The View from Prospect Hill

A Commentary by James A. Norton, Managing Editor

It’s not every day that Somerville has a legitimate link to someone who could be the President of the United States, so while it’s exciting to find out that Barack Obama lived here while attending Harvard Law School back in the late 80’s, it’s disheartening to have found out in the way and manner in which we did.

While he lived here, he parked illegally near Harvard Law and amassed tickets with no intention on paying them – until he decided to run for President – and then had someone from his campaign quietly slip into Cambridge and pay his 19-year-old parking tickets.

Is that someone you want to vote for as our next or future President?

Comments

[Smith]

Yes.

[Dr.Dawg]

Not the defining issue. I'm not an Obama fan but he didn't loose any points for parking tickets late payments. Just as Mit didn't loose any points for his intro. of Ann Coulter.
It's about how to fix our country and who can do it best? As with our Civil War President, it's about who can win the war not what he drinks.

[City Hall Nose]

I guess you could say there wasn't much to-do at the Mayor's recent Fund raiser this week in Boston. IT appears all attendees would have fit inside the private bathroom in the Mayor's office.

Time is up Joey Cakes. Start packing your bags for a quick get away.

[Going To Die Here]

Most of us found out he used to live in Somerville when we read the Boston Globe profile of him 2 months ago. If unpaid parking tickets are the biggest skeleton in his closet, I'd say he has a decent shot.

[J. Dunn]

Uh, is there anyone who has lived with a car in Camberville for any significant length of time who hasn't racked up a healthy amount of parking fines and developed an even more healthy contempt for the arbitrary and insane parking laws and enforcement? Anyone who pays attention to the local scuttlebut knows that bitching about parking is perhaps the only thing that most everyone who lives here can agree on. I doubt many people pay them terribly promptly, especially the college kids. What a ridiculous non-issue. The worst they can dig up on the guy is that he smokes and forgot to pay some parking tickets? Oh, the horror.

[Johnny Protester]

Joey won't settle "union" contracts, Joey ain't gettin'
no money !! I hear the back room at Amelias might be big enough for your next "big" event !! HA HA

[City Hall Nose]

911 oeprator representatives were up on the 2nd floor today to settle. I wonder what they had to give up to accept the deal?

The Firefighters were next in line. Hmmmm

[Truth Fan]

J Dunn,

The availailabilty of parking here has been "insane" for almost fifty years. But, in my view, "arbitrary and insane" enforcement is one of the singular accomplishments of this mayor's administration.

Some say that it is a desperate attempt to increase city revenue because his promises about economic development turned out to be pipe dreams. Those who say that, don't offer numbers to prove that the increased revenues on parking tickets are that much greater than the increased costs of hiring more ticket givers, so I am skeptical of this explanation. But I would like to understand why the mayor, who Mrs. McCarthy affectionately calls "Tickets" Curtatone, has made parking enforcement so harsh and capricious.

[Yorktown Street]

I'm disappointed they only posted JN's comment on Obama here and not the piece "Being from Somerville--a note to the outsider." I would have liked to hear what people "from here" had to say about it.

[Kate]

"Is that someone you want to vote for as our next or future President?"

What a ridiculous piece you wrote.