Ep12: The Noise

Worcester Is MAJOR-Episode 12- The Noise

New England Flavor

Things are looking very fall-like in Worcester, and after a relatively dry autumn, that quickly changed last week with alot of rain, but that has subsided, thank God.

As we continue to look at the municipal elections, it's becoming more clear that there are going to be some familiar faces sitting in City Council seats. Is this something to get excited about, to the point of screaming out loud, or do we do our best impression of Mcauley Culkin in "Home Alone"?

Looking at Mayor Lukes's campaign, it's not hard to read into it that she's not trying very hard to be the Mayor of the City of Worcester. By all accounts, it appears that Konnie enjoys being involved with city politics, but can do without the role & title of being mayor. It's sad because I believe that Konnie wants to be innovative, but she is stifled and has been squeezed by the "boys".

Let's take a look at Gary Rosen's campaign. Here's a man that has built a reputation as an educator & a man that knows how to "press the flesh". Not one to knock his hustle, but it's baffling that Mr. Rosen has built his campaign around being seen on street corners holding his sign, smiling and waving. Pretty amazing, right?

With voter turnout for the Primary Election at 14.58%, it does appear that we're on the road to the same old destination, with the same old passengers. Boy this ride is downright boring.

It's Official

This past weekend, word from Dennis Irish was that he’s not going to pursue running for mayor, rather he’s keeping his head-in-the-game by running for Councilor At-Large.

It comes as no surprise that Mr. Irish is saying “No” to the mayoral seat, especially with the City facing a $2 million budget deficit and it doesn’t appear to be shrinking anytime soon.

With the already belt-tightening taking place, where can more cuts be made?

It certainly isn’t in education where Worcester Public Schools are already struggling with over-crowding in classrooms and with the lack of funds to provide books and other amenities that the children deserve and need i.e. computers.

The other areas where cuts can not be made are related to the safety and security of all residents. When there is talk of cutting money from the Worcester Police and Worcester Fire Departments, residents are quick to respond with an boisterous “NO”, but it’s a tough argument when I drive by a construction site and see 2 to 3 officers standing around swapping stories and laughing. Is this where you'd like your tax dollars to go towards? It’s a simple question that takes less than 5-seconds to contemplate and come to a finding of "No".

So, what are we supposed to do? How can we get elected officials to take a closer look at the issues facing Worcester?

The answers are simple: learn what the candidates’ platforms are and, secondly, get off your derriere and VOTE!

With municipal elections taking place on November 6th, that date is right around the corner, so be proactive, do your research and then get out and VOTE!!