The Advocate.. would you pick him?
I filed a Freedom on Information request with the City regarding any and all emails Giombetti has received in one month regarding the advocate slot on the Marijuana Task Force. . I wanted to see what the resume was that the advocate presented. Below is what Sam Mercurio sent to Giombetti. As Sam states, he has been on both side of the issue along with being in the entertainment industry. What that has to do with anything is unclear to me.
But the process in which the Council Chair picks a person for a sub-committee is in question. If he can blatantly ignore the obvious, then what good comes from that committee? Appointing someone who has missed 3 meetings already and who claims to be an advocate with no legitimate proof, calls into question the legitimacy of the entire process. Sam clearly lied about his knowledge of legalization movement as in the 30 plus years I've been at this, he has never been seen or heard of in any of my circles of activism. Clearly, Giombetti picked Sam because he would not be at the meetings when it was decided that the Task Force would recommend a moratorium to the Council.
Jeanette M. Galliardt
From: Dennis L. Giombetti
Sent: Tuesday, March 27,
2018 9:38 AM
To: Jeanette M. Galliardt
Subject: FW: Ad hoc conmittee
From:
Dennis L. Giombetti
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 10:07 AM
To: Jeanette M.Galliardt
Subject: FW: Ad hoc conmittee
From: Sam Mercurio
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 2:58 PM
To: Dennis L.Giombetti
Subject: Re: Ad hoc conmittee
Hello Dennis,
I am still interested in serving on the Ad Hoc Committee on Recreational Marijuana.
Having spent my career in various segments of the entertainment industry, I have been around
the legalization arguments (both pro and con) for decades. As a life long member of the Framingham community, believe I have a handle on the sentiments of the population. My only concern is my
ability to serve in a such a short time frame, as will be traveling throughout the southeast from
March 10 to April 22. will have access to both e-mail and will have my cell phone with me during these travels, though I may be tied up some evenings to mix some events. If these limitations don't
concern you, consider my hat in the ring.
Regards,
1
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 3:51 PM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
Saw your op-ed in Source. Hope people follow your advice and send an email to the mayor on this. Ultimately how we move forward is her decision so she is the one we need to be talking to so we can let her know the moratorium is not something we should be doing. By the way Tully-Stolls was doing her great drama routine again on Tuesday night saying she felt forced into supporting the moratrium even though she said she thinks it is a mistake. Is she trying to tell us someone on the DC is holding a gun to her head to make her vote for the moraturium? If not I think she needs to justify her statement and explain who or what is forcing her. She could have been the vote to override the moratrium but she did not have the backbone to do that.
I have to believe the Mayor is a smart cookie when it comes to economic development. What other billion dollar industry is knocking on our door to come in? What other billion dollar industry does our city get a 3% tax of all the sales they generate? Ms. Stoll rides the fence well and is the one councilor who suggested publicly that the tax rate increase be held below 2%. Voting for the moratorium showed me that she's intimidated by Giombetti and is willing to give up her moral standing for political correctness. She's a business gal who knows full well the potential the marijuana businesses could have on our local tax rate. I go back to what Ms. Long has said forever, if you want to slow down the rate of tax increases to the homeowners, then you must increase commercial businesses to come here.
My hope for sanity rests with the Mayor. As she knows well, the system was rigged by Giombetti to pass a moratorium, with no debate at all at the marijuana task force meetings.
I agree that the choice of this person as the advocate representative is tainted because he openly admits he would not be available for any meetings until this week, and obviously a big decision was made without him being part of the discussion. I was at the meetings and he did not call in. I think it is a clear example of bias on the part of the Chair of the Council to have appointed someone not available. I have to say that I do think he was right not to appoint you though Jim. I thought you would be the best and most knowledgable person to be appointed as the advocate, but i don't like bullies, and I don't respect people using bullying as a tactic to try and prevent someone from their right to free speech, even if I don't agree with what they are saying. The women you went after has just as much right to make her statements as you do, and then you have the right to prove her statements wrong. You do not have the right to intimidate someone and threathen to picket their house if they show up and speak their mind. I was very surprised to see you do this as I think of you as someone who is a champion for free speech, but you clearly are not. Bullying anyone is wrong, but a guy bullying a woman is even more egrecious. You need to learn that not everyone agrees with your opinion on this, and those who don't have just as much right to speak their mind as you do. Then you of course have the right to prove their statements wrong. Your actions on this make it appear you could not disprove her statements, so instead you tried to silence her. Bad choice on your part.
Point taken and it was a bad decision on my part. Ashland and I have a history and she just pushed my buttons.
Ms. Margulies,
I do hope you will except my apology for my strongly worded e mail. I will not be picking your home or business.
Her reply:
Hello Jim,
Thank you. I accept the apology, and I would be happy to speak with you personally some time about the topic, where we might agree and where we might disagree.
Thank you for reaching out. I have always appreciated that Framingham is a place where all can be heard and are welcome.
-- Judy
Congrats Jim on doing the right thing. I applaud you for having the guts to admit you may have overreacted. Nice to see that even an old dog can learn new tricks. I assume you will be at the meeting tonight to combat any reefer madness they may be spewing? We need your voice and your knowledge. They can stop you from officially sitting on this task force but they can't silence your voice. Just remember everyone has a right to their opinion, even when their opinion is assinine and not based in any real facts. You can shoot them down with actual knowledge and facts, no need to bully anyone. You got this without stooping that low.
Unfortunately, the GiombettiRossiSteiner Reefer Madness Express has left the station and is barrelling down the tracks at full speed. Nothing I or anyone else can say can stop them now. No matter what truth, no matter the multi years vote, no matter the reality of today's world would ever convince then otherwise. It will be interesting to see how the advocate will support the task forces recommendations. And while I rail on the locals, none of this would have ever happened if it were not for the gutless Legislature, behind closed doors, voted to repeal and replace the ballot question for their own version and the governor who stood against this all along, went along with Rosenburg and Deleo.
It will not surprise me if they change any of the upcoming ballot questions in 2018, if they disagree with the outcome. Our vote is more and more irrelevant every day. It's up to the Mayor now.
TO answer your question I would not pick to represent the majority opinion of the City someone who I knew would not be available for those critically important first meetings. It makes me questions Chair Giombetti's goal. It clearly was not to have a balanced task force?
Thanks for taking the time to discuss that, I feel strongly about this and so really like getting to know more on this kind of field. Do you mind updating your blog post with additional insight? It should be really useful for all of us. gpwlaw-mi.com/new-york-mesothelioma-lawyer/
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