The Public Trust ?

Yes, it's barely June and we are already hearing the sounds of elections heading our way. Of particular note is the filling of the State Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Joan Menard as she readies herself for life after being a leading member of the City's legislative delegation. Rumors abound that she is eyeing a role at the new UMass/Dartmouth Law School or as one of the members of the proposed state casino gambling Board of Directors, if you will, assuming the legislature approves casino gambling this session.

Three local individuals  running to fill the soon-to-be empty seat are of particular importance to the Fall River community, as well as the region as a whole. One is long time state representative Mike Rodrigues, he of the NH booze buying excursion  after voting to increase the state sales tax and  also seen by the Boston press as having a possible key role in ex-House Speaker Sal DiMazi's failed attempt to legalized ticket scalping by large ticket outlets, an effort that helped bring down DiMazi and made DiMazi a target in the fed's cross hairs.
 The next is Mike Coogan, a Lt. in the Fall River Fire Department with 21 years of service, on the board of directors of several Fall River financial and public interest organizations, and voted by members to head the Fall River Firefighters Union, the Fall River Employee Group Health Insurance Committee and the Fall River Retirement Board. Mr. Coogan is also a veteran.
The third candidate on the Democratic side of special interest to Fall River voters in this upcoming election to fill the seat left by Sen. Menard is former Mayor John Mitchell. Mayor Mitchell served one term as Mayor of Fall River, then ran in a primary race for a seat in the federal legislature as a member of the House of Representatives. But just as suddenly as he was in the race, he dropped out.

Concerned citizens have brought to my attention a disturbing document that might very well explain the reason for Mayor Mitchell's dropping out of the House of Representative's race. The document in question can be found at the following web address:

http://www.archive.org/stream/reportofattorney1996mass/reportofattorney1996mass_djvu.txt


There was this entry as cited by the Public Integrity Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in their ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 1996:

" The former Mayor of Fall River also entered into a disposition agreement in which he forfeited approximately $25,000 to the citizens of Fall River and the Commonwealth. In addition, the former Mayor acknowledged his committee's role in maintaining unreported cash contributions. Moreover, the former Mayor admitted to using some of the unreported cash to pay off debts of a former political opponent in exchange for that opponent's political support. "

Further examination of the disposition of the actual case shows the following:

# 128

6/96

JOHN R. MITCHELL

Civil disposition agreement

Candidate acknowledged responsibility

$17,500 fine

$7,500 restitution

6/96

MARILYN M. RODERICK

Civil disposition agreement

Candidate acknowledged responsibility

$5,000 fine

6/96
JOHN E. CLECKLEY
Defendant found guilty
Sentenced to two years House of Correction
Restitution to be determined

6/96
MICHAEL PISCIONE
Defendant found not guilty

6/96
MANUEL LOPES
Defendant found not guilty

6/96
BRIAN ARTHUR
Defendant pled guilty
Suspended sentence
$5,000 restitution
100 hours community service

Since we know that Ms. Rodericks once ran for Mayor against eventual winner Mitchell we can safely assume that she was the candidate who exchanged dropping out of the race for cash from the Mitchell campaign to payoff debts for what we are told was for a failed restaurant venture. Until recently, the $25.000 fine was the highest ever recorded against a public official in Massachusetts. It still ranks as #2.

Presumably this information coming to light, or the court case pending about this incident , or even just the start of the investigation into these matters was sufficient to make Mayor Mitchell drop out of the House of Representatives race. It's not like he challenged the existence of the quid pro quo scheme, in fact, he acknowledged it before the court, if my understanding of  the term "Candidate acknowledged responsibility" is correct.

My question to Fall River voters is this -  given that this disgrace happened, how can anyone support Mitchell running for public office again? He committed the act, and he does not deny it. If so, why should anyone vote for this man? Are you kidding me? Redemption is something we all are eligible for if the need arises. But to ask Fall River's voters and the voters of the Senate district he wishes to represent to blithely accept his candidacy is entirely another matter.

I personally can not sanction it. It would be like co-signing his B.S. Fall River voters have far too long a history of forgiving scoundrels just because they know the person or someone related to that person. The situation the City currently finds itself in is the result of such damaging choices.