Posted on 04/26/2008 10:04:58 PM PDT by raccoonradio
Howie Carr live thread for the week starting off with his Sunday Herald column
Money they’re raking at jail just criminal
By Howie Carr | Sunday, April 27, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com
Another day, another hack-infested public payroll. So come on down, Andrea Cabral, the High Sheriff of Suffolk County.
The High Sheriff, another of ex-Gov. Jane Swift’s brilliant appointments, survived a photo finish with a federal grand jury. Since then, it’s apparently been party time down at the jail.
An overtime party.
I’m not saying things are out of control over there, but the High Sheriff is only the 10th highest paid person on her own payroll, at $123,937.02 last year.
The excuse is that they have to pay all this OT because they don’t have enough people. Maybe, but whatever the reason, the jail payroll has become yet another mega-mammary. Let’s go straight to the list.
There’s a new state rep in East Boston, Carlo Basile. At No. 12 on the sheriff’s payroll is one Alessandro Basile, brother of the rookie rep. Base pay: $68,539 a year. With overtime last year: $122,074.61.
It’s a family affair at the trough in Eastie, isn’t it? First it was Sen. Bobby Trav’s brother Michael making over 300 large with the treasurer. Then there’s Trav’s successor, Tony Petrucelli - his electrician dad, who also made 300 grand at the Pike one year. And now the new rep’s brother, too, is reeling in the big bucks.
Back in 1988, a wannabe named Greg Haugh ran for an open state rep’s seat in West Roxbury against Maid Marian Walsh. She won narrowly and Greg soon made a soft landing on the sheriff’s payroll. He worked for rotund Richie Rouse, running Ward 20 for him. As a “chief jail officer,” Haugh last year made $89,456.05 with overtime, while the woman who prevented him from becoming a solon had to settle for about $65,000. So you tell me, who really won the state rep’s race in Westie in 1988?
Not so fortunate was Matt O’Malley, longtime Cabral coatholder. He ran for City Council, lost, returned to the county trough as “assistant deputy jailer” and now makes a mere $62,551.40 a year. By present hack standards, that ain’t much. He must have screwed up a coffee order or two.
Going through these payrolls is like a geological dig. You find layers from long-forgotten eras, which brings us to this next crew, from the White Period, as in former Mayor Kevin White. Kevin’s ward boss out in Hyde Park was a guy named Gerard Horgan.
Now we have on the county payroll one Gerard Horgan Jr., making $117,145.29 a year. Horgan is married to the lovely Irene Daley-Horgan, who works at . . . you guessed it: She’s a “management assistant” for $63,704.94 a year, including overtime.
So many of these names seem familiar. Correctional officer James Tobin at $79,659.74 with OT. . . . say, isn’t there a John Tobin on the City Council?
Andrea herself came over to the jail on waivers from the office of then-Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph Martin. And so it was only proper and fitting that she pick up a bunch of Ralphies in his going-out-of-business sale.
For instance, Andrea’s “special sheriff” is one Anne Powers, another former assistant district attorney. This Powers makes $120,071 a year. For those of you keeping score at home, that works out to $2,309.07 a week.
Another Ralphie who had a soft landing: Elizabeth Conroy, an “assistant deputy jailer” for $81,595.67. She also used to work for former AG Luther S. Harshbarger, and when Andrea was running for a full term against City Councilor Steve Murphy, would you care to guess who Luther endorsed?
Another Cabral favorite: Steve Tompkins, her flack. His take is $117,145.29, or $2,252.79 a week.
The word is, Cabral wouldn’t mind early retirement. There is no softer job on earth than being a Massachusetts judge - just ask the woman who defeated Greg Haugh in 1988. A judgeship is what Maid Marian, too, is holding out for.
Hey, High Sheriff Cabral, if you’re really interested in obtaining a judgeship from Deval Patrick, do it the old-fashioned way. Every judgeship in this state has a sign on it, and those signs say “For Sale.”
So take out your checkbook and next to “Pay to the Order of,” write the following words:
Barack Obama for President.
Works every time, guaranteed.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1089942
Howie back today?
He should be back!
And yup, vote for Howie at Radio hall of Fame site
starting May 1
http://www.museum.tv/rhofsection.php?page=448
Monday ping
Afternoon Everybody!
Miley’s pix...Clemens affair...and more on Rev Wright
(calls Italians garlic noses) etc...”wrecking Barack’s
campaign and does not seem to care”
No MAX today, he’s stuck at LAX...(I think that’s what Howie said)
In some ways, a black president would take away part of the racism charge, making race hustlers less viable.
Wright is just protecting his shakedown industry.
>>a black president would take away part of the racism charge, making race hustlers less viable.
Caller just on, “Bill”, said same thing
I'll probably just hang around for Chumps
A guy called Dennis Miller today, asking for advice on a will...cohort Sal asks for any AFL trading cards...”You can have my autographed Clemens card”....Miller retorts that the value of that has dropped quite far as of late.
Did anyone hear Howie’s interview last night with the authors of the book on
Jerry Williams, Tolz and Elman? They played a clip where Charles Laquidara pranked
Jerry on air by asking why raisins weren’t allowed in stores. “Listen,” replied Jerry,
“they don’t want to have any nuts either.” One of the two guys admitted to
working for Charles on the side and said he was the voice of Duane Glasscock’s dog Yoop.
Tue ping
Yes! I heard that particular part of Howie’s show, that was priceless, shows what a quick wit Jerry had! Jerry would be horrified at what’s going on with RKO these days.
Hey rock! how ya doin these days?
Obama is SOOOOOOOOOo much toast, that he set off the smoke alarms!
Barok’s career of public service= career of HACKDOM!!!!!
Boston radio ratings are in...
in the hot 25-54 demo, Finneran is in last (among the
16 stations listed). Rush and Reese also not doing well, and...
Howie is dead last in the 15 or so stations listed. He is getting beat by Jay...
AFTERNOON DRIVE (25 to 54):
1. Glenn Ordway on WEEI-AM (850) with a 7.5 share.
2. KISS 108 FM with a 7.1.
3. JAM’N 94.5 FM with a 5.9.
4. MAGIC 106.7 FM with a 5.2.
5. Jay Severin on WTKK-FM (96.9) with a 5.1.
6. WBMX/4.0 share.
7. WBZ-AM (1030) news radio with a 3.9.
8. WZLX with a 3.8.
9. MIKE FM 93.7 with a 3.6 share.
10. WODS/3.4.
11. WKLB/3.3
12. Howie Carr on WRKO-AM (680) with a 3.0
Yikes!
Check out these ratings for what would have been Howie’s
time slot on WTKK had it not been for the contract
debacle...
MORNING DRIVE (25 TO 54):
10. Don Imus on WTKK-FM (96.9) with a 3.5.
16. Tom Finneran on WRKO-AM (680)...had a 1.l share
(Corpse in a cowboy hat gets over three times as many
listeners as the Felon)
Wed ping and column
For Sal, it’s 3 mortgages and you’re $truck out
By Howie Carr | Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com
House Speaker Sal DiMasi’s top three gripes:
3. Writing the monthly check for the first mortgage on his condo in the North End.
2. Writing the monthly check for the second mortgage on his condo.
1. Writing the monthly check for the third mortgage on his condo.
Three mortgages, Sal? Three, on one crummy Commericial Street condo? How many more, Mr. Speaker? How many more mortgages can you saddle yourself with?
No wonder Sal wanted to play a round or two of golf on the arm the last time he was in Florida. Those greens fees can really kill you, at least when you’re paying three mortgages - on one place. He was looking forward to playing 18 holes with Donald Trump in Palm Beach. Apparently, nobody wanted to tell Sal that most of the guys parking cars for The Donald at Mar-a-Lago have healthier-looking balance sheets than he does.
But now that we know about the three mortgages, it’s a real mystery why Sal can’t seem to get along with Gov. Deval Patrick. If anyone understands the onerous nature of mortgages, it’s Coupe Deval. He’s got a monthly nut of probably $28,000. The difference is, when Deval’s is paid off, he owns a mansion in the Berkshires. Sal will just have his condo in Ward 3.
Actually, there’s another difference between the financial straits of the two head hacks. Deval won’t have to pay back his $1.35 million book advance. Sal is on the hook for one . . . two . . . three mortgages.
Good Time Charlie Flaherty and Felon Finneran feel Sal’s pain. They know they’re just picking on you, just because the last two speakers have gone down on federal felony raps. It’s political profiling.
Sal says one of the reasons he needs all these mortgages is that he was trying to get more money out of his law firm. Let’s face it, the supply of gangsters has dried up, and it affected Sal’s practice.
Poor Sal, last night was the filing deadline for candidates for the state Legislature. The final numbers aren’t in yet, but it’s safe to say that, as usual, the vast majority of his sheeple - I mean, members - will be running unopposed, both in the primary and general elections.
It’s party time, in other words. Like Easter, Cinco de Mayo has come early this year to the State House.
But Senor Sal can’t kick back because he now finds himself in a bit of a pickle. For months, he’s had to dodge spitballs from the newspapers, like the free golf story. He gave a grant to a festival an aide had an interest in, had hacks “phantom voting,” “steered” a state contract to a company. Feel free to yawn.
Now, however, he’s suddenly bleeding. It seems that Sal’s accountant, one Richard Vitale, has been accepting money from ticket-scalpers - I mean brokers - who were trying to get a bill through the Legislature to basically give them a free ride. This accountant who met in a gin mill in Kenmore Square with the ticket “brokers” would be the same accountant who has given Mr. Speaker the third mortgage on his condominium.
That’s an all-service accounting firm. They do your taxes, loan you money on what amounts to an unsecured note, and they lobby - excuse me, “strategize” - for ticket scalpers, er brokers.
Now, Vitale has been ordered to register as a lobbyist by the Secretary of State. Bad enough he has to pony up a grand as an entry fee, you might say, and then walk across the street to get his official lobbyist mugshot taken. But it gets worse. Vitale’s in a Catch-22 situation. If he doesn’t register, he’s violated the law. If he registers, then he’s violated the law by loaning all the dough to Mr. Speaker.
Do you think Sal will need a fourth mortgage before this is all over?
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1090661
from http://www.bostonradiowatch.com:
by Mark Schnyder-—
Tai unplugged : As noted here in previous update, a Boston radio vet Tom “Tai” Irwin who had worked at WFNX 101.7FM, WRKO AM 680, WZLX 100.7FM and WROR 105.7FM over two decades, wrote an opinion piece on his Boston Herald blog called “Tai-Rade” openly criticizing the newspaper’s longtime columnist and WRKO AM 680’s talk show host Howie Carr. Irwin even offered to be Carr’s replacement…for free.
With the Herald’s circulation falling fast and WRKO’s ratings declining even faster, there is probably very little doubt as to who won the battle of profits vs. free speech in this case. Yesterday(4/28), The Herald shut down his blog on its site which he wrote over the past four years. Irwin distributed the following e-mail to Boston media earlier tonight:
“I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who contributed to and read my blog The Tai-rade on the Boston Herald’s website for the last four + years. It was taken offline yesterday (Soviet style) after I continued to focus on the challenges facing media companies who refuse to deal with the present, and are afraid of the future.
“I chose to launch into a Tai-rade against Howie Carr because he is a symptom of the disease - big name talent in a game of shrinking revenues. Along the way I talked layoffs and tough decisions that have to be made when drastic troubles hit the economic landscape. I was warned not to keep picking at the scab of lowered circulation and such, but as the contrarian I am, went ahead and they pulled the plug. The focus of my energy was confronting new media reality, but as it was contained on the Herald website, they thought it was a kick in the eye. Perhaps the fact is that I now must take the Tai-rade out on my own, and make sure it remains independent. Let me be clear about this: the Herald remains a favorite of mine, and I believe an essential force in Boston media. I’ve always loved reading it daily. My admiration for Pat Purcell is as strong as ever, and if in his position - I would have censored the blog as well. Just human nature to try to stamp out unpleasantness if you can. Still won’t change the reality of the decline of the American newspaper. The Tai-rade will be back.”
Contrarian? Doesn't he mean "idiot"? ;-)
Who is he anyway? I never heard of him . . . reminds me of a big firm I used to work at, where people leaving sent out a firm-wide email, thanking everyone and all that. The farewell email was always the first I'd heard of them!
Well, Tai was longtime morning host of Boston Phoenix Radio
WFNX and later went to WRKO (first at night, then co-hosting
with Marge Clapprood in mornings) and finally did mornings
on WZLX with Steve Sweeney. He is a good guy (as I mentioned
I’ve met him several times since he used to be tech advisor at my college radio station) though I disagree with him about
Howie.
Tai’s nighttime show at WRKO wasn’t too bad because he did
some nice interviews with musicians, comedians, etc.
I may have listened to "That guy Tai", but with constant format changes, I couldn't tell you which station.
Maybe he was once the morning guy on WFNX. In that case, maybe while shaving for a period of time.
I miss Bill Bennett in the morning. The only upshot of the WTTT change is that the Wall Street Journal Report went to WRKO.
Mark Levin has apparently picked up Boston. According to Boston Radio Watch a best of Levin will air Saturday nights 9-11 pm
on WTKK FM 96.9
>>WTKK’S new Saturday lineup is Hank Morse 6-8am, Michele McPhee 8-11am, The Joe & Huggy Show 11am-1pm, The Money Show 1-4pm, The Phantom Gourmet 4-7pm, Jay Severin Rewind 7-9pm, Mark Levin 9-11pm, Monica Crowley 11pm-1am.
http://www.bostonradiowatch.com
Thu ping
Rick Shaffer: the most misinformed program on radio. What a contrast he is with a professional like Bob Brinker!
Howie hasn’t mentioned Baba Wawa admitting to an affair with
Ed Brooke yet, has he?
YouTube: Barbara Walters admits that, at first, she
HATED Gilda’s “Baba Wawa” impersonation of her.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6HOMtOzoVM8
What's up with Howie's chair?
Loved being reminded of "[Felon]...used to work in a building where they'd steal hot stoves without gloves, then come back for the smoke."
And regarding the poll question, the first news report I heard said "apparently a victim of suicide". Victim? Victim? Then I started thinking about Arkancide.
Brooke was before the time I did in MA.
Voting is open for the Radio Hall of Fame
How many people end up listening to Vacay on TKK solely because of their superior reception?
WRKO should simulcast on FM like WPRO is doing, IMHO.
Yes they should but that would make too much sense.
btw next Wed 5/7 at 2 pm (should last an hour or so)
there will be a “producer’s roundtable” discussion at the
Downtown Corner Border’s, part of the promotion for the book
about Jerry Williams. Tolz and Elman, authors of that book
and former Jerry producers, will be there, as will former
Jerry producers Kenny Mayer, Paul Yovino, and Nancy Shack...
....aka Howie’s “Sandy”. They were mentioning it on
WBZ tonight.
I voted for Emery, Costas, tuna, and Carr.
I don’t know, something about a fancy chair he got and he doesn’t want the Felon to sit in it/steal it. Someone on chump line said Howie ought to wish the Felon should take advantage of another chair—Ol’ Sparky (MA electric chair, not used
for awhile)!
Downtown Crossing that should say
Fri column ping.
On felon row, no House shortage
By Howie Carr | Friday, May 2, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you know the old saying: “What happens twice, happens thrice.” You just never thought it was a reference to Good Time Charlie Flaherty, Felon Finneran, and you, Sal DiMasi.
What are the odds - the last two House speakers, convicted felons, and now you’re in the jackpot too.
You’re Sal DiMasi, the House speaker, and you were for gay marriage - doesn’t that count for something? Don’t the Republicans understand, you’re the nearest thing they’ve got at the State House to a Republican.
Yet here’s dopey Peter Torkildsen, who couldn’t even beat John Tierney, in front of the State House demanding that AG Martha Coakley investigate these ethics charges against you.
God bless Martha though - when the phone don’t ring, Torky’ll know it’s her. Harry Truman had a sign on his desk: “The Buck Stops Here.” The sign on Martha’s desk says: “Pass the Buck.”
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you’re afraid you know where your buck is going to be passed - to the feds, to the same G-men who brought down Good Time Charlie and Tommy Taxes.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and this is no fun, but the problem is, if you’re not the speaker any more, you’re defenseless, and then they’ll really come after you, maybe even Martha.
You’d think some of these slugs could understand what it’s like, having a high-maintenance second wife, and she’s got the place in Needham, where some of the guys keep seeing you walking around downtown, and she wants to go to Florida, and to all those “society” parties, where she has to wear a nice new gown to get her name in those stupid glossy Beautiful People magazines, plus she’s got the two kids, and dammit, it all costs money.
Three mortgages’ worth of money, and that’s just on the condo on Commercial Street in the North End where you, ahem, live.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you’re thinking maybe one of your “friends” should have hired somebody other than sleazy George Regan to be their spokesman.
You tried to play it so straight, so you wouldn’t end up a pathetic ticket-less, pension-less, Advil-addled, bust-out talk radio host like Felon Finneran, and now you’re on the ropes too.
You’re Sal DiMasi and you rolled out all your chairmen yesterday to say that, oh no, they often change their minds about a bill, just like John Kerry does, and then they went back into their offices and got back to scheming.
In one corner, your corner, you have Bobby DeLeo, who used to list a street address in Winthrop as his home and now uses a post-office box. And in the other corner, Tommy Taxes’ boy, John Rogers, who once compared Good Time Charlie’s felony conviction to the crucifixion of Christ.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and 30 years ago, you were the fresh-faced young kid running against the entrenched power of the Langones. Now you are Freddie - or maybe even JoJo - Langone.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you didn’t seem to learn anything from Billy Bulger on that junket the two of you took to the Middle East a few years back.
Nothing except that both of you like hanging around with close relatives of the late Sonny McDonough.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and as you look around, you see flashing in front of your eyes all the solons who have gone before you: Felon Finneran, Good Time Charlie, Money Fitz, John McFeel, Chris Asselin, George Rogers, Paul Sheehy, Gulliver O’Leary, Joe Tully, Jimmy Kelly, Joe DiCarlo, Ron MacKenzie, Don Bliss . . .
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you have but one question:
Is WRKO hiring?
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1091164
show ping
It would probably be better to do it under the Libertarian banner anyway -- Republican is still a dirty word to the children and grandchildren of the Irish/Italian/Eastern European immigrants who were sneered at by the Yankee Republicans (and northeast Republicans haven't improved with the years).
If they ran as a group, they could afford local TV time (maybe) collectively -- ads that gave a brief run-down of the platform (which would have to be bare bones) and maybe scrolled the names of everyone running.
I know the Republicans have a hard time getting anyone to run, but running as an iindividual, even if you won, you'd be stuck on Beacon Hill with all those goobers! I can see why nobody wants that. Ah, but to run as part of a whole battalion!
Fantasy, I know . . . but wouldn't it be nice???
Voted last night. Was at a loss for the local pioneer, since I didn’t recognize any of them.
Although the CC talk station does that here in NY/VT.
Howie Carr is again making it clear he’s not happy being at ‘RKO. He just played the tape of the
DC Madam’s mother, calling 911 to report that she found her daughter had hung herself. Howie,
ever the one to incite controversy, made fun of it.
Just about every call he got after that were people very upset he had done that. One caller said
that Howie was going to hell. His response? “I’m already in hell. I’ve got 4 and a half years left
in hell.”
His Entercom contract expires in Sept. of 2012...
(trying to get fired early so he can flee to Morrissey Blvd/
WTKK?)
I noticed that WTKK is promoting Grouch Marx Levin on the weekends.
I knew one person that hung herself. Well, some twenty years after I knew her.
As for pills, that seems to be the most popular method for women. At least in Las Vegas. Guns for the men.
I did come across the IMDB entry for the actress Capucine. She jumped from her apartment.
LOL, I see some heaving drinking in Howie’s [not too distant] future.
>>I did come across the IMDB entry for the actress Capucine. She jumped from her apartment.
Yikes! She was in The Pink Panther. The original trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JnwQrU_1w1Y
He’s OK...have heard parts of his show. Read his book about his dog Sprite via the Salem Library. (Poor dog, died.
Died, died. The dog...died...)
I looked her up because AMC keeps running “North to Alaska”.
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