COULD THIS BE IT? A federal judge this week threw out a lawsuit brought by two state troopers against their bosses, including District Attorney Joe Early Jr. (who, don’t forget, is up for reelection). The lawsuit stems from the whole Alli Bibaud thing of yore, which has been thoroughly buried by a dizzying series of more salacious scandals coming from the Massachusetts State Police in the months after. The federal judge threw out the case on the grounds there was no federal claim to be made. But the case is still open in Worcester Superior Court. Will the Superior Court judge follow suit? If so, it would effectively kill this story once and for all, and it would help Early’s election bid a great deal, as he’s facing a challenge from the… left? … or the right?… hard to tell … with Blake Rubin, who has called in the past for him to resign. Perception is reality in politics and the longer this state lawsuit stretches into the fall, the worse it is for Early, regardless of the merits of the case or, even, the outcome. Now, a state judge can’t throw this case out on the grounds there’s no federal claim, so we’ll just have to wait and watch Superior Court. While we’re on the subject, Early appears to be taking the campaign seriously, though many are quick (too quick, I’d say) to write Rubin off. On Saturday, Early is launching a grand opening of his campaign headquarters, at 258 Park Ave., and a day of campaign action. Get involved, the Facebook flier asks in this “critical election year.” Emphasis on critical.
GO LEICESTER: Not only is Leicester the site of the Cannabis Control Commission’s first provisional-licenses purveyor of pot, it’s looking at approving a research facility as well. Research! That component is, in my opinion, the under-sung benefit of legalizing cannabis. You can actually research its effects, medical benefits, industrial and agricultural uses, etc. etc. and experiment. Find new uses, make breakthroughs. No one has been able to do that on any sort of scale before legalization. I’ve talked to people much smarter than I who envision a cannabis research and product development hub clustering ~somewhere~ in the United States as cannabis slowly becomes fully legal (and it will, if slowly, everywhere but Jeff Sessions’ back yard, mark my words). Industries relying on a brain trust tend to cluster, these people-smarter-than-I say. Think Silicon Valley. Why not make a bid now to have that cluster be in Central Mass., where the combination of available farmland and colleges in a 100-mile radius is like, better than anywhere in the world probably. Just a thought. It really would be good for this area to hop aboard the Pineapple Express with a one-way ticket.
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME: Worcester officials are getting serious about trash. So serious, they’re considering bringing back the stocks but online for habitual trash dumpers, per City Manager Ed Augustus Jr.’s directive. That’s right. The city is threatening to publish names and addresses of people and businesses caught illegally dumping trash to the city website. Now, am I opposed to people who don’t take care of their trash getting dragged endlessly online for being monsters? No, not really. I have no sympathy for those people. But, at the same time, am I entirely comfortable with city government deciding who to clasp into these digital stocks, awaiting the onslaught of rotten digital vegetables? Absolutely not. We tried this before, and I don’t think the theocratic criminal justice system of our puritan ancestors is much to aspire to. So, not to belabor the point, but illegal dumping is definitely bad and I encourage the city to do all it can to curb the practice. But, at the same time, public shaming as a penal tactic is something Worcester can live without. Let’s be careful here.
EYES ON THE 17th: David LeBoeuf, one of three Democratic candidates for the 17th Worcester District State Rep. seat, seems to have consolidated the perception of being the Progressive Choice for the seat, vied for by fellow Dems Stu Loosemore and Pam Gemme (whoever wins takes on Republican Paul Fullen in November). A set of endorsements this week seems to solidify LeBoeuf ’s position further. The Massachusetts Nurses Association and the Massachusetts Teachers Association both endorsed LeBoeuf for the seat. This quote from MTA President Barbara Madeloni on why: “When he met with educators, David clearly articulated his firm commitment to our public schools, colleges and universities. We can count on him to be a strong voice for working families and communities throughout Massachusetts.” So there ya go. That primary, by the way, is sneaking up on us. Mid September. Expect to see a lot more posts such as this in the weeks to come.
Credit: worcestermag.com
