Menino's money problems
David S. Bernstein’s article on the mayor’s feud with the firefighters and allegations that the city’s coffers are bigger than Mayor Tom Menino lets on is one of the only thoughtful treatments of this contract dispute to appear in the media.
By the way, how much have the hotels and meals taxes raised so far? Those taxes were specifically intended to offset cuts in local aid, and the revenue raised thereby can presumably be used for operating expenses.
Dan Farnkoff
Hyde Park
Why hasn’t anyone brought to the attention of the public-library staff and the general public Mayor Menino’s 20-plus lawyers who are on retainer to deal with any contract disputes or any other problems that arise in the city?
If Mayor Menino has this many lawyers on staff, why did he go out and hire a lawyer at the cost of $3.5 million to specifically combat the Boston Firefighters Local 718 in their contract talks?
That seems like a big waste, when that same money could have been used on saving the four public-library branches and 80 employees that any day now might be closed/terminated.
Manny Colon
Brighton
Free markets forever
Regarding your May 21 editorial: the problem is not lack of regulation; the problem is government regulatory practices that are in fact big-business pawns. By creating a “regulatory” agency with their money, they give the appearance of being regulated, when in fact they have more license to do as they will without having to worry about reprisal.
In a true “free market,” since there are no regulations, consumers are free to bring civil suits against aggressors without them being able to hide behind law. In a free market, a consumer’s power to buy and bring suit ensures that companies are taken to task for intentional harm.
People with money will always be able to “pull the teeth” of any government attempts at regulation. In a free market, no one is too big to fail, and only those that put the customer first survive.
Gregory Shane Powell
Arlington, Texas
