Posted on 01/04/2009 5:41:30 AM PST by raccoonradio
Howie thread starting with his Sunday Herald column. By the way starting tomorrow, the Felon, Tom Finneran loses a half hour of his show--or technically an hour. He is moving to 5:30-9 am (from 6-10 am) so Ingraham will now have all 3 hours of her "healthy radio addiction" 9-noon. And from what I hear, the 5:30-6 am segment will be a "radio rewind" of the previous day's show so now FelonMan, with his new permanent co-host Todd Feinburg, will only have to do 3 hours every day.
Nice work if you can get it Mistah Speakah! In the dreaded private sectah!
Mumbles: Prune family tree of costly dead wood
By Howie Carr | Sunday, January 4, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Columnists
Hey Mumbles Menino, before your coatholders float any more trial balloons about laying off cops, why don’t you set a good example for everybody by pruning a few of your own layabouts at City Hall?
Granted, you hate to fire loyal signholders in an election year, but you’ve got hundreds if not thousands of them. A lot of ’em you’ve probably forgotten about anyway, since they’ve been MIA at City Hall since direct deposit of paychecks came in.
On the cop layoffs, here is Mumbles’ non-denial denial:
“I have not seen a plan yet that speaks to the issue of 200 police officers bein’ laid off. I have not seen any document of that sort yet.”
Key word: yet. Then he mentions the stimulus package Deval et al. are pushing for in D.C. - the Hack Relief Act of 2009.
“What shape the, uh, stimulus package takes, uh, we do not yet know yet.”
There’s that word again: yet. Mumbles’ favorite kind of word. One syllable, three letters. A word even Mumbles could spell, maybe.
“Uh, so we’re all just hopen-ing about this issue.”
The rest of us are hopen-ing Mumbles uses this opportunity to clear out the dead wood at City Hall, which after four terms is a veritable petrified forest of hacks.
I know the BPD has seniority rules and all that, but if Mumbles really wants to start dumping cops, I have a few suggestions.
Let’s start with Det. Mumbles Menino Jr. Oh sure, he’ll miss his fat paycheck ($137,529 in 2007), but fortunately his wife, Lisa, will still be at City Hall, with that $102,050-a-year job as an “administrative assistant” she won after a nationwide search.
Next, lay off Supt. Dan Linskey, not because he’s done anything wrong, but because he was fast-tracked to his $166,664 job the old-fashioned way. He was Mumbles’ driver.
Then whack Robert Dunford, another BPD bigshot who’s a FOM - Friend of Mumbles. Dunford made $189,517 in 2007. You may have recently read about his amusing habit of sending and receiving e-mails from his fellow brass that contain photo attachments of “scantily clad females.”
While we’re pruning the Dunford family tree, don’t forget his son, Brian, a cop who made $94,891. There’s Bob’s wife, Dorothy, who collects $80,976 at the sheriff’s department; Bob’s daughter, Molly, on Mumbles’ office staff for another $57,982; plus another daughter on Mumbles’ payroll who uses her husband’s last name.
Next, let’s clip the DPW boss, Dennis Royer. This drifter from Denver makes $135,000. He was suspended for three weeks for letting one of his employees “telecommute” from Venezuela.
Royer was suspended for three weeks and nobody missed him. I daresay Mumbles could suspend this carpetbagger forever with the exact same result - nothing.
Mumbles has millions in his campaign war chest. Thank you developers and contractors. I know he likes to keep the old gang around from the days when he was a driver . . . for Joe Timilty. But really, why not have the campaign pay “special assistants” Peggy Gannon ($102,018) and Martha Pierce ($97,381)?
Remember, these numbers come from the 2007 payroll. If you’re appalled now, wait until we get the up-to-date salaries. In the meantime, here’s hopen-in’ Mumbles does the right thing. But don’t start celebratin’ - yet.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1142901
I didn’t know Todd was on Mista Speakas’ show - I might give it a listen or two now - Todd’s OK on his weekend broadcast.
I only turn on RKO at 3pm - will need to check them out in the morning - esp. with Laura now...
Yes, I guess Todd was occasionally in with Finneran as a co-host and a few days ago it was announced he’d be permanent co-host starting tomorrow
from New Yr’s Eve:
http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/messenger/index.php/2008/12/31/finneran-finally-gets-a-co-host/
It’s official. WRKO-AM (680) host Tom Finneran is getting a permanent co-host and it’s Todd Feinberg.
Feinberg used to host the midday-slot on WRKO but was replaced late last year with Reese Hopklins, who is now behind bars charged with child rape.
Here’s the release:
Todd Feinburg to join Tom Finneran on WRKO morning line-up
‘RKO also announces new show hours and additional weekend programs
December 31, 2008 (Boston) – Entercom New England announced today that veteran talk show host Todd Feinburg will officially join Tom Finneran on WRKO each weekday morning. Feinburg, who has been guest hosting with Finneran for the last several months, will take his permanent seat behind the microphone on January 5, 2009.
At the same time, the station announced new time slots for its morning programs. Finneran’s Forum will now air from 5:30 AM to 9:00 AM each weekday, and The Laura Ingraham Show will air from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
see link above for more
Of the rotating cast of sidekicks they have used over the last 6 months (Warren Tolman, Holly Robichaud, Marjorie Claprood, Mariellen Burns, Wendy Murphy and Feinburg), Feinburg is the most talented. All the rest were really not very good. Not sure I understood the theory of pairing a guy with no radio experience with a bunch of other people (other than Feinburg) with no radio experience.
Their best bet would be to dump Finneran, keep Feinberg and rehire Peter Blute from WCRN to work with him. Blute continues to run a good morning show.
yes, though they did renew Finneran’s contract recently.
But if he doesn’t work out maybe they could do a buyout.
Somehow the (alleged) brain trust at RKO thinks he’s
worth it
>>Despite lousy ratings over the past two years, WRKO radio has extended Tom Finneran’s morning-drive show for another year, the station confirmed last night. Finneran had inked a two-year deal with an option to extend it another year and the station has exercised that option, said WRKO-AM (680) program director Jason Wolfe. Sources say the station is keeping Finneran around because they want to make a play for (WTKK)-FM (96.9) duo Jim Braude and Margery Eagan and are waiting for their contract to (expire)
I don’t know which is worse, The Felon or the Midday Moonbats?
Meanwhile Entercom has tossed $1 million per year at Glenn
Ordway of WEEI’s The Big Show. The aft. drive program is
usually #1 in its time slot and must bring in the bucks. He gets a 5 yr contract and poss. of live video streaming of
his show on weei.com and either NESN or Comcast Sports Network. Rumor had it if Ordway jumped to another company
like Greater Media (WBOS, WTKK talk 96.9, WKLB etc.) there
could be a new FM sports talker in town. Not so. (Though
WEEI does rebroadcast on a couple FM frequencies in
R.I. and western MA, etc.)
don’t bother tuning in, not only is Todd on the air but the talentless co-hosts are there as well, holly and warren this morning, probably maryellen tomorrow, wendy on wednesday, can’t wait to see who they drag in for thurs and fri, maybe that horrible bob hedlund.....it’s terrible terrible radio.........
at least we get one more hour of Laura, the healthy...radio...
addiction.
Yes, that’s the good thing, all three hours of Laura!
Mon show ping. Howie’s back...last week’s poll said:
><Will Caroline Kennedy be appointed to the U.S. Senate before Howie returns from vacation?
Yes
65%
No
35%
So far no OFFICIAL word!
Also so far the only thing I know about today’s show
is that Max Robins is sched to be on during the 5 pm hour.
Chuck Turner gets to chair the Boston City Council! For a half hour. Tradition is that the oldest member of the council presides over first meeting of year, then they chose a chairman—and they did, Michael Ross.
But OOH Breaking news from Herald!
http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1143217&pos=breaking
Feds seek to gag Turner
Prosecutors today appealed to a federal judge to bar beleaguered City Councilor Chuck Turner from leaking alleged evidence against him to the media, saying his bombastic lecturing could scare away witnesses.
Turner’s co-defendant, former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, has agreed to the clamp down, according to assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil.
But Turner, 68, McNeil states in his motions before U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock, “has made clear through his public statements that he intends to press his case in the media prior to trial and to act as ‘his own lawyer’ in that regard.”
McNeil accuses Turner of “attacking the government’s motives for seeking an indictment against him” and, “in the absence of a protective order, he will selectively use discovery provided by the government as part of his media campaign.”
If Turner were to disseminate “selective portions” of discovery, such as video recordings of undercover officers, grand jury transcripts, financial records and the identities of cooperating witnesses, Wilkerson’s right to a fair trial could be compromised, as well, McNeil argues.
McNeil lays out in his request for a protective order that the government’s evidence against Wilkerson is “more extensive,” but the manner in which she and Turner have conducted themselves since their arrests “could hardly have been more different.”
Wilkerson has maintained a relatively low profile and declined media requests for interviews. Both are charged with attempted extortion.
Turner’s attorney Barry Wilson could not immediately be reached for comment.
LOL! Lawyers can never be "immediately" reached for comment! Without proper preparation, it's way too easy to blurt out the truth! ;-)
Howie said he picked up a station in Maine, Augusta area.
He may mean WVOM 103.9 but poss. it’s a station at 101.3 or
96.7; a bit of a shuffle up there. Tried to find info.
When I went to site (acc. to radio-locator.com) of WCME 96.7
there was a banner up saying “WVOM 103.9 new website coming
soon”. Anyway he’s (back) up there now.
Looks like it’s 101.3 up in Augusta ME
>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKCG
On January 5, 2009 the station dropped the Star 101 imaging and the adult contemporary format for a simulcast of talk radio WVOM.
Tue show list ping...I wonder if he’ll talk about the suicide of Dr Richard Sharpe? I pinged everyone the Herald story.
Also in the Herald: Son Of Mumbles cashes in (Thomas M
Menino Jr)
Wed column ping
Devil’s in the details for Boy Mumbles
By Howie Carr | Wednesday, January 7, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Columnists
Top 10 complaints of BPD Detective Mumbles Menino Jr.:
10. Didn’t get a call on the Chuck Turner bust.
9. How many times do I have to tell Pops, I’m in the “intelligence unit,” not the “intelligent unit?”
8. His wife Lisa keeps saying, if you’re making all this money, smart guy, how come we still live in Hyde Park?
7. Three words: Boom Boom Room.
6. When is Pops gonna lower the boom on that @#!$%& Baby Flats for dropping all these dimes?
5. Why can’t I have a liquor license - everybody else got one.
4. Pops still won’t let me “work” the overnight detail on Chesterfield Road.
3. Do you really think I’d have shaved my head if I’d known I was going to look like Dr. Evil on the front page?
2. When Jane Swift got that cheap-o apartment from one of the Fishes, nobody gave a damn.
1. Is it too late to go out on a disability pension?
I don’t care how much money Detective Menino makes, it can’t be much fun going through life knowing that behind your back, everyone is calling you “Mumbles Junior.” Did you see the photo of them on the front page yesterday: Fred Flintstone in a suit and Dr. Evil. They could make a movie about the Meninos, except they already have. “Dumb and Dumber.”
As corrupt as City Hall has become, this story about his son’s part-time gig is the worst blow yet to Mumbles, because it is so easy to understand. I mean, we’ve all heard the stories about Mumbles Junior’s abuse of details - but at some point, a pol’s kid has to stand on this own.
Unless, of course, you’re Mumbles Junior.
Can anybody knock off Mumbles this year? Probably not. No one’s gonna have nearly as much dough - for years now Mumbles has been touching everything but the third rail. The last couple of weeks of the year he grabbed over 100 large in contributions. But if you look at the Herald message board yesterday, you can see how much pent-up resentment there is about the kleptocracy that’s been running the city, like, forever.
Man, are the citizens up in arms. And I have a feeling a lot of those postings yesterday were cops, guys who personally know Mumbles Junior. They were coming up with all sorts of new angles to this thing. Like, how this Suffolk Construction deal is helping Mumbles Junior get his 40 quarters in - so he can collect Social Security, on top of his city kiss in the mail. The posters also mentioned how quickly Boy Mumbles made detective.
Not a good way to start the year. As one of the posters asked, more Tums, Tommy?
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1143555
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LOL! Likely some of the same cops (and former cops and hopefuls who didn't make Boston in spite of a waaay higher score than Mumbles Jr.) who called in yesterday . . . all very illuminating, like shining a light in a roach-infested kitchen -- except these don't scatter! :(
Could they be keepin the felon around in case the “unfairness doctrine passes?
Cadillac Deval’s wife not pleased with Herald
Bay State first lady Diane Patrick scolded the Boston Herald’s coverage of her husband’s Cadillac upgrade as “racist” in Gwen Ifill’s new book on race and politics.
Patrick took particular offense to the description of the Cadillac as “tricked out” during the DeVille debacle that engulfed her husband, Gov. Deval Patrick, during his first days in office.
“It didn’t have boom boxes, speakers on the outside, but they called it tricked-out,” Ifill quoted Patrick as saying.
Herald Editor Kevin Convey said the term “tricked out” had no racist implications.
“We’re sorry that the first lady feels the way she does, but the term ‘tricked out’ as a synonym for decorated or adorned is over 100 years old and has no racial connotation whatsoever. Moreover we meant none,” Convey said.
Gov. Patrick raised eyebrows when he switched his state car from a Crown Victoria to a Cadillac DTS and upgraded his office with $12,000 drapes and new sofas shortly after he took office in 2007. Patrick had also hired a $72,000 chief of staff for his wife.
Admitting he mistepped, Patrick later moved to pay for the Cadillac and the staffer stepped down.
Patrick’s office had no comment yesterday on either the first lady’s accusation or Convey’s response.
Ifill, a former Herald scribe, caught heat this year for moderating the presidential debates while she was working on the book, titled “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.”
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