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DRACUT’S ‘BACKROOM DEAL BONNIE’ IS AT IT AGAIN!!

Bonnie Elie recently announced her intentions to run as a candidate for Dracut School Committee this May. There are three candidates currently campaigning for two seats and Bonnie is by far the worst! As a member of the Dracut School Committee from 1999-2002, Mrs. Elie developed the well-deserved reputation of being the Queen of Backroom Deals!

“Backroom Deal” Bonnie Elie served as a member of the Dracut School Committee from 1999-2002 under the Ancien Regime. During this time, she questioned hardly anything substantial and served largely as a “Yes” person for the former Superintendent of Schools and missed countless school committee meetings. She also played an active role in managing her friend Karen Frederick’s campaign for Dracut School Committee, which led to the “sweetheart deal” 6-Year contract of the former Superintendent and resulted in the hiring of two former Dracut School Committee members for administrative positions. It is hardly surprising that Bonnie sanctioned this behavior since the former Superintendent gave her daughter a teaching position at one of Dracut’s elementary schools. What were the results of the policies and practices supported by Bonnie Elie? Low student MCAS test scores, below average student performance on SAT college admission tests, higher student drop-out rates, failure to meet Adequate Yearly Progress in special education, higher in-school and out-of-school suspension rates, poor student attendance, lagging student achievement at colleges, and Commonwealth citations for the inefficiencies and poor management of the food service department.

Now, we have to listen as “Backroom Deal” Bonnie tells us how Dracut Schools should be run! Give me a break! Remember the good-ole-days, Bonnie? Those were the days of nepotism, political favoritism, corruption, and back-room deals? Those were the days when former Selectman Warren Shaw called the shots on the Dracut School Committee! Thus, it is hardly surprising that Shaw is promoting ‘Backroom Deal’ Bonnie’s campaign. Those were the days when individuals were made high school principals that had never been classroom teachers. It is no wonder why Dracut is lagging so far behind.

It’s going to take time to undo the years of poor management in Dracut Public Schools. Dracut schools have progressed a long way under the current Superintendent Spencer Mullin. To start with, qualifications and credentials, not political connections, have become the most important criteria for hiring employees. With Dracut High School due for re-accreditation, our Town cannot afford to take a backwards turn. Dracut High School is in danger of losing its accreditation due to years of neglect. I hope that the voters of Dracut take this into consideration when they vote on Monday, May 4^th.

D.J. Deeb is a former member of the Dracut School Committee and currently serves as on the Greater Lowell Regional Vocational-Technical School Committee.

SHAW IS UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS AGAIN!!!!

Lowell Sun Article : 4-3-2009

Dracut candidate, former selectman in war of words

Board hopeful's planned cable-TV spot a bone of contention

By Dennis Shaughnessey, dshaughnessey@lowellsun.com

Posted: 04/03/2009 06:37:49 AM EDT

DRACUT -- A candidate for selectman has accused a former selectman of meddling in the campaign by questioning his use of the town's cable-access television station.

Brian Bond, a candidate for selectman in the May 4 election, enlisted the help of photographer Lenny Proposki to operate the camera for a 15- to-30-minute spot highlighting his accomplishments and his reason for challenging incumbent Selectman Joe DiRocco.

But at the last minute, Proposki backed out. Bond said former Selectman Warren Shaw, who also hosts a talk show on WCAP radio, intimidated Proposki by telling him it's illegal to receive money for taping a show.

Bond and Proposki are members of Dracut Access Television. Membership, which cost $10 for individuals and $20 for a family, entitles the use of equipment in the studio or out in the field after a minimal amount of training.

It is against DATV bylaws to accept money for taping a show or for being part of the show, and Proposki joked that Bond was paying him $1.

Shaw went on the air Saturday morning and, without naming Bond, said he had learned that a candidate was paying for someone to film his spot on DATV.

"I got about 20 calls (from people) who heard Warren on the radio talking about it," Proposki said. "My wife was upset that I got myself involved in a campaign. This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. I don't need the aggravation. I don't need the headaches. I tried to be a good guy, and it

backfired on me. It always does."

Shaw said he never used Bond's or Proposki's names on the air, but did warn anybody interested in doing a show that the exchange of money is prohibited. Shaw added that he wanted to make other candidates aware that they have the right to do a show.

He said Bond's concerns are amateurish.

"He should stop worrying about what I'm saying on the radio and start concentrating on his campaign," Shaw said.

Bond accused Shaw of trying to control the two-man selectman's race.

"Warren is used to having power and control, and he sees that slipping away because I'm my own man," Bond said. "I'm trying to run a clean campaign, but Warren is making a big thing out of this. Who am I running against? Joe DiRocco or Warren Shaw?"

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT WARREN SHAW

By D.J. Deeb, M.A., M.S., M.Ed.

Former Selectman/Radio personality Warren Shaw continues to attack against me because of my independent actions on the Dracut School Committee. He tried unsuccessfully to influence the Superintendent Search in Dracut. The fact is that I will not allow Warren Shaw and his political cronies to influence my decision-making as an elected official.

In the interest of disclosure, I have absolutely nothing to gain from all of this. I do not derive my health/life insurance benefits or retirement salary from the Town of Dracut as does Warren Shaw. I draw a stipend of $2,000 per year for service, which Town Meeting voters have voted to give members of the School Committee and Board of Selectman annually. I can tell you that it costs me a lot more of my own personal money to campaign for office than what I am receiving from the Town of Dracut. Unlike the friends of Warren Shaw, I also have no intentions of working as a full-time employee for the Town of Dracut. I am very content working as a teacher for the Reading Public Schools and as an Adjunct Professor at the various colleges that I teach at.

WHAT IS WARREN SHAW’S POLITICAL AGENDA?

Put simply, Warren Shaw wants to control the decision-making in the Town of Dracut. This is evidenced by his behavior and his overt and covert attempts to control elected officials in the Town of Dracut. He calls and bullies elected officials in Dracut on a regular basis.

In the October 2004 Selectman race, Warren Shaw tried unsuccessfully to discredit a candidate by distributing old newspaper articles who was not his choice for the position. That candidate promptly responded that Warren Shaw “has seen fit to hand out these articles masked in a brown envelope and trying to spread this innuendo because I’m not his candidate.” (Source: Lowell Sun, October 10, 2004, Page 12). He continued, “I’ve been told I have the nerve to be up against their candidate. The last time I checked, it was a free country” (Source: Lowell Sun, October 10, 2004, Page 12). Despite Warren Shaw’s efforts to affect a different outcome, this candidate was later elected to the Board of Selectman. The information (lies) Warren Shaw was spreading was immediately discredited. Warren Shaw has a history of slandering people that he cannot control.

I, for one will not be intimidated by the tactics and antics of this school-yard bully Warren Shaw. It is obvious that the reason Warren Shaw is attacking me is because he cannot control me.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

Warren Shaw has always been motivated by self-interest. He certainly does not care about student health, safety, or performance levels. He has never expressed any interest on these important issues. Remember, Warren Shaw draws both a pension and health/life insurance from the Town of Dracut for serving as a part-time Selectman for 22 years. He no longer holds office, Thank God for that! Isn’t it nice that one can hold office for 20 years in the Town of Dracut and receive these benefits at the expense of the hard-working taxpayers of Dracut? There is nothing in the bylaws of the Town of Dracut that allow for this.

I will put my character and reputation up against that of Warren Shaw any day and anytime. Unlike Warren, I have not derived any personal life-long financial benefit from my service to the Town of Dracut. I am very content working as a teacher for the Reading Public Schools and as an Adjunct Professor at the various colleges that I teach at. I have also not engaged in bullying or intimidation tactics to get things done. Up until now, I have not even employed the strategy of taking my case to the public, but now, I am left with no other option. I will continue to speak the truth to the taxpayers of Dracut regardless of the political consequences for me personally.