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This isn't news, I was talking about this in campaign 2009
The reason I don't take seriously the media in this town is that they know this stuff is going on and they selectively write about it here and there, but don't report on it when it is happening or when it might make Menino and his minions look bad.
There are much, much more egregious examples of this. One Beacon Street for example is designated
a blighted area and the city loses 4 to 8 million a year in property taxes from just this one property. In other words, more money that we allegedly needed to keep all the libraries open during the fake 'crisis' last year. The City of Boston in the short term has tons of money, but they have long term structural problems (sounds like Greece 2 years ago), but no one is doing anything about it, and connected people still get 'deals' in the shadows.
I have to laugh when I read 'endorsements' of people like Steve Murphy by 'radical' papers like the Boston Phoenix saying that he really understands the budget process and really saves the citizens of Boston money. Such a joke. He is part of the established power structure that gives tax breaks to Liberty Mutual at the expense of the regular taxpayers of Boston. If Steve is so on top of this money why isn't he bringing these tax giveaways to the public eye? Does he really believe One Beacon Street is in a blighted area? Maybe because it is so close to so many corrupt public officials?
How much press has Sean Ryan, a teacher in the public schools, who graduated from Harvard, and who pledges to not give these tax breaks away received from the press? None. Because he does not fit into the power structure of the establishment of Boston. Might be worth a bullet vote?
Yep
That's developer and failed mayoral candidate Kevin McCrea discussing perennial failed City Council candidate and watered-down Libertarian Sean Ryan, for those watching at home.
Yep Yep
True on both accounts. But how do you respond to the issue he raises? I didn't vote for him, but that insider dynamic between business-city govt-local media he describes seems accurate for many cases (not necessarily all).
McCrae has a point — and I
McCrae has a point — and I don't mean about Sean Ryan.
This town's media has been way too cozy with Menino and company for too long— and doesn't do an ounce of investigative work on his administration, unless their wearing a fire uniform of course. In the meantime Menino's gotten way to many passes.
Thee Globe has done very good work on statewide issues— DiMasi, probation, etc.— maybe because they wanted to play to a larger audience. But they are the paper of record in Boston and they need to get after Menino's dirt.
Why is it that they've never written about the patronage hackdom that is the city's code enforcement department? Or how about a closer look at the sewer that is this mayor's finance reports— with every single developers in this town in a perpetual state of headlock from this administration's gatekeepers. It won't take a six month spotlight team probe to get it documented.
C'mon Globe, don't let the universities like Northeastern do all the heavy lifting. Get after Menino STAT.
Does the Globe hate making money?
Daddy Globe still owns over 10% of the Sox, down from 17%, right? Are they complaining to themselves about making money?
Globe Article
John,
The NYT recently sold their share of the Red Sox for 117 million. So the Globe has no ownership stake in the Red Sox.
My Mistake
This is my problem for reading UH all the time and ignoring the stack of Globes that go from my porch, to my bag, then unread to my recycle bin.
What the what?
If anyone else needed proof that Boston.com is turning into the Onion, check it out right now.
Right under an article slamming the Red Sox for their sweetheart deals with the city,there's a pictorial featuring John Henry and Boston's own version of Courtney Stodden titled "John and Linda out on the town"
Terrible research, terrible journalism
They missed the real story and focused on the non-story. The numbers are fuzzy at best and really how much money was misse dout on here? The real story is "where does the money go?"
If this process was carried out under the BRA's typical mechanisms, the City would sell the property in fee to the BRA and retain rights to use it as a street. The Red Sox would then pay the BRA to use the street. If this is the case, the money likely never makes it back to the City's budget but rather stays in the budget of the BRA to fund their existence. I wonder if the journalist even understands the process or cared to find out...
Why the Globe and Herald et al leave the BRA and Menino alone
I have been telling the following story for years:
Ray Kroc, the deceased owner of McDonalds used to goto business schools and ask 'what business am I in?' The students would say the fast food business or the burger business, but he would tell them 'no, I am in the real estate business. Burgers just pay my mortgage.
With the decline of print media, The Globe and the Herald are not in the news business anymore, they are in the real estate business with both firms owning prime real estate in down town Boston that are a huge percent of their net worth. Someday, (now for the Herald) when everything gets digitized and reporters all work out of their homes those expensive real estate holdings will be turned into office buildings for profitable companies or condo's. At that time, the Herald and the Globe will have to get approval for whatever they want to build from Menino and the BRA.
It is called the news BUSINESS. Anyone who is smart and in business will look to maximize profits. The way to do that in real estate is to build bigger and denser which requires approval from the BRA. Do you think the Herald and the Globe are going to start investigating all the corrupt practices of the BRA that shortchange the taxpayer when they themselves are going to be trying to get the same sort of deals for themselves someday?
You would think the Herald would be all over this stuff "City Sells CITY HALL PLAZA to BRA for $1 but citizens still have to pay to maintain it!' but somehow, apparently it is too complicated (or not!) for them to figure out and bring light to.
Hence the rise of Universal Hub (!) and the demise of print media, part of the power structure which keeps telling us all is well, and the Boston Public Schools are getting better every year, and Menino, Steve Murphy and the City Council are doing a great fiscal job.
What real estate does the Globe own in downtown Boston?
Can you be more specific?
anon a mouse is right
Mike Ross found out about this quite a few years ago and was hopping mad that the BRA gets to keep all the money.
So, the Red Sox get to use the street for a pittance, the citizens pay and maintain and police it, and the BRA gets to keep the money.
Who is the 1%? The ones that get help from the 13 democrats on the city council and the democratic mayor!
The BRA didn't do anything.
The BRA didn't do anything. The BRA is a front for the Menino city hall machine. If you don't like the deal, don't look to John Henry - he had no power to corrupt the eminent domain process. Look to Mumbles. Everything that was done was done on his orders, down to the last hot dog.
And it's a pretty good salary machine
Take a look at the salaries at the BRA, keeping in mind that these are 35-hour weeks, include all those public service bennies, and are from 2008. Kind of like a wholly-owned subsidiary of Menino Inc.