Di Adamo’s case
After a few weeks before the jury, the case of DiAdamo vs the City of Lawrence came to an end. The judge awarded Carmine DiAdamo $2.6 million to repair the damages to the building caused by the school department through the years.
The biggest part of the dispute was who should pay for the building repairs; the city refused to fix the building and DiAdamo had a contract specifying how the City of Lawrence was responsible for all repairs caused during the tenancy. Critics say that such a contract was beneficial to the landlord but contracts are not just a piece of paper and must be honored.
Mayor Rivera decided to move the school department offices in early 2014 in order to save some money. The city was paying $380,000 annually to DiAdamo for the rental of 255 Essex St. By moving to the basement of the former high school building, they are not paying rent and the Family Resource Center is now located at 60 Island St. for which it pays $148,000 each year.
The city has already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting court cases or dismissals and last week the City Council approved another transfer of $470,000 to the legal department to pay for outside counsel. We have yet to see if any of the two sides will be issuing an appeal.
Lorenza Ortega’s trial
This is one of the cases that scheduled for trial this week but it had to be moved due to the length of time taken by the DiAdamo case in court. It has now been postponed until April 1st and since the City Attorney Raquel Ruano has resigned and will be leaving next week, the city had to hired outside legal counsel.
Elections Department
The mess continues and the mayor is allowed to run that department at will. He selected and hired a new employee with no experience to keep Richard Reyes in company. This time, in violation again of rules or procedures, he personally hired Zoila Gomez’s secretary, a campaign supported and financial contributor.
The mayor’s selection did not involve advertising for the position, allowing for applicants to respond or selecting the “best qualified person for the job” as he promised to do. What I don’t understand is how the City Council can look the other way and approve everything he sends down.
Last week I mentioned my conversation with Rafael Tejeda who explained to me the way to get the report on changes made to the voting list that they are refusing to give me. That report could clarify many things but it is being ignored.
The Foundation for Transparency in Government has been requesting a meeting before the Board of Registrars to discuss their objections to the names that were eliminated from the list of signers on the recall petition. Such meeting was scheduled for February 27th but it is being postponed. Upcoming meetings will be on Saturdays at 1:00 PM if the board members can make it.
Free university tuition
Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders keeps promoting his plan of free university tuition and it sounds very tempting to lots of people. Whether or not that issue alone will make voters go for him is yet to be seen; I just don’t think it is logical. He places the burden on the government instead of the high salaries paid to college professors in private institutions.
The cost of tuition is a portion of the total commitment we make to an education. Books, labs, transportation, meals away from home, babysitting expenses are the real cost of going to school for many adults. Free tuition would only make a dent but will not make a degree attainable.
I also have another way of thinking when it comes to “freebies.” Through the years, I have met people on public assistance going to school while the taxpayers were footing the bill not only for tuition but also books, transportation and babysitting. They either didn’t take it seriously or ended up dropping out because they could not relate to paying for those courses. We often hear about cases of young people being kicked out of colleges for discipline problems. As long as their families are paying the tuition and not the taxpayers, let it be.
The beauty of going to college, especially for adults, is seeing the seriousness, the concentration in class necessary to complete a degree. If one is getting reimbursed from his or her employer, there is accountability to the company, just as if it is coming out of their pocket.
People tend to not appreciate anything free and education is not cheap. Before I went to college the thought of not having the money to do it was depressing; the thought of ending up with a huge loan was frightening. Then, someone told me, “There are many ways to skin the cat.” With the proper guidance, students can get credits for life experience, attend a community college and go to school on a part-time basis, while paying their own way.
It is widely believed that going to an expensive private four year college can guarantee a better job with better salary. Success on the job is secured only by one’s own effort and dedication to our duties. Attending a community college for the first two years and acquiring the basic courses can save plenty of money and you can get the best education provided by quality professionals dedicated to the improvement of their students. By the time you transfer to a four year institution, the path to your success is paved with a good education and savings. Don’t listen to those who go by the name or reputation of the school because the future is yours and you can make it whatever you put your mind to it.
