election

Talking instead of Doing

By Michael Gaffney, Worcester City Councilor at Large candidate

As you are aware, the issue of foreclosure mediation has be debated by the Worcester City Council for several months with plenty of discussion, but no action.  Growing frustrated with the lack of action, I wrote to the most vocal council member on the topic as follows.  I did not seek to attach myself to the issue for political advantage; rather, I handed out a solution and would have been satisfied if any action were taken to achieve a result.  Clearly, if any action had been taken, I would not be writing.  I will let the email chain speak for itself:

On Apr 2, 2013, at 9:16 PM, I wrote to an email from my phone titled “Foreclosure Mediation” to Councilor X:

Springfield Mass program seems to work…  Looks like a settlement just made to implement the plan:

http://blog.aboutrsi.org/2012/program-management/foreclosure-mediation-upheld-against-cons titutional-challenge/

RI has plans in Cranston, Providence and Warwick:

http://www.housingwire.com/news/2010/01/12/rhode-island-city-set-roll-out-foreclosure-medi ation-servicer-fines

So, it appears we have a format to follow.  Love the fine Springfield imposes against the banks for not attending.

The RI bankruptcy court also has a plan for mediation in Chapter 13 plans.

Michael

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Smartphone

Response from Councilor X:

Thanks.

Sent from my iPhone

Email sent to Councilor X on April 3, 2013

Councilor X:

I sent over some information to you last night relative to the foreclosure programs in other cities. Now that I am at a computer, I am able to forward more substantial information.  I have attended a number of conferences on the issue relative to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s program in Chapter 13 Plans that started in RI, so I have a bit of background.

Attached you will find the Springfield and Providence Ordinances.

Springfield uses a neutral not-for-cost mediation program. There are several options available. First, you could simply try the Worcester Bar Association to administer a program of volunteers (POC = Polly Tatum, President #508-795-1557.) Second, the Better Business Bureau currently administers the Lemon Law Arbitration Program under Massachusetts Law, the arbitrators get a “gratuity” of $100.00 per case (POC Nancy Cahalen, President #508-755-3340 x109.) Third, the District Court uses a mediation program formally administered by the WCAC now being administered by Mediation Services of North Central Mass (I do not have any contacts other than what is listed on the website – POC Elaine Sherrin, Director #978-466-9595.) Finally, the Massachusetts Justice Project currently runs the Lawyer for the Day Program and through  volunteers administers free legal services such as bankruptcy cases (I do handle free bankruptcy cases, but do not have a POC, the just send them over to me, the main number is #800-639-1209.)

I just don’t see where implementation of such a program would cost the city an inordinate amount of funds. Further, where we have language concerning ordinances in use, this matter shouldn’t continue to drag out in meeting after meeting. Finally, where the Federal District Court found the ordinance in Springfield to be constitutional and where the banks challenging it settled (and agreed to be bound) before the Appeals Court, passing such a measure is less likely to face a legal challenge or cost the city to defend it.

I am not trying to insert myself in this matter; rather, I been hearing the debate for several months and find it vexing that no progress has been made. This has been your issue; hence, I have communicated with you. If I can be of further assistance, let me know.

Thank you.

Michael Gaffney

Response from Councilor X, April 3, 2013:

No problem. I appreciated you sending the info.

Sent from my iPhone

Article sent to the Editor, Worcester Telegram and Gazette, May 1, 2013 (unpublished, but plenty of specious and inane comments were published on May 3, 2013)

Dear Sir/Madam:

Your recent article titled “Big Banks win again” concerning the $5,000.00 foreclosure bond ordinance showed the short falls in the current bond requirement.  We need to fix the unintended consequences of the bond requirement and strengthen the ordinance to help our citizens in foreclosure.

The cities of Springfield and Providence have passed ordinances that require the mortgage holder to mediate with the homeowner prior to foreclosure.  Springfield’s ordinance was upheld in Federal District Court and was settled on Appeal.  All the tools we need to update our ordinance are available and can be easily implemented.  We need to rewrite the current ordinance to protect our citizens.  We can’t let another month pass and another family be put out on the street without taking action.

Michael T. Gaffney

Worcester

Today is May 5, 2013.

Just voted! Always feels GREAT!!! Exercise yer franchise! VOTE!!! Polls close at 8 p.m.

- R. Tirella

By Rosalie Tirella

… one of Worcester’s loathesome ‘anonymous’ cyber bullies has dumped on everybody – even Jesus. Writing a few years back, under his name and not Internet moniker THE COUNT, Kush wrote to his readers, HAPPY ZOMBIE JESUS DAY. It was early April. We can assume Kush was wishing his cohorts a Happy Easter.

What does Worcester get if it chooses to make this nincompoop a city councilor? It gets a cyber bully. A coward. An immature and stupid kid, too connected to have to work hard and chart his own course. A kid who knows that because he is the son of a long-time reporter at the T and G that he will get the powder puff treatment as he makes his belly flop into politics. A guy who has lied about Worcester’s public and private folks, a guy who trumpeted his disdain for Worcester only to turn around and decide that he wants to represent her people as an elected official, a stupid kid who got a city job through his parents and then decided to trash the city, Worcester, in an anonymous blog, STUCK IN COW.

Who needs a twit like Kush deciding important issues like city pension reform or slot casino violence? Who needs a guy who for years was known in the Woo blogosphere as The Count, a persona from which spewed all sorts of hateful ideas, loathesome comments about all things Worcester. Kush, as cowardly and sick as local blogger Claude Dorman, who has been hauled into court several times for the libel/lies he upchucks, was never brave enough to use his real name when writing vile, hurtful lies. Like Dorman, who lives on 38 Sever St., and blogs as the ‘anonymous’ whack job Will WW on his Worcester Wonderland blog, Kush was ‘outed’ by local dude Paulie Collyer. Collyer, who can sniff out a creep as expertly as his sweet Beagle Ginny can track a weiner all the way to Coney Island Hot Dogs, was not up for Kush’s venom. Kush’s lies about him and his life sent Paulie on a journey: The quest to unmask THE COUNT, who by the way, left little photos of The Muppet character as a visual tag to go with his toxic tales, all of which were written while he was an employee of the City of Worcester.

It is pathetic when someone stupid manages to land a job with the city because he is somewhat connected – Kush’s mother Kathy Robertson worked as a community liason flak for Holy Cross college and his dad, Bronny Kush writes for the daily – but it is insulting when the connected loser is the author of an anti-Worcester blog, STUCK IN COW. COW being the acronym for City of Worcester.

Kush also took money from local political candidates as a political consultant – a bribe to get in good with Daddy-Reporter Kush? – only to trash his clients on his blog and Claude Dorman’s blog.

Idiots like Kush and Dorman act out, like all bullies, to feel better about themselves. Woo should send them both packing to … Afghanistan.

editor’s note: Peter Kush, as The Count, trashed the political hopefuls who hired him as a political consultant. He has worn a bunny suit. But he was not the anonymous author of Tales From The Shitty but a blog called Cow Patch. I have revised story to reflect that fact. – R. Tirella

By Rosalie Tirella

This should be ridiculous. Peter C. Kush, son of T and G reporter Bronny Kush, has pulled papers for an at large seat on the Worcester City Council. Election, this fall.

This is the same Peter Kush, who as an employee of the City of Worcester and a political consultant, went around to local websites trashing the political wannabes who hired him to burnish their names in the community. Not trash them.

Kush has now decided that political Worcester needs him. Worcester. His hometown. His dad’s hometown. Worcester, home of the Telegram and Gazette, the daily where Peter’s father, Bronny, has worked since graduating from BU more than 30 years ago. I wonder how Pater Kush feels about the crumby comments and his son signing off as The Count, as in the Sesame Street Muppet character.

One of the people Peter Kush trashed was city councilor at large candidate Virginia Ryan. She paid Peter to help her run her campaign, get elected to office. Peter took her dough, made her his client, then dissed her big time, as The Count, of course, on local websites.

Up until a few years ago, people wondered: Who is this anonymous person who keeps shitting on all things Worcester?

Well, thanks to local dude Paul Collyer, we all found out it was Peter Kush, future Worcester City Council candidate!

Why did Paulie Collyer go on a rampage and out Kush? Because Kush spent a bit of time saying mean and untrue things about Paulie, 50. Kush called Paulie an alcoholic slum lord. Made fun of his festival. We know for a fact ol’ Paulie IS NOT A SLUM LORD. If he is an alcoholic, he is a very high functioning one.

Any ways, Paulie got sucked into reading Cow Patch and TALES FROM THE SHITTY and tales about him and comments by The Count . Rightly pissed off he went to uncovering the blogger’s identity. He discovered it was Kush, when, like all silly kids, Peter bragged about his alter ego on his Facebook page, which Paulie began reading religiously. So religiously that he copied several photos of Kush from his Facebook page. Like Peter and dad Bronny at a basketball game. Peter has got his arms around old dad. Dad looks annoyed. Just sitting there with his arms crossed. The fruit of your loins, eh, Bronny?!

Best picture Paulie pilfered? The one of Peter Kush dressed in a big bunny costume. He is sporting HUGE WHITE BUNNY EARS. It looks like he’s in some high school play, possibly Alice in Wonderland. It must have been some sort of watershed for Peter, if he posted it on his Facebook page, which of course he made private after he found out Paulie took the photo and posted it. I also got a copy of the bunny pic.

After Paulie outed Peter, the Worcester Housing Authority made Kush shut down Cow Patch. Rumor had it that he was looking for another job.

Why not, then, run for Worcester City Council?

So many folks think this city is run by clowns! Why not add a guy in a rabbit suit? A guy who deep, deep down thinks Worcester is one big COW PATCH – a pile of cow shit? A guy who can’t write under his real name but a Sesame Street character’s.

We can see Paulie Collyer having a field day with the Kush candidacy. We can see Paulie making posters of Peter Kush in his bunny suit and pasting them all over telephone poles all over the city. We can see Paulie wearing his fedora, sun glasses, his jacket collar turned up, driving through the city, incognito, posters of Peter Kush dressed as a rabbit, on the back seat of his caddy, with Ginny, Paulie’s beagle, a sweetie who would never hawm a wascally wabbit like Peter Kush!!!

I wove politics! Let the mayhem begin!

By Michael Moore, filmmaker

Wednesday, November 7th, 2012

Congratulations everyone!!

This country has truly changed, and I believe there will be no going back. Hate lost yesterday. That is amazing in and of itself. And all the women who were elected last night! A total rebuke of Neanderthal attitudes.

Now the real work begins. Millions of us – the majority – must come together to insist that President Obama and the Democrats stand up and fight for the things we sent them there to do. Mr. President, do not listen to the pundits who today call for you to “compromise.” No. You already tried that. It didn’t work. You can compromise later if you need to, but please, no more beginning by compromising. And if the Republican House doesn’t want to play ball, do a massive end run around them with one executive order after another – just like they have done and will do if given the chance again.

We have to have Obama’s back. As he is blocked and attacked by the Right, we need to be there with him. We are the majority. Let’s act like it.

And please Mr. President, make the banks and Wall Street pay. You’re the boss, not them. Lead the fight to get money out of politics – the spending on this election is shameful and dangerous. Don’t wait til 2014 to bring the troops home – bring ‘em home now. Stop the drone strikes on civilians. End the senseless war on drugs. Act like a pit bull when it comes to climate change – ignore the nuts, and fix this now. Take the profit motive out of things that any civilized country would say, “this is for the common good.” Make higher education affordable for everyone and don’t send 22-year-olds out into the world already in massive debt. Order a moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions. Enact economic policy that will create good-paying jobs and spend the money that’s needed to do that. Make your second term one for the history books.

Finally, thanks must be given to the Occupy movement who, a year ago, set the tone of this election year by getting everyone to talk about the 1% vs. 99%. It inspired Obama and his campaign to realize that there was a huge popular sentiment against what the wealthy have done to the country and there was something wrong if just 400 rich guys owned more than 160 million Americans combined (all those moochers and bums). This led to Romney’s “47%” remarks and THAT was the beginning of the end of his campaign. Thank you Mother Jones forreleasing that secret tape, and thank you to the minimum wage worker who placed a camera on the serving buffet next to the candle. This morning’s headline in the Washington Post says it all: “At Romney headquarters, the defeat of the 1 percent.” Thank you Sandra Fluke for enduring the insults hurled at you and then becoming an important grassroots leader against the war on women. Thank you Todd Akin for…well, for just being you. Thank you CEOs of Chrysler and GM for coming out forcefully against the Republican(!) candidate, saying he lived in “some parallel universe” when he lied about Jeep. Thank you Governor Christie for your new bromance with Obama. You know, you really didn’t have to!

And you, Mother Nature, with all your horrific damage, death and destruction you caused last week, you became, ironically, the undoing of a Party that didn’t believe in you or your climate changing powers.

Perhaps they’ll believe now.

Once again, thanks to all of you who brought a nonvoter to the polls. In a last minute effort to get Obama an extra million votes he wasn’t counting on, I enjoyed talking and texting with your loved ones and friends yesterday who weren’t going to vote – but then changed their minds after a little nudge and some TLC (“Damn! Michael Moore? I’m getting in to car right now to go vote.”).

To my fellow Americans, I think you’ll agree: it was nice to wake up this morning in the United States of America.

Remember what Woody Guthrie sang: “This land is your land/This land is my land!”

Exercise your franchise! We ask you to vote today for:

Barack Obama ….. President of the United States

Elizabeth Warren …. US Senator, Massachusetts

James McGovern …. US Congressman, Mass.

Mary Keefe …. State Representative, District 15

John Fresolo …. State Representative, District 16

- R.T.

By Rosalie Tirella

Elizabeth Warren

Hooray! Elizabeth Warren, US Senate hopeful, comes to Green Island this afternoon! This daughter of a janitor knows what it’s like to grow up blue collar! Cool to see her in blue collar environs … .

Please VOTE FOR WARREN tomorrow because she has the balls to take on all the big banks and financial institutions that screwed the taxpayers and created the Great Recession. We gave them billions of dollars via the bailout, and they have still not been made accountable! They can pull the same crap – create another Great Recession.

Why?

Because when Elizabeth Warren, as the president’s top consumer advocate, came up with the new national laws to protect the little guy and middle class, the Republicans in Congress BLOCKED ALL THE INITIATIVES. Put the kibosh on policies that would have helped most Americans.

Why?

Because the Republicans are beholden to all these institutions. Why?  Because these institutions finance their campaigns, give them billions of dollars. The Republicans are bought and paid for by these behemoths.  So of course, they will do their bidding.

Warren is a woman, which makes it tough. Scott Brown, an unimpressive former Franklin County selectman, does not have her brain power, passion and guts. But he is a guy. Instant validation! If you are a grrrl with ideas, you are judged by your smile, your tone of voice, your butt … everything but your brain power and ability to get the job done beautifully.

Massachusetts needs more women in public office. Very tough climate for the gals – even as one as qualified as Elizabeth Warren.

She is for equal pay for equal work (Scott Brown is not), she is pro-choice, she will help nominate Supreme Court Justices who will keep Roe v Wade the law of the land. She is for working families, small biz folks, and the environment.

Brown voted against all of the above.

To learn more about Elizabeth Warren, please visit her website. Click on the link below:

http://elizabethwarren.com/

By Michael Moore, filmmaker

To my friend who is not voting tomorrow:



I get it – and I don’t blame you. You’re fed up and you could care less whether Tweedledee or Tweedledumber wins on Tuesday – because on Wednesday, your life will be the same, unchanged, regardless who is president. Your mortgage will still be underwater. You will still owe $50,000 on your student loan. Your son will still be in Afghanistan. Your daughter will still be working two jobs to make ends meet. And gas will still be at $4.



Four years ago you gave in and voted – and you voted for Obama. You wanted to believe he would go after the Wall Street crooks who crashed the economy – but instead the banks that were “too big to fail” four years ago are now even bigger and more dangerous. You thought there’d be universal health care – but the new law only went so far (with most of it not taking effect until 2014). You were tired of war and homeland security measures that violated our civil liberties – but we’re still in Afghanistan, we’re sending in drones to Pakistan and basic constitutional rights to privacy and a fair trial have been ignored. And you thought you’d have a middle-class, good-paying job like your dad had – but you didn’t know that Goldman Sachs was Obama’s #1 private campaign donor in 2008, and well, he was beholden to corporate America in more ways we cared to think about. 



So, I get it why you’ve had it with all these politicians and elections. In the end, it doesn’t really seem to be our country any more. It’s run by those who can buy the most politicians to do their bidding. Our schools are made a low priority and women are still having to fight for just the basic human rights we thought they already had.



So, it’s hard for me to ask you for this very personal favor. It’s OK if you say “no,” but I’m hoping you don’t.



I cannot believe it is possible that, after a group of rich plutocrats wrecked the economy, threw people out of work and stole our future, we may actually hand the keys to our country over to…a rich Republican plutocrat who made millions by throwing people out of work! This is insane, and despite all the legitimate criticisms of Obama, he is nothing like the tsunami of hate and corporate thievery that will take place if Mitt Romney is president. As bad as it feels now, it will only get worse. I need your help to stop this.



I can’t promise you that your life will get better, easier under Barack Obama. I do think he cares and I know for sure that if the other guy is sitting in the Oval Office, I can guarantee you that not only will your life not get better, it will get much, much worse. Don’t take my word for it. Just ask your parents what life was like before a 30-year pillage by the Republicans of the middle class. Your parents bought a house and eventually owned it outright. They weren’t in debt. College was free. They bought a new car every 3 or 4 years. They took vacations and were home for dinner by 5 or 6 PM. They had a savings account in the bank. They didn’t live in fear of not knowing if they’d even have a job next year. 



That’s all gone. I don’t know if we can get it back, but I do know that Mr. Romney would love the chance to complete the final elimination of the middle class and the American Dream. 



He must be stopped. Take 20 minutes on Tuesday and go vote. If you don’t want to do it for your country, then do it for me! It’s the only favor I’ll ever ask of you.



Thanks for taking the time to read this. I know that you care, and care deeply, about your future and your kids’ future. You have every right to be cynical about all this. And you hold the power to stop the bastards who plan on squeezing every last dime out of you that they can. Take a stand. And make a statement to those who are hoping against hope that you’ll stay home on Tuesday. Your presence at the polls is what they fear most.



Go scare the s**t out of them! For me.

Print out and take this Massachusetts Voters’ Bill of Rights to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 6. … THIS IS THE LAW. (We have made bold some sentences.) – R. Tirella

Massachusetts Voters’ Bill of Rights

Your voting rights are protected. These rights are guaranteed to qualified registered voters.

You have the right to vote if you are a qualified registered voter.

You have the right to cast your ballot in a manner that ensures privacy. You have the right to vote without any person trying to influence your vote and to vote in a booth that prevents others from watching you mark your ballot.

You have the right to remain in the voting booth for five (5) minutes if there are other voters waiting and for ten (10) minutes if there are no other voters waiting.

You have the right to receive up to two (2) replacement ballots if you make a mistake and spoil your ballot.

You have the right to request assistance when voting from anyone of your choice. If you do not bring someone with you, you have the right to have two (2) poll workers assist you.

You have the right to vote if you are disabled. The polling place must be accessible, and there must be an accessible voting booth.

You have the right to vote if you cannot read or write or cannot read or write English.

You have the right to vote but must show identification if: you are a first-time voter who registered to vote by mail and did not submit identification with the voter registration form; or your name is on the inactive voter list; or your vote is being challenged; or if requested by a poll worker. Acceptable forms of identification are: Massachusetts driver’s license, other printed documentation containing your name and address such as a recent utility bill, rent receipt on landlord’s letterhead, lease, or a copy of a voter registration acknowledgment or receipt.

You have the right to vote by absentee ballot if: you will be absent from your city or town on Election Day; or if you have a physical disability that prevents your voting at the polling place; or if you cannot vote at the polls due to religious belief.

You have the right to cast a provisional ballot if you believe you are a qualified registered voter but a poll worker tells you that you are ineligible to vote. You have the right to follow up any challenge to your right to vote through the complaint process.

You have the right to vote if you are not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction and have registered as a voter after your release.

You have the right to take this Voters’ Bill of Rights or any other papers, including a sample ballot, voter guide or campaign material into the voting booth with you. Please remember to remove all papers when you leave the booth.

You have the right to vote at your polling place any time between 7am and 8pm for state and federal elections – hours may vary for local elections. If you are in line at your polling place when the polls close at 8 pm, you have the right to vote.

You have the right to bring your children into the voting booth with you.

If you feel that your right to vote has been violated in any way, call the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Elections Division at 1-800-462-VOTE (8683). This call is free within Massachusetts.