Bryan Strawser

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Bulger to Step Down

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I am glad to see that Bulger finally came to his senses over this. I’d love to have a strong university president in place – but I’d prefer one that wasn’t tainted by this scandal with some real credibility.

A great move by Bulger – too bad it took so long for him to do.

William M. Bulger, the legendary strongman of state politics who has led the University of Massachusetts to new respectability during the last seven years, plans to announce today he will step down as UMass president following weeks of criticism over his role in the federal investigation of his fugitive mobster brother, James ”Whitey” Bulger, according to a person close to discussions between Bulger and UMass trustees.

Bulger has reluctantly concluded that his continued stewardship would do more harm than good at the five-campus university and that the demands for his resignation by Governor Mitt Romney — as well as Romney’s promise to appoint trustees who oppose Bulger — would only fracture the university leadership and demoralize students and alumni.

”The governor gets his three new [trustee] appointees in September, and Bulger and the board jointly recognize that it was in the university’s best interest not to allow this whole drama to continue,” the source said. [Boston Globe]

Taunton’s Budget Crisis

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This is just one of the many results that we’re seeing here in Taunton due to the fine budgeting and political process that we’re seeing between the Mayor, the City Council, and others in City government.

Years of nice surpluses gave them extra money over the last decade. So what did they do? They spent it.

Now we don’t have a rosy economy and they’re unable to reducing spending to a reasonable level because they’ve acted like pigs at a trough.

I want my police and fire departments staffed at levels that make sense and provide a safe and crime-free environment here in Taunton – so do my neighbors.

Get it done…

TAUNTON — Fire Chief Thomas Downey Jr. says his department will run out of money to pay for electricity and gas to operate the fire stations and gasoline to fuel the trucks by April under the current budget.

He added that taking fire equipment out of service is the only way to make his budget work even that well.

In an effort to save jobs during the city%u2019s extreme fiscal stress, Downey proposed allowing seven firefighter positions to go unfilled before firefighters are called in for overtime pay.

As a result, Downey has cut his overtime expenditures from last year sevenfold.

But there has been a cost, noticed by citizens who see signs stating that the Central Fire station is closed, as it is when seven firefighters miss work because of sickness or vacation. [Taunton Gazette]

State Trooper Clings to Life

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Thinking of you.

A venerated state trooper lay near death last night, the victim of an alleged teenage drunk who told police he was asleep at the wheel when he rear-ended her parked cruiser at more than 90 mph.

“It’s bad. It’s real bad. There was a lot of head trauma,” state police Maj. John J. Kelley said last night of trooper Ellen Engelhardt, 50, of Marion who had not regained consciousness since yesterday’s early morning crash, 50 minutes before her shift was to end.

“She’s been in and out of surgery,” Kelley said. “Colonel (Thomas) Foley of the state police has asked that everyone remember trooper Engelhardt in their thoughts and their prayers.” [Boston Herald]