Don’t let The Man get you down, Chuck Turner

Don’t let The Man get you down, Chuck Turner
By Howie Carr  |   Tuesday, November 30, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Columnists

Photo by Angela Rowlings

Fight the power, Chuck Turner!

The Man has scheduled a vote on the Boston City Council tomorrow to throw you off that august body. And Mr. GQ, aka soon-to-be ex-Council President Mike Ross, just filed an order for your expulsion.

Power to the people, Chuck. Make the council’s Bull Connors and George Corley Wallaces take their cracker vote in public. After their “hearing,” one of them will make a motion to go to into “executive session.”

But you’re Chuck Turner, the man who didn’t bother to pull up his zipper the day the G-men rousted him. You’re the one who stood tall and called ex-U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan a racist “evil viper” for bringing bribery charges against you. You’re the activist, the community leader now known as “Superfly.”

You make ’em vote in public, Chuck. No justice, no peace.

The councilors are all muttering about you, of course. They say, why doesn’t he just throw in the towel and save us from an embarrassing vote? Twelve other councilors, and only one of ’em publicly with you — Chuck Yancey.

But Felix Arroyo — he was on your payroll for five years, and he’s kicking you down the stairs like you’re Althea Garrison. Oh sure, he has to run citywide, so how can he go over to Southie or Brighton or West Roxbury next year and defend a guy who was captured on FBI video taking a bribe?

Felix, you’re killing me! Didn’t you follow the trial, my man? United States of AmeriKKKa vs. Superfly Turner. Chuck took the witness stand and swore under oath he never took a dime of that $1,000, videotape be damned. And then his brilliant bleeping lawyer, Barry Wilson, tells the jury in his closing that the FBI informant pocketed $800 cash himself, which means his client accepted a mere $200 bribe. Strangely, the jury didn’t buy that novel line of defense.

Too bad you joined the Green Rainbow Party, Chuck. Democrats don’t do time. Just ask Patrice Tierney.

Makes ya sick, as your late colleague Dapper O’Neil would say. You knew where Dapper stood, and what he was packing — a .38, loaded. At least Dapper and Jimmy Kelly were up front. These new celebrators of diversity . . . meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Don’t worry, though, Chuck. Here’s the deal. If, or when, they throw you out of the council next week, there will be a vacancy in District 7. A special election must be called. And . . . you . . . can . . . run.

And they can’t stop you — assuming that is, that the honky judge doesn’t throw you in the can in January. And I don’t think he will — first offense and all that sentencing-guideline jive.

Power to the people! Right on!

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