Is Worcester City Clerk Rushford Robbing the Public?

T&G had a field day with Worcester City Clerk David J. Rushford accusing, per Konnie Lukes, him of blatant self-enrichment at the public's expense. Sound familiar? Dem freaking city bureaucrats sure do abuse the public's trust. One would think they see City Hall as their private playground and bank?
I heard Levy jumped all over this one yesterday. Calling Lukes a bitch... but it's Wusta politics right? I believe we have a right to know what's going on down there. And funny how none of the other councilors raised the issue. Same folks who are running for council this year.
Anyway, if Levy calls Rushford honest, then obviously the guy's dishonest. Worcester logic? Heck they caught him with his fingers in the public's cookie jar.

Paulie's Fat Ego-Fest. Bigger, Better, and Fatter than Ever!

Damn! How is it I always miss out on the important happenings in this cultural metropolis? Why didn't someone tell me? Unfortunately I had a prior commitment, so I couldn't meet all my fans at Phatbody's NOLA-Fest. Hey, maybe next year huh?
Anyway, a bloggabuddy sent me a pic of Paulie taken Sunday morning. Wow, talk about a bad hangover. Dilated pupils, flushed face, two-day beard. Ya sure that's Paulie eh? Gotta be, look at the belly. None the less, ya did good Fatso. I hope you can pay the rent now. Gotta say, you're a credit to your race - Pfatusdrunkus Ameririshicanus Barflyanimalius.

In Search of His Lost Mind, or How Pseudo Intellectualism Invaded the Worcester Blogosphere

Blogging in Wusta is really fun. Ya meet all sorts of people – nice ones (well, not really) , critical ones (just 2), dumb ones (lots of em), and senile ones - just one.

A couple months ago Wusta’s most prodigious (considering the poor devil spends half his life hanging on to an internet connection) blogger, Jeff “I know there’s a conspiracy out there, somewhere” Barnard of WormtownTaxi.com posted more conspiracy drivel. What a joke. Hey, what am I supposed to do? I can’t resist taunting such idiots. As usual (like everyday) ole Baldy Barnard accuses the T&G of partisanship, sloppy journalism, stupidity, and an incomprehensible vendetta against the WPD. Smells pathological eh? In this case hiding clarifications of previously published news story in it’s back pages - that's a vendetta? The story is about a Wusta cop involved in a domestic assault. So big deal the T&G posted a clarification in it's back pages. Like all newspapers do. Like daaa Jeff! Honestly, who really cares? It’s something only a fool would waste time reading and even a bigger fool to comment on. Personally I wouldn’t classify it as news, but hey this is Wusta - where your personal business is everybody’s business. So please if I may introduce Mr. Jeffery I. Barnard. Take a bow sir. Worcester, allow me to present to you - our local fool.

Ya see ole Jeff, and I mean really ole, like 65 years ole (I thinks he's older than Jordan Levy in fact). So what is it with Jeff? Why is he so... um ... weird? Well ya gotta consider that Jeff is from some prehistoric generation that got its kicks ridiculing the so called Establishment in the 60’s. I guess that makes him anti-establishment - 40 years later! Geez... talk about stuck in a time warp. And where does ole Jeff's pathological fixation with the T&G come from? Maybe he's providing a social service. He want to help us yokels understand the political and social undercurrent in this city because he thinks we're too stupid to understand it. Or maybe he's harboring a personal vendetta against the T&G. Could be that the T&G stiffed him for cab fare and he's out to get even, or maybe his amorous overtures towards Dianne Williamson were rejected? Maybe as Jeff was trying to find work - he fancies himself a journalist - they rejected him. If ya read his stuff (it's mostly pictures of streets - how utterly creative), you can see why. But I think this is simply a case of an old man with too much time on his hands?

Jeff reminds of another local oldie, Jack Hoffman - Mr. Sedition himself , but with a distinguished pedigree, (unlike ole Jeff who’s just a local hillbilly) who contributes a constant barrage of anti-establishment rhetoric in the InCity Times. It really makes one wonder what happened to that generation? Was it the proliferation of mind expanding drugs, Agent Orange, an overdose of Lawrence Welk, or is it a case of senility?

Anyway, the point of my post - oops - flaming, was to rattle Jeff’s cage. Sorta proud of myself that I gotta rise out of the ole bugger. His pulse musta hit 150 - how dare an asshole question his journalistic integrity. But ole Jeff didn’t retort with a zinger or some quasi-intellectual nonsense (he did throw in some Latin), just blatant rage. Gotta say, I really like the succinct, eloquent, and clinically insightful prose – complete fucking asshole, delusional, yada yada yada… wow, pure Wusta intellectualism! Hey, anyone know the difference between a fucking asshole and a complete fucking asshole? And what’s this nonsense with the Latin? Everywhere ya see Jeff posting he tosses in some Latin mumbojumbo. Um… pretentious drivel? Yup Wusta, we got ourselves a real live taxi-driving intellectual among us.

Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask Baldy about the new photo. Is that pose called pseudo intellectual?

The Guy Glodis Good Citizenship Award

Hey be the first on your block folks to get a Guy Glodis Good Citizenship Award.
It never fails when going thru downtown I see something well, unusual? Or maybe not. Apparently this guy thinks being a convicted criminal is deriguer. WTF?

Spending the 4th in Worcester - Yuck!

Stupid me - wouldn't ya know it, I forgot to get propane for the grill.
Pissed the whole family off when I declared the 4th canceled - no gas, no BBQ, I said. A freaking mutiny ensued! My siblings were ready to fry my proverbials over a match stick.
But ole Will is no idiot so I improvised - real fast like. Got the idea from some bums in Main South last year. So I moseyed on over to Big Y and purloined a shopping cart, found a bunch of wood down the street and voila!

Will's Magical Mystery Tour

It's called MB - I've been driving, walking, running, crawling, hopping, bopping past this joint at 40 Grafton St. since time immemorial. I ain't never seen anyone go in or come out. What is this place? Some sleazy gay bar? Crudy bikers bar? Mafia hangout - no blood on the sidewalk, empty shell casings, or ice picks, and no incriminating evidence (bodies) in the dumpster either. Ya know the place looks like a bunker so maybe that's where the councilors hide out between elections.

Take A Hike

Local Blogger Accused by Police of Selling Alcohol To Minors

The T&G reported on Monday that a package store owned by local businessman and blogger (FLYORH.com) William "Bill" Randall, "Local businessman, who sees the power of blogging to discuss pertinent issues in the City of Worcester with an emphasis on the airport and the Chandler NRSA" and how to get rich by milking the local poor, stupid, destitute, and rich college kids, is accused of "allegedly" selling alcohol to minors.
I don't know if Bill was working when the cops showed up - I sorta doubt it - most likely set someone up to take the fall. The result of the sting shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone in the neighborhood, it's common knowledge that the store sells to minors, mostly students from Holy Cross College.
Anything to make a buck eh Randall? Geez...

Coup d'état Worcester

Found this in the Globe today. Mass. Police Depts. With Surplus Weapons:
"Some 82 local police departments in Massachusetts, many of them hamlets with little or no violent crime and no known terrorist threats, have obtained 1,068 weapons under a federal program that distributes surplus guns from the US military, records show."
"Police in Wellfleet, a community known for stunning beaches and succulent oysters, scored three military assault rifles. At Salem State College, where recent police calls have included false fire alarms and a goat roaming the campus, school police got two M-16s. In West Springfield, police acquired even more powerful weaponry: two military-issue M-79 grenade launchers.
And in little Clinton, MA, population 13,435, "You never know what's going to happen. Anything can happen, anywhere," said Mark Laverdure, the police chief in Clinton (and a really sick man), a town on the Wachusett Reservoir in Central Massachusetts that ordered 18 assault rifles from the government earlier this year."
I think if we ask Jeff at WormtownTaxi about this, he'll find some conspiracy theory to go along with this article. The ole guy has a vivid imagination.
Anyways, Wusta has 70 assault rifles in it’s arsenal, not to mention hundreds of handguns. Enough for a Coup d'état! Storm City Hall and throw out the bums - please!

Winchendon Chilli Cook-Off, Sunday, August 2nd

Next to sandwiches, Chili is my favorite sustenance of all sustenance's. Heck, I'd eat it for breakfast if only...
It's the summer event you've all been waiting for folks. The umpteenth annual Winchendon Chili Cook-Off. Yes folks it's summer in Massachusetts and I'll bet your taste buds are in need of a hefty jolt of Tabasco after sucking on cheap ice cream all summer.
So who will garner the local honor for best Chili this year? Unfortunately my contribution, the world famous Will's Wonder Chili - a real crowd pleaser if ever there was one - won't be entered in this years' competition. Seems my secret ingredient - peyote buttons - is no longer a secret. The DEA is on to me.
For you chili aficionados out there, here's an interesting link: Dick's Chili World. And from the International Chili Society.
Make it up to Winchendon on Sunday folks. Chili and beer - food of the Gods!
Imagine if the The Red Hot Chili Peppers were playing there too?

Alright, Who's The Smartass?

Jeez gone for a weekend and what happens?

Fear and Loathing in Brimfield

It's getting close to that time of the year. Brimfield is almost here - Mayth12th till the 17th. Guess where we'll be?
And if you're asking yourself, what does the title of this post have to do with the Brimfield flea market. Read on....
Ah spring is in the air. And as usual we've taken to scouring the flea markets with the family to get outdoors and breath in the fresh air. And maybe find some neat junk to pile into the garage and never look at it again. So next stop Brimfield.
We've been to Brimfield on ten occasions. We see the same dealers on the same spot and not surprisingly with the same table of goods. I ask, how’s business? A wary look and a gruff response tells me I’m a jerk for asking. The fact is, they’re not selling their stuff - I don't see many folks with arms filled with goodies.
I like to watch buyers and sellers negotiate. I have no qualm about jumping in and helping a buyer get a deal. Admittedly I do it to annoy the seller. It doesn't always work and if it pisses him off - so be it. He's too dumb to realize I'm doing him a favor. Gotta say, it's beyond me why a seller would haggle over a dollar on a $20 item. But many do. Geez...
If you're looking for a bargain at the Brimfield Flea Market, you’re at the wrong place. For that matter, this "antique show" is not the place to buy cheap stuff. Compared to other flea markets and antique shops in the area, they rank at the very top in pricing.
Here's the typical interaction: I start by politely stating the obvious to the vendor. Seems no one is interested in your wares my good man? To the contrary, he sneers. Everybody wants it, I'm just not gonna part with it at any ole price. Huh? Seems to me, that if you're gonna sit on it until hell freezes over my good man, then why bother coming here from afar and offering it for sale? Red faced they respond, the customer doesn't know the real value of the item. So-and-so catalog sez it’s worth a gazillion dollars! Well now, do you really expect folks to pay catalog price, I ask. Yup, he says, emphasizing his belligerence. An item is worth what a buyer is willing to pay right? I retort. Most break off the conversation at that point, telling me to get lost. A few spar with me further. The sad fact is, many of the sellers exist in a fantasy world and have no intention of selling their stuff. They can't - they're emotionally attached to it.
None the less, there are other fun activities at Brimfield - people watching is free. Lots of characters strolling about. The other, eating. The assortment of foods is varied – Polish, Indian, and tons of junk food. But be ready to dig deep. Oh, parking is between $3 and $10. The further outside of town you park, the cheaper it is. And don’t forget comfortable shoes and maybe a parasol. A strong sun can wither the most resolute shopper. Except my wife, of course.
Count on spending 4 to 6 hours in Brimfield. My tip. If you visit Brimfield this summer, consider a picnic on the town common. It’s shady with lots of cool green grass. You can save a heap of money.

Who Is Tracy Novick And What Does She Want?

The election season in Wusta is ramping up folks. I recently read a blurp on Worcesteria.com about folks pulling papers. InCityTimes has already endorsed someone, two-time city council looser Dennis Irish - Wusta's most compassionate man. LOL! Ain't that the guy who voted every year to raise your real estate taxes? Compassionate, yeah right.

And ain't that a strange marriage? Tirella and Irish? Two diametrically opposite characters, both in their own way fringe folk. Wusta's got lots of them eh? Gotta say, that guy must be really hard-up if he's using Tirella's paper to help him get votes. Any ho... and now Wormtowntaxi is jumping onto the political endorsement bandwagon and supporting an unknown for school committee. Imagine that - we got wannabe power brokers in Wusta.

Tracy Novick - never heard of her before. Although I’ve looked at her now former anonymous blog on occasion, it left me with no particular impression - just another boring blogger with too much time on her hands. So low and behold ole Tracy has come out of the internet ether and wants to be on the Wusta school committee. OK great. Let's see your resume Trace? You got one right?

The other interesting aspect of this event is that InCity Times and Wormtowntaxi see themselves as power brokers in our little enclave. What will they think of next? Ole Jeff is giving this nobody two thumbs up although he doesn’t know what she stands for other than the fact that she's a non-scarf carrying mom. But isn't that oh so typical of Wusta voters? Folks don’t vote issues here, they vote for a face or something just as superficial. Think I’m wrong huh?

Since Jeff broached the subject on his blog, ole stupid me thought to ask him what it’s all about. So I recently posted an inquiry there about his elliptical endorsement of this nobody. Here goes:

Will: "Jeff, this reads like an endorsement. Is it?"

Jeff: "Will: ...well, Duh!... I'd much rather see a college-educated, longtime local activist young mom get onto the School Committee than to re-elect any MAWWS (Middle Aged Women With Scarves). The oversight of the WPS needs new blood!"

Nothing profound in that line of reasoning folks. Just another local idiot putting his two cents in. Oh yeah Jeff, as if this wannabe is gonna change the system. She's got no experience in anything, except maybe household management. But I don’t completely disagree with that simple statement. I’m all for change in this city. But there is a caveat to that line of reasoning i.e., you might get more than you bargain for. For you folks who used that simple reasoning in selecting your city councilor or school committee candidate in the past - ya got fooled huh? Betcha some of you voted for Joff Smith thinking that because he’s young, he’ll bring fresh blood, fresh ideas and hey, even change the system. Fooled ya again huh? He turned out to be nothing less than a bureaucratic zombie - he became one of them.

Anyho, getting back to Tracy. I posted an inquiry about the missing resume on her blog but she hasn’t responded. Even sent her an email. Um… ya think she's ignoring me. I'll ask the question again here:

Question #1. Tracy, what makes you qualified to be a school committee member?

Question #2. What qualifications do you have for the position although you have no experience whatsoever. Not even a stint at McDonald's?

I keep checking her site - nada. I get the impression she doesn't want to be bothered with questions from the voting public. Why? Maybe we’re too stupid to understand what she stands for? Maybe she’s got something to hide? Like NO EXPERIENCE!

One thing I noticed over the years is that CC candidates never answer questions about what experience and skills they bring to the table. It’s because they have nothing to offer. Give me your vote but leave me alone so I can line my pockets. Guess what Tracy, you’re gonna have to do more than just setup a website and hope Wormtowntaxi's brainless endorsement gets ya some votes. Me and my voting neighbors are watching every Tom, Dick, or Tracy who comes down the pike.

Ever wonder why this city is all messed up? Well, blame yourself - never asking the right questions - not questioning the status quo. Never looking beyond the candidate's window dressing. The fact is they expect ya to give up. And you always do Wusta. If memory serves me, ain't you the folks who voted for them clowns at City Hall and Irving St., so ya deserve what ya get.

Wanna bet ole Tracy comes out with a bunch of family photos - her kids in a playground setting? Maybe a video with ole Jeff driving her kids around in his taxi. Hey, how about a group shot with Uncle Jeff in front of Irving St. That just might do the trick Tracy.

Requiem Worcester... Redux

I can't figure out why folks keep voting for the likes of Paul Clancy (school teacher, retiring), Barbara Haller (retiree), and Konnie Lukes (lawyer), et al. It's interesting that Lukes, who’s affects an outsiders stance always gets reelected. I like Lukes, but ever wonder why this city is messed up? She has something to do with it. And what does that say about the Wusta voters?

So are there other candidates beside the perennials? Yeah a couple, but I gotta say the candidate pool is pretty tepid. Perhaps the appropriate metaphor should be, we’ve hit the bottom of the barrel. There are the occasional fringe candidates out there making a bid, but you can forget them. Or maybe not? Maybe they're our salvation? But keep in mind, anyone who gets on the council, will have to adapt to their way of thinking, or be shut out. So we're back at square one.

So why do folks want such a thankless job? Altruistic reasons - serve mankind? I doubt it? It has to be for the health insurance. Or use it as a springboard into another city job. Many have done it. Remember Ray Marinaro? He used the system perfectly. Got elected as mayor and all the while scoped out cushy municipal city jobs and then jumped ship when things got too downtown. Leaving no particular mark during his reign. Its called milking the system. The scenario is as old as this city. Although I can recall the Mariano era with no particular impression. Maybe he’s needed again. But why should he bother? He’s got an easy job, nice salary, and pension to die for – he certainly doesn’t need the aggravation the job entails. And then there was Tim "Chubby" Murry. God forbid he should come back. Just what we need, the proverbial sleazy politician handing out the family silver through the back door. Thank God he doesn't need us anymore, he has higher aspirations. Let's offer the job of City Manager & Mayor to Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci, Jr.? Whata ya think? As crooked as they get, but he got results. At least we know what we’re getting.

So come November it’ll be the same ole, same ole. The Wusta voter, having lapped up WOMAG's and the T&G's propaganda head to the polling stations. During the preceding months the CC’s remain conspicuously absent. Maybe having made a visit with a neighborhood group, fielding easy questions about the dog poop ordinance or some other lame subject. Maybe the occasional disgruntled voter will ask a "tough question" and the CC blows em off, appalled that a voter would dare question their integrity. Remember, CC's will never ever talk about the issues that impact your lives - the non-profits, real estate taxes, or drunk rampaging students. So they go back to their websites, priss em up with more family pictures to hide the unprovable assertions about their achievements during the previous two years. Then come voting day they'll seek out Jordan "Hey I'm a journalist too, gimme some respect" Levy. He'll ply the typical lame banter, Ain't Wusta a great city blah blah blah...? By the way, he dosen't live in Wusta folks - imagine that. And he too will never force them on the critical questions (as noted above). Never asking why the candidate is the best person for the job? What do they bring to the table? What are their achievements? Am I right or am I right? Nevertheless 20% of the voting population dutifully goes to the voting booth and ticks the same ole boxes and as expected we get the same ole results. Another two years of the same nonsense. Welcome to Wusta!

My advice to anyone contemplating moving here - think twice. There are nicer communities in central MA. But if you’re inclined, I gotta a house for sale. Nice quiet neighborhood, a pretty lawn, but with a couple brown spots caused by the neighbor’s dog - but no big deal. A little Ajax and voila! A big garage - room for two cars, a motorcycle, and lots of kid's junk. To be fair, I gotta say there's an asshole neighbor three doors down. He huffs and puffs a lot but if you ignore him he'll go away. Claims he lived here all his life (it shows) and that he knows all the councilors personally. If I was him, I wouldn't brag about something like that. Anyho, I’ll even sweeten the deal with a couple cases of Bud Lite and a year of free Charter Cable, a subscription to the T&G or InCity Times - your pick, and a set of almost new golf clubs. Used three times - neva got the hang of that stupid game.

So why am I writing this? Its about time someone in Wusta starts the blog rolling about how bad it is to live here. I really can't believe that the majority of folks who live her think our situation is acceptable - we have to take back our city from the likes of the people who put us in this predicament, and its above all it's cathartic for me. So if ya agree/disagree then post a comment and we'll get into the nitty gritty of life in Wusta. Otherwise take a hike.