A SERIES OF LETTERS TO ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS IN MEDFORD REGARDING THE NEED FOR TERM LIMITS AND CHARTER CHANGE!
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The key to a successful Medford is available to the citizens when elected officials listen to, and work for, those who live in the community.
http://medford.patch.com/groups/joe-vigliones-blog/p/elected-officials-need-to-work-for-the-residents-of-each-city-and-town
Paul A. Camuso
114 Lincoln Road
Medford, Massachusetts 02155
Mr. Camuso:
You, as an elected official in the city of Medford, have an absolute obligation to work for each and every resident, to put their needs above yours. The Twenty Seven Thousand Dollars PLUS that you receive as a city councilor is among the highest in Massachusetts. Respecting that money, and what it represents, is something we citizens are going to demand.
You, Mr. Camuso, know how to run a good campaign. But running a good campaign and legislating effectively and in a presidential manner are two separate things. Having attended more city council meetings than most residents, I can honestly say that Councilor Camuso has spent more time working for himself than for the citizens he is supposed to serve.
Each and every one of these essays will focus on a particular Medford official, starting with the council, with the school committee, the mayor and then scrutinizing those on the public payroll.
What we want is charter change and term limits. We need an effective form of government that works for the people, not the politicians.
As this series of essays evolves new ideas will come into focus. But let's start with the obvious. People don't know the difference between Plan E government and Plan A government in Medford. Not only that, many don't even know which form of government we are currently under.
For the readers to understand this, we are currently under Plan A government. Let's look at that, but first find out what happened to the previous Plan E situation. We can start by looking at Marilyn Porreca's Wikipedia page:
Marilyn Ann Catino Porreca (April 21, 1932 – February 4, 2008) was an American politician who served as Mayor of Medford from 1986 to 1988. She was Medford's first female mayor and the final Mayor under the Plan E form of government in which the Mayor was chosen by the City Council
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Porreca_________________________________________________________
Looking into the City Charter is essential to understanding our plan of government, yet how many of the 57,000 plus residents understand how the current plan works, and how we can change it to improve life in Medford?
The first step is to look into the Mass General Laws. It would be optimal if we had a public access station where Paul Donato - the State Rep - or Dr. Storella - or Attorney George Sacco - or Frederick Dello Russo Sr. - or any qualified expert on the subject could explain it to the citizens. Unfortunately, if you point out the obvious, trolls proliferate to attack the messenger and try to blur the message. Word is that PATCH is going to institute an anti-Troll policy in early 2014. People will have to identify themselves more clearly, just as residents give their name and address at the City Council (and listen carefully for those at the council who refuse to give a street number or who mumble so as to not be on record being upfront with those viewing; they are the same types who post anonymously on the internet)
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter43 Mass General Laws Chapter 43, Section 2
Section 2. Any city, except Boston, which shall adopt, in the manner hereinafter prescribed, one of the plans of government provided in this chapter shall thereafter be governed by the provisions thereof; and the inhabitants of such city shall continue to be a municipal corporation under the name existing at the time of such adoption, and shall have, exercise and enjoy all the rights, immunities, powers and privileges, and be subject to all the duties, liabilities and obligations provided for in this chapter, or otherwise pertaining to or incumbent upon said city as a municipal corporation;
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter43/Section2
Mr. Camuso, your time would be better spent, especially for the enormous sum of money that you receive as councilor, educating the citizens to the form of government we are under, and how those citizens can evaluate if, indeed, the current form of government is of value to the renters, home owners, businesses and civic groups, all the people investing in the system that pays you - personally - so richly.
Section 4 of the above referenced General Law states:
Section 4. Ordinances, resolutions, orders or other regulations of a city or of any authorized body or official thereof, existing at the time when such city adopts a plan of government set forth in this chapter, shall continue in full force and effect until repealed, modified or superseded.
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter43/Section4
This process is going to continue over the coming weeks as we develop a better understanding of Plan A government, and a better understanding of the alternatives to Plan A.
Though I believe this is YOUR JOB, I am exercising my First Amendment right - along with my civic duty - to educate the citizens as to the government that you, Councilor Camuso, are currently swimming in.
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The goal is to reduce the huge payroll councilors are receiving for the limited power that they have, improving Medford by educating the citizens to the type of government that works best for them - not just to enhance the lives of elected officials. The goal is also to ensure that problems that have surfaced are properly corrected - from Pop Warner to Medford Housing to Medford Community Cablevision, Inc. to West Medford Hillside Little League to an ill-advised eminent domain course of action at what is now called "River's Edge" to the broken roads, shaky infrastructure, unpainted crosswalks, empty storefronts to the tons of litter making Medford look like a third or fourth world country. The goal is to improve Medford and give the citizens value for their dollar.
As a shopper we can go to Shaws or Stop & Shop or Market Basket or Target or Costco or B.J.'s Wholesale Club and make an informed decision on how much to pay for our soy milk or apple cider or bread. Shouldn't it be the same with local government? IF we are paying Twenty Seven Thousand Dollars a year for a city councilor who gets up and leaves when the head of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital is speaking, then wants to be heard with an opinion that sounds more like a filibuster when the entire community knows how unprepared a Councilor Paul A. Camuso was to even speak on the subject - shouldn't we get our money back? If we are paying 27K to a councilor we don't expect him to act in an inappropriate manner as you did in 2006 when a resident - this resident - was leaving city hall to go to his car and you were attempting to force your opinion on that citizen in the dark instead of on camera upstairs for all to see; or in 2013 - 7 years later, only to find Councilor Camuso being the class clown, pointing his finger at this writer in the dark behind city hall, an elected official blasting his horn at 10 PM at night and flying through a DO NOT ENTER sign, breaking the laws Councilor Camuso is paid to uphold.
Your votes on TV3 enabled the station to take from this community. When Stephanie Muccini Burke and City Solicitor Rumley had a presentation it was Paul A. Camuso who shot them down. Now, Camuso's closest friend at TV3 is scheduled to be in Somerville Court on November 25th after he was arrested on a charge of a "false bomb threat." Mr. Camuso would very much like to distance himself from that person, though over the past ten years, Mr. Camuso was the one defending the bad conduct of that individual when complaint after complaint after complaint was filed. Mr. Camuso only did what was best for Mr. Camuso, not for the citizens under this form of government.
That will now change. You are a public servant, Paul Camuso, and you work for us, not for yourself. Your votes - and your skipping out on votes - will be monitored on access television and on blogs. You voted with your council colleagues 7-0 to rescind the Agreement Medford City Hall had with TV3. You caught flak for it from those you once enabled.
Now TV3 is gone. So why isn't Paul Camuso telling the residents who the people are on the Mayor's new "three person panel" - and how the residents are going to be better served with a new access station installed?
Or is it that you and the Mayor are planning on not having public access TV at all. Because you don't want the citizens, the public you are supposed to serve, to have something that they pay for? A vehicle that can both endorse and criticize you (providing it is the tv hosts talking and not the board of directors or staff of a 501c3 non-profit.)
I will be focusing specifically on you, Councilor Camuso, since you now proclaim you don't want to be categorized as someone working in concert with the individual accused of a false bomb threat. Fine. The proof of the ice cream is in the eating. Let's see you put your money where your mouth is instead of our money where your mouth is. For a change.
More to come.
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The key to a successful Medford is available to the citizens when elected officials listen to, and work for, those who live in the community.