Need not apply
If you are not a mayor’s friend, don’t bother applying for jobs advertised in city government.
It’s happening over and over again that innocent people apply for positions advertised with the City of Lawrence. There may be several applicants but the job has already being filled or the candidate has been chosen and they only need to go through the steps to make it look fair.
During his second and final term in office, Dan Rivera is getting bolder. If he was careless before using DPW employees to modernize his house before selling it and giving jobs to friends, there’s no way of stopping him now. What used to be parking attendants and menial office jobs grew to high-paying professional positions ignoring the City Council because he has the blessing of the majority.
I thought that he liked being surrounded by incompetence and for the past four years, you’ve heard about Abel Vargas, a real estate salesman turned into Business and Economic Development Director that has shown nothing through the years; Wendy Luzón the high school graduate who bounced off a job someone with a Masters in City Planning to become Neighborhood Planner; John Pica, the treasurer without credentials; Jessica Valentín, the non-librarian new librarian who fired her better qualified assistant; and Vilma Martinez Dominguez who was a social worker and he made her Director of Community Development.
The mayor walked all over the council on the City Engineer issue. Theodoro Rosario (a non-engineer) was in that position for two years. The council cut the funding for his salary to force him out and Dan transferred money from another account to cover his salary – and he stayed. He only left after the scandal of his arrest at a motel with a homeless man. Theodoro remained very active working in Dan’s reelection campaign and after winning it, he was back to stay. He is complaining because he only earns $65,000.
Dan is trying to “compensate” those contributors or workers during his campaign with high salaries and neither the mayor nor the applicants are concerned about the effect this publicity may have in their dignity. One case is that of Sandy Almonte, a social worker who was fired from DSS a year ago and spent that time working full time for the campaign. She just became the police department person in charge of domestic abuse and missing people cases at $95,000.
Recently, the mayor created the position of Capital Asset Director at $95,000 and I was waiting to see which of his friends would get it. Well, it went to former Council at-Large candidate Franklin Miguel. I feel sorry for those naïve applicants who thought they had a chance.
Now that he managed to drive the City Attorney Charles Boddy out, the office is ready for either Eileen Bernal or Brian Corrigan (I’m betting on Eileen.) No need for anyone else to apply and follow that charade.
And lastly, the question is who will be graced with the title of Recycling Coordinator? The position has been open since January. Has Danny run out of friends?
Being part of the whole
Alberto and I attend many ceremonies and functions where members of the City Council are welcome and there are some that I believe they should be present out of common sense, if nothing else.
This past weekend, during the Memorial Day ceremony, the name of the city councilors in attendance was read and, as usual, David Abdoo and Marc Laplante were present. Not a single Latino councilor!
There was a hidden message there. When we become US citizens, it’s with the intention of being part of the country as anybody else and the impression we give is that we choose to segregate ourselves. Being part of the United States means taking part in all aspects of life but for members of a government body like the City Council, participating at these functions becomes an obligation.
Yes, I will be criticized for saying this but their behavior triggers sentiments from the rest of the non-Latino population and we must avoid that.
