MASSterList: Dudley retreat? | The Paul LePage Show | Trashing the T

Subscribe  Archives By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 08/30/2016 Dudley retreat? | The Paul LePage Show | Trashing the T

Happening Today Baker at Tri-Town Chamber Gov. Baker attends the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce Breakfast at the Deutsche Bank Championship with Reps. Jay Barrows and Elizabeth Poirier, TPC Boston, 400 Arnold Palmer Boulevard, Norton, 8:30 a.m. Experimental plaza Boston Transportation Department creates an experimental plaza from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Franklin and Arch streets in Downtown Crossing, with city workers temporarily widening sidewalks using planters and fencing and filling the space with tables and chairs, Franklin and Arch streets. Lottery Commission Treasurer Deborah Goldberg chairs the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission meeting, One Ashburton Place - 12th Floor, Robert Crane Conference Room, Boston, 10:30 a.m. Healey at Gillette Attorney General Maura Healey attends the New England Patriots Foundation premiere event, Gillette Stadium, 1 Patriot Pl., Foxborough, 6 p.m.

Today's News Dudley waives right to buy would-be Muslim cemetery land A day after the town of Dudley was subject of a big New York Times piece on its controversial opposition to a Muslim cemetery, town selectmen yesterday decided not to exercise the community’s right to buy the 55 acres of farmland where the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester wanted to build a cemetery, Debbie LaPlaca of the Telegram reports. In their fifth meeting over the land’s status, the board was told that no town agencies expressed interest in the land and that no clear reason existed for the town to purchase the property. How this all impacts the proposed cemetery is unclear. The story doesn’t directly address the issue. But it definitely seems as though it’s to the Islamic Society’s advantage, if only from a legal standpoint. Re the NYT piece: Dudley isn’t the only community battling new Islamic cemeteries. “From Minnesota to Texas — and even last week in Georgia — such proposals have been met with swells of opposition, similar to disputes over new mosques or schools, raising the specter of exclusion even for the dead.” Telegram The Paul LePage Show The Paul LePage Show came to Boston yesterday – and the Maine governor certainly didn’t disappoint. In town for a conference with other New England governors and Canadian premiers, LePage et gang were supposed to be talking about energy policy and other weighty issues of importance to the region – and they did talk about those items. But the Republican governor ultimately, inevitably, stole the show yesterday, doubling down on his earlier remarks that black and Hispanic people “from Lowell and Lawrence” are partly responsible for the heroin and fentanyl in his state, prompting one Lawrence official to call for a Maine boycott until LePage apologizes, the Herald’s Matt Stout and Lindsay Kalter report. LePage didn’t just double down, he double doubled-down, sort of like a double-dog-dare you. “What I said was this: Meth lab arrests are white. They’re Mainers. The heroin-fentanyl arrests are not white people. They’re Hispanic and they’re black and they’re from Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts; Waterbury, Connecticut; the Bronx and Brooklyn,” LePage told the State House News Service’s Matt Murphy. “I didn’t make up the rules. That’s how it turns out. But that’s a fact. It’s a fact. What do you want, me to lie?” Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy was none too happy about the remarks, while Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker was sent tap dancing with a “more muted response” that didn’t address the charges against Lowell and Lawrence, reports Murphy. Meanwhile, the Globe’s Jim O’Sullivanlooks at the contrasting style of Baker and LePage. And if you haven’t seen it yet, you gotta check out Adrian Walker’s brutal takedown of LePage yesterday, before his latest command performance. Foreclosures finally start to ease in Massachusetts Here’s some good news: After 28 straight months of relentless increases in foreclosure filings in Massachusetts, foreclosure petitions actually dipped by 1.1 percent last month compared with July 2015, according to the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman. “While a 1 percent drop in this case equates to a difference of 12 petitions – which is well within the margin of error – it’s still an encouraging sign that foreclosures are still stabilizing in the state,” said Tim Warren, chief executive of the Warren Group. It seems almost unbelievable that the real estate market – at least in the non-tony parts of Massachusetts – has taken this long to heal from last decade’s housing market debacle. The Warren Group Meanwhile, foreign buyers sure love those condos at Millennium Towers As noted, many parts of the state are still slowly recovering from last decade’s housing market crash, but other areas are red hot. Buyers from Asia, Greece and the Middle East are among those snapping up luxury units in the new Millennium Tower in Downtown Crossing, part of a larger trend of foreign investment in certain parts of the Boston real estate market, Tim Logan of the Globe reports. Most foreign buyers are making the purchases as investments, with some planning to rent out the apartments. One recent Chinese immigrant purchased at least 16 units at the tower, paying a total of $15.6 million, all in cash. Boston Globe

‘Tale of Two Chambers’   The Associated Industries of Massachusetts has arrived at a not-so-shocking conclusion after grading lawmakers on their performance over the past two years: The state Senate is more liberal than the House, reports SHNS’s Andy Metzger at Commonwealth magazine. "While the House of Representatives and Speaker Robert DeLeo successfully forged consensus on important measures such as wage equity and energy, the Senate hewed to a more progressive, ideological approach that produced a steady stream of bills with the potential to harm the Massachusetts economy," the business-backed AIM wrote in a scorecard released yesterday. Of course, some might go as far as calling the House “conservative,” but only in Massachusetts would the House be considered conservative. It’s more a case of one Democratic-controlled chamber being “moderate progressive” and the other Democratic-run chamber being “progressive.” Just pointing this out before the Bernie Sanders types start targeting “conservative” Dem lawmakers. CommonWealth

City councilors to Baker: Stop trashing the T   Boston city councilors Michelle Wu and Josh Zakim pen a joint op-ed this morning in the Globe in defense of contract janitors at the T who fear possible layoffs – and the two take direct aim at Gov. Charlie Baker. “Once again, the Baker administration is heading in the wrong direction on public transportation. We understand the longstanding budgetary challenges plaguing the MBTA, but these challenges should not be resolved by shortchanging our lowest-paid employees, their families, and the millions of riders who depend on a clean and sanitary transit system — especially when sanitation is a marginal but essential expense for a $2 billion agency.” Boston Globe

Not all local VCs are saying ‘F*ck Trump,’ but many are indeed backing Clinton   Cambridge-born venture firm CRV has made its views on the presidential race unmistakably clear with its prominent “F*ck Trump” campaign of late. Other local venture capitalists are approaching the race in distinctly more subdued way. But their political sentiments are still roughly in line with CRV’s view: They’re mostly backing Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, reports the BBJ’s Sara Castellanos. Executives at Sigma Ventures, Converge Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, Battery Ventures and Flybridge Capital Partners have all donated money to Clinton, according the a BBJ slide show that accompanies Castellanos’ piece. BBJ

Has Trump given up on New Hampshire – or is his campaign just incompetent?   The Globe’s Tracy Jan has a good piece this morning that asks the right question: Why isn’t Donald Trump advertising more in New Hampshire, considered a key swing state for the Republican presidential nominee? Granted, he’s had trouble raising money. And, granted, he recently did announce he’s launching a $10 million ad campaign in nine swing states across the country, including New Hampshire. But Trump’s Granite State strategy is still baffling. Ferus Cullen, former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Part and who doesn’t support Trump, thinks he has an answer: “His lack of advertising is more a manifestation of a lack of overall strategy than a deliberate choice. ... There are state Senate campaigns in New Hampshire with more sophistication than the Trump for president campaign. The fact (Trump) won our primary is the political equivalent of the rooster taking credit for the sun rising.” Boston Globe Key Lime Pie Marijuana, anyone?   Based on what’s happening in Colorado, Massachusetts better be prepared to draft a lot of new regulations down the road if voters approve the November ballot question that would legalize marijuana here, particularly rules over future food products and other edibles laced with marijuana, reports MassLive’s Shira Schoenberg. In Colorado, where marijuana is already legal, one bakery owner says there are 69 pages of regulations governing the use of marijuana in her industry, which is already producing butter shortbread, oatmeal raisin cookies and other edibles infused with marijuana. Out of pure curiosity, MASSterList wondered if the crazy types out west were even infusing marijuana into one of our all-time favorite deserts: Key Lime Pie. We didn’t see any such products. But we did learn that there’s an actual marijuana strain called “Key Lime Pie,” not to be confused with the “ever-popular Girl Scout Cookie strain,” according to AllBud.com. MassLive     FBI: Holliston man talked of targeting Obama and mosques for attacks   A 40-year-old Holliston man was held by Federal authorities after a raid at his Holliston home found a stockpile of weapons, Bill Shaner of the MetroWest Daily News reports. Numerous assault weapons, ammunition and ingredients for homemade bombs were taken from the home of Joseph Garguilo, who is being held on charges of being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. But more charges could be coming, as authorities say Garguilo spoke about various attacks, including burning a mosque after chaining the doors shut and shooting homeland security officers and even targeting President Obama during his recent Martha’s Vineyard vacation. MetroWest Daily News     Faster trains are coming, slowly   A $2.45 billion loan from the U.S. government will enable Amtrak to install faster trains in the Northeast Corridor starting in 2021, Gintautus Dumcius of MassLive reports. Amtrak says the Acela service improvements will also include larger passenger cars, improved wireless internet service and “enhanced” food options. MassLive Today's Headlines   Metro   Duck boat driver fined $100 after Storrow Drive crash - Boston Globe Malden cuts school buses in effort to save money - Boston Globe GE joins MIT energy initiative, donates $7.5 million - Boston Globe Utilities jolted by Boston boom - Boston Herald BPS closings on the way? - Boston Herald One state authority wants to sue another over Boston Harbor electrical cable - Universal Hub   Massachusetts   Lawrence, Lowell officials condemn Maine Gov. LePage’s comments on race and drugs - MassLive Amtrak getting new, faster trains for the Northeast corridor in 2021 - MassLive Baker still wants natural gas pipeline - CommonWealth Magazine Worcester Urban Renewal plan moves ahead - Telegram & Gazette ExxonMobil calls Healey’s actions ‘indefensible, partisan and unconstitutional’ - New Boston Post Dudley waives right to buy land sought for Muslim cemetery - Telegram & Gazette Hanover hopes state court ruling leads to rezoning - Patriot Ledger Libertarians organize Cape chapter - Cape Cod Times Amtrak to make high-speed Acela service speedier - Boston Business Journal   Nation   Clinton studies how best to ruffle Trump face-to-face - Washington Post Russian hackers said to have targeted Arizona voting system - Washington Post McCain braces for squeaker in today’s primary - Politico FAA expects 600,000 commercial drones in the air within a year - WGBH

State Rep. Stephen 'Stat' Smith guilty of voter fraud

Both versions of the pathetic tale of Rep. Stephen 'Stat' Smith are below --

Mass. lawmaker will plead guilty to voter fraud
12/20/2012

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

A Democratic state representative from Everett who served on an election law committee is resigning his seat and will plead guilty to voter fraud charges in federal court in Boston, authorities said Thursday.

Representative Stephen “Stat” Smith, 57, faces up to two years in prison, and prosecutors will recommend a 6-month sentence, according to his plea agreement. Smith has also agreed to vacate his seat, effective Jan. 1, and not seek elective office for five years from the date of his sentencing. A plea date has not been set.

Smith did not return messages seeking comment Thursday.

One of his lawyers, Peter C. Horstmann, declined to discuss the case, but said in an e-mail, “Please remember, these are misdemeanors.”

According to prosecutors, Smith, first elected to the Legislature in 2006, submitted fraudulent absentee ballots to support his bids for public office in 2009 and 2010.

He has also served on the Everett Board of Alderman and School Committee.

Smith obtained absentee ballots for ineligible voters, who would unlawfully cast them, or he cast himself, prosecutors said. In some cases, he obtained absentee ballots for registered voters who did not know that he was voting in their names.

Prosecutors wrote in a filing that in those cases, “one or more government officials” helped Smith intercept absentee ballots before they reached unknowing voters.

Court records do not identify those officials, or say how many fraudulent ballots were cast. A spokeswoman for US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz declined to comment beyond the records.

Globe columnist Kevin Cullen raised questions about Smith in September 2010. Cullen reported at the time that in a recent primary election, six absentee ballots were mailed from Smith’s home, even though he was in Everett that day, and more than a dozen were mailed from a hostel that he owned.
Smith told Cullen he voted by absentee ballot because he thought he might have had trouble getting to the polls.

“I had intended to spend the whole day on my knees in Immaculate Conception Church, praying for victory, but after kneeling for 10 minutes I realized I couldn’t do it,” Smith said.

In a brief statement on Thursday, Massachusetts House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, a fellow Democrat, called the charges against Smith disappointing.

“Massachusetts voters have the expectation and right to vote in fair, free and open elections,” DeLeo said.

House Minority Leader Bradley Jones was less restrained.

“Good riddance,” said the North Reading Republican. “He disgraced his city and the institution he served in, and the whole institution of democracy.”

In a statement, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. said:

“While we have no indication that these violations extend beyond those instances involving Representative Smith, the residents of the City of Everett can rest assured that any voter fraud uncovered by this investigation will be dealt with decisively by this administration.”

http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/12/20/mass-lawmaker-will-plead-guilty-voter-fraud/g9cBs3OJdeGsaSa9EmUiRI/story.html

Pol mum on voter fraud plea deal

December 21, 2012

 

By

Gary J. Remal

 

State Rep. Stephen “Stat” Smith wasn’t talking after the U.S. attorney announced yesterday that Smith has agreed to plead guilty to voter fraud charges stemming from an absentee ballot scheme in 2009 and 2010 and to resign from the Legislature.

“I don’t have any comment on that at this moment,” the Everett Democrat said yesterday.

Smith, 57, representing Everett and part of Malden since 2007, has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said.

The agreement calls for him to resign by Jan. 1 and not to seek office again for five years.

“Over the last two years, the FBI methodically uncovered a voter fraud scheme designed to strip Massachusetts voters of their right to a fair election,” said the FBI’s Richard DesLauriers. “Rep. Smith, who was a member of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Election Laws, embarked on a scheme that he knew violated the ideals of our nation.”

Ortiz said Smith committed infractions “in multiple elections in 2009 and 2010.”

Prosecutors said Smith filed absentee ballots from voters who were “ineligible or otherwise unaware of ballots being cast in their names” in his races.

Reached by email, Smith’s lawyer, Boston attorney Peter Horstmann, said: “I am not going to comment on the charges except to point out that they are misdemeanors.”

Ortiz said other government officials assisted Smith in intercepting absentee ballots.

“Any voter fraud uncovered by this investigation will be dealt with decisively by this administration,” said Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr.

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2012/12/pol_mum_voter_fraud_plea_deal

PAYT saves municipal dollars

Responsible fiscal management includes making necessary changes wherever possible as this article highlights. With little effort, that's a pretty impressive savings.

The program so far has saved the city upwards of $1 million in disposal fees, and has increased recycling four-fold since the program was implemented,

PAYT reduced per-household trash costs in Malden by $41.93, and saved the city about $800,000 in disposal fees, based on figures from the first five months of the program’s implementation.


Malden officials on pay-as-you throw panel reignites old fight
By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent


As a handful of city officials are expected to praise pay-as-you-throw trash disposal at a panel discussion for waste industry professionals later this month, a group of Malden taxpayers have continued to fight the measure, which they say was implemented at the 11th hour and without the necessary citizen input.

Robert Miller, founder of Malden Taxpayers for Accountability, a nonprofit watchdog group that attempted unsuccessfully to repeal the trash program with a November 2009 ballot question, said the program amounts to an end-run around a long-standing state law against raising property taxes.

“We’re not against recycling, what we’re against is the way it was implemented,” said Miller in a telephone interview. “And a lot of my people still believe it’s an override of proposition 2 ½.”


"We put in place a program that is recommended by the DEP and EPA," said Mayor Richard Howard, of the continuing criticism of the PAYT program. The program so far has saved the city upwards of $1 million in disposal fees, and has increased recycling four-fold since the program was implemented, he said.

"As for the legitimacy, they can argue that same point in the 200-some other communities where they have similar programs. I think that argument falls on deaf ears, to some degree," Howard said.

Judi Bucci, city councilor for Ward 8, said she agrees that how the program was first implemented could have been better, but those criticisms are in the past.

“I think that clearly we have heard the message from the public that the way in which the program came to fruition as policy was not done as transparent as folks would have liked to have seen it,” Bucci said in telephone interview. “That was three years ago. I think we all need to move on from it. And I think all of the work we have been doing since then, all of the budget deliberations, have been in adherence with what the taxpayers have said they want to see.”

Pay-as-you-throw charges Malden residents $20 or $10 for official city bags to dispose of household waste. Under the program, recycling is free and is encouraged. According to a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency bulletin, PAYT reduced per-household trash costs in Malden by $41.93, and saved the city about $800,000 in disposal fees, based on figures from the first five months of the program’s implementation. Those savings have since increased, according to Howard.

Scheduled to speak at the conference Aug. 15-17 in Boston are Charlie Toomajian, special assistant to the mayor; Deborah Burke, Malden project director; Jeff Manship, Malden Director of Public Works; and Bob Knox, Malden compliance supervisor.

The panel discussion is part of the Solid Waste Association of North America’s annual convention

Toomajian, Burke, Manship, and Knox were not available for comment.

A representative for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said that PAYT is an effective way for communities to significantly reduce their recycling costs statewide.

“In these tight fiscal times, any costs saved at landfills or waste disposal plants can really help community budgets,” said Joe Ferson, spokesman for the Massachusetts DEP. “The department supports and [PAYT has] shown to improve our recycling by 15 to 25 percent, and decreased the amount of solid waste disposal by about 25 to 40 percent.”

Also scheduled to speak at the convention is Mark Dancy, president and CEO of Waste Zero, a South Carolina company contracted by Malden through the state to produce and stock the official bags. Dancy said that initial resistance to PAYT can be sizable, but residents often eventually see the long-term benefits.

“It takes a while for people to come around to understand that if each individual person is more responsible, it helps reduce cost,” Dancy said.