If you don’t like what I say, hold on tight
When someone disagrees with me, often I am accused of discrimination or racism. It doesn’t bother me because I know that my intentions are honest and void of those two sentiments.
A good example is Wilfredo Laboy, former superintendent of schools in Lawrence. For years, Rumbo described his wrongdoings and no member of the press paid any attention. I would send my articles to the Boston media but they wouldn’t touch it. Perhaps it was all difficult to believe or they gave no credence to the “little newspaper” from Lawrence.
Many times I heard on the radio people saying that my reasons were because he denied me a job in the school department which never happened. Others said that it was because he is Puerto Rican. Nonsense!
I have been called all kinds of dirty names on the radio and the internet, never getting a response from me. An internet posting even called me “BURRA” (donkey) and I have his copy to prove it. The certainty that someday it will become public sustained me.
After a few years like that, Wilfredo Laboy was indicted and ended up serving time in jail for the issues Rumbo mentioned plus more. I had been vindicated!
Now, I find myself in a quandary with Marcos Devers.
The current legislative team was sworn into office on January 3rd, less than one month ago. According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts webpage, he earns $62,548/year and as he is appointed to committees he will receive extra pay.
In the past, it was easy checking on his attendance by requesting the stipend sheet from the State Treasurer. The stipend was a set amount each legislator used to get depending on the distance they traveled on a daily basis to the State House. But the system changed, they were given a raise in exchange for the stipends. Marcos used to go to work 1 or 2 days per week and I hear he’s back to his old tricks. He makes an appearance only when they have a session and leaves right after taking a vote.
So, unable to check his attendance this time around, at least, I can check through the State House website how much work he is producing. For example:
Those results are in less than a month since they were sworn into office.
Compare that to Marcos Devers. So far he has recycled 3 bills filed during his first term. I know that because Nancy Greenwood from Greenwood Insurance was the force behind it. I attended the hearing at the State House with Nancy and a Catholic School student who testified as to the need for these to be approved.
What I mean by recycled is that when a Bill is not approved, the State Representative can file it again every year. The problem is that they have to fight to convince their peers to vote in its favor and defend it during the hearings. If they don’t do it, it dies.
Bill # Name
HD.3967 An Act relative to motor vehicle premiums
HD.3968 An Act relative to motor vehicle surcharges
HD.3969 An Act relative to motor vehicle operator insurance records
He did cosponsored 17 bills authored by other representatives.
Legislators have their staff at the office doing the clerical work (writing, anwering the telephones, keeping in contact with constituents and other legislators) at the State House. He has always used his legislative aide as his personal photographer and chauffer.
The way I see it, he is stealing from the taxpayers. Anyone getting paid and playing hooky on the job is a thief.
Non-Citizens voting – it’s illegal
Very often, through the years we have heard certain persons encouraging non-residents to register to vote insisting that “they don’t ask for proof of citizenship.”
All over the country there has been a cry for the need of proof of citizenship upon registering as a voter from groups asking legislators to approve it and there’s always some excuse as to why it cannot be done.
The Texas Attorney General released a press release stating that the Secretary of State has found that approximately 95,000 non-citizens are registered to vote and around 58% of them have voted in one or more elections.
Texas law allows lawfully present noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses by showing proof of lawful presence to Department of Public Service. However, only citizens are eligible to vote. And Texas law currently does not require verification of a voter’s statement that they are U.S. citizens.
The attorney general’s office prosecuted 97 defendants for numerous voter fraud violations and they have obtained a number of successful non-citizen voter fraud convictions, including prison sentences.
We must preserve the sanctity of democracy in the United States. We must insist to our legislators as to the need to require proof of citizenship of anyone registering to vote.
In a related topic, bringing that subject home, this is another election year and the public’s suspicions about fraud always rise with the old voting machines. City Councilor at-Large Ana Levy has been an advocate for new machines for years. Apparently, the Council President forgot that on May 15, 2018, it was unanimously voted (9-0) to include the purchase of new voting machines in the Capital Improvement Plan.
The mayor has three years to go, unless God willing the governor calls to his service. It’s very important for him to get his friends elected to the council and the best way is using non-trusting 28 years old voting machines.
You can find it on
Doc. 137/18: New Voting Machines – Purchase and Approval Process –
William J. Maloney, City Clerk – Budget and Finance Cmt. – Received
Governor appoints Maylor as Comptroller
A press release from Governor Charlie Baker’s office announces that Andrew Maylor, North Andover Town Manager has been hired as Comptroller of the Commonwealth.
In this position, he will be an independent overseer of the Commonwealth’s financial transactions, accountability and service delivery across all branches of state government.
“Mr. Maylor most recently served as Town Manager for the town of North Andover,” said the governor, “and has over three decades of experience in both the public and private sector in financial management.”
I have been told that Mr. Maylor is ten times smarter that Mayor Daniel Rivera but we don’t lose hope that the governor will find something for him, too.
An equal opportunity employer
At closing, we found out that the Board of Directors of MassHire Career Center just appointed permanently Abel Vargas who had been serving for four months as interim executive director since Rafael Abislaiman’s retirement.
This happened without posting the position and giving the opportunity to qualified individuals to apply. That’s how we get “the best qualified people for the jobs,” as Mayor Dan Rivera said he would.
I hope Abel makes time to learn the job because I understand that since getting the title he has not been attending to that office and his responsibilities have been divided among many other employees.
He has appeared several times on Spanish television recently as director of economic development, a position that is empty.
More on that next week.
