City Rivalries Delay Financial Relief Bill
by Bill Dusty
Republican writer Dan Ring reported on Tuesday that state Representatives Benjamin Swan (11th Hampden) and Cheryl Coakley-Rivera (10th Hampden) are holding up a state financial relief bill currently going through the statehouse. The bill was introduced by Governor Deval Patrick last June, and would extend the city’s repayment period on its $52 million loan from the state while also putting in place a financial administrator for the city.
But Swan said in the article that he was “putting a hold” on the bill while the state inspector general reviews the city’s move to terminate its municipal towing contract with Swan’s long-time pal, Bob Jones. Jones heads up CF, Inc., which did business as the Springfield Towing Alliance (STA) after being awarded the city towing contract back in the spring of 2007. That contract was terminated this past fall after the STA was found in violation of several contract requirements.
Bob Jones is also a past campaign contributor to Swan, and prior to being awarded the towing contract, his CF, Inc., was headquartered at Swan’s 815 State Street property. The STA’s troubles with the city began soon after the contract went into effect.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera said in the same story that she was holding things up because of her concerns over what the article termed, “wasteful spending and excessive hiring” by Mayor Domenic Sarno.
Coakley-Rivera said that the city would be better off with the Finance Control Board than Sarno, according to the Republican article.
Sarno himself is quoted in the story as saying Swan and Coakley-Rivera’s actions were based on “petty, personal politics.”
In support of the bill, state Representatives Angelo Puppolo (12th Hampden) and Sean Curran (9th Hampden) have sent a letter to House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi urging passage of the bill. “This bill is not simply a local issue,” reads the letter, “it’s a House leadership issue.”
It went on:
Springfield’s financial viability is of vital concern for all of Western Massachusetts. We cannot allow the city’s finances to be used as a bargaining chip, as its far too big and important of an issue for our entire region.
The Republican also threw in its opinion on the impasse in an editorial on Thursday:
With the city’s autonomy and financial health hanging in the balance, Springfield Reps. Benjamin Swan and Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera and some of their colleagues sadly have opted to play the worst kind of politics by blocking the bailout loan payment bill that was carefully crafted to put the city back on its own two feet.
Check out the entire editorial here.
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3 Responses for “City Rivalries Delay Financial Relief Bill”
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I find State Rep. Cheryl Coakely Rivera and Ben Swan actions irresponsible. Their petty, selfish politics will have seriuos raminifications to the residents of Springfield.
Victor Davila
Just what do Swan and Rivera have against representative government? Why do they want to continue to keep the citizenry uninformed and unable via the virtue of our duly elected mayor, from excerizing the authority we alone can give him? Why do they want an unelected undemocratic control board to remain in place, usurping the authority of the citizenry?
Why are they behaving like enemies of democracy?
This will be rembered and recalled heavily when they are voted out of office and brought up on corruption charges.
The bureau is already investigating, can it be long before another grand jury is empaneled?
This is anything but what Springfield needs right now.
Watching everything unfold over the past few years, I would not mind in the slightest if the Control Board was here for several more years.
The same foxes are still running the henhouse. The newly-voted City Council President is the same man who was in that position when Springfield got INTO this mess.
Look what happened as soon as the Control Board gave even minimal control back to the city: Spending like drunken sailors, hirings that could not be afforded, etc.
I find it equally unconscionable that the School Committee thinks they should be exempt from any of the proposed replacement financial controls, especially in the wake of THEIR new deficit due to mismanagement.
Until the sheeple of Springfield vote in a Council that actually has a clue about responsible spending and all PROPER financial controls are placed on the City’s funds, I sincerely hope the Control Board not only stays, but TAKES BACK the control that the City has already shown it can not be trusted with.