Quincy Quarry Weekly Fish Wrap: Locals sodded yet again?

– News and commentary from Quincy Quarry News.

New sod, sodding taxpayers – whatever …
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

Quincy Quarry Weekly Fish Wrap: Locals sodded yet again?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll locally what with Quincy’s death rate continuing to run significantly above the statewide average per a proper population adjusted comparison.

In turn, given Massachusetts COVID-19 statewide hot spot status nationally, Governor Charlie Baker has rolled out his comprehensive plan for a carefully staged reopening of the state towards the goal of a reaching a tolerable new normal until such time as at least effective treatment regimens and even better vaccines can be developed and then implemented.

No “fluffing” for you …
A FluffFest photo

Unfortunately, those looking forward to enjoy large public event activities after months of shelter in place have been – well – “fluffed” as not only are team sports events still on hold, all manner of other events such as Boston’s Fourth of July extravaganza and even the offbeat fun of Somerville’s What the Fluff festival in September have been cancelled given the pandemic.

And even worse on the local level, the City of Quincy has already demonstrated not just once but twice that it cannot even manage to facilitate the implementation of merely but limited socially distant and but limited open space recreational activities which are compliant with pandemic-fueled regulations, executive orders and public health guidelines

Drink the Koch Aid
A Facebook photo

Then again, we are talking the Q even as Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch keeps foisting socially distant and carefully scripted bovine byproduct YouTube many times a week to the contrary – not that this is anything new to most anyone who is paying attention.

On top of down playing Quincy’s above noted well above statewide average population adjusted COVID-19 death rate, earlier this week Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch foisted his proposed Fiscal Year 2021 City of Quincy budget upon the City Council.

Zoom bomb, tax bill time bomb – whatever
A YouTube video still image

At least sorta/kinda that is as five days later the Koch Machine has yet to post the budget online after dropping this bomb on taxpayers via Zoom from an remote and thus relatively secure from the public location.

Then again, perhaps the e-file of the mayor’s budget is in self-quarantine rather than this latest Koch Administrator shortcoming resulting from yet another koching up of things.

In any event, Quincy Quarry is monitoring this still ongoing failure to provide the budget in terms of potential Open Meeting Law and/or Public Records violations.

Spending more is level spending? What the Q?
An old picture of Yogi

Then again, this surely but an unintended error has nothing to do with anything even if the proposed budget’s unavailability makes it hard for outside budget reviewers to review it.  For example, trying to figure out how Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch’s claim of level funding for the upcoming year is a valid claim when the budget is said to entail a 3% percent spending increase.

That and in the meanwhile, Quincy Mayor Koch is currently pimping his implausible goal of not increasing the local tax rate come the New Calendar Year in January. 

Even so, he was for a change called on his shoveling it by a city councillor, including as regards the only to expected next round of annual local property assessments increases and upon which the tax rate is multiplied to come up with the actual tax bill.

Is someone looking at a financial haircut?
An old file photo

Flash cards at the ready to crib from while quizzed about the budget notwithstanding, Mayor Koch’s responses to these fair questionings warranted failing marks as he foisted his usual Koch and mirrors financial legerdemain.

For but one example from among many was his talk of talking with mostly unnamed others about purported favorable revenue exceptions even if no one claims to definitely knows what to expect other than that local, federal and state tax revenues are expected to crater badly from their pre-pandemic expectations.

After all, we all know that money talks whereas but talk walks.

Out of order parking garage emergency panic button
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

And in the meanwhile, Quincy Quarry continues to exposé how the Koch Machine continues to fall short on this and that, including failing to address a long ongoing major public safety punch list shortcoming at the new $46 million Hancock Garage in Quincy Center six months after the garage was opened to the public.

That and even more telling, however, was the re-sodding of less than perfect sod with the larger the $30-plus million-plus but still unfinished Kim Jong Koch Plaza in front of Quincy’s two City Halls.

After all, when it comes to enhancing his workplace ambiance and extravagances, our peerless mayor is without equal regardless of the pain so yet again inflicted upon long suffering local taxpayers.

Burn rate, up in smoke – whatever …
A cheatsheet.com image

In short, more Only in the Q financial monkey business yet again looks to soon be bleeding red ink and then followed by ugly tax property tax bills come January.

But what the hey, it’s not like it is Mayor Koch’s money even if this very fact is at the heart of the problem.

QQ disclaimer