One more election period has ended in Lawrence, the poorest city in Massachusetts, as many choose to call it, despite the fact that more luxury cars circulate per capita than in others where the standard of living is higher.
The poorest city in Massachusetts where rents are as high or higher, than in other more solvent communities.
The poorest city in the state where fines for violations of the parking laws, are the highest in the state, including Boston.
The poorest city in the state where many of its citizens do not recycle, due to ignorance or lack of interest, even though doing so would represent an income to the city coffers.
The poorest city in the state where it is reported that the mayor invested in his reelection campaign the fabulous sum of $300,000.
In a city like Lawrence, where there are these problems mentioned above, of 40,056 people registered to vote, only 15,663 got out to vote. That means that 24,393 of them do not care what is happening. If they had done so, and depending for whom, they voted, it would have reaffirmed their support for the incumbent or changed the style of government.
Although we cannot predict that a new government would have been the solution to these problems, I think we can predict that continuing with the present will lead us to what we are used to.
A mayor who, in spite of the laws that protect the disabled, decided that those who by law have the right to park in specific areas could be fined, only for having plates from other states.
A mayor who at the beginning of his first term promised to hire the best qualified candidates to take this city forward, instead, in most cases, what he did was hire the less qualified and on top of that, gave them stipends just for being friends and/or associates.
A mayor who, while attending all acts of flag raising, with the greatest impudence ignores the presence of the consul of a country that is a friend and ally of ours not one, but twice, not attending the event and not even sending a representative of deserved category that represents him in his place.
A mayor who announced, in his victory speech, that it is time to bring the schools back under the administration of the city, makes us think, if they are working as never before, why change? Will it be for, as in the past, to have a source of jobs to place his friends and associates even if they lack the required preparation?
Christmas is approaching, his preferred time to dismiss employees. Who or whom will be the victims this year?
Christmas is approaching; why not give himself a new car, although according to the City Law, a mayor has no right to it.
But hey, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. In the meantime, we want to congratulate him for his triumph, it cost him his money, well, the money raised by his campaign and the help of the ‘big players’ that came to support him during the campaign, while laughing at his behavior.
We also want to congratulate all the winners as well as those who did not obtain enough votes to fulfill the positions for which they were nominated. The fact they participated is enough reason for praise, since in Lawrence it is like giving permission to expose the color their great-grandmother’s underwear. We have stooped so low!
