Quincy Quarry News Weekly Fish Wrap: July starts with the slows

Dogging it
Image via Slate

The dog days of summer continue to dog it.
 
Then again, with the Fourth of July falling on a Tuesday this year along with the weather alternating from downpours to steam heat, such was only to be expected.

Even so, Quincy Quarry News still managed to come up with a couple of significant local stories of interest for its ever-growing legions of loyal readers.

One was about Quincy Mayor Koch opening up his latest campaign headquarters in advance of this fall’s impending local elections.

Campaign season spending heats up …
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive file photo image

This latest Koch campaign headquarters is not only several times larger than previous ones, it is conversely ill-placed on the edge of Mayor Koch’s financially foundering even after $300 million has been spent in mostly locally backed debt spent in the hope that consequential development will come along to see his long ongoing pipe dream to see A New Quincy Center perhaps happen..

In turn, the losses expected to be inflicted upon local taxpayers care of this one of his many Edifice Complex fiascos is going to make those suffered by StreetWorks, the long gone as well as also long ago bankrupt development company that went bust in Quincy, look like chump change.

Campaign fund “contributions” score many-fold rates of returns
A ThePeoplesVoice.org graphic image

On the other hand, those favored developers with local ties who have generously kicked in to Mayor Koch’s campaign fund and then built a modest this or that in Quincy Center have made out like the bandits they are arguably are.

In any event, Quincy Quarry’s ever-growing legions of loyal readers can count on Quincy Quarry to monitor progress on the considerable remodeling underway at Koch’s latest campaign center and report back as might be appropriate.

And speaking of the silly season that is election season, Mayor Koch announced yet another planned land taking: taking Wollaston Beach away from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Another parcel of land Mayor Koch tried to take for free
Image via Wikipedia

That and taking it for free.

Well, not exactly free as such a transfer typically entails that the acquiring municipality take on any residual state debt undertaken to fund improvements tied to the property sought.by a municipality.

That and how the municipality also takes on the cost of maintenance and such of the acquired property.

In the case of Wollaston Beach and at least some of Quincy Shore Drive, such a taking will likely work out to a couple to several million a year increase in the City of Quincy’s annual budget..

“I could tax you (even, ed.) more …”
A Facebook photo

Then again, given a duly adjusted as well as record setting going away $36 million increase from last year’s budget for the City of Quincy’s just commenced Fiscal Year 2024 budget, what’s several millions more?

Just ask Tommy “Tax and Spend” Koch.

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