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Why would McGlynn bring up River's Edge when it is such a debacle and a monstrosity?
McGlynn's MVDC was slapped with one of the largest losses in Middlesex
Court re: eminent domain. A FOUR MILLION DOLLAR JUDGMENT against
McGlynn's Mystic Valley Development Commission (3 million 625 thousand
plus another 400 thou interest, over 4 million dollars, as Anthony
D'Antonio pointed out to the community in his closing statement at
Candidates night.)
http://medford.patch.com/groups/rock-journalist-joe-vig-/p/election-2013--revisiting-rivers-edge-----17-days-to-election-day
At that "Candidates Night" on Wednesday,
October 16, the 26-year incumbent didn't have much to brag about. So
he bragged about the big black eye he has called "River's Edge" and
attempted to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. D'Antonio rammed it
down McGlynn's throat.
The last time the Medford Transcript
mentioned the story online, that this writer could find, was a published
press release from July 24, 2009. The follow-up story only appeared in
the Malden Observer on August 5, 2010 when a jury ordered the MVDC,
whose Chairman is McGlynn, to pay the above mentioned fine plus 400K in
interest for the land taken in 2004.
The Malden Observer wrote this: "
He (former Malden Mayor Richard Howard - now town manager in Winchester) said the city of Malden is not responsible for paying the
settlement; the Commission, which is an independent political body, will
pay out of its assets along with whatever help they can convince the
commonwealth to support.
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The MVDC appears to have no "liability insurance" so the taxpayers have to pick up the tab for McGlynn's folly - but the big question is - did anyone related to McGlynn profit from the legal work or lobbying and, if so, is that a conflict of interest? There's little or no transparency at Medford City Hall which is why God made Public Records Requests, y'know, as in Freedom of Information Act.
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So fast forward to one of the panelists on candidates night, Nick
Iovino, a huge part of the story, writing about the story. No conflict
there when you have your blinders and your rose colored glasses on.
The October 17, 2013 story, four years and three months after the last
mention of the River's Edge lawsuit - doesn't even address the River's
Edge judgment that was brought up, the key moment at the forum which
blindsided McGlynn resulting in the incumbent having that
"deer-in-the-headlights" look. McGlynn got red faced, angry, perturbed
that he would actually be held accountable to the voters by another candidate in the election. Yet the Medford Transcript scrubbed the most powerful moment at the debate in its usual, trademarked style, classless and slapping the voters as well as the Transcript readers in the face.
When
a weekly paper claims to be a "news source" yet has an editor who is
more like the cleaning lady, whitewashing facts out of the publication
so that they don't offend City Hall (or as Nell Escobar Coakley
personally told me in the former office on High Street "If you want to
do business in this city...) the election is tilted in favor of a Mayor
who gives the Transcript well over $10,000 a year in business. With
Gatehouse Media, the Transcript's parent company, recently mailing me
its bankruptcy filing, you can see why it is McGlynn's way or the highway at that publication.
MCGLYNN HAD NOTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT
Potholes
galore, Locust St. a mess near the Meadow Glen Mall and Shaws -
unpainted crosswalks at Shaws (two of them, one at a bus stop), empty
storefronts, Medford taking a back seat to Davis Square Somerville,
Central Square Cambridge, the restaurants in Stoneham and Malden, the
cleanliness of Arlington and Winchester. All surrounding communities
pay for and receive public access television. Medford pays for access
yet the sole person responsible, the Issuing Authority, refuses - like a
spoiled child - to allow the citizens to speak on the air.
It's
called a MEDIA BLACKOUT and the news is relegated to blogs on Patch by
brave souls courageous to take on the McGlynn Machine and its sordid
reputation for payback, retaliation and vindictiveness.
* * * * * * * *
Rather
than discuss the problems at River's Edge, McGlynn said he had "no
regrets" and the Transcript elaborated with this bit of McGlynn
self-crafted fiction:
"McGlynn reminded voters how he worked through public-private
partnerships to bring new developments to Rivers Edge and Station
Landing, which have created new jobs, expanded the city’s tax base, and
made Medford more fiscally sound and able to invest in projects that
improve quality of life for residents, he said."
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So where was McGlynn when the Outback moved out of the Wellington Mall? Did McGlynn make Station Landing - was it part of any effort by the Administration, or is McGlynn just taking credit for other people's hard work and honest efforts?
On Tuesday evening, October 22, this writer will be speaking to the City Council about the empty storefronts, River's Edge, Station Landing, and about councilors leaving Alden Chambers early after saying they are "present" - skedaddling and not coming back, but taking Twenty Seven Thousand Dollars or more a year out of your pocket.
Someone has to keep these politicians - and their rhetoric - in line.
17 days to election dayNovember 5, 2013
http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20131105T00&p0=43&msg=Election+Day+2013+McGlynn+Removal