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| Home Front: Politix |
| Angry citizens open fire on pols |
| 2009-02-25 |
| Literally... From the bullet that smashed through a Lawrence City Hall window to stinking fishes flung at the Gloucester mayor's home, city and state leaders are feeling the heat on the street from taxpayers and public sector workers fuming over impending layoffs and service cuts. Authorities believe a bullet that slammed into the Lawrence city planner's desk last weekend may be related the recent layoffs of 11 city employees and the firing of two others. "If someone is giving a message that you'd better watch out, that's disconcerting," Lawrence Mayor Michael J. Sullivan told the Herald yesterday. Lawrence. The Anus of Essex County. Ya wouldn't have to shoot at me to get me outta there. But, up there, it usually just happens... The same guys rolling into office every election just happens, too. Ah Lawrence, the Cicero Illinois of the east ... Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, who receives plainclothes police protection on occasion, found a pile of fish on her front porch last month, and her secretary intercepts an almost daily stream of angry e-mails and letters, redirecting the most menacing to police. "In this budget climate, we're all faced with cutting jobs, people's livelihoods," Kirk said. "It makes a mayor a target." Meanwhile, at a gas station on Old Colony Avenue yesterday, State Rep. Brian Wallace (D-South Boston) got an earful from a man incensed about Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed 19-cent gas tax hike. "It's gotten worse," said Wallace, who also gets blistering e-mails from constituents. "It's taken a different tone, an edge. People are stretched to the limit." It's getting worse because people don't think you give a shit about anything but your six figure pension, gettting your brother in law or your cousin a nice hack job "on the state", and sticking your sticky hand in our pockets over and over and over again. And you don't... But the campaign funds keep rolling in, and the same crooks keep warming the same chairs in the same old city halls and legislatures... Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, fears that the anger could morph into violence as the economic crisis deepens. "Unfortunately, the decisions local officials have to make are personal ones, and people get upset at them," Beckwith said. "When emotions run high and difficult decisions are made, there's the potential for violence." Spoken like a true hack government employee union boss."Youze pissin off sum folks whos could get upset. Youze remember dat if youze schmart..." Lynn Mayor Edward "Chip" Clancy agreed. "Any time you tell someone no, people get very, very angry," he explained. Lynn. The Colon of Essez County... Beckwith and other municipal officials are aware this latest onslaught comes little more than a year after a disturbed gunman opened fire on the Kirkwood, Mo., City Council, killing five people. "We know we're the people who feel the heat," said Brockton Mayor James Harrington, who's considering laying off at least 100 cops and firefighters. "That's the job we chose, and it's a big part of the job." Brockton. Another garden spot. Not too far from me... In Melrose, Mayor Robert Dolan blamed tough times for a spike in dime-dropping by anonymous tipsters targeting police, fire and public works employees believed to be cavorting about on city time. Geez, don't wanna see their money wasted? The bastids! Lynn's Clancy said he's steering clear of bars and other places where he might run into angry taxpayers. Who needs to see angry taxpayers when you're a public servant ... "When they have a few in them," Clancy said, "they get a little - how do you say - demonstrative." I wouldn't go into a bar in Lynn unless I was well armed... |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #2 Essex County - the Colon of Mass. (Educated at Babson in Wellesley). |
| Posted by: Omerenter Henbane5221 2009-02-25 23:17 |
| #1 Reminds me of the old N'awleens joke about the bar so rough everyone was checked at the door for a gun or Knife, if you didn't have one, they'd lend you one. |
| Posted by: Rednek Jim 2009-02-25 15:15 |