Greg Liacos
-
The Basics
-
Greg on Patch
-
More Stuff
Comments
-
On the article Notice Of Violation Expected For Market Street Tree Removal
-
On the article Fire Dept. Requesting 10-12 New Call Personnel When Market Street Opens
Greg Liacos
7:34 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
One further note: The residential values of homes on Walnut and the immediate surrounding streets will decline. Accordingly tax value will decline. I for one will be filing for an abatement each and every year and plan to help my neighbors to do so as well. I have some confidence a favorable outcome can eventually be achieved at the Appellate Tax Board. In the long term, the likely decline in tax revenue from the residential tax base will make a significant offset to any revenue generated from MarketStreet's revenue contribution.
-
On the article Fire Dept. Requesting 10-12 New Call Personnel When Market Street Opens
Greg Liacos
7:20 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
Citizen X one concern I have is in the long term tax revenue to the town, direct and indirect, will only be moderate and will not defray the residential tax rates. Most of these types of developments almost always file for tax abatements. The cities & towns have mixed results winning these at the Appellate Tax Board. Often a multi-year settlement is made between the parties. The ability to maintain long term high rental rates at MarketStreet is questionable. There are too many like competitors in the area which puts pressure on keeping the rental rates low enough to maintain occupancy which obviously favors tax relief for the owner not the town. See Cummings Properties, Simon Properties, etc.
-
On the article Residents Dismayed By Tree Removal At Market Street Site
Greg Liacos
7:50 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
ReplyFor more than a year the roadways leading to the whole intersection have been a mess, including the on/off ramps to 95/128. When the whole project is finished traffic will be so bad especially on weekends that residents on and abutting Walnut street are going to be certainly screwed. Why an entrance is even on Walnut is beyond bizarre. For most of my adult life I have regularly heard on radio traffic reports of accidents tying up traffic on 95/128 at or near the Walnut Street exit in Lynnfield. Who the freak thought this was a good plan for a mega-destination? This is like being Peabody & Burlington, follow the money and favors to get the responsible parties that hoodwinked the community,
-
On the article Lovely Urges Manning, Slattery to Refuse Support by Outside Interests in Senate Race
Greg Liacos
8:29 am on Thursday, April 12, 2012
Mom,
I agree. Bitterness and name calling is unproductive. I think no one is immune to letting their passions get in the way rational thought. Unfortunately, it is all too common, particularly when it comes to politics and "other people that are not like me". I think it is very good to be passionate after weighing every side of an argument and not insult people with a differing view. My parents and faith taught and stressed the importance of the principle of learning to agree to disagree in a civil manner. My father called it an important part of ensuring our society's freedom. It seems everyone on weighing on this topic wants the best representation of the district in the state senate. I'm of the opinion that not one of the candidates are evil people. I'm very thankful for that and feel truly fortunate. There are people in this world that do not have the luxury we enjoy in that regard. Perspective is worth finding despite the effort. -
On the article Lovely Urges Manning, Slattery to Refuse Support by Outside Interests in Senate Race
Greg Liacos
2:06 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
ReplyThe Cinelli case does highlight a couple of very good points.I believe as you do that there are cases where beyond reasonable doubt can't be disputed. In those cases I agree that there is no loss to society if the person convicted were forcibly removed by execution. But the Cinelli case also highlights a good case against the death penalty by the government. As you state so well, the government can't even carry out a sentence of 3 life sentences.The MA Parole Board, empowered by the Legislature, has effectively changed by fiat the meaning of sentences. When a life sentence becomes meaningless it defines going beyond the point of betraying the public trust by the government. The fact that with impunity the government is able to do things like this makes me very unwilling to let it control who lives and who dies.As a citizen I do not wish to be an accomplice to an innocent's murder because of our government. However, I do believe in occasionally granting an exception to every rule, if it is warranted for extreme cases like that of Cinelli. However, I would support the exception only if it could be decided by a non-governmental entity comprised of both public and private legal, medical and civil experts and lay persons perhaps with a required affirmation of clean proceedings review by the Supreme Judicial Court. In my humble opinion something like this should work in favor of the interests of Justice and include some much needed fairness to victims and their families. Thoughts?
-
On the article Lovely Urges Manning, Slattery to Refuse Support by Outside Interests in Senate Race
Greg Liacos
11:41 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
In my view, whether days, weeks or minutes if I found out you were in the position to vote on the issue and had been given the facts of how the death penalty was proven to not work in reducing crime, real people with family who were proven to be innocent had (and continue to be) wrongly and intentionally put to death by state governments, and also the cost to the tax payers was actually higher than the cost of imprisonment and you then changed your opinion from an affirmative vote to a negative vote because you came to the conclusion that adopting the death penalty would not be a good idea after all I would think just as highly of your character and courage by your actions to represent an unpopular decision. Especially if you were as astute as Slattery was by knowing he would not be re-elected. I and many I know would never think of you as a flip flopper. Not a wind follower but a wise, tough and principled person is definitely what I would think of you and you would be someone I would surly like to see in the senate,
-
On the article Lovely Urges Manning, Slattery to Refuse Support by Outside Interests in Senate Race
Greg Liacos
9:25 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
ReplyI understand how people can get to be upset when a politician changes a stated position. I get the same way sometimes. However, I outside of public officials I actually think someone that puts time into studying an issue and then objectively comes to a conclusion that ends up changing their thinking is admirable. Sometimes I extend that to public officials especially on important issues especially if the change isn't a blatant political strategy to get votes. I just happen to think after reviewing his record that Slattery overall did what was best for his district and the Commonwealth in general while serving as Rep. I do think your comment has a valid and worthy concern because I will admit I have been wrong before regarding a public servant. A certain no longer living former mayor of Peabody come to mind.
-
On the article Lovely Urges Manning, Slattery to Refuse Support by Outside Interests in Senate Race
Greg Liacos
7:53 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
ReplyWhile I have searched online I can not find any work of notable substance by Lovely. While that in and of itself is not definite as to her qualifications to become a state senator, I can say that I think Manning and Slattery are very well qualified to become the district's state senator. Manning has proven herself as a fair and independent minded Governor's Council member and not a rubber stamper which had been typical of that governing body's members. Likewise, Slattery has proven to be a courageous member of the House by voting against the death penalty, which went against the seemingly majority of popular opinion supporting its passage. However, he wisely recognized that the power of the state to execute a citizen was just too great of a power. When juries, the judiciary and the executive branch all too often are capable of making mistakes by the introduction of incomplete, false and tainted evidence and/or are simply compromised by politics and passions. A fact which has been demonstrated clearly not only in MA for other criminal cases but also in at least 8 other states that have invoked the death penalty in so many cases where innocence had been proven after the verdict, sentence and subsequent execution.
I can't recall a race with two so highly qualified candidates. It is the Commonwealth's loss that Manning & Slattery can't both become senators. I bet they would be a good team righting the listing ship of politics that is in Boston.
-
On the article John C. Smith, Son Of Original Pocahontas Founder, Visits Spring
Greg Liacos
5:26 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
ReplyI'm sad to see them close. I fondly remember the several decades of home delivery Pocahontas made to my parents house in Peabody. In the early 70's I thought one of the best thing ever was the delivery of the Pocahontas water cooler to my dad's law firm in downtown Peabody square. As a kid I would fill up those cone shaped cups one after another just because I could. Cheap entertainment and great water. My mom was less happy when I did that at home when we got a cooler for the house. My thanks go out to you for for running this important local history story. They will be missed.
Greg Liacos
8:10 pm on Monday, June 25, 2012
Does anyone else think the new lane markings on Walnut going towards Saugus are bad? There are now 4 lanes total, 1 each for left & right and 2 for going straight. After the lights there is an immediate shrink down to one lane on the other side. I have already been nearly clipped 3 times in a needless merge. Seems like common sense that an intersection should be designed for safety and not chaos.