New York Times reportedly selling the Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram at a fire sale by July 8. Liquidators, speculators, and low ball bidders-the feast and cheap deal of the century has arrived.
This news is a New England disgrace.
The newspaper of record for New England and the paper of record for Worcester County is going in fire sales potentially to some liquidators, speculators, or become victims of some sort of get rid sale scheme. This calamity is being dictated by absentee failed management owners of the deteriorating New York Times.
Government must step in immediately at the highest levels. There needs to be an immediate post audit and oversight hearing here in Massachusetts. There must be a true independent financial and performance. audits.
The congressional delegation should do more than lip service as press freedoms are being compromised now in this region as is happening throughout the country with no intervention.
The disgrace will result less transparency in communications. We are witnessing another failure and example that requires government regulation to insure competition in the media to preserve first amendment rights. Newspapers should have not become the tools of Wall Street stock greed and moguls monopolistic unfair expansion goals. This is a failure of the unregulated free market left alone to act like robber barons.
Government acted quickly with blank checks to bail out the selfish banks, insurers, wall street brokerage houses, and the auto industry. Yet, that which affects our democracy, civil rights, free speech, and first amendment rights be dammed!
From Bad to Worse, Massachusetts Legislature watering down more already weak ethics legislation
Inefficiency, Fraud, and Abuse of the Special Interest will only continue.
Change and a real disinfectant is needed by government.
How low and out of control can government go before there is outrage by the citizens and a real reform movement begins?
I suggest that so called good government groups such as Common Cause stop trying to become insiders with the politicans and really lead an all out reform movement.
STATE BUDGET FRAUD CONTINUES ON BEACON HILL....WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE, INEFFICIENCY, AND MISMANAGEMENT CONTINUES TO BE COVERED UP
The yearly legislative Budget Process becomes another bad nightmare.
There should be no cuts in any state services or budgets. There should be expansion.
All that is needed is an assault on inefficiency, waste, mismanagement, fraud and abuse. Concentrate on the purchase of services from vendors, contractors, providers,patronage unneeded positions, consultants,underground economy and the special interests.
Accountability, oversight, and post audit continues to not be implemented in the budget process.
The mistrust in government continues leaving the taxpayers to dig deeper to finance the state budget fraud. Time for the governor and legislature to stop acting like emperors who have not clothes by leaving all egos at the door and doing their elected job.
The yearly legislative Budget Process becomes another bad nightmare.
There should be no cuts in any state services or budgets. There should be expansion.
All that is needed is an assault on inefficiency, waste, mismanagement, fraud and abuse. Concentrate on the purchase of services from vendors, contractors, providers,patronage unneeded positions, consultants,underground economy and the special interests.
Accountability, oversight, and post audit continues to not be implemented in the budget process.
The mistrust in government continues leaving the taxpayers to dig deeper to finance the state budget fraud. Time for the governor and legislature to stop acting like emperors who have not clothes by leaving all egos at the door and doing their elected job.
CUT Massachusetts STATE EMPLOYEE WORKFORCE TO SOLVE THE STATE FISCAL CRISIS!
PROTECT THE MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYERS FOUNDATION AND BEACON HILL INSTITUTE WHOSE MEMBERS RECEIVE STATE CONTRACTS OR GET GRANTS!
BLAMING THE STATE WORKERS AND NOT THE SPECIAL INTERESTS WHO ARE THE REAL CULPRITs IS A GROSS COVER UP THAT THE MEDIA MUST EXPOSE.
Michael Widmer of the the misnamed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is directly responsible for the state fiscal mess because of bad guidance and inefficiency, waste, of and mismanagement of his members who get state contracts. The Beacon Hill Institute who is for hire by special interests seeking State Contracts or avoiding regulations are way off base in attacking state employee workers.
The problem is both Michael Widmer and David Tuerck are part of the problem. Over the years, they have failed to support oversight and accountability in government starting with the Big Big Dig fraud, abuse and by contractors providers,and vendors waste of tax dollars.
The misdirected are the state employees who have been victimized and scapegoated by the likes of Widmer and Tuerck who continue to be wrongly held having credibility by a misguided press that the media should expose are the cause for the Massachusetts Fiscal Crisis.
(Note: this entry is being written as a response to a Boston Globe news article)
PROTECT THE MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYERS FOUNDATION AND BEACON HILL INSTITUTE WHOSE MEMBERS RECEIVE STATE CONTRACTS OR GET GRANTS!
BLAMING THE STATE WORKERS AND NOT THE SPECIAL INTERESTS WHO ARE THE REAL CULPRITs IS A GROSS COVER UP THAT THE MEDIA MUST EXPOSE.
Michael Widmer of the the misnamed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is directly responsible for the state fiscal mess because of bad guidance and inefficiency, waste, of and mismanagement of his members who get state contracts. The Beacon Hill Institute who is for hire by special interests seeking State Contracts or avoiding regulations are way off base in attacking state employee workers.
The problem is both Michael Widmer and David Tuerck are part of the problem. Over the years, they have failed to support oversight and accountability in government starting with the Big Big Dig fraud, abuse and by contractors providers,and vendors waste of tax dollars.
The misdirected are the state employees who have been victimized and scapegoated by the likes of Widmer and Tuerck who continue to be wrongly held having credibility by a misguided press that the media should expose are the cause for the Massachusetts Fiscal Crisis.
(Note: this entry is being written as a response to a Boston Globe news article)
Boston Globe New York Times Owners Locked in Battle with Employees Threatening Our Regional Press Freedoms
Tom Mashberg former union official at the Boston Herald has commented on the current Boston Globe owners threat to shut down the newspaper. Mashberg offers advice to both Globe managers and union members as he had to deal with a similar desperation in 2005 to allegedly keep the struggling Boston Herald afloat. His comments appear to be sincere and I would like to take them as such.
It is common knowledge that Herald employees that are still employed have made many sacrifices to keep the publication alive and breathing. However, an interesting point to what appears to be different from what is going on with the Globe and Employee Unions is an apparently lack of candor on the part of the New York owners. This only adds fuel to an increasing bonfire of credibility.
Mashberg states the differences between the Boston Globe and Boston Herald in dealing with the crisis facing their survival. This has caused a wedge to any solution to keep the Globe a viable newspaper from death.
Patrick J. Purcell is a local based publisher of the Herald who makes decisions. Some say Purcell is joined at the hip and has been accused of being a Rupert Murdock media mogul front guy though never openly proven. This may have some suspicion as the Herald which closed its own printing plant displacing many workers is printed at a Murdock owned printing plant in Chicopee and not Boston. Also, the Murdock empire recently purchased a Massachusetts regional newspaper chain and Purcell is performing management services? Additionally, the Herald employees have traditionally always received survival wages from a most long timestruggling newspaper management.
This states the difference in the survival mode of what the Herald endures versus the antics what the New York Globe is doing. Mashberg says the Herald publisher lets the union review Herald books every three months. No one makes a lot of money at the Herald he states including the publisher.
Trying to have sympathy for the New York Times owners is most difficult. The management of the Globe took bonuses despite losing over $50 million last year. Those in New York did the same as well as the owners getting shocking rewards despite losing billions in stock value. This should not have been done and smacks of another AIG, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch fiasco without the taxpayer bailout as yet.
Now Globe mangers are threatening to shut down the newspaper unless more and more concessions are given up by a beleaguered workforce. This is scaring the remaining advertisers and does not help a sincere survival process lacking opening up all financial books to the union. This private business has placed the public eye on itself and should therefore open its books to the workers, advertisers, and general public to insure validity of what is going on.
The public knows that newspapers are drying up all over the country because of the new media of the internet, blogs, and cable news. The time has come for total transparency and oversight by Globe and the New York owners. Or, is this a game to file bankruptcy, take a tax loss for a toxic asset, or sale to a liquidator at 1, 5 to 10 cents on the one billion dollar plus previously paid for the newspaper and thus removing the union entities?
The politicians crying because of the pending potential demise should view the Boston Globe and the cancer plaguing the newspaper industry. We are watching a serious threat to press freedoms, free speech, transparency, oversight, and accountability in Government, Business, and Labor.
(Note: Published also on John Gatti Jr. Blog at The New England News Forum Website)
Tom Mashberg former union official at the Boston Herald has commented on the current Boston Globe owners threat to shut down the newspaper. Mashberg offers advice to both Globe managers and union members as he had to deal with a similar desperation in 2005 to allegedly keep the struggling Boston Herald afloat. His comments appear to be sincere and I would like to take them as such.
It is common knowledge that Herald employees that are still employed have made many sacrifices to keep the publication alive and breathing. However, an interesting point to what appears to be different from what is going on with the Globe and Employee Unions is an apparently lack of candor on the part of the New York owners. This only adds fuel to an increasing bonfire of credibility.
Mashberg states the differences between the Boston Globe and Boston Herald in dealing with the crisis facing their survival. This has caused a wedge to any solution to keep the Globe a viable newspaper from death.
Patrick J. Purcell is a local based publisher of the Herald who makes decisions. Some say Purcell is joined at the hip and has been accused of being a Rupert Murdock media mogul front guy though never openly proven. This may have some suspicion as the Herald which closed its own printing plant displacing many workers is printed at a Murdock owned printing plant in Chicopee and not Boston. Also, the Murdock empire recently purchased a Massachusetts regional newspaper chain and Purcell is performing management services? Additionally, the Herald employees have traditionally always received survival wages from a most long timestruggling newspaper management.
This states the difference in the survival mode of what the Herald endures versus the antics what the New York Globe is doing. Mashberg says the Herald publisher lets the union review Herald books every three months. No one makes a lot of money at the Herald he states including the publisher.
Trying to have sympathy for the New York Times owners is most difficult. The management of the Globe took bonuses despite losing over $50 million last year. Those in New York did the same as well as the owners getting shocking rewards despite losing billions in stock value. This should not have been done and smacks of another AIG, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch fiasco without the taxpayer bailout as yet.
Now Globe mangers are threatening to shut down the newspaper unless more and more concessions are given up by a beleaguered workforce. This is scaring the remaining advertisers and does not help a sincere survival process lacking opening up all financial books to the union. This private business has placed the public eye on itself and should therefore open its books to the workers, advertisers, and general public to insure validity of what is going on.
The public knows that newspapers are drying up all over the country because of the new media of the internet, blogs, and cable news. The time has come for total transparency and oversight by Globe and the New York owners. Or, is this a game to file bankruptcy, take a tax loss for a toxic asset, or sale to a liquidator at 1, 5 to 10 cents on the one billion dollar plus previously paid for the newspaper and thus removing the union entities?
The politicians crying because of the pending potential demise should view the Boston Globe and the cancer plaguing the newspaper industry. We are watching a serious threat to press freedoms, free speech, transparency, oversight, and accountability in Government, Business, and Labor.
(Note: Published also on John Gatti Jr. Blog at The New England News Forum Website)
FORUM ON GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY LACKS THE REAL PANELISTS WHO HAVE TALKED THE TALK AND WALK THE WALK ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT. A REAL DISCUSSION WITH SOLUTIONS IS NEEDED TO RESTORE FAITH IN GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS
Northeastern University recently hosted a forum on Government Accountability and Transparency that needed a real discussion and solutions for government credibility at all levels under siege.
The business of government accountability and oversight limits itself to two factions.
One is the Special Interests and organizations who profit at the expense of the taxpayers and citizens. Then the others who wear masks and state they profess to be for accountability and oversight thereby also profiting in fundraising and employment. These types rarely go beyond the cursory.
Then there are the others to name a few and leave no one out who state the facts and investigate to determine the truth even at their own peril or challenges to their careers. They include Peter Scannell, Harry Markopolos, Peter Howe, John Strahanich, David Kassel,Wendell Woodman, John Coughlin, Claire Donahue, Tom Moorman, Joe Bergantino, Tom Hammond,Steve Cotton, Larry Overlan to name a few of the many who could be the real panelists with real facts and not part of the usual establishment who parade in when a so called good government advocate is needed in a crisis of government confidence.
Northeastern University recently hosted a forum on Government Accountability and Transparency that needed a real discussion and solutions for government credibility at all levels under siege.
The business of government accountability and oversight limits itself to two factions.
One is the Special Interests and organizations who profit at the expense of the taxpayers and citizens. Then the others who wear masks and state they profess to be for accountability and oversight thereby also profiting in fundraising and employment. These types rarely go beyond the cursory.
Then there are the others to name a few and leave no one out who state the facts and investigate to determine the truth even at their own peril or challenges to their careers. They include Peter Scannell, Harry Markopolos, Peter Howe, John Strahanich, David Kassel,Wendell Woodman, John Coughlin, Claire Donahue, Tom Moorman, Joe Bergantino, Tom Hammond,Steve Cotton, Larry Overlan to name a few of the many who could be the real panelists with real facts and not part of the usual establishment who parade in when a so called good government advocate is needed in a crisis of government confidence.
MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK IN AN ALL OUT ASSAULT ON PARENTS AND RELATIVES WHOSE FRAGILE LOVED ONES ARE TO BE MOVED OUT UNWILLING FROM STATE RESIDENCES FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED? THE PATRICK EFFORT AIDED WILLINGLY, WITTINGLY, OR UNWITTINLY BY SOME BUT NOT ALL UNIONS?
February 2009
The final battle in the war to destroy the state delivery of Human Services in Massachusetts is entering an almost final phase under a Democratic Governor Deval Patrick in a heartless insensitive act.
The victors are not the persons in need of services, taxpayers, or the beleaguered often maligned dedicated career state employees who provide services to this most needy and vulnerable population.
The big winners are the so called non profit, not for profit, and for profit corporations that are composed of the well heeled army of pirating profiteer vendors, consultants, providers, and alleged liberal lobbyists receiving billions in tax dollars masquerading as angels of mercy. They operate with interrelated entities, real estate, many in first class luxury with salaries with expensive perks AIG and Bear Stearns would be proud.
Several of these entities have been exposed in the media and in audits. Yet many are rewarded with further contracts. Estimates of inefficiencies of waste, fraud and abuse range from a low of one $billion to several $billions. All or most operate outside of the State Ethics Commission, Open Meeting Laws, Freedom of Information Act and Competitive Bidding utilizing tax dollars.
The Governor now is embarking on closing 3 schools for the mentally retarded that house some of the most profound cases requiring 24/7 care. This is terrorizing families long promised and many aged that the homes of their loved ones would not be taken away or moved. The three facilities on the chopping block are the Monson Development Center, Monson; Glavin Regional center, Shrewsbury: and Fernald Development Center, Waltham.
These facilities are self contained and provide needed services for the clients and allow integration into the community when possible. What will happen will be turning this fragile population into so called community isolated warehouses with questionable support client support? There are always ready and willing profiteers and developers ready to be unaccountable to provide these services for financial gain.
The problem with the state delivery system has been a lack of resources consistently provided and modernization resulting in setting them up to failure. When the state gets out of providing services a monopoly and a dependence on the Human Services Industrial Complex with continued skyrocketing costs done without an economic analysis will come about. State Government will be gouged as there will be no competition and no safety net by not having any emergency structure available to care for those in need.
This assault on the state delivery system has been happening for years under both Democratic and Republican Governors and the manipulation of the Human Services Vendor Establishment that is out of control. That system is not accountable causing the state budget to be riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse.
Some of the unions have knowingly or unknowing have become allies and often coalition with the Human Services Industrial Establishment. One entity is the Massachusetts Branch described as outdated Council 93 of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. The group has done little or nil to advocate modernization of the state delivery system resulting in the demise of many former state direct care facilities. There has been seen loss of many of its own dues paying members that seems not to alarm oblivious union bosses who maintain a false front?
Another union group is somewhat more interesting to observe and finds contradictions. That group is the Massachusetts Branch of Service Employees International Union run nationally by embattled head receiving publicity of late Andy Stern. Three branches and agendas will be addressed here.
They include Local 509 known for the many State Social Workers represented. This group was an early backer of Deval Patrick and now is seeing many of its members being unfairly laid off? This group always appears to be key allies of the private vendors seeking to perform their member services and only cursory advocate for a state delivery system provided by its own members. Rarely, if at all, will this group stand up against contracting out their member state services. For several years, Local 509 has simultaneously been organizing and representing both competing private and public sectors. Apparently, the opium of dues for the operation of the labor boss leadership prevails at the expense of the membership?
The next group Local l199 in recent years has descended upon Massachusetts from New York with deep pockets for political campaigns and organization. Note the work done for Deval Patrick and other legislative races. This group is out organizing the death carnage of the state delivery system and other private facilities that has come about because of falling apart due to the negligence of Council 93 (AFSCME) and Local Union 509 SEIU.
One premise circulated by those watching the labor bosses of Local 509 and Local 1199 maybe the exposed strategy employed by Blue Cross and the Massachusetts General Hospital crowd to raise rates recently exposed in the Boston Globe? These two groups maybe employing a similar strategy in their collaboration with the Human Services Industrial Establishment on so many issues? Letting the state delivery system fail and see workers displaced, then organize the new entities and utilize the strategy of joint lobbying for protection in the legislature for grants, higher rates, and more unaccountable tax dollars?
What is interesting to note is another state union National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) which has been under a microscope of late on other issues and has some affiliation with SEIU. This group represents lawyers, clerical, accountants, and auditors, various classifications at the Highway Department and state delivery facilities. This group over the years has been and continues to be outspoken against unfair wasteful outsourcing of traditional state services unlike their counterpart affiliates. Their open comments before the legislature and public shows a reflection of placing concern, care, and compassion for clients and for the very same facilities projected to be closed.
Governor Patrick and those union labor boss allies should show a conscious and have a heart. Stop your exploitation of some of our most vulnerable citizens and families.
February 2009
The final battle in the war to destroy the state delivery of Human Services in Massachusetts is entering an almost final phase under a Democratic Governor Deval Patrick in a heartless insensitive act.
The victors are not the persons in need of services, taxpayers, or the beleaguered often maligned dedicated career state employees who provide services to this most needy and vulnerable population.
The big winners are the so called non profit, not for profit, and for profit corporations that are composed of the well heeled army of pirating profiteer vendors, consultants, providers, and alleged liberal lobbyists receiving billions in tax dollars masquerading as angels of mercy. They operate with interrelated entities, real estate, many in first class luxury with salaries with expensive perks AIG and Bear Stearns would be proud.
Several of these entities have been exposed in the media and in audits. Yet many are rewarded with further contracts. Estimates of inefficiencies of waste, fraud and abuse range from a low of one $billion to several $billions. All or most operate outside of the State Ethics Commission, Open Meeting Laws, Freedom of Information Act and Competitive Bidding utilizing tax dollars.
The Governor now is embarking on closing 3 schools for the mentally retarded that house some of the most profound cases requiring 24/7 care. This is terrorizing families long promised and many aged that the homes of their loved ones would not be taken away or moved. The three facilities on the chopping block are the Monson Development Center, Monson; Glavin Regional center, Shrewsbury: and Fernald Development Center, Waltham.
These facilities are self contained and provide needed services for the clients and allow integration into the community when possible. What will happen will be turning this fragile population into so called community isolated warehouses with questionable support client support? There are always ready and willing profiteers and developers ready to be unaccountable to provide these services for financial gain.
The problem with the state delivery system has been a lack of resources consistently provided and modernization resulting in setting them up to failure. When the state gets out of providing services a monopoly and a dependence on the Human Services Industrial Complex with continued skyrocketing costs done without an economic analysis will come about. State Government will be gouged as there will be no competition and no safety net by not having any emergency structure available to care for those in need.
This assault on the state delivery system has been happening for years under both Democratic and Republican Governors and the manipulation of the Human Services Vendor Establishment that is out of control. That system is not accountable causing the state budget to be riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse.
Some of the unions have knowingly or unknowing have become allies and often coalition with the Human Services Industrial Establishment. One entity is the Massachusetts Branch described as outdated Council 93 of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. The group has done little or nil to advocate modernization of the state delivery system resulting in the demise of many former state direct care facilities. There has been seen loss of many of its own dues paying members that seems not to alarm oblivious union bosses who maintain a false front?
Another union group is somewhat more interesting to observe and finds contradictions. That group is the Massachusetts Branch of Service Employees International Union run nationally by embattled head receiving publicity of late Andy Stern. Three branches and agendas will be addressed here.
They include Local 509 known for the many State Social Workers represented. This group was an early backer of Deval Patrick and now is seeing many of its members being unfairly laid off? This group always appears to be key allies of the private vendors seeking to perform their member services and only cursory advocate for a state delivery system provided by its own members. Rarely, if at all, will this group stand up against contracting out their member state services. For several years, Local 509 has simultaneously been organizing and representing both competing private and public sectors. Apparently, the opium of dues for the operation of the labor boss leadership prevails at the expense of the membership?
The next group Local l199 in recent years has descended upon Massachusetts from New York with deep pockets for political campaigns and organization. Note the work done for Deval Patrick and other legislative races. This group is out organizing the death carnage of the state delivery system and other private facilities that has come about because of falling apart due to the negligence of Council 93 (AFSCME) and Local Union 509 SEIU.
One premise circulated by those watching the labor bosses of Local 509 and Local 1199 maybe the exposed strategy employed by Blue Cross and the Massachusetts General Hospital crowd to raise rates recently exposed in the Boston Globe? These two groups maybe employing a similar strategy in their collaboration with the Human Services Industrial Establishment on so many issues? Letting the state delivery system fail and see workers displaced, then organize the new entities and utilize the strategy of joint lobbying for protection in the legislature for grants, higher rates, and more unaccountable tax dollars?
What is interesting to note is another state union National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) which has been under a microscope of late on other issues and has some affiliation with SEIU. This group represents lawyers, clerical, accountants, and auditors, various classifications at the Highway Department and state delivery facilities. This group over the years has been and continues to be outspoken against unfair wasteful outsourcing of traditional state services unlike their counterpart affiliates. Their open comments before the legislature and public shows a reflection of placing concern, care, and compassion for clients and for the very same facilities projected to be closed.
Governor Patrick and those union labor boss allies should show a conscious and have a heart. Stop your exploitation of some of our most vulnerable citizens and families.
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