Worcester Deeply Divided

                                   

Worcester Deeply Divided

The Worcester City Council meeting of July 21, 2015 was further proof of a deeply divided City. For many in the community and several City Councillors the verbal gloves came off. Some City Councillors were disingenuous. Other Councillors resorted to name calling. The police was called to escort a Black man out of the Council Chambers.

There is some evidence that this deep divide between Black Lives Matter supporters and other people who consider themselves to be “colorblind” was exasperated by the Department of Justice Hearings earlier in the year. The bad blood churned up by the hearings, reached a flash point.

Councillors Gaffney and Rosen filed an order for the audit of Mosaic, an organization that helps newly released prisoners (mostly Black and Hispanic) reintegrate into society. Mosaic allowed the use of its building for some Black Lives Matter meetings. The two councilors denied that their order was retaliatory.  Councillors Gaffney and Rosen said the audit was fiduciary due diligence. This proved to be a pretext as they did not seek in their order the auditing of the other ten organizations that received the same block grant as does Mosaic.

                                    

Several supporters of Mosaic called Councillors Gaffney and Rosen “racists”. Councillor Rosen became upset and demanded more respect and said that he was not a racist. Curiously Councillor Rosen later in the meeting demeaned a City employee in such a way that the City Manager cautioned Councillor Rosen that the authority of the Council did not extend to City employees and that he should be more respectful.

Partially due to the elections in November 2015 all eleven City Councillors voted to have the audit, even though there are Councillors who said that Mosaic was doing a good job and sat on Mosaic’s board.

Another deep divide in the City was revealed when City Council softened the enforcement of the ordinance prohibiting dogs from public parks. Personally I like doggies and think there should be a dog park. The racial issue is the perception that the White people in Paxton and their dogs are treated better than the Black people of Worcester.

Earlier in the year there was a protest at Kelly Square in Worcester seeking to pressure the City of Worcester to become more transparent in its police accountability. The City charged the protester with disturbing the peace, despite the police not witnessing the protest and the fact the City has no evidence that is admissible in court. The City brought the charges in retaliation for the protest. There is evidence of the retaliation being malicious prosecution.

Compare this to the White privileged people in Paxton with their dogs. They have openly violated the dog ordinance for years. They erected an unauthorized barrier to prevent City employees from entering a public park. The dog people in Paxton gave police reports saying that they broke the law. Instead of bringing charges against the White people in Paxton like it did against the Black people in Worcester, the City Council has sided with the White people in Paxton and will not enforce the dog ordinance.

At the City Council meeting one person from Paxton saWorcester Deeply Divided

The Worcester City Council meeting of July 21, 2015 was further proof of a deeply divided City. For many in the community and several City Councillors the verbal gloves came off. Some City Councillors were disingenuous. Other Councillors resorted to name calling. The police was called to escort a Black man out of the Council Chambers.

There is some evidence that this great divide between Black Lives Matter supporter and other people who consider themselves to be “colorblind” was exasperated by the Department of Justice Hearings earlier in the year. The bad blood churned up by the hearings, reached a flash point carried.

Councillors Gaffney and Rosen filed an order for the audit of Mosaic, an organization that helps newly released prisoners (mostly Black and Hispanic) reintegrate into society. Mosaic allowed the use of its building for some Black Lives Matter meetings. The two councilors denied that their order was retaliatory.  Councillors Gaffney and Rosen said the audit was fiduciary due diligence. This proved to be a pretext as they did not seek in their order the auditing of the other ten organizations that received the same block grant as does Mosaic.

Several supporters of Mosaic called Councillors Gaffney and Rosen “racists”. Councillor Rosen became upset and demanded more respect and said that he was not a racist. Curiously Councillor Rosen later in the meeting demeaned a City employee in such a way that the City Manager cautioned Councillor Rosen that the authority of the Council did not extend to City employees and that he should be more respectful.

Partially due to the elections in November 2015 all eleven City Councillors voted to have the audit, even though there are Councillors who said that Mosaic was doing a good job and sat on Mosaic’s board.

Another deep divide in the City was revealed when City Council softened the enforcement of the ordinance prohibiting dogs from public parks. Personally I like doggies and think there should be a dog park. The racial issue is the perception that the White people in Paxton and their dogs are treated better than the Black people of Worcester.

Earlier in the year there was a protest at Kelly Square in Worcester seeking to pressure the City of Worcester to become more transparent in its police accountability. The City charged the protester with disturbing the peace, despite the police not witnessing the protest and the fact the City has no evidence that is admissible in court. The City brought the charges in retaliation for the protest. There is evidence of the retaliation being malicious prosecution.

 Compare this to the White privileged people in Paxton with their dogs. They have openly violated the dog ordinance for years. They erected an unauthorized barrier to prevent City employees from entering a public park. The dog people in Paxton gave police reports saying that they broke the law. Instead of bringing charges against the White people in Paxton like it did against the Black people in Worcester, the City Council has sided with the White people in Paxton and will not enforce the dog ordinance.

At the City Council meeting one person from Paxton said that he knew he was breaking the law and challenged the City to do something about.

                                         

It is clear now that Black Lives Matter civil rights movement is not going away. So in order to end this deep division in the City, the colorblind City Councillors will have to be voted out of office and the City Manager will have to enter into serious discussions with the Black and Hispanic communities. Whether this is done this year or in the near future, the changing demographics of the City will compel this change in the political leadership of the City.

Additionally the City Manager will have to end his harassment of the activist and the political stunts, such as the criminal charges and the Department of Justice hearings.