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Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

What happened in Tuesday night's meeting should be a wake-up call for the entire community. It was a call to action. It demonstrates in a nutshell the best and the very worst of Melrose. The students and community members who spoke showed us the very very best. The conduct of the administration and elected officials were shown in their full contemptuous light. Not only should there be no further monetary support (override or bonds) for this administration until the basics are addressed and corrected in a truly accountable way, there should be community scrutiny and action to finally address what so many know is hurting our children!

https://vimeo.com/130280109 SC 6/9/15

Similarly what happened with the BOA was a Perfect Storm of bad action:

https://vimeo.com/129851654 BOA 6/4/15 1:42 "Users" are defined as "meters" (not individuals in a household, homeowners/residents). 2:17 decent motions not even seconded for the purpose of discussion

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

No to Override = Yes for Melrose (in all the most important ways)

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

No to Override = Yes for Melrose

I agree with this.

No to secret governance
No to zero accountability
No to more mismanagement
No to tearing our community apart
No to lies
No to wasting resources on meaningless administrative activities
No to bullying by officials
No to worsening city/district morale
No to consolidation of administrative power

YES to Accountable, Respectful Management
YES to Responsible Management of City Resources
YES to Addressing the Real Problems
YES to Listening to All Voices
YES to Bringing our Community Together around the TRUTH
YES to Voting for and Hiring Competent and Respectful Officials
YES to Public Engagement Based on the Truth
YES to Zero Tolerance for Administrative Bullying
YES to Zero Tolerance for Racist Conduct
YES to Reinstating Checks and Balances in All Areas
YES to Fixing an Ailing Culture with Positive Action

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

$ 243 to buy a new 2nd water meter + $ 100 to install it + $140 more per year for the 2nd meter charges (up from $60) ...so this year alone I'm up $500...even w/out the useage charge/increased rates. John and Patrick can spin and arrogantly try and not answer questions but they are misleading us all. The salaries/perks to cover other departments should not come from the water budget...there is your Override $ ....not one more cent of my tax $ will I give this city who mismanages and hides the budgets....and makes the budget process a farce...only in Melrose would this lifelong Democrat be turned into a Republican.

So, Jen McAndrews / MEF my Override Vote is No...NO, NO ! My money has been spent for the water/sewer budget and paying Brigid to answer the phone...I never thought I would disrespect the BOA almost as much as the SC. After the latest meeting my lack of trust in the BOA almost equals my total disregard and respect for the SC and MPS Administrators. There is no true political process in Melrose anymore...no debate allowed...no discussion encouraged.....no tolerance for differing opinions....the elected political hacks have no political skills and are mainly "yes" people... Voting No on the Override ! No Jen, NO MEF., NO, Mayor Dolan.... ENOUGH !

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

You seem so unhappy here. You really should consider moving if you hate all of your public officials so much and you can't afford it. You post here daily about the horrors to the point that it really seems to be effecting your overall well being and stress levels. That may be you only option, because honestly, if you think that the composition of the SC and the BOA will change, or the Mayor will get voted out, you are seriously deluding yourself. And since they seem to upset you at such a high level, you should seriously consider moving so you don't have to deal with all of this pain and suffering that you are experiencing. Saugus just got a new Town Administrator and the taxes are WAY lower.

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

Extremely well said:

"So, Jen McAndrews / MEF my Override Vote is No...NO, NO ! My money has been spent for the water/sewer budget and paying Brigid to answer the phone...I never thought I would disrespect the BOA almost as much as the SC. After the latest meeting my lack of trust in the BOA almost equals my total disregard and respect for the SC and MPS Administrators. There is no true political process in Melrose anymore...no debate allowed...no discussion encouraged.....no tolerance for differing opinions....the elected political hacks have no political skills and are mainly "yes" people... Voting No on the Override ! No Jen, NO MEF., NO, Mayor Dolan.... ENOUGH !"

And to the snide poster who responded, you are obviously one of the despicable fascists who cannot abide legitimate dissent. You need to be put in your place!

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

I was trying to be nice. Life is too short to be living it in a cloud of hatred and contempt.

And calling me a name like a "despicable fascist" - I am not even sure why you would possibly call me a fascist based on my comment, I don't think you understand the definition of the term. That aside, sliding into nasty name calling does nothing but undermine every point you ever try to make on this board. You can't call the administration bullies and then go ahead with bullying abusive behavior yourself.

Seriously, if you move to those townhouses right on the Saugus border you will have a new administration, less taxes, worse playgrounds (since you seem to complain about the high quality of our playgrounds frequently) and you will still be able to have ice cream at Socs. What is the downside? It will save you a lot of the pain and suffering you seem to be experiencing living in this town.

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

Dear "Stress",
Reading your most recent posts makes me wonder why you skipped the lecture on "Projection" in your Psychology 101 course? You are the one who seems stressed, upset, contemptuous and filled with hate.

Re: Watch these Outrageous Displays of Administrative Contempt

Stress Response
Dear "Stress",
Reading your most recent posts makes me wonder why you skipped the lecture on "Projection" in your Psychology 101 course? You are the one who seems stressed, upset, contemptuous and filled with hate.


That's for sure. The administration is calling out its dogs and is willing to say/do anything to get this override on the ballot and the mayor reelected. Really a poor indication of the state of our city in terms of its current culture under this crew.

Love Melrose

Quite the contrary, I love Melrose so I have nothing negative to project. I hope you manage to find peace so that you don't have to lash out into nasty name calling. Like I said, those slanderous statements that you have made about me and others only makes you look bad. I hope you can manage to live in Melrose despite your anger towards so many of your neighbors here in Melrose.

Re: Love Melrose

Once again, the only answer anyone can muster for those of us who see real problems that need to be fixed is "just move". These people can delude themselves that there is "nothing negative" here, but it is a delusion, and it is so silly, because there are negative practices everywhere. It is odd to me that there is just no acceptance of the problems that exist, or a desire to fix them. Why should people have to stay silent about how they feel they are being screwed by a corrupt system, or "just move"? Things will never improve if we stop talking about what we see as wrong. There is a lot to love about our city, but there are some huge problems too. Watching the last school committee meeting is all you need to do to know that. Why dismiss them? Why act smug and assume people like me hate our neighbors. I have no hatred toward anyone. I love my neighbors, and would like to see their children get the education they deserve. I feel anger toward the administrators who prevent this from happening. "Stress" is living in denial, or at least pretending to, so that she can spout her anger toward those of us who would like to see improvement for everyone. When I read her posts, I am reminded of the Royal Nonesuch in Huck Finn- just keep saying everything is great, and everyone will just believe you. So sad.

Re: Love Melrose

"Same old" said it right. True patriotism means being able to love a community while wanting it to be honest about its problems. The real hate comes from those who are actively seeking to suppress the truth.

The most recent School Committee meeting:
https://vimeo.com/130280109 SC 6/9/15

Similarly what happened with the BOA was a Perfect Storm of bad action:

https://vimeo.com/129851654 BOA 6/4/15 1:42 "Users" are defined as "meters" (not individuals in a household, homeowners/residents). 2:17 decent motions not even seconded for the purpose of discussion

All you Override clones could get a lot more traction if you spent less time putting forward the propaganda and instead acknowledge what those with even marginal critical thinking ability know to be true in Melrose.

Re: Love Melrose

The Override crowd is just the political operative arm that operates exactly like a Cartel, and it needs to be seen as such.

Find some good, decent Melrose citizens who will run as a complete slate of candidates, one for the Board of Aldermen and one for School Committee (and please, leave behind the convicted felons to sell Tupperware for the PTA!). There is real power in numbers. Put forward two solid slates and have them both in support of a single, strong candidate for mayor (but hurry up, since mid-July is the deadline for ballot signatures). No one should worry about winning if you approach this as a united front. Many many Melrosians are ready and eager to vote for new blood, as long as the voices are true and not just a further extension of the same sickness that already thoroughly pervades both boards. Anyone espousing the RD Cartel lines must be kept off those slates.

Re: Love Melrose

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic."
Benjamin Franklin