We guess the Promise of America isn’t enough by itself to sustain Bruce Springsteen in America.
For all his millions and millions, and for all his powerful method of expression and musical talent, for all his fame and golden albums he has let it be known that he is moving out of America to another country if Donald Trump is re-elected.
Can you imagine that?
Continue reading Bruce Springsteen leaving country if Trump reelected
Our general impression is that we should be paying close attention to the epidemiologists about the possible effects of the rise in the virus throughout the nation right now.
Just this week the state Department of Public Health has issued serious warnings about Everett residents being prime for contracting the virus in the days and weeks to come.
The national case level has exploded to almost 65,000 new cases a day while another 1,000 a day are dying and now, the hospitals are filling up again.
While not as many people are dying, the filling up of the hospitals with flu season coming up is odious.
Our hospital system can’t handle the flu and the virus at the same time.
The prospect of many thousands more dying every day for the next three to five months is, we believe, terrifying, especially for those who are older and who suffer from pre-existing conditions.
Continue reading Concern over rising Covid-19 numbersWe are two weeks away from the Presidential Election being called by folks who consider themselves pundits that it is the most important in US History.
We would beg to differ.
Several elections have meant more to the American Republic and for American democracy than this election between President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden.
We believe the election in 1860 of Abraham Lincoln was perhaps the most important and historic moment in all of American history.
Lincoln’s succession to the American presidency at a time when the nation was split politically, socially, and economically dwarfs the first election of President Trump four years ago and his possible re-election in two weeks.
The coming of the Civil War, which had everything to do with America remaining a slave-keeper democracy or not, was a far greater moment than trying to ascertain just how nasty Trump might be if he gets another four years.
Lincoln would lead us through the war. He would free the slaves. He restored the Republic, and it was brought back to life as one nation.
That’s very big medicine as far as we’re concerned.
The idea that American democracy is over if Trump is re-elected is stale and ineffectual reasoning.
Continue reading Presidential election in two weeksBy JOSH RESNEK
The mayor revealed a series of new hires for his corner office in city hall last week.
Through a series of costly shifts and reassignments of key personnel, the mayor was able to make three new key hires as he attempts to stay within the $1.1 million office budget voted for him by the city council.
The way the mayor spends taxpayer dollars, he will be hard-pressed to stay within the $1.1 million.
The mayor is gearing up for his re-election bid. So what does that require?
He shifts his loyalists around while keeping them on the public payroll to do his bidding.
There is a nearly invisible line of separation supposed to exist between city work and campaign work performed by city employees.
That invisible line does not exist at all when it comes to black and brown hires because, frankly, there have been very, very few of those hires to the mayor’s team.
Continue reading Mayor hires new chief of staff, communication specialistsBy JOSH RESNEK
Everett’s failure to help out the working poor and the welfare poor who live in our city is highlighted by a program just launched in Chelsea, where that city has taken $3.5 million and will be giving it away on an as-needed basis to that city’s poor.
“I strongly support a program like this,” said Councilor at Large Gerly Adrien.
She said Everett’s poor population is enormous compared with Chelsea’s.
“We have more than several thousand low-income families living here. They need to be taken care of,” she added.
Chelsea estimates there are 2,000 low-income families in need of no strings attached “bailouts”.
To that end, beginning in November, Chelsea city hall will be giving to needy families $200 to $400 stipends that can be used for anything from medical bills to food to paying for bills.
Continue reading Everett needs a relief program for the needy like Chelsea’s