Tag Archives: November 8

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog

Edith parked in Rose’s space: NO ON QUESTION 2!!

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How will YOU vote on November 8???? pic:R.T.

By Edith Morgan

Maybe November 8 will be different – maybe everyone will show up to vote! (We’re electing our President, after all!) Or maybe the new early voting days will bring out enough of us to really make a difference.

Certainly the turnout on September 8 did not make me feel very hopeful, although there was some excuse for the lack of interest, in that there were unusual factors: 1) election day fell on a Thursday; 2) it was really poorly advertised by the parties: 3) there were too many wards where there was no contest; 4) I suspect a certain fatigue on the part of the voters, having been barraged with the incessant stupidities of the presidential campaign.

Still, some people who have never missed an election DID show up – even just to be counted, where they had no choices provided.

But November 8 will give us plenty to think about and to choose! As a retired educator and with a lifetime dedication to the idea of universal public education, I have watched for several decades now as the privatizers and money/power grabbers slowly made inroads into our public school systems: nationally, they cut public funding, closed many neighborhood schools and imposed a spurious testing system designed to punish the schools attended by the poorest and minority children.

Since most of the American public has for some time strongly supported their public schools, a direct frontal attack would have met with real resistance. So, there had to be the scurrilous, undercover attacks on aspects of the system that were vulnerable.

In addition to budget cuts, attacks on teachers and multiple choice tests designed to put down rather than to help the most needy, the notion of “choice” was sold as an alternative to making EVERY American school good and great. While we were promised that charter schools would introduce creative and innovative education ideas, to be then introduced to the public schools, that idea soon got lost …The rest of the story is history …

But now, with Ballot Question 2, we have a chance to at least put a halt on the draining of the life-blood of our schools.

Question 2 proposes to lift the cap on further charter school expansion in Massachusetts.

So, a NO vote will keep the cap we have now at its present level.

We have a chance to stop the erosion in its tracks – it’s the least we can do. So I urge, plead, entreat EVERY VOTER to cast a ballot and at least vote No on 2!  Even if you are totally turned off by the Presidential race, give our children a chance! Make sure that the very necessary funding our public schools depend on is not drained away any more. It’s the least any of us can do!

Green Island Grrrl, InCity Feature, InCity Letters, InCity Voices, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Konstantina Lukes for Mayor!

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By Rosalie Tirella

Tough, smart, classy, fearless. Konstantina Lukes, former mayor of Worcester, and one of 2011’s mayoral candidates, goes toe to toe with the boys in this boys town. She is not afraid to stake out her own territory – yet she will listen and evolve. (Lukes gave City Manager Mike O’Brien a perfect score during his job evaluation this year, after being a friend of former Worcester City Manager Tom Hoover and hating the way he was pushed out of his job.)

She is anti-chicken but pro-homeowner, voting for lowest residential tax rate for years and years (unlike opponent Joe Petty, who will most likely vote to raise it).

Konnie is fun – even though many people think she isn’t.

Konnie is progressive. If it weren’t for Konnie Lukes (acting as head of the Worcester School Committee, when she was Worcester mayor), the Worcester Public Schools would not have Melinda Boone, PHd, leading our schools. The first female, African American school superintendent for Worcester, Boone is the epitome of professional. She is also caring and committed to all the students in the WPSchools -white, brown, black.

Konstantina Lukes was a cool mayor last time around. People thought, when Lukes was elected mayor four years ago, that she would be a bit tough to handle. She wasn’t. She worked with everybody, treated everyone with respect, opened her office doors to all. She represented our city with grace and spirit. She attended ceremonies but she also did the day to day stuff – not very sexy but necessary.

This time around she promises to be a full-time mayor once again – unlike Petty who has a full-time job in Boston. (If you count the 45-minute commute to Boston in the a.m. and p.m., Joe Petty will be missing from Worcester for 10 or so hours a day, courtesy of his Boston job. That’s pretty much daylight hours!)

And unlike th e T & G, we do not think Petty is “well-spoken.” We actually think he is inarticulate – watch the City Council meetings and you’ll see for yorself. Konstantin Lukes is well spoken! She can speak passionately and eloquently about anything – using complex, compound sentences! (something Joe Petty has yet to master!)

And finally, to all you gals out there, when a woman wins, we all win. When a lady like Konnie – a lady who is no handmaiden, a lady who is strong and strong-willed – wins elections – without have to be goofy, whorey, kiss-upy, when a lady wins political office being exactly who she is, that is a WIN for all of us strong-willed ladies. You know, the ladies who color outside the lines sometimes. The ladies with dreams. The ladies who don’t define themselves through men.

When a woman like Konstantina Lukes wins, all women of all shapes and colors and personal preferences win. In the work place, in society, even in our own families.

Vote for Konstantina Lukes for Mayor Tuesday, November 8.

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Tracy O’Connell Novick and Stephen S. Buchalter: misleading the voters

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By Rosalie Tirella

At the candidate forum at Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church, held a few days ago, in Worcester’s innercity – 55 Illinois St. – two candidates blatantly lied to the voters.

School committee incumbent Tracy O’Connell Novick has made it her mantra to not renew the contract of Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Melinda Boone. Her criticism of Dr. Boone at school committee meeetings has bordered on racism. At the black church, where Novick (along with two other school committee incumbents Brian O’Connell and Dianna Biancheria) was specifically asked about her feelings about Dr. Boone.

From the T and G: “The first issue Mr. Perry raised was the future of School Superintendent Melinda J. Boone, whose initial three-year contract expires next year. Specifically, he addressed the issue to School Committee incumbents Dianna L. Biancheria, Brian A. O’Connell and Tracy O’Connell Novick … Mr. O’Connell said he would favor giving Ms. Boone a two-year contract extension, while Ms. Novick and Ms. Biancheria said the matter was an ongoing issue in School Committee executive session and not a public matter at this point.”

How insulting! Ol’ Dianna and Tracy have been nothing but threatening to NOT renew Dr. Boone’s contract – at school comittee meetings, at other candidate forums, etc. But they blatantly lied to the people at this inner-city black church – mostly minority folks.

Then the T & G reported that city council candidate Stephen S. Buchalter spoke in favor of LOWERING homeowners tax bills when he has gone on public record saying he will DEFINITELY NOTE VOTE FOR THE LOWEST RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE.

Stephen was lying to the people at this inner-ctiy forum too – the last folks who want their property taxes raised.

This is why people hate politicians.

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Mayoral candidate Joe Petty’s campaign strategy?

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By Rosalie Tirella

So this is it? Mayoral candidate Joseph (Joe) Petty’s strategy to keep Worcester’s mayoral seat in the mitt’s of the Rushton/Murray brigade?

A reliable source said political operative – and alleged pedophile – Paul Girgio could be seen racing around after Joe Petty at a public event. Hot on Joe’s heels Paul was! Well, well, so Joe Petty – the guy who says he’s got integrity – is taking advice from Giorgio, a guy who was taken to court by a man who said he was sexually assaulted by Giorgio as a kid. So Joe is listening to Paul Giorgio – a guy who was taken to court yet again for voting in the East Side of the city when he lived on the West Side of the city – just to keep his mitts in the Italian/political side of the city. A federal offense.

Thank God Joe Petty has hooked up with Paul Girorgio!

I wonder if it was Giorgio who gave Petty the “wise” advice to mail out election push cards to people like my mom – campaign “literature” that listed Joe Petty’s accomplishments (zero) like being pro-education and pro-neighborhoods. I don’t know a Worcester city councilor who is ANTI these issues. The truth is after watching Worcester City Council meetings for years, I have never ever ever heard/seen Petty get up and get passionate about Worcester neighborhoods or education. Mostly he just sat in his seat and stayed quiet. Voted for these issues but certainly never led on them.

Which, to me, signals: STAY A CITY COUNCILOR, JOE! You are an OK councilor but you don’t have the vision or leadership skills to Worcester’s mayor.

But Petty’s mailing (in which his lackluster city council record was burnished into a shiny piece of BS) revealed something more insidious: Petty was focusing on subtext when he “wrote” in his mailing that he would not be “polarizing,” would work with everybody, blah, blah, blah.

What Petty was really saying: his opponent was the above. Which Konnie Lukes, when she was mayor, proved NOT TO BE. She was NOT polarizing and she got along well with her peers on the council. She led a great council meeting – business got done in a timely, productive way – and in an atmosphere where everybody respected everybody else.

But let’s go to last night’s meeting. Lo and behold! City Councilor “pinhead” Ric Rushton had to roll out a birthday cake for Konnie last night – just to be ageist. Just to be an asshole.

Konnie should have thrown it into his dopey puss.

Really, do we want this crew back in the saddle again?