Politics – Everett Leader Herald

Mailing touches raw nerve

Mayoral election likely to be nasty, crude flier seems to be just the start

By JOSH RESNEK

During deliveries around the city of our newspaper las week, the driver picked up a half dozen fliers that Everett residents received in the mail from individuals who asked him to look it over.

They all reported the fliers came in plain white envelopes with a Florida postmark with no return address.

The envelopes were addressed sloppily in longhand or printed on the front of the envelope.

The 8”x 11” flier presumably attacking the mayor’s record on sexual harassment calls for him to step aside.

In large black Roman bold lettering, the following appears at the top of the flier: #Him-Too?

DeMaria is written across the top of the flier above that.

The flier calls for the mayor to step aside. It asks for an independent independent investigation.

Measuring the mayoral race with primary, election on the horizon

By JOSH RESNEK

Early on, the mayor is motivated to run for another term and to win.

He is out early in the game setting up a headquarters on Main Street, capturing a key endorsement from former mayor David Ragucci (who no longer lives here), and lining up a public relation, social media, print advertising platform.

With more than $100,000 in his campaign account and much more to be raised, the mayor is the man to beat.

The big question: can he be beaten?

On paper, he looks unbeatable.

He’s got the city locked down and tied up into his personal political game almost entirely.

Underneath the belief he is unbeatable, however, comes the understanding, and the mayor understands this better than most, that he could be beaten through no fault of his own.

How does this work? What does that mean?

There are times in a long political life as mayor – and the mayor’s political life has been longer than nearly everyone who has come before in this city – when no matter what he does, how much he spends, how many hands he shakes, how many doors he knocks on that he cannot win.

When a win isn’t in the cards, there is no way for a politician to buy a win, to exploit past heroics, and to regain what has been lost over 12 years.

‘I’m proud to be a Black woman in politics’

By GERLY ADRIEN

Black women are commonly stereotyped as too aggressive, too hostile, too angry.

Categorizing us with these labels has caused Black women to question how we can look, dress, or even speak to provide a softer image to the outside world. These words can negatively impact our careers, our reputation, and how people look at us.

In 2019, I became the first Black, Haitian-American woman to be elected for the city councilor at-large seat in my home- town of Everett. I did not run with the label of being the first or being Black. I campaigned on issues critical to my city, and Everett needed the most qualified person in the seat. With my background, family experiences, and work history, I believed I was that person. During my campaign, I spoke about my graduating from Bentley University and obtaining my MBA from Boston University. I talked about how I had eight years of work experience in the corporate and nonprofit sector, and about being a small-business owner.

In 2020, my City Council colleagues went to the media and labeled me as too aggressive and said that my ideas were too bold for Everett. The labels reminded me of the many tropes Black women have historically heard for scores of years. I sat and reflected on whether I was too aggressive to be on the Everett City Council. I still had my career to think about and my small business to protect from the impact of COVID-19.

Napolitano OK’d to seek asst. city clerk job

Everett City Hall on January 9, 2021. (Photo by Jim Mahoney)

By LEADER STAFF REPORT

Former city councilor Peter Napolitano, the front runner for the vacant assistant city clerk’s position, has received an OK from the State Ethic’s Commission that there are no impediments in his way to seek the position.

This, according to Assistant City Solicitor Kevin Slattery.

Slattery informed the city council Monday night that the State Ethics Commission reported finding no conflict or any state ethics violations regarding his application for the position following an investigation.

Politics pulling budget strings more than economy

Everett City Hall. (Photo By Jim Mahoney)

Mayor keeps raise while continuing to slash jobs, pay from behind closed doors

BY JOSH RESNEK

The mayor is determined to cut every city employee salary and job that he can except for his own because the city is facing a financial crisis.

At a time when the city is facing financial hurdles caused by the Coronavirus, when long lines form several times a week at the city’s free food distribution centers, the mayor has decided to keep his own salary increase and to make cuts to many other city employees relying exclusively on their city salaries and health insurance.

Against this backdrop of shoot from the hip cuts and layoffs to stem a widening cash deficit, Everett remains a city without a budget, unlike most cities in the Commonwealth who have budgets.

The FY2021 budget or continuing resolution or draft spending plan or whatever you might call it, is readily available on the website of most municipalities in the Commonwealth.

Not in Everett.

One month into the fiscal year and the budget document is as elusive as the Easter Bunny in January.

The Mayor’s policy of opaque city budget economics is in full force.