Still no word from DA on the murder of Mr. Stamps

It's almost two months now since the Framingham SWAT Team shot and killed Mr. Ernie Stamps in his home in Framingham. With very few witnesses and the SWAT Team itself, I wonder why it's taking so long to determine what happened that night. I can only speculate that DA Leone is rehearsing the SWAT Team in arranging the facts. Like his TV show, he's in control. He can choreograph the whole scene, write the script, place people in locations, make up facts, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse until they all have the same story. It happens all over the country, in the name of fighting the war on drug users who are somehow mystery killed.

As I have and many of you have witnessed, law enforcement will go to any lengths to cover-up, lie and deny the bold face facts. As noted in the case of the Easton teenager who was shot and killed by local police in NY last month. The Grand Jury decided the Police were not at fault in his murder, even after witnesses who watched the whole tragedy unfold testified the Police were out of line, jumping on the hood of the teenagers car, firing three shoots into the windshield, wounding one passenger and killing a young man trying to comply with a policemens order to move his car. Justice may prevail for the family as the Justice Department has agreed to look into the case.

And to a lesser extent, a local women took on the State Police motorcycle goon squad this month and won a judgment after being hit by one at the Marathon several years ago. The jury found the State cop negligent in his duties. Conveniently, the lawyers for the cops dragged their feet until the officer in question retired. Even in defeat, the lawyer and the cops feel they did nothing wrong.

Just yesterday in this country, the 10th person was murdered by a Drug Army SWAT Team member. It's anyone's guess when this state sanctioned killing will end, but more and more reasonable people are asking why use such force against such low level offenders without violent backgrounds.

Court apperances by Boston Cops under investigation

The lack of oversight in law enforcement has brought a new perk to be looked into. Police officers putting in for court appearances, whether asked for or not. The Globe ran a story last week that asks Commissioner Davis about why 3 officers and one detective had put in for the 4 hour minimum, while only one officer was asked to appear.

As this may relate to Framingham.... can any of you remember back a year or two or three when the MWDN had pictures on the from page of police officers lining the walls of Framingham District court during an arraignment?

As we look to trim costs at all levels of Town Government should we ask Police Chief Carl how many times, how many officers, and how much has been spent on court duty that wasn't authorized? With a 2.5 million dollar OT budget, I wonder how much of that goes to unauthorized court appearances.

Deval, party loyality and a new class of Staties

Our governor, who is traveling the country, on morning talk shows and attending union support rallies has now suggested to Beacon Hill a way to replace retiring State Police officers is to tack on a sir charge of $2.50 to $2.75 on our auto insurance policies.

This back-door tax increase is just one example of whats to come from the ruling party. And as we all know, this type of tax increase will never go away.

A Snow Job....a lingering problem

As you may have heard this years snow removal budget, combined with last years and the years before that is at 2.37 million... and we still have another month or so of potentail snow storms.

CFO Kelly is quoted as saying, the 2.37 million, plus whatever happens the rest of this year, "can be tacked onto the next years tax roll, as long as we have figured out a way to close it within the tax rate".

Our CFO has stated she could take 400,000 from the reserve fund.. the fund used to keep our bond rating high

OR.. spend less in the operating budget this year and not fill certain vacant positions.

And lastly... the BOS and CFO have asked Rep Walsh and Senator Spilka for help from Beacon Hill.

These are the options left to us taxpayers for years 20102 and 13 and maybe 2014... putting off paying the bills now and hope we can cover them in years to come. This is why this Town, State and country are in such bad fiscal shape.

The corruption has gotten so bad...

The corruption in our State is so bad, a group now will monitor this at the State level. From The Herald:

The spike in public corruption in Massachusetts has garnered headlines for months now and stirred the Legislature to pass reforms in the areas of ethics, campaign finance, lobbying and pension laws.

Both the corruption itself – the indictments of the last three House speakers for instance - and the public policy responses will be weighed in an upcoming risk analysis of corruption in all 50 state governments in the United States.

The Washington D.C-based Center for Public Integrity announced Thursday that it plans to hire part-time reporters in every state capitol to help them rank the states for susceptibility to corruption. The State Accountability Project will be paid for with a $1 million grant from the philanthropic investment firm Omidyar Network and $500,000 from the New Jersey-based Rita Allen Foundation.

The grants were received by the Center for Public Integrity, Public Radio International and Global Integrity.

According to the center, the journalists will assess the existence and effectiveness of anti-corruption and government transparency measures, including political financing, civil service management and state budget processes. The project will feature online data and reporting.

Public Radio International plans to use its 880 partner stations and social media to spread the word about the project and its results.

“If we hope to stop corruption, people need to be invested and involved,” Michael Skoler, PRI’s vice president of interactive media. “We live in a new media world where people, not simply reporters, can and must be watchdogs for honest government.”

Missing drugs.. in police custody

In another shinning example of the corruption that the drug war has helped foster, in Boston:

a Boston Police investigation into hundreds of bags of missing drug evidence has hit a dead end. Police discovered in 2008 that the drugs had been stolen from a department warehouse in Hyde Park, but have failed to turn up any leads or suspects. Drugs seized as evidence in 256 cases, including heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and lots of prescription opiates, are all missing. An audit criticized lax security and a highly disorganized record-keeping system at the warehouse. Ten officers working at the warehouse were transferred after the audit, but because of lack of surveillance at the warehouse and the police code of silence, investigators have been unable to charge any of them. Reforms have been instituted, authorities said.

Who is going to pay... for all that unfunded insurance

Readers of this blog have certainly read about the problems facing this Town and State and country for that matter.. regarding the un funded insurance liabilities for public employees past and present.

If Deval and the Legislature can't get something done now ... this Town will be be dire shape.

From the Globe:

“It’s the equivalent of a gigantic credit card debt which grows and grows the longer it is ignored,’’ said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-funded nonprofit research organization.

The Taxpayers Foundation yesterday released its first-of-its-kind report, which measures the size of the unfunded liability cities and towns face over the next 30 years for retiree health care benefits. The foundation based its findings on actuarial studies for each city and town looking at the long-term costs of paying health insurance benefits.

The Taxpayers Foundation determined that the 50 largest municipalities will need to pay an extra $20 billion for retiree health care than they have budgeted for. Boston has an unfunded health insurance liability of more than $4.5 billion over the next 30 years, the study found, which translates to $97,827 in extra tax payments for the average single-family homeowner over the 30 years.

Grammy's

While I couldn't stay up late enough to see Mick Jagger, I did see Dylan and the two young bands that performed before him and with him to do Maggee's Farm. Yes.. Bobs voice is going south and yes he seems lost without his 6 string, but it was a pleasure to see him that night. Despite the criticism of the younger media talking heads, he's still the most prolific song writer of all time and STILL can represent a time when songs were written that had a message.

And to see that two more R&R legends were nominated for best rock album, Tom Petty and Neil Young this past year was good news. Although they were bested by artists that will not be remembered past this decade, it was great to know, they are still making music, that appeals to everyone.

Orrbors, and all the useless and pointless information

For those of you who have passed the rigorous application to be on the
discriminatory pillow talk Frambors.. or as some call it... Dembors...lately you have seen the pointless debate over recycle bins, weight loss club and an admission from it's ruler.. that HE is to blame for the lack of participation at Town Meeting... and I couldn't agree more. The cowboy hat wearing, follicley challenged, lap top playing goof ball, who has costs this Town millions in legal fees and reputation, now has been asking his following to apply for a coveted TM seat for the ultra elite Precinct 1. I'm reminded of a Bob Dylan song, "Idiot Wind" where Bob writes, "blowing even time you move your mouth, blowing down the back roads head'en south, Idiot Wind, it's a wonder you can even feed your self".

Tonight, we hear about the rules governing posts about candidates for the upcoming Town elections. I won't bore you with the multi paragraph rules and regulations but will ask ... is it any wonder we have such a dysfunctional TM, where 90% of the members are there for life, 20% leave at 9PM, 30% don't show up at all, 25% are employed by the Town, many have ADD and 80& are party loyalists... going along to get along.

If anyone with an independent brain from Pr 6 who wants to be a TMM.... and not bother with getting signatures and being on the ballot this spring, just shoot me an e mail before TM in April, and we (as precinct members) will vote for the best candidate that shows any real interest and knowledge of this Towns issues.

DeLeo and his ego

This past week, the ego centric Speaker replaced his two top successors for his job. The names are not important.. nor would either of them been any better for us if they had become Speaker. Insiders.. on the inside, vying for the big chair.. secretly lining up support now have had a pay cut... 10 to 15K chairman bonus... must have pissed them off big time.

All this.. to make sure Bob DeLeo can feel safe in his job.. until he is indicted.

I say again.. until DeLeo and Murray go...nothing good will happen on the Hill.

10 ordinary people... are changing the face of Egypt

When you think back in our recent history of ordinary people who have changed the face of our country.. Rosa Parks and others like her... who stood up to the man.. to oppression, ignorance, bigotry, lies and mis-information.... ordinary people who have had enough.

In Egypt... as we speak... their President is being forced out of office... why? the ordinary people, can't get jobs, watch as the rich get richer and the poor suffer. The lack of food and basic human rights, coruption at the highest levels, opression of the masses... and much more.

We are witnessing other countries doing the same thing... ordinary people fed up, tired and hungry, poor and disenfranchised... taking to the streets, willing to die for their cause.... for basic human respect of their leaders.

10 People.. lead by a single mom... in a small room... no internet, no money, no way to communicate to all of the million ordinary people... all asking for the same thing.. fairness from their government. No real weapons, no tanks, no suicide bombers, just real human beings, demanding fairness.

We are witness to history... and this event will effect us all, one way or the other. They may even stir up our own ordinary people...demanding fairness.