To quote Ben Franklin, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
So... how will voting for the same old guard which made things worse, make things better?
The same stellar brand of leadership which hopes to provide Middleboro and it's future generations of offspring with a casino, a sovereign nation, an increase in social problems, a rise in crime, low-income housing issues, an agreement which won't cover costs, and the soul-selling section 22 B, continues to rock on.
If a casino is ever built, Karma may eventually provide a lesson in irony for the special interests which voted on Saturday to maintain the status quo, when, one day, they find themselves out-numbered and out-voted by the resident employees of the 18-story voting bloc towering over what they once considered their town.
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21 comments:
Points well-taken!
But notice the winners failed to win by 50%.
How many of the 80+% that didn't vote even knew there was an election?
How many can name the current members of the BOS?
How many know what the issues are and how they should be addressed?
How many residents really know how INEPT the current BOS is?
I was given this reply by someone when discussing the need for change in this town:"THE DEVIL YOU KNOW IS BETTER THAN THE ONE YOU DON'T KNOW".....disgusting.
Well, you know what will hit the fan as the budget tightens with each inept decision the current board makes, just as they have in the past. Even if and it is a BIG IF that a casino goes in with 9 mil in payments, that is still years away. It will only get worse and hopefully enough people will wake up and stop the decent into the abyss.
Change takes time! Be patient. The turnout was higher this time and the winners didn't garner the votes they might have in the past with 8% voter turnout. We'll get there before they trash the town totally. Just keep watching Minnie May! She should be a real laugh. Her first BOS meeting and it was clear she had never watched a single meeting before. And Marsha argued against paying for bills that she previously voted to incur. Are you watching folks?
Well... they got "the devil" part right.
In the past year, not only have I learned the names of everyone on my Board of Selectmen, but also that of Middleboro. I also know the name of at least one member of the board of selectmen in 7 other towns.
After the events of the past summer I will never believe that the devil you know is better than the one you don't. Many of these people who run are intelligent, are true leaders, love and believe in their town, and enter public service for all the RIGHT reasons.
And three of them ran in Middleboro this April. It is the town's loss that they didn't win, not their own.
There are clearly too many uninformed townies who fail to understand how the town works and vote for their buddies. The newcomers need time to acclimate themselves and understand the inner workings, but they'll catch on to the poor leadership, poor financial decisions and much else.
They just need time. It WILL happen. We are winning.
I don't live in Middleboro, but I can and will say that the voters have lost the chance at having a selectman who truly loves and cares about the town in which he and his family live....Greg Stevens. I have had the pleasure of meeting, getting to know personally and working with both him and his wife Laura. Greg would have made a wonderful selectman....he cares about Middleboro and its future. He knows it's not just about "the casino"....the problems of that town stem from pre-casino days and run far deeper than that threat. He understands that the problems of that town are what attracted casino developers there in the first place and he wanted to hit those issues head on with the entire Board, and the entire town. What a loss for Middleboro...I hope he plans on running again.
I lived in several other towns before landing in Middleboro 25 years ago, and with each election I continue to be amazed at the reluctance of voters to change the leadership style here. What really fries me is the new choice for BOS chairman. His previous actions and ill-considered statements have caused too much controversy and division. He has made some strange choices for a basically intelligent, well educated man. Perhaps his new responsibilities will cause him to begin to listen better and carefully consider the interests of ALL those he represents. IMO, it will take a collosal effort on his part to redeem his pubic image. I can only hope that as the newcomers and younger generation become more of a force in our community they will start to buck the "old guard".
I am, however, pleased that Steve McKinnon, a vocal sound thinker, found a place on the FinCom. With a little experience under his belt, I suspect he will eventually become a viable candidate for a seat on our BOS.
712AM Your lips to God's ears!
A number of people attempted to convince Mr. McKinnon to run this time around for BOS. Mr. K's wisdom was that he lacked the basic foundation and was ill-equipped at this time!
Pity others failed to recognize the same.
Instead, we have elected one member who attended 3 BOS meetings and has NO knowledge or foundation beyond her support of the casino.
She's uncomfortable in public. She's uncomfortable speaking in public. Wise choice Middleboro!
But there were other candidates as well who failed to take the time to do research or their own homework, which was disappointing, as well. And voters fail to ask the issues questions at Candidates' Night. Next time, get off your couch, or don't complain.
anonymous 7:12
Please don't blame the "Old Guard" for the new chairman. He is not one of the old boys, and as you can see, the devil you don't know is sometimes worst than the one you do.
The town is not perfect but always found a way to get together until someone was added to the mix.
CarverChick, while I have the utmost respect for the factual environmetal entries you have posted, I fail to see much diference in your post from the actual voters. In essence, you have said 'he and his wife are so wonderful, you should have voted for them.' Greg had enough time to create an understandign of how twon goverment works but says nothing other then the casino blah blah blah. It is being said that he acepted a campaign contribution from cfo. If thats true, shame on Greg shame on cfo. Greg attended few selctmn's mtgs, talked during most of them on camera. He's likable, but vote for him?
Anon 10:42.
I respect your decision not to vote for Greg - the fact that you vote is the most important thing. Who you choose to vote for is your perogative, and your right. I Must say though, I stand by what I say. Greg is a man of honesty, integrity and desire to see the town he calls home hold onto it's own integrity. I respect his work ethics and his enthusiasm. Vote for him? You bet!
Greg -- you would have been an excellent representative of your town and its residents. I meant what I said and if you ever find yourself living in Carver (your so close!) and running for selectman, I will vote for you. I have seen first hand how hard you will work for something you believe in...something you know you need to fight to defend the future of your town, my town...all of our towns and all of our families and our futures. I have the utmost respect for you and Laura. I have no doubt that you would have brought the same level of passion to all aspects of the job as a selectman of Middleboro outside of the casino debate and for that, I believe that the residents of your Town have lost by losing you.
I remember meeting Greg across the table at the first official meeting of CFO. Maybe 12 - 16 of us there? Over the months I saw him grow angry at the way local government was being run. He was idealistic, as was I. He had more courage than I did, by actually running for office (twice) to effect positive change in town. How many can say that? How many didn't even bother to vote?
Greg and his wife do more than "casino blah blah blah". They've worked very hard to protect their town. Many people know just how hard they've worked, even if you anonymous 10:42 do not. Carverchick is one of them.
And you would know, if you'd listened, that Greg was NOT a one issue candidate.
Anon 10:42, you said "It is being said that he acepted a campaign contribution from cfo. If thats true, shame on Greg shame on cfo."
Yes, CFO as an organization decided to support Greg's efforts. I don't see how that is any different than our current Presidental candidates accepting campaign contributions from casino interests or federally recognized indidan tribes. There is no shame in supporting a candidate of Greg's calibur.
Ask yoursevles if the current BOS has effected a positive change and/or community vibe on Middleboro. What have the five current members done, during their terms to make Middleboro better. What have they done to protect the intrests of the PEOPLE,minus the casino (that is not coming). I say replace the lot, start from scratch, I say we'll all benefit from the results.
P.S. I think it was Adam Bond who said he'd like to see a Mayor/council gov't in town. That will equal less input from the residents. It replaces town meeting with election ballots, I'm sick of 10% or less of the town making descisions for me. We need change,the town is crying out for it.
I would like to know what kind of personal gain that the Middleborough town officials (past & present) will get by supporting this whole casino smoke & mirrors deal. I find it hard to believe they are so stupid to go for this when all the surrounding towns can see right through it all. At least giving to Greg was on the up and up. If you don't think there aren't back room deals going on, look into who one of the candidates for the town manager's position is. Just a hint. Do the research.
Hi All:
What's going on in Middleboro is Government By the Government, Of the Government,and For the Government. The Town Manager is responsible for running the government; the BOS should be a check on the Town Manager and the unlimited expansion of government by representing the long-term interests of the residents as a whole, and should view the residents as a resource for ideas. The BOS should not manage by crisis, rely on hastily-engineered "Deus ex Machina" "economic growth" options, or cater to particular factions of residents or groups of buddies. In Middleboro, the incumbent members of the BOS (with one exception who views himself as the outsider and gadfly) envision themselves as indespensible parts of government machinery, working in concert with the Town Manager and in effect having absolutely no traction over the Town Manager. One notable instance of this comes to mind and I don't need to mention what it is. Thus we, as voters, have no control over the government of our town. There is no check on unlimited expansion of government, no accountability for how funds are managed, and thus no fiscal responsibility to guide the management of the limited and dwindling revenue stream. This is a BOS that has ignored the recommedations of the Finance Committee repeatedly. They have maxed out the prop tax credit card, continue to mishandle their resources, and stedfastly refuse to listen to their constituents. Most of us have responded to the deafening silence that has greeted our attempts to make suggestions for the better, by turning away en masse. Only those of us who are concerned about particular issues show up at town meetings to grind our axes, and get gaveled or greeted with pained expressions. Heck, it's my town, it's my life, and I'll keep p*ssing into the wind because I'm a stubborn cuss. Always have been.
mary in middleboro, OMG! It just so happens that April is stubborn cuss month in Middleboro! Did you know? The BOS are holding a public hearing on April 28th to discuss the giveaways to the town's unions. Invite a few similarly minded stubborn cusses. (We tend to have similar friends.) And invite them to the May 13th ATM. Speak up and stand up with your friends to put the town on a firm financial footing. If each of us stubborn cusses invites 5 friends, we'd have an overflow crowd!
Sad.
At least Jane Lopes gets it.
33% of precinct 1 influenced this outcome.
Oh wait? Why was precinct 1 moved to OAk Point?
Folks the damage has been done. We'll now have how many more years of this leadership? I hate to call it this, as it is more like a bunch of lemmings following each other, patting each other like they're doing the town something great.
This BOS is a joke, but then again it is also pretty sad, others cannot get out and vote.
anon 12:39, before you whine and lament, look yourself in the mirror and ask what you did to change the election results. Did you call your friends and remind them? Did you knock on any doors? How many voters have you registered? Town Meeting is May 13th and you can begin inviting, reminding your friends and neighbors now. The public hearing for the warrants articles is scheduled for April 28th. Will you attend? Will you ask questions? How many will you bring with you?
If you want to change things, begin with your own actions. A small number of us already have. There are 14,000 registered voters who seem to need an invitation. So invite them!
Anyone who doubts the foolishness of the results of the town's election hopefully watched the BOS meeting. Thanks for putting a KoolAid DeadHead on the Board. Those who missed it, lost a great entertainment opportunity! Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse .......
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