Hey, there! Log in / Register

Council to Janey: Don't think about stepping out of line

The Herald reports the City Council gave itself the right to dethrone an acting mayor.

As we all know by now, the city council president becomes acting mayor should the elected mayor leave office. The council voted today to give itself the right to remove the city-council president by a two-thirds vote, which means that whoever the acting mayor was at the time would stop being acting mayor.

Councilor Lydia Edwards sponsored the motion; Kim Janey ally Ricardo Arroyo voted against, while Councilor Julia Mejia voted "present."

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

* also reminds me when the Legislature changed the rules around how interim US Senators are appointed when Teddy K was about to create an unplanned vacancy, to prevent the Gov from appointing an R.

Nothing like changing the rules to suit your needs.

up
Voting closed 0

They first changed the rules when Romney was Governor to make it a special election in case John Kerry won the Presidency. He failed to, but the rule stayed. It then backfired on them when Scott Brown beat MARSHA MARSHA MARSHA (actually Martha) Coakley when she wouldn't stand outside Fenway park in the cold to campaign.

They changed it back to appointment by Governor when Deval Patrick was Governor and Kerry left to become Secretary of State.

And they would change it back to special election tomorrow if there was a Senate vacancy.

up
Voting closed 0

leave their office before their term is up for another office, appointment, or outside job - period.

That would eliminate the need for 99% of this utter nonsense that goes on when they decide their own selfish ambitions are more important than the commitment they made to the voters who elected them to that office.

up
Voting closed 0

No one should be able to apply for a job if they already have one. Nobody at all.

I mean, that is what you are proposing.

up
Voting closed 0

 

up
Voting closed 0

… and the 4th Commandment!

up
Voting closed 0

I mean how do you even enforce this?

As a voter you can choose not to vote for whoever you choose but you can't force someone to fulfill a job if they do not want to.

What I believe we need is a better way of appointing replacements for seats that do not involve favoritism for any one person. That includes for whoever fills an empty seat and for when someone leaves a seat prompting a snap special election favoring those who already had big bank accounts.

I have always been of the opinion that appointees to an open seat should be someone who signs a contract that they will not pursue that seat at the next election. Being lucky enough to be in the right place when lighting strikes is not fair. I also believe when it comes to special elections that they only take place in the fall and in the mean time the votes and office are handled by the highest ranking person in their office who signs a contract that they will not run for the seat.

up
Voting closed 0

They changed it back to appointment by Governor when Deval Patrick was Governor and Kerry left to become Secretary of State.

They didn't change it back. They changed it to temporary appointment so that MA would have representation for the window of time between Kerry's resignation and the special election for the new Senator.

up
Voting closed 0

Now we'll get a revolving door of Council Presidents/Acting Mayors/Mayor-wanna-bes....

up
Voting closed 0

Everyone gets one week then we start the rotation over.

up
Voting closed 0

If only Garrison was still on the council. That would be entertaining.

up
Voting closed 0

And you get to be Mayor! Everybody gets to be Mayor!

up
Voting closed 0

* Acting Mayor

And you get to be Mayor! Everybody gets to be Mayor!

up
Voting closed 0

It worked so well for the Chicago Cubs.

up
Voting closed 0

Seeing as slightly less than a third the City Council is currently running for mayor, it would be tough to get support for moves such like this.

It does make me ponder what the process for changing City Council Presidents was a year ago.

up
Voting closed 0

Would make a great Rush album title

up
Voting closed 0

The selection process should reflect the gravitas of such an august, legislative body as the City Council.

I recommend musical chairs.

up
Voting closed 0

n/t

up
Voting closed 0

Well the good news is they won't have to impeach her.

up
Voting closed 0

Now hiring...

up
Voting closed 0

“It just says that at anytime, for any reason, on a whim, the council can try move to remove a president, who they already elected,” said Arroyo. “I actually disagree with that.”

He's speaking very common sense^

On another note, has Janey even done anything remotely out of line? All these folks are more or less the same with the exception of Frank Baker. An maybe Ed Flynn?

People are just mad they're not acting Mayor... but I mean cmon, they won't vote her out because then it'd be a huge fight about who they would vote in.

Overall, it's good that City Council is giving themselves more power for the future but they should've put some details on why they would vote someone out who they voted in.

up
Voting closed 0

Remember Arroyo is the councilor who pushed to cancel the special election for Mayor which would've happened had the Senate confirmed Walsh quicker, to keep Janey in the Mayor's office longer.

Arroyo is not taking a principled stance based on common sense. He's taking a partisan one based on strategy.

up
Voting closed 1

Of what exactly, basically everyone agreed having four elections for Mayor in a pandemic was dumb, and here this thing passed 10-1-1.

If your the only no vote, what exactly is the strategy?

up
Voting closed 0

Isn't this how we ended up with multiple Popes back in the day?

up
Voting closed 0

I mean, it would be a bad thing if they were all old white men. Would God be down with that?

up
Voting closed 0

Oh snap. Magoo thinks that voting present is such a Magoo move. How. Could. Anyone. Be. Such. A. Magoo. ? Magoo.

up
Voting closed 0

She'd become the first black and first female acting mayor removed from the city council presidency.

She could even put it on her Twitter bio.

up
Voting closed 0

Is that legal? This lady is out of control.

up
Voting closed 0

Making a motion to amend a city-council rule is an arrestable offense?

up
Voting closed 0

Adam, I believe the correct response is simply "No."

up
Voting closed 0

Perhaps. Yes. It could very well be. I have many questions I would like answers to by the council.

up
Voting closed 0

Perhaps. Yes. It could very well be.

Show your work. What you're proposing is nutty.

up
Voting closed 0

This is the United States of America, and you can't arrest someone without probable cause, so what crime is being committed here?

up
Voting closed 0

When Thomas Menino was acting Mayor would the city council dare threaten him. !! Don't do it to this acting mayor.

up
Voting closed 0

This seems like an odd implication of racism when you consider the makeup of the council and the councillor who proposed it.

up
Voting closed 0

1. Menino was 28 years ago. Unless you think that the world we live in today is exactly the same as 1993, I don't see how it could ever be double standards. Standards change over time.

2. At this point, in 1993, Menino wasn't even acting Mayor yet!

up
Voting closed 0

Can someone please explain the purpose of a “present”vote? Why would one say present instead of vote?

up
Voting closed 0

The vote means that she was in the Council chamber but did not want to vote yes or no.

up
Voting closed 0

She doesn't want to live up to her obligations to the city. Also, known as smokescreen.

up
Voting closed 0