Letter to Alex (Don't Call Me Alfred E.) Newman at the Patch Regarding Useless City Council

1,521,610@6:53 pm
,521,546 @ 4:15 pm 1-17-2020

Alex Newman

Patch.com/Medford

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Hello Editor Newman,

Regarding your January 14, 2020 article about a frustrated city council - in most communities the news reads about the successful work of a city council, or group of selectmen, or aldermen, or a school committee.   Rather than do his job, Mr. Scarpelli is "frustrated."  Doesn't he realize that the people of Medford are frustrated with his work on the council and his failure to deliver?

Any voter unaware of Mr. Scarpelli's unseemly work as a "chaperone" when hazings occurred in Otis, Mass. is a voter not doing his or her homework prior to an election.  I wouldn't let Mr. Scarpelli watch a goldfish let alone young adults on a camping trip - or the critical work needed by a city council that has been negligent for years.

This is a great opportunity for the new mayor to push for ward representation:

Depending upon the state and local laws, the term ward can mean any of: an electoral district of a city council or town board, created for the purpose of providing more direct representation, from which a single councilman is elected; or. a division used in political party leadership elections; (Wikipedia)

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In Winchester there IS Ward Representation and the attendance is high.

I ran camera for the access station during a meeting of the town's representatives.  Compared to the - on average - ten people who show up in Medford, usually the same people, it is a far more productive - and lively - gathering of the residents.

Have you noticed that - as much as I've been urging this for the better part of twenty years, we have no "field trips" to neighboring communities - Winchester, Stoneham, Woburn, Malden, Somerville, Arlington, to see how our neighbors run their municipalities ...municipalities which have an impact on Medford.   You rarely hear a city councilor reference the police or firefighters or school systems of towns that border on the Medford city limits.

For Thirty Thousand Dollars a year that's just part of what I expect from "elected officials," and the term is used loosely. 

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MARKET RESEARCH ON THE MEDFORD CITY COUNCIL

Having been hired in "market research" for different companies, I've been flown to New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, West Palm Beach because the company owners saw how well I did in the Boston area.

While at TV3 back in the 1990s I was promoted to Director of Market Research by an investor (he had originally hired me to do promotion for his musical group) - we created TV specials for PBS; the other company flew me to New York to interview people regarding the Domain corporation (among other national brands.) It was one of the Manhattan outlets http://www.domain-home.com/find_us.cfm - that needed my study, and my report on Domain/NY was considered outstanding.

As a market research expert (use of research tools to reveal information about a market, product, or service) what criteria - a principle or standard by which something may be judged or decided - should we employ to evaluate the Medford city council?

a)how effectively the council actually listens to the concerns of the residents of the city

b)how each councilor votes on each petition, motion and resolution

c)how many times a councilor uses the council for his or her own agenda: too many "happy birthday," "unhappy death day," "happy anniversary," etc designed, not to benefit the community, but to secure votes.  Adam Knight may have the lead in this outrageous conduct, but a former city councilor took the cake as a walking advertisement for his funeral business, not for the health and well-being of the city of Medford.

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d)the most important detail to be considered: how effective is each councilor in providing benefit to the citizens and the city?

Bob Penta and Breanna Lungo-Koehn were the two most effective councilors.  They went beyond the call of duty and - lo and behold - both mayoral candidates.

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Meanwhile Rick Caraviello is on and off the fence so much one gets dizzy; when Rick gets off the fence, Michael Marks gets on it.

Marks is a unique study.  He says all the right things "for the people" but his actions do not reflect his words.

For example, wasn't Mr. Marks on McGlynn's "parking commission" or something of the sort?   McGlynn ignored him.  Anyone studying Mike McGlynn knew the Trumpian manner in which McGlynn ruled his kingdom. Plan A government: do what I say, not what I do.

Meanwhile, when Michael Marks appeared dumbfounded that McGlynn sideswiped him, yours truly was filing public records requests to get to the bottom of the public access mess.  The result:  Michael Marks ineffectiveness gave us the dreaded pay-to-Republic-for-parking.  Joe Viglione removed TV3 Medford.

Detective JJ McLean soundbite, play it here: "You won. You won. And the city is better off for it."

Yes, but J.J. McLean got paid $119k a year while I had to go to my life savings to keep up the good fight, and win.

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Voters in Medford don't see the bigger picture.  They don't understand that when a Rick Caraviello lies to the police and wastes monies from Medford taxpayers as well as Massachusetts taxpayers for a vendetta trial that he loses, the damaged goods that ARE the Rick Caraviello types need to return the 30k a year they receive because they violate their oath of office, and they serve only themselves.

The jury might be out on Zac Bears and Nicole Morrell, but a nonsensical "revolution" which might be able to put boots on the ground, but brings the city novices to interact with people who have behaved like thugs, well, you're a reporter, you tell me how this benefits the city at 200k a year.  5 years, 1 million dollars in paychecks the council voted on - their own salary - and Medford has buffoonery from Knight, Caraviello and former councilor Dello Russo.   Michael Marks did the tango with former solicitor Rumley, but outside of being a Hogan's Heroes episode, Marks continues to play Sgt. Schultz "I know nothing, NOTHING" when push comes to shove and Marks is required to make a meaningful vote, a meaningful judgment, gets something done the way that this individual removed the mayor's uncle from the Medford Housing Authority board of directors, removed the TV3 board from wasting our P/E/G franchise fee, uncovered Superintendent Belson and Mayor Burke's fraudulent Chapter 74 board which failed to adhere to the Open Meeting Law.  

The public had no clue what they were up to AFTER we suffered the slings and arrows of TV3.

Marks and his council were clueless about the Chapter 74 board purportedly spending the 700k that I had personally saved the city by shutting down TV3.   And though I had colleagues working with me to shut down TV3, at one point in time I was the lone soldier fighting the good fight.  The city council AND the school committee were unaware of Muccini-Burke's underhanded play with the Chapter 74 board, yet Muccini-Burke was the chair of the school committee.  Go figure.

My hard work - and my results - they speak volumes.

This city council pushes paper and was a rubber stamp for Muccini-Burke and McGlynn.

Mr. Marks, allegedly on the "other side" for the people - where were his results?  Why didn't he badger

McGlynn and not trust an untrustworthy ex-mayor?   I know why.  You're a reporter too, you go find out why.

I'm tired of giving the facts away.

So Mr. Scarpelli is frustrated?  Really?   

Well, start with FOIA, sending a public records request, and if Scarpelli was so concerned, why wasn't he sitting in the MassDOT office to get to the bottom of it?

Because moaning and complaining in the Patch gets him free press.

It also shows Medford residents the inefficiency of the self-serving Medford city council and its self-serving councilors.

I get more done for Medford with a post on my blog than these useless councilors get with their weekly,

expensive dog and pony show.

It is NOT the Honorable City Council, it's a Dishonorable Creepy Crew disguised as city councilors.

And this e mail contains proof of that assertion.

Respectfully,

Joe Viglione

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WXXXXX X XXXXX, Esq.

Records Access Officer

Office of the General Counsel

(857) 3XXX XXXX

RE: Public Records Request regarding South St./Main St. Medford, Massachusetts

Dear Mr. XXXXX

On January 14, 2020 the Medford Patch published a story on how the Medford City Council is "frustrated"

with Mass. Dot. Here's a direct quote from Councilor George Scarpelli: ""We're waiting on the state. Obviously they've dragged their feet," Scarpelli said. "

City Council Frustrated Over Inaction At Notorious Intersection

First I want to apologize to you, Mr. XXXXX, that I have to come to you for solutions because Medford has one of the most lazy and overpaid city councils in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Councilor Scarpelli, in particular, is all hot air with a poor work ethic, in my opinion, notorious for failing to stop the hazings while chaperoning in Otis Massachusetts, allegedly.  This link can fill you in somewhat: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-mad-1_15-cv-13697/pdf/USCOURTS-mad-1_15-cv-13697-0.pdf

That being said, because the city council allegedly fails to do the job the voters deserve (at 30K a year per councilor approximately, wouldn't you agree?)  I will have to ask you for the information.

This is a request under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, G.L. c. 66 § 10. Specifically this journalist seeks records:

1 pertaining to the public safety issues at Main St. and South St. in the city of Medford, Massachusetts -  as noted in the above referenced Medford Patch article: "...an update from state lawmakers and transportation officials about permanent safety solutions at the intersection of Main Street and South Street."

2)any documents regarding MassDOT's intention(s) to work with Medford city government, interoffice memos, e mails, etc.

I seek this from MassDOT’s divisions and departments, including but not limited to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (“RMV”), and other state and local agencies, federal agencies, and private actors. 

Again, I apologize to you, Attorney  XXXXX, and MassDOT - that we both have to do the heavy lifting for an allegedly crony-infested city council with a bunch of bad actors (no allegedly necessary) that thinks more about blowing kisses to residents in search of votes than doing the job that they were elected to do.  You've got Council Vice President Rick Caraviello with a penchant for lying to the police as well as being a big loser in criminal court (1/31/17,) insufferable Adam Knight in severe need of an elocution class as well as one on public speaking, President John Falco who is now talking at the council as fast and as incomprehensible as Mr. Knight, perhaps it is contagious, and Michael Marks purportedly in a severe depression now that a useless city solicitor has exited the building, leaving Marks with no one to bark at and argue with.  Isn't a city solicitor the lawyer for councilors?  I don't know. I'm not a lawyer.  If so, Marks was publicly fighting with his own lawyer, on the government channel!

We can be the adults in the room and show the seven members of the city council how to do their job.

I recognize that you may charge reasonable costs for copies, as well as for personnel time needed to comply with this request, however as a member of the press (51 years now!) with the Medford blog/newsletter well over 1.5 million page views, this is a matter of GREAT public interest. Thus, I request that you waive all fees regarding this important request.

The Public Records Law requires you to provide me with a written response within 10 business days. If you cannot comply with my request, you are statutorily required to provide an explanation in writing.  Please send correspondences via e mail to

xxxxxxxx  xxxxxx

Sincerely and respectfully,

Joe Viglione

Editor and Publisher

Medford Information Central dot com

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