I didn’t think that it was ever appropriate for the press or others to take shots at me through members of my family, but it seems that the rules of the game have changed. Today’s Globe story about my sister was filled with misleading and inaccurate information. In short, she has worked for the House of Representatives with an unblemished record since 2003. She has been a leader in the state Democratic party for many years. She has never needed to call on me for help in getting a job or keeping a job. She is, on her own accord, an intelligent, motivated and competent woman who was unfairly characterized by a legislator with whom she had a personal falling out last year. I don’t want to get into the details here, but I do want to say that my sister has a strong work ethic and, since she left that legislator’s office, has repeatedly and in writing asked for a prompt re-assignment. The Globe story was unfair and inaccurate and clearly designed to take a shot at me through her. That story was disgraceful.
Now, as to me –
I’m prepared to take all the shots thrown my way by those who desire to make me the issue, as opposed to transportation reform or renewal. I believe passionately in transportation reform and renewal – I believe passionately that we cannot let the MBTA fail, that we cannot bankrupt the people using the Turnpike system, that we have to keep faith with the taxpayers by implementing meaningful reforms – and that we also need to keep faith with our customers, the people who use our roads, bridges, the T and the turnpike. Sometimes my passion for this leads me to verbal excess – but as I have said, I have meant no disrespect to anyone, and I know that only through consensus and collaboration can we get ourselves out of the mess we have inherited.
And yes, this is a mess we have inherited. Since 1991, we experienced year after year of ignoring the problem, or sweeping it under the rug with one-time gimmicks (swaptions). Now we have an Administration that has the courage to act and to tell people the truth, and I am grateful to be a part of that effort. As I have said, the times require leadership, the people demand leadership, and we are providing leadership. Our bill contains strong reforms and represents the greenest, most forward-looking vision of transportation policy we have seen in a long, long time. It is a solid and good and principled approach to reform and renewal. It is generationally responsible. And I am proud to be associated with it.
If we can tune out the personal attacks, which attempt to distract us from the substance, and if we can see clearly the opportunity before us, I believe that we can get something important and historic done. I am working hard every day to make that happen, and I hope that some of the people reading this will make their voices heard in support of that effort.
Jim Aloisi
P.S. For those who asked: I never blog, except on bluemass, and i created “eguy” as a user name to reflect my east boston roots.
socialworker says
I have known Carol through the Democratic state committee. I was upset this morning when the Globe implied that her back problem was some kind of ruse. I was in Denver with Carol at the DNC, and she could barely walk or sit. To imply that she was doing some kind of scam is unforgivable. I really question why Cheryl Rivera tried so hard to make Carol look bad. What’s with that? Her success and good works have nothing to do with her brother. She stands on her own merit.
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p>Socialworker.
mcrd says
Is there anyone in state government that doesn’t have their entire family in the trogh?
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p>No matter how competent this woman is alleged to be—-if she was that competent she could triple her salary in the dreaded private sector.
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p>The Patrick administration is hiring one poltitically connected person after another and conversely laying off ESSENTIAL state employees like social workers.
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p>I’m pretty sure that the voters will be in full revolt come the next election.
judy-meredith says
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p>I sure as hell hope we can.
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p>
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p>And please, spend more of your time and expertise building public support for the necessary revenues to fund transportation reform than you do protecting your sister or debating the fine points of tolls vs taxes with the commentators on this site.
johnk says
bob-neer says
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p>Says someone who apparently has time to engage the Secretary in debate about the finer points of transportation reform and Aloisi family dynamics on this site.
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p>The Secretary, as John points out, is perfectly entitled to spend his time as he thinks best. We may have a nanny state in certain respects, but we certainly don’t need to turn this place into a nanny blog. đŸ˜‰
ryepower12 says
He spent a paragraph explaining something that no doubt caused a lot of turmoil in his family. Most of the time, people just let these things slip by, but it would do permanent damage to his family if that were to happen. Plus, in this case, I’m not so sure defending his sister in this instance isn’t “building public support.” If the public thinks the worst of Aloisi, Deval, they’ll therefore think that of the gas tax. So in a way that had to be explained to move public support.
goldsteingonewild says
I read the Globe piece this morning, and thought “Geez, more hackocracy.”
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p>And my visceral reaction was that it did damage Jim Aloisi in my eyes, even though my brain was trying to emit “Hey GGW, even if true, what does the sister have to do with the brother?”
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p>But when I read his blog response, I thought “Okay, that’s credible.” Good for him.
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p>I’ve been on the receiving end of a Globe hit piece, where the facts were twisted in almost an entire inversion of what had really happened. It’s not pleasant, and you have almost no plausible recourse.
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p>The Globe has been forced to lay off most of their experienced reporters and editors. So when someone calls up with a few facts and a lot of spin, the newspaper’s checks and balances are gone. The machinery is HEAVILY wired to run with any attack.
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p>Who to believe in this case? I have no idea. But I appreciate the Aloisi response.
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p>Your comment, by contrast, doesn’t make sense. How is he supposed to build public support for reform if his credibility is damaged?
amberpaw says
In 2004, a Globe reporter spoke with me for 45 minutes. He then took two sentences out of context so it looked like I said something and supported something about opposite to my actual beliefs – and it did me real harm for years in a cause for which I advocated because people who did not know “me” had heard about this story. It does happen. It is the downside of being even a marginally public person.
judy-meredith says
defending his sister and stating his mission. I should have said that. I know he is a very good man and I was not surprised when he spent a even a few minutes responding to some of the very tough diaries and comments here about the Globe story. Reflects well on his opion of BMG as opinion makers. He is on the job 24/7 and as far as I’m concerned on the right path to solving this stickey problem.
centralmassdad says
Difficult to trust the newspapers to get something like this right. I have seem multiple instances of these sort of things.
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p>I’m willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, as least on the sister thing.
ryepower12 says
it sucks when it ends up off topic and especially sucks when it targets other people as a way to get back at someone else. This was a very effective, on-point post. Now we just need to pass the reform and tax. That’s what permanently kills these sorts of stories in the end.
amberpaw says
Going to a historic convention doesn’t mean not being in pain!
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p>For example, I attended the 2006 State Democratic Convention as a first round, passionate delegate for Deval Patrick and Tim Murray.
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p>I was also in a car accident in May of 2005 where the cartilege in my right hip socket was sheared, and died, and had developed necrosis of the bone in the right hip socket by June of 2006 – the year and month of that historic convention.
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p>I made by surgeon wait to do my total hip replacement in July of 2006, and attended that June 2006 convention using two canes, in a great deal of pain but happy to be there…and pushed for those votes for Deval and Tim on my canes in pain having refused the major pain killers they wanted me on so I would stay 100% mentally acute.
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p>Just because Carol attended the historic convention that nominated Barack Obama does not mean she did it without pain, or that it was not a struggle.
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p>Believe me, I know.
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p>Some of us go forward despite pain – it is not about the “cards” Carol or I were dealt in life but how we play them.
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p>Frankly, I think the better of Jim Aloisi for this post.
tom-m says
AmberPaw, I don’t know you or Carol, and I’m in no position to question anyone’s pain threshold, but I would certainly question her priorities.
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p>The article in question states that she attended both the state convention in Lowell and the “historic” convention in Denver all while she was unable to work at her desk job. If that much is true, I think that needs to be addressed.
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p>I would think the flight to Denver and three days of convention activities would be quite difficult for someone who has been unable to even sit at a computer for three months.
pj says
if Carol Aloisi’s name was Carol Alan and not connected to a Pol she would have been lucky to end up in the old typing pool at the State House.
Carol Aloisi got her hack job only because of her brother Jim. Don’t insult your own intelligence by living in a myth.
scout says
Hi Jim,
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p>Thanks for communicating with everybody like this. I agree that your sister’s long time employment at the state house has little, if anything, to do with transportation reform or big dig history and should not be part of the overall political back and forth.
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p>I not sure, but it’s possible that your final comment about only blogging on BMG may have been in response to my post about and “eguy” who had mad comments on a few Boston Globe articles ( http://vps28478.inmotionhosting.com/~bluema24/s… ). Just to clarify, by your definition, posting in the Globe comments is blogging?
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p>There is actually another question I’d be curious to hear your answer to, when you said on Jim Braude’s show “we believe in reform before revenue,” you were blowing smoke right? Is fibbing verbal excess?
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p>
bob-neer says
If you disagree with Sec. Aloisi, by all means have at him on the substance. But alleging that people are “fibbing” when you post nothing to back that up is just an insult, and (a) undercuts discourse, and (b) makes you look silly. Raillery, not insults. Read the rules.
scout says
Bob, I was definitely not trying to undercut discourse, and thought that the context and proof of the fib I was referring to was apparent from that video and the recent issues that have been in the air around the debate on the necessity of reform before revenue. My bad for not being clear and laying it all out, appreciate the opportunity to clarify.
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p>Mr. Aloisi said “we’ve heard a lot about reform before revenue, we’re doing it” and “we believe in reform before revenue, you’ve heard a lot about reform before revenue, we’re doing it” in interviews on tv. But, a few days later, in front of the legislature he says “reform before revenue, for me, is not an answer and can’t be an answer, but I respect your strong position on it;” a day or so later he started referring to reform before revenue not very respectfully as “meaningless,” and seems to have more or less kept to this position ever since.
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p>I suppose it is remotely possible that Mr. Aloisi really did “believe in reform before revenue” and actually thought that they were really “doing it,” when he said those thing. And then, in the span of a few days, he came to the realization that reform before revenue actually “can’t be an answer,” was meaningless, and that they apparently weren’t doing it anymore (unless they were intentionally doing something that was meaningless). However, common sense tells me that it’s infinitely more likely Mr. Aloisi didn’t really mean it when he said, “we believe in reform before revenue” and wasn’t being honest (fibbing) when he said (at least twice) that the administration was already implementing that policy- as we see he did from the tape.
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p>Probably, my last sentence about “Is fibbing verbal excess” was too heavy on the snark. The point I was driving at is that Mr. Aloisi pleads guilty to “verbal excess”, and says he meant no disrespect to anyone, that’s all well and good- passion is great. But, this makes it seem like his controversial statements were all merely impolitic, and I was perhaps too cutely trying to point out that some could have been considered deceptive as well (like those outlines above), and this can’t really be excused by pleading to “verbal excess.” I actually thought I was soft-peddling the question slightly by using the term fibbing, rather than something stronger like lying.
billxi says
For his willingness to confront the situation. But it is still a atinky situation.
thoughtful says
If the Marion Walsh matter wasn’t bad enough, now we find out that the Transportation Secretary’s sister has a no show job at the state house. But you see, it is all a big misunderstanding she is really a great employee just ask Rep Rivera who was quoted extensively thoughout the globe article.
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p>Your right about one thing. The Governor inherited a mess in our transportation system. What you fail to mention is that you were part of the team who ran the system into the ground.
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p>This is a joke .. right?
liveandletlive says
I’m sorry for the struggles you are having with the press. I’m glad you are speaking out and trying to set the record straight.
While we have your ear, I was wondering if you would consider strongly supporting expanding commuter rail and Amtrak service from Boston to Palmer and points West. Rail service through this region would be cost effective because the infrastructure is already there, as well as a beautifully renovated train station. Adding rail service to this region would create jobs and revitalize the area, which would benefit both the region and the entire state. It is a winning situation all around. Please review the idea and give it thoughtful consideration. I know you have already heard from Senator Stephen Brewer regarding this matter. Thank You.
jarstar says
I have to second the sentiment in this post, and add a plea for transportation options along the I-91 corridor. If, after all the reform and all the money is spent, commuters from Greenfield to Springfield STILL can’t get to work except by car, then the whole project will be, to my mind, a failure. Pioneer Valley Transit Authority is getting a huge stimulus grant for equipment, but how about directing some other money their way so they could run some express commuter buses from Northampton to Springfield? There’s a rail line along this corridor – can we please get a train?
stomv says
if the people from one community have only one option to get to one other community but the MBTA gets it’s feet, there’s enough money to maintain the roads and bridges, the smaller transit agencies get a boost, and the tolls on the Pike don’t go to $7, you’d call the whole project a failure?
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p>I share your hope that it isn’t a failure in your mind, but methinks your necessary criteria for success warrants review.
jarstar says
If you read my post to mean that my concern was for people in Greenfield or Northampton not being able to get to Springfield then I apologize for being unclear. I wasn’t talking about one community’s commuters, I was talking about all of us who live and work somewhere between the Vermont border and Hartford, and there are a lot of us, who have a single way to travel: by car. Greenfield is merely the top (almost) of the corridor; Northampton a good place for an express bus to load up. I will admit to a touch of the dramatic, and feel appropriately chastised.
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p>Decent public transit can be a beautiful thing; I want just a taste. Having lived before in a place where housing development outpaced the ability or willingness of planners to plan for how all those people are going to travel on the 2 lane main road during rush hour, on their way to the highway, I would like to think that we have an opportunity now for state-wide transportation reform and spending that includes some of that planning. The housing boom is already well under way.
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p>I did learn yesterday that there is a plan to straighten out the rail line that currently takes a sharp right at Springfield in the direction of Palmer before heading north to Amherst so that it will run parallel to I-91. I consider that an excellent start. I hope it happens. That’s the first step to being able to run commuter trains along the corridor. I will continue to dream of my express bus.
tedf says
The first part of Mr. Aloisi’s post is kind of a non-denial denial. He calls the Globe’s story “disgraceful” and “unfair and inaccurate,” but then he writes that he doesn’t “want to get into the details here.” You can’t have it both ways, I think. The Globe story essentially said that Ms. Aloisi was being paid to do nothing, and that her earlier history of health problems began after she had been accused of falsifying her time records. Those are pretty strong accusations, especially because she is Jim Aloisi’s sister. Are they true, or not?
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p>The sense I get from Mr. Aloisi’s comments here is that she was in fact being paid to do nothing, but that while she was being paid to do nothing, she was “repeatedly and in writing” asking for reassignment. I find it difficult to believe that someone who repeatedly asks to be given work is not given work, and I find it even more difficult to believe that a reasonable person would sit around doing nothing for an extended period of time in that situation rather than leaving and finding a real job.
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p>All that being said, Mr. Aloisi is right that the substance of transportation reform is more important than his sister’s sinecure.
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p>TedF
rupert115 says
I was an Legislative Aide (to a committee chairman) in 1998 and made $24K.
peter-porcupine says
And during the entire Finneran Speakership, when Aide salaries were frozen, the only Rep. who EVER gave a damn or tried to get a salary raise was Marie Parente.
johnt001 says
We voted her out of office for her reactioanry views – I’m proud of my new rep, John Fernandes.
ruppert says
Question for Jim or anyone else.
Carol, your sister has been at state House since ’03 and makes $60,000. Is this a normal pay scale for someone there with that length of service??
I have friend that works there as an aide since 1999 has a great resume prior to then in the Human Service field and makes $30,000 per year.
That is exactly half of Jims sisters pay. Was there favoritism in the setting of the pay???
Has Jim Aloisi raised money for Sal DiMasi???
billxi says
I’m thrilled to not be the only recognizing the stinkpot here. Just a joke: It could be yesterday’s leftover cabbage. I guess Stormy receives a government paycheck. Nothing personal intended.
petr says
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p>Here, more than most ‘media’ or methods of mass communications, we have the space to get into the nitty-gritty. We also have a certain amount of freedom to call a distraction a distraction.
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p>I for one, find myself compelled to agree with you: in all the ‘press’ coverage of this person called “Jim Aloisi”, I’ve seen no end of distraction and tangential issues raised. I’m not at all certain, from press accounts, what you’re supposed to be doing, only that you’re certain (or so it is said) to do it in a way in which I’m supposed to disapprove…
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p>
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p>BMG, although much more sophisticated than others (IMHO) still becomes beholden to a lowest-common-denominator factor that is… frustrating, to say the least. Personally, I’m a little saddened to see that recent posts from both Jim Aloisi and Doug Rubin (Deval Patricks’ Chief of Staff) haven’t been met with much in the way of either respect or substantive discussion.
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p>There is, it seems, a more than dense influx of trolls lately, to be sure, but the serious BMG readership seems all to ready to be distracted. I think the pace of postings and blogging here is a little to speedy. We’ve got an opportunity to talk directly to both Aloisi and Rubin and we’re squandering that…
judy-meredith says
leo says
–Leo
sabutai says
To the extent that anyone is looking at the circumstances of your sister as a reflection of you, it certainly is inappropriate. However, to the extent that one takes the Globe‘s accusations at face value, your sister does have her own questions to answer, and the person(s) who allowed such business to occur do as well.
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p>I don’t think this necessarily reflects on you, but the actions of your sister do appropriately reflect on her. And the actions of anybody who knew of this and were willing to allow it to continue do reflect on them as well.
mcrd says
In the dreaded private sector? God forbid.
frankskeffington says
I find your comment that “this is a mess we have inherited…since 1991, we experienced year after year of ignoring the problem, or sweeping it under the rug with one-time gimmicks (swaptions)” to be very disingenuous.
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p>YOU have been intricately involved in creating and sweeping this mess under the rug for the last twenty years. To represent yourself as some crusading reformer to save the day is laughable and shows contempt to the readers of BMG.
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p>Do people have to be reminded that you were Jim Kerasiotes’ right-hand man was he hide the Big Dig cost overruns from the public and bondholders in the 90s? You’re lucky you didn’t get indicted for that. Or that you were Matt Amorello’s key aide as he plunged the Turnpike and Big Dig into further ruin.
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p>I certainly respect you coming to BMG and hope you continue to…but don’t think we’re a bunch of fools who will soak up lies and phony talking points. To pretend that you weren’t involved in getting us into this mess undermines every word you say or write.
scout says
that is an essential point….It is not possible to inherit something you already own.
rupert115 says
I’m reminded of the clever slogan I used to see when walking by a Harvard Square travel agency: “Go Away!”
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p>It’s advice Mr. Aloisi should heed. He’s become an embarrassment to the governor and our state. He was hired because he “knew where bodies were buried,” and even in that regard he’s become a liability. Please go away.
johnd says
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand she had a famous Beacon Hill “no show” job when they assigned her to the staff of a “former” Rep who left for green pastures heading the RMV (another lucky day). So… did she wonder about the job when nobody showed up in the office for 6 months? Did she wonder how she could make the trips to the conventions but was too sick to work at her desk? THis story expose a small sampling of the bullshit that covers Beacon Hill like ash after a volcano.
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p>Jim has big balls to even bother trying to defend his sister but his balls were never in question after the “reform before revenue” flip-flop speeches. Did you forget you were being filmed?
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p>I agree with another BMG poster… Go away! Go enjoy your bloated pension paid for by the over-milked taxpayers of MA.
pat-peabody says
With 7 cents of every MBTA dollar going to employee and retiree salaries and beneftits (Insurance, pensions, etc.) why doesn’t the Secretary and his boss trying to sell a gas tax increase tell the people the truth that most of the six cents from the proposed gas tax increase to be allocated to the transportation system is going to be spent perpetuating business as usual in the Commonwealth. Cities and Towns (read “taxpayers”) are facing property and other tax increases because the law in Massachusetts requires funding of guaranteed pension benefits and the pension fund managers lost too much in the stock market last year. What do you say to those in the DPS who saw their personal retirement funds melt away. And let’s not forget Registrar Kaprelian’s arrogant defense of the huge hikes in registry fees as only amounting to 6.50 per driver per year. The Governor makes no bones about packing his administration with appointees “of a like mind” who are bombarding beleaguered citizens on what seems a daily basis with calls to pay and pay some more. Nothing will ever change in this Commonwealth and anyone who says or believes it will is either delusional or a liar. Finally, I have a few laid off relatives who are “solid” people who can “stand on their own merit” Let me know where to direct them for their government jobs.
wrightje says
I guess I dont understand why Aliosi feels he needs to respond to the globe article. Although some of the article may not be factually accurate, the whole point of the article is to insinuate that it pays to be a patron. If anyone on this post has the gumption to say that the Dimasi hiring of Carol Aliosi is not tied to Jim Aliosi then we will listen but I am betting that this is not the case.
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p>Also, if Carol is such a stellar employee why is Rep Rivera saying the exact opposite. Rep Rivera indicates she questioned the veracity of timecard filing, questioned how she attended coventions when while she was on leave and also questions how she took advantage of a position. These questions I think need to have answered so we understand the true dynamic of this situation.
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p>The globe sounds to be fed up with the rest of the taxpayers of Massachusetts with situations like this. If you are a public employee you need to assume you will be scrutinized, so get used to it.
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p>One last parting comment. Jim you have not done yourself any good by patronizing people you work with. Murray, Conaghton etc. If you were less volatile and more approachable in the public spotlight things might be different .
cater68 says
I’m afraid the Aloisi appointment is an unmitigated disaster. He’s a very bright guy who knows his way around the block – but he ain’t no frontman. Deval must be thinking, “With friends like this…”
regularjoe says
you are one of the main causes of the big dig boondoggle and then you made millions on the big dig for your phony baloney law firm job, now you jump back into “public service” and float an expensive and dubious inspection sticker RFID scam that will cost us millions. Now we find out your sister is also at the trough.
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p>The way I see it you have two choices:
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p>Man Up
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p>or
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p>Leave
regularjoe says
thanks for the urban blight you have inflicted on the people of Somerville and Charlestown. Those billboards are a slap in the face of every citizen of those communities. The SJC gave you and inch and you took the whole thing. Every thing you are involved with reeks of corruption, incompetence and insincerity. You are a disgrace to this Commonwealth and mostly to the citizens of East Boston.
regularjoe says
way to recant Jimbo. Just keep on flailing around. It is more and more clear that your ship has sailed. Attaboy!