It baffles me…

By frank | Published: April 17, 2009

I read about Obama’s decision to forego prosecution of any CIA or other personnel who may have engaged in illegal torture while the Bush administration was in power. My first inclination was disappointment as I am one American who is ashamed our country ignored the Geneva Convention’s prohibition of torture.

Torture endangers our own forces and often results in subjects taking responsibility for anything just to make it end. Osama’s number two man Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, took credit for everything from 9-11 to the shoe bomber as if that wacked out scheme required planning. I heard Faux News reported that he also took credit for the sinking of the Lusitania.

I guess Obama’s logic on this decision makes some sense as intelligence personnel can’t do their job if they have to worry about following orders leading to criminal prosecution. With America’s injustice system some low echelon victim would be the only one convicted anyway. Abu Grahib resulted in Lyndie Graham and a few other low ranking personnel taking the rap for that. We’re supposed to believe that Rumsfeld and Bush knew nothing of what was going on. Plausible deniability I think they call it. While I support President Obama’s policy regarding those doing their job I see no reason why we can’t prosecute the likes of Bush, Cheney and Gonzalez for their crimes.

On a more local note who is it that is orchestrating this bring back town meeting clamor in Sound Off? I have heard people who didn’t even vote in favor of the change say they think it is working well. Me thinks someone has lost their influence and would like to get it back. Back the wrong horse did ya?

I have my suspicions that there is only one caller doing all the work. All of the calls are lucid and intelligent, that is a rare thing for Sound Off. This campaign is focused and persistent keeping with themes and arguments that sell well even if they don’t hold water. This is being directed by someone who is politically savvy. Town Meeting accomplished little and anyone who suggests that room full of town employees had a better handle on our budget is suffering from mad cow. It was amusing but offered little else of value. What we probably have here is some retired teacher with too much time on her hands and no more committees to chair.

And another thing; our empty headed political leaders are planning that will only result in more jobs for hacks. How many bureaucrats will it take to police the casinos that  they are touting as the answer to our economic problems. Well I guess we need jobs for some of those toll collectors they seem to be getting ill working in those stuffy booths. I have heard reports that Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are like ghost towns. How many casinos do these nitwits think can be supported? The problem with our economy is too many ill planned fast cash schemes rather than solid sustainable economic development. People don’t have enough problems now the government is pushing the gambling disease that destroyed Wall St. as the way out.

Frank

Posted in Commentary, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Braintree’s Beautification

By frank | Published: March 29, 2009

Our Mayor promised during his campaign to beautify the town by keeping on top of litter removal, planting trees, emptying roadside trash cans and generally sprucing up public properties in town.Initiatives to obtain grants to spruce up Town Hall and it’s grounds have led to big improvements. The supermarket doors we had never bothered me but, the new entrance doors really dress up the facade. Betterment of the two town squares are an attractive change. Many businesses and civic organizations have committed to maintaining traffic islands around town. We are looking more like a upscale community every day and we should.

In spite of the good news we are not without a few particular areas that are in need of attention. The Union St. rotary has more unsightly litter than the Cross Bronks Expressway The state highway department really needs to clean that up. Fred Foley’s Marks a Lot sponsored island is being sullied by the unkempt areas around it. While they’re at it the state should clean the highway where it runs parallel to , just below and beyond the Elm St. overpass. Between the road and a fence beside it is a ten foot gully that has been collecting trash for years. You can’t see it from the highway but it’s a real eyesore for the abutters. Along route 3 there isn’t a spot that isn’t trashed along the whole stretch just out of site of passing traffic. Here’s a gallery of some of the more disheveled spots. You can’t beat a full screen view to get a real flavor of the situation.

Being at a commuter crossroads has its advantages, becoming the litter bag for everyone passing through is unacceptable. It wouldn’t be right for our town to have to pay for cleaning up other peoples discards. And while we appreciate the sheriff’s efforts to clear the roadside of litter someone has to make a concerted effort to finish the job. Being that the state owns the property and the highway which is the source of the litter maybe they should take some of that stimulus money and hire a crew or two for a comprehensive clean up.

Soon we will follow up this story with a review of conditions of some of the commercial properties in town.

Posted in Civic Initiatives | Leave a comment

Wasting away in Margaritaville

By admin | Published: March 8, 2009

Was it not just a year or so ago that we had an incident involving high school athletes and a police raid on an underage drinking party. The insuing fiasco led to rumors and innuendo and trouble enough to go around. One young police officer was subject to suspension another stepped down after a long yet troubled career.
Braintree like many communities expends significant resources to instill in our young a stern warning of the dangers of alcohol and drugs. In fact the High School is having a program on the 24th to inform young people of the dangers of drinking and driving.

One would expect parent teacher organizations would be amoung the most vociferous supporters of programs aimed at discouraging underage drinking. In fact our police and school administrators meet regularly to share information about students involved in illegal drug and alcohol use and other dangerous behavior. Is it unreasonable to expect the parents to show some discretion when imbibing themselves?

Apparently I am out of touch. Has anyone missed the signs around town or the promotional spots on cable tv by the all town PTO organization that calls itself The Braintree Fund for Education? A fundraiser themed as a tribute to Jimmy Buffett is to be held Friday the 20th at Florian Hall in Dorchester.

Don’t get me wrong I think Mr. Buffett is a fine entertainer but, a tribute? To him? To raise money for our children’s education? I don’t get it. What is this about?

Really I can’t imagine it being clearer. Wasn’t it one our town council members who encouraged people to attend and “don’t forget your flip flops and Hawiian shirts”. Sounds like a night for true “Parrotheads” as Buffett fans are called. They are known for being party animals. Parrotheads are best known for getting on a good buzz at Jimmie’s concerts.

I appreciate the desire to raise as much money as possible but, isn’t it sort of selling your soul to the devil by having a fundraiser for education by staging a drunkfest? I’m willing to bet that a few of our young folks are planning a Buffett tribute of their own at some secluded place in town while mom and dad are out enjoying themselves. Mom may get the opportunity to bail out both father and son on Saturday morning. Dad charged with a DUI and Sonny tagged with a minor in possession charge.

I sent a message to the email contact noted in ads for this festive event to ask if any conversation regarding the appropriateness of the theme came up during the planning process. It’s been more than a week with no response.

I’d be interested in the opinions of others, feel free to register and post. If you only want to tell me what a jerk I am etc. you can use my personal email for that so not to bore others. frank@frankreport.net

Frank

Posted in Commentary, Our Economy, Schools | 1 Comment

Barney, we thought we knew ye…

By admin | Published: February 11, 2009

Congressmen Hear from TARP Recipients Who Funded Their Campaigns
Published by Lindsay Renick Mayer on February 10, 2009 9:18 PM ( Posted on OpenSecrets.org a site that reports on campaign contributions and the compromising of our elected officials.)

The eight CEOs testifying Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee about how their companies are using billions of dollars in bailout funds may find that the hot seat is merely lukewarm. Nearly every member of the committee received contributions associated with these financial institutions during the 2008 election cycle, for a total of $1.8 million. And 18 of the lawmakers have their own personal funds invested in the companies.

The House Financial Services Committee is chaired by none other than a local fella by the name of Barney Frank. You remember him, the progressive champion of the little guy.  It appears that these days Barney is torn between the folks at home and his new friends in the banking industry. You see,  since the rise of Bill Clinton and the Democratic Leadership Council Democrats have learned how to suck up to the special interest, no not the homos and the unions and Jesse Jackson, the REAL special interests, their sponsors in finance and industry. In spite of what Rush Limbaugh tells you it isn’t the teachers and public employees unions that are the evil “special interest”. The truly special interest are the folks who pick up the tab for political campaigns, junketsand seminars for our elected officials.   As Molly Ivins used to say “Ya gotta dance with them that brung ya.”

Here from that same Open Secrets post is another paragraph referencing good ole Barney:

The eight financial institutions at Wednesday’s hearing have given $63,250 to the chairman of the committee, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), and JPMorgan has given him more money than any other company, union or organization since 1989. The House Financial Services Committee has jurisdiction over the housing and financial sectors.

We are in deep trouble when a progressive like Barney Frank has been compromised by his need not to offend contributors to his campaign. What else can we assume when Barney drags his feet when called on to conduct hearings into the looting of the treasury  in the first round of “bailout bonanza 2008″. 350 billion in hard earned public tax dollars turned over to the same stooges that created the mess were in. No strings attached and no account of to whom and for what purposes the loot was allocated.

It seems that some of the newcomers on the committee have been pressuring Barney to schedule a hearing with the Wall St.  Eight. Maybe look into who got what and what have they done with 350 billion in taxpayer funds. In an earlier hearing the Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve didn’t want to name names out of fear of reducing peoples confidence in these institutions. I sure am glad were supporting the free market and not supporting any socialist  programs to benefit freeloaders who lost their jobs or homes in this downturn. I don’t want to reward someone who bought a house they can’t afford or were collecting a weekly paycheck draining the life out of some poor unfortunate multinational that was just trying to scrape up a profit. Record profits for the oil industry when Americans can’t afford the gas to fuel the cars they can’t buy, why thats the American way. Just because the bankers are financial experts and have a fiduciary responsibility to avoid high risk investments it’s not their fault market forces demanded they sell and package worthless mortgages. It’s getting so you can’t tell Wall St. from the Vegas strip.  Let’s have the working stiffs live by the whims of the marketplace and save the socialist bailouts for the corporate class. After all, they’ve shown they know what to do with the money… hide it before someone comes looking for it.

I’m beginning to confuse myself with this rant any more and my head might explode. Back to Barney and the boys. I encourage you to watch the following video offered by the American News Project freely distributable in the interest of public education.

[media id=1]Where are  the bankers, Barney?

I’d like to give that snotty congresswoman Judy Biggart from Illinois a good talking to interrupting Chairman Barney like that. Figures shes a republican,  she must be trying to fool us by acting like she cares about where our money goes. If that was important I’m sure Barney will get to the bottom of it. At least I think he would. If it were ten years ago he  would have. Just because he gets a good chunk of his campaign contributions from the financial industry wouldn’t deter him, no not Barney.  Just because he was the top recipient of funds from Mortgage Brokers doesn’t mean he’s put them before his local constituents. No way.

Well all’s well that ends well. It only took six weeks, we will have our hearing Wednesday, I hope it’s on CSPAN. You can be sure you’ll find it here at the frankreport.

Here is another short video about the bailout from American News Project with another snotty rookie congressman thinking he can ask the Fed Vice Chair a direct question.[media id=2]Where’s the loot?

Posted in Our Economy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Joe Driscoll, a cop’s best friend?

By admin | Published: February 10, 2009

Maybe so but, that don’t necessarily make him a bad person.

When I first saw the headline that our valiant rep had filed a bill to require police officers on detail at utility roadwork sites I thought maybe he lost his mind.  It takes someone secure in his position to take what would be sure to draw the attention of the “all politicians are crooked crowd”.  Surely this is no time to undo the Governor’s cost saving scheme to replace cops with flagmen on our roadways. Cheaper is better right?

Yet, a closer look and consideration of some of the arguments offered by Joe should make one think. I don’t mean people who listen to Howie Carr will think. I’m talking about people with more than a sixth grade education. Massachusetts is one of the last if not the last state to replace details with flagmen and on the surface it makes fiscal sense. I have always been inclined to think  that regardless of the cost that a cop is a safer choice.  I don’t say that just to suck up to our men (and women in blue) thats just a side benefit for me. I’ve been through Maine and seen kids barely out of high school holding the stop and go signs on major roadways and find that disconcerting.

Joe’s assertion that people naturally slow down when approaching a job site is well taken. I do most of the time. Except for maybe that one time when rounding a corner on West St. and came upon one of Braintree’s finest standing in the middle of the lane motioning to me to slow it down. A little faster and I might have run him over. He didn’t look to happy. Coincidentally just a few days later he was coming down Liberty St. from the opposite direction and swung around me to pull me over and inform me I was going a little fast and should be more careful around town. He made his point and let me off with a warning, my driving history isn’t that bad and fortunately for me he was in good spirits. But , I digress.

I know police are sometimes chatting it up with workers on site or even talking on the cell phone while doing a detail.  In spite of this I still prefer a cop. The difference in cost is around 5 bucks according to Joe and I can buy that seeing a laborer gets over 30 dollars in wages and benefits for such work and the police, while well paid are collecting a straight hourly rate without the fringes. Joe’s argument that this puts cops on the street at a lower cost is a strong one considering our tenuous fiscal condition. Mayor Sullivan will be announcing budget cuts on Friday which are sure to include reduced funding for public safety. Chief Fraser has already informed the public that he is redeploying officers to cover regular patrols in anticipation of reduced revenue . Cuts will only deepen in the next fiscal year just a few short months away. Any plan to increase coverage at a minimal cost is well considered. It seems as the economy goes down crime goes up. Armed robberies at Dunk’s, by women no less… what’s up with that?

Long story short, I’m sure Joe doesn’t mind being on the right side 0f the lawmen. His arguments in favor of his proposal are thoughtful and persuasive. Sometimes you can serve the public and special interest at the same time. Joe Driscoll has shown courage in the past taking unpopular positions after input from his constitients and careful consideration. I know of occasions when he has struggled with a difficult issue and taken an unpopular position on a rather controversial issue.  I’ve been impressed with his commitment to serving our town well. I’m sure the naysayers will throw thier stones but I for one wholeheartedly support this initiative.

Frank

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