What Dumping Dennis DeWitt Looks Like.
By Jim Conley • Mar 20th, 2007 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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Wonder why the Brookline Selectmen didn’t want to give up their e-mails on the Dennis DeWitt demotion to the TAB? [see previous post].
Here’s your answer. Reporter Jessica Scarpatti just posted correspondence between Board Chair Robert L. Allen, Jr. and Selectman “Gentleman” Michael Merrill. [read the e-mails here].
Readers can draw their own conclusions, but I think Town Administrator Richard Kelliher’s got some splainin’ to do.
Talk about cronyism.
Update: Only the first e-mail in the link above is relevant to the DeWitt matter. The second just shows general contempt for the principles of open government.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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This post is so timely, what with tomorrow the first day of Spring. In tribute, I’m already humming Cole Porter’s “It’s De-lovely” as I ponder and evaluate Bobby Allen missile (sick!) to Mike Merrill:
“It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s delectable, it’s delirious,
It’s dilemma, it’s de-limit, it’s deluxe, it’s delovely” [and with due apologies to Cole Porter] IT’S DE WITT-LESS!
It only takes two for a conspiracy. Here, the parties also happen to be attorneys. But there seems to be a third party, who also happens to be an attorney, Brookline’s own Karl Rove, Town Administrator Kelliher. Allen takes credit for the script and production and perhaps direction. Why, we may have to start calling him “Woody” with such show biz expertise. Was Nancy Daly out of this loopy loop, suggesting that her vote against Dennis followed her conscience and was fully independent?
So it would appear that Jim had the skinny all along on the De Witt de-motion, that Bobby orchestrated (scripted) it.
Is this manner of preparing for BOS meetings routine? How does it square with the spirit at least of the Open Meeting Law? Are there similar Emails regarding liquor licenses that come before the BOS? Perhaps a warrant article is in order requiring Selectmen to disclose all Email exhanges and discussions (in person or by phone) concerning matters that come before the BOS at a meeting.
By the way, I’m wondering whether Mike understood the “stage” instructions he received from Bobby (”Here is what is going to happen.”) or whether Mike had to call Bobby for clarification. In any event, Mike performed as directed; maybe with his chops he should in retirement go into show business.
I wonder if Jesse Mermell has had Emails from her mentor Bobby along the lines of “Here is what is going to happen.”
“IT’S DE-TASTELESS!”
I’m beginning to understand better what a real mensch Michael Sher finally became with his mea culpa on Brookline’s political system and walking away from it, but not without a fight. And this is what Jesse Mermell has to, wants to, look forward to? She may be co-opted into the system even before the election results are in. What a foundation for the start of her political career.