Yup folks. I was busy over the weekend and the weekend prior. There's a community face book page that's really not a community facebook page. More like a feel good...lets discuss the importance of all the nail and pizza shops we have (and we have a ton of good ones)
Here's what I posted that got the "discussion" going and got me kicked off. I also posted on "Say Yes to Melrose" and got kicked off there too!
I will be voting NO on the override but that doesn't mean I don't have a YES in my heart for Melrose. The taxpayers of Melrose have been extremely generous to our children. We've bonded for a new Middle School, bonded over 6 million for a new Science Center, diverted revenues from Mt. Hood to pay for new track and fields and bonded 400K for textbooks and even more for technology.
We have a grossly unfair tiered water billing system voted on by our Aldermen that has doubled and even tripled our bills and now we are being asked to bear the burden of millions more in real estate taxes.
We now have the United States Office of Civil rights investigating THREE complaints of racism in our schools in just one year. Millions of dollars will be spent on legal fees defending the administration's defenseless position and millions squandered on lawsuits that could have been prevented if we had any leadership in City Hall or in the Superintendent’s Office. Support for this override is throwing good money after bad. Not one more dime until we demand accountability from our School Committee (with the exception of Ms. Kourkoumelis) and force them to undo the damage they have caused to our City and our children.
It really speaks to the kinds of people supporting the Override that they behave they way they do on that so-called "community page". It's only a "community page" if you're in their camp.
Today on the Yes FB page, this: "Jhana Wallace Yesterday at 5:38pm
Sent a PM from Melrose Community FB page"
It's perfectly acceptable for city employees like Martha Grover to post her so-called "facts" about the override, over and over again, but absolutely not okay for intelligent posts by Ms. Wright and others to post alternate views. Sadly this kind of blatant censorship is part of the administration's playbook, so it's easy to see why so many of the administration's hacks love this page.
The so-called "rules" of JW's Facebook page are pure bunk. The flagrant hypocrisy of these people is easily seen. This is a woman who is trigger-happy and quick to send PMs with the F-bomb littered throughout, being absolutely abusive in her personal conduct. But she sets herself up as some sort of virtue monitor when it comes to censoring and banishing someone for bogus "reasons." This really is Melrose at its worst. The admins and many posters (they have 4000 members) admonish Melrose Messages as being "unkind," but there is nothing "kind" or fair about JW's brand of "fair and balanced." There certainly are many unpleasant posts on MM, but at least there is real information to be gleaned easily and a lot of very caring citizens of our community who are part of the MM community, as it were, coming here to learn and find ways to make things better (despite quite vociferous claims to the contrary from posters who obviously are very threatened at the flow of real information).
Jhana doesn't just post PM's with the fbomb. She posts it on the Melrose Community Facebook page. Likes to retort to posts she doesn't like with "give a f$ck = 0
Real classy.
Patricia; I keep hearing there is a third Civil Rights investigation going on. I have heard nothing about this. What is the complaint? What is the source? I think people would like to know. Thanks
Now that there are active Civil Rights investigations being carried out by OCR, this is providing cover for other victims who have been too scared to file complaints after being retaliated against and intimidated by the superintendent's office and city solicitors office but now feel safe enough to file a complaint. As we all now know, the current regime's game plan has been to scare off complainants by various illegal means and it was quite effective over the last three years, at the expense of the complainants, victims and the Melrose community as a whole. Of course the taxpayers will be bearing the burden of the overwhelming legal costs being incurred to defend the offenders and to cover up the current regime's crimes. Gee, it must be nice to have the taxpayers fund your legal defense team as well as your legal hit squad against victims and complainants. But apparently the "yes" folks on Facebook appear to be okay with this.
To anyone on the fence...take a look at those leading the charge for the No vote. Are these the people you want to line up with?
Am proud to be voting No with the citizens who care so deeply about our community that they are willing to stand up to the corrupt Machine with all those MEF moms pushing their lies and misrepresentations.
Wow. "Voting yes," are you seriously so shallow or delusional about your side? By voting yes, you are choosing to fund a racism laden administration. Do you think that is ok because it doesn't affect you or your family? Have you no ethics or morals? The fact that you are not outraged shows your lack of ethics. You obviously are one who would like Melrose to look only white with Stepford Moms and cute little street lamps. Obviously, you are more interested in social climbing and looks than substance. Take a look at your inner self. Your money if you vote yes will not go to help the children in the schools. Your money is going to go to pay legal bills to protect the racist adults on the school committ including the mayor. Except CKK. I would rather stand with the people who have ethics than with your sort any day.
Are you delusional yes I would rather stand with them any day!! Do you people even realize that there are more and more condo properties being built & that this will bring money into the city? The mayor even said that they don't need this override to pass & the city will be fine. The mayor is scrambling he even had to make a ridiculous video to try to get this override to pass. I am voting NO & I have lived here all my life & have children in the school system I don't believe or trust any of them.
If this was a one-time infusion of money - for one year only - there is a slim chance I might vote for it, if someone could convince me that a: we really need it, and b: those monsters who have and continue to do so much damage to both the character and reputation of out city were all tossed out of office.
But it isn't for one year only. It's forever, and not one thin dime of subsequent years levy is encumbered, which is to say it is actually a slush fund to be squandered however they want to squander it, like paying more outrageous legal bills, or funding more huge, and totally undeserved pay raises for administrators and our very own "education expert" Mayor.
They Mayor actually said it himself - I'll paraphrase: "No, we don't really need it, but we want it." I learned the difference between want and need when I was about 7 years old.
Those running the district (into the ground) really are monsters. The new string about last night's meeting ("Nutshell") really says it. These people (with a couple of exceptions--the new science chair seems like he might get it) really don't seem to care at all that their miserable failures are affecting real, live children and their futures. Maybe they're not all greedy incompetent monsters, but certainly many are, and the evidence is right there.
Not one more red cent goes to these monsters. They have been squandering the millions they've already gotten. Our kids and our community are paying the price for their venality and incompetence.
Around the city you will see those "Yes" for Melrose bumper stickers and yard signs. Every one who displays these stickers and signs are parents of elementary school kids. They all think the override will make the high school years better for their precious ones. I do not see these signs from people that are elderly or had kids already go through the system or those without kids.
The override vote shouldn't be a who is aligned with whom contest. It is revealing that you see it that way.
This permanent tax increase should be reviewed by every homeowner independently. Now is not the time for groupthink.
There seems to be a push to go along to get along using false numbers by the yes people. If a voice is raised to question the faulty math involved, a clique of mean girls comes out to obscure facts.
The ongoing and forever impact of the override is more important to consider than who is your friend. It's time to move beyond 6th grade thinking and 6th grade math.
"Not trying to be Popular" said a great thing. It is past time for voters in Melrose to take a mature and responsible stand.
The "Yes" camp has indeed behaved in an immature way, and it continues to line up its shills to bully anyone who even questions this ballot measure as "not supporting the students," "not wanting to invest in our children's future," etc. They in effect question the very patriotism of the "True Melrosian" with their targeted nastiness. Now I understand the comparison to McCarthyism!
This lack of maturity and responsible communication with those who might have differing views is also the defining characteristic of Jihanna and the administrators of that Facebook site calling itself a Community page. They masquerade under a pleasant facade, but they are operating as total shills for the administration, whether they acknowledge it ever or not. If someone like Grover or Lewis or McAndrew wants to post what amounts to cooked "data," even if it adds up to a "rant" on their side, that's perfectly okay in the eyes of those "admins" of that FB site. All those strident "likes" and silly comments of those rushing in to defend the honor of these women in the face of anyone who might have another view (euphemistically attacked for breaking the ever-shifting "rules") just demonstrate even more the immature and uncredible nature of the whole operation. These women should stick to their coffee klatches where they can trash-talk as per usual (which is what really takes place with them) and not pretend to have a "community" board "Open to all" as these types claim.
"These women should stick to their coffee klatches where they can trash-talk as per usual (which is what really takes place with them) and not pretend to have a "community" board "Open to all" as these types claim."
Unfortunately there are too many in Melrose who apparently think the Mean Girl approach is in fact just fine. Watch any School Committee meeting and you can see it played out over and over again. They wrap themselves in their pledge to the flag and walk the Walk, dripping with sanctimonious gush, but in fact are consummate bullies. The same is true with too many of the aldermen, dripping with their allegiance to their increasingly arrogant "leader" and only too quick to pat themselves on the back ad nauseum for their many years of service to what really are highly questionable principles of action.
It's high time for Melrose to grow up. Otherwise it deserves exactly the government it has right now.