Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Fehrnstrom tries to contain damage over pension flap

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Poor Eric Fehrnstrom.  All the guy wanted was a Bulger-esque pension bonanza to “serve his town” on the Brookline Housing Authority — housing being a subject as to which, apparently, the extent of his knowledge consists of what he’s picked up through breakfast-table chats with his social worker wife, who he says “works with clients who are public housing tenants.”  Now there’s a guy I want working on housing policy!

But now, in light of the flap stirred up by the Globe’s reporting (good job on this one, Frank), Fehrnstrom has had to give up the job because, he says, “his appointment to the post had sparked unfair political criticism of the governor.”  He elaborated:

“I never anticipated that my desire to serve my town would be criticized or used to make unwarranted political attacks against Governor Romney,” Fehrnstrom said in a statement.

All together now:

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

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Comments

  1. Please advise – when did a Democrat EVER release their grip on an appointment over a trifiling matter that it might embarass the person who made it, when their financial interest was involved.  (Cue ‘Jeopardy’ theme).

    • your take on these things is so charming. 

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      Eric Fehrnstrom knows who’s buttering his bread.  He sees Mitt Romney in the ascendancy, and he’d like a nice job in DC some day.  Dumping the Brookline job is an investment in his future.

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      What will be interesting to see is whether Fehrnstrom reverses his recent buyback into the state pension system and cashes out on Jan. 4, or whether he figures he’ll find another couple of years of state service somewhere down the road.

      • …and should DEFINITELY be exempt from the ‘worldwide search’ slur flung at him so often.

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        Unless he needs the cash, he’s be wise to let it sit.  As I said before, he’s far from nursing home material, and may be a Selectman someday (since we won’t reform this stipend foolishness).

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        My ‘take’ only one of my many charming attributes!  I’m here to keep you honest, after all – part of the basis your your reality!  ;>)

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        AAawwwwwwww…..

        • that Eric was caught pulling a hack move and now he is retreating.  Nothing honorable about this latest move.

  2. Why are part time positions allowed to count towards the pension?  How many thousands of people are also are taking advantage of it?  Who is going to change it?

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  3. What goes around, comes around. You can’t be self righteous about pension reform and they stick your head in the trough.  That’s not the real story here. The real story is how the Globe is sticking it to the former Herald reporter by trying to turn Ferhnstrom into a small time Bulger and not letting go of the story. 

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    Could it be that the Globe is also sorry that it pandered to the Romney agenda and may now find itself on the outside looking in. Progressives may not forgive people like Scott Lehigh who championed the privatization of public schyools; or the economic writers who fell in like just as the Washington press corps did to Bush.

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    If it weren’t for the Sports Page and the Obits, would there be any Globe readership left to speak of?

  4. The pension grab is a weasel move from a lying weasel and he deserved to be excoriated for it.  Romney should be tarred with the same dirty brush.  He can pretend he didn’t know that appointing his pasty-faced version of Odd Job to the Brookline Housing Authority was a pension move, but once he found out you knew he was going to make Fernboy back out.  Can’t have the heat on him before he begins his higher-calling presidential bid.  I don’t doubt that they will find a quiet pension grab for Fernboy at the 11th hour in late December – but this was a quintissential Repugnican “do it bold” move.  Stride right up to the pension trough Fernboy, you’ve earned it!

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