Representative Joe McGonagle has defeated all comers the last two times out in elections that were never close.
He has solidified his hold on the rep seat from Everett with hard, smart work.
He has done this without much help from others.
He should be proud of his success.
Taking on McGonagle in a political battle has been shown to be a difficult task.
In fact, it is a losing battle.
– The Mayor’s Blue Suit talking with Josh Resnek
By JOSH RESNEK
A few days back, I picked up the Blue Suit at the end of Abbott Avenue where it meets Elm Street in the early morning. It was snowing. The Blue Suit opened the passenger door. He stepped into my car. He sank into the seat. He let out a huge sigh.
“You OK?” I asked him.
“I’m good,” he answered. “Thank god the mayor went out early. He gives out free time to me the way he likes to throw c-notes around, which is to say, he tosses around c-notes like manhole covers.
“Drive into Woodlawn Cemetery,” the Blue Suit ordered me to do.
He directed me to drive toward the area of the cemetery that borders the back side of Abbott Avenue.
“I can keep an eye on the mayor’s mansion from here,” he said to me.
“What stories I can tell you about what’s gone on inside the mansion,” the Blue Suit added.
“Forget it,” I replied. “I don’t need to hear that stuff. I mean, don’t you think the mayor deserves a bit of privacy from you?”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right,” the Blue said.
We were chatting about this and that, more this than that, when he perked up.
“You know that last trip the mayor took to Aruba?” the Blue Suit asked.
Continue reading “— Eye on Everett —”
By JOSH RESNEK
It is a time when we watch on television as the president does a candle lighting for the 500,000 dead from COVID-19 and memorializes the nation’s dismal, third- world country response to it.
Another 100,000 Americans from all walks of life are expected to die in the next three months – so it is obvious the virus remains deadly as our response to it finally ramps up.
Many millions more will come down with the virus but will likely survive.
Here in Everett, infections are dramatically down. Hospitalizations have dropped. The use of masks and social distancing efforts have worked – and now comes the advantages that begin to be felt with mass vaccinations.
Everett’s designation as a hot red zone for the virus has been changed to yellow this week by the Department of Public Health – a sure sign the virus trend is apparently heading in the right direction.
Continue reading “Everett out of the red, virus numbers down”By JOSH RESNEK
Superintendent Priya Tahiliani’s leadership of the School Department does not include the mayor’s imprimatur and his voice, as the mayor sees it.
As a result, the mayor is apparently putting together a slate of candidates who will run for the School Committee in November with the hope of ridding himself of the superintendent’s audacity, according to a variety of people inside and outside of the School Department and the School Committee.
The plan is to pack the School Committee in the November Election, to be followed by a vote to force the superintendent out of her position.
All the present members of the School Committee are apparently aware of the mayor’s effort now underway to pack the School Committee with political allies, instead of independent education-minded voices, according to a wide variety of sources familiar with the effort.
“The public will make its own decisions (about packing the School Committee). The mayor hasn’t had a good track record of getting others elected. As for the superintendent, I voted for her. She was my pick. I’m going to make sure she succeeds,” said School Committeeman Frank Parker.
Continue reading “Mayor looks to pack school committee”By JOSH RESNEK
Encore is revving up.
The return to 24/7 gambling hours at the casino and the reopening of the hotel led to higher revenue figures in January.
In addition, Wall Street’s bullishness on gaming stocks, and in particular Wynn Resorts, led to a respectable run.
Wynn’s stock price closed at $126 a share Tuesday, outperforming all other gaming stocks on the major exchanges.
Analysts nearly all agree – the pent-up demand to experience again the excitement of casino venues is much more to bet on in the future than the depressed earnings reports for the past year.
In other words, when the virus is finally under control, whenever that time arrives, the casinos and their hotels will once again flourish.
Continue reading “Encore coming to life”