Worcester, O’neil Associates $125
Meghan Condon (Spouse of SEIU Lobbyist Christopher Condon) $100
Total: $2,850

Major Contributors to Joe Obrien directly related to Congressman McGovern, who live outside of Worcester and have no current business conducted in Worcester:

* Abby Rockefeller President, Clivus-Mutlrum Inc 104 Irving St, CAMBRIDGE, MA
Donated $4,600 to Jim McGovern in 2008 alone, and $500 to Joe Obrien this year
* Daniel Passacantilli, Blue Front Telecom Group, 4 Franklin St, ALEXANDRIA, VA
donated $1,500 to Jim McGovern in 2008, and $250 to Joe Obrien this year
* Barbara Sutton, Lobbyist for Cassidy and Associates in WASHINGTON DC,
Has donated over $10,000 to Jim McGovern over last 4 years, and $500 to Obrien this year.
* “Liberty Square” lobbyists donated a total of $8,500 to McGovern in 2008 and $700 (Tracy Spicer $500 and Scott Ferson $200) to O’Brien this year

Jim McGovern staffers who have donated to mayoral candidate Joe O’Brien’s campaign as of 10/16/09:

Gladys Rodriguez Parker $500
Matt Pacheco $250
Chris Philbin $200
Dorothy Buduo $100
Paula Buonomo $100
Patrick Norton $50
Jennifer Walters $25
Total: $1,225

By Rosalie Tirella

Worcester - I caught some of the mayoral debates that are taking place all over our fair city, all the time, it seems. What struck me was how lackluster “the new, fresh” candidate Joe O’Brien seemed. Candidate Kate Toomey didn’t count. Doesn’t count. So I’ll skip her and focus on Mayor Konnie Lukes’ main opponent: O’Brien - the guy who is being touted as the Second Coming.

Unfortunately - or fortunately for Konnie Lukes - this guy isn’t the Second Coming. If you watch the debates, he isn’t even interesting. What’s more, during these mayoral debates and forums, O’Brien comes off as … kind of bored … a bore - an aloof, passionless guy who isn’t enjoying any of this. Watch him and you see a candidate who seems to be doing this from rote, the kind of candidate who sees running for Worcester Mayor as a task, a (thankless?) job. Maybe that’s because O’Brien sees being Worcester Mayor as a stepping stone to bigger and better … offices (state rep, state senator, etc). With his eyes ultimately on a bigger prize, it’s no wonder this ride is a bit of a snooze for Joe O.

If he wins this mayoral race, most likely he will dump Worcester by the next election cycle. He will then be an official politician and can begin his political career in earnest.

At least that’s what people in the know are saying.

State Rep. Joe O’Brien? He lost to Vinny Pedone years ago. Why do it again?

This is O’Brien’s last, best chance of jumping into ELECTIVE politics. He is in his 40s; time is running out. He has to jump at an open seat - a seat with more pizzazz/prestige than regular ol’ City Councilor.

So here we go, Worcester! Let’s all be subjected to O’Brien’s political ambitions.

Again.

By Rosalie Tirella

Kate Toomey, mayor of Worcester. How disorienting a freakin’ sentence is that?!

Mayor Toomey. Mayor Toomey? I just don’t get it! What do other people see in her that I am obviously blind to?

Toomey’s a woman with zero personality, zero charisma, zero charm. But forget the personality for a moment. As a Worcester city councilor (this is her second term), she never really adds anything of substance to Worcester city council meetings - except her approval of any plan hatched by the Rushton/Murray/Petty/old boys’ team. I watch the city council meetings ever week (from the comfort of a living room, away from the T & G/Blow Mag hacks who just love to give Rushton and Petty and their pals all the best play and make it a habit of dumping on Mayor Konnie Lukes, even Gary Rosen - outsiders, both), and Toomey never ever has came up with a cool plan or vision for anything! She has never had a passion about any issue. She has never advocated for anybody/anything on the council floor with vigor. She has never stood her ground fighting for anything. Toomey seems quiet, even a little withdrawn. Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

We hope Mayor Konstantina Lukes blows “Joe-Blow” O’Brien right outa the freakin’ water!

Amazing! Every election cycle the old Murray/Rushton/Donahue/Eddy brigade farts out yet another political wannabe. This time around the farted (oops! we mean annointed!) is Joe O’Brien, a guy with nothing to offer but his connections - and searing political ambitions.

Yes, yes, I know he has done some work on behalf of the schools, and he lives in Main South, etc, etc. But it seems to me O’Brien’s political work has always been in service to HIS POLITICAL CAREER - as if the ambitious O’Brien were just biding time until … the President came calling!

But President Obama hasn’t given O’Brien a ring-a-ding-ding. So O’Brien decides he wants to be mayor of Worcester -an idea that apparently popped into his head after spending a few years as Congressman Jim McGovern’s regional director. O’Brien’s job as McGovern’s top banana was a political plum thrown to him after helping run (so they say) L.G.’s Tim Murray campaign. (Talk about connections! Can’t the rest of us be connected too so we can get high-paying jobs for giving half-assed speeches on behalf of our pals?) Click to continue »