Groups battle it out to represent North End residents
By adamg on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 6:43am
Seems things are getting a bit uglly between the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association and the North End Neighborhood Council, as shown in this letter from the former to the latter:
When a body like NEWNC no longer has the self-awareness to know when its position is in conflict with its constituency, or worse, is mired in obvious conflict-of-interest - well - it’s time for that body to hang up the cleats, rather than trying to trip the other better players. We hope that Mayor Walsh considers this as he decides what to do with NEWNC and other less productive neighborhood councils.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Ad:
Comments
Looks like an Old Boston/New Boston' conflict
...with waterfront types trying to throw weight around. I did a photo and video walk of the Harbor Walk sections along Long Wharf last week and it was strange seeing those old august harbor buildings tricked out as ostentation palaces for the 1%.
It's nice to know the waterfront oligarchs still keep their nasty letter skills honed however much like the Holy Grail castle siege scene it becomes.
I kinda like the riposte from a harmless local of the Old Boston persuasion.
It's not really an Old vs New
It's not really an Old vs New thing; each group has both. It's really more Sort of NIMBYs (NEWNC) vs Irrational & Vitriolic NIMBYs (NEWRA).
Why not just re-divide geographically?
One group for the North End, the other for the Waterfront. Problem solved.
There's already a waterfront group
But a bit further down, towards Fort Point. So there would probably still wind up being turf wars.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but the North End/Waterfront might be the only place in the city with dueling citizen councils. Even JP and Allston, where there have been, shall we say, controversies, only have one group apiece.
Allston has two
... at least two. They aren't acrimonious for the most part though.
Neighborhood associations
Face it, neighborhood associations exist to protect the interests of the association, and not necessarily the interests of the neighborhood.
Not even that
They exist to allow NIMBY grandstanding and fit throwing and fartlighting and any other activity that will get their supposed "leaders" elected to higher office.
Really?
Could you name one leader of NABB or the BHCA who has ever campaigned for office?
Not NABB or BHCA, but Aaron
Not NABB or BHCA, but Aaron Michelwitz was president of the NEWRC before he was a state rep.
In that case
the issue doesn't seem to be with neighborhood organizations in general, does it?
North End "Leaders"
All the neighborhood groups in question are dominated by the same cabal. We have NEWRA, led by "Arrest the Homeless" Jim Sailini, the chamber of commerce founded by Nick "Rape Dungeon" Varano, and NEWNC with a young member of the chuckling "we ain't gonna listen to no fool cops" Riccio family. (Worth noting that when the neighborhood cabal didn't like who was running for the last NEWNC election, they stuffed the room with 100+ amici to write in young Riccio.)
This tiny demographic minority wants to continue running things in the North End and they don't care how they do it. The interesting thing, is that the tide is turning. They simply don't have the numbers to back it up anymore, so they try to keep the "civic leader" arena closed to "outsiders." Unfortunately for the "real North Enders," the outsiders now make up >80% of the neighborhood and are pretty fed up with being kept out of the dialogue by a group of "civic leaders" who "represent" us and like to run things, but don't make any attempt at inclusiveness, so they end up flouting the values of the majority of the community. With the behavior that's been on display lately, it's inevitable that the "real North Enders" with soon make themselves irrelevant.
At least no one has
.smeared fish remnants all over cars or slashed tires like the good old days.
There is no NIMBY
in the North End because no one has a back yard.
Kind of...
Their back yard is the neighbor's apartment.