TEXTING, TV3, VERIZON and
RANDOM MEDFORD MASS. THOUGHTS
By Joe Viglione
This article appears on Page 4 of the Massachusetts newspaper The Medford Daily Mercury (print edition),
April 18, 2011 in the AROUND THE REGION section.
For the past five years or so the City Council of Medford - the alleged "people's forum", has fielded citizen complaints - but how effective has the council been? Councilor Robert Penta has on the agenda for MOTION, ORDERS AND RESOLUTIONS #11-366
"Be it Resolved that the value of this Medford city council be discussed"
What is the value of our City Council when one politician in Medford holds so many of the marbles? The council was effective last year, working in concert with the Medford Police Department and the office of the City Solicitor to suspend the license of Online Sales (on or about April of 2010), not so effective in going after three gas stations in Medford, resulting in an injunction filed against each member of the council and the City Clerk.
Which brings up the matter of texting...or TEXTGATE as I like to call it. I put in a Public Record's Request with City Hall on April 15th and received an e mail back from Councilor Camuso timed 3:14 PM on Friday stating:
I" have received your request for text messages made by me during
Medford City Council meetings of 2011. There are no such public records
in my possession. Very truly yours Paul A. Camuso"
Now I agree that as a tool to benefit the city the texts with up to date info can be useful and are worthy of bringing to the attention . The problem is that "fun and games" instead of city work could be an issue. The onus should be on the councilors bringing this new tool into the council chambers to be forthright with the constituents. The cellphone provider or laptop computer ISP (Internet service provider) should have all those records...and any elected official who plans on running for office again should ask for those records and put them on the web for any constituent to read. We can then judge based upon performance...if shenanigans are afoot the politician should step down or not run for re-election. If it is 100% city business, giving a little latitude for family emergencies or city emergencies, then we can vote for that politician again. I would gladly vote for Paul Camuso if, upon reading each and every text he has received and sent during council sessions, those texts pertained mostly to city business.
This is Mr. Camuso's chance to be forthright with the citizens who plan on voting in November.
An employer can possibly terminate someone for texting dumb stuff on company time. Doesn't every citizen in the city of Medford deserve our elected officials pay strict attention to the issues at hand? We should know how our elected officials are behaving...if they are being intelligent, thoughtful, sensitive to community issues...or if they are goofing off.
We didn't vote on the use of the new technology, so an official has an obligation, in my opinion, to be careful with that technology - and be upfront about it. We can reward - or punish them - come election day.
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The Cable Advisory Committee, Verizon and TV 3
Rumors are always good reading and these should not disappoint. Word on the street is that Verizon coming to Medford is back on the table. Along with the gossip that competition for Comcast is in the wings is the fact that the Mayor has reorganized his Cable Advisory Commission. The webpage is back up on the city website - you can find it at http://tinyurl.com/medfordcablecommission But looming on the horizon is also the fate of Medford Community Cablevision, Inc. Two individuals are being broadcast on Channel 3 with a public service announcement on access TV entitled "Outlook". As rumor has it, this appears to be the new "station management" as Mayor McGlynn purportedly is phasing out the old regime and working to install a new access TV station in the city of Medford.
When Dr. William Wood tells Councilor Camuso that he sent a check in to join TV 3 Medford and that they never cashed it (City Council, April 27, 2010, as broadcast on Channel 16) well, that tells you all you have to know about a Greenline proponent being censored from giving his point of view on the electronic soap box.
Indeed, my roundtable interview with Jodie Foster taped April 12, 2011 is being broadcast in other cities and towns, but only on YouTube in Medford... http://tinyurl.com/visualjodie if you'd like to see a different kind of access TV that Medford is not used to.
till next time
Joe Viglione
Joe Viglione is host and producer of Visual Radio. He will be speaking to the City Council on April 19th about texting and about the future of Channel 3
NOTES
Online Sales
Medford City Council suspends On-Line Sales license
http://www.wickedlocal.com/medford/features/x749197522/Medford-City-Council-suspends-On-Line-Sales-license#axzz1Jczw3fws
TONY'S GAS
May 2010
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/medford/2010/03/gas_station_owners_furious_aft.html
