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Menino admits to Meninoism: Says he should never have said he could and would keep Chick-fil-A out of Boston

The Herald catches up with Hizzona, who acknowledges he can't legally stop Chick-fil-A from opening up, say, in the space to be vacated by the Purple Shamrock:

"I can't do that. That would be interference to his rights to go there," Menino said, referring to company president Dan Cathy, who drew the mayor's wrath by going public with his views against same-sex marriage.

The mayor added: "I make mistakes all the time. That's a Menino-ism."

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Comments

Is the Purple Rose anywhere near the Purple Shamrock?

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Thanks, fixed.

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Chick-fil-A is a lawful business and Menino's stance is anti-business!

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.. when he says he said something dumb and acknowledges that he can't (in fact) block Chick-Fil-A from opening?

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Why, yes, of course the goalie stands by Chick-fil-A.

Hey, say what you will about Tom Menino, at least he doesn't hog seats on the T.

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All Tim Thomas has left to do really is start up his own video game company

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Screwing the Bruins and their fans.

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Isn't Tim Thomas one of our "ionic" sports figures, for kicking the puck through the upright?

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It's a good deflection by His Honor, but let's not kid ourselves about what happened here. This wasn't a simple gaffe or off-hand statement made in passing. The Mayor took the trouble to draft and send a letter on City letterhead threatening extralegal action against a business. I presume he had some assistance from his aides, somebody up there reviewed it and said OK. Now that the Globe etc has turned against him, Menino's just making a retreat from a bad miscalculation.

To quote another Mayor, Diamond Joe Quimby: "If that is the way the wind blows, let it not be said that I do not also blow"

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MGLC 265, Section 25. Whoever, verbally or by a written or printed communication, maliciously threatens to accuse another of a crime or offence, or by a verbal or written or printed communication maliciously threatens an injury to the person or property of another, or any police officer or person having the powers of a police officer, or any officer, or employee of any licensing authority who verbally or by written or printed communication maliciously and unlawfully uses or threatens to use against another the power or authority vested in him, with intent thereby to extort money or any pecuniary advantage, or with intent to compel any person to do any act against his will, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than fifteen years, or in the house of correction for not more than two and one half years, or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or both.

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Perhaps City Attorney Sinnott finally set the Mayor straight.

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In his first statements to the Herald is where he threatened to keep them out.

In his letter, he told them they weren't welcomed, but he made no similar threat to stop them in any way.

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I thought the idea of an off-duty police officer expressing what some considered biased or prejudicial views made that officer unfit to serve, even though his writings were in a private, union periodical and there was no evidence that the officer's personal views influenced his on-duty police work. Yet here we have Menino using official city letterhead and essentially threatening governmental action to block a law-abiding business merely because of the owner's moral and politcal views (shared by voters in 32 of the 32 states that have voted on the issue) and Menino is a hero? Pot? Kettle? This is really shameless, folks.

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Been plenty of comments on that Twitter thing (where a lot of the Clean BPPA folks hang out) wondering why Menino was coming down so hard on Chick-fil-A but basically ignoring Jimmy C.

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Adam, I'm confused... isn't the Fishmonger trying to draw some attention to the presumed hypocrisy surrounding librruls complaints about the bigot from BPPA and the Mayor's threat towards the bigot chicken man? He's not asking why the mayor didn't come down on members of his police force for being just as bigoted as the chicken man...right? (Fish-lips please confirm.) These namby pamby faggots got their panties in a twist about some good natured, 1st amendment protected "cop humor" but then they applaud Mumbles when he tries to bully the poor chicken man because of his religious buhleefs. At least that's what I got from the Fishman's posts.

In the end Menino's letter basically says "you stink, asshole" but doesn't threaten to prevent his opening the chicken shack. It was his verbal comments elsewhere that crossed the line and basically said he was going to stop an odious turd from opening shop in this town because he didn't care for his opinions. I think his 'Meninoism" comment was about that, not the letter.

But now that you bring it up, why hasn't he said anything about BPPA newsletter business? He could win points with the gay and African-American communities in one blow.

Do you think Jimmy C is a Chick-Fil-A fan?

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It's not the principle of free speech, but the content of the speech that counts to most people these days. The whole thing is wack, in my view. Menino silenced Occupy, with help from Carol Ball. Then Occupy wants to silence James Carnell. Now Menino wants to silence this religious chicken guy. And some are applauding him. Can't we all just have freedom of speech like in the old days? I don't think the Nazis marching in Skokie would fly with this newfangled modern set of liberals. And of course, if you supported the removal of Occupy from public property under color of bogus "safety" concerns, Fish, then you're not much better as far as I'm concerned. For me not thee, etc.

I admit I find your "extortion" idea interesting. At least Menino changed he subject from Carol Johnson.

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The mayor has no problems giving millions to the Nation of Islam whose leader Minister Farakhan stated "SIN IS SIN" in opposition to gay marriage. Never mind the anti semitic anti white speeches he gives weekly. The Mecca at Grove Hall was funded with city funds and not once has his honor spoken out against the hate speech by Minister Farakhan.

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Mecca at Grove Hall? No such thing exists.

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Or is trying to make some ironic point going clear over my head.

The Mecca at Grove Hall.

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we have more than our share of naive narcissists. People will undergo whatever contortions of logic are necessary to agree with themselves. If that means that people who stone rape victims and execute gays must be catered to, well, that's The Chicago Way.
(We DO live in Chicago now, right?)

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For once, I 100% agree with Howie Carr today - the mask has fallen off of Menino and he is revealed.

For Bostonians, this is not about Chick-fil-A or gay marriage. It's about how Menino has his fat fingers in every pie being baked in Boston.

The Globe's stories on development in Boston awhile back showed how the city meddles and shakes down developers. They have been riding on the edge of legality for years.

From architectural detail to the placement of liquor licenses to what's printed on t-shirts in Boston, Menino controls and meddles. In a booming economy, the city does not notice. But when things slow down, this kind of control stagnates the city.

It's time for him to retire and let someone else lead the city. Not control it, lead it. NO FIFTH TERM.

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Menino siding with those favoring beef in their buns was a smokescreen for vote support and tyranny over development and business licenses. He clearly wants another eatery at the location to deliver lunch to his office when not being chauffeured around in a monster SUV.

Ikea should not need to fight two decades to build a store to serve our large college population and others. Massachusetts in general is a hostile place for business and growth with Mass Law Chapter 40 and suppression of freedom by control freak planners.

Colleges can be a much larger vehicle for growth if not for provincial attitudes towards the number of liquor licenses and closing times of bars and restaurants. Even third world countries are not so constrictive! Wanting to limit growth and prosperity continues into transportation, with reducing roadways.

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They got the permit in 2009, got an extension last year, and finally as it was about to expire again, announced that they aren't building.

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Originally Ikea wanted to build at the Mystic River site, then some waterfront something or other group objected. Ikea built in Avon/Stoughton who welcomed the jobs and tax revenue. Ikea eventually was able to do a land swap deal, so not as close to the water, and got permits. Meanwhile the economy hasn't recovered well. Ikea finally decided Boston can't support two stores, or moving from Avon to Somerville wasn't worth the cost/effort and future servitude to Somerville, and walked.

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