Disqus - Friends of Badman

Re: Sound Off

Growcho — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:44:09 -0000

I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member.

Re: Speak up: Interactive commenting now available on all stories

Growcho — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:15:05 -0000

In other news: Yellow and Blue make Green.

Re: Family that lost home to fire had no insurance

Growcho — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:30:24 -0000

Headline should read, "Family lost home to stupidity- bought cells phones instead of insurance".

Re: Fire drives Haverhill family from its home

Growcho — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:52:41 -0000

Wood stove- only source of heat. No Homeowner's insurance- probably couldn't get it because wood stove didn't meet code and was a fire hazard. Maybe they could've used the money spent on cell phones for insurance or a better heating system. The Mayor wants a bank to set up a fund for them? Is he joking?? Maybe as result we can have them apply for TARP funds too. Darwin must be spinning in his grave.

Re: Fire drives Haverhill family from its home

Growcho — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:14:08 -0000

Oh.. and wilmed42: let's point the finger in the right direction on this one. Should the Mayor close down the Bradford fire station, everyone's going to have to be a little more careful when playing with matches. If you're looking for more money to keep the fire station open past June, you need to look at the poorly-run and bloated education system in Haverhill. Principals and teachers have refused to take one day without pay to help bridge the budget gap. Many people's sense of entitlement is disgusting. (this last part is not necessarily pointed at you wilmed. end of rant)

Re: Family that lost home to fire had no insurance

Growcho — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:36:59 -0000

You bring up a good point. What if the house is not paid off? Wood stove is the result of deferred maintenance, which combined with the current housing market contributed to the devaluation of a property that they could no longer afford because they took a short-term pay option ARM or maybe a no-income, no-asset verification mortgage loan. Torch it and let the bank sort it out. Because there's no homeowner's insurance, there's no money to rebuild and a burned-out empty shell sits there, bringing down home values in the neighborhood. Thanks Neighbor!

Re: Family that lost home to fire had no insurance

Growcho — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:42:43 -0000

Excellent point! Let's also include the Building Inspector's name and date of final inspection.

Re: Family that lost home to fire had no insurance

Growcho — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:03:18 -0000

Censorship!!!!!! The comments were just getting interesting!!!

Re: Family that lost home to fire had no insurance

Growcho — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:48:55 -0000

"people who post here are the scum of the earth"- this pretty much negates anything written afterward. What may be obvious to some, may not be obvious to others. The comments sections are comprised mainly of anonymous opinions for a reason: It allows everyone to participate on equal footing and in a safe environment. You didn't like my opinion. Good for you. Acknowledge and move on. Your invitation to meet is ridiculous and naive. On a conciliatory note: I do have a bit of sympathy for the family and their long road to recovery. As Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

Re: 3 men break into Renaissance golf pro shop for clubs, cigars

Growcho — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:52:05 -0000

No, i think there may be an apostrophe or perhaps a "Mc" in the names somewhere.

Re: Prevention, isolation, vaccination are keys to combating an outbreak

Growcho — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:45:39 -0000

Hand sanitizers kill bacteria not viruses. H1N1 is viral. I'd love to have the paycheck of those sales people selling Purell, etc.

Re: Letter: Republicans care only about themselves

Growcho — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:55:40 -0000

Better to be thought a fool, than open your mouth and confirm it.

Re: Brown, Coakley look to Valley for last-minute support

Growcho — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:36:27 -0000

Nice to see Lawrence is passing out absentee ballots this morning. Wonder what Galvin has to say?

http://campaignspot.nationa...

Re: Many unregistered voters flocking to the polls

Growcho — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:11:59 -0000

I think you're referencing the UCFW One workers at the Chokely call center. Those guys are out of Upstate NY and PA. Taste it, Teabaggee.

Re: http://www.whdh.com/news/articles/viewervoices/BO138310/

Growcho — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:54:43 -0000

Who is John Galt?

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:34:09 -0000

Agreed .. hence the reason for taking offline and bringing it over here so that way the kids can play. They feel threatened because their cash cow might be taken away so thats what happens when you back a rat in a corner they resort to any means necessary

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:43:28 -0000

I wouldn't say its a race war Id say its more of People have no other defense than to pull the race card. Im surprised the Afro American community isnt upset over that either .. They didnt get benefits from the government the second they stepped foot here. SO yelling race is just a lame excuse because they have no point to make

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:45:08 -0000

Whats your view on this whole thing. Should we be paying for criminals mistakes?

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:49:50 -0000

Agreed .. but man imagine if people rallied around it and spoke up about it

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:52:43 -0000

Thats the problem .. it isnt being taken away but if people see it threatened they are going to try and defend it with every excuse in the book or if someone questions them about it. This is the reason why so many get pissed off at me because I question it every chance i get and they get pissed not because i write it because like you said truth hurts and anyone who gets hurt tries to fight back.

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:54:05 -0000

Then it just shows the rest of the world who is actually milking the system ... criminals and poof you have reform in action

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:00:16 -0000

This is why Haverhill, Lawrence and Methuen are the way they are

Puerto Rico currently receives more than $4.2 billion annually in federal aid from the United States.[1] A substantial portion of this amount is earmarked for public welfare, including funding educational programs (such as Head Start), subsidized housing programs (such as (Section 8 and public housing projects), and a food stamp system called the Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico program.

Since the 1970s Puerto Rico's economy has steadily deteriorated, culminating in poverty levels twice those of Mississippi. Unemployment, although officially reported between 12 and 14 percent, is more likely to be between 40 and 50 percent because of the island's low labor participation rate. Only 46 percent of the population has a formal job, and to make the situation worse, nearly half of the island's salaried employees work directly or indirectly for the government. The Commonwealth's government expenditures are now over $9.6 billion, leaving the tiny nation with a steadily-rising deficit of $3 billion. Puerto Rico, with a population nearly 400,000 less than Colorado, outspends Colorado by 28%. Puerto Rico's paternalistic bureaucratic and political policies have turned the island into a no-growth, debt-ridden economy.

Puerto Rico's drastic economic decline can be blamed on many factors, but the most prominent link is the unintended consequences of an expanding government role in the provision of welfare services. Economic indicators show that the Commonwealth's economic collapse coincides with a sharp rise in the amount of federal transfer payments being made to citizens. Transfer payments going to individuals have increased exponentially, from a meager $69 million in 1968 to over $8 billion in 2002. Disability, unemployment, and welfare payments received by citizens now account for one-fifth of the island's personal income. This massive social spending, which began in the 1970s and continues today, has resulted in severe domestic disinvestment in the economy. Domestic capital investment has declined from 32 percent of GDP in 1970 to 16 percent in 2000. This means that the Puerto Rican government, rather than supporting the creation of jobs and market incentives, relies primarily on tax-induced revenue and foreign investment for any growth in the island's GDP.

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:56:40 -0000

How misinformed are you .. look at the whole picture Loriann ... Look at this blog ... Its nothing personal its the fact that I have to finance the thug/wannabe lifestyle as people like Tulo and Sosa reap the benefits of it. Now in their great feat of Stupidity We as tax payers are stuck holding the check so that their wives and kids are fed and sheltered all the while they sit home and "grieve" for the next 18 years.

So Ill pose you a question ... if all you had to sacrifice was a little dignity what would you do. Sit on your ass while someone else pays your food and rent bills or go out and get 2- 3 Jobs to support yourself and kids making sure they are adequately cared for while your working and barely making ends meet

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:13:34 -0000

Nope ...Im near the Castle Part of Town

Re: How the Tulo and Sosa Incident is Screwing the Tax payer

ANTIHAVERHILL — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:56:41 -0000

THE UNTOLD TRUTH

By Rafael Martínez Alequín

The Democratic primary in Puerto Rico is seen as an historical event where average Puerto Ricans are able to cast their vote to select the party nominee for the office of President of the United States. But, they do not have the right to vote for U.S. President or members of Congress.

The Puerto Rican Democratic primary and the increase in the number of Latino voters for president of the United States has opened an opportunity to dispel the notion that Puerto Rico is a colorblind society.

Sadly, racism is as alive and well in the United States and in Puerto Rico today as it was in years gone by. Some even suggest that Puerto Rico is a mulatto society.

In a recent edition of the New York Times, Juan Manuel García Passalacqua a leading political analyst states: “On the U.S. mainland, Obama is black, but not in Puerto Rico. Here he is a mulatto and this is a mulatto society. People here are perfectly prepared to vote for someone who looks like them for president of the United States.”

I disagree with Mr. García Passalacqua's premise. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. As a child I witnessed first hand the discrimination against Black Puerto Ricans and mulattoes . They were the ones who tended the land and did the menial jobs that White Puerto Ricans would not.

When the Hilton Hotel was opened in San Juan, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the late Ernesto Ramos Antonini, was ejected from the ceremony — because he was Black! The specter of racism has always haunted Puerto Rican society. This extends to the politics of the moment.

A conversation with a friend who prefers to remain anonymous, was related to me. He received a telephone call from his mother in Puerto Rico. She told him “We will not vote for a n----r.”

Mr. José Nazario Solá, a board member of various Latino organizations in New York said: “From work and contacts with Puerto Rican social service providers in Puerto Rico, their comments clearly indicate that in Puerto Rico there exists racist attitudes that impact adversely on services to the population.”

Mr. Luis Vassallo, a manager with a company in lower Manhattan said:
“I was born and raised in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem). A Puerto Rican friend of my family told my aunt that she was always welcome in her home, but not her husband — he was Black.’”

I have visited Puerto Rico frequently. I have heard the racial epithets uttered by Puerto Ricans from all social backgrounds against darker Puerto Ricans. Their favorite innuendo is “yo no quiero ese negro aquí” (I don’t want the Blacks here)

Senator Clinton told Puerto Ricans at an event in the island, that if she becomes President she would fight for the island's right to vote directly for President of the United States. However, she “forgot” to tell them that it would require a constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, back to the Puerto Rican primary next Sunday. According to the polls and the political pundits, Senator Clinton is the favorite to win there. However, the pundits have failed to mention that race is as big a factor in Puerto Rico as it is in the States.