I find it difficult to believe that Gerry uttered a sentence that short.
Melrose Mean Girls are the ones that voted to keep CT on for 3 more years. Most of the SC that voted for her has left.
Melrose Free Press. 1/31/13
To the editor:
For some, the highlight of the Appropriations Committee meeting Monday evening must have been the courageous comments by Aldermen Jaclyn Lavender Bird about the process and what went on behind the scenes.
Beginning with the comment that she felt “Like a skunk at a lawn party” for voting against the order. She made these points:
1) Despite all the personal testimony about the mayor, it was not a personal issue but a personnel issue.
2) It is not the job of the Board of Aldermen to give a 25 percent raise to an elected incumbent with more than two years left in his term. It is not the right process.
3) Other ways to address the issue could be small cost-of-living increases over the next two years with a larger increase for the position which would go into effect in January 2016 following the next election.
Then came some disturbing comments about the mayor and John McLaughlin’s behind the scenes pressure. She was told by the mayor on Dec. 14 that he would seek a 26 percent pay increase and replied it was higher than she expected and could not support it as setting a bad precedent.
His response was, “Now that McClaughlin is on this, you won’t have a choice.” On Jan. 11, after many calls from McClaughlin, she told him it was nothing against the mayor, to which McLaughlin said if she did not agree, he would have to get 300 people to the hearing.
She explained that she voted based on what she thinks is right whether that decision is popular or not. Two minutes later the mayor called and she reiterated her position and endured “35 minutes of the mayor screaming".
Arnold Koch
Thank you, Truthsayer, for posting the truth and countering the disgusting, hateful lies about JLB by "Real Truth" (not!) and "MM Memes."
There is already plentiful evidence of the lack of courage or integrity of KL-G, JL, MB, who dare to present their rationale for votes to date as if they had actually done due diligence on the issues when it's obvious that they have not, that instead they are promoting the most superficial and in some cases entirely false suppositions. For any of them to have promoted GI, for example, as "highly knowledgeable" about education is ludicrous. GI demonstrates her staggering ignorance of factual information about even the most general education issues any time she opens her mouth. Her educational expertise is on a par with her trumpet playing (about which she also has large pretensions).... JL supposedly is all about women's issues (as in board name change), but she certainly has had no qualms about watching the chronic bullying of her female colleague, MM (who always carries herself with dignity and fights for actual issues) at numerous meetings, or even of demonstrating basic respectful conduct (as in seconding motions even if just for the purposes of discussion, as respectful boards do). KL-G has voted regressively right out of the box, and she demonstrates zero humility besides, always with a patronizing, superior air. Women's issues only matter if they are about appearances and about the fabricated issues of the Melrose fake dems, at least for this bunch. Sadly, the Good Ol' Boy Network in Melrose politics includes most of its women representatives as well, who are anything but progressive in any real way. JLB can feel proud that she stood tall next to that bunch (and by the way, she did serve for years, so trying to impugn her for having not re-upped is just bogus).
How can you get copies of the minutes from the Monday night Women's Commission meeting? Wonder if the Commissioner Lawyers even discussed the issues which started this string (JB and her public comments regarding the Ward 5 Vacancy)? The City and Women's Commission may be in violation of the OML by never posting their meeting minutes on the City Website.
They don't have to publish the minutes, but they have to have them and provide them when asked. Not every group has to post minutes, but they do need to be available to anyone who requests them.
Meanwhile, a certifiable lunatic serves on the BOA. I guess it's forgiven as just Morty being Morty.
ALL Boards and Commissions should be REQUIRED to post their minutes on line. All city business is funded by taxpayers and should be readily available! Layers of beaurcacy should not be required to access public information. Why should Melrose residents need to request copies of minutes? Where are the minutes stored? The biographies of Commissioners are not up to date on many pages. The MHRC for instance still lists Rabbi Fertig and Shawn MacMaster who finished their terms over two years ago. There are a number of WC vacancies and many Commissioners have left. So who are the Women Commissioners? Agendas are often wrong, too. The February MHRC agenda has the Cemetary Meeting listed instead. Check out other meetings and mistaken agendas are also listed as "school councils". The stupid thing about the WC Facebook notice was the need to have "a drink or two" in order to "plot and scheme". Dumb to promote the need for alcohol in order to plan future events or encourage networking. Their choice to use the words "plotting and scheming" will only contribute to negative and stereotypical views about female leaders and hurt the WC's reputation.
The Melrose Commission on Women's Facebook page today shared a link from the BBC about a female pilot who flew hundreds of missions during WWII. It struck me as inappropriate and insensitive to say that she should be celebrated even "if this one is British".