The Voter ID Struggle at the City Council
I sometimes wonder how I would behave as a member of the Lawrence City Council. I never had any desire to run for office but finding myself arguing with the TV, calling names to the councilors, names that you would never see me write in this column or say in public, it would be the easiest way to give me a heart attack.
Seeing the lack of conversation or opinions from most of them tells me that two or three control the issues, brainwashing their colleagues to vote their way. There are few arguments during the meetings, and I would be there to provoke them to think for themselves – not the way I want them to vote – to analyze what’s being debated.
Last week, I mentioned this topic, and my conclusion was that some of them want to facilitate corruption by allowing mail voting and no ID.
A couple of years ago, I wrote about an election night when I was at a candidate’s headquarters. These workers kept contact by telephone with their partners at the polls, keeping them abreast of absent voters.
They were set up with volunteers ready to present themselves as voters who had not done their duty late in the day. They gave the poll worker the name and address of that person and proceeded to vote. The poll workers were told that it was illegal to request identification.
This council already approved mailing the ballots without accepting Councilor Ana Levy’s recommendations to prevent fraud. She continues to fight about requesting identification to ensure the right person is voting. Very often, residents go to the polls after work only to find that someone already did it for them, and that’s when the anger begins. But the elections department is so accustomed to these episodes that they handle them by giving them another ballot and putting it aside or who knows what.
The most common argument is that some people don’t have any identification, to which I remember yelling at the TV, “That’s a lie! No one can live in this country without some form of identification.” Can you picture me in the council?
Look at the list I compiled of places that require it and others who could ask for one.
Places where you need to show an ID include:
- Buying alcohol
- Opening a bank account
- Applying for food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, and Social Security
- Renting or buying a house
- Buying or renting a car
- Flying on an airplane
- Getting married
- Purchasing a gun
- Adopting a pet
- Applying for a hunting license
- Passport
Typical places that ask for Picture ID:
- Grocery stores (if you are using Credit Card)
- Gas stations (when you are buying anything using Credit card)
- Liquor store. (Even if you do not buy and accompany others)
- Dance Clubs and Bars
- Picking up mail from FedEx, UPS, or any others
- Public Library (for getting a library Card)
- Casino (even if you do not play)
- Banks (if you want to withdraw money or check balance)
- Airport
- Any stores where you buy using a Credit Card.
- Fast Food places (if you use a credit card)
- Restaurants (if you use a credit card)
- Any corporate offices (if you are visiting anyone, for Visitor ID)
- You also need an ID to get into a union meeting.
- Coffee shops (if you use a credit card)
- Rent anything for outdoor Jet Skis, Boats, Canoes, etc.
- Car Rentals (You need a Driver’s license for sure)
- Any theme parks like Disney, etc., for rentals
- Any outdoor activity like Sky diving, Bunge Jumping, etc.
In any place where you use credit cards, you will be asked for your picture ID. I can keep writing, but you get the idea of the importance of having an ID in the US. The first thing most people ask is, “Can I have a look at your picture ID?” You better have one when someone asks for it.
Carrying your passport to all the places listed above is very risky. There is always a chance of losing it, damaging it, or having it stolen. So, do NOT carry your passport; get a State ID issued by the US government or a Driver’s license from a US state.
Beginning May 7, 2025, individuals 18 and older will need a REAL ID driver’s license or ID card (or another ID accepted by the TSA) to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities for $25.
The House passed a bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. More to come on that.
POST and the Chief Castro saga
There’s silence in this drama, so I’ve been digging to see if there’s anything I don’t know. First, POST’s website is a treasure trove of information.
The website shows their mission statement, “Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission was established as part of the criminal justice reform legislation enacted in Chapter 253 of the Acts of 2020. Our mission is to improve policing and enhance public confidence in law enforcement by implementing a fair process for mandatory certification discipline, and training for all peace officers in the Commonwealth.”
I logged into the Sustained Allegations and Disciplinary Actions by Agency to check on Lawrence’s complaints against police officers. I copied six pages, and suddenly, I was furious seeing the injustices against Castro. There are so many officers who have committed multiple serious violations, much more serious than what William Castro is accused of, who got a slap on the wrist, and their certification was never suspended.
In most cases, the allegation was limited to a sentence. In Castro’s case, they went into details, and he was the only one whose certification was suspended.
You can do what I did instead of repeating the garbage published on social media. What’s being done to him could be done to any of us.
Meanwhile, Castro was granted a meeting to prepare for the upcoming trial. A comment heard was that the city should not have proceeded with the hiring of a new police chief until this case is settled. Castro is only suspended, not fired.
The time has come for me to write a longer story with all the information I have gathered because this reads like a gangster’s movie, and the sad part is that not even the mayor has reviewed it.
The chief’s selection has become a huge mess. I might touch on that next week as well.
Unanswered FOIA requests
On January 29, 2025, I requested Caryl Garcia’s resume and a copy of her contract because the Personnel Director’s position was to be posted when Owen was fired. Her contract says she is there in an “acting” capacity.
My reason was because she has no knowledge of human resources and they are giving her the chance to learn and prove herself, instead of looking for an experienced human resources/personnel professional.
Now that Attorney Kevin Foley resigned, she should go back to the city attorney’s office and let’s post the position.
When I sent my request a second time, the only answer I received was a call from the mayor telling me that Caryl said that she was “not sending Dalia her resume.” She has become the mayor’s favorite.
I also requested receipts from the Lawrence Redevelopment Authority (LRA) because they issued a report last November on the expenses during the year, which was blank in the column justifying them. The salaries were there, but the thousands of dollars blown in that time ($822,000) needed explanations.
What caught my attention was a charge for about $3.00 at Dunkin. I realized that Octavien Spanner uses that credit card as his personal one. Then, I became curious about HOME Depot, Amazon, and other purchases in the thousands, but I did not explain what was purchased.
When I insisted after being ignored for so long, I inquired again and the mayor said that I was right, those details should have been added, giving me the impression that he was not aware of that. He said that Octavien will gather them and send them along. Nothing yet.
Who’s running the city? Octavien and Caryl?
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