Run Al Run

Posted on June 28, 2007 by billmanzi

A new Suffolk University Channel 7 Survey done by Suffolk Pollster David Paleologos shows former Vice-President Al Gore leading the Democratic field in New Hampshire. Gore has a 32- 26 percent lead over Hillary Clinton. With Gore riding a tide of favorable sentiment built around his film “An Inconvenient Truth” and his new book “The Assault on Reason” now is the time for Al Gore to step up to the political plate and run a campaign based on ideas and policies that the country has moved strongly towards. We have gotten to see the real Al Gore, not the candidate bound up by political consultants. His daughter says that he is trying to get politics out of his system, but I think he has a little poltical life left in him. Read about the survey at
Link here. .
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Posted in National News | 21 Comments

Congressional Endorsement: Mayor Eileen Donoghue

Posted on June 27, 2007 by billmanzi

EndorseThis morning I will formally endorse Lowell City Councilor and former Mayor Eileen Donoghue for Congress. Eileen is a candidate with a wealth of governmental experience, all of which will make her a great congresswoman. My endorsement is based on some of the very things we have all talked about on this blog. This Congressional race has centered, up to this point, on the great national issues of the day, be it health care, global warming, or the War in Iraq. These are truly critical issues that deserve all the attention and policy focus we can give. As a Mayor however I need to be able to discuss with my Congressional representative the overriding issues of the day in Methuen, be it unfunded Federal mandates, our input on No Child Left Behind, our critical issue at Malden Mills, our need for a new postal facility, our desire to bring rail service to Methuen, our need for federal help with brownfields, and many others. Eileen has talked to me and visited Methuen many times. Her local experience, in my mind, makes her ideally suited to succeed Marty Meehan as our next Congresswoman from the Fifth District.

Posted in Fifth Congressional | 7 Comments

Stoneham Deletes High School Athletics

Posted on June 26, 2007 by billmanzi

The Town of Stoneham, after a failed override attempt, has voted through its school committee to eliminate all High School athletics. It is a devastating cut to make, and it has people taking notice statewide. From the Gobe story announcing the cuts-

Stoneham has already endured a series of town and school cuts in recent years, as health insurance, utilities, special education bills and other mandated costs have risen faster than the tax increases allowed under the Proposition 2 1/2 limit. In each of the last two years, the Board of Selectmen imposed a $160-per-household trash collection fee to raise revenue. But the trash fee proved unpopular, and officials pledged to eliminate it if voters passed the $3 million override.

This cut, whether it stands for this year or not, will be replicated in one form or another throughout the state as one city after another finally hits the fiscal wall. There will be unpopular cuts to programs, but the municipal labor force should be ready for some enduring shocks as well. It is unfortunately true that many feel that cities and towns are crying wolf, and I believe some feel that cities use the fiscal crisis as a negotiating ploy. Our problems are real, and the impacts in the future will be painful. Link to the Globe story here.

Posted in Municipal Finance | 21 Comments

Blair Exits

Posted on June 25, 2007 by billmanzi

Tony Blair, the founder of the modern day Labor Party (so-called New Labor) steps down this week as Prime Minister of Great Britain. Blair has been, in my opinion, a truly magnificient leader who leaves office with sinking approval due to his stand on Iraq. While I disagree wholeheartedly with the rationale for the Iraqi invasion Blair’s record of achievement is strong, both for the British people and for his party. Blair, along with President Bill Clinton, pioneered the so called “third way” which in political terms brought the Labor Party back from the political wilderness and accepted tenets of personal responsibility, as well as fiscal responsibility. He has brought a devolved government back to Northern Ireland that includes Sinn Fein and Ian Paisley’s DUP, with Paisley sharing power and serving with Gerry Adams. That political achievement alone will allow him to be recorded as a great Prime Minister. As far as Iraq goes Blair, in my view, always recognized alternatives to the invasion, arguing for more time for the U.N. Inspection regime to work. Once President Bush decided on invasion Blair, rightly or wrongly, felt that the British needed to stand with the United States as a matter of geopolitical necessity. Whether Blair’s prescription for Britain was right or wrong is for history and the British people to decide, but he has been a monumental international figure. I have watched Prime Minister Questions on C-Span on Sunday evenings since Blair was in opposition, and find his wit and ability to think on his feet compelling. (Please save the get a life posts for another subject). Gordon Brown, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, takes over as Prime Minister Wednesday. Read a story on the Blair departure from across the pond at
link here.

Posted in International | 1 Comment

The Cheney Chronicles

Posted on June 24, 2007 by billmanzi

Today’s Washington Post started a multi-part story on the Cheney Vice Presidency. While we have all heard the stories (and the late night jokes) about the real influence of Cheney on the Bush Presidency today’s installment really details the ways in which Cheney has managed to extend his reach into areas previously untouched by Vice Presidents. I do not count myself as a fan but Cheney is a fierce bureaucratic infighter. In talking about an episode in which Cheney did an end run around Colin Powell and Condi Rice over the treatment of enemy combatants the Post quotes Colin Powell upon the CNN announcement of the new Administation policy-

“What the hell just happened?” Secretary of State Colin L. Powell demanded, a witness said, when CNN announced the order that evening, Nov. 13, 2001. National security adviser Condoleezza Rice, incensed, sent an aide to find out. Even witnesses to the Oval Office signing said they did not know the vice president had played any part.

Just one of many times Cheney has managed to prevail, and without leaving his fingerprints behind.

The episode was a defining moment in Cheney’s tenure as the 46th vice president of the United States, a post the Constitution left all but devoid of formal authority. “Angler,” as the Secret Service code-named him, has approached the levers of power obliquely, skirting orderly lines of debate he once enforced as chief of staff to President Gerald R. Ford. He has battled a bureaucracy he saw as hostile, using intimate knowledge of its terrain. He has empowered aides to fight above their rank, taking on roles reserved in other times for a White House counsel or national security adviser. And he has found a ready patron in George W. Bush for edge-of-the-envelope views on executive supremacy that previous presidents did not assert.

Cheney’s political stock is deservedly low, and I find it amusing that many who call for open and transparent government at the local and state levels become apologists for Cheney’s hyper-secret way of conducting government at the national level. The Post story even indicates that Cheney has ordered the Secret Service to destroy his visitor logs. (Can that be true?) A story worth reading, and at least for today a good job by the Post! Read the series at this link.

Posted in National News | 2 Comments

Merrimack Valley Mayors support Municipal Partnership Act

Posted on June 21, 2007 by billmanzi

Today I joined Mayor Thatcher Keyzer of Amesbury, Mayor Michael Sullivan of Lawrence, Mayor James Fiorintini of Haverhill, Mayor Bill Martin of Lowell, Mayor John Moak of Newburyport, and City Manager Bernard Lynch of Lowell in offering our strong support for the Muncipal Partnership Act. We have jointly issued the letter below in the hope that recognition of the great stress being placed on cities and towns will lead to state action. I know that I appreciate the Governor’s leadership on this issue. It has been quite some time since we had an administration that paid any attention to the great inequities involved with the property tax. We have had a great friend and ally in Lt. Governor Tim Murray, whose experience as the Mayor of Worcester has only heightened this administrations awareness in this area. Please support the Muncipal Partnership Act, it will help us to stem the growth in local property taxes.

Cities and towns in the Merrimack Valley are facing another year of tough choices. Our costs, particularly health care costs, continue to rise faster than our revenues. This year, the average community will experience a 9-10% increase in health care costs. In addition, energy and other fixed costs continue to outstrip our ability to pay within the Proposition 2 ½ tax levy limit.

Every year we are faced with the same tough choice – cut vital services or ask our citizens to pay more by raising property taxes.

The Municipal Partnership Act, proposed by Governor Patrick, offers a third choice – a way to ensure delivery of services without asking our citizens to pay more through overrides. The Municipal Partnership Act offers us a chance to lower health care costs, close the tax loophole on telecommunications, and gives us the chance to explore in our own communities whether there should be local option taxes.

We strongly urge our local legislators to support Governor Patrick’s Municipal Partnership Act. The Municipal Partnership Act offers us a means of raising revenues without increasing the property tax burden on our citizens. The Municipal Partnership Act offers our communities solutions beyond cutting critical services. Most importantly, the Municipal Partnership Act offers us hope for tomorrow.

We ask the Legislature to pass the Municipal Partnership Act with all of the provisions proposed by Governor Patrick and give our communities the tools we need to run our cities without constantly raising property taxes.

Sincerely,
Mayor Thatcher W. Kezer III
Mayor James J. Fiorentini
Mayor Michael J. Sullivan
Mayor William F. Martin, Jr.
Mayor William M. Manzi III
Mayor John F. Moak
Bernard Lynch, City Manager

Posted in Municipal Finance | 4 Comments

Methuen Budget Passes

Posted on June 21, 2007 by billmanzi

The Methuen City Council passed my budget proposal last night. Part of the passage included the deletion of the position of Human Resources Director from funding. Other than that the budget was passed as recommended. It is a lean budget, with no growth on the City side. On the School side Superintendent Jeanne Whitten has renewed our focus on the classroom through the budget process. Her stated philosophy of “the centrality of the classroom” is reflected in her budget. I will propose very shortly a reform of the Human Resources Department so that our City is protected in the very important area of employee relations. I will also post the full, adopted budget here in the next day or so.

Posted in Methuen, Methuen City Council, Municipal Finance | 33 Comments

Democratic Debate

Posted on June 20, 2007 by billmanzi

I was able to attend the Fifth Congressional Democratic debate last night in Devens and the contrasts are starting to be drawn. The candidates are begining to offer direct criticism of each other, and it was great to see the heat raised a notch or two. After the debate I was left wondering what Nikki Tsongas’ position is on NAFTA. (She didn’t really want to answer). Nice format and excellent moderation. Link to the Lowell Sun story here.

Posted in Fifth Congressional | 11 Comments

Clinton Video

Posted on June 20, 2007 by billmanzi

Being a Soprano’s fan I did enjoy the video clip by the Hillary campaign to announce the winner of her pick a campaign song contest. And like the Soprano’s I am unhappy with the ending, but the clip is good fun. Celine Dion’s tune “You and I” was the winner. You Tube is truly becoming a great outlet for modern campaigns. Link to it here.

Posted in National News | 2 Comments

Cape Wind

Posted on June 18, 2007 by billmanzi

Even though my book reading time is extremely limited I have purchased “Cape Wind’ by Wendy Williams and Robert Whitcomb. The book details the political struggle over the placement of a wind farm in Nantucket Sound. The blurbs I have read tend to place our senior Senator Ted Kennedy in a bad light, as well as the other rich and famous inhabitants. I will write more after the read, but this controversy is to good to pass up. Is this just a case of the rich and spoiled looking to protect the aesthetics of the Cape while sacrificing the environment? The book should be a great read for the political junkie in all of us. Any thoughts on Cape Wind? I figure the Republican contributors should have a ball with this one.

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Posted in National News | 4 Comments