Dear Neighbors,
The mayor did do a great job introducing all the new diversity in Medford. He deserves credit for that. I would like to see him appoint more people of color especially black people to high offices throughout the city's departments. I would encourage him open up the process whether it be civil service testing or publicly advertising any new positions for fire, DPW, or police. I would also like to see black elected officials, whether on the school committee or on the council. But keep in mind that as long as the mayor has such heavy weight on the school committee a black person on the committee will just be another vote for what the mayor's agenda is. So if we can encourage black people to run for school committee and have the mayor step down from the committee we will surely have a more open process. I encourage my black neighbors and other people of color to run for city council as well. Currently, we only have one semi-official black voice and that would be the mayor's special assistant Mr. Kountz. Now, while I respect him for all he has done for the country and Medford, he works at the pleasure of the mayor. We need to have more independent black voices in this city. I would like to see a council and school committee that reflects the new diversity the mayor welcomed last night.
To the police department, you are not getting a new police station. We the city via the mayor is ordering you a new Water Taxi instead.
Respectfully,
Jeanne Martin

Here we go again. I would like to see the best candidate get the job not because of color of skin or gender but because they are the best to do the job. We want to be fair to all people. If an Asian female is the best candidate then she should get the job. Not simply because she is Asian or female.

Rob, I agree that the PERSON with the most to offer in PUBLIC SERVICE should be elected, however I can understand the frustration for communities not represented in Medford. With 56,000 people it is staggering to find only Wallace Kountze and Neil Osborne as the only men of color with any position of authority (if it can even be called that). If you are Asian, homosexual, from Brazil or part of a group that doesn't have someone who can understand your community's specific needs you are at the mercy of a Mayor who talks a good game but who is sadly lacking in specifics. A water taxi? What is this, Venice? When a police station is falling apart this Mayor talks about a parking garage and a water taxi. How many months a year will that water taxi work (does it have ice skates for the winter?) With McGlynn's utter failure to put hard numbers out there it is harder for us to trust a 26 year incumbent with the money. Case in point, McGlynn claimed last night that Peter White's JF White corporation forked over $600,000.00 to the city in "mitigation." Well, does anyone believe that? It is probably far less AND, equally important, what did the 14 bridges cost? 92 million or 120 million? Shouldn't Medford have received - in advance - in writing - ten to fifteen percent in mitigation? Why didn't the Mayor have it in writing? Why did he wait until after the project was done for...a dog park? Is that what we need? A dog park is the priority?

I agree Rob, if the best person is a white man or a white woman than they should have the job. Nobody is stopping a person of color from running for either the school committee or city council.

Dear Neighbors,
If you had gone to the State of the City, the mayor hosted a wide variety or diversity last night and I applaud him for it, but it is not enough for an urban center to have an all white leadership base. There is no Black, Asian representation at the table when major decisions are being made (often behind closed doors). In all areas of this city's boards and commissions we have almost exclusively white representation. The history of Medford itself explains why this is. We would benefit from this diversity and experience in our city. The favoritism in this city pushes people of color out alone. There are mechanisms in these systems which prevent their voices from being truly heard, only one of which is money. The system favors white men and women of late, in its natural inertia, in order to stop this inertia we need to openly encourage people of color to take legal leadership roles.
Respectfully,
Jeanne Martin

Wholeheartedly agree with the principle of your argument, Jeanne, but the very reason why we need more diversity is why it won't happen: I see a lot of nepotism and favoritism in city hall hirings.

Did you know that City Hall doesn't follow standard management rules such as annual reviews? Who's performing their job well? Who knows?? Does it matter if you're related to the mayor/a city councilor/a longtime resident with juice?

Ever hear of Barack Obama or Deval Patrick? They have done alright for themselves. Not for working people but for themselves they have gone pretty far.

Dear Neighbors,

To your point Rob, I would say the Mayor has done alright for himself as well. Let me assure you, I would have no problem questioning people of color in high office in Medford just as I do now. And you are right Raymay, the books should be on line. And maybe we would need to push diversity if the proper procedures for hiring and political office holders was followed more diligently. But if the people of color in office are going to be just another pocket yeah for the mayor, that wouldn't be good either. We need independent people of color and the new white immigrants (the young professionals) to hold public office now. The role of public office was never designed to be a life long career. Maybe if a young professional and a new immigrant of color got together on the council the books would find themselves on line. Maybe not, but it is worth a shot, the books haven't been transparent.

Respectfully,

Jeanne Martin

Respectfully,

Jeanne Martin

The city's FY2012 and FY2013 budgets are available on the city website, on the Finance and Accounting department's page:

http://www.medford.org/Pages/MedfordMA_Finance/index

I'm throwing in my two cents here. Mayor McGlynn has been in office for a very long time, but remember, he keeps getting voted in. Just like Penta does who I personally feel is an obstructionist and only says 'no' because the Mayor says 'yes'. Now, I think we can all agree that quite a few voters aren't well informed and will just vote because a candidate looks good or sounds good etc. All in all, I think McGlynn has done a pretty good job, he has no use for the city council and they have no use for him. He's not obligated to tell them anything and they feel they should be part of all his decisions. But I do feel that there should be term limits. We do have diversity in Medford, but if that diversity doesn't want to run then you have to vote in whats on the ballot and that may be all whites, and it's really a moot point to say otherwise. Would you rather have an experienced politician on a board or one of color who has no experience? As they say the devil you know....

It is the McGlynn machine that forces this Mayor back into office. Too many individuals are dependent upon him. Go look at the doorbells of the housing authority and see an alleged "who's who" of insiders, not the people who need the housing. McGlynn has dona terrible job - a 4 million dollar verdict against him at River's Edge, a public access TV station that is always shut down, be it a hurricane or a National Grid excuse or a flood or board members John, Doreen, Bob, Allison, Matt, Bill, Chrissy, Vincent, Phyllis all chased away. No inclusion, no ability to go on TV3 and discuss the Medford Housing Authority. I agree with Doria Alberg on Term Limits. Term limits for the City Council, for the School Committee, for the Mayor and for the Board of Directors of TV3. Term limits. I totally agree with Doria Alberg on that one. Thank you, young lady, for an excellent suggestion.

As much as I like Mayor Thomas Menino he also has a "Menino Machine" which effectively backed Elizabeth Warren. When politicians are entrenched those clever enough can mobilize their forces and push their way back in. Menino is a very good Mayor, and you would have to be as Boston has more voters, but in a smaller City like Medford, under 60,000 people, McGlynn squeezes by with only a 2600 vote victory. That is truly marginal, meaning the McGlynn machine is not as good as it used to be.

Hi Jetson, yeah, I heard Menino was friendly with Scotty. The problem with Scott Brown was that he didn't talk specifics, he went on the "warpath" with the Native American thing and shredded his "nice guy" image. The "I'm an independent" thing wasn't reflected in his votes as Senator, giving Warren a clear edge. Elizabeth Warren is a much sharper cookie than Martha Coakley, which is why Warren got my vote.