News Talk for the week of May 17

We think this week’s big news of the Police Department throwing away $31,000 in seized funds was unfortunate, but actually handled well. Somerville was the laughing stock of the media, but you have to give Acting Chief Robert R. Bradley and the Mayor credit for giving everybody the facts up front and dealing with the fallout. They certainly weren’t to blame and they handled it as best as it could be handled. By the way, if anybody sees a suddenly well off Waste Management worker let us know.
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But here’s an interesting fact News Talk heard minutes before press time that could change this story — the landfill the $31,000 is allegedly buried in doesn’t take metal. What was the old desk made of that the money was in? That’s right metal. Doesn’t add up, maybe we’re wrong. Maybe not.

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We heard from three different sources that KSS Development (that‚Äôs Kennedy-Smith and Samawerrera) might be looking to run away from the city and the controversial Max Pak re-development. We hear they‚Äôre angry at our local pols because none of the aldermen would sponsor the zoning changes they desire. Eventually, we heard, Strategic Planning and Community Development Director Jim Kostaras bullied the Planning Commission into doing it because of his ties to a KSS executive. News Talk heard that Kostaras may not be too much longer for City Hall and Mayor Joe‚Äôs new ‚Äúadvisor‚Äù — Doug Foy — is ready to take his spot in the team‚Äôs lineup.
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There had been speculation that a certain alderman would be leaving his post for a high paying job with KSS, but thus far, it has turned out to be nothing more than talk.
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Lots of water this past week, enough to last us a long time, plenty of basements flooded and lots of damage. One of our own News Talkers was bailing out his boat in East Boston Monday night.
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Our hearts go out to the Campo Family for their loss last week. Christopher Campo will be sadly missed by all that knew him.
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The public hearing on the Mayor’s proposal to make it more difficult for homeowners to turn their homes into condominiums was tonight at City Hall. The opinions on each side of the debate all have merit and should be valued, but for us, this city shouldn’t be road blocking its own residents from trying to make a buck.
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News Talk sides with Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche on the immigration issue. Sure, Somerville is a city built on immigrants and we always welcome those who want to make an honest living, but let them do it the legal way and not give in to liberal guilt. In Ward 1, Bill works to advocate for immigrants and their families as much as anybody on the Board of Aldermen, he just wants this new generation to follow in the footsteps of the old generation by going for citizenship the legal way, not just having it handed to them. News Talk congratulates Bill Roche for standing up for what he believes in, no matter what the political pressure to conform may be.
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News Talk is starting to notice some interesting defections from the Democratic Party. The unions, once rank and file Democrats, are beginning to lose faith in the party that is supporting the people (illegal immigrants) who are taking their jobs. Add the progressives, take away the unions. Boy, the Democratic Party around here sure has changed.