Pushing Pushers and Taking Advantage of People
Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera is a hypocrite. I say this because after announcing to Lawrence residents of the dangers of lawyers and attorneys coming into the city to represent people affected by the Merrimack Valley Gas Fire, and calling on his muscle – Attorney General Maura Healy to assist him in deterring people to file lawsuits, he has put together a forum and brought with him a representative from the Lawyers Committee from Boston. The Lawyers Committee engages “in creative and courageous legal action, education, and advocacy, in collaboration with law firms and community partners.”
Attorney Healy and a member from the Lawyers Committee presented on “Class Action Lawsuits”, which means that Mayor Rivera and Attorney Healy are subtly guiding affected victims and families to file lawsuits to or through the Lawyer’s Committee attorneys. AG Healey even created a hotline and link to her official website.
Since Mayor Rivera’s critical and demanding direction of attorneys arriving into Lawrence, specifically directed at Attorney Louis Farrah’s community meeting on September 17 at St. Anthony’s Church, has not stated one word of the agencies of Morgan & Morgan, Attorneys Wendy Estrella, and Attorney Socrates De La Cruz, or other firms that have on behalf of Lawrence residents filed in court. After all, Morgan & Morgan has Attorney Robert Kennedy Jr.
The Board of Directors for the Lawyer’s Committee is composed of the firm of Foley & Hoag (LLP), Mintz, Levin, Cohn. Ferris, Glosky & Popeo (PC), Robert H. Smith Esq. (Suffolk University School of Law), and over 40 other attorneys that have or still represent the City of Lawrence in courts and hearings in Massachusetts. Additionally, Mayor Rivera is a graduate of Suffolk University (Master’s Degree).
See, Mayor Rivera was too busy with micromanaging this emergency to get a hold of his attorney friends to benefit from this awful event. When the firms of Bailey & Glasser (LLP) and Farrah & Farrah were the first attorney firms to come into Lawrence, he created a lot of hoopla and hollering and calling on the AG to assist.
But Mayor Rivera has said nothing since; because Attorney Wendy Estrella is his dear friend, and Attorney Socrates De La Cruz is his Boys & Girls Club alumni and friend have entered into this race to represent Lawrence residents. And by this point in time he won’t say anything that will make him look like he is against his Democratic Party colleague Robert Kennedy Jr in seeking to represent Lawrence residents in a class action suit. I am not writing this article to disparage the victims of the Merrimack Valley Gas Fire, but just to show the hypocrisy and games politicians play in order to make themselves or their friends get an edge on the piece of the pie.
Ivan Espinosa introduced himself as a civil rights attorney. Last November, José Ayala contacted him to help in the cancellation of the Spanish-language broadcasts on WCEC 1490 AM on Monday and Tuesday, coinciding with Election Day. This was an obvious bridge of civil rights for the brokers who paid for the air time as well as the audience who depended on information on such an important day.
Attorney Espinosa’s response was that, after analyzing it, they decided not to
be interested in this type of cases. That night it became clear why.
Mayor does not trust his leaders
The title of this article may not fit the story, but it sort of relates to the body of this commentary. In our last edition, I promised that I would write about the shelter assignments, which were handed out by Mayor Rivera, during the situation in which the city is going through due to the gas fires.
Mayor Rivera assigned Council President Kendrys Vasquez as the point person for the staging area assignment that was located out of the Senior Center. The assignment was to put together a strategy to obtain supplies for Lawrence residents. These supplies were of perishable and well as non-perishable items that were wanted for the residents that stood evacuated from South Lawrence
The mayor also assigned Councilor-at-large Pavel Payano to run the Arlington School shelter. This assignment was to coordinate with the Red Cross in creating a shelter for residents that were evacuated from South Lawrence. The task included, sleeping areas, food, needed supplies, transportation, and more. Additionally, the mayor also assigned another district councilor to do the same for the Parthum School shelter.
You may ask, what is wrong with assigning councilors during emergencies? Well, each assignment was political. What is so sad is that none of these councilors did anything far-fetched to make these locations operable. In the background, was an army of employees, specifically Directors, Red Cross Officials, and other state elected officials making these councilors look good.
Why did the Mayor not trust his Directors to lead and run these locations? I know of at least seven directors that gave all their time, effort, and sweat to make the successful locations and shelter occur. It is the employees who provide different types of professional and technical expertise in the delivery of day to day services or emergency services.
I only know of one person I could trust to run an operation of that sort, and that is Councilor David Abdoo. Councilor Abdoo is a Chief of Staff at MBTA in charge of a professional scaled division. The other councilors, well, let’s just say that their civilian job titles do come up to anything as large as being a director. Just because they make decisions of things included into an agenda does not make them good at running anything. I am not saying that a job is not worthy or making any job shameful. What I am saying is that there are key skills learned on the job to run operations of that kind. I am thankful the city has department heads that are proficient and skilled at making quick decisions, operating entire groups of people and organizing events.
These mayoral assignments were to make councilors look like leaders, in the eyes of the residents, so that they may be set-up for the next elections. After all, we all know that Mayor Rivera is already endorsing Council President Vasquez for the next mayoral election.
Council members should devote their official time to problems of basic policy and act as liaisons between the city and the general public. Councilor’s jobs, during that week, were to ensure that employees and the Mayor was doing their thing and communicating with their residents and constituents on their needs. Councilors need to appreciate the legitimate difference between the community perspective and the professional/technical perspective. It’s like Councilors fall into traps that they truly believe that they are special.
Councilor Abdoo was one of the thousands of residents that evacuated from South Lawrence. However, even though he was evacuated, he was able to be almost everywhere in the city, including the Arlington School and Parthum School, checking in on residents and constituents in every sheltered location to inquire of their needs.
What’s most appalling is that this emergency gave way for many councilors to break laws. (You know who you are.) You can only have so many of you in one location at any given time. These assignments also gave these councilors using the opportunity for favoritism in disseminating these supplies. It gives unfair advantages to them versus other potential candidates that are not councilors and were not tapped to run operations.
This only shows how Mayor Rivera does not trust his directors to do any job. He is a just micro-manager at best.
Mayor your greatest asset in reaching your goals, are your directors and managers.
Why business loans?
Last week I wrote an article “A Mystery” regarding the availability of funds for the victims of the explosions. It was also released on Friday, that a plan to assist businesses hurt by the Merrimack Valley Gas Fire (losses to their businesses – see article on page 10) has been established
Merchants will be able to take a loan for a maximum of $50,000 to cover expenses and get their businesses going again for 6 months with no interests. After that, they will pay market rate interests.
I don’t understand the need for that because the Essex County Emergency Fund account was to assist businesses and residents affected. This account was infused with 10 million dollars by Columbia Gas. Why the loans?
In our next edition, I’ll write about how Lawrence politicians put themselves into this situation – the situation of placing its residents in jeopardy by associating themselves with Columbia Gas.
Some animals in summer
I read something written by Suso do Madrid from Spain that caught my attention because it is a universal problem and not an isolated case.
Every summer, in many veterinary clinics, the same story is repeated: animals are abandoned at their doorsteps. For their owners, with vacations on the horizon, they become a bother.
They are not just cases of dogs or cats; birds, reptiles or exotic animals are left to their own devices awaiting a responsible person. The owners must put an end to these practices. They must comply with the law and assume that animals are not seasonal toys.
Welcome back, Richard!
Richard Reyes returned to the Lawrence Elections Department. I don’t know why; I’m just happy that there will be accuracy and honesty in the coming elections.
