The additional down a voter goes on the election poll, the much less seemingly she or he is to know something about both the workplace or the candidates in search of it.
And that may be a excellent factor for hack politicians making an attempt to sneak a quick one previous the voters.
Which brings us to the Sept. 3 Democrat main for clerk of courts in Norfolk County, about as obscure an elective workplace as you can ever discover.
There are two candidates, each from Milton.
This struggle is sort of a trendy model of the outdated sport present, “To Tell the Truth,” the place contestants tried to impersonate actual folks. The superstar panel needed to resolve which of the three contestants was in reality the individual they claimed to be.
Within the race for Norfolk clerk of courts, the reply is neither. When the host says, “Will the real Norfolk County clerk of courts stand up,” each candidates would have remained seated, regardless of what they’re making an attempt to place throughout in any other case on the poll.
The present clerk is Walter F. Timilty Jr. – a minimum of that’s the title on his delivery certificates. He’s 80 years outdated. In his first marketing campaign, in 2000, he recognized himself on the poll as Walter F. Timilty Sr. Ditto, in 2006. Extra just lately, in 2012 and 2018, the hack previously often known as Walter Timilty Sr. has taken to operating as Walter F. Timilty Jr.
Walter Timilty Jr./Sr. is now retiring, and two candidates are vying to succeed him. The highest title on the poll is Robert Jubinville of Milton. Beneath the candidate’s title he’s permitted to explain his public affiliations in as much as eight phrases.
Jubinville lists himself as “Present Clerk Magistrate.”
Which he’s – a clerk Justice of the Peace, within the district court docket system, in Framingham. However Jubinville will not be the clerk of courts, Norfolk County. He’s not the incumbent.
It’s complicated, much more so as a result of the appointed job Jubinville already has, for all times, pays $174,532 a yr.
That $174,532 is strictly the identical wage that Clerk Justice of the Peace Jubinville will get if he’s elected clerk of courts. And in contrast to his present place, he’d should run for reelection in 2030, however possibly that’s not an element, contemplating that Jubinville is already 78 years outdated.
The candidate operating towards Jubinville is… Walter F. Timilty, additionally of Milton.
This Walter F. Timilty occurs to be the son of Walter F. Timilty Jr. or Sr., relying on the yr. On his delivery certificates from 1969, this youthful man was named “Walter F. Timilty III.”
This “Walter F. Timilty” is a present member of the state Senate, and was once a state rep. Walter F. Timilty III has been operating for 25 years as “Walter F. Timilty Jr.”
However now that he’s making an attempt to succeed his father, he’s turn into simply plain Walter F. Timilty.
And he doesn’t even checklist on the poll that he’s a gift member of the Massachusetts State Senate.
It’s nearly like he’s making an attempt to confuse the voters into considering they’re nonetheless voting for his father.
I referred to as Sen. Walter F. Timilty III, er, Walter F. Timilty Jr., er Walter F. Timilty at his State Home workplace Monday to inquire about all his totally different names and why he received’t acknowledge on the poll that he holds public workplace. He didn’t return my name.
You don’t should be a lawyer, which Jubinville is, to be a county clerk of courts. Nevertheless it does assist to have some rudimentary data of how the courts operate.
Walter Timilty, the candidate on Sept. 3, graduated from Southern New England Legislation Faculty in 1995. In response to information maintained by the SJC clerk for Suffolk County, Walter F. Timilty III (for that’s certainly his actual title) started making an attempt to go the bar examination to turn into an officer of the court docket.
In 1995, Timilty failed the bar examination.
He failed once more in 1996 – twice!
Timilty took the bar examination once more in 1997, and failed.
In 1998 he ran for the Legislature – no checks required to be a hack on the State Home. He was elected, and hasn’t raised his snout from the general public trough since.
However in 2000 he tried once more to go the bar – and failed a fifth time.
Timilty gave it one closing strive in 2001. No go, once more.
In different phrases, Walter Timilty III has failed the bar examination six occasions — greater than JFK Jr., Hillary Clinton and Deval Patrick, mixed.
You realize, there aren’t going to be many extra races like this one. Take into account this the ghost of hackeramas previous. The Timiltys are one among native politics’ unique Okay-Mart Kennedys – dime-store dynasties aping the Kennedys.
These clans all began within the metropolis, and now the few nonetheless grifting are lowered to operating in obscure county fights. County jobs are essentially the most they’ll aspire to – the Timiltys, the Creedons, the Hennigans and so on. Even the Kennedys can’t win statewide in Massachusetts anymore.
The Timiltys have been payroll patriots for greater than a century. Joe Timilty was a Boston police commissioner who stashed $300,000 in money payoffs in his financial institution safe-deposit field throughout World Conflict II.
His nephew, Jailbird Joe Timilty, ran for mayor thrice earlier than he was lugged for financial institution fraud. (BOP#: 19400-038.)
Jubinville has battled a number of Timiltys through the years. He ran twice towards Jailbird Joe’s daughter Kelly for governor’s councilor and misplaced. He defeated one Bart Timilty to win the job after Kelly died in 2012.
And now this newest Timilty is giving up his lackluster 25-year legislative profession to attempt to slide into his outdated man’s no-heavy-lifting sinecure. This struggle is all-hack, on a regular basis.
Who will win? Finally, who cares, apart from laughs. Once more, consider it as a contemporary To Inform the Fact sport present.
When the host says, “Will the real clerk of courts in Norfolk County stand up?” nothing occurs.
Which is why each of them need the job. Nothing occurs. And also you receives a commission $174,532 a yr.
It’s the hackerama.
