July 2006Here are a couple of essays from two of my Worcester friends. Michael True’s op-ed “Whatever Happened to the Catholic Church?” first appeared in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Marc Tumeinski’s response is an “open letter.” Both men are long-time supporters of the Catholic Worker movement in Worcester. These essays are printed here with permission of the authors, and are copyright 2006.
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Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme, from today’s Worcester Telegram & Gazette:
“I just believe it is in the best interest to ask ‘Cops’ to leave.”
The decision follows both a protest against the show at Worcester City Hall, and a Wednesday meeting between the Chief and community leaders.
According to Worcester Magazine’s Scott Zoback:
Apparently, no other city has seen a citizen protest mounted over the presence of the FOX TV show “Cops,” like the one held at City Hall this week, and the show is 17 years old. That’s what the FOX crew has told folks and a search of our newspaper database service appears to confirm it. We found some Portland, Ore., activists who posted angry messages on forums; and Chicago, San Francisco and Honolulu flat out refused to let the show tape in the city.
According to the Telegram:
This is only the second time a city has reversed its decision to have the show film its officers. Cincinnati officials decided against having the show in their city in 2004, according to ["Cops" creator John Langley]. The “Cops” crew went back after the officials changed their minds, he said.
“Maybe Worcester will change its mind,” he said. “We’ll be happy to film there.”
And here is Buck Paxton’s take.
Man, it’s tough blogging about Worcester from South Bend.
[Part of this blog entry was removed after I realized I was misreading a statement in the T&G.]
From the annals of parallel invention: In the Worcesteria referenced above, Scott Zoback ran an item about Gary Rosen’s rat resolution titled “Rat Attack,” a couple days after I ran an item about the same resolution titled “Rat Attack!”
It prevents the prosecution of other crimes the condemned has committed, potentially leaving murders unsolved. The case of William Bradford has been in the news a lot lately in Southern California, because investigators are trying to determine if any of the unidentified women he photographed may have also been killed.
From the article:
Even Bradford hinted at other victims after he fired his lawyers and gave his own closing argument:
“Think of how many you don’t even know about,” he told jurors.
That turns the tables against the “closure” argument for capital punishment.
Update: Thank God, it appears that most of the women in the photos are alive and well. But at least one isn’t. And since Bradford hasn’t been executed, he can be questioned about the case.
It only applies to employers with over $1 billion in annual sales and stores of 90,000 square feet or more. It’s aimed at Wal-Mart, but I’m not sure who else would fall into that category; the article doesn’t say if it actually applies to any existing businesses in the city.
The wage under this ordinance is $10.00, plus $3.00 in fringe benefits. Much better than minimum wage, but still under the $15.00 (under the table, presumably) that day-laborers in Agoura Hills, California are getting.
Also, of course, it only applies within the city limits; the article notes that Wal-Mart recently opened a store just outside the boundary of the city.
Incidentally, I had no idea Chicago had 50 people on its City Council. Wow!
Kevin Ksen says he was arrested for distributing flyers. He was picked up while promoting an event for people concerned with how the Worcester Police Department is behaving while COPS is filming in the city.
Talked to him on the phone today. I hope he will go public with more details. For my part, I find this to be, all hyperbole aside, scary.
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