Lights, Camera . . . Election Season 2005!

Many people may know that there is a program on Everett Community Television called Pols & Politics, which is hosted by Ward 2 Alderman Jason Marcus. It’s an entertaining, and occasionally informative program, but the most recent episode was positively illuminating – although probably not in the way that the host and his guest were hoping.

The guest was Ward Three Alderman Michael Marchese, who is rumored to be considering a run for Mayor next year. Alderman Marchese was asked about what things concerned him in the City, and two of the subjects cited are worth noting.

Alderman Marchese stated that he was concerned about the school construction projects, the problems that have been encountered, and the activities of the School Building Commission. He expressed concern over the litigation currently under way over the construction of the Lafayette and the English School and claimed that the Board of Aldermen cannot get any answers from the Administration. He also claimed that the Board is “kept out of the loop” in terms of what the School Building Commission is doing, where the funds are coming from, how the money is being spent, and what the progress is on the school building projects. In a way, these are surprisingly honest statements for an elected official to make. On the other hand . . . one has to wonder why an elected official would have so much difficulty gathering this information when all meetings of the School Building Commission are publicly posted, as required by law, and anyone can attend. The School Building Commission, comprised of very accomplished people who give their time voluntarily, meets on a regular basis, generally on Tuesday evenings. The Commission also has representatives from both the Common Council and the Board of Aldermen sitting as appointed members - liaisons, if you will – so it is difficult to understand why Alderman Marchese would not simply either attend a School Building Commission meeting or speak to his colleague on the Board of Aldermen who is a sitting member of the Commission. Additionally, any expenditure made by the School Building Commission must be signed off by the Joint Committee on Bills & Accounts, on which sit members of both the Board of Aldermen and Common Council, and whose responsibility it is to review all bills submitted before authorizing their payment. The information that the Alderman claims to be seeking is hidden in plain sight.

Another concern of Alderman Marchese is the tax delinquents in the city who are still conducting business in spite of the fact that they owe the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes and penalties. He feels that more can be done to collect the money, and although he offered no specifics, he did state that the city shouldn’t be granting licenses to operate these businesses unless their tax issues are resolved. That sounds good on the surface, but what Alderman Marchese fails to point out in this discussion is that the Board of Aldermen is the licensing authority for the city. Alderman Marchese serves on the Board of Aldermen’s Licensing Committee. The irony is staggering.

But for Alderman Marchese’s appearance on Pols & Politics, it could be considered unfair to single him out for disingenuousness when it comes to his criticism of the management of city affairs. For example, in a recent article in the Boston Globe, Ward Five Alderman Robert Van Campen expressed concern that the city is reaching its tax levy limit and makes the claim that the City Council is kept in the dark when it comes to what is happening with the finances of the city. This begs the question – if part of the responsibility of the City Council is to be the “fiscal watchdog” of the City, don’t they have the power to flip the switch and turn the lights back on by, say, actually looking at the finances of the City from time to time? Shouldn’t that be what, for example, the Finance Committee might want to try occasionally?

There are a number of questions that have been posed from the floor of the Council Chamber over the years that could have been researched by the individuals raising the issues. Many of these questions could be referred to committees for further review and information gathering – but as most elected officials know, work on Committees doesn’t generally get your name in the paper, and if you’re considering a run for higher office, increasing name recognition and raising public profile are keys to success, regardless of how clouded the issues become. It is time to demand better of our elected officials, to insist that they put the interests of the city above their political ambitions, and to ask of ourselves more diligence in overseeing the work done by the people we elect to represent us. At the end of the day, the decision is in the hands of the voters – and there are some big decisions soon to come before us. Being an educated participant in the process is going to be crucial when Election Season 2005 rolls around.