And the Train Keeps On a Rollin'

The Deval Patrick administration LITERALLY can't get through a day without something ridiculous happening. This was in today's Globe.

Two commissioners on the state's quasi judicial labor relations board are accusing Governor Deval Patrick's chief labor aide of interfering with the agency on cases involving two unions that endorsed Patrick and donated heavily to his gubernatorial campaign.

The two commissioners, Paul T. O'Neill and Hugh L. Reilly, asserted in interviews with the Globe that Suzanne M. Bump made an inappropriate call about a case involving the Boston Teachers Union and pressured the commission to approve a pending petition by Service Employees International Union, Local 1199.

Of course, Bump and company denied it.

"There is not a single instance of my telling them to make a decision on anything," said Bump, a former legislator from Braintree who served as Patrick's liaison with labor during the campaign.

In late January, O'Neill and Reilly said, Bump made an irate phone call to commission chairman John F. Jesensky after the agency made its initial ruling that the Boston Teachers Union was violating the law with its threats to call a strike. They said she complained to him that she had not been given notice before the decision was made in the case.

Bump "clearly communicated her extreme displeasure, and we clearly got the message that she was unhappy," O'Neill said in an interview this week. Jesensky, who was also appointed by Romney, declined to comment, but O'Neill and Reilly said the chairman briefed them on the call.

About a week later, O'Neill and Reilly said, during a review of the commission's budget, Bump expressed strong support for a petition pending before the commission by Service Employees International Union, Local 1199, which spent more than $600,000 last year in support of Patrick's candidacy.

Under state law, the Labor Relations Commission is an independent, quasi judicial panel that resolves labor disputes and enforces state labor laws. The commission falls within Bump's agency for budgetary reason, but under statute is "in no respect subject to the jurisdiction thereof."

The two commissioners said Bump's discussion of the SEIU contract and the teachers dispute constituted "inappropriate" interference. Reilly said it also raises "ethical improprieties." O'Neill said the agency plans to take their complaint to the governor.

The Deval Patrick Administration is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Governor Patrick Coming to Western Mass To Hammer Legislators

In an effort to turn up the heat on state legislators who aren't supporting taxes on new businesses, Deval Patrick's going to be touring the state having more of those silly town meeting moonbat pow-wows to push his new policy. In fact, he's planning on 'suggesting' names of some legislators who need to be 'lobbied' according to Mass Live. That'll go over like a fart in church.

"At the outset, we believe that our supporters and supporters of these ideas ought to be talking to their own legislators," Patrick said late yesterday afternoon. "As we do our own polling and we develop a sense of who is supportive and who is on the fence and who's elsewhere, then we'll be targeting particular legislators - you bet."

Patrick said he hopes legislators don't resent it.

Call me crazy, but I think they will. Just a tad.

Petrolati said yesterday it would be counterproductive to effectively raise taxes on businesses, especially when the state's economy is slowing.

"What I'm hearing is that people don't want new taxes," Petrolati said.

For once in my life, I agree with Tommy Petrolati. Hell is chilly tonight. While Patrick is partly right that many legislators are out of touch with their districts, on this particular issue (business taxes), most aren't, which is a political anomaly in this state.

Really though, what happened to "Together" We Can? Deval's made himself enough enemies in these early months. It probably wouldn't serve him well to make more.

Moonbats in Full Flight

Deval Patrick's new web site has garnered a little criticism over the past 48 hours or so, but for anyone curious as to how this web site was any different from his campaign web site.. well, uh....

Yes, everyone, 9-11 never happened, at least according to the 'community activists' on Deval Patrick's web site. Don't believe me, follow this link.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin has even chimed in with his feelings on the matter here. Apparently the web site has been publishing your address, phone number and all sorts of personal information. If the left hates the Patriot Act so much, they must be having a hemorrhage over this one!

It's that time of year where the moon bats like to spread 'em!...... The wings that is.

DevalPatrick.com raises privacy issues

Looks like ABC-5 in Boston has picked up on the sham of Deval Patrick's "Civic Engagement" web site as well.

Team 5 Investigates Janet Wu discovered that when people register to participate, it discloses their home address as listed in the Massachusetts voter database. Wu found that anyone could enter a name and a town and find the street address for any registered voter. For some searches, unpublished phone numbers were revealed.
Team 5 Investigates entered the name of a woman with a restraining order against a stalker. Her full address popped up on the Patrick campaign Web site.


Galvin said that he is concerned about privacy issues and worried about misuse of the information.

"I think we're all concerned about people's private information getting public. Just to be clear, this information did not come from my office," said Galvin. "We know elderly voters in particular (are) concerned about people finding their address, what apartment they're in."

Can you say privacy issues?

Morningstar said if anyone has a complaint to lodge, she welcomes them to go online and register their concerns, but she said the campaign has no intention of taking down the new page

Dear Miss Morningstar,

I'll go online so you can voter ID me, maybe even make a contribution, and file my complaint. Thanks for all your 'help'.

best,
Afternoon moon

Buckle up folks, it's going to be a long four years.

When All Else Fails, Campaign, Campaign, Campaign!

Looks like Deval tried the whole governing thing and figured out pretty quickly he sort of sucked at it. So...*sigh* Back to the campaign!

If it ever really ended.....

On Saturday, Patrick began a series of eight "town meeting" style forums across the state designed to help him rally loyal backers to push back against the established politicians and lobbyists he says are trying to undermine his agenda.

"It's you're government. It's your civic responsibility. And it's your moment in time," Patrick told the crowd, made up largely of well-wishers, who turned out to hear him.

Also Saturday, Patrick's campaign staff launched a revamped web site designed to make it easier for average citizens to pitch ideas to Patrick.

Patrick's efforts to remind his supporters why they backed him as a candidate comes as he struggles with the realities of governing and tries to recover from some of his early blunders -- including his decision to upgrade his official car to a Cadillac and redecorate his office with pricey drapes.

It seems the campaign never ends. It's got it's own web site, a place to make a 'contribution' and everything. No, not the kind of 'civic engagement' contribution, try campaign contribution. There are locations where he'll be stumping, policy stances and lots of nice pictures of everyone wearing burkas, doo rags, Red Sox hats and more.

Welcome to the new world of never ending campaigns in Massachusetts.

This little quote was my favorite:

"Show up. Make your voice heard. Nobody's giving us anything," he said. "Governing is about power, there's no mistaking that, and my power has never come from the insiders with connections and the powerful special interests, my power comes from you."

Apparently it's our fault that he doesn't have an agenda of any kind. What a steaming pile.

Deval's 'Talking Points'

When in doubt, whip up your yahoos and get em screaming. Nothing saves an administration quite like that!

Hack-A-Mania!!!!!

So Deval Patrick finally cans friend, donor and campaign chairman!

.....and then hired a few more hacks.

Now I'm a little befuddled as to where this money is all coming from to hire new staffers? Joe Landolfi is replacing Nancy Fernandez Mills, who's not really being fired, just being placed somewhere else in the administration, likely doing nothing, but retaining her salary. So that's not really a replacement, that's an addition. Dave Morales who was Senate President Robert Travaglini's 'chief of staff' and will go from $80,000 a year in that job and his salary will be bumped up to $100,000 even.

It's likely Patrick will use his firing of his wife's 'Secretary' Amy Gorin, whose salary totaled $72,000. So essentially, Patrick is adding $207,000 in salaries right? They're being funded basically out of the dropping of a $72,000 salary. Apparently, there are even more appointments on the way. So far, we've got $135,000 is new money that needs to be allocated for the governor's office and at this pace, it'll top that substantially.

Deval's putting a spin machine together with your money. Excellent.

Speaking of spin machines, The Republican just decided not to cover the reshuffle. At all. It wasn't anywhere on the paper. No mention, nothing. It might as well not have happened out here in Springfield.

Diane Patrick's Cheif of Staff Resigns

Amy Gorin, former Deval Patrick campaign co-chair and chief of staff to Massachusetts First Lady Diane Patrick, resigned from her post.

The resignation comes after controversy regarding Gorin's being placed on the tax payer-funded pay roll at a salary of $72,000 per year.

Gorin, Patrick's former campaign chair, also came under fire early last year when a testimonial posted on Deval Patrick's Campaign web site blog featured Gorin not disclosing her identity as the chairman of the Patrick campaign, instead showing herself to merely be a random supporter.

The official press release can be found here.

"Cost Avoidance" Massachusetts Style!

Governor Deval Patrick announced yesterday, that he is filing a "cost avoidance" bill with the Legislature according to Boston.com. The "cost avoidance" bill will only cost taxpayers $1.47 BILLION dollars. The money wlll be used to build "emergency" projects. "Emergency" projects like a new psyc hospital, and a few new bridges.

Who's avoiding the cost again?

Dukakis tells Media to leave Diane Patrick Alone

He won't ever go away. Former Governor and 1988 Democratic Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis was at it again, letting us all know we should stop picking on Deval Patrick about his wife's depression.

The best quote from this story:

"Former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, whose wife waged a public battle with booze, pills and depression and wrote two books about it, said the media should just leave Gov. Deval Patrick and his wife alone as she battles her own illness."

The press would have left Mikey and Kitty alone, had they, you know, not done everything they could possibly do to let everyone know about it. If Patrick wants privacy, he shouldn't be calling multiple press conferences to tell everyone not to bother his wife.

Deval Patrick's Popularity Plummets

This one's from Deval Patrick Watch:

Apparently Deval's approval ratings are dropping quicker than a hooker's drawers. His approval rating is down a whopping 20 points and his disapproval rating up 22. Yikes.

Read the story from CBS here.

Marge Eagan: Deval Patrick Showing True "Grit"

Is it utterly impossible for Democrats to look at their own and raise an eyebrow?

In the latest 'How Dare You' piece by a member of the liberal Boston media, Margery Eagan is quick to point out all the mean-face, Republican evil-doers who also apparently hot-dogged on the job in an attempt to justify Governor Deval's recent issues. This one though, took the taco:

Perhaps you have heard about Mitt and Ann Romney’s “my family is better than your family” presidential tour, where they go on about their perfect marriage, family, teeth, hair and home? It’s nauseating, really.

I’ll take grit over Mitt and Ann in Wonderland. Any day.

'Grit'? Sure. Nothing screams 'grit' like $72,000 a year salaries for Secretaries of non-public officials, flashy curtains, Cadillacs, or calls on fancy cell phones regarding favors for former employers. When I think of those things, I think of ripped blue jeans, beards and flannel shirts.

And yes, Large Marge, some people have families that aren't completely screwed up. Are you jealous or something?

Deval's Missteps Getting National Attention

Yikes, Even Reuter's is giving Deval Patrick some rough treatment these days. An interesting, all encompassing summary of Deval's more than shaky start.

Give Deval a Call

I just got an email from the National Rifle Association. Check out what I found!

Looks Like Deval Patrick's 2008 budget has a nice little piece slipped in there to make sure that written notifications for Firearms ID Cards and License to Carry permits are done a way with altogether. Usually, these laws require that a permit holder is notified 90 days before his or her permit expires.

The new language would require the state to supposedly send an 'electronic' notification of some sort only if the holder of the permit contacts the state themselves and provides them with their email address.

I'm a little shocked at this, seeing as $100 fee for licenses should more than cover the expenses of sending out written notification, but apparently, this'll do a better job of making sure people get arrested for possession of illegal firearms, thus making it easier to label them as the left like to label gun owners as; complete cooks.

Give Deval a call and let him know this is BS at (617) 250-4000. Call some legislators and give them an ear full too. (617) 722-1276.

Songs of Sympathy

Politics 101: When seedy stories of corruption under your rule begin to take hold, try to make people feel sorry for you. Sympathy always works.

So here we Governor Deval Patrick's Wife is now officially depressed.


I hope Diana Patrick gets better, but really, this whole thing is far too convenient to not at least arouse suspicion. A lead story in the Sunday edition of the most widely read paper in the region while in the midst of a few scandals? C'mon.

After all, he is a Democrat. It's not like he goes around parading his wife around for political gain. I mean, gosh, who do you think he is? Mitt Romney?

I wish the Globe could at least PRETEND not to be so biased.

Patrick to illegals: "Make a baby, you can stay"

Governor Deval Patrick has a few things to say about the illegal immigrants rounded up yesterday in New Bedford.

The plight of families affected by a New Bedford immigration raid is a "humanitarian crisis" and it's not over, Gov. Deval Patrick said Friday.

The governor's description of the fallout from Tuesday's raid on the Michael Bianco Inc. factory came as he announced that some detainees who are being held out of state are being released and returned to Massachusetts.

Five children and two mothers are among the people being released Friday, he said.

"Our focus is on the children and those other vulnerable people who were affected by this," he said. "It is a humanitarian crisis and it is not over yet."

Wow, a 'humanitarian crisis'!? Isn't that a little over-dramatic, Deval? These people broke the law. If they cared about their kids, they wouldn't have ever put themselves , especially their children, in that kind of a situation to begin with, but bah! Who needs responsibility? We arrest parents all over the United States every day for all sorts of crimes. Many of them are found guilty. Now illegals get to stay with their kids just because they're ILLEGAL?

Memo from Patrick to Illegals: "Want to Stay? Make Babies. TONS of 'em". Did he mention he'll pay for their college tuition too? My only question is: Does each one come with a free credit card?

Patrick apparently said during the campaign that illegal immigration was a federal issue. So why is he making phone calls trying to insure that hundreds of law-breakers are being permitted to stay in the state? This was mere weeks after Patrick announced he was not going to allow state troopers to cooperate with immigration officials.

Despite all of this rhetoric and pseudo chest-thumping, Patrick knew this raid was going to occur. He was told by Federal Officials it was going to happen. He let it happen. But then Deval realized something:


Nothing gets mini-scandals off the front page of a newspaper like starting a little race-fight!

We've all heard the story before: The evil honkeys and some uncle toms too, again, coming in and unjustly rounding up all the 'undocumented' workers and shipping them back to their country because we're all spiteful and racist for enforcing our laws. It will galvanize Deval's base, make him look like a champion of minority rights. Then he could go back to Pod-Casts and possibly open up a chain of taxpayer-funded Coffee Shops and we can all forget about those rocky days in early March.

This, ladies and gentleman, is our Governor. Next time, please vote for an adult.

Mass GOP Demands Investigation of Governor Deval Patrick

Looks like the Governor is in a little more trouble than he bargained for.

The following was reported on masslive.com:

BURLINGTON, Mass. (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick, a day after saying he regrets making a phone call to Citigroup on behalf of a struggling lending company on whose board he once served, said "don't give up on me," as the state Republican Party called for an ethics investigation.

"I will make mistakes, but don't give up on me, because I don't intend to give up on Massachusetts," Patrick, a Democrat, said Wednesday morning after an appearance at the Massachusetts High Technology Council annual meeting.

Patrick urged the public to look past his gaffes, which last month included disclosure of an expensive upgrade of his state car to a Cadillac.

The state Republican Party filed a request Wednesday with the state Ethics Commission, asking the panel to investigate the phone call.

The Massachusetts State Republican Party issues the following release for those of you interested:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brian Dodge

March 7, 2007 (617) 523-5005

Massachusetts Republicans File Ethics Complaint AGAINST GOVERNOR PATRICK

Boston, MA - Today, the Massachusetts Republican Party submitted a letter to the Massachusetts Ethics Commission requesting an investigation into the actions of Governor Deval Patrick taken on behalf of ACC Capital Holdings.

The letter to the Ethics Commission cites a February 20th call placed by Governor Patrick to a Citigroup Senior Executive at the request of the Vice Chairman of ACC Capital Holdings. The call was made as ACC Capital was requesting substantial financial assistance from Citigroup.

"Governor Patrick's effort to influence a business transaction at the request of his former employer raises serious ethical questions," said Brian Dodge, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. "Therefore, it is only appropriate to ask the Ethics Commission to investigate this matter further."

And finally, here's the copy of the letter faxed to the Massachusetts Ethics Commission:

TEXT OF LETTER FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS REPUBLICAN PARTY TO THE MASSACHUSETTS ETHICS COMMISSION

March 7, 2007

State Ethics Commission
Enforcement Division
One Ashburton Place, Room 619
Boston, Massachusetts 02108

Dear Commissioners:

According to a March 6th story in the Boston Globe headlined, Governor made call on behalf of lender, Governor Deval Patrick contacted Robert Rubin, Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee for Citigroup, Inc. on February 20, 2007 regarding a financial matter. The call was at the behest of ACC Capital Holdings, the parent company of Governor Patrick’s former employer, Ameriquest. The intent of the call was to weigh in on behalf of ACC Capital Holdings as they sought significant financial assistance from Citigroup.

Citigroup, Inc. and ACC Capital Holdings have sizable business interests in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A personal phone call from the state’s highest elected official to Citigroup’s Executive Committee Chairman at the request of ACC Capital’s Vice Chairman constitutes influence of the highest order.

According to Chapter 268A:23 of the Massachusetts General Laws, public officials must not:

(2) use or attempt to use his official position to secure for himself or others unwarranted privileges or exemptions which are of substantial value and which are not properly available to similarly situated individuals;

(3) act in a manner which would cause a reasonable person, having knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to conclude that any person can improperly influence or unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties, or that he is likely to act or fail to act as a result of kinship, rank, position or undue influence of any party or person. It shall be unreasonable to so conclude if such officer or employee has disclosed in writing to his appointing authority or, if no appointing authority exists, discloses in a manner which is public in nature, the facts which would otherwise lead to such a conclusion.

Governor Patrick’s actions are in direct violation of this statute.

The mission of the Massachusetts Ethics Commission is to foster integrity in government and promote public trust. It is for those reasons and the reasons laid out above that I request an immediate investigation into Governor Patrick’s activities on behalf of ACC Capital Holdings.

Sincerely,

Brian A. Dodge

Executive Director

Deval tell Vets to Stick a Grenade Up Their......

Yes, Deval Patrick has made it known that race-baiting, paying his wife, curtains, Cadillacs, phone calls on behalf of companies, and helicopters should all be a part of his administration. The well being of Military Veterans... not so much.

Patrick apparently doesn't think that taking care of military veterans in a time of war is well, as important as say, taking care of unions. Like the ones that lined the pockets of his campaign.

Let me guess, this is Deval keeping his promise of 'fiscal restraint'. One would even have to question the timing of announcing this decision at the same time that we have military veterans testifying in front of congress about Walter Reed Medical Hospital.

This is right up there with that time the legislature 'forgot' to fund those much needed college tuition breaks for Military Veterans.

Yes....Another Deval Patrick Scandal-Thingy

I want to have one week where Governor Deval Patrick isn't involved in something ridiculous. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving:

Facing another withering controversy, Gov. Deval Patrick apologized yesterday for intervening in a financial deal involving an embattled mortgage lender - a mea culpa that came as the Herald learned that the Ameriquest official who requested his help was also a campaign donor.

Patrick made a phone call to a top Citigroup official at the urging of Adam Bass, a top Ameriquest lawyer who gave a maximum $500 donation to Patrick’s campaign in February 2006, financial records show. Patrick previously served as a director for the mortgage company, which has faced accusations of predatory lending.

The governor’s intervention occurred despite a January memo approved by Patrick that warned administration officials of potential conflicts when dealing with ACC Capital, the firm that owns Ameriquest and employs Bass.

And so the apologies keep on coming....

“Even though I made this call solely as a former board member . . . I appreciate that I should not have made the call,” Patrick said. “I regret the mistake.”

That's Deval-Speak for "I know I shouldn't have done it, but I did it anyways. So sorry....I guess".

Here's the full story from the Boston Herald

Am I Stupid For Even Wondering?

I really am dissapointed in myself that I even bother to wonder why the Republican Party has proven itself totally incompetent in recent weeks should look nor further than a story that was (astonishingly) buried in the back page of the Springfield Republican's Local section today.

The Story was entitled "6 Patrick Staffers earn $100,000" or more. The story is the latest in a series of news stories that show how incredibly incompetent and inept our sitting Governor is, and how his spending habbits are completely and utterly out of control. Here's a run down of the fun:

--Chief of Staff to the Governor's Education advisor makes $90,000
--Deputy Chief of Staff Brendan Ryan earns $95,000
--David Simas is another Deputy Chief of Staff (I guess you can't have too many of those) and he's making $100,000 as well.
--Deputy chief legal counsel Michael Pineault makes $100,000

Everyone's on the dole big time in the Governor's office. If you were to add all this up (there's TONS more), we'd be getting into the million and a half range in terms of salary per year. Between the curtains, pod casts, Cadillacs and other things, it's pretty obvious this governor needs to have some folks at least attempt to keep him in check.

............or not so much.

"I Really can't criticize him on that" said Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei, who is a Republican. "The Governor is the CEO of a $26 billion entity, and he needs top quality people in positions like chief of staff and legal counsel. If this were a similar sized company in the private sector, these salaries would be considered low," He concluded.

That's a bunch of crap. Plain and simple. The difference between a company and the government is that I forcibly have to pay my money into the government. It's all about the power of coercian. When people get into public administration they usually go into it knowing they're not going to get the kind of compensation you can get in the private sector. We've stuffed the fat cats' pockets for so long in this state, it's now becoming and accepted thing and even Republicans are condoning it. Everyone's in it to make a buck apparently.

We've got tons of people running around talking about getting up and making something out of the Republican Party in this state, but it's impossible to do without, you know, showing people that we're different from the Democrats. Man is truly not a creature of circumstance.