Dear Felicia

As Iyam scribing this week’s missive to yew, hon, we are getting a lit’le tetch of late spring with temperatures around the berg topping out around 80 degrees. It really is nice after the weeks of cold, windy, rainy weather we’ve had – and will be back by the time yew git this.

Tennyrate, Cobina was out in the gassamobuggy along the shore roads, and yew’d have thought it was mid-June the way the beaches were packed with sun worshippers. Of course, the kiddies were off for the week with spring break, and that aided some, but a lotta the usuals seemed parked in their usual spots along various beaches in town. It was quite something seeing all those cars and all those people. It was a good break from all the cares of the world, I guess.

Here in the Asylum by the Sea, we’re in the final stages of putting the budget finalization together. And, things have been awfully quiet concerning what’s going on. I told yew last time that a few of the members of the City Council are looking at this year’s review as a bit of a waste of time, and who can blame ‘em.

Y’see the MARB – Municipal Accountability Review Board – is really the group in charge of what goes in and what doesn’t, and therein is the problem for some members. Why take it all so seriously effen the work they do is for naught.

Tennyrate, whether they do anything or not, there are two weeks left in the “process” and then the council will pass the budget one way or t’other. Remember they can’t reject it, it’ll go into effeck as writ by Herroner effen that happens. And my gurl, that has happened twice. Still, whatever they pass, the MARB gets the final say.

As I told yew last time this new normal the council is going through – even though the talk of the state takeover of the city has died down – has made decisions on whether people will seek re-election somewhat up in the air, according to Sammy Bluejay. With no real power, and no real say with the MARB doing all the heavy lifting, people are questioning why they would spend so much time in meetings, caucuses, and handling constituents.

‘Tis a fair query when you think about it. So, what happens going forward as to who will or won’t run is gonna be an interesting thing to watch. And, with so many variables come the November election as to who is running, how many primaries there will be (both parties so far) and the like, the balance of power could shift from one party to another (slim possibility that) to one Democratic faction or other (bigger possibility).

Sammy sez that the factions are gearing up on one side of the aisle, and after being somewhat behind the scenes, don’t think machinations of a political sort haven’t taken place. There’s gonna be a lot going on this spring.

~~~

And it’s been a few weeks since anyone has announced his or her candidacy for mayor and that has let everyone understand that the field for the time being is wide open…again, for the time being. Whether Herronner is gonna seek another term is the question before the house, and will be a bit part of what goes on this summer. But the biggest variable ain’t spelt ROSSI, it’s spelt BORER.

Nelly Nuthatch has indicated the word on the street is at least one Demmie candidate has let it be know effen Dorinda decides to take a bit o’ the apple, he will pull out. Dorinda is, really, the only candidate with the name recognition and gravitas that might be needed this go-round, should Mrs. Rossi determine she’s had enuff.

And on that score, whilst people around her are saying she hasn’t made a decision, others are saying she don’t have the support. The last two years ain’t exactly been stellar for the third floor of the Actors Colony.

Soooo, the long and short of it is, the two biggest players in this mayoral contest so far are Rossi and Borer. Whatever way this goes, it could be a head-on-head between the two. Odds are, that ain’t a good thing for the incumbent. Cobina is a bit skeptical, however, that Borer will run. Why in Heaven’s name would she leave the very nice position she’s got in Hartford and come back to this heap of problems? Solve that riddle, an yew’ll know how things will pan out.

I can’t leave without giving yew an update on the GOP. There ain’t been another candidate for mayor – still two with Barry Cohen pondering according to Iva Lootey. Effen he decides to run, it could be a three-way donnybrook for the GOP nomination. And, effen yew think it’s gonna be a civil one, yew are mistaken. There’s a lotta angst in the ranks in the minority party. But that ain’t where a new candidate was announced. We hear-tell that Patricia Bollettieri has put her name in nomination for the City Clerk position. Mizz Bollettieri is involved in various things about the berg, and has some name recognition. So, things are moving along as expected.

~~~

Of course, the red meat in this election cycle was provided by Herroner. This kerfuffle concerning the purchase of a new car for the mayor seems, in the view of more than a few, to be a small inkling into the way the chaos in City Hall is going. Effen yew ain’t heard about it, the mayor got a new gassamobuggy at the cost of about $51K, and who signed off on it is quite the exercise in finger-pointing. In fack, when yew read about it the famous cartoon of Tom Nast and Tammany Hall comes to mind…look it up.

Herronner sez that she has nothing to do with purchases, and passed it off as a decision of her Executive Assistant Louey Esposito (who was showing signs of tire marks on his persona after being thrown under a bus or two), or the Finance Department or some low-level flunky. Either way, Mrs. Rossi is saying, “I had nothing to do with it.”

Needless to say, that answer held very little H2O with the MARB, who wanted to know how in blazes setch a purchase was made. Granted, the city buys vehicles and replaces vehicles, but didn’t anyone – anyone – think the optics on this, let along the fack the city is being operated on a shoestring see this was not a great idea? Obviously, no.

The Wag was in t’other afternoon and said they entire affair reminds him of the national scene. The White House takes no responsibility in anything it does, whether in Afghanistan or with the border, blaming everyone else, and setch is the case in our little corner of the universe. The third floor takes no blame, and palms it off on other people. The buck never stops on the third floor. Not a good look. Sometimes you hafta “take the L” as the sportswriters say and move on. Not here in God’s Li’l Acre.

~~~

Meanwhile, yew ain’t gonna believe this. Cuz of all this recent commotion, some stalwarts in the political class are beginning to wonder effen we should go through another Charter Revision merry-go-round. No remember, we just got through with one two years ago, and it went down by a close vote, mostly cuz the political class didn’t like the way things were gonna shape out.

Sooo, some of the things in the failed revision are looking a bit more attractive with the new realities, and some are talking about starting the whole process again. Don’t ask the people who took part the last time. After the nonsense they were put through, they might offer you a trip to a fiery place for the rest of eternity.

~~~

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,