We are at election time in Lawrence and according to the approaching primaries September 8; tensions between the candidates go in crescendo mainly by the destruction of political posters.
Years ago, Rumbo’s camera was always vigilant against offenders. Yes, offenders. Before, there were ordinances containing rules on the size of the signs, how many could be placed within each property, if this was in a corner lot, two signs looking at each side was permitted. The ordinance did not allow for posting signs in abandoned properties, or spaces in front of houses that do not have curbside but grass because it belongs to the municipality, and the list was lengthy.
Note that we refer to in the past tense, because what was forbidden before, is now normal. We realized that by publishing photos of illegal signs, we were promoting the violators.
Another thing we have always criticized is the destruction of candidates’ signs. This city has an overpopulation of unscrupulous people who enjoy destroying the signs of their opponents ignoring that they are violating the First Amendment of the Constitution, so that makes it a crime.
These upcoming elections present an even greater and worrying problem. To explain why we are worried and you should be too we must go back to the union formed between Marcos Devers, Juan Gonzalez and James O’Donoghue around the Mayor Daniel Rivera following his triumph over William Lantigua.
At that time he promised to O’Donoghue, “You will have your train.” O’Donoghue’s dream is to build an elevated train, fast, between Lawrence and Boston to do the course in record time.
To Marcos Devers he made a promise, “You shall be Representative as long as I am mayor,” he said. For the train only money is needed. To elect a candidate votes are needed and votes can only be promised by the voter, nobody else.
In this issue of Rumbo we are announcing the letter written by candidate Juana Matias to Secretary of State William Galvin, asking him to investigate and monitor the process of the Election in Lawrence.
“Since May, Mr. Perez has been serving in two positions that run contrary to each other. On one hand he is officially in charge of the Committee to Elect Marcos Devers for State Representative and on the other hand he is supposed to be responsible for holding a fair and non-partisan election”.
We have never been candidates for public office, but we are sure that the aspiration of any candidate is to win a clean and suspicion-free of corruption election. We concur in full with candidate Matias in her decision to express her concern to the Secretary of State and we believe that in the spirit of maintaining the purity of the process, Representative Marcos Devers should echo this request.
