Welcome to Massachusetts. Enjoy your visit. If you have a relative on Beacon Hill, your job with MassPort or MassPike is waiting for you.

"Listen, the cynical are not smart, they just think they are"

-Patrick, 2009, in response to criticism.

In other news, New Hampshire readies itself for another wave of immigrants.

I'm living in Mass, just outside Providence, RI.

I can't wait to get the hell out of here. Give me NoVA any day.

/Or Colorado...

To bad he didn't have a radio talk show host to talk about.

Gulper Eel: In other news, New Hampshire readies itself for another wave of immigrants.

Betting these workers have ties to Massachusetts.... (both words pop, incredibly, to different stories)

\if you want to know why NH is getting screwed up, just look south....
\\though you have to admit, the SeacoastOnline stories wouldn't be the same otherwise....

LikeTheSearchEngine: I'm living in Mass, just outside Providence, RI.

Small world, I'm just past Fall River....

No mention of party. Must be...

Wimp. Real politicians can scam much more than that. Just look a Georgia or Texas.

FriarReb98:
Betting these workers have ties to Massachusetts.... (both words pop, incredibly, to different stories)

\if you want to know why NH is getting screwed up, just look south....


Yeah, and our brilliant plan (insert maniacal laughter here) to force NH merchants to collect taxes for the MA government...

(I live in Attleboro.) Mass isn't TOO bad, but I'm very discontent for some reason. Now, compared to my four years in "Maine's second biggest city" aka Bangor aka the middle of nowhere, it's great... but it is getting old now.

Spanky_McFarksalot: To bad he didn't have a radio talk show host to talk about.

high five.

NYZooMan 2009-03-20 10:11:52 AM
No mention of party. Must be...

There is a shocker ....

The Boston Herald? They literally keep their circulation up by having hobos distribute free copies at the commuter rail stations. I am not making this up.

When does a politician not do something like this?

/Not saying it's OK
//Just not surprised

To be fair, the Herald has run a "GOVERNMENT HACKS GETTING EASY MONEY" headline about pretty much every state and city employee. I actually have three friends who have been featured in such stories - one was making around $30,000/year, and the other two were unpaid interns.

It's a pretty predictable "newspaper."

NYZooMan: No mention of party. Must be...

He's Barry's biggest bff fan. And I wish that weren't hyperbole.

Stimulus money going to cronies? Say it isn't so!

moops: The Boston Herald? They literally keep their circulation up by having hobos distribute free copies at the commuter rail stations. I am not making this up.

When I worked near south station I got one of these every morning from a hobo while coming of the commuter line.

They are still doing better than the Globe, financially.

Quick ...look over there at Rush .....um..um... It was Bush's fault he made me do this ...um ...um.......Nancy,Harry ...um...what am I supposed to say next.
//unfortunately nothing will be said about this and it because there are some shinny objects to stare at.
// please don't say that they are focusing on the "economy" hell they have not even read the Bill yet? have they?
// only change so far is changing whom to blame for THEIR fark-ups

Deval hasn't been ingratiating himself to the citizens of the commonwealth as of late...

We need to raise the gas tax, and tolls etc. etc. ... on one hand

Hey, my good friend, here's a six-figure cushy job I made just for you ... on the other hand.

or my personal favorite:

I know many communities are suffering right now, and I'm going to deal with that as soon as I get back from my well-deserved vacation to Jamaica.


I've said this before, and I'll say it again, I love living in this state. I wouldn't live anywhere else at this point in my life, but goddamn it, sometimes I would love to take a drive up to Beacon hill and biatch slap some of these assholes right across their smug faces...

Here's an article about my little berg: Tough times are always tougher here

keylock71: Deval hasn't been ingratiating himself to the citizens of the commonwealth as of late since he was elected...

FTFY. And yes, the Spindle City is completely screwed up. Probably has a lot to do with the vast majority of city employees that Correia is pissing off deserving it or something....

\yes, my mother is one, for three more months
\\no, we do not think her job will be re-filled, which will leave all of two people to supervise the teachers of window lickers and snowflakes with IEPs in the city
\\\but FRPS can't understand why SpEd did so horribly in the last review....

So, liberals let me understand this. If an executive, who managed his job well, gets a large bonus for doing so, but it just so happens things he's not responsible for go south, he's immoral for causing a worldwide recession and taking his bonus? But you want to hand more power to guys who give kickbacks to political allies?

/Confused troll is confused.

Did he blame Bush? Perfect trifecta?

FriarReb98:

\yes, my mother is one, for three more months
\\no, we do not think her job will be re-filled, which will leave all of two people to supervise the teachers of window lickers and snowflakes with IEPs in the city
\\\but FRPS can't understand why SpEd did so horribly in the last review....

That sucks. Sorry to hear it. A couple of good friends of mine (2 fire fighters and one cop) were part of the recent lay-offs... One just had a baby girl.

I didn't vote for Correira (voted for Poulin... hope he runs again), but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's taken incompetence to a new level so far... and that's saying a lot in this city.

And now we got retards like Leo Pellitier saying that Fall River should just let Weaver's Cove put a LNG tank right in the heavily populated North End (My house is less than a mile from the proposed site) because he's says that it'll create 50 or so jobs for Fall River (Weaver's Cove told him so, so it must be true).

It's like they don't want well-educated, skilled people living here. I really feel for the folks who used to work in the manufacturing industry in this city, but those days are gone.
It's not like we haven't done some good things recently... The Arts Overlay District, The UMass Biotech Center out by the reservation, but until we smarten up and get rid of these small minded politicians that seem to only be concerned with keeping their cushy jobs, I'm afraid things will never turn around here...

Darth Mewling
So, liberals let me understand this. If an executive, who managed his job well, gets a large bonus for doing so, but it just so happens things he's not responsible for go south, he's immoral for causing a worldwide recession and taking his bonus? But you want to hand more power to guys who give kickbacks to political allies?

/Confused troll is confused.

you are confused, you forgot that Campaign contributions to Chairman Obama do not count, he just blamed Bush, forgetting he voted as Senator for those huge defacits, but because Bush did not veto what Obama voted for......its Bush's fault.

/now get back on message...blame bush, the buck does not stop with Chairman Obama

Shaggy_C: Stimulus money going to cronies? Say it isn't so!

As a government official, I categorically deny that stimulus money may or may not be going to cronies.

/not a government official, but would make a pretty good crony.

Did he blame Bush?

Another article in today's paper describes how Massachusetts Democrats are blaming Massachusetts Republicans for the state's troubles. A veto-proof majority in the legislature for most of the past 20 years is not enough to make Democrats responsible.

moops: The Boston Herald? They literally keep their circulation up by having hobos distribute free copies at the commuter rail stations. I am not making this up.

The only time I have read it I did receive it from a scruffy individual leaving South Station. So I believe it.

gustakooka: They are still doing better than the Globe, financially.

If you don't count thei multimillion dollar legal judgments against them. Libel is costly, mmkay?

BIGNICKEL: a scruffy individual leaving South Station

Absolutely. The Globe is much better. If you cancel your subscription, they continue to deliver "courtesy" copies right to your door.

moops: gustakooka: They are still doing better than the Globe, financially.

If you don't count thei multimillion dollar legal judgments against them. Libel is costly, mmkay?

I guess they can afford it, because they are not in the same danger as the Globe is as far as closing the doors.

Darth Mewling: So, liberals let me understand this. If an executive, who managed his job well, gets a large bonus for doing so, but it just so happens things he's not responsible for go south, he's immoral for causing a worldwide recession and taking his bonus? But you want to hand more power to guys who give kickbacks to political allies?

/Confused troll is confused.

Psst. Your false premise is showing.

Yeah, he's from Chicago, what do you expect?

Gee, what a shocker.

Well, it worked for Obama?

keylock71: Leo Pellitier

He's such a retard. But it bears pointing out that one of the major groups that was competing for the Weaver's Cove land (besides the LNG group) just happened to have friends working for the Herald News.

\just saying...
\\and if they have LNG within a mile of Bunker Hill, and within two miles of Charlestown, Eastie, Chelsea, and some of the most important travel corridors in Boston, why is it such a problem in Fall River?

FriarReb98: and if they have LNG within a mile of Bunker Hill, and within two miles of Charlestown, Eastie, Chelsea, and some of the most important travel corridors in Boston, why is it such a problem in Fall River?

More than that as the tankers come in. Winthrop. Downtown Boston. Southie.

Don't forget the big-assed tank of the stuff right next to the southeast expressway in Dorchester, either.

FriarReb98: keylock71: Leo Pellitier

He's such a retard. But it bears pointing out that one of the major groups that was competing for the Weaver's Cove land (besides the LNG group) just happened to have friends working for the Herald News.

\just saying...
\\and if they have LNG within a mile of Bunker Hill, and within two miles of Charlestown, Eastie, Chelsea, and some of the most important travel corridors in Boston, why is it such a problem in Fall River?

Well, a lot of folks around here like to tout the safety issues, and while there certainly are some safety issues with siting a tank as big as the one Hess wants to put there in a densely populated area, it's not my biggest gripe with the project.

First, if you haven't, I'd advise you to go up to Everett and have a look at the neighborhoods surrounding their LNG facility.

The North End of Fall River is actually quite a beautiful place (compared to the rest of Fall River)... I'd rather not have it looking like Everett.

Second, this site will effect me financially in the form of lower property value and higher home insurance premiums.

Third, a nominal amount of jobs for locals would be created by this facility... mostly during the construction phase. Very few permanent jobs would be created and require a level of experience that most Fall Riverites do not possess. So we're basically talking about a few janitorial positions and security guard positions for folks from Fall River. Whoopty doo. Certainly not worth destroying a section of the city for.

Finally, the current proposal has a pipeline being run under the Taunton River that would require a significant amount of dredging... anybody who knows the history of the river and industry in the area realizes how many pollutants will be released as a result of this. And one thing that river doesn't need is more pollutants. The two top polluting power plants in the state are already located on the Somerset side of the river, as well.

...and if you'll remember the original proposal had the tankers navigating through two bridges a few hundred yards apart... a feat the Coast Guard considered extremely risky if not impossible.

I'm not against LNG facilities, I'm against irresponsible siting of them, and this project has been nothing but one continuous example of irresponsibility after another.

I also don't like the fact that they continue to try and ram this down our throats when it painfully obvious at this point that the majority of people in the area do not want it there. Some of us haven't given up on this city just yet, and we're working hard to bring this city back and make it a great place to raise a family and live again. This project does nothing to help that goal along, as far as I can see.

To be sure, this was a political football from day 1 and has been used by local politicians to secure votes and by others with their own agendas, and the city government should have been on top of this thing a lot sooner, but that doesn't change the fact that this facility will do nothing positive for the city of Fall River.

...and just for the record.

I am trying not to be a pig-head about this. If Weaver's Cove can articulate in detail the benefits of the project for the people of Fall River, I'm certainly willing to shift my opinions. So far they haven't done that.

They like to speak in platitudes, but are very light on specifics when asks to explain why Fall River needs this terminal to be placed in a large residential area.

keylock71: They like to speak in platitudes, but are very light on specifics when asks to explain why Fall River needs this terminal to be placed in a large residential area.

See, my problem with the whole thing is that everyone likes to make the residential area/blast zone the main point and never ever mentions the other problems. Still loved the people saying they'd have to close down the Braga for it to go under, those were my favorites.

Remove all Republicans: It's not veto-proof

That's there. This is here.

The House of the General Court of Massachusetts is split 141-19. The Senate is split 35-5. And Governor Patrick.

That's veto-proof, and then some. Has been for years.

/The City of Quincy has nine councillors, split 9-0, Democratic mayor.

//Massachusetts has 10 seats in the US House, split 10-0, plus Senators Kennedy and Kerry.

FriarReb98: keylock71: They like to speak in platitudes, but are very light on specifics when asks to explain why Fall River needs this terminal to be placed in a large residential area.

See, my problem with the whole thing is that everyone likes to make the residential area/blast zone the main point and never ever mentions the other problems. Still loved the people saying they'd have to close down the Braga for it to go under, those were my favorites.

Agreed. There are a multitude of angles to attack this project from. The accident/terrorist attack angle is the weakest and just smacks of fear-mongering to me...

Remove all Republicans: They still have to waste time debating issues.

The only issues that get debated are who will be speaker and president as the old ones get indicted and resign.

After that, the leaders of the chambers do all the debating. When you have 7-1 majorities in both houses, debate is suspended any time the guy with the gavel likes. Debate on such motions is limited to 15 minutes total, no member may speak for more than 3 minutes. Everyone knows that if you cross the speaker, your committee chair or seat (and the extra pay that goes with it) will be gone tomorrow.

The opposition cannot even force a roll-call vote, that takes 1/5 of the members present. "All in favor? Ayes have it. The clerk will read the next item."

You vote in the Democratic primaries here. Around 3 of 4 offices are unopposed in the general elections, and about half in the primaries. You could vote Republican, write-in, or 3rd party in the general or you could sleep in--doesn't matter. If you are an independent, which they call "unregistered" here, you can take a ballot for either party in the primary.

/C'mon--this is the state where MITT ROMNEY signed a universal health care bill.

Isn't Mitt Romney the governor of Massachusetts? Did he not run for reelection?

Tommy Moo: Did he not run for reelection?

Nope. His lieutenant governor, Healy, ran against Patrick in 2006 and lost.

pandabear: If you are an independent, which they call "unregistered" here, you can take a ballot for either party in the primary.

Not to nitpick, it's "unenrolled" as far as I know... I've been registered "unenrolled" since I was about 22. There isn't a political party worth a squirt of piss in this state.

Everyone knows that if you cross the speaker, your committee chair or seat (and the extra pay that goes with it) will be gone tomorrow.

In some cases, your chair or seat is literally gone. You may be reassigned to an office with no furniture.

There was a funny story earlier in the week about a politician who went to his new office and found it occupied. A politically connected woman had been assigned that office as the place to show up and collect pay while not being asked to work. In the confusion surrounding the forced resignation of the last Speaker, somebody forgot to pass the word that she was to be left alone.

Like every other story, take a tiny little piece of it, slanted enough to make you outraged, follow it voraciously to its end only to find that it's no big deal, just business as usual.