by @BarryRafkind in Investigative Reports
Posted on May 19, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Last Modified on May 28, 2009 at 8:31 pm
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Somerville by the numbers, our community’s carbon foot-print, and collecting resident immigration stories are just a few of the story ideas generated at last Sunday’s Brainstorming Session. Read on for more suggestions and please leave your ideas and feedback below in the comments. Some of these stories will soon be pitched (in more detail) for funding on the blog!
Government
- Look into the backgrounds, ethics reports, campaign donors, and legislative histories of our local and state elected officials
- Investigate family and professional relationships among city employees
- Study the voting trends in the city along location and demographic factors
- Find out the fiscal health of the city government
- Look into how and why the BOA agreed to have DHS surveillance cameras secretly installed around the city
- Look into how certain local businesses and non-profits acquired earmark money from Rep. Capuano and how that money is being spent
Environment
- Look into Somerville’s carbon foot-print and what the major factors are
- Study the polluted sites around the city and what’s being done to clean them up
- Investigate the possibilities and costs for expanding and improving recycling programs across the city
Interviews
- Interview veterans in Somerville to find out where and how they served, what quality of medical care they received, and what life is like for them now
- Focus on a neighborhood and interview the people living there
Misc
- Perform case studies to check the level of ADA compliance in municipal properties and businesses around the city
- Look into health inspection records of restaurants around the city
- Investigate the costs and benefits of the town-gown relationship between Somerville and Tufts Univ
- Research the background on the Russell waste disposal service, the status of the investigation by the state into alleged abuses by management, the competitiveness of its contract bids, and conduct interviews with employees
- Daily Round-Up of Public Safety, Health, Traffic, etc.
- Weekly “Cheers & Jeers”
-LOCAL FORECLOSURE SITUATION IN DEPTH
-THE GREEN LINE
- changes/consequences/ anticipations
- is gentrification inevitable?
- specific Neighborhood stories, followed over time
-IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY STORIES/COLLABORATIVE
- When, why, how did moms and pops come to America?
- inside gang stories
- teen stories- suicide, deaths, overdoses-
- COLLABORATE w/ CENTRO PRESENTE, TEEN EMPOWERMENT, Matt Mc L.
-COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW/ORGANIZATION OF THE BOA MINUTES:
- what orders were not carried out within the year?
- what orders were repeated from year to year?
- how many orders are given to which city departments each year?
-HOW is COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) FUNDING truly used to improve the economic, environmental and housing conditions for Somerville’s very-low, low and moderate income residents?
- ISOLATED POCKET OF POVERTY IN SOMERVILLE
-WHAT HAPPENS TO COMMUNITY INPUT FROM PUBLIC HEARINGS?
-HOW DO RESIDENTS CONNECT TO SV BLOG?
- how many residents have internet access?
- how many utilize the library computers/internet?
-SOMERVILLE HOUSING AUTHORITY’s CULTURE & PEOPLE
the SHA inventory was updated 9/08. SHA manages/coordinates approximately 3,075 units- 9.5% of the total housing available in Somerville.
(from: http://www.mass.gov/Ehed/docs/dhcd/hd/shi/shiinventory.htm)
– SOMERVILLE-BY-THE-NUMBERS , a.k.a. “The Statistics Project”
- Quantify key government performance indicators
- collaborate with SomerStat staff
- collaborate with local Library Resource Staff
- Weekly Clusters of Info, e.g. how many H.S. drop-outs. how many traffic accidents, how many babies born, how many new school registrants, how many new licenses granted, how many foreclosures, how many home sales
ONGOING STORIES
- School Committee, SHS Council Meeting Summary reports
- Somerville’s Carbon Footprint
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government
- Analyze how a small vocal group of progressives managed to wrestle control from the majority to push their socialist agendas.
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I agree, Linda.
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I think that the reason this list sounds like it has an agenda is because it does. I would prefer that the list here not sound like we intend to spy on public officials in the bathroom. Rather than name such specific areas that a reporter might propose for investigation, make the bullet items under Government and Misc more general. I would not be inclined to want to fund an investigation by a reporter who had the bias reflected in the way this list is written. If a reporter were pitching the story to us, they might say “This is where this story deserves investigating” but not “I’m going to prove that this particular set of underhanded dealings exists in your government.”
A real reporter was at the meeting about this new Crowd Funded reporting and she voiced to me her concern that she would not be able to investigate a story with a particular bias in mind. I told her that she should pitch her story as if she had none because that is how good reporting is done. I think that Barry should republish the list and leave out the stuff that would tip a reporter’s hand on where they expect a story to lead.
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Linda, I guess I don’t see why specificity in a story idea is a bad thing as long as there is no bias there. Which items do you think were biased in the list?
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Barry, The fact that you feel the need to “look into” certain things implies a suspicion of wrongdoing. Saying,for example, that we might consider supporting a report on the sense (or lack thereof) behind certain city appointments, would be more generic and might prove a more fruitful investigation than specifying a particular type of untoward appointment. Furthermore, a reporter would not have completely tipped his/her hand on what sort of thing he/she is looking for. Also, your implications could be considered insulting to someone you did not intend to implicate.
I hate to question you because I am grateful for your looking into things in the careful way that you do, but in some ways I think you might try to be more politic. There’s a reason why your initial posting of this list brought only barbs so far.
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Linda, suspecting wrongdoing and writing a story in order to prove that presupposition are two separate things. Whether or not the story pitch is biased depends on its wording, not on the impetus behind its suggestion.
Indeed, the story you suggested about investigating certain city appointments could well be borne out of a suspicion of wrongdoing, or perhaps it came just from a desire to learn more about that topic. The way you pitched it seemed unbiased to me, whatever your motives for suggesting it.
Indeed, any investigation into government functions may ultimately lead to the discovery of foul play, although this outcome is not and should not be presumed true at the outset. I believe it is the role of journalists to act as watchdogs of democracy – and that is only accomplished by questioning the status quo. These types of investigations should shed light on issues that are not well understood by the public. Hopefully, both savory and unsavory things will be illuminated.
I agree that bias should be avoided as much as possible in the story pitches and I hope that applied to the ones proposed at the brainstorming session. I repeat my question to you about which items you thought were biased?
I’m not sure what you mean about wanting me to “try to be more politic”? Let’s please keep this discussion about the story ideas, rather than about me.
I’m also not sure what you mean about the posting having brought “only barbs so far”? So far only three people besides myself have commented and only you have raised concerns.
Finally, this project is all about gathering story ideas from the community. So, if you feel the ones suggested are too narrow in scope, I encourage you to suggest different ones.
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What I’m trying to say is that if we publish our ideas on our blog with all our suspicions hanging out, a reporter might not be tempted to take them up for a story because if they are under our employ the persons being investigated will not expect a fair shake from that reporter. These are questions that the big media have been juggling for decades (centuries?), but blogging is more free-form so we need to re-hash the whole question with the new rules in place. I hope that more veteran reporters might weigh in on this.
I think that Janine’s comment on this post means to point its finger at US (Somerville voices) as the people with a “socialist agenda.” I don’t agree that it’s socialist, but I think I see where she thinks we have an agenda.
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Llinda, you are 100% correct with your assumption about me. I do not trust any of the PDSers at all. In fact, because of living in this town, I have become more of a conservative democrat. I think there is some hidden agenda on behalf of PDSsrs- especially with Jehlen and Gerwitz. The votes jehlen has cast as senator are laughable and phone calls to her explain nothing. And Gerwitz trying to ban the circus in Somerville? I did not know the circus came to Somerville. I also think the members of the school committee who follow along with this way of thinking are wrong too. They are pushing us “regular” democrats further to the middle and right.
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Linda, what do you mean about “all our suspicions hanging out”?
I think we will maintain a good reputation because (1) our stories will be funded by many people, so it will be unlikely that the agenda(s) of any one person or small group of people will end up influencing the stories, and (2) because we will do our best to present unbiased story pitches.
I’m not sure why Janine thinks PDS or SV has a “socialist agenda” nor why that would be considered a “barb” as Linda put it.
Janine, it would be great if you could elaborate on your concerns about the “hidden agenda” and submit them in a separate post because I think they merit their own dedicated discussion and not be hidden in this thread about story ideas.
Speaking of *this* post, does anyone else have any other comments about the proposed story ideas or entirely new ones?
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@ Janine – tell me more about Jehlen’s “laughable” votes: following along the roll call, looks like her recent votes don’t differ from Senator Galluccio’s that often, if at all.
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Tricky-the vote on the sales tax is the final blow. Also, voting to continue the Quinn Bill was amazing too because when I called her office her aide told me she was against it. It is a joke over there at City Hall and Beacon Hill.
Barry-I would love elaborate my concerns on a “hideen agenda.” Unfortunately, being a mother to a toddler, currently pregnant and working full time as a lawyer, I do not have time for long posts except to put in my “two cents” when I read something I disagree with.
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By the way, can someone please tell me what the PDSers thoughts on the Green Line coming to Union Square are?
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I read both the Somerville News and Somerville Voices now and then and don’t get the animosities the two (and their commenters) seem to have toward each other and the animosity for the PDS, which people seem to be linking to Somerville Voices. There’s a lot of what seems to be insider stuff disucssed, or at least things that I, a regular-Jane resident not involved in city politics not part of staff of either of these, not a PDS member, don’t understand at all.
I would seriously love to have a background-information kind of story that explains this to those of us who care about the city but are not involved in politics. A field guide to Somerville news and politics. Are certain political factions really linked to each news outlet, or is that just something that some people perceive based on stories in them? Is this an old Somerville/new Somerville thing? Or a version of Democrat vs. Republican in a state where only the Democratic party is really viable? I’ve lived in this area my whole life and in Somerville for the past 12 years or so, so I understand old/new and the different variations of Democrat in MA. But I can’t tell if that’s what this is or something else.
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Julia, I agree. Unfortunately, I see some of the agenda pushed by PDSers from watching the School Committee meetings and BOA meetings online and reading the agendas from the meetings when released. I can clearly see from the Alderwoman in Ward 6 and certain School Committee members that there is a very specific agenda being pushed. My own senator, Pat Jehlen, has an agenda of her own. What she fails to realize it that she seems to be way out of touch with her constituents on many things she has voted on and really needs to take a long hard look at the entire area she represents-and not just the selected few. It truly is unfortunate that this group is driving a wedge in Somerville.
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Janine – Jehlen’s votes appear to be mainline Democrat; I don’t think there are any votes out there where she’s been on the losing end of a 35-1 vote or something like that. The sales tax increase and Quinn bills appear to be 29 to 7 votes, based on party lines. So I don’t think your problems are with the PDS as much as they are with the Democratic party as a whole.
Maybe they’re out of touch with their constituents; maybe they’re wise enough to decide slashing services without any revenue increase whatsoever is going to harm more people than a sales tax hike.
I don’t have the answer, except that Pat Jehlen is not voting the way she is because she’s a “PDSer”; she’s voting that way because she’s a Democrat.
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As far as the Green Line coming to Union Square, PDS did endorse Carl Sciortino (a huge supporter of the Green Line) in last year’s Democratic primary. I’m not sure who doesn’t support the Green Line coming to Union Square at this point, so I’m not sure what you were hinting at with your question.
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The thoughts on the green line came from the story above. It shows a few bullet points and I wanted to know what the thoughts were on it. Regarding jehlen, I disagree with you. Some of the special interest projects she has pushed through are far more left than normal democrats care to think.
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Janine – name them.
I’ll be happy to debate with you on the merits, but I really don’t respond well to vague, indirect criticism.
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It was not meant as any criticism towards you, Tricky. One major issue I disagree with Jehlen on is how she allowed part time teachers to accrue their laid off status towards their pension. Now, as far as I knew being laid off means you are not working and you should not count this towards a pension. Also, pushing to have not wearing your seat belt be a primary reason to be stopped by the police. If people are stupid enough not to wear them, that is their fault. Using police resources to sit and watch every car to make sure people have their seat belt on is a complete waste of financial resources. Not all the democrats on Beacon Hill are behind her on these issues. I agree that the sales tax was all democrats voting and I was against it.
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Janine, you obviously have followed votes & local issues a lot more carefully than me. Maybe if I’d been paying as much attention as you I would think differently. But overall Pat Jehlen seems OK to me. Yes, she is like every other politician in that I agree with some of her votes and disagree on others. I totally disagreed with her on the primary seat belt law, was not aware of the teacher pension thing but disagree with it, disagree on the sales tax, and think the Quinn bill never should never have passed in the first place. But, I appreciated her support for state compensation for those MA had wrongfully imprisoned for years and her support of gay marriage. However, both of those were while she was still a state rep not a senator and still answered her own emails and held office hours at the Somerville library.
Rebekah Gewirtz is my Alderperson (Alderwoman, man, – i don’t know the right terminology for a woman who’s an Alderman). She was very nice the two times I met her, while campaigning & at the ResiStat meeting. And she tried to get an ordinance to stop phone companies from bombarding residents with boatloads of phone books and is a supporter of the Local First thing which seems like a good idea. So I consider her OK. Don’t know anything about the circus thing another person posted, so maybe I should pay more attention.
But really, I would just like a directory to what things come up for a vote in Somerville, how everybody votes and who is linked to what and/or who. It all seems very insider-ish to me. My opinions don’t fit neatly within any party’s lines; I’ve voted for candidates from just about every party out there at one point or another, so I’m not looking for my perfect match with any politician. But would like to understand the subtexts that seem to exist in this city that I have not been able to figure out.
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julia-you really should watch what you Alderwoman votes on and pushes. You may have a different opinion. I live on the same block as my Alderman so getting answers to my questions is really easy. I was never into politics until I bought here in Somerville and see my real estate taxes being squandered away. I also have a toddler and will be sensing him to private school in Somerville instead of public school. This is because the person who reapersebts our ward does not return calls or emails. He is also a member of the PDS.
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Janine – you’re going to send your child to private school because your ward school committeeman is a “member of the PDS”? Seriously?
I am not now, nor ever have been, a member of the PDS. I take the (Groucho) Marxist approach here: I wouldn’t want to be in any club that would want me as a member.
That said, PDS puts together a fairly comprehensive questionaire for candidates for public office, which generate some in-depth responses from candidates. The questions seem pretty reasonable: I think earlier versions had a couple of pretty loaded questions. PDS doesn’t endorse everyone, but at the time of the election post all submitted responses to their website.
I can’t easily find all the responses for the school committee candidates right now, but you can find the responses (including Adam Sweeting) for the four endorsees at http://www.pdsomerville.org/node/88
Maybe you can find what it is you differ on…
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It is also with talking to parents who pulled their kids out of public school that a decision was made to send my son to St. Catherine’s. I am a product of catholic school education and feel my so will do well there. Sweeting also was NOT helpful when I called with questions. In fact, the entire crew seems helpless when I see the meetings on public access.
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Janine, you’re on to something: you’ll find out a lot more about the schools from other parents with children than you would from any school committee member. The school committee’s largely concerned with one thing: having your child within the public school system. They’re not going to weigh the plusses or minuses of various schools within the system, and Sweeting’s sure not going to suggest you look into private schools.
As far as the televised meetings, c’mon, it’s the school committee, not the presidential debates. It’s largely a bunch of policy wonks who happen to care about the school system, not the greatest bunch of orators or parliamentarians.
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It is hilarious TV when you are done watching the Red Sox or waiting for a late game to start on a Friday night. I would run for my Ward since I have a young child who will start school (pre-K) next year. In fact, maybe that should be a requirement along with only serving a term or 2 max- you can only serve if you have a child in school and junior/senior in high school does not count.
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When I was first looking into where I wanted to send my kids, Carolyn Taylor was Ward 6 School Committee person. She met with a small group of us at a neighbor’s house. She shared that her kids were at all different kinds of schools, both public and private, and suggested that we do what’s best for our kids. Some people go to private school and find it’s making them broke, or that they don’t offer as many electives or sports, or that they don’t offer aid to special needs kids. Others find that their kids are unhappy in public school and want to try something different.
Eventually, I’d like to restart some of the separate strands of this discussion in different posts, but I don’t want to stop any momentum this discussion may have left.
I’ll just add that I think Pat Jehlen’s been a strong advocate for the needs of the elderly, and (though no one has mentioned her yet) that Denise Provost is strong on environmental issues.
Have you ever considered how tedious, harrowing and thankless it is to hold public office? I wouldn’t be inclined to take pot-shots at them at all. Rather, cheer them when they do something you specially favor.
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Linda, you just made my point. Jehlen is a strong advocate for the elderly. You know what? I am not an elder. She forgets about us in our 30′s who are middle class. She and provost focus on certain groups and that’s it. It is a thankless job but they represent all of us. Once you forget about groups, you should leave office. Not a fan of the lifers in public service.
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“You know what? I am not an elder. She forgets about us in our 30’s who are middle class.”
Wow.
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Tricky, before you twist my words look at the comment Linda made: “I’ll just add that I think Pat Jehlen’s been a strong advocate for the needs of the elderly.” Does Jehlen advocate for anyone else?
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Jehlen has also gotten legislation passed that protects teens in the workplace.
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Here is a portion of the bill: under the bill, adult supervision of younger workers would be required after 8 p.m. It also summarizes the statute on the back of work permits and permit applications, limits the hours children employed by the entertainment industry can work, and bars teens from carrying a firearm at work.
What teen do you know who has a job and carries a gun for it? I can understand the work permit issue. I had a work permit for my jobs as a teen when I lived in PA and am glad to see MA finally joined the 21st century with that issue.
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Julia, the story you are looking for to explain why there is such animosity amongst the “insiders” and their followers goes like this: Long, long ago in Somerville, when the owner of the Somerville News, Pat Jehlen and her husband, Ron Newman, DPW commissioner Stan Koty, who was the ward 5 alderman then, and some other of the town’s notables were all younger, slimmer, more idealistic, and had less gray hair got into a public tiff over aritcles being published about their personal lives……………..
Hey Ron, you wanna pick up the story from here?
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Thank you Somerspeak!!! I figured there had to be something more to it than just the usual old/new stuff.
This helps me understand it a little better. Although it seems like there should be a statute of limitations for public grudges. I guess there must still be a high enough percentage of ‘villens who know what it’s about that those involved feel it’s worth continuing. For the rest of us it’s just baffling.
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Somerspeak, you make it sound like most holders of a public office for this town still think they are in high school with their cliques. If you ask me, it is pathetic and these people should get over it.
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Somerspeak, next time you go fishing like that, take me!
Janine, I hope you’re realize there’s more than one clique in this town.
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Unfortunately Tricky, that one clique is the biggest pain in the butt.
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Janine – I’m glad to see you feel that way about the Bill Roche-Bob Trane-Sean O’Donovan-unnamed others “Let’s Show the New Girl Who’s Boss” Good Old Boys Club. We should chat sometime!
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Tricky- it’s not just that crew either.
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I suggest you look into the dictionary definition of “clique” then, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of a clique with a political platform.
You really think “the PDSers” are a pain in the butt? I suggest you stop taking the gossip column in one of our local newspapers as the gospel truth, lady.
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I am not basing my opinion of the PDS on any newspaper, Tricky. It is based on numerous phone calls and face to face conversations with the PDS elected officials who serve in Somerville.
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Ok, it’s clear that Janine D. and Tricky have irreconcilable differences about PDS which I hope they will continue to discuss outside of this thread, perhaps in a dedicated post. Does anyone have anything of substance to share about new story ideas or about the dislike of the Somerville News editors (the Nortons) towards PDS and SV?
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Barry, I would honestly hope that the Nortons would have an opportunity to voice their opinion. I am friends with Jamie Norton. If this website is only going to be allowing pro-PDS or pro- Somerville Voice postings, see ya. I was under the impression that all ideas – good and bad- would be posted. I cleary am not happy with PDS and my opinion is based on my dealings with these elected officials. Thank for allowing me to voice my opinions but obviously they are not your kind of opinions.
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Janine, I appreciate your perspective and value your participation. You are right that I do not agree with your politics, but that’s probably because we have had different experiences. All perspectives are welcomed. I do hope the Nortons share their opinions and shed some light on their concerns about the local political scene.
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honestly, it doesn’t matter what i say here. none, and i mean, none of the people on here have spent an hour talking to me…but they know me so well. that’s a joke. i have a suggestion – i spent over an hour with carl sciortino a week ago – ask him if he thinks i am off my rocker, then post his opinion here. you don’t even know me, yet you hate everything i stand for. that’s a joke. i am more progressive and liberal than you might think. but you wouldn’t know that, would you.
at least i return phone calls and emails – janine know that, and i am sure that’s why we are friendly, because i can be friendly with the most unlikely of people – just spent a few minutes and get to know me. you would be SHOCKED.
hey, that’s just my take on it, and yes, i am biased.
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Barry, I get no answers to my questions when I ask the PDS elected officials. I am interested in the school system since I have a toddler who will begin school in a year. Do you think my school committee member in Ward 3 was helpful? No, he wasn’t. He told me he would add my email to his list and that was it. The conversation was roughly 3 minutes and that was it. If I have a question, I can ask Jamie and get a response- even if it is “I don’t know.” I leave messages for Provost and Jehlen and NOTHING. I really feel for their aides since all they do is take messages all day. I get a response from Tom Taylor when I have an issue in my ward.
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i have no problem, none whatsoever, answering any question regarding the school and the system. anyone who calls me gets a call back, or an email back – with their answer. if i dont have the answer, i get the answer. if its not good enough, i find out how to make it good enough. thats what we are supposed to be doing as elected officials – making sure the people we represent are actually represented. period.
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James, it’s very good that you prioritize responding to questions about the schools. I’m not sure why you say we hate what you stand for when we don’t know what it is that you stand for (that would be a good topic for a new post, by the way)? I’ll contact you off-line to renew my invitation to get together with you.
As Editor-In-Chief of The Somerville News, could you shed some light on the antipathy against PDS by the SN commentary?
Janine, I haven’t heard similar complaints about the PDS-endorsed officials from other people, but everyone has different experiences, so thanks for sharing yours.
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Barry, you are right. Everyone’s experience is different and I am trying to explain my dealings with PDSers. I am more than happy to make a “middle of the road” post to explain my positions on some issues in the city but it will have to be next week. Is that ok? Thanks so much.
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Yes, Janine. I look forward to your post with great anticipation! Thanks!
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barry – i welcome any opportunity to explain my stand on issues – if you call me monday, i promise, i will call you back immediately and respond accordingly. i will be more than willing to sit down.
janine – thanks for remaining a rock for what you believe in. you are the best!
jamie
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This is a fascinating thread. There’s a lot here, but right now I’d like to address the question of whether I respond to people.
My office receives hundreds of phone calls and emails and visits a week from constituents, and even more during budget time. We’ve logged 1783, but we’re still recording them so that we can respond in an efficient way, and let people know what happened in the Senate budget about the issue they were concerned with. So if you haven’t heard back yet, you will.
In Janine’s case, my staff recorded information from a phone call during budget week, as well as three other calls this year. I thought they had answered her questions on the first three, and I will respond to her along with everyone else as soon as we finish all the data entry.
During budget week, we were in session 13 hours a day, which doesn’t count time preparing. It’s simply not possible to call back hundreds of people a day, so I do have to rely on emails and letters for most responses.
My staff and I prioritize responding to people who are calling for immediate constituent help, such as people about to become homeless, people who need health insurance, etc.
So do those phone calls, letters, emails, etc. make a difference?
I certainly take notice when over hundreds of people from Winchester Stand for Children asking me to support adequate school funding and a municipal relief package.
I can’t forget the 83-year old woman who came to see me. She could have put her developmentally disabled son in an institution, but has cared for him for 43 years. She would have lost all the supports that make that possible if the Senate budget had passed without the additions made possible by the sales tax.
And I took polls at several meetings in the district about whether people preferred a gas tax to toll and fare increases and service cuts: the results agreed with my emails – practically unanimous in favoring an increase in the gas tax.
Pat Jehlen
PS. I don’t know what public tiff somerspeak refers to as the apparent original sin causing all later city rifts. I have no memory of it, and certainly never have publicly discussed other people’s personal lives.
Grudges are very counter-productive. There’s a public official I admire very much: he and I have twice run against each other, but we are still friends.
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