In victory speech, mayor makes threats
By JOSH RESNEK
There is an old political saying that comes down through the ages from ancient Greece.
“When you win, you are magnanimous in victory. When you lose, you are magnanimous in defeat.
The mayor won another term last Tuesday but when all was said and done, when he had delivered his victory speech in front of a large crowd of supports, he was not magnanimous in victory.
In fact, he used the victory platform to criticize those who were not with him, and to threaten the Leader Herald (the Wednesday newspaper) and the city clerk (sand baggers) with retribution.
The mayor said exactly: “I raised a lot of money and I’m going to go after a lot of people.”
At a time when the FBI is believed to be looking into the mayor’s alleged real estate deal with the city clerk – the city clerk denies the mayor was ever his partner – the mayor used his victory platform to threaten his perceived enemies.
“Not good timing for the mayor to say such a thing,” said a prominent trial attorney who wished to remain unnamed.
When he finished with that speech, he returned home to his mansion on Abbott Avenue, his family packed their bags, and Thursday, he allegedly off to the Ritz Carlton in Aruba for a reported two to three weeks.
His 210 vote victory reveals a split electorate – although he won convincingly enough by the numbers that were counted.
Out of a total of more than 7,000 votes that were tallied, almost half the people in the city voted for Fred Capone. Everett now takes on the persona of the national political landscape.
The electorate, for all intents and purposes is split, and the vote revealed this without qualification.
Capone supporters cried foul.
They believe many from outside of the city, who do not live in Everett, voted in Everett, and that that type of alleged voter fraud has the power to invalidate the mayor’s slim victory.
To date, Capone has not made any public statements about voting fraud but is believed to be looking into it.
The mayor’s weakness at the ballot box did not come as a surprise to him.
His power has been eroding.
Since the defection of the city clerk from the mayor’s “nest” and because of his assertion that the mayor took $97,000 from him in a real estate deal the city clerk claims the mayor had no part in, a great deal of speculation ensued.
Bottom line, the mayor won his victory by a slim margin.
His threat to retaliate against those who were not with him has been taken seriously by those who owe their employment to him – according to a number of city employees who told the Leader Herald they now fear for their jobs.