Francisco Hilario Riser Rincón, better known as Panchito Riset (October 21, 1910, Havana, Cuba; † August 8, 1988, New York), was a Cuban singer and musician, interpreter of boleros and other tropical genres.
As we are in Hispanic Week, we dare to “play music” to which everyone is talking about in Lawrence: The Residency Law.
In his song, Panchito Riset tells his loved one that since she has left, the little room they used to share remains unchanged, it’s just the same.
If memory serves us right, for over 10 years in Lawrence we have been talking about the need for those working for the municipal government to reside in the city. For obvious reasons, to consume locally, to pay taxes to the city that pays their salaries.
Perhaps many do not remember that the Residency Law was part of the City Charter in Lawrence, although some employees breached it. To accommodate those who violated it, the administration at the time, put the question on the ballot in such a complex way that misled the public.
Lawrencians voted massively believing that we were keeping it when in fact, we were rejecting it.
Unfortunately, those legislators who were elected by us to represent us were the same that estimated that Lawrencians didn’t know what we were doing, thus ended the residency requirement.
Today, we are again struggling to implement this law, which we believe is fair, but we must come to terms that they are the ones who are right. We Lawrencians don’t know what we’re doing, because for the same period of time we have continued reelecting those legislators who consider us inept to know what we want.
The small room has not changed, is just the same!
