Grand Hustle 101: Playground

On Wednesday, February 27th, I attended a meeting at Vernon Hill School to discuss the proposed playground that has been slated to be built at Glodis Field on Providence Street.

What I experienced and witnessed first-hand was the grandest of all "grand hustles" put on by District 3 Councilor, Paul Clancy, Jr., and mouthed by Assistant Commissioner of Parks, Robert Antonelli, Jr.

While this meeting was supposed to be "open to the public" it was very obvious that such was not the case as the meeting was "stacked" with supporters in favor of the playground, particularly by teachers of Vernon Hill School.

The playground was proposed as a, "gesture to show the city's gratitude" to the residents affected by the expanded Ballard Street compost site. Neighborhoods such as those in the areas of Gibbs Street, Granite Street, Dane Avenue and Svenson Avenue, to name a few, are affected whenever the compost site emits odor.

While there was an opportunity to ask questions of both Clancy and Antonelli, it became glaringly obvious that this meeting was only being held for face value and that the playground was going to be built either way.

Knowing the current economic condition of the United States and, more specifically Worcester, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend $365,000 on a playground for an area that has two other playgrounds in the general vicinity. While budgets continue to be cut and City employees are continually being asked to "do more with less", how can we, with good conscience, spend $365k on a playground?

As if this astonishing figure were not enough, Mr. Antonelli, Jr. reported that, through a grant of $455,000, Vernon Hill playground was going to be renovated beginning in July 2008. So, suffice it to say that not only is the $365k being "borrowed against the sewer account," we were now told that the area is going to receive close to $1 million in playground renovations! Again, does this make sense?

Hearing the principal of Vernon Hill School, Ms. Joanna Bowolick, speak about the playground, one would think that she, too, drank from the same contaminated water cooler as Councilor Clancy and Councilor-at-large Joseph Petty. Ms. Bowolick did her best to explain that she is for the playground by saying that she encourages children to go outside and play and that the current black top area is unsafe due to it being uneven and that the basketball hoops that were installed have been vandalized by local teens. Who's to say that this won't happen with the proposed playground?

We all certainly hope that Worcester Police Department will be able to patrol the area and keep the riff raff out, but there is no way to monitor the area 24-hours a day.

Yes, the PTO from Vernon Hill School deserves a round of applause for applying for and being awarded $5,000 as grant money through the Lowe's Toolbox for Education through the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, but should neighbors and families that don't live near the school have to pay for a playground when there are so many other schools that deserve a playground as well? It's simply all about what Vernon Hill School wants and leave all others to the wayside, right?

It's no longer all about the Benjamins, it's about what is right for our children and Ms. Bowolick and others are quick to play the child-card, because as we know, how can we deny little Timmy or Jane the right to play outside? Well, I know that I have to tell my child "No" often and she's not going to suffer any pain by hearing such a simple and yet powerful word.

So, suffice it to say that the playground received 18 votes in favor and 8 against it and I'm proud to say that I was one of those that voted against it, because I know we have to say "No" more frequently to reckless city spending.

Politics: Obama versus the World

I received this email from a relative and I think that many of the points raised are good ones that many blacks and whites think about, but are afraid to talk about.
Here's the email:

I am practically seething with all of the black people, especially so called "intelligent" , "educated", black people giving a million tired excuses of why they won't vote for Barack Obama and will vote for a Hillary Clinton:


1. He's not ready/He's not experienced.
Man please. You have the top 3 Democratic candidates with 1 Senate term under their belt. Hillary as the First Lady as experienced? Not one executive decision is made being as the first lady. That's like Stedman recommending a book, endorsing a candidate, or having his own show...SO WHAT.


2. White America is not ready for a Black president.
Whaaa? Was White America ready for slavery to end? Giving us the right to vote? Desegregation of our society? When did black people ever let white people dictate when and where we were getting our just due, our break? We've always stepped up and demanded what we wanted, or we were either hitting the streets and tearin' up some stuff, escapin', marching, or picketing. White America is ready for a Black President because Barack Obama is the right man for President, PERIOD.
Besides, that never stopped anyone from voting for Jesse Jackson, a man with NO political experience AT ALL from almost snatching the Democratic nomination in 1984, and coming darn close again in 1988 20 YEARS AGO.


3. Barack is half black and half white, so he's not really black anyway.
I should backsmack anyone who has ever thought that. Ever heard of the one drop rule? It has not only been a social standard for WHO is black, but it also upheld the constitution in keeping us from suing a white person over personal property. No black person ever refers to another black person as "biracial". You black. You might have another heritage in your lineage, but this country as well as any other sees you as black, PERIOD. Lame excuse people.


4. I don't know what issues Barack stands for.
When the heck has that ever prevented black folk from voting for a black candidate, really? I guess now, but the main people saying that couldn't tell you anything about Hillary's or John Edwards platform either. Please stop fronting.


5. All he did was give that one speech.
How many great people have defined their lives, the scope of human history, and changed the world in a speech? Moses, Jesus, Paul, Martin Luther, Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela, Jesse Jackson, and Jim Valvano all have changed the course of history of the world and the hearts of billions of men and women in societies since the beginning of time with a speech.
That is the purpose of a rally. A person speaks, and it prepares all to act in relation to the spirit of what is spoken. That is why we go to church, not to just hear our pastor blather, but to refresh God in our hearts and spurn us to take up God's will in our lives.
So save all that ying yang about that speech.


6. If all of those white people are supporting him, he must be in their back pocket.
Save the conspiracy theory home skillet. He's liked because he comes at a time where a person that looks exactly like them lied to their face (two in a row, if you include Bill Clinton with Monica and of course Bush with Iraq), and flat out said what no politician would admit: We have two Americas, blue and red, black and white. It was not publicly said, and on top of that proposed that we ACTUALLY DO something about it, not find more ways to be divided and not come together despite our differences. Noble concept, and one to be championed. That's JFK, FDR, and Abe Lincoln material. So they were feeling it, just like I was and you should too. His legislative work has been indicative of this as well, including his Fuel Standard work with President Bush. Check the resume, it shines.


THE REAL REASON BLACK PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR OBAMA IS THAT THEY ARE AFRAID THAT HE'LL WIN, AND:
1.WE'LL HAVE NO MORE EXCUSES LEFT.
We won't be able to say, "America is racist", "I cannot get a break because I'm black", and all other random excuses many blacks make for not achieving anything in their lives.


2. IF SOCIETY IS LEFT UNCHANGED AFTER HIS PRESIDENCY WE'LL LOSE HOPE.
If a black man becomes President, I honestly believe many black people feel that all of the world's problems should come to an end. No more crack selling, no more black on black crime, no more baby mama drama and dead beat daddies, no more people on welfare and on the chow line, no more winos, no more police brutality, no more DWB, no more predatory loans, no more ghettos, no more racism period, no more Middle East unrest, just everybody singing cumbaya. To some degree, I think alot of white people, especially liberal, feel that way too, that's why they are all up on him like that.
THAT'S RIDICULOUS. If it happened, he'd be one of the greatest people that ever lived, but that's way too much pressure to put on one man. DANG! I feel that people are really not ready for the world to get better anyway. It's like that father you never knew but won't make a relationship with because you don't want to be let down. It's unfair and let that go. Barack will make a great President, but he won't solve all of the world's problems, nor can he solve all of black peoples' problems either.


3. SO CALLED "EDUCATED" BLACK PEOPLE WON'T BE SO SPECIAL ANYMORE BECAUSE THE PLAYING FIELD WILL BE LEVELED.
Absolutely hate more than anything else. The above 2 reasons were largely a poor disadvantaged black person's inner fear about Barack. Many of number 2 and all of this one is specifically tailored to you bourgeois folks that actually like being the only black person (or one of a very few) in your medical school, your law school, your master's program, your Ph.D. program, your high fallutin' Fortune 500 Company, your faculty at your prestigious institution.
You feel deep inside being a talented 10th will become a talented population. As much as you detest and look down at your disadvantaged brothers and sisters , and claim they need to "get a job", "get an education", "pull themselves up from their own bootstraps", and "stop being so ignorant", you like them where they are. You are the one that has that shady feeling in your belly when a new black person is hired because you don't want them to screw it up for you. Yeah you...I'm talkin' about you. You know who you are. You think deep inside, Keishas, Darnells, Shequans are going to get theirs now that Barack is in office, and you won't be so special anymore.
See you like racism. You probably are like Clarence Thomas, the man that benefited from Affirmative Action but now you got yours, nobody else can get in too, so you vote against Affirmative Action. Yeah, claim you got your opportunity on merit. No, you got it on the backs of our ancestors that had to fight for you to get that job. Now you don't want a world where everyone has an equal opportunity. Well actually neither do poor blacks either, see 1.


3. IF HE MESSES IT UP, WE'RE ALL SCREWED.
Back in the day blacks with degrees could do nothing but shine shoes outside the company. Now we're in them, making decisions, even CEOs like my man Stanley O'Neal, the first black American to take the helm of a major Wall Street firm. That brother completely mismanaged the company, like many others who mismanaged banks and cause losing equity because of security back sub prime loans. Now, those that are in the know are afraid that a black man cannot ever get that opportunity to be THE MAN at a major institution again.
Not only that, if Barack messes it up, there will be a backlash on all of black America. "You guys had your chance to run the free world, and you blew it".
Sorry Charlie, Barack is one man. You can't use the logic for yourself as far as getting ahead, but lose it for this man. George Bush completely botched America's standing in the world, but I don't see anyone afraid to elect another white man. So come off of it.


4. BLACK WOMEN FEEL SORRY FOR HILLARY BEING CHEATED ON BY THE REAL FIRST (stated)BLACK PRESIDENT.
This is so dumb, I cannot address with words, but it's the truth for alot of black people, who felt Bill was the first Black President, and sistas especially would feel like they were vindicating a woman that was done wrong by anotha brotha.


5. BLACKS LIKE TO BE DIFFERENT FROM WHITES AND BARACK WILL BREAK DOWN BARRIERS WE LIKE HAVING UP.
Keep it real people. You hate it when anything we do gets imitated. It is instantly uncool. Most blacks love that we have our own thing, our own culture. Having Barack win means for a lot of people America will have more of a shared consciousness. We'll actually have to come together and squash some beef to make this country cooperative. I don't completely believe this concept, but I'm down for it. Once again, Black people really do like racism.


For all of you doubters out there this is what you really need to ask yourselves:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same .