27 Chumps

The Blog of Record "reports:"

The city received 29 applications from people seeking to become Lowell's next city manager, and the City Council's process to select one of them for the job will begin on Monday.

The council has scheduled a special meeting for 5 p.m. Monday to discuss the next steps it will take in its efforts to replace City Manager Bernie Lynch, who departs March 10. Lynch, who has served as manager since the summer of 2006, announced his resignation at the first council meeting of the year in January.
-snip

State Rep. Kevin Murphy, a Lowell Democrat, confirmed on Friday he is one of the applicants. Murphy did not respond to a request for additional comment. 

Another expected applicant was George Ramirez, a former city councilor and currently the executive vice president of Devens operations for MassDevelopment.
(Link)

By my count, that makes 27 chumps. Insiders have their money on Kevin Murphy, but are hedging their bets on the wild card, Ramirez. Elections have consequences. With Rodney Elliott coming in 2nd, which accounts for about about 10% of Lowell's registered voters, we are forced to grapple with shallow political practices like cronyism (Link).

Our current mayor is very palsy with Kevin Murphy.

The presumption that Kevin Murphy WILL be Lowell's next City Manager is so strong and so pervasive, I can't find anyone in the bubble that will risk speaking out at the fakery around the 'process' mayor Elliott is rigging together. The only chance that certain crooked cards will be exposed is, if and when, the Council allows the public to enter the process.


It's not clear that the public will be invited in, but there was an open invitation.



Since we can count both Rodney & Rita in the "Kevin Murphy Camp," it remains to be seen IF this gesture is fulfilled. Or, more importantly, it is done for more than just window dressing.

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