Cambridge Chronicle Accuracy

Cambridge Chronicle Accuracy

"City Councilor Marjorie Decker denounce[d] the Chronicle's reporting [...] Decker said the coverage was unfair [...]" "I really hope the Chronicle would do its diligent homework, [she] denounce[s] what she says is inaccurate reporting in this newspaper." (Erin Smith, "Decker attacks Chronicle (again)," Cambridge Chronicle,
October 19, 2006) Another story, same edition, raises accuracy questions.
Erin Smith reports that Mayor Reeves said "in a letter dated Oct. 11" to David Scondras, "I am also urging you to immediately seek psychiatric help, as well as alcohol and drug abuse treatment," (Erin Smith, "City fired Scondras before he 'resigned.'" Cambridge Chronicle, October 19, 2006) I asked Reeves about the letter urging Scondras to seek "psychiatric help." I said suggesting he get psychiatric help because he was arrested suggests that the illness caused the alleged crime. The Mayor told me, "I said he should seek help." He repeated that saying, "I said he should get help." I said the Cambridge Chronicle reported he said "psychiatric help." The Mayor said, "If you're relying on the Chronicle, then you're in trouble." Why is this an issue? If the Mayor was truthful, the reporter added "psychiatric" indicating an irrational and negatively biased view of a person regarded as having a disability. It suggests disability as the reason David Scondras was arrested and charged with a crime. It suggests that being regarded as having a disability is causally connected to crime. That is the Flip Wilson defense, "The devil made me do it." On the other hand, if the Mayor did say "psychiatric help," then not only did he lie to me, but also it indicates that the Mayor holds the same irrational and negatively biased view of being regarded as having a disability as a cause of crime. Aside from the absurdity of this view, and the pervasiveness of the view, what would be the reaction if a Mayor suggested that a person's race was a cause of crime? What would be the reaction if a Mayor stated that a person's sexual preference was a cause of crime? Why is it acceptable in polite company to slur persons with disabilities?
--
Roy Bercaw, Editor
ENOUGH ROOM
Cambridge MA USA


Decker attacks Chronicle (again)
By Erin Smith/
Cambridge Chronicle Staff
Thursday, October 19, 2006

City Councilor Marjorie Decker used her speaking time at Monday's council meeting to denounce the Chronicle's reporting on two battling arts groups. Decker said the coverage was unfair to the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, the arts organization that Decker sided with in the feud. "I really hope the Chronicle would do its diligent homework," shouted Decker. Decker did not say what was she thought was incorrect about the report, but accused the Chronicle of using blogs as its source of information.
Vice Mayor Tim Toomey, who was acting as meeting chairman, tried to convince Decker and other city councilors to drop the heated discussion of CMAC and the Dance Complex. The two groups came to a lease agreement on Monday, and CMAC sold its Central Square building to the Dance Complex for $1.
But Decker demanded that Toomey let her have a say on the topic. Toomey tried to silence Decker when she tried to rehash her fight with City Councilor Michael Sullivan.
Sullivan had chastised Decker at the Sept. 25 City Council meeting after Decker suggested that Sullivan and other city councilors favored the Dance Complex because Dan Epstein is their kids' pediatrician. Epstein is married to Rozann Kraus, the founder of the Dance Complex.
City councilors should "confine their remarks to the question under debate and avoid personalities," according to the City Council's rules of courtesy. After Epstein showed up at this week's council meeting to refute Decker's claims, Decker sought to deny that she had attacked the doctor's reputation or inferred a conflict of interest among fellow city councilors.
At the Sept. 25 City Council meeting, however, Decker accused Kraus and Epstein of having influence over councilors. "This is about power. This is about influence, and this is about one organization that has a lot more access to city councilors than somebody else did starting when this debate started several years ago," said Decker at the council meeting last month. "I mean, let's just disclose this. I mean there are personal relationships here. People who are patients of people who spoke tonight who happen to be married to someone else who represents the Dance Complex," said Decker on Sept. 25.
Epstein also spoke at the Sept. 25 meeting in support of the Dance Complex. Decker also said her colleagues had threatened to cancel CMAC's $200,000 in annual city funding if she continued to speak about the feud at this week's meeting. The threat was later withdrawn, according to Decker's testimony at the City Council meeting. Decker often uses her time at City Council meetings to denounce what she says is inaccurate reporting in this newspaper.
The Chronicle used past articles and a copy of the 1993 agreements and other documents between the city and the two arts groups to research the story on CMAC and the Dance Complex.
* * * * *
City fired Scondras before he 'resigned'
By Erin Smith/
Cambridge Chronicle Staff
Thursday, October 19, 2006

In the wake of the Scondras scandal, Cambridge is wondering how to fill the gap the activist's absence creates. David Scondras, a political activist battling allegations he tried to have sex with a teen, was a former Boston City Councilor and the coordinator for the Area 4 Coalition prior to his Oct. 9 arrest by Lawrence police. The coalition is a community organization for Area 4, a neighborhood bordering Central Square.
The neighborhood group is expected to form a hiring committee next month to find a replacement for the part-time, city-funded job. The city pays for the position with grant money. At a neighborhood meeting last week, Marian Darlington-Hope, chairperson of the coalition, said she hoped that the coalition wouldn't lose momentum during the transition.
"Well, I'm willing to help them out in any way," said City Manager Bob Healy about the coalition. Scondras tried to resign his post with the Area 4 Coalition last Thursday, but there was no need for the resignation letter because he was fired two days earlier. Healy terminated his $19,000-a-year city contract as coordinator for the group on the night of Oct. 10, less than 24 hours after Scondras was arrested in a Lawrence school parking lot for allegedly soliciting a minor.
Police alleged Scondras tried to lure a man posing as a 15-year-old boy into sex acts in the woods near a school with offers of alcohol, marijuana and lubricant. "As a result of the allegations that were made, it seemed appropriate to terminate the contract," Healy told the Chronicle. There was no word yet as to whether Scondras plans to resign his post as a board member for the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, a nonprofit settlement house in Area 4. A representative from the organization did not return calls placed last week.
Scondras' resignation letter came one day after Mayor Ken Reeves asked him to step down and seek professional help. "As the Mayor of Cambridge and your friend, I am asking you to immediately resign your position as Community Organizer for Area Four. I am also urging you to immediately seek psychiatric help, as well as alcohol and drug abuse treatment," Reeves wrote to Scondras in a letter dated Oct. 11.
Reeves, who credits Scondras for encouraging him to enter politics, told the Chronicle that he didn't know Scondras had already been fired when he wrote the letter asking him to resign. On Monday, police alleged Scondras showed up at a Lawrence school parking lot hoping to have sex with a 15-year-old boy.
"You know, a lot of people have prejudices against guys who like to have sex with children," Scondras was reported to have said Oct. 9 as he sought to solicit sex from a 20-year-old security guard who was posing as a teen. Police said they listened to the attempted tryst set-up via speakerphone. Scondras, 60, of 17 Worcester St., pleaded not guilty in Lawrence District Court to charges of enticement of a child under the age of 16; selling or delivering liquor to a person under 21; assault and battery on a police officer; resisting arrest; and larceny under $250.
Scondras was released on $1,500 cash bail. He is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Nov. 16. Prosecutors said Scondras, under the online screen name "Toppdadd," was actually messaging a 20-year-old hospital security guard. The security guard alerted police to graphic messages from "Toppdadd," including photos of a naked, aroused man and two men having sex, according to police reports. In his resignation to the Area 4 Coalition, he refuted the charges against him.
"I am innocent of any wrongdoing, but I can not talk about the case on the advice of my attorney," said Scondras in his resignation letter dated Oct. 12. In his letter, Scondras claims that he is the victim, saying he received a "vicious beating" by Lawrence Police. "Unfortunately, the press and city officials have already started to focus on me instead of the critical work needed here in Area 4. For this reason I am, with much sadness, resigning as the coordinator for the Area 4 Coalition so that the important work of the organization can continue," said Scondras in the letter.
Scondras referred the Chronicle to his lawyer, David Duncan, when reached by phone this week. Duncan told the Chronicle that Scondras has denied the charges against them and that he plans to fight them in court.
esmith@cnc.com

Good Journalism?

Good Journalism?

Great piece of investigative journalism about Cambridge! (Janice O'Leary, "City's great -- if you can afford it. So say residents in survey; study of seniors sought," Boston Globe, City Weekly, October 29, 2006) Who would have thought that politicians would agree that the city that pays their salaries is run well?
Getting quotes from officials is a mark of good journalism. Let's see five councilors and the City Manager. That seems like a cross-section of the population. If they all agree must not be any problems in that city. No news is good news and all that.
If the survey says so it must be true. That is why politicians use them, listen to them, vote for them and pay for them. It makes them look good.
So why not ask them what they think of the survey? In Cambridge who wants to hear any bad news which might lower property values? Not me. You?
There are no credible critics. The only credible voters in Cambridge praise the government. Ask any Harvard PR flack, or any MIT flack. Just doing my job.
--
Roy Bercaw, Editor
ENOUGH ROOM
Cambridge MA USA

CAMBRIDGE
City's great -- if you can afford it
So say residents in survey; study of seniors sought
By Janice O'Leary,
Boston Globe Correspondent
City Weekly
October 29, 2006

Cambridge residents increasingly consider their city a great place to retire -- that is, if you can afford housing, according to a recent survey by the city whose results were released last week. "It's useful and helpful to get a snapshot of what's going on in the city," said City Councilor Brian Murphy .
Twenty percent of Cambridge residents rate the city an excellent place to retire, up from 13 percent in 2000 . But 76 percent gave the city low marks for access to affordable housing. The perception of safety has declined; six years ago 83 percent polled rated Cambridge as a safe place to live, and this year 73 percent felt that way.
An overwhelming majority of residents, 85 percent , gave the city high marks for its recycling efforts and cultural offerings. None of this surprised city councilors. "The survey says what we all knew anyway," said Councilor Craig A. Kelley , a sentiment echoed by other councilors during Monday's presentation.
"We're not getting a whole lot of new information here," said City Councilor Henrietta Davis.
"It's too much good news, Bob," Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves joked to city manager Robert W. Healy. Most areas of inquiry remained stable or slightly improved, with 47 percent responding that they are totally satisfied with life in Cambridge and only 3 percent saying they are totally dissatisfied.
In addition to housing, issues topping the list of citizen concerns included education and property taxes. Davis, an advocate for public transportation, said she was happy to see the high number of respondents -- 51 percent -- who find driving in Cambridge difficult. The biennial survey cost the city $14,250 , according to Healy.
It first began in 2000 . Davis suggested alternating this survey in the future with another that could delve deeper into citizen responses. Councilor Michael A. Sullivan especially wanted a further study of seniors. Councilor Marjorie C. Decker said it would be useful to have comparative data available to see how survey responses change with demographics.

City Council Abuses Vulnerable Persons, Free Speech

The Cambridge City Council imitates art -- Animal Farm. A mayor who knows discrimination, became an oppressor and censor of vulnerable persons. The Mayor suspends the rules and stops public comment at three minutes. Other council rules are ignored. It is selective enforcement of laws, a pattern of one party political systems.
A doctor bloviated on September 25 how beloved and charismatic he was, and how much he loved his influential wife. The Mayor allowed this though it was not on the agenda. The mayor feigns stupidity about allowable public comment.
At the September 11th meeting this mayor interrupted James Williamson who spoke about students placing a fire truck on the MIT Dome honoring firemen who died in New York City. This mayor said “9/11” was not on the agenda. But it was. The Mayor’s resolution acknowledged “9/11.”
The mayor censors persons who he does not like. This shows contempt for free speech, the First Amendment and democracy. On October 30 Kathy Podgers was the first speaker. The Mayor said she was not speaking on an agenda item. But she was. Podgers said, “This is about community policing.”
The Mayor interrupted again. “You’re repeating a conversation with the Manager about your mental state.
Podgers, “Correct.”
The Mayor, “That is not on . . . “ Podgers, “No, about how the police discriminate, how the police do not operate according to [...] the law of the land. [...] This is discrimination against people with disabilities.”
I spoke. The Mayor interrupted me saying I needed to speak about an agenda item. I spoke on the Public Safety Committee meeting on October 3rd. Reeves said, “Mr. Bercaw I find it difficult to, to . . . Mr. Bercaw you, you have to speak about the order that you said you were speaking on. If you can’t keep your commentary to that then you won’t be allowed to continue.”
One city goal encourages public participation. The Council acts against their goals. Elie Yarden spoke. The Mayor said it was not to an agenda item. Yarden objected. The Mayor banged the gavel. Yarden objected. The Mayor called a recess and the police. Yarden is 83 years old.
The Mayor continued abusing and provoking vulnerable citizens. Councilor Decker asked Podgers to leave with her service dog. Podgers rightfully refused. The Mayor said “Miss Podgers, [...]If we hear you again this night you’re gone too.”
Podgers answered the Mayor. He said, “OK. Uh, officer we have another person disrupting the public meeting.” After a recess of 19 minutes and 46 seconds the Mayor reconvened the meeting.
Decker said, “There seems to be a discrepancy, Mr. Mayor. I’m having um a bit of an allergic reaction to an animal here in the room. [...] I’m going to actually just uh leave. So uh we can figure this out over the next week.”
The mayor stated, “For some reason there has developed in the air that there is an entitlement not only to be at this particular meeting but to also do whatever you like. And uh the complications tonight seem to suggest that we’re gonna have to review with ourselves and the public what can and cannot go on here. Uh when there is uh an animal introduced into the chamber and the member has allergies uh there is reasonable accommodation that can and must occur because the Councilor can only do the business of the council here in the chamber, so. That is pretty clear to me. [...] The chair does not believe that, believes that reasonable accommodations has been offered.”
Councilor Decker interrupted the Mayor saying, “I think we tried to offer reasonable accommodations at this time.” The Mayor suspended the rules for the 7th time that meeting and read one section of the Open Meetings Law. The Mayor, the Council, and the City Clerk do not enforce the rest of the Open Meeting Law. They do not enforce other council rules. It would not be selective enforcement of the laws if they did.
Outrageously the Mayor and the Councilor think that citizens need to make reasonable accommodations for the government, that they do not have to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. That is a discrepancy.
[Quotes are transcribed from a video-tape of the meetings.]

Sex, Drugs, Drinks, Homicides and Gambling Too

Sex, Drugs, Drinks, Homicides and Gambling Too

The Mayor said, "There’s a nightclub on every corner" in Atlanta. The License Commission "has to reflect the will of the people, which comes through the people they elect to the City Council," Reeves added. (Erin Smith, "Reeves wants to get this party started," Cambridge Chronicle, November 30, 2006)
What part of Atlanta did the Mayor visit? Did he have a drink in each club he saw? He runs City Council meetings as if he just came back from Atlanta.
More mysterious is his claim that the License Commission must reflect "the will of the people." Since when has any Cambridge city agency reflected the will of the people?
Before any city employee speaks or writes they must get approval from the city manager. The City Council has the power to request the Manager to do things. State law prohibits the council from ordering city agencies to act. The nine invertebrate councilors do not have enough spine to fire the manager and he knows it.
Why stop at more bars? Why not a couple of Ivy League brothels? Few Bay State politicians obey the laws or the voters. Why not open a few local casinos too? MIT and Harvard own a lot of private property, onto which the local police fear to enter. Why not make Cambridge like Las Vegas, a casino on every corner.
In Amsterdam there are marijuana clubs on every corner. Why not in Cambridge? Lots of homicides in New Orleans. Why not in Cambridge too? Lighten up License Commissioners.
--
Roy Bercaw, Editor
ENOUGH ROOM
Cambridge MA USA

Reeves wants to get this party started
By Erin Smith
Cambridge Chronicle Staff
Thursday, November 30, 2006 - Updated: 08:08 AM EST

The city’s politicians are crying out for more hot spots in Cambridge where clubbers can shake their groove thing. "I just returned this week from Atlanta. There’s a nightclub on every corner," said Mayor Ken Reeves, who argued that adding more nightclubs in Cambridge would offer an after-hours entertainment incentive for biotech lab workers to live in the city.
The City Council recently made "more fun businesses," such as bars and dance clubs, a top priority on a list of goals for the city in the coming year. Reeves said there are few places to go dancing in Cambridge after ManRay nightclub in Central Square closed in 2005.
Reeves also argues that the License Commission should encourage bars and restaurants to stay open late at night for as long as they are making money. One councilor worried that an influx of nightclubs would also bring the end-of-the-night violence that breaks out outside Boston club scenes on Lansdowne Street or the Alley.
The popular Boston nightlife spots in Boston are "great places to go to. They’re not great places to live next to," said City Councilor Craig Kelley. City Councilor Brian Murphy, who first spearheaded the fun businesses movement, said Cambridge’s nightlife scene should be livelier, but club owners often can’t afford to buy building space in the city. "I think there’s little to no danger of Cambridge becoming Lansdowne Street. The real estate is too expensive," said Murphy at a recent City Council roundtable with License Commission officials about the city’s liquor license policies.
The License Commission is an autonomous committee, but that hasn’t stopped city councilors from trying to exert control over the agency. City councilors have been pressuring the License Commission to relax its rules and open the door to more alcohol-serving businesses to the city.
"While the License Commission has its own authority, it has to reflect the will of the people, which comes through the people they elect to the City Council," said Reeves.
In September, after prompting from the City Council, the License Commission made it easier for bar owners to sell their liquor license to bars and restaurants in other neighborhoods. The changes could alter the face of Cambridge neighborhoods and could mean more bars shifting from smaller commercial districts, such as Inman Square, to Harvard Square, where demand for liquor licenses is high. It could also mean more liquor-serving bars and restaurants overall in the city.
City Councilor Marjorie Decker is hoping the License Commission relaxes its liquor license policies even further. She pledged to form a task force with the city’s economic development officials to draft a new liquor license policy, while dismissing a fact sheet from the Cambridge Prevention Coalition. The fact sheet cites studies showing higher crime rates and complaints for noise, loitering and traffic, as well as binge drinking by college students in neighborhoods with more bars. "We can throw out all the facts of what one more Malaysian restaurant with a liquor license will do to a neighborhood. I’m not buying it," said Decker.
City Councilor Anthony Galluccio said that he would rather pressure restaurant owners with inactive liquor licenses to sell to other businesses than add more liquor licenses to the city’s stock. Said Galluccio, "I don’t know that I would add scores of nightclubs, but I am embarrassed when I go over to Sculler’s [a jazz club in Allston] to listen to music and I think, ’Why am I not in Cambridge?’"
- esmith@cnc.com
Does Cambridge need more nightclubs? Is there a particular niche of nightlife that the city is missing? Where do you go like to spend your weekend nights? Log onto cambridgechronicle.com and let us know what you think on our blog!