Swan’s Dive
by Bill Dusty
Well, the preliminary elections are over, now, so for some folks it’s okay to dive back into the murky swamps of politics-as-usual in Springfield.
Newly re-elected state Representative Benjamin Swan came out on Wednesday to declare his support for his pals over at the Springfield Towing Alliance (STA). Swan has provided office space to the head of the STA, Bob Jones, and Jones in turn is a past contributor to Swan’s campaign coffers, so it should be no surprise that Swan would come out to defend the embattled towing company.
With the preliminary election over and no Independent or Republican challenger to go up against this November, Swan apparently felt confident enough to stray back into the local political fray to help out the ridiculously-run STA, which, according to a recent city audit, is in violation of its contract with the City of Springfield on seventeen counts.
Before the preliminary elections unfolded, I had said it would be better if one of the challengers for the 11th Hampden District seat – either Lorenzo Gaines or Chelan Brown – had run as either an Independent or a Republican (granted, the latter being highly unlikely). This would have provided a greater opportunity to hear the candidates debate the issues that are important to the district, and would have also rendered as unlikely Swan’s decision to go to bat for his friends in a controversy where nearly everyone without a hand in the STA’s fate has sided with the city. Party affiliation is meaningless if you can’t even make it to the general election because of a well-entrenched, well-financed incumbent opponent.
In light of the extensive findings of the City Auditor against the STA, Swan’s move to protect his friends appears to have trumped any desire to uphold the best interests of the people of Springfield. Once again, it seems, a local politician has lent further credence to the old adage: It’s not what you know that gets you places, it’s who you know.
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10 Responses for “Swan’s Dive”
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How is asking the Auditor to come in bad for the city? This whole thing is political.
they will still lose the contract hands down!
Joe,
It’s about motive: In my opinion – an opinion shared by many others, Swan isn’t sticking up for the STA because it’s good for the people of Springfield. He’s sticking up for it because he’s friends with Jones.
The STA has clearly been run in a shady fashion – a school kid could see that. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to deny wrongdoing on the part of the STA. Where are those CORI checks that the city has been waiting for since May of 2007? We all know McCollum’s assertion that it would be illegal to hand them to the SPD is not true. And the only reason the city’s numbers *might* be inaccurate is because the STA has failed to remit the proper paperwork, as required by contract. That’s two violations right there. And there are fifteeen more to go along with them.
Well, lets see what Joe Denucci has to say. In the end I think he may be the only person to be completely honest about this whole fiasco.
I think the next question a reporter should ask Ben Swan, on camera or recorded, is whether or not he is going to take Chelan Brown to court to get is alleged back rent so he can pay some of thebtaxes he owes. And then ask three months from now, and then in a year. I suspect the answer will always be the same.
Bill, well done, it’s obvious that you are not in people’s ( or company’s) pockets as other publications appear to be as their reporting seems to try and assist a group of thieves!
Sometimes when people owe you money for rent, its easier to simply lose the money than it is to try to sue. I have been around people who rent are in the real estate biz and myself rent out a couple places and its easier to have someone leave nicely who can’t pay you and let the money go, than it is to go through the process of eviction and suing them.
Bill,
I think your article is good overall, however, I think it is a little much to presume Swan’s motives. Your scenario is plausible, however, he didn’t actually come out and “support” the towing alliance as you and others continue to say. He actually called for an independent audit by the state. What is interesting, and for the record, I think the towing alliance should have their contract terminated, is the fact that no one is calling into question the “motive” of City Councilor Tim Rooke, who got this whole thing started.
It is a well known fact that Tim Rooke hates Bob McCollum and their conflict goes back to Bob’s days on the school committee and has continued until this day. It is plausible that Rooke’s motives when calling for the audit had nothing to do with safeguarding the interests of the city and everything to do with sticking to McCollum.
That being said, it doesn’t excuse the findings of the audit. If they owe money they should pay and if they are in violation they should fix them or get to packing.
i’m only saying, this whole thing, from the beginning of the process, when the STA was the low bidder and Charlie Ryan didn’t want to give a Black run agency the contract, has been political. And Ben Swan has not been the only politician to weigh in on this political debacle. I hope someone does a more comprehensive story that shows the parts of all players, Ryan, Rooke, Bud Williams, Ray Jordan, Charlie Kingston, etc. Trust me, Swan’s part in calling for an independent audit is small potatoes compared to the roles other pols played in this process.
Let me just say that in light of Swan’s close links to Jones, his coming out in defense of the STA – only after the preliminary election – gives the *appearance* of a guy helping out his friends. The fact that Jones, Mickey Harris, and McCollum are standing with Swan when he made his announcement also implies a “supporting” role. http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/state_rep_benjamin_swan_comes.html?category=Springfield
There may be other players, but none of them would change the findings of the audit report.
Right, just as Ben cannot change the findings of the audit report