THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 Page 9 ~ LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ City Council President addresses hostile meeting Dear Editor, During Monday night’s city council meeting it became very heated and contentious at points. Most of this was during subcommittee and spilled into the City Council Meeting. Some of the more debated topics were the proposed budget cuts and the appointment of a newly formed Human Rights Commission’s Chair. While I live by the model that we can discuss, deliberate/debate and vote, then we stand by those decisions. I feel it’s still important to note I stood by my convictions that if a person is given more responsibilities, larger scope of work, have more direct reports and ultimately a larger work load they deserve to be paid for it. That’s the American way. Work more get paid more. This certainly would be protected with union rights however, for some department heads; these are non-union positions and were not given the same leverage. I voted against any cuts to personnel with increased job roles, however, did vote to cut overtime projections. I feel the budget was responsibly laid out and it was doing the taxpayers justice. Especially since the cuts may cost the taxpayers more when more than one person is needed in a role and we may end up with less qualifi ed people in those roles due to turnover. Again this is just one councilors opinion and I always respect the vote of the whole. I also respect their rationale. We can always agree to disagree. As for the Human Rights Commission Position, I am in favor of the appointment, I didn’t yell or scream as I never do and specifically reminded the chair of the dozens of people waiting to speak, fully knowing the majority were speaking favorable, giving up my time. Maybe that wasn’t enough and yes, I even asked for a roll call vote at one point but in hindsight, should have been more forceful as when I watched the replay it was not loud enough to hear over all the commotion. I just don’t appreciate the tone I have been treated with since this matter was tabled. I hate to even say this but if I have to defend my beliefs and actions then the people who I thought knew me clearly don’t. It’s disappointing especially coming from people whom I serve on boards with and have championed for their rights and abilities. To allow myself to be called out with no real recourse, you are as much to blame, that silence is also acceptance. To call out an entire council in my opinion is passive-aggressive and uneducated. It is as bad as calling out an entire crowd for a few people acting out, which I don’t do and never will. I would just hope for the same respect. When I ran for city council president, I was met with some resistance, questions and ultimately, on my fi rst try I was passed over. This didn’t happen overnight. I didn’t take to the attack mode as I never do, but instead took the time to build my peers trust and eventually that work paid off . As always I represent the entire city and am proud of the many accomplishments of our people and our council. I also understand my actions are always on stage and want to represent my constituents with the respect they so deserve. Of course we always have more work to do but nobody is perfect. Thankfully, I can report we will be in the Council Chambers for our next meeting on July 27th and I hope you can all attend. Have a great fourth, God Bless America. Regards, Patrick M Keefe Jr. City Council President Baker-Polito Admin. announces crisis counseling assistance program A s part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s efforts to support the behavioral health needs of Massachusetts residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Administration announced the availability of a new crisis counseling assistance program. The new program, MassSupport, is funded through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) made available through the federal disaster declaration. Riverside Community Care is providing the crisis counseling under contract with the state Department of Mental Health (DMH). Riverside Trauma Center will deploy its trauma response and crisis intervention expertise in a statewide initiative to bring behavioral health resources, information and referrals directly to individuals and communities. To reach MassSupport, anyone in the state can call 888-215-4920 to connect with local support. Counseling is available in English ASSISTANCE | SEE PAGE 13
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