Josh Resnek – Everett Leader Herald

— Eye on Everett —

The mayor learns to deal with Encore

By JOSH RESNEK

A very well-known gentleman I know from the North End who loves to play cards with the bad boys told me a great Carlo story that went something like this:

“Carlo played for hours one night with my buddies. He ended up owing thousands when he left the card table and headed home. He was pretty grim. Losing at cards is bad. Owing when you leave the table is worse.

“Anyway, before Carlo left the table, one of the bad boys in charge of the game asked him politely: ‘When do I get the money you owe.?’”

“Carlo turned to him and said: ‘Next week. Guaranteed. You know me,’ he added, my buddy told me.

“Yeah, Carlo. That’s what I’m worried about,” my buddy told me the North End guy said to him with a grimace.

“’See you next week Carlo. I’ll be waiting right here. No excuses, Carlo,’” he said, according to my buddy.

Next week came and passed.

No Carlo. No payment.

The fellow in the North End was getting a bit impatient. Mind you, this wasn’t about Encore not paying its in lieu of tax bill to the city even though the payment was guaranteed by the host agreement.

“Where’s my money? “the North End gentleman asked Carlo during a phone call after waiting patiently several weeks, my buddy told me.

Carlo responded adroitly. After all, he is the mayor, a big crap shooter really up on his toes and aware of everything going on in his world.

“Oh. I already paid what I owed you,” Carlo exclaimed, my friend told me.

Donated basketball nets disappear from mayor’s home

A donated basketball net has been removed from the driveway of the mayor’s home on Abbott Street. (Photo by Jim Mahoney)

Electrical Department lighting remains on nearby pole

BY JOSH RESNEK

The professional grade, expensive basketball net and stan- chion that arrived in front of the mayor’s home on Abbott Ave- nue about a month ago has disappeared.

According to a local resident, she saw it being removed and taken away on Thursday.

Where it has been taken is another matter.

Remaining on a light pole outside the mayor’s home is light- ing put up there by the Electrical Department shortly after the basketball net and stanchion arrived.

The lighting would have illuminated the mayor’s driveway and the net for evening play.

That basketball net and stanchion was one of three donated to the city by Catholic Memorial High School.

Again, they were intended as a donation to the city – not the mayor.

They are worth about $10,000 each.

They apparently were not purchased by the mayor as that would have been an Ethics Department violation of the firstorder.

The mayor is not allowed by law to purchase or to receive gifts worth more than $50.

Everett needs independent Rep’s voice on Beacon Hill

Campaign signs for the State Rep battle are popping up all over Everett. (Photo by Jim Mahoney)

Too much outside sourced money in play currently

BY JOSH RESNEK

Our Beacon Hill rep since 2015 is a nice enough fellow. But then, why shouldn’t he be?

He is owned lock, stock and barrel by the mayor.

If he was ordered by the mayor to go to the top of Sal Sacro’s building in the square and told to jump, he’d ask the mayor: “Head first or feet first?”

You have to wonder who the Rep is actually representing on Beacon Hill?

Is it the people of Everett? Private interests? What Councilor Mike Marchese has called the Demaria Crime Family?

When you come right down to it, is he representing only and mainly himself?

Arguably, the best way to measure his value to the community is to look at his campaign finance reports as filed with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

When you follow the money, you can usually find the answer to that question.

Encore sidesteps direct payment to city coffers

Encore Boston Harbor. (Photo by Jim Mahoney)

Policy change causes panic, financial havoc

By JOSH RESNEK

What has happened in Springfield with MGM attempting to renegotiate its host agreement with the city there has now begun here with Encore.

The city’s savior, the brainchild of the mayor, has apparently changed the host agreement unilaterally by sidestepping Everett on a $10 million payment it owes in lieu of taxes.

Instead of paying the city what it owed since March as promised for July 15, Encore has apparently paid the state, and then the state will pay the city.

Several councilors have conceded that’s a nice how do you do coming at a perilous moment when the city’s finances are in question.

Expenses are exceeding income, and budget cuts, layoffs and salary reductions have been levied to bridge the income gap.

“It gives me great concern that Encore would pay the state rather than the city like they did in the first and second quarter. It’s a big concern they would do that,” said City Councilor Mike McLaughlin.

“It shows irresponsibility on the part of Encore. Out of four payments, they’ve only gotten one payment right and on time. Not a great track record,” he said.

For the mayor, who brought Encore to the city, the payment gaffe is an agonizing twist.

Encore was to have been a panacea for the city. The city’s financial difficulties were over with the coming of the casino, according to the mayor.

“Instead, it looks as though our money problems have multiplied,” said Councilor at Large Mike Marchese.

EPS reopening will benefit from new funding

Everett High School. (Photo by Jim Mahoney)

BY JOSH RESNEK

Nearly everyone with an understanding of what it takes to work to run the Everett Public Schools has come to understand that Superintendent Priya Tahiliani’s overriding interest in her life right now is the successful reopening of the EPS.

“She works tirelessly day and night. She is at it from early morning until late in the evening. She is bright. She has a strong work ethic. She is under pressure and appearing to work well with it and because of it,” said a member of the administration who wished to remain unnamed.

“She knows where she’s heading. She is confident. She is not overconfident. It is quite remarkable to watch her in action,” said the source.

The present period, this week, was described the source as an in between period.

“You’ll know more about exactly where the EPS is headed during the first week of August,” he added.

“That’s when the city’s plan must be submitted to the State Department of Education,” he said.

Until then, we watch, and we wonder what form the coming year of public-school education is going to take in this city.

The essential question, the overriding interest, is how to do the best for the city’s 7,000 students in grades K-12.