The Third Party

The Third Party, Neither Trump Nor Clinton

The Green Rainbow Party of Massachusetts is the official State affiliate of the Green Party US. The national Green Party has made unofficial overtures to Senator Bernie Sanders to form a left of center third party should he not win the Democratic nomination.

            There was some discussion of how the Reds (Green for Republican) and the Blues (Democrats) were breaking up, similarly to what happed to the Whigs before President Lincoln. I do not think this is the election of the third party. It might however be soon.

The Green Rainbows of Massachusetts held their annual convention on May 21, 2016 In Worcester MA.   Jill Stein of Lexington MA is the favorite daughter of the Green Rainbows. All of its delegates seemingly are committed to Dr. Stein for the national convention of the Greens in Houston TX in August.  

     The national Green Party platform included basic income for all regardless of work status, single payer health insurance similar to Medicare,  universal  good free public education from kindergarten through college, and replacement of fossil fuels by renewable fuels.

     The Green Rainbow convention also endorsed the candidacy of Charlene DiCalogero, running for State Representative in Worcester 14^th District and Danny Factor, vying for State Representative in Worcester 12^th District.

       There were two informational speakers. The first was Jonathan Simon who talked about electric vote counting. He pointed out statistical anomalies between the hand counted ballots and electronically counted ballots. The software for the electronic counters is proprietary and no election commission anywhere can review the software.

 Even in Massachusetts the Secretary of State does not allow a comparison of hand counted ballots to the quantity of votes counted electronically.

The second speaker was Mary Lawrence who spoke on animal rights. She made an interesting observation. Ms. Lawrence said that when farm animals are treated badly, the workers on those farms are also treated badly. This bad treatment eventually finds its way into the general society.

      

The Green Rainbow Party adopted a support resolution for BlackLives Matter during its 2015 convention. This was well ahead of the Democratic and Republican parties.

As a part of this convention the Green Rainbows organized a workshop on racism and BlackLives Matter.  The workshop leader was scheduled to be Julius Jones, who confronted Secretary Clinton in New Hampshire last year. Unfortunately he had to cancel.

Something of a crisis was handled well by the convention coordinator, David Spanagel. He recruited Darlene Elias, a leader of the BlackLives Matter civil rights movement in Holyoke MA. A local activist from Worcester assisted her.  The discussion was energized and focused on how to interrupt offense behavior. Merelice, a town representative, from Brookline spoke of her efforts to fight rcism at City Hall. 

Other workshops included a discussion of the fight against the gas pipelines through Massachusetts and a workshop on Global climate change.

This upcoming election will be a test for the Greens nationally. They might grow with the disgust seen for Trump and the mistrust of Clinton. 

Regardless the Green Rainbows seem on the verge of a break through on several local levels.

Growing Racism at City Hall

Growing Racism at City Hall

                                                        

On May 17, 2016 a coalition of individuals and groups held a protest rally outside of City. The coalition was protesting the racist incident involving a City boss, Michael Traynor, the Chief Development Officer for the City of Worcester.

There was an investigation by the Chief Diversity Officer of the City, Dr. Malika Carter. It was reported that Mr. Traynor admitted to road rage in which he called a Black man a “fucking asshole”.  It was also reported that Mr. Traynor used a racial slur.

The City has refused to release the investigatory report to the public and has turned away all questions by the media.  The pretext given by the City is that it cannot release personnel data. This is nonsensical, as an investigatory report is not a personnel record and the City has already release personnel data of Black people working for Mosaic.

The racist double standard is that Black workers who never worked for the City have their personnel records made public, while the White City boss investigatory report is kept secret.

 

The coalition rallied outside in front of City Hall for 45 minutes and then spoke at the City Council meeting about the petition it had filed. The petition was to make it City Council policy to release to the public all investigatory reports regarding City employees accused of racist activities.

The petition as expected was filed (throw into a bureaucratic waste bin).  The City has refused to release other evidence of its racism such as records of complaints about racist incidents committed by the police.

One of the speakers for the coalition seemed surprised when the Mayor of the City gaveled him when he quoted the words admittedly used by Mr. Traynor, “fucking asshole”. This was surprising as the Mayor cautioned the speaker who was quoting Mr. Traynor, but he never criticized the City boss for using those words when speaking to a City resident.

City Councillor Michael T. Gaffney whom many people consider to be a racist for his insistence that a Black social agency be audited, while doing nothing when charges of illicit financial activity in the Police Summer Project are brought to his attention.

I believe that Mr. Traynor used a racial slur in a road rage incident while on City duty.  Even if he did not and only said “fucking asshole” that is unprofessional behavior which could merit termination.  However City Manager Augustus is protecting this accused racist City boss.

The City Manager is seen by some as a racist too because he maliciously prosecuted BlackLives Matter protestors for criminal disturbance of the peace. The police did not see any criminal activity at the time and the Judge ruled that the case was civil and not criminal

This racism at City Hall is getting worse. It is becoming more blatant. I would not be surprised when people start to say that they are afraid to walk into City Hall because of the racist and unprofessional behavior of the City bosses. Instead of heading off this racist growth, the City Manager by his own action and inactions is fueling it.

Growing Racim at City Hall

                                                        

Growing Racism at City Hall

On May 17, 2016 a coalition of individuals and groups held a protest rally outside of City. The coalition was protesting the racist incident involving a City boss, Michael Traynor, the Chief Development Officer for the City of Worcester.

There was an investigation by the Chief Diversity Officer of the City, Dr. Malika Carter. It was reported that Mr. Traynor admitted to road rage in which he called  a Black man a “fucking asshole”.  It was also reported that Mr. Traynor used a racial slur.

The City has refused to release the investigatory report to the public and has turned away all questions by the media.  The pretext given by the City is that it cannot release personnel data. This is nonsensical, as an investigatory report is not a personnel record and the City has already release personnel data of Black people working for Mosaic.

The racist double standard is that Black workers who never worked for the City have their personnel records made public, while the White City boss investigatory report is kept secret. 

The coalition rallied outside in front of City Hall for 45 minutes and then spoke at the City Council meeting about the petition it had submitted. The petition was to make it City Council policy to release to the public all investigatory reports regarding City employees accused of racist activities.

The petition as expected was filed (throw into a bureaucratic waste bin).  The City has refused to release other evidence of its racism such as records of complaints about racist incidents committed by the police.

One of the speakers for the coalition seemed surprised when the Mayor of the City gaveled him when he quoted the words admittedly used by Mr. Traynor, “fucking asshole”. This was surprising as the Mayor cautioned the speaker who was quoting Mr. Traynor, but he never criticized Mr. Traynor for using those words when speaking to a City resident.

City Councillor Michael T. Gaffney whom many people consider to be a racist for his insistence that a Black social agency be audited, while doing nothing when charges of illicit financial activity in the Police Summer Project are brought to his attention.

I believe that Mr. Traynor used a racial slur in a road rage incident while on City duty.  Even if he did not and only said “fucking asshole” that is unprofessional behavior which could warrant a termination.  However City Manager Augustus is protecting this accused racist City boss.

The City Manager is seen by some as a racist too, because he maliciously prosecuted BlackLives Matter protestors for criminal disturbance of the peace. The police did not see any criminal activity at the time and the Judge ruled that the case was civil and not criminal

This racism at City Hall is getting worse. It is becoming more blatant. I would not be surprised when people start to say that they are afraid to walk into City Hall because of the racist and unprofessional behavior of the City bosses. Instead of heading off this racist growth, the City Manager by his own action and inactions is fueling it.

Racist Double Standards

                                          SOS Rally 2015 City Hall, Courtesy Panama Fotos

Double Standards Means Racism

On April 1, 2016 a City boss, Michael E. Traynor, got out of his car at City Hall and berated a Black man who was letting his family off on Front St. Mr. Traynor  admits saying to the motorist “fucking asshole”. Mr. Traynor denies he said “fucking asshole nigger”.

Of course the Black motorist complained to the City Manager’s Office and to Dr. Carter, the recently hired Chief Diversity Officer.  There was an investigation conducted. We soon found out that Dr. Carter has no authority or power on racist incidents of which City employees are accused. We also found out Worcester Human Rights Commission also has no authority to investigate complaints against the City.

It is not clear who conducted the investigation i to the alleged racist and vulgar slurs said by Mr. Traynor. During the investigation Mr. Traynor admitted saying “fucking asshole”, but he denied saying    “nigger”.

The City has not made a copy of the investigation public. It only released a sort of summary to the victim motorist.

This whole process is a racist double standard. Most double standards are indication of some sort discrimination. In this case it indicates the racism still rampant in City Hall. Please recall the malicious prosecution by the City Manager of the BlackLives Matter protestors, when the police at the scene said there was no criminal activity. The judge in the case also dismissed all criminal complaints and made the matter a civil case.

Also consider that the City released to the public private personnel information about the Black workers at Mosaic.

The investigative report is not a part of a personnel file and even if it was the City has released the personnel data of non-City Black workers at Mosaic. The investigative report is a public document, given the public records laws of Massachusetts, should be made public.

Mr. Traynor has admitted his unprofessional actions by confessing to a road rage incident that included vulgarity. This unprofessional behavior in itself is sufficient for termination.  Although he has denied the racial slurs, there is a perception that he is a racist and should not be any longer in what should be the safe from racism space of a public City building.

To a large extent City Councillor Michael T. Gaffney shares responsibility for racism at City Hall. He has disparately and adversely attacked BlackLives Matter supporters and Black organizations. He has done this in a racist manner. He has never asked for an audit of the Worcester Police Summer Program which has rumored to be full of illicit financial activities.

On May 17, 2016 a coalition of activists and concerned people, including Mass. Human Rights Committee and the Progressive Labor Party will hold a protest rally in front of City Hall Worcester at 6 PM. At 7 PM the group will take their demands to City Council. The demands include releasing the Traynor investigative report, appropriate discipline for Mr. Traynor, and the City Council adopting a policy of releasing investigative reports to the public for cases involving alleged racism by City employees. 

Judge Dismisses Defamtion Case Against Racist Blogger

                             Ms. Melican

Judge Dismisses Defamation Case

Judge Brian Davis throw out my defamation case today May 10, 2016. Judge Davis made it clear in a nice way we were not related.

I cannot say that Margaret M. Melican was a nice person. I suppose she like Aiden Kearney cannot help their obsession with mocking people. She writes for TurtleBoy Sports besides being its attorney.

When I asked the Court to allow my wife to help me with my paper because of my low vision, Ms. Melican mocked us by saying “I wish I had a wife”. This ridicule and mockery by her did not escaped the attention of the Judge who rhetorically asked Ms. Melican “So she could help you with your papers?”

He also said that he read my complaint and could not find that Aiden Kearney nor TurbleBoy Sports libeled or defamed me. He based his ruling on the general tenor and context of the defendant’s blog.

The Judge ruled that there was some political content to the blog. In so many words he ruling was that people can say the most outrageous things and it is not defamation as long as it has a political context.

Although disappointing the ruling will give guidance to other publishers and writers in Worcester.  You can call any politician or public figure such as Michael T. Gaffney anything bad as long as you mention some political issue which the politician has taken a position or not.

The ruling will help in my case against Michael T. Gaffney.

I was somewhat comforted that the Judge said that no reasonable person could believe anything that the defendants wrote, especially when they called me crazy and mentally unstable. The Judge implied that I was neither.

However there is a danger to the words of racist blogger like Aiden Kearney and TurtleBoy Sports. The danger is seen in the racist ranting of a City Boss against a dark skin Hispanic man on April 1, 2016. 

The City Boss was upset that the dark skin man was dropping his family off at City Hall and blocked his car. words were exchanged and the City Boss allegedly shouted f.cking a.hole n.gger.   

Kearney and TurtleBoy Sports has made it OK to be racist. This is seen nationwide as the Trump effect where the Ku Kluxers openly support Trump. In Worcester I call it the Michael T. Gaffney effect. Councillor Gaffney has been perceived to be a racist due to his many actions having disparate impacts on Black people.

For now we will have fight the racists and their bloggers with words. Those are not the only weapons in our fight for equality and justice. The fight against fascism will eventually be won in the streets, such as seen in the BlackLives Matter civil rights movement.

The City has investigated the racist incident where one of its Bosses allegedly used a racial slur in addressing a resident of the City. The City has refused to make public the investigation. There should be demonstrations and other events to force the City to release the documents.

That City Boss should be fired should it be determined or perceived that he made racist slurs to a resident of the City or any member of the public. Who would want to go to City Hall with people determined or perceived to be racists roaming its halls?