Wasting city money
A few days after taking the reins of the mayor’s office, Brian De Peña told me in disgust that he was saddened to see the waste in practically every department in this city. He has made changes and adjustments where he deemed were needed, contrary to the judgment of many people.
Last week I described one of the many ways taxpayers’ money is being squandered in Lawrence and to my surprise, it was worse than what I expected. If you have not read it, I recommend that you go to our website and check out the “Corruption” piece on page 16 of the March 15, 2022 edition.
It deals with the hiring of a librarian who ended up getting an exorbitant amount of money between paying back her previous employer some $15,000 that the company paid for her bachelor’s degree so she could be released to come here. Ms. Jessica Valentín earned a salary of $81,000 and the reimbursement of $34,143.50 for courses leading to a Master’s degree in Library Sciences. She then left her employment with us.
In the past few days, people have been asking where I get this information and wondering who my sources are. I simply send a request under the Freedom of Information Act and anything requested has to be sent within 10 days. No magic, no informants. I document everything I do.
If the details are not clear to me or I need additional information, I can talk to department heads to satisfy my curiosity. To tell you the truth, sometimes, after all that work, I do nothing. It could be because it turned out not to be a big deal or there was a reasonable explanation.
Also, I may decide not to follow through because it may affect my reputation and there’s nothing I care about more than what people think of me and Rumbo. I want people to wholeheartedly believe in what I say and what they read, confident that it has been well-researched and the truth.
That’s what I did recently. I was looking into another issue and decided to put it aside fearing the public would think that I was resentful and there was money involved. As I said earlier, my integrity is most important.
When someone told me that the Commonwealth was questioning why the recycling department spent so much in advertising that was estimated to be excessive, I set out to look into it.
My main concern was, if the government is looking into it, I should be prepared to clarify that Rumbo had not been part of that to avoid a stain on our name. So, I requested all the bills paid for advertising the recycling program. After examining them, my choice was to let the government deal with them because it didn’t involve us.
After Mayor De Peña learned that I requested the documents, he called me to appease me thinking that I would be angry and said that he had ordered the advertising should be done in Rumbo as well because this is the Lawrence newspaper. My response was that I’m not interested in any paid advertising from that department.
Last Sunday night, after receiving a call advising me to watch a radio program that also transmits on Facebook, it forced me to respond. Carlos Morell, former recycling coordinator, and Councilor at-Large Celina Reyes accused me of being resentful for not being one of the media used.
Now you know what kind of people they are, going on the radio to malign and lie without reason.
The hiring of an Assistant Fire Chief
For the past few weeks, the Lawrence City Council has been discussing a new position that Mayor De Peña wants to create in the Fire Department. Council members have questioned the need for it and the union has not been receptive to the idea.
The union believes it’s not necessary because in the current system there are four Deputy Chiefs and the assistant chief will create another step. For example, if Chief Moriarty is to be absent for more than five days, the most senior of the deputy chiefs will cover for him. That coverage for a few days comes with a little temporary increase on the paycheck. The chief also has the option of selecting another one of the deputies to cover in his absence.
When that happens, the captain with the most seniority becomes deputy chief for the length of time the chief is away, also coming with a little increase in pay.
Since this idea was brought up, there have been arguments among the firefighters creating lots of tension at work. They have dealt with similar issues before during the Dan Rivera administration. He hand-picked Pat Ruiz and Mike Armano for special assignments. He didn’t follow the union rules and that’s all they were asking for.
Now, they know this is another political appointment because the mayor doesn’t want this non-union position to be posted and open to anyone who would like to apply for it, once approved by the city council.
Mayor De Peña has put his request on hold while he continues his negotiations with the union.
Our children being brainwashed at school
They are being brainwashed and we are doing nothing about it.
A newspaper article caught my attention recently because a young woman was interviewed about her depression. Explaining why she regrets having changed her gender from male, she had been told that it was her dysphoria that was causing her mental state. She now realizes that it was a mistake.
There’s a controversy in the media involving Lia Thomas, the swimmer who used to be a man and is now competing on women’s teams. S/he is now breaking previous records and winning wherever they go. The argument is that Lia’s body has the physical hormonal attributes of a man which does not change with the elimination of body parts.
The fight to have the approval of Title IX allowing the universities to create equal opportunities in sports for females took many years. The admission of transgender students will eliminate the chances of winning.
The media has a lot to do with getting the public accustomed to seeing this as “normal.” President Biden appointed Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender woman as United States Assistant Secretary for Health, and now, USA Today named her Woman of the Year which has produced a heap of publicity.
Lia Thomas and Dr. Levine contribute to our children’s belief of this being normal and the fact that they are famous, educated people could instill the wrong idea in them.
I’m trying to get the curriculum being used in our public schools regarding Critical Race Theory (CRT) and as soon as I get it, you’ll see it. For now, I have at least the texts on sex being administered by the Lawrence Public Schools. Making Proud Choices, Our Whole Lives, and FLASH are set up by grade levels beginning with kindergarten through high school. I thank Michael King, director of Community Alliances, at Massachusetts Family Institute who provided me with a copy.
I intended to print segments to show you that explicit sex (body parts, methods, protection, language, etc.) are explained in plain, common, and simple street vocabulary, but there was nothing I could reproduce without being disrespectful and inappropriate.
If you want to see it, please send me an email at daliadiaz@rumbonews.com and I’ll be glad to send it. You may also find it on the internet by Making Proud Choices, Our Whole Lives, or FLASH. There’s also information online on how you may have your child opt out of that program.
Most families watch who their children are befriending, have parental controls on their television set, and watch their vocabulary, yet from an early age, they are learning right in school how to perform all kinds of sex, protection, diseases, homosexuality, and sex changes.
I thought that CRT poses a danger to society because it promotes hate among races; however, this will promote promiscuity, sexual confusion, and will devalue morality.
LCAT meeting
After almost 17 years, there are signs that something is happening with the local television station, Lawrence Community Access Television. Mayor De Peña has formed a commission and scheduled a meeting in April where the plans will be fleshed out.
At this time, I don’t have more details but I want everyone to know that I was invited to be part of that committee but I declined. I have been complaining all of these years about the lack of service while using our money to manage channels 8 and 22 but have no interest in taking part in any capacity.
Anyone interested in participating, contact the mayor.
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