The phrase “grease the skids” is an unfortunate one to use when discussing municipal business. Here in Somerville, it brings up decades-old memories of federal prosecutors playing audio tapes of local politicians demanding bribes and kickbacks.

But the phrase used by a NextG employee to describe how the company gained favor with the city is not the most disturbing piece of their proposal to put more than 3,000 feet of wiring through the city.

No the “grease the skids” comment made in an internal email accidentally released to the Lynn Department of Public Works Director seems to be nothing more than a poor choice of words. It simply referred to the company expressing a willingness to support a community program such as the Sunsetters if they are allowed to do business here.

The disturbing part is the company’s actual intent. To tear up streets and install wires throughout the city. One question brought up by aldermen last week summed up why this move is not necessary: where is the public benefit?

On Marshall Street, residents look up at overloaded utility poles and wonder, how much longer could that stay up? And when the wires do come down it is the residents themselves who clean up the mess as the companies who profit from them refuse to take responsibility.

Crusading against wires is not exactly a hot button issue. It won’t sell newspapers (especially if those papers are free) and it does not fit nicely into a campaign flyer. But it is a quality of life issue we have to deal with and until NextG proves that thousands of feet of wire will help Somerville, they should bring their business elsewhere.

And grease the skids on the way out.