John Buonomo’s taste for the coins in the copiers is small change compared to the major change needed in that office. And due to the circumstances of Buonomo’s arrest and resignation, people seem to be happy to jump on the bandwagon of anyone with a sticker campaign and a pledge to eschew the quarters in the coin slot.
The Register of Probate is the chief administrative officer for the clerical and administrative side of the probate and family courts. Middlesex County has more than twice the population of the state of Alaska, and the probate and family courts operate in four courthouses (Cambridge, Concord, Lowell, and Marlborough). It is an office that is still the domain of index cards and IBM Selectric Typewriters.
In a county that stretches from Ashby to Holliston to Cambridge, even the most routine transaction requires a trip to Lechmere Square. The courthouse is a short walk from Boston, and anyone with business (filings, record requests) must travel to East Cambridge to transact business. This has obvious benefits for the person who holds the key to the copy machines, but a 90 minute drive for a copy of a divorce decree seems a bit excessive in the age of the Internet, wifi, laptop computers, and iPhones.
It just so happens that I have some experience in this field. I have a proven track record of moving a large urban school district from paper to pixels. Personnel records, attendance reports, report cards, registration and health records, I have led an effort to change the way we do business that resulted in greater efficiency and significant savings to the taxpayer.
Some folks, who know my work, have been talking to me about jumping into the registrar’s race. My heart’s still in K-12 education, but I do love a good challenge and I am convinced that I could lead this office from a paper and Selectric backwater to an efficient, high-tech office that will be a model for the Massachusetts judicial system.
You know I’m a hard core progressive. You can search the BMG archives and get a flavor of my progressive pedigree. I am committed to the social values that would be encountered at the Registry, including respect for same-sex couples and poor and immigrant families.
But there is only one way this could happen. First, John Buonomo needs to win the primary, in order to set the stage for a county caucus. Then, I need to get some solid support from progressives from throughout the district to go to the town and city meetings, get elected to the county caucus, and support this effort.
It can be done, but it is a large task. Interested?
Drop me a note at pablo02475@gmail.com. Write a post, telling me if you think we could or should make this effort. I won’t make any decisions until Wednesday morning, but I certainly could use your advice and support.
And I looked at Pablos’s website and resume – I am sure he will post a link, when he is ready.
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p>If you look at the Monan report at: http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc… you can see that the major problems facing the courts, and the Middlesex Probate and Family Court’s registers office more than most are NOT legal problems, they ARE management problems.
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p>I think the combination of strong personality, management experience, and technological savvy that Pablo has shown, as well as the success he had in bringing Lowell into 2008 could really clean up and improve MPFC. What do you all think? So far, of the folk considering this position, Pablo has my vote if he decides to go for it.
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p>The process, though, is a real throwback to the last century. As a positive, there is no time and no advantage to throwing money at this race – it will all be about connections in the committees and delegates. So this race will be labor – and relationship – driven more than any in recent memory.
you have a proven track record of moving a large urban school district from paper to pixelsđŸ™‚
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p>And go for it. You certainly seem like a good candidate.
Information Technology efficiancies that we all take for granted need to be implemented within the Trial Courts.
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p>Ovbviously the court bureaucracy in Boston is not moving swiftly enough. Elected clerks of courts and registers of probate must be responsive. Life-tenured gubernatorially appointed judges and clerk-magistrates do not have to be very responsive to anyone.
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p>The people are fortunate when there are gubernatorial appointees whom see the benefit of an efficient and responsive system.
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p>I know some people say the Governor’s Council is a colonial remnant, but it is the only check the people have to ensure ta governor makes quality appointments!
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p>Sometimes democracy means paying attention!
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About a dozen years ago our lawmakers earmarked millions to upgrade the information systems of the courts. Where did that money go? There was never any investigation. Some judges bought new carpeting it is said.
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p>Many politicians understand that going from a labor intensive to capital intensive way of working eliminates hack jobs. They fear that. Hacks are very important to the politician. Who would hold all those signs at election time? Contributions?
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p>Good luck on getting any funding in this time of economic troubles. If any monies are received it better come with auditors. About time for new carpeting?
I’ve never pledged support to a candidate when I only know their handle…
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p>Try Rypower, he’s usually good for this kind of thing.
There seems to be a growing list of possible candidates. Can someone provide the names and a brief bio of each person?
Besides Concannon and possibly Pablo, Sean O’Donovan of Somerville, Bob Colt of Winchester and Maria Sheehy of Lowell have announced. I don’t really know O’Donovan or Sheehy, but their announcement letters said (respectively) that O’Donovan is a lawyer and served on the Somerville Board of Alderman (8 yrs) and School Committee (5 yrs), and Sheehy has been assistant city solictor in Lowell for 11 years. Colt served in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office as a special assistant to Scott Harshbarger for sixteen years. He was Coordinator of Community Education and Community Liaison. As many of you may recall, Harshbarger ran an innovative and professional office, and Colt was part of that team. He sent out an announcement letter today about his background, including his strong Democratic Party ties, and his hope to innovate/bring the office into the 21st century, establish user-friendly systems (website and within the office), provide strong community outreach efforts to every part of Middlesex County, and fight for a modern and state-of-the-art physical facility for the Probate and Family Court. (Disclosure: I’ve known Bob for nearly 13 years & I’m supporting him.)
…this position [register] does need management experience more than a law degree – and fighting for an improved physical facility is wonderful to hear.
Why would the clerks or attorneys doing business at this court want the files to be publicly available when they routinely make motions, filings, and even complete files disappear from the court house.
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p>Check out http://www.save-your-estate.net and
http://www.save-your-estate.com where a real case is outlined with eyewitness accounts from a private investigator of what goes on in the Middlesex Probate Court Clerk’s office. The entire file in this case has been missing since at least February 15, 2008 and there have been four hearings on the case. Objections were filed in the case but never got put on the docket. It appears the most of the Clerks in this office work for the attorneys – not the people of Middlesex County. An audit of all the clerk’s bank accounts would probably be enlightening and of their assets – do any of them live beyond their means??? If so, where did the money come from?
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p>It is the opinion of this poster that the Middlesex Family and Probate Court in Cambridge is not a court of justice, it is a court of massive corruption destroying many peoples lives and allowing unethical attorneys to steal people’s estates. The clerks, by making filings disappear and files disappear are dispensing justice – not the judges who do nothing about Motions with outright perjury taking action nor do the judges appear to read the motions nor refer attorneys to the Board of Overseers Office of Bar Counsel when outright violations of the Code of Conduct is proven in Motions – instead the judges refuse to rule on them if it is negative to an attorney. When instances of illegal use of attorney’s IOLTA account is proven in Motions the judges don’t do anything about this. Of course, it is possible with the clerks removing things from files and making files disappear that the judges don’t see the proof.
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p>IT IS TIME TO CLEAR OUT THE MIDDLESEX PROBATE CLERK’S OFFICE AND BRING IN NEW PEOPLE. I WOULD SUGGEST SUSPENDING ALL THE EMPLOYEES FOR ONE MONTH WITH PAY AND BUILD A CASE AGAINST THE ONES WHO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMINAL ACTS. AT THE END OF ONE MONTH BRING BACK THE HONEST CLERKS AND ARREST THE CRIMINALS.