No Thanks for the memories, Uncle Bob

In a stunning development, at 4:56 PM today, Thursday, July 25th, Robert A. Maiocco, the controversial Medford City Council president didn't  pull papers to run for another term.

Is this start of a sea change in Medford Politics?  

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At 5:04 PM on July 25, 2012 I sent this Patch article out to other media.  It took the weekly paper 17 hours before it ran a puff piece on the thirty-year Council President with an absurd line like this: "Maiocco said he didn’t tell a soul about the decision, not his City Council colleagues, his closest friends and advisors — not even his wife, Cheryl. "  Which is utter nonsense as I was tipped off about Maiocco not running a full month ago.  This writer just kept watching the Registrars of Voters office to confirm what multiple sources were buzzing about.   
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Cheryl Maiocco is listed on the City website as a Special Education contact at the Brooks Elementary school
http://www.medfordpublicschools.org/departments-programs/special-education-pupil-services/staff/The significance of this means that the City Council President's wife works for the school system and, well, who is the chairman of the school committee?  None other than Michael J. McGlynn, the Mayor
http://www.medfordpublicschools.org/about/central-administration/school-committee/

So if McGlynn wants the Council President to keep the other six councilors in line, well, it just doesn't seem objective to have the wife of the council president working under the auspices of the Mayor when the City Council is supposed to have some kind of checks and balances in place.* * * * *
The problem with Medford politics is that the inbreeding and nepotism has become so commonplace that few pay any attention to it.  But it is so pervasive that you can cut it with a knife; it's just a thick, thick fog that has kept this city from moving forward.  The press - especially the weekly and the daily print papers - are more than happy to accept whatever monies for advertising from possibly one of their biggest advertisers, Medford City Hall, in exchange for being deaf, dumb and blind to the reality that without an objective and vigorous Fourth Estate the powers that be have had a free ride.
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Which brings us to the public access TV station.  Without an objective print media in our city, one that will ask the tough questions, and with an access TV station off the air (which is far more objective when the crew running  that station were actually cablecasting; more on that later), the only place for Free Speech was what was erroneously called "the People's Forum."    Enter Council President Robert A. Maiocco who would love to shut the microphone off on people if he didn't like their point of view.  That's censorship and given all the other stumbling blocks to our First Amendment (if not God-givern) rights, it was stunning in its arrogance.* * * * *
People advise me I should play nice with Bob Maiocco now that he's out of Medford politics.  Why?  It's very clear that my writings are probably the #1 factor that Mr. Maiocco considered in his decision not to run.  That's all we'll say about that.  Each citizen gets 10 minutes at the City Council pursuant to Rule #17.  In a city that proclaims it embraces the First Amendment, Mr. Maiocco now has the opportunity to facilitate vast numbers of citizens to come up and speak their mind. Heck, I'd be happy to stand on the sidelines and watch other people speak.  My mission has been to promote City Council participation from the residents of Medford.  We have empty storefronts, we have crosswalks in desperate need of a coat of paint, we have broken roads and an infrastructure falling apart.  And we bring the Dalai Lama in to see rubbish and litter all over Salem Street and a broken Central Ave and Locust St. that truly need some attention.
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With Robert A. Maiocco stepping down it is a reason to celebrate. That any Council President can joke "I could have used that a few moments ago" in reference to a big metal pipe to allegedly hit a constituent with is beyond "inappropriate", a word chosen by the chief of police after I complained to him that Mr. Maiocco said this - at a council meeting - in reference to this writer.
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In the post 9-11 world such joking is hideous - especially from our elected officials.    IN a perfect world Bob Maiocco would have cared more about his constituents than fixing his tie and primping for the camera just about every single week at the City Council.    This isn't an "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" audition, not at Thirty Thousand Dollars a year.  We need city councilors that respect the monies they accept week after week after week, especially when not in session over the summer months except for a meeting here and a meeting there.    We have serious problems and we pay about Two Hundred Thousand Dollars a year for this 7 person body.  Talking about taxis week after week or dragging sports teams up for their moment of glory are items better suited for the parking commissioner and public access TV, respectively.  It is time this city council got its priorities straight and the best thing that could happen to it is Robert A. Maiocco deciding not to run.  Good luck, Bob, and thanks for the memories.

http://medford.patch.com/groups/rock-journalist-joe-vig-/p/city-council-president-robert-a-maiocco-fails-to-pull-papers--the-end-of-an-era