Seven Villages, Janet Joakim

Going about business today, I have heard from many about blogs and evil.

It seems as though people want to talk about those who are behind this recall and what other activities they have orchestrated.

This loosely formed group - COG — was formed by the perennial town critic, Gary Lopez, when he discovered BLOGS.

In the beginning he found himself on a locally hosted blog, until he was asked to leave, for reasoned rumored to be .. breaking Terms of Service rules. So, he and his off-cape friend with the little dog set off on their own to create their own BLOGS where no one could tell them what to say or do.

With a website to broadcast their message in this new median, they gathered a following.
They decided that they were going to band this following together to hunt down corruption in town hall, whether it was there or not.

Regardless of what it cost to the residents, they filed lawsuits against the town. They grilled staff and councilors at council meetings on issues that were vetted in public weeks before.

They reported the “corruption” they found in the corners, under the desks, and in the closets at town hall to whatever agency, state or federal, would give them an ear … at more cost to the residents in town staff time…to no avail.
As they continued to look and report and fail to prove corruption, they got angrier and meaner.

And while they were looking for corruption and conspiracies, they decided that this town needs a mayor. So they started a petition to review the charter. After a quick and easy signature drive, they would get themselves a mayor - perhaps that Hyannis councilor - or at least let him believe that to keep him around for inside information.

The idea of a charter review was good one, reasonable people thought, we need review the structure of our town government regularly.

But as they continue to gather signatures they decided to target different councilors for different reasons, even trying to recall me with a nasty and personal campaign, and accusing other councilors of nastiness in their personal lives where no nastiness exists.

The recall attempt failed, but its overall venom remains intact. Lawyers sent cease and desist letters to shut down accusasions about personal lives. Each and every step exposing this group for who they really are. The newspapers love the drama - hey february and march are tough times to find a good story! - but the town is losing what little respect they had for these people.

Now, they will continue their charter commission endeavors - while we all wonder….

Who are these people and what do they REALLY want to accomplish?