I Served With Reardon on the School Committee. Here’s What I Think of His Term

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by

Bruce Menin

The Townie is an opinion website. The views expressed in this piece belong solely to the author, do not represent those held by The Townie, and should not be interpreted as objective or reported fact.

These are troubling times. We are plagued by a chronic lack of government transparency and trust. Chaos and toxicity are causing relentless public service staff turnover. We are embroiled in avoidable litigation. There is a climate of meanness, pettiness, and unkindness that permeates interactions with elected officials and citizens.  We are polarized. There is a stunning dearth of accountability by government. 

As Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.”  While these issues may describe the current state of politics on the federal level, I am really referring to the last four years of Newburyport governance. 

Consider the turmoil at the Public Library and the Parks Department; the remarkable turnover in city department heads (unprecedented in my 35 years living in Newburyport). There is ongoing litigation stemming from employees whose previous work was exemplary, and who were terminated without cause, or with dubious cause. We see a lack of consistent consultation with the City Council and the schools and advisory boards. We have a right to expect more thoughtful, honest and coherent representation.

Newburyport deserves better than it has gotten the past four years. It deserves leadership that is honest, it deserves politics that isn’t cruel and petty, evasive and unaccountable.  It deserves to have its public servants and citizens treated with the respect and dignity that they bring to their own work on behalf of Newburyport. You, we… deserve better. 

I served on the School Committee with the current occupant of the corner office four years.  Sadly, I believe he has been the mayor I anticipated he would be, based on my disappointing experience working with him on the Committee. The last four years and the results are self-evident. 

Newburyport deserved better four years ago. It deserves better the next four years. 

I loved living in Newburyport and will always be grateful for the opportunity you gave me to be of service. Those ties don’t fray with distance. I still care deeply about the city.

I encourage you to choose wisely Newburyport. Please choose wisely.

Bruce Menin
Former Vice Chair of the School Committee

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Comments

6 responses to “I Served With Reardon on the School Committee. Here’s What I Think of His Term”

  1. Warren Russo Avatar
    Warren Russo

    Well said, Bruce! The incompetent never-do-well with zero managerial experience and a self-absorbed personality should never have been elected mayor. Let’s hope the voters show him out the door, never to return.

    Reply
  2. Chip Avatar
    Chip

    Thank you, Bruce. Where was your voice for years ago?😊

    Reply
  3. Bruce Menin Avatar
    Bruce Menin

    Anyone who was around me four years ago heard me say all of these things publicly. Four years ago I wrote a letter to the ‘paper of record’ articulating many of these issues and same and similar concerns- using only information on the public record- and the paper refused to publish it- the editor called it a ‘hit job’- which made no sense to me because it was all demonstrably true. Demonstrably.

    Reply
  4. Mack Avatar
    Mack

    I would love to read details & examples of the following: “Chaos and toxicity are causing relentless public service staff turnover. We are embroiled in avoidable litigation. There is a climate of meanness, pettiness, and unkindness that permeates interactions with elected officials and citizens. We are polarized. There is a stunning dearth of accountability by government,” and “There is ongoing litigation stemming from employees whose previous work was exemplary, and who were terminated without cause, or with dubious cause…”

    Reply
    1. Anonymous Avatar
      Anonymous

      A Partial List
      1 – Laying off Parks Director, claiming it was the result of a re-organization that had not occurred. Resulting in a wrongful termination lawsuit.
      2 – Railroading our award-winning archivist out of the library. Resulting in an age-discrimination lawsuit.
      3 – Telling the Parking Clerk to fix tickets for a friend who repeatedly kept parking in a handicap spot. The Clerk rightfully did not fix the tickets.
      4 – Knowingly submitting an appointment for Board of Registrars that did not comply with the law. The non-compliance was identified in the City Council General Government Committee and the appointment was withdrawn.
      5 – Repeatedly claiming the tax burden on Rec Ctr would be $33/year for the average taxpayer – knowing the $33 figure was only the amount requested for debt exclusion, not the entire amount. Exposed by a city councilors who supported the Rec Ctr.
      6 – Loss of 5 department heads (Head Librarian, IT Director, Health Director, DPS Director, Water Superintendent.) Almost losing the School Superintendent and Finance Director (who moved from the city department to the school department.)
      7 – 46 campaign finance audit requests since 1/15/2021, compared to 2 for Amesbury’s Mayor Gove since 5/14/2021 and 5 for Haverhill’s Mayor Barrett since 12/01/2021.

      Reply
  5. Nan Parker Avatar
    Nan Parker

    Well said Bruce! I sincerely hope people will finally see the disasters ahead with his so called leadership. Our future taxes thanks to his spending will be outrageous and our immediate water infrastructure needs drastic attention….certainly not the REC center he railroaded thru!

    Reply

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