City Flops in Bid to Avoid Embarrassment

Above: "Menino Island," 3:30 p.m. December 21, 2007, orphan sidewalk between Horticultural Hall and Symphony Plaza East on Huntington Avenue. Photo: Lidia Alvarado

Geoff Edgers posted our open letter to Mayor Menino and Governor Patrick on his Boston.com Exhibitionist blog. This stimulated another great bunch of comments, ranging from outright hostility to identification.

His earlier posting and link to a set of NAG Flickr photos from December 15 seems to have had temporary impact upon the city, as an official told the Globe that it had compiled a five-page list of violations addressed. Reporter Andrea Estes' telephone calls stirred more action today, from the city and state.

But as this latest Flickr set of photographs show, nothing much has changed in the Fenway. DCR properties are still snowbound, and this city-owned island between Horticultural Hall and Symphony Plaza East, where our holiday party will be held, is still dangerously icy. Private property owners such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New England Conservatory continue violating with impunity.

Has anyone ever pondered the notion that it might be counterproductive to entrust enforcement of a regulation (snow removal from sidewalks and curb cuts) with an entity (city of Boston) whose self-interest is in its own continual massive violation of that ordinance?

The city is simply not willing to spend the money to clear sidewalks and curb cuts effectively. No wonder inspectional services told the Boston Globe on Wednesday that it had "opted" not to ticket the state, because

"The state's got a large area," said Boston Police Captain Michael Mackan, who heads code enforcement. "If we get a complaint about one of their areas or the MBTA's, I'll call them, and I know they'll get out there and take care of it. . . . Things fall through the cracks."

It's the golden rule of government: do not unto others what you don't want them to do unto you.

The brilliance of the Menino administration is in its ability to adjust course. Deploying the enforcement version of Richard Nixon's "limited hang out" (telling a small truth to hide a bigger lie), the city has now changed its mind and ticketed DCR. Why? Because of the prospect of an embarrassing newspaper article. And please don't hold your breath for any of these tickets to be collected.