Beam Me Up

I mean it. Beam me up, Scottie. There's no intelligent life down here.

Certainly not if you watched last night's Board of Aldermen meeting.

It's difficult to know where to start, so let's start with the reappointment of Police Chief Stephen Mazzie, which was before the Board last night. This should have been a simple vote -- the Chief has done a stand up job since being appointed three years ago, he's the right man for the job, and he should've received a unanimous reappointment.

But he didn't.

Why? Well . . . let's look at some hard cold facts.

Chief Mazzie made a powerful enemy when he coordinated a raid on Alderman Michael Marchese's bar, MacDonald's Cafe, a couple of years ago, and tonight was payback time. Marchese managed to rally his minions to vote to have the appointment held over until John Hanlon takes the oath of office. The logic behind this move, as explained by Alderman Van Campen and, surprisingly, Joe McGonagle, was that protocol dictates that Mayor-elect Hanlon should have the opportunity to speak with the Chief and decide whether he should be put up for reappointment. This logic, it would seem, flies in the face of the other comments made by these members of the Board -- that if not for the "special circumstances" of a Mayoral transition, they would have no problem reappointing the Chief.

And let's not forget the fact that John Hanlon was elected over a month ago. Is he trying to tell us that he couldn't have a conversation with the Chief until he's sworn in? Is he trying to tell us that he didn't know the Chief was coming up for reappointment, and he didn't plan accordingly by sitting down and having a conversation with the man? Is he trying to tell us that he doesn't have someone else in mind for the post? Are we honestly to believe that this appointment is being held up on a point of protocol? Do these guys really believe we're that stupid?

Well . . . if Chief Mazzie is the right man for the job today, then he's the right man for the job a month from now, and it would've been nice, for once, to see certain members of the Board strap on a pair and vote their consciences for a change and not be dictated to by certain "influences" -- and make no mistake, this evening's influence was Michael Marchese.

Follow that logic a little further . . . they manage to have this appointment pushed over for the new administration. Do you all remember the pictures of Hanlon's victory party and those who stood front and center with him? Yes, indeed, there they were, the Brothers Marchese Michael and Joseph. Michael Marchese sent out letters of support of John Hanlon's candidacy in the final week of the campaign. Joseph Marchese has been known to provide substantial "financial aid" to those candidates whose success could be beneficial to him.

Are all of the dots connected yet?

Okay . . . Marchese has a grudge against Chief Mazzie . . . Chief Mazzie's appointment has been pushed over to January when Hanlon takes over . . . Hanlon "owes" the Marcheses for their not insignificant assistance in getting him elected . . . it's a frightening pictures once it comes into focus.

It defies common sense. It defies logic, and it defies any sense of doing what is in the best interest of the city. It reeks of political payback. Is this what we have to look forward to with the incoming administration? Will the Hanlon administration become the realization of what they've claimed the Ragucci administration was all along?