Sunday, August 16, 2009

Mayor Correia Gives Up the Fight


Months ago, my former blog colleague, FRC, and I got into an argument over differing translations of what Bob Correia said, at a meeting of the Coalition for the Responsible Siting of LNG organization. FRC thought Bob said "I will do everything humanly possible to stop LNG." I thought Bob said, "I will do everything minimally possible to stop LNG." It is very difficult to translate Bob Correia speak, but it turns out I was right (sorry FRC).

At Bob Correia's Thursday night "neighborhood forum," a citizen asked Bob if he was committed to the fight against LNG at Weaver's Cove. Bob noted that the city of Fall River can no longer afford to pay the lawyers to fight it and that he has turned the issue over to our part time assistant corporation counsel, John Coughlin. Mayor Correia, who has accepted campaign contributions from Hess representatives in the past, is doing "everything minimally possible" to stop the siting of LNG at Weaver's Cove.

This was the first time I heard that Bob took away the funding to fight LNG...did anyone else know about this?

26 comments:

Tom Paine said...

Actually it does not matter what he said Thursday night. It does not matter if he has zero budgeted for the LNG fight or $20 million budgeted for the LNG fight, it has been his actions over the years that have shown his true colors.

For instance, although he was not the most knowlegeble local state rep when it came to LNG he made sure he was the state rep from the area to serve on the LNG Commission.

The Commission's final report did not even mention Fall River. Most importantly, due to that fact and a few other problems, a few members of the commission wrote a dissenting report. YES A DISSENTING REPORT!!!

This dissenting report even mentions that the Commission's report does not mention Fall River! So we have legislators from other parts of the state complaining that the Commission ignored Fall River.

Of course you would think that the Fall River Rep would have his name on the dissenting report. Guess again!

Tom Paine said...

While Ed Lambert was mayor, we not only had Ed using city money to fight this LNG monster, he actually was extremely active, along with his office.

Again, money is not the clue, action is.

Ed, along with Cong Frank, Cong McGovern and Rep Sullivan all went to Washington at least once, maybe twice to plead our case. Lambert's office seemed to be in constant contact not only with the Army Corp of Engineers, FERC, DEP, CZM, etc, but even local communities from Newport north to Freetown.

If Ed could not go to a meeting Eric Poulin was sent. Poulin was well versed in the LNG subject and he represented the mayor in many meetings and hearings.

The important thing here is to remember is that there was no city money expended many times. It was PURE ACTION!

Action, action, action, - just compare the actions of several different leaders and one can tell who is doing what. It is so plain to see!

Tom Paine said...

5 attorneys, an LNG liason, chief of staff, administrative assistant, press person - and not one of these persons could go to the FERC hearing last year? Not one??? Under Ed the mayor would go, if not, Eric Poulin would go, if not, someone from the staff would go.

My argument again is not money but action.

What message are we sending the federal govt? Think about this - for 6 to 7 years the city led the charge to stop LNG. We had rallys, hearings, people went to Boston. It was a united front. Since January 2008 I ask you how many rallys have there been? How many meetings has this administration set up to sit down and talk with FERC?

Action, action action!

Tom Paine said...

Last, but not least, actions taken on the state level.

We all remember how Bob said he was able to pass and LNG bill that the Governor vetoed. He was the only one to do it he said. I still have his mailing that he sent out during the election.

But I soon discovered after the election that it was not so.

What really happened was that he attached his bill to a very bad environmental bill. Why would anyone want to attach his or her bill to a VERY BAD environmental bill? Why not keep it seperate? MMMM???

The bill made it to the Governor's desk. The Governor, instead of dumping the whole bill which I am sure some thought he would do, took a scapel to the bill. He got rid of the bad environmental part and sent the LNG portion back to the House.

There is an H.N. article where both Senator Menard and Mayor Lambert are estatic, Senator Menard even states that they can now pass it during informal since it already went thru both the house and senate. Yhea!! Sounds like we have a winner folks!

But wait, the author is silent in the article, there is no Bob.

Action, action action!! Where is the action.

Needless to say the bill just died in the House.

And why did Bob tell us all that it was vetoed???? MM???

Anonymous said...

The funding ws exhausted quite awhile ago. It was in the Herald. File under USELESS OLD NEWS.

Anonymous said...

really, post a link anon

Anonymous said...

really...here it is.
http://img.printfection.com/14/41189/3zxVr.jpg

Anonymous said...

yeah take a look but it doesn't have the mayor picture or does it?!

Anonymous said...

I just viewed and listened to the video of Thursday night's "Forum."

On this one you are wrong!

The City is still fighting the planned LNG disaster with outside attorneys skilled in showing the folly of this Hess project to the FERC.

Bash the Mayor for the stupid moves he's made over and over and over again.

Don't bash him when he's doing the right thing.

Yes, even a scoundrel sometimes does the correct thing.

shamrock said...

I will watch again, but I distinctly recall Correia saying that he turned over the lng legal matters to John Coughlin. I may have blacked out for everything he said after that...

Tom Paine said...

Again, his previous actions prove to me what he is about.

Anonymous said...

I'm not really surprised at this. It's been rumored he's been having meetings with these people. I will not be shocked to find out he's been supporting it all along. RE-ELECT NO ONE.

Skoorey said...

I heard him say he missed a meeting with McGovern and Coughlin about LNG the week before.

Does the tape say that?

Anonymous said...

Hey Tom Paine, stop repeating Keri Rodrigues garbage and learn what actually happened with the bill that was sent to the Governor.

"The bill made it to the Governor's desk. The Governor, instead of dumping the whole bill which I am sure some thought he would do, took a scapel to the bill. He got rid of the bad environmental part and sent the LNG portion back to the House."

You need a civics lesson:

The Governor can't dump a bill, and he can't take a scapel to it either. Only the Legislature can delete parts of a bill.He can veto all or parts and the ENTIRE bill goes back to the Legislature where they can attempt to override.

Anonymous said...

why are the herald news debates being moderated by a westport selectman

Anonymous said...

Just wondering if anyone else received the bulk mail postcard for the fall river industrial park?

There is a website which appears to be non-existent much like electbobmayor.

www.fripa.org

the tagline is Fall River Industrial Park-we're working for Fall River.

On the cover is an ad for the Annual Fall River Criterium which was already held on August 16th great marketing.

it also reads:

The event is a huge boom for local tourism and hospitality

Anonymous said...

Herald News forums hosted by westport selectmen?
don't know anything about it. Then again who at the herald news knows anything about Fall River?

Anonymous said...

In Da Sterile Loser story about Barney FRank


"Frank said area hospitals in Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton would be benefit from a publicly funded health care plan."


"Would be benefit?" The Figberto thinks this writer be using ebonics

Anonymous said...

In Today's paper about the debates, Wenesday Aug. 19.
It is a very odd.
It lists the first debate as September 2, the one they sponsor and then they leave out the date of the Neighborhood Association mayoral forum which is actually this coming Monday.
This seems odd unless the people there do not realzie that first debate is the one closet to today's date and the second debate is the one following the next date. But did they leave out the date as to not let anyone's else debate overshadow theirs?
Is that ethical?
Do you leave out information to validate yourself?
Is that journalism?
Is this a pattern?

Skoorey said...

It appears the Mayor has backed out of both debates. Perhaps they can put a Bobfather poster on a chair to represent the absent candidate.

Anonymous said...

stefani the slanderrerrr,

in 2007 the moderator at the debate the mayor strolled into very late and was still allowed to participate was arthur frank soon to be overpaid poart time city attorney, hindsight is 20/20

charlotte
your alter ego
per wsar

Anonymous said...

http://www.fallriverma.org/pressarticles.asp?ID=189

Invitation for Bid (IFB) and Request for Proposal (RFP)



IFB 10-12
Fire Medical Rescue Unit
August 20, 2009

IFB 10-14
Patrol Boat
September 3, 2009

IFB 10-17
Reconstructing Sidewalks & Driveways
August 24, 2009

RFP 10-01
Furnishing City Wide Street Level Photography for Assessors Office
August 26, 2009

RFP 10-02
Personal Property Technician for Assessors Office
August 26, 2009

IFB 10-18
Providing Meals For Persons in Police Custody
August 27, 2009

Anonymous said...

why go out to bid to reconstruct sidewalks and driveways when JH Lynch has a 4million contract to pave parks??????

Anonymous said...

why a patrol boat, is that for the harbormaster that threw softball questions at the mayor at the last forum, I mean campaign stop ?

Anonymous said...

"FALL RIVER — The area’s biggest employer will have a few dozen less positions in the coming months.

Southcoast Hospitals Group is eliminating 93 positions in a restructuring triggered by lower than expected reimbursements from state health programs and Medicaid, hospital officials said Thursday afternoon.

Utilizing what they called a “deployment process” — which is basically finding other positions within the system within a six-month span — hospital officials said 20 to 40 people will lose their jobs."

Read this story in The Sterile Loser...How many people are losing their jobs? 93? A few dozen? 20? 40? This story makes no sense.
Read The Standard Times to find out what is really happening here.

Anonymous said...

Other cool Sterile Snooze stuff:

"Chelsie LaFountain, 17, a Bristol County Agricultural High School student, said her experience at Youth Corps mirrors her course load at Aggie’s natural resource program, which that involves nature education, public relations and more."


"which that?" Hire REAL reporters HN buttclowns