somerville dog: a weblog

Somerville City Clerk, John J. Long, is doing a good job and giving the residents of Somerville our money's worth out of the taxes that pay his salary. Camille Dodero, in her article in the issue of the Boston Phoenix for May 21 - 27, 2004, "SOMERVILLE: Defying the Man," reveals just how efficient our City Clerk is:

At four o?clock, Somerville city clerk John J. Long sat down at his desk for a final tally. On May 17, the City Clerk?s Office dispensed 10 birth certificates, issued eight dog licenses, granted eight heterosexual-marriage licenses that had been requested the previous week, fielded countless questions from reporters calling from Georgia to Japan, notarized one document, assisted in one genealogy search, processed the City Hall mail, and presided over one same-sex wedding held upstairs. And, of course, the City Clerk?s Office accepted same-sex marriage-license applications ? 37 in total, with as many as 10 from out-of-state couples. Looking down at a notepad, Long admitted that the grand total of 37 could?ve included one or two applications from heterosexual couples. But by that hour, all the paperwork had started to look the same.

Strummer's was one of those eight dog licenses.

Thank you John J. Long.