SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS

Laughing at Mayor Bob's List of Accomplishments

Bob's Purported Accomplishments:
1) Completion of independent audit by the State Auditor’s office and Financial Management Review by the Department of Revenue
The audit did nothing for us but waste our money on telling us things that the perceptive politician would already know
2) The city now has a new back-up system and the firewall in place providing an adequate level of security for the city’s vital data
INCREDIBLE! Bob made the city computers as safe as my laptop! Congratulations on installing Avast!
3) Unveiling of FREE initiative
I believe he means the unveiling of PLANS for the FREE initiative. I would be much more impressed with ANY steps towards implementation.
4) The creation of the Restaurant Loop
Aren't there only one and a half new restaurants (Bella and Sky)?
5) The Fall River Children’s Christmas Parade
The Christmas Parade is a long standing Fall River event. Bob, allegedly, donated some of his uneeded campaign warchest to the event and that is an accomplishment?
6) Maintenance of core city services amidst worst economy in past 80 years
Bullsh*t
7) Launching of automated trash and single stream recycling pilot program to over 3,000 houses Did Bob add this to be funny? Some yard waste hasn't been picked up in 2 months, recycling hasn't been picked up in weeks...this is a joke right?
8) Creation of Fall River government channel
Propaganda

I would respect Bob a bit more if he could actually recognize failure.

Has Bob Correia Been Naughty or Nice?

CLICK HERE for a personal message from Santa Claus to Bob Correia.

Say it ain't so

Let the hackery continue....

Word on the street says outgoing mayor, Bob Correia, is seeking a job in the court system. I have no doubt he will happily suck off the teet of taxpayers until the day he dies (I mean "continue to dedicate his life to public service"). Times are tough and there is currently a hiring freeze in the MA court system. The hiring freeze would make any job Bob Correia is given, that much more egregious. I would not be surprised if he already has a position lined up. He mentioned he would be taking time off in January. Time off from what? Time off before starting his new state position?

Outgoing Mayor Correia Creates/Gives Jobs to Friends

So far........

Kathy Edwards $55,000
Newly combined position of contract compliance officer/executive secretary in the Community Development Agency
Coelho said one reason the combined job wasn’t posted was because “an internal candidate needed a job.”

Ines Leite $55,914 - $65,147
Assistant City Clerk

Jeff Santos $85,000
CDA Executive Director
Told mayoral staffers were being given municipal jobs in a city with soaring unemployment, Santos said, “It happens all the time."

I am going to be incredibly disappointed if these positions aren't seriously scrutinized by Mayor Flanagan.

Inaugurations

I am hoping (and anticipating) that Mayor-elect Flanagan will not spend an entire week congratulating himself, stroking his ego, and getting his ass kissed through a never ending inaugural celebration like Bob Correia did. However, if Flanagan does desire to have a big bash, I suggest he tap into some funding from the "Fall River Inaugural Celebration, Inc."

Fall River Inaugural Celebration, Inc (FRIC) was incorporated one month before Bob's endless inauguration, by members of team Correia (Alan Silva, Ernest Edwards, etc). How vain can you be that you start an entire non profit organization with the purpose of praising yourself. FRIC's purpose, as stated in its forming documents, is to:

"TO RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS TO PAY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, INAUGURAL EXPENSES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FALL RIVER INAUGURATION AND OTHER INAUGURAL EVENTS. THE PURPOSE OF THE INAUGURAL EVENT IS TO CELEBRATE THE INAUGURATION OF ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SHALL NOT FINANCIALLY BENEFIT ANY PARTICULAR ELECTED OFFICIAL OR ANY PARTICULAR OFFICIAL’S COMMITTEE."

http://corp.sec.state.ma.us/corp/corpsearch/CorpSearchSummary.asp?ReadFromDB=True&UpdateAllowed=&FEIN=000965194

Seeing as how this organization was founded to unselfishly celebrate the inaugurations of not just one particular candidate, they should have no problem carrying out their purpose by organizing an inaugural event for Flanagan.

p.s. Treasurer Edwards, your annual report was due to the state Nov. 1, better get on that!

Short Sea Shipping Not Coming to Fall River

I have long heard of Fall River's desire to host a short sea shipping port. In May 2008, Lt. Governor Tim Murray visited Fall River to discuss short sea shipping with Mayor Robert Correia. At that time, Mayor Correia expressed an interest in short sea shipping. Short sea shipping would be highly beneficial to the city and would likely bring hundreds of jobs to Fall River. Therefore, it was rather unsettling to learn that Fall River will not be in the running for federal stimulus money to develop a short sea shipping port. According to the Providence Journal, Providence, RI; Quonset, RI; and New Bedford, MA have applied for the federal stimulus money under the America’s Marine Highway program. According to the three proposals, the jobs created are estimated from 500 in Quonset to over 1,000 in Providence and New Bedford.

Fall River needs jobs.

Fall River needs Jobs for Fall River, Inc. (aka Fall River Office of Economic Development) to succeed in attracting jobs for Fall River!

While Rhode Island submitted both of its proposals to the federal Department for Transportation for consideration, Massachusetts chose to only submit one proposal. The Projo article does not state who made the decision to drop the Fall River proposal from consideration.

We elected a 30 year State Representative as Mayor for his promise that his experience would provide “Leadership that gets things done.” How can Fall River’s proposal for short sea shipping be eliminated at the state level and not even submitted to the federal government?

Once Fall River’s proposal was submitted to the state agency, did either Mayor Correia or Ken Fiola follow-up the proposal with a call to determine whether the proposal would be submitted to the federal government?

So, since Fall River’s proposal for short sea shipping was not submitted, there will be no federal stimulus funds for Fall River to develop its port. The residents of Fall River are owed an explanation regarding what happened with the city’s proposal. All we are left with is this quote from Ken Fiola, “It’s a shame. The state should have applied for both and let the feds pick and choose.”

Fall River is out of contention to receive stimulus funds for short sea shipping. Hundreds of short sea shipping jobs won’t come to Fall River.

…. It’s a shame, indeed.

Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

BOB CORREIA IS VOTED OUT OF OFFICE! GOOD WORK FALL RIVER!!!!

Stay in your house saturday

Word is - Bob Correia is mobilizing his minions for a visibility event on Saturday morning. Saturdays are supposed to be enjoyable but I suppose bob has ruined everything else, why not ruin my Saturdays too.

Anyone interested in a no-bob visibility event on Saturday?

What will Bob's excuse be this time?

Bob's track record for attending debates indicates that he will not be attending any debate this time. His slick new campaign consultant/handler said last week that Correia will attend Thursday nights debate at BCC. However, the Herald News is now reporting that, "Correia has also said he may be unable to attend a second forum scheduled for this Thursday." ...shocker

Just further evidence that Bob Correia doesn't care about the democratic process.

Finally, I question the decision making skills of anyone supporting Bob Correia. Next time they are up for election, I will remember that elected officials such at District Attorney Sam Sutter and Register of Deeds Bernard McDonald actively supported Bob Correia.

The Village Idiot

“If anyone doesn’t understand how critical the rail is to our future there must be something mentally and physically wrong with them,” Correia said. Herald News 8/5/09

So the the South Main library isn't handicap accessible, so Bob originally scheduled his neighborhood meeting in a non handicap accessible building, but this statement takes his disrespect for the disabled to a whole new level.

And in true Bob Correia fashion, at the last neighborhood forum, he refused to back down from his idiotic statement. He has a real knack for making a bad situation worse.

You are probably not feeling too happy after watching that last clip (unless you are Bob Correia). Maybe this will cheer you up; I call it "campaign promise"

Mayoral debate tomorrow (minus the actual mayor)

UPDATE: LOCATION CHANGE - The Forum will now be held at the Calvary Temple Assembly of God (right near the elks) at 4321 North Main Street.

Reminder:

Mayoral Candidates' Forum on Neighborhood Issues

Monday, August 24th at 7:00 pm

Elks Hall, 2400 North Main Street, Fall River

Sponsored by Save Our Neighborhoods

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?

What happened to Father Travassos Park?

People have been talking about the recent, surprise, "remodel" and paving of a big chunk of Father Travassos Park. The park, located behind Espirito Santo School/Church, was home to a soccer field, a basketball court, and a nice open grassy area for picnics and general enjoyment. However, the soccer field of the PUBLIC park has recently been fenced in and features a "No Trespassing" sign, and most of that grassy space is now asphalt. My thought on this, of course, is; what has Bob Correia done now?! What favor is he paying back and whose vote is he buying with our public park land?


So what the the heck is going on here - a public park that belongs to all residents of the city is paved and the soccer field is now not open to the public?

Here is a birds eye view of the park before the paving and fencing (click to enlarge)

And here are some (non birds eye) shots after the paving and fencing




The Fall River property info on the location which shows it is city property

Below: City property map of the park and google map - before the paving

I have been told that the pavement was intended as a parking facility for the soccer field, which is now not open to the public. What happened here? How was this done without any public input? That was rhetorical because clearly Bob Correia doesn't prefer public input before changing public land.

KUDOS!

Kudos to whoever rented an airplane to fly anti-bob sentiments over the waterfront today! It says "Take Back Pride 'City Wide' Vote Bob Correia out September 15th." It is flying out there now if anyone wants to take a look.

OBEY

A wealthy Fall River philanthropist recently commissioned artist Manny Souza to design a bumper sticker campaign that would capture Bob's Correia's tenure as Mayor.

(Click to enlarge and print)

You too can own your very own copy of this Manny Souza masterpiece entitled "Obey."

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.) Go to your nearest office superstore
2.) Purchase 8 1/2x11 sticker sheets (avery brand usually carries this product)
3.) Fill your printer with said sticker sheets
4.) Click on the above artwork
5.) Print (or save for posterity and then print)
6.) Adhere to your favorite surface (that you own of course)
7.) Stickers may be cut into individual pieces or used in whole sheets

Learn more about the artist

Shamrock says:
I expect to see this masterpiece on your cars!

Mayoral Candidate Bob Correia on Public Safety

just because we cant get someone to pickup the needles doesn't mean it affects public safety .....Bob Correia

Government transparency

At the April 15, 2009 City Council meeting, I was very excited to hear a proposal by Councilor Steve Camara that would require the posting of schedules, agendas, and minutes, on the city website for ALL open meetings of Fall River governmental bodies (full text at the bottom). Almost every surrounding town offers this notice to their residents. What is our government afraid of? After Steve Camara's proposal was read, there was an awkward silence. Not one councilor moved to accept the resolution. It went a little something like this -



It is UNACCEPTABLE that Fall River does not offer this information online. Some councilors indicated they are waiting for Mayor Correia's magic new website, that has been under construction for way too long, to provide information on minutes, agendas, and notice of meetings. Do they seriously expect Bob Correia to create or allow a website that offers governmental transparency?

This information NEEDS to be online! And it can be done with minimal effort from the people we are paying at city hall.

A RESOLUTION PROMOTING OPEN GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE REQUISITE POSTING, ON THE CITY WEBSITE, OF ALL SCHEDULES, AGENDAS, AND MINUTES, OF ALL FALL RIVER GOVERNMENTAL BODIES’ MEETINGS, SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETING LAW, M.G.L. c.30A s.11A ½

WHEREAS the residents of Fall River and others should be able to obtain important information about local government via the internet; and

WHEREAS a growing number of Massachusetts municipalities have made it easy for their citizens to obtain access to key government records online. This simple and inexpensive action opens local government to more people and greatly improves their ability to be responsible, informed citizens; and

RECOGNIZING the purpose of the state Open Meeting Law is to eliminate much of the secrecy surrounding the deliberations and decisions on which public policy is based and that the democratic process depends on the public having knowledge about the considerations underlying governmental action, for without that knowledge, people are not able to judge the merits of actions taken by their representatives;

NOW THEREFORE, it is hereby RESOLVED by the Fall River City Council as follows:

1.) The Office of the Fall River City Clerk shall post all schedules and agendas of all Fall River governmental bodies’ meetings, subject to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law on the City website, no less than 48 hours in advance of the meetings; and

2.) The Office of the Fall River City Clerk shall post the minutes of all Fall River governmental bodies’ meetings, subject to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law on the City website no later than 72 hours after all said meetings.

I don't know whether it is the New Jersey license plates contrasting with the super important Fall River Mayor's license plate, which is proudly displayed in the back window (click to enlarge), OR whether it is the rental car parked in the Mayor's space, there is just something about the shot that I like.


While we are on the subject.....I have heard differing reports of how many people were at Mayor Correia's Portuguese Cultural Center (huge venue) campaign fundraiser on Thursday. The numbers have varied widely between 35-50 people. What I DO know is that he was scheduled to be at a student event the next morning and didn't bother to show up (maybe he was afraid of getting booed).

I can understand why the Herald News would do an article on proms. I can understand why the Herald News would do an article on how 'tough economic times' affect prom business; but why the heck would the Herald News think that the daughter of Ken and Carole Fiola, both of whom make lots and lots of money, is an appropriate representative kids weathering 'tough economic times.' "despite the lousy economy, Fiola’s not giving up her one shot at splurging for the junior prom." My thoughts:

shamrockblogga 11 hours ago
Using Lauren Fiola as the poster child for a prom goer splurging, despite the tough economic times, is just distasteful and a slap in the face. Luckily for her, her family is not feeling the effects of tough economic times, but rather, her family is partly responsible for tough economic times.

A $300 dress is a month's worth of food for many in Fall River. A $30 tanning package is a month of electricity for others. But her family can afford this, this is not a case of someone going all out despite the economy. I am sure there were plenty of kids in $50 dresses paid for by parents who worked an extra shift to buy it...and THAT is going all out in tough economic times. NOT a kid who's bmw suv driving mother spent pocket change on a dress made out of zebra and pasties."

This is not a reflection on the kid, I am sure she is a great (and I "reported abuse" for the nasty comment on the HN - but they haven't taken it down), she just isn't the appropriate figure to represent tough economic times. There are plenty of kids who didn't get to go to their prom because they didn't have any money.

Has anyone else noticed the garbage smell over the past two weeks?

Live from my parents basement......

johnybfallriver said...
I noticed they have one of these framed on the first floor of city hall here is some info from the write up next to it.

"Each coin was minted just a short 10 weeks and will never be minted again. And not only is each quarter beautifully showcased, it is also preserved for years to come beneath the protective framed glass. This powerful lithograph, created exclusively for The Franklin Mint by Manny Souza, evokes the very principles for which politics stands – control, courage, strength and democracy.

Limited Edition of 5,000,000
Additional Details

About the Artist

Manny Souza

"Light plays a major role in my work," says artist Manny Souza. "An abundance of light and shadows on his chubby face, creates a playground for me and allows a painting to take on a life of its own." Indeed, Souza's masterly use of light in natural settings and his ability to capture intricate details have become the hallmarks of his work. It's no wonder this award-winning artist has developed a national following for his strikingly realistic images. He has exhibited in art shows throughout the United States and his originals are on display in prestigious galleries in the Fall River Art district."