“I see kids living In closets every day. Day In and day out”
Marchese Calls Charges “Defamation”
By Josh Resnek
The mayor claimed Everett residents are starving for lack of food, and their homes are being foreclosed upon because they can’t afford to pay the taxes, two major statements that he failed to verify with any evidence, dates, names, addresses, extemporaneous notes of any kind and copies of orders that he may have given to city employees to inspect such reports he talked about in the public forum.
The mayor’s claim that “I see kids living in closets every day. Day in and day out,” was considered a defamation by Councilor Mike Marchese.
“It’s all a lie. These charges were made by the mayor to divert interest from the Pope John controversy. In his desperation to persuade the city population that the city cannot afford to make more space for Everett’s public school children because people are starving, were made with no evidence, no corroboration by the Health Department, the Fire Department, the Police Department or the Department of Public Works,” Marchese said. “It was done to defame those against him.”
“We know the mayor doesn’t do anything “day in and day out” for the city of Everett,” said Marchese. “We should consider ourselves lucky if he answers his cell phone.”
When asked to provide proof about his public statements or notes that he had taken or orders that he issued or photographs and interviews he had conducted about starvation and residents living in closets, the mayor failed to answer a single question put to him by the Leader Herald.
As to foreclosures by the city for non-payment of taxes destroying many peoples’ lives, the public record reveals there are fewer of these than ever before at the present time.
“If he knows Everett people are starving why do we not have proof of this? You can’t just say something horrifying like that to inflame a public response with no evidence behind it,” Marchese added.
“If people are starving here then this city government needs to do something about it — and this doesn’t mean building more affordable housing at Pope John site.”
“Did he provide names and addresses of units where kids were living in closets? Did he give orders to Inspectional Services Department to pull occupancy permits of those property owners using closets as bedrooms? Did he order the Fire Department to inspect the units he visited — day in and day out?” asked Marchese.
“Of course he didn’t. It’s all a big lie he made up,” he added.
“Has the mayor been going into houses day in and day out to witness residents sleeping in closets. Has he made this up? Or is he lying?”, Marchese said. “It goes to show you the mayor is lying when he begins moving his lips,” said Marchese the longtime councilor who is running for state representative.
Marchese said he understood what food insecurity is all about.
“But starvation here? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The mayor also refused to answer questions put to him about his statement about corridors being a nice environment for specialized teaching, which stunned members of the School Committee, including School Committee Chair Jeannie Cristiano.
Did the mayor mean what he said? Was he making up a story? Was he manufacturing a controversy? Did he provide evidence that corridors used as classrooms are any better than normal classrooms or closets used as classrooms? Did he reveal notes he had taken, or videos of his visits to the public schools, other than to provoke a response from the public with such a statement? Or was the mayor trying to defame those against the conversion of Pope John from a school to an affordable housing project?”
“To lie like that at a public meeting of the school committee or any public meeting is a humiliation of the office of mayor. A mayor talking like this must be aware there are boundaries about what lies he’s allowed to spread,” said Marchese.
The mayor is not allowed to spread such disinformation. Some claimed the mayor libeled himself making those comments.
“It’s like he shouted fire in a crowded restaurant causing everyone to flee when there was no fire. You can’t do that. It’s against the law,” said John Puopolo.