FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jeff Batstone at: 508.997.0488

Mayoral candidate Matt Morrissey today blasted Mayor Kalisz today for assigning city workers to cleaning and rehabbing private property abutting one of his biggest political supporters.

Morrissey personally witnessed a six-man Department of Public Infrastructure construction crew, including a foreman; three city dump trucks; a city backhoe and a city front-end loader; cleaning up a vacant lot near 161 State St.

The lot abuts a Pope Street property of Cornerstone Management, which is owned by John Egan, who recently stood at a press conference to endorse Kalisz and is a major contributor to the Kalisz campaign.

“We have streets riddled with potholes, overgrown playgrounds, and crumbling schools, yet this mayor devotes taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars to improving the view for his political cronies," Morrissey said. “If this vacant lot was public property, the mayor would need to give us all a full explanation of why this was his top priority as our streets are falling apart. But it’s private property, therefore, we need a full investigation. Taxpayers and neighborhoods just can’t take this kind of abuse any longer," Morrissey said.

“But most troubling is that this is just the latest in a pattern of actions that proves City Hall is in need of real change. These back room, secret deals to dig up the Winslow School property, demolish the Wamsutta Mills, and other examples prove that there is something rotten at City Hall. In a Morrissey Administration, the public trust will be honored, citizen interests will come first, and there will be no back rooms at city hall."

Morrissey learned of the State Street fiasco as he was campaigning in the Acushnet Heights neighborhood. He saw the large-scale effort, which has apparently taken a full 16 hours to complete. “That is nearly 100 man-hours devoted to serving the well-connected political cronies of the mayor rather than those people trying to raise families in the neighborhoods," Morrissey said. “It’s appalling and frustrating."

Morrissey said the State Street fiasco is just the latest in a serious of highly questionable backroom deals:

A south end site of the former Acushnet Avenue school that was demolished by the city so new homes could be developed, but oil tanks were left in the ground causing serious problems for the homeowners.

A County Street apartment complex was constructed in 2004 without Planning Board approval and despite opposition from the neighborhood.

A large property on Coggeshall Street, across from Antonio’s Restaurant was demolished without City council approval to clear the way for development by Kalisz supporter Michael Panagakos.