I have always heard about "journalistic integrity" but I've never truly seen a "breech" of that integrity. That was until 20 people got arrested in Ware.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/ware_arrests_20_people_in_unde.html?category=Crime&category=Ware
"The identities of those arrested will be released late tonight or early tomorrow,.."
Its about 4:30 p.m Saturday and no names...
I hate to beat a dead horse but I will anyway. If these crimes happened in Springfield or Holyoke, not only would these alleged criminals have their names posted, but there would be mugshots and already up to date information on prior criminal history if applicable. So, once again The Republican/Masslive has lived up to their "above-par standards" (Look up the word "par" in relation to golf).
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Ironic or part of the plan?
"...the 'Hollywood' section of that poor neighborhood" (located in the South End of Springfield)- Springfield Intruder
Hollywood (Dictionary.com)
–noun
1. the NW part of Los Angeles, Calif.: center of the American motion-picture industry.
2. A district of Los Angeles, California. Consolidated with Los Angeles in 1910, it has long been a film and entertainment center.
3. The U.S. film industry.
4. A flashy, vulgar atmosphere or tone, held to be associated with the U.S. film industry.
5. region near Los Angeles, once a quiet farming community, by 1910 barns were being converted into movie studios. The name used generically for "American movies" from 1926, three years after the giant sign was set up, originally "Hollywoodland", a real estate developer's promotion.
If you are familiar with Springfield or not, do any of these definitions match the condition of that section of the South End?
Hollywood (Dictionary.com)
–noun
1. the NW part of Los Angeles, Calif.: center of the American motion-picture industry.
2. A district of Los Angeles, California. Consolidated with Los Angeles in 1910, it has long been a film and entertainment center.
3. The U.S. film industry.
4. A flashy, vulgar atmosphere or tone, held to be associated with the U.S. film industry.
5. region near Los Angeles, once a quiet farming community, by 1910 barns were being converted into movie studios. The name used generically for "American movies" from 1926, three years after the giant sign was set up, originally "Hollywoodland", a real estate developer's promotion.
If you are familiar with Springfield or not, do any of these definitions match the condition of that section of the South End?
DO NOT LET YOUR INTELLIGENCE BE INSULTED.
Is it just me or is every blog dedicated to Western Mass filled with pictures and videos? In one particular Western Mass blog, who I won't name but you can do the research yourself if you please, two days of entries included 20 pictures and 2 videos with few words. I can tell you that most of my posts will not have pictures. I try to keep them as short as possible so it doesn't get too lengthy but "If a picture is worth 1,000 words", why not cash in at least 250 of those words and describe the picture yourself? Of course, there are many occasions where only the picture will do but I'm the kind of "blogger" who is going to use 95% words. Words are the medium.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Masslive.com - Part Dos
Masslive.com has once again terminated/banned my account. After tomorrow, I will no longer be posting a link in any of the forums on Masslive.com. A new entry will be posted daily by at least 2 p.m Eastern Time. This may hurt my readership but Masslive doesnt appreciate freedom of speech from some people. They took down every post i made today. So once again, I will grant the unasked wishes of Masslive.com and i will not post on their forums after tomorrow, August 28 2008.
-T.H.H (True Hip-Hop Head)
P.S. Does anyone think this is a coincidence?
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhcA15bfos2Nm43y89 ( a snapshot of my culture)
-T.H.H (True Hip-Hop Head)
P.S. Does anyone think this is a coincidence?
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhcA15bfos2Nm43y89 ( a snapshot of my culture)
The War on Poverty
http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1219821357196710.xml&coll=1
I read the article above this morning. Look at the comments so far (from the forum):
"Lots of these people get cash money in the underground economy. Only ONE big screen plasma. I feels so sorry. Food stamps, free housing. Free education.
What a crock, so that the service providers can feed their own jobs. Gotta look for all the allegedly poor that they can."
"We need to spend more U.S. taxpayers' money on Iraqis and Iraq! Now, that is a welfare program I can get behind."
"The socialists take the bottom 20% and call them poor. Problem is there will always be a bottom 20%."
and its still pretty early in the morning. In those 3 comments, we can see blasts about welfare, the poor, the homeless, the Iraq War and socialism. The first two comments are usual for the website. Any racist, sexist or ignorant comment will be posted on Masslive and I get it; appeal to your base. However, the last comment is very interesting and i want to talk about it for a few lines.
In the 1960's, the president of the United States of Socialism, eerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, America, Lyndon B. Johnson passed legislation to start the War on Poverty. Who would ever think the president would care about the "bottom 20%"? I mean, they are poor and of course its the poor person's fault that s/he is poor. All W.A.S.P'S (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) have pulled themselves up from their bootstraps and made their way own in this country. Its funny though, all non-white people in this country weren't originally from here. Some were actual involuntarily transported here and others chose to come here. And lo and behold, some of these same non-white people are still poor. It has to be a coincidence though.
Another point about that third comment is capitalism will always have that "bottom 20%". You don't have to be a socialist or communist to realize this. All that is needed is some knowledge of what capitalism is/was (I use "was" because some theorists and economists believe that we are in a post-capitalist state). The "free" markets and other capitalistic principles make it easy to decipher that only certain people can succeed in a capitalistic society. You don't have to be a student of Karl Marx or even like him to understand that there is a genuine and expanding gap between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians. For example, EXXON MOBIL CEO's make millions and Mobil gas station workers across the country make minimum wage, which varies from state to state. It's capitalism at its best and worst.
Now, its been 44 years since the War on Poverty began and 7 white presidents have sat in the Master's, eerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, White House and the same people are still poor. Coincidence?
I read the article above this morning. Look at the comments so far (from the forum):
"Lots of these people get cash money in the underground economy. Only ONE big screen plasma. I feels so sorry. Food stamps, free housing. Free education.
What a crock, so that the service providers can feed their own jobs. Gotta look for all the allegedly poor that they can."
"We need to spend more U.S. taxpayers' money on Iraqis and Iraq! Now, that is a welfare program I can get behind."
"The socialists take the bottom 20% and call them poor. Problem is there will always be a bottom 20%."
and its still pretty early in the morning. In those 3 comments, we can see blasts about welfare, the poor, the homeless, the Iraq War and socialism. The first two comments are usual for the website. Any racist, sexist or ignorant comment will be posted on Masslive and I get it; appeal to your base. However, the last comment is very interesting and i want to talk about it for a few lines.
In the 1960's, the president of the United States of Socialism, eerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, America, Lyndon B. Johnson passed legislation to start the War on Poverty. Who would ever think the president would care about the "bottom 20%"? I mean, they are poor and of course its the poor person's fault that s/he is poor. All W.A.S.P'S (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) have pulled themselves up from their bootstraps and made their way own in this country. Its funny though, all non-white people in this country weren't originally from here. Some were actual involuntarily transported here and others chose to come here. And lo and behold, some of these same non-white people are still poor. It has to be a coincidence though.
Another point about that third comment is capitalism will always have that "bottom 20%". You don't have to be a socialist or communist to realize this. All that is needed is some knowledge of what capitalism is/was (I use "was" because some theorists and economists believe that we are in a post-capitalist state). The "free" markets and other capitalistic principles make it easy to decipher that only certain people can succeed in a capitalistic society. You don't have to be a student of Karl Marx or even like him to understand that there is a genuine and expanding gap between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians. For example, EXXON MOBIL CEO's make millions and Mobil gas station workers across the country make minimum wage, which varies from state to state. It's capitalism at its best and worst.
Now, its been 44 years since the War on Poverty began and 7 white presidents have sat in the Master's, eerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, White House and the same people are still poor. Coincidence?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Rock, Paper, Scissors: An Olympic SPORT?
"In the land of the blind, the man with one eye is the King."
Ending the CBS Sports section of last nights CBS3 Springfield news, was a man who went to the Olympics to "compete" for a GOLD MEDAL in rock, paper, scissors. First of all what makes this a sport? Why not have golf at the Olympics? Or NASCAR or bowling, MMA? I remember playing this game when i was a kid. Can a 9 year old who is really good at rock, paper, scissors go to the Olympics or is s/he going to be at a disadvantage because they are going up against a 23 year old systems analyst? I guess you have to get 8 gold medals because if you just get one, well so did the guy who won rock, paper, scissors.
Also, to all the local news stations, we (or maybe just me) don't need the weather 6 to 7 times a show. I know they are "meteorologist" but the weather should only be shown about 3, maybe 4 times. Is there no other news to report than events we can't control?
Monday, August 25, 2008
22News 6:00 p.m headline (8/25/08)
"Despite a $1 billion budget deficit, Massachusetts adds about 1,900 new workers. 22News questions how that could happen." (http://www.wwlp.com/ 8-25-08)
"What about the people who actually are doing the construction. They get still get paid but the funds are from borrowed money. So we have to pay people from borrowed money but the taxes taken out of our checks go directly back to the state. The Globe says 80% of the workers involved with The Big Dig are paid with money that has to be paid back at some point" - T.H.H
You will see that quote if you read "2nd Entry - 08/14/08", opinions and fact about The Big Dig.
"What about the people who actually are doing the construction. They get still get paid but the funds are from borrowed money. So we have to pay people from borrowed money but the taxes taken out of our checks go directly back to the state. The Globe says 80% of the workers involved with The Big Dig are paid with money that has to be paid back at some point" - T.H.H
You will see that quote if you read "2nd Entry - 08/14/08", opinions and fact about The Big Dig.
Shays Rebellion
Shays Rebellion was an uprising in central Western Massachusetts but all the fighting and bloodshed was in southern Western Massachusetts, specifically the city of Springfield. The revolt was led by Daniel Shays who was an obscure man for most of his life other than his military service and this particular rebellion.
At the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, Shays was a captain in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment and saw action in the battles of Bunker Hill, Ticonderoga, Saratoga and Stony Point.
In 1780 he resigned from the army (I guess you had a choice about service, unlike today). He moved to Pelham, Mass. which is located in Hampshire County. He served in various offices within the local government. After his resignation from the army, the war dragged on for another 7 years and by this time the economic conditions had changed drastically. America had won the war but there was a massive war debt.
The main reason behind Shays Rebellion is taxes and debt. At this point in American history, all the power was in the hands of the states. There was no federal government as we know it today. Each state regulated their own taxes and even had their own money. If a citizen of Massachusetts got in to too much debt or didn't pay taxes, this citizens was sent to a prison that was for debtors specifically. The state could also take back your property.
Shays and fellow rebels didn't agree with these policies and took justice into their own hands. There were two major incidents in Shays Rebellion and both happened in Springfield. The first was on September 26, 1786. Close to 1,500 men went to battle that day for both sides. 4 men were killed and many others were injured in this battle. The rest of the fall and winter of 1786 saw minor scuffles and battles. The second battle that took place in Springfield was on February 3, 1787. On this date, Shays and his Shaysites set their eyes on the Springfield Armory, which was federal property. When Shays and his army arrived, they weren't alone. A militia from Boston and a militia from Springfield led by General William Shepard, was also there to greet Shays. The story goes that Shepard commanded for one warning shot to be fired. This one shot killed 2 or 3 people and the rest fled north. The next day some of the rebels who fled were caught in Petersham, Mass and this was the end of Shays Rebellion.
Shays Rebellion is one of the more amazing feats, I'd say, in Western Massachusetts history. This was in 1786. If we can think of that time - no Interstate highways, no motor vehicles - the 20 mile round trip journey Shays and army had to make twice was nothing to laugh at. They either marched here, rode horseback or came by the Connecticut River; and that was just to get to Springfield. Lets say they came by the Connecticut River, they would still have to march up the steep incline from the riverfront to the Armory.
Shays Rebellion was also important politically. It was a catalyst for the revision of the Articles of Confederation, which was deemed very weak. The first Constitutional Convention was also conceived and planned from the uprising in Western Massachusetts. The history of America is right under our nose.....
Friday, August 22, 2008
John McCain was "fundamentally" right.
"Fortune: Do you believe the U.S. economy today is fundamentally sound?"
"McCain: I think the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are very strong."
(http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/29/news/economy/mccain_transcript.fortune/index.htm)
First, lets get a few things straight. I am not a Conservative/Republican. I am not going to vote for John McCain. Finally, I think he has run an awful campaign ( i.e smear ads, not knowing how many houses he owns, and having a staff that doesn't know how many houses he owns, after he asks the question in the middle of the interview.)
1. The fundamentals of the U.S economy are overwhelmingly capitalistic principles. Most conservative/Republicans believe that capitalism is great so they would think the fundamentals of the economy are the strong; capitalism, the free market, etc. Now, the men in leadership, led by George W. Bush, are inept, incompetent, inarticulate, indifferent about certain people and in the pockets of oil companies. John McCain owns a piece of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is an organization in the MLB, Major League Baseball. The MLB is one example of capitalism at its best; the commodification of sports.
So, if you don't agree with capitalism or all its principles, you will certainly disagree with John McCain's statement. However, if you do believe in capitalism (most people do, it has lasted this long) his statement was fundamentally right; if you believe in capitalism and its principles. Everyone disagrees politically but everyone wants to make money and capitalism isn't a bad route.
I don't like McCain and I'm not going to vote for McCain.
"McCain: I think the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are very strong."
(http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/29/news/economy/mccain_transcript.fortune/index.htm)
First, lets get a few things straight. I am not a Conservative/Republican. I am not going to vote for John McCain. Finally, I think he has run an awful campaign ( i.e smear ads, not knowing how many houses he owns, and having a staff that doesn't know how many houses he owns, after he asks the question in the middle of the interview.)
1. The fundamentals of the U.S economy are overwhelmingly capitalistic principles. Most conservative/Republicans believe that capitalism is great so they would think the fundamentals of the economy are the strong; capitalism, the free market, etc. Now, the men in leadership, led by George W. Bush, are inept, incompetent, inarticulate, indifferent about certain people and in the pockets of oil companies. John McCain owns a piece of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is an organization in the MLB, Major League Baseball. The MLB is one example of capitalism at its best; the commodification of sports.
So, if you don't agree with capitalism or all its principles, you will certainly disagree with John McCain's statement. However, if you do believe in capitalism (most people do, it has lasted this long) his statement was fundamentally right; if you believe in capitalism and its principles. Everyone disagrees politically but everyone wants to make money and capitalism isn't a bad route.
I don't like McCain and I'm not going to vote for McCain.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
MASSLIVE.COM
Most people who have read the blog, have got to it courtesy of Masslive.com. Everytime I use something from their website, I cite who wrote and where it came from. Yesterday, I decided to submit a queston to the "Ask the Mayor" section. I had a simple one sentence question, "Why has the mayor flip-flopped on the trash fee issue?" To my surprise, I went to log in today and my account has been banned. Now if this man is really the "People's Mayor", he won't just field softball questions from "Kristen". He should take questions from the people who elected him to run our city. Or maybe the problem lies within the Masslive.com staff. They seem to post every racist, sexist, and ignorant comment but a legitimate question to the mayor gets my free account terminated. If someone from Masslive.com reads this, please email me back at the address I provided for you or the email address at the top of the page.
Also any suggestion about topics readers want to read and comment about are always welcome. I'm flexible....
Also any suggestion about topics readers want to read and comment about are always welcome. I'm flexible....
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Wild and Crazy Kids (W. MA. version)
"Wild and Crazy Kids" was a show on Nickelodeon in the mid 1990's but the title to this piece is referring to kids in Ludlow, Palmer and Ware.
Lets first go to Ludlow. Patrick Taylor, who is 17 and from Ludlow, was charged "with assault on a police officer, assault and battery with dangerous weapon, rocks and malicious damage to a police car..."(Suzanne McLaughlin, The Republican via Masslive.com). He was arrested after police arrived at Highland Avenue, where they observed 15 teens in the street arguing about "betting". A juvenile teen was also arrested for throwing rocks at a police car. If in fact all the teens were "betting", then everyone should have been arrested for gambling; it is illegal in Massachusetts and none of these kids were over 21. However, the "betting" story doesn't seem to be plausible. Whatever started the incident is minor when compared to what happened. When the police showed up, at least 2 kids decided it would be a good idea to throw rocks at the police cars. So, to complement the "betting" or whatever other illegal activities were going on before the police came to the scene, these kids allegedly throw rocks at an officer and vandalize the cruiser. The only thing I can think of is a scene in the Middle East, where Palestinians are throwing rocks or whatever they can grab at Israeli tanks rolling through their villages. There is a major difference though between these two situations. White kids assaulting police officers, allegedly, is much different than a religious, philosophical, territorial strife between two ethnicities. The difference is these kids in Ludlow are idiots. The "riot" on Sherman St. in Springfield didn't have people throwing rocks at the police.
A neighboring town to Ludlow, Palmer is also a place where the kids have gone crazy. One of the top stories of yesterday's news was of the 16 year old boy who started 2 fires that left two house severely damaged. He admitted to committing the crime and for his honesty, so it seems, he wasn't put in 'cuffs and stuffed in a cell somewhere. How does a teen commit two counts of arson and get out of jail the same day? I don't know whether this boy was even arrested or not. If he was arrested he should have been in jail until at least this morning. The police probably shouldn't let criminals go immediately after they have just committed a serious crime or it could send a mixed message. Also, 16 year old kids shouldn't be trying to go Human Torch on people's property. Hypothetically, if this had happened in California, there could have been a massive wildfire that ensued. I'm sure some of the wildfires in California started from something smaller than lighting 2 family dwellings on fire.
Finally, lets move to Ware. Where? Ware. The biggest news story out of Ware this summer has been the death of Vanessa L. Kotowski. She was a passenger in the vehicle of Amanda L. King, of Hardwick. Ms. King was allegedly drunk driving when she hit a utility pole. As a result of the crash, an insulator was broken and electric currents were running from the pole to the ground. When Ms. Kotowski stepped out of the vehicle, she was electrocuted to death. For the purposes of this piece, Ms. King is not a kid or even a teen but she is still younger than me and her behavior cannot and should not be excused. First, Ms. King was illegally drinking alcohol; she is not 21. Second, she got behind the wheel of a motor vehicle which was another crime. Third, she had an accident and because of the 3 acts of negligence she perpetrated beforehand, her friend and passenger died. The accident happened on June 23, 2008. She was officially charged on July 2nd, more than 1 week later. Ms. King's first court date was on July 11, 2008, almost 3 weeks later. As of July 2nd, she was only charged with DUI. It wasn't until the court date on July 1th where she was charged with vehicular homicide. How does someone, even inadvertently or involuntarily, kill someone and not have to be locked up even for a few hours? Having an open container of alcohol in Springfield will get you a trip to Pearl Street. Vehicular homicide, drunk driving and arson in Ware and Palmer gets you nothing but time to get your story straight or summons to voluntarily come to court; there are some people we certainly can't have in jail.
Lets first go to Ludlow. Patrick Taylor, who is 17 and from Ludlow, was charged "with assault on a police officer, assault and battery with dangerous weapon, rocks and malicious damage to a police car..."(Suzanne McLaughlin, The Republican via Masslive.com). He was arrested after police arrived at Highland Avenue, where they observed 15 teens in the street arguing about "betting". A juvenile teen was also arrested for throwing rocks at a police car. If in fact all the teens were "betting", then everyone should have been arrested for gambling; it is illegal in Massachusetts and none of these kids were over 21. However, the "betting" story doesn't seem to be plausible. Whatever started the incident is minor when compared to what happened. When the police showed up, at least 2 kids decided it would be a good idea to throw rocks at the police cars. So, to complement the "betting" or whatever other illegal activities were going on before the police came to the scene, these kids allegedly throw rocks at an officer and vandalize the cruiser. The only thing I can think of is a scene in the Middle East, where Palestinians are throwing rocks or whatever they can grab at Israeli tanks rolling through their villages. There is a major difference though between these two situations. White kids assaulting police officers, allegedly, is much different than a religious, philosophical, territorial strife between two ethnicities. The difference is these kids in Ludlow are idiots. The "riot" on Sherman St. in Springfield didn't have people throwing rocks at the police.
A neighboring town to Ludlow, Palmer is also a place where the kids have gone crazy. One of the top stories of yesterday's news was of the 16 year old boy who started 2 fires that left two house severely damaged. He admitted to committing the crime and for his honesty, so it seems, he wasn't put in 'cuffs and stuffed in a cell somewhere. How does a teen commit two counts of arson and get out of jail the same day? I don't know whether this boy was even arrested or not. If he was arrested he should have been in jail until at least this morning. The police probably shouldn't let criminals go immediately after they have just committed a serious crime or it could send a mixed message. Also, 16 year old kids shouldn't be trying to go Human Torch on people's property. Hypothetically, if this had happened in California, there could have been a massive wildfire that ensued. I'm sure some of the wildfires in California started from something smaller than lighting 2 family dwellings on fire.
Finally, lets move to Ware. Where? Ware. The biggest news story out of Ware this summer has been the death of Vanessa L. Kotowski. She was a passenger in the vehicle of Amanda L. King, of Hardwick. Ms. King was allegedly drunk driving when she hit a utility pole. As a result of the crash, an insulator was broken and electric currents were running from the pole to the ground. When Ms. Kotowski stepped out of the vehicle, she was electrocuted to death. For the purposes of this piece, Ms. King is not a kid or even a teen but she is still younger than me and her behavior cannot and should not be excused. First, Ms. King was illegally drinking alcohol; she is not 21. Second, she got behind the wheel of a motor vehicle which was another crime. Third, she had an accident and because of the 3 acts of negligence she perpetrated beforehand, her friend and passenger died. The accident happened on June 23, 2008. She was officially charged on July 2nd, more than 1 week later. Ms. King's first court date was on July 11, 2008, almost 3 weeks later. As of July 2nd, she was only charged with DUI. It wasn't until the court date on July 1th where she was charged with vehicular homicide. How does someone, even inadvertently or involuntarily, kill someone and not have to be locked up even for a few hours? Having an open container of alcohol in Springfield will get you a trip to Pearl Street. Vehicular homicide, drunk driving and arson in Ware and Palmer gets you nothing but time to get your story straight or summons to voluntarily come to court; there are some people we certainly can't have in jail.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Uncle Sam's Neighborhood
"More than 70 downtown residents were introduced on Monday to their new State Street neighbor, the $70 million federal courthouse..." (Patrick Johnson, The Republican via Masslive.com).
So, Uncle Sam's new courthouse is scheduled to "open for business" next week. Seems like he got tired of his old place on Main St; too many "undesirables" down there possibly. It's an interesting place where he moved though. If you are standing in front of the new courthouse and walk up towards Spring St., that brick buliding is the state welfare office. If you walked the other way towards Elliot St., you will run into St. Michael's Cathedral. However, Uncle Sam doesn't care who or what is on or around the land he wants, he's going to move in anyway. Of course, we, the taxpayers, had to make our co-payments to help Uncle Sam move to his new place. It wouldn't be right any other way. One of his employees, United States Representative Richard Neal, D-Springfield, has a new office in the courthouse. I guess he doesn't see a conflict of interest in having federal legislature officals in the same building as federal judicial staff. Since Uncle Sam will be open for business next week, let's see some of the coming attractions:
So, Uncle Sam's new courthouse is scheduled to "open for business" next week. Seems like he got tired of his old place on Main St; too many "undesirables" down there possibly. It's an interesting place where he moved though. If you are standing in front of the new courthouse and walk up towards Spring St., that brick buliding is the state welfare office. If you walked the other way towards Elliot St., you will run into St. Michael's Cathedral. However, Uncle Sam doesn't care who or what is on or around the land he wants, he's going to move in anyway. Of course, we, the taxpayers, had to make our co-payments to help Uncle Sam move to his new place. It wouldn't be right any other way. One of his employees, United States Representative Richard Neal, D-Springfield, has a new office in the courthouse. I guess he doesn't see a conflict of interest in having federal legislature officals in the same building as federal judicial staff. Since Uncle Sam will be open for business next week, let's see some of the coming attractions:
- Michael Armitage - federally indicted on seven charges of bank fraud and money laundering.
- Murder trial of "Big" Al Bruno
I know Uncle Sam has some tricks up his sleeve. He wouldn't have moved if he didn't.
Monday, August 18, 2008
How Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet have failed Springfield so far
http://www.springfieldpolice.net/police/fileadmin/Police_Dept_files/acrobat_files/forms/acrobat_forms/arrestlog-60.pdf
"Sarno pledged his support of William Fitchet immediately...", "THE PEOPLE'S MAYOR" (http://www.springfield-ma.gov/COS/first-100-days.0.html)
Its early, very early in the Sarno administration but he hasn't even attempted to climb some of the platforms he built during his campaign. Some of these platforms, he has out and out lied about and someone needs to bring these inconsistencies to the light.
First, the whole trash fee/barrels fiasco. "There was a virtual revolt against the proposed charge, with an outcry from residents and political opposition from elected officials - most notably Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who campaigned against the fee last year as a first-time mayoral candidate" (Masslive.com). The article goes on to say, "Sarno has since flip-flopped on the issue." So, not only has he not done what he said he was going to do, he completely abandoned his previous stance and moved to another position. Now, Mayor Sarno wants to go around the city and recollect the trash barrels. How can you want to eliminate the old trash fee and less than a year later enforce a policy which would still be categorized under the old trash fee? Also, this proposed trash fee which was just another way to tax people, was a fee on top of the taxes Springfield residents already pay for trash removal since the Department of Public Works is also co-sponsored by our tax money. I hope some of the people whose barrels are collected go and dump their trash at the steps of City Hall.
Second, crime has flourished under the Sarno administration. The first link at the top of the page shows this. In 60 days, there are 1,101 "open cases" with none of them closed. Stopping crime was another platform Mayor Sarno propagated. As the crime rates and new stories about crime rise, Mayor Sarno is no where to be found. All you will get from Sarno probably is his stump speech about crime and how it effects the community. People are getting killed on our streets in broad daylight, i.e the fatal stabbing on Dickinson St. in the Forest Park section of Springfield. Also a young man is shot by the police and the current inept and incompetent District Attorney Bill Bennett decided not to investigate nor charge the officer involved. Where is Mayor Sarno's voice on these issues? No where. He is to worried about his next appearance or the next trip he has to take to Boston or making sure he shows Governor Deval Patrick every inch of downtown Springfield.
To combat crime, you "need" the police. So Mayor Sarno decided to hire William J. Fitchet as police commissioner. He is a 35 year veteran of the police force and he was in the narcotics task force and reportedly was the first one in when doing a drug raid. The Sarno/Fitchet alliance stated that crime was down 15% in Springfield. Then, no less than a week later, 1 person was killed and 9 other people were shot or stabbed. These incidents took place in late June. When asked about the recent rash in violence in the city, Police Commissioner Fitchet said, "It is what it is." I expect that quote from a professional athlete or a musician but for an "elected" official (the 5 member Finance Control Board actually hires the police commissioner; guess who is a member of that board, Mayor Sarno) that's more than non-chalant that's almost crossing the line of indifference. Whether the Mayor or Police Commissioner likes it or not, they have to at least make it seem like they care about people who are non-white. I know that may not be "politically correct" especially since those in power would say "Race is no longer an issue," but I'd say those people are dead wrong. And its not like this violent weekend has been the only blip on the radar. Every day someone is arrested for some kind of crime, mostly drug related. The crime statistics released early this year also claimed rapes were up 61%. Despite all the crime that is going on, Sarno/Fitchet would have you believe that the city is safer and headed the right way but its not. These two are worried about numbers only, even if the numbers are skewed, incorrect or just plain made-up.
Finally, I will mention the review board that was set-up under Mayor Charles Ryan that was built to review complaints made by citizens about police brutality or misconduct. The board has no power and all investigations are meaningless. All the power regarding discipline for police is wielded by the police commissioner. The Sarno Administration, since winning the election in 2007, has promised to set-up the citizens complaint review board. Since then, there has been a lot of crime, police shooting innocent people, the mayor's staff received a 2% raise for doing absolutely nothing and the city or our metropolitan area has been deemed dead. The review board finally had their first meeting on August 14, 2008. Over 8 months had passed and this administration couldn't even set up a lame-duck citizens review board. What are they going to do when really tough decisions need to be made. Mayor Sarno and staff (including P.C Fitchet) haven't done anything for Springfield. All they have done is collect a pay check. Our city officials need to start working with us, the citizens of Springfield.
"Sarno pledged his support of William Fitchet immediately...", "THE PEOPLE'S MAYOR" (http://www.springfield-ma.gov/COS/first-100-days.0.html)
Its early, very early in the Sarno administration but he hasn't even attempted to climb some of the platforms he built during his campaign. Some of these platforms, he has out and out lied about and someone needs to bring these inconsistencies to the light.
First, the whole trash fee/barrels fiasco. "There was a virtual revolt against the proposed charge, with an outcry from residents and political opposition from elected officials - most notably Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who campaigned against the fee last year as a first-time mayoral candidate" (Masslive.com). The article goes on to say, "Sarno has since flip-flopped on the issue." So, not only has he not done what he said he was going to do, he completely abandoned his previous stance and moved to another position. Now, Mayor Sarno wants to go around the city and recollect the trash barrels. How can you want to eliminate the old trash fee and less than a year later enforce a policy which would still be categorized under the old trash fee? Also, this proposed trash fee which was just another way to tax people, was a fee on top of the taxes Springfield residents already pay for trash removal since the Department of Public Works is also co-sponsored by our tax money. I hope some of the people whose barrels are collected go and dump their trash at the steps of City Hall.
Second, crime has flourished under the Sarno administration. The first link at the top of the page shows this. In 60 days, there are 1,101 "open cases" with none of them closed. Stopping crime was another platform Mayor Sarno propagated. As the crime rates and new stories about crime rise, Mayor Sarno is no where to be found. All you will get from Sarno probably is his stump speech about crime and how it effects the community. People are getting killed on our streets in broad daylight, i.e the fatal stabbing on Dickinson St. in the Forest Park section of Springfield. Also a young man is shot by the police and the current inept and incompetent District Attorney Bill Bennett decided not to investigate nor charge the officer involved. Where is Mayor Sarno's voice on these issues? No where. He is to worried about his next appearance or the next trip he has to take to Boston or making sure he shows Governor Deval Patrick every inch of downtown Springfield.
To combat crime, you "need" the police. So Mayor Sarno decided to hire William J. Fitchet as police commissioner. He is a 35 year veteran of the police force and he was in the narcotics task force and reportedly was the first one in when doing a drug raid. The Sarno/Fitchet alliance stated that crime was down 15% in Springfield. Then, no less than a week later, 1 person was killed and 9 other people were shot or stabbed. These incidents took place in late June. When asked about the recent rash in violence in the city, Police Commissioner Fitchet said, "It is what it is." I expect that quote from a professional athlete or a musician but for an "elected" official (the 5 member Finance Control Board actually hires the police commissioner; guess who is a member of that board, Mayor Sarno) that's more than non-chalant that's almost crossing the line of indifference. Whether the Mayor or Police Commissioner likes it or not, they have to at least make it seem like they care about people who are non-white. I know that may not be "politically correct" especially since those in power would say "Race is no longer an issue," but I'd say those people are dead wrong. And its not like this violent weekend has been the only blip on the radar. Every day someone is arrested for some kind of crime, mostly drug related. The crime statistics released early this year also claimed rapes were up 61%. Despite all the crime that is going on, Sarno/Fitchet would have you believe that the city is safer and headed the right way but its not. These two are worried about numbers only, even if the numbers are skewed, incorrect or just plain made-up.
Finally, I will mention the review board that was set-up under Mayor Charles Ryan that was built to review complaints made by citizens about police brutality or misconduct. The board has no power and all investigations are meaningless. All the power regarding discipline for police is wielded by the police commissioner. The Sarno Administration, since winning the election in 2007, has promised to set-up the citizens complaint review board. Since then, there has been a lot of crime, police shooting innocent people, the mayor's staff received a 2% raise for doing absolutely nothing and the city or our metropolitan area has been deemed dead. The review board finally had their first meeting on August 14, 2008. Over 8 months had passed and this administration couldn't even set up a lame-duck citizens review board. What are they going to do when really tough decisions need to be made. Mayor Sarno and staff (including P.C Fitchet) haven't done anything for Springfield. All they have done is collect a pay check. Our city officials need to start working with us, the citizens of Springfield.
Friday, August 15, 2008
"Texas school district to let teachers carry guns" - Yahoo
"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying 'sic 'em' to a dog,"(ABCNews.com)
That is a statement from the Superintendent of the Harrold Independent School District, David Thweatt. This school district is located Harrold, Texas.
1. The statement, "When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones," would be enough of a cause for me to take my child out of that school district. What was school like before the government did this? What did schools as "gun-zones" look like?
2. Why do you have to defend yourself when you are suppose to be learning? Of course, there are the random shootings that happen all across this nation but most are isolated incidents. For the most part, kids can go to school, if they choose to, and get a decent education without feeling threatened.
3. I think its a stretch to relate school shootings with saying "sic' em" to a dog. Relating kids to dogs probably isn't a good idea for a superintendent.
What happens when a teacher has a rough night, comes into school and some kid pisses him off in some way. More than likely nothing but what if this teacher shoots a young man or woman in school? How do you explain that to parents?
But since most people in the older generation think that kids these days are inherently evil and/or stupid, what if a kid found out his teacher had a gun? And one day he tried to take the gun from teacher. You can eliminate all these situations by not allowing teachers to carry gunsto school. It is not smart and it is not safe, ever.
That is a statement from the Superintendent of the Harrold Independent School District, David Thweatt. This school district is located Harrold, Texas.
1. The statement, "When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones," would be enough of a cause for me to take my child out of that school district. What was school like before the government did this? What did schools as "gun-zones" look like?
2. Why do you have to defend yourself when you are suppose to be learning? Of course, there are the random shootings that happen all across this nation but most are isolated incidents. For the most part, kids can go to school, if they choose to, and get a decent education without feeling threatened.
3. I think its a stretch to relate school shootings with saying "sic' em" to a dog. Relating kids to dogs probably isn't a good idea for a superintendent.
What happens when a teacher has a rough night, comes into school and some kid pisses him off in some way. More than likely nothing but what if this teacher shoots a young man or woman in school? How do you explain that to parents?
But since most people in the older generation think that kids these days are inherently evil and/or stupid, what if a kid found out his teacher had a gun? And one day he tried to take the gun from teacher. You can eliminate all these situations by not allowing teachers to carry gunsto school. It is not smart and it is not safe, ever.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
2nd Entry - 08/14/08
What is a three word, nine letter phrase that has sucked the life out of Massachusetts?
THE BIG DIG.
To date, this monstrosity has cost the people and state of Massachusetts over $15 billion and with the $7 billion in interest state officials "forgot" to take into account, this project is going to cost at least $22 billion. The Boston Globe wrote that 73% of this was paid by drivers and taxpayers and it goes on to say that the annual payments will be around $600 million or $50 million/month. This is just the surface of the problem.
What effects does The Big Dig have on Western MA, even though all the construction, accidents and bureaucracy go on in the Eastern part of the state? First, all the money that goes to transportation, maintenance and/or repair is already gone. Every day construction continues, the taxpayers and the state are losing money. The manager of The Big Dig, the Mass. Turnpike Authority, doesn't know what to do. And how could he? It would have been silly for them to have a disaster plan or have a risk management team because nothing ever goes wrong with construction, right?
"The debt is a big part of why Massachusetts had the highest tax-supported debt per capita in the United States last year." The highest tax-supported debt. That would imply that taxpayers actually made a decision that they would support this debt. In reality, we are forced to support this debt. When your check comes on pay-day, three federal agencies and one state agency have already taken money from you. In MA, the most of the money being taken from our checks is going to The Big Dig.
What about the people who actually are doing the construction. They get still get paid but the funds are from borrowed money. So we have to pay people from borrowed money but the taxes taken out of the check go directly back to the state. The Globe says 80% of the workers involved with The Big Dig are paid with money that has to be paid back at some point.
In the 1980's, MA residents were told that the federal and state government would be paying for 90% of the cost. In 2008, the people have paid 73%. George Walker Bush would call this "fuzzy math" or it could be good Reaganomics. One day though, the Feds said they were only going to pay so muc and it was going to be up to the state. Who does the state turn to? You probably guessed it again because it's always the same group, taxpayers.
Back to Western MA. Taxpayers have paid over $15 billion for The Big Dig. That's is about $3.5 billion for the 4 counties in Western MA. There is no doubt that that money could have been used for a gamut of different institutions, programs and maybe just general savings but it wasn't. A small group of people "decided" that we would be taxed for a "project" that has yet to be completed, cost people their lives, caused injury and cost us billions. This "project" does not effect us in any direct way other than the money that is taken from our side of the state. For the people who do have to go out to Boston, I know they can see the traffic jams, the confusion and the eyesore that this project has become and really has always been. Where are our state representatives voices when they go out to Boston? They are probably just looking for earmarks and other policies that will benefit them.
"The Big Dig saddled us with costs we can't afford,". Great analysis from the secretary of transportation, Bernard Cohen. It's a surprise an effort like The Big Dig failed when you have all of this incompetency to go around. The economy on this side of the state may need an "obituary", as the Republican reports, but the killer is the state.
THE BIG DIG.
To date, this monstrosity has cost the people and state of Massachusetts over $15 billion and with the $7 billion in interest state officials "forgot" to take into account, this project is going to cost at least $22 billion. The Boston Globe wrote that 73% of this was paid by drivers and taxpayers and it goes on to say that the annual payments will be around $600 million or $50 million/month. This is just the surface of the problem.
What effects does The Big Dig have on Western MA, even though all the construction, accidents and bureaucracy go on in the Eastern part of the state? First, all the money that goes to transportation, maintenance and/or repair is already gone. Every day construction continues, the taxpayers and the state are losing money. The manager of The Big Dig, the Mass. Turnpike Authority, doesn't know what to do. And how could he? It would have been silly for them to have a disaster plan or have a risk management team because nothing ever goes wrong with construction, right?
"The debt is a big part of why Massachusetts had the highest tax-supported debt per capita in the United States last year." The highest tax-supported debt. That would imply that taxpayers actually made a decision that they would support this debt. In reality, we are forced to support this debt. When your check comes on pay-day, three federal agencies and one state agency have already taken money from you. In MA, the most of the money being taken from our checks is going to The Big Dig.
What about the people who actually are doing the construction. They get still get paid but the funds are from borrowed money. So we have to pay people from borrowed money but the taxes taken out of the check go directly back to the state. The Globe says 80% of the workers involved with The Big Dig are paid with money that has to be paid back at some point.
In the 1980's, MA residents were told that the federal and state government would be paying for 90% of the cost. In 2008, the people have paid 73%. George Walker Bush would call this "fuzzy math" or it could be good Reaganomics. One day though, the Feds said they were only going to pay so muc and it was going to be up to the state. Who does the state turn to? You probably guessed it again because it's always the same group, taxpayers.
Back to Western MA. Taxpayers have paid over $15 billion for The Big Dig. That's is about $3.5 billion for the 4 counties in Western MA. There is no doubt that that money could have been used for a gamut of different institutions, programs and maybe just general savings but it wasn't. A small group of people "decided" that we would be taxed for a "project" that has yet to be completed, cost people their lives, caused injury and cost us billions. This "project" does not effect us in any direct way other than the money that is taken from our side of the state. For the people who do have to go out to Boston, I know they can see the traffic jams, the confusion and the eyesore that this project has become and really has always been. Where are our state representatives voices when they go out to Boston? They are probably just looking for earmarks and other policies that will benefit them.
"The Big Dig saddled us with costs we can't afford,". Great analysis from the secretary of transportation, Bernard Cohen. It's a surprise an effort like The Big Dig failed when you have all of this incompetency to go around. The economy on this side of the state may need an "obituary", as the Republican reports, but the killer is the state.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
1st Entry: 08-12-08
Where or what is "The Real Western Massachusetts"? A subjective question to say the least, that doesn't need an answer. Every person residing in the four counties that make up Western Massachusetts is an integral component of the real Western Massachusetts. The people who make up this area are not the same and this is true for almost any other location in the country. If this is true, why is it that in 2008 people are still being discriminated against because of their race, gender, class, religious denomination, sexual orientation or even political party affiliation? Every demographic across the United States has a complaint as to why their certain group is marginalized. Conversely, there are some who will tell you that everything in America is perfect and the one's complaining should look at their own situations and help themselves. It is easy to look and see all the "effects" discrimination and other forms of injustice have on society but no one ever examines or scrutinizes the "causes" . If an apple tree produces all bad apples, the apples cannot be blamed. We all must examine the tree and the roots.
"The Real Western Massachusetts" will explore the social, economic and political landscape of Western Mass. Of course, there will be some posts dedicated to larger national news and national history but for the most part I will be giving my opinion and the truth, as i see it, on the affairs within the 413 area code. I welcome people to comment and even suggest topics they feel are important in our state, cities and communities, if I have not mentioned them.
"The Real Western Massachusetts" will explore the social, economic and political landscape of Western Mass. Of course, there will be some posts dedicated to larger national news and national history but for the most part I will be giving my opinion and the truth, as i see it, on the affairs within the 413 area code. I welcome people to comment and even suggest topics they feel are important in our state, cities and communities, if I have not mentioned them.
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