"Bring me the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West!"The best thing that ever happened to the Land of Oz was for the Wicked Witch to melt away and leave behind her broomstick for Dorothy and the gang. The Wizard never thought they could pull it off, that they'd get dragged off by flying monkeys and never be seen again, but dammit if they didn't bring that broomstick back. And then when Toto went and pulled the man out from behind the curtain by the ankle - well that's when life just got better for everybody, didn't it?- The Wizard of Oz
While there are some, and admittedly there aren't that many, who think that Adam's resignation from the Middleboro Board of Selectmen is cause for a national day of mourning, or that without his vast brainpower all hope is lost for the town of Middleboro, I'd like to argue that, much like a liquified witch, a crispy broom, and revelations untold, Bond's exit is the best thing to happen to Middleboro since 2007.
First, I'd like to say that I appreciate that sentiment which suggests we move on - forget Bond, the damage done, and move into the light. And by all means - move into the light! But while we move to close this divisive chapter in our region's history (yes, Bond divided more than Middleboro - he helped divide Middleboro and her sister towns) it's important to find out what happened, to record it and remember it, so that it never ever happens again. Like Middle School students in the 21st century reading about the Salem witch trials of the 17th century - there's an important lesson here.
Since Monday, when I published my previous post, "Adam Resigns", this blog has received more than double the number of comments as my previously most-commented-on blog post. So, obviously, there's a still lot of interest. But then, Adam's always made for good theatre.
And that was always part of the problem. Adam turned a very real, very serious issue facing the town and the region into an audition for American Idol. Worse - for him it was never about Middleboro - it was always about THE DEAL.
So, for every person who's lost sleep, worried about their home's value, their business, their children, their future, every person who got checked out for chest pains, whose stomach revolted at each article in the paper, whose blood pressure soared, for everyone who sank to the floor in despair or slammed their fist on the table over this issue, for everyone who lost a friend or a neighbor over this issue, for everyone who lost faith in public service - while watching Adam proudly parade his DEAL on public stage - this blog has been for you. Because I'm one of you.
The other night I was watching Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on Nightline twist a story that started with his auctioning off Barack Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder, and ended with his incarnation as the new Gahndi - as his interviewer listened politely and bit her lip.
Not much of a lip biter, myself, I had to laugh out loud. Well, don't we have our own mini reincarnated Gandhi in Adam Bond? A reinvention in his own mind? It's not him - it's us. He's just misunderstood. Why can't we see the truth?
Oh I can see it.
But even if you agree that Adam isn't all he currently insists he is - what about that whole - he's smarter than the rest of the board train of thought. Well, no argument here. But look what he's done with it - admittedly he knew about the implications of the land sale before the town did. Buh-bye leverage. He rushed the agreement to the Investor's benefit. Buh-bye democratic process. He took credit for it. He lashed out at his critics in underhanded ways and every now and then he has a very public hissy fit. Hell he tried to stop 40 years worth of desperately needed highway improvements on Rte. 44. Yet suddenly he and the Mrs. are on the radio proclaiming no one cares more about Middleboro than Adam Bond.
When people suggest that this guy is their last best hope for killing a casino, honestly, I think, they really need to get out more.
Like the night I went to Lakeville and listened to Ken Tavares, selectman of Plymouth whose town negotiated a deal for a MOVIE STUDIO. A smart, creative, low-impact form of economic development that the town didn't bet on but worked hard for. He once said the "buck stops at the small town" - meaning that local officials have a duty to protect their town from inappropriate development - and do it despite pressure from within and without- because if they won't, then who's going to?
And he's right. It's bad enough when Marc Pacheco warns a representative from Carver not to hold a casino task force meeting - but when your own selectmen fail to include article 3 (that the town didn't want a casino) in their letter to the Department of the Interior - you may already be living in casinoland.
In tough times you need real leaders. Not sheep and not opportunists. It's easy to "lead" when times are good, but when the town manager who pulled your butt out of the fire for how-many-years-in-a-row is retiring, and you can't figure out how to balance a budget, you don't help him sneak the world's biggest casino in the back door. That's not leadership.
We don't need any more Blagojeviches or Wilkersons stuffing our democracy down the front of their shirts. Do you know why people think casinos are inevitable? Because they don't trust their "leader" not to sell them out for a quick buck, or a quicker promise. Because they don't think they're committed enough to do the research, or to empathize, or to come up with better more creative plan for the future. Because they don't think they have the will to stand up to pressure.
No one needs Team Bond, secret meetings, or revisionist history. Nothing good was ever, ever going to come from it.
I don't think I have to convince most of you about Adam Bond. Just read the 80 comments on my previous post. But, as the person who has been putting Bond under a microscope since 2007 - believe it, this is a good day. This is a great day. It's a pick up your American flag, go outside and stand on your porch or the hood of your car and let out a big WhooHoo type of day.
The king of all drama queens had a meltdown and provided you with an extra seat on the Middleboro Board of Selectmen. Now pick up a broom and sweep away the damage. Then pull back the curtain on the light of a better day.
And write those letters!
Posts
40 comments:
I've written so many short letters raising assorted issues that need to be investigated, explained and addressed, that I actually ran out of ink!
Please folks, write!
Gladys said, "So, for every person who's lost sleep, worried about their home's value, their business, their children, their future, every person who got checked out for chest pains, whose stomach revolted at every article in the paper, whose blood pressure soared, for everyone who sank to the floor in despair or slammed their fist on the table over this issue, for everyone who lost a friend or a neighbor over this issue, for everyone who lost faith in public service - while watching Adam proudly parade his DEAL on public stage - this blog has been for you. Because I'm one of you."
This has been me for the last 18 months. No matter his recent transformation, I won't forgive his past actions. Thank God he is gone, Marsha should be next. Thank you Gladys, don't know what I would have done without you.
Brilliant post, Gladys! As always.
This does not play well in Kansas, as was predictable.
To Middleboro voters, I would ask that you examine how your failure to pay attention caused this board of clowns to hold office.
The remaining members are out of touch, incapable of planning for the future and so mired in their personal echo chambers, they need to be replaced.
To Middleboro voters, you need to consider if Wayne Perkins is the appropriate person for town moderator. He refused to allow dissent, comment or public participation at any single bos meeting. You want this at town meeting? Mr. Perkins has lied and been caught at so many public meetings, it's a wonder his nose isn't growing. Remember the public meeting after the news story broke that a casino deal had been reached? Wayne insisted that no negotiations were going on with the tribe. In a later public meeting he admitted that negotiations had been going on since prior to tribal recognition.
Is he just simply forgetful or knowingly lying? You be the judge and hope a candidate steps forward to run as town moderator.
Let's make the town what it should be. Grab the broom and sweep the town clean!
Even the Enterprise thinks he's wacked!
http://www.enterprisenews.com/opinions/x1539899950/OPINION-Selectman-goes-out-in-a-blaze-of-glory
Handing the gavel back to the Gavel Queen should remind ALL Middleboro voters of the tyranny we have endured.
Yes, we are rid of the Divider, who lacked leadership beyond the ability to rally animosity, but we have several more to go.
We also have the Spartan obsessed with compression and Minni Mi who should be home spinning yarn.
You have 2 weeks to contact those quaified candidates who don't represent the status quo and offer your support. Circulate their nominations papers, make a contribution, talk to your friends and put lawn signs out.
Barring that, we will end up with more Mimi and Spataro clones.
The last time I looked, Bond was still in town. He may have "left the board" but he hasn't left town.
Yet.
He claims to be one thing, but is really another.
He needs to be held accountable. Period.
If there is one micro speck of truth to the fact that he had back room dealing with the tribe, that he helped to grease the way for the Detroit gambling syndicate to get their teeth into our land. Then we have a right to know, and a right to seek remedy. Legal remedy.
It has become more clear to me, that his moving here a scant few months after the Harvard commissioned study on gaming put Middleboro on the map...was likely a deliberate decision by Bond, rather than an act of fate.
So then the question BEGS to be asked...who else wanted Bond here? Bond didn't make a move to Middleboro out a vacumn, others thought he should as well. Who?
Either it matters, or it doesn't.
Either we care or we don't.
This story has legs, and it has a trail back to Michigan via DC.
This is not about the little wifey, the mysterious posters, the strange body guards....
They are nothing but smoke screens.
We need to not be distracted by anything but what we know, what is written on paper, and what we are able to document via public statements, interviews and radio programs.
I was at the PowerPoint presentation for the ambulance service and knew his figures were wrong. Dead wrong!
But he used it as yet another rallying point for the casino, until Matrix proved him wrong without accurate traffic projections for the increased calls.
The Town Planner's information was incorrect also and she balked when challenged. Freeze her brain? Not!
The little man behind the curtain has been revealed!
Thank you for always being there to present the truth when no one wanted to listen.
I've heard Mr. Tavares speak, as well as the other members of RTF. They represent their respective towns in a professional and knowledgeable manner. If other towns have competent selectmen, why not Middleboro?
Great job as always, Gladys. What we've got now is total chaos. And as I tried to explain to Bellicose Bumpkin, chaos is our friend.
Umm, you might not want to point to Plymouth as the place of economic development dreams. While it's hard to argue with the movie studio, you may have noticed they have something worse than a casino on the Manomet shores - a nuclear power plant.
Been there, done that! Up close and personal, Mr. Bond is convincing. The veneer wears off. Distance tarnishes the glitter. Unlike Bumpkin, I HAVE seen. Put some distance between the glare of Bond's ego and this is indefensible.
I'll even offer to help pack.
Pilgrim, owned by Entergy, has separate issues that current elected officials inherited from a time when nuclear energy was touted as a wonderful thing. It has allowed Plymouth to accomplish much.
Information is available about the pending wind projects and efforts by the Plymouth Green Committee.
Anon. 8:54 - Thank you - your'e awesome! I'm writing more today, myself.
Anon. 8:57 - Some people just don't realize what this carnival has done to our lives. Maybe you just really have to be living with the threat of it to understand.
Anon. 9:05 - Wayne Perkins? OMG. Say it ain't so.
Anon. 9:07 - thanks for the article, it made my day. Now why couldn't they have pointed out Mr. Bond's eccentricities during the summer of '07?
Anons. 9:23, 9:47, and 9:57 - couldn't agree more. Accountability, transparency and for goodness sakes - get out and vote!
Dan - absolutely!
Anon. 12:16 - I lived about a mile from that plant for 5 years. It was built in the 60's. Mr. Tavares once even referred to it in his comments to the Regional Task force, suggesting that had he been on the board back then, there might have been another outcome.
Anon 12:30 - I dare say even up close Bond's ego wouldn't blind me to the facts. But that's just me. I'm Kool-aid intolerant.
Gladys,
Until Mr. Bond had an opportunity to lead in the spotlight, his personna was concealed and he almost looked like a 'good guy.' He wasn't dividing the town, condemning those who disagreed with him or making stupid comments in the media, like 'braying mules' or 'everyone has skeletons in their closet.'
I met a mother with young children standing next to her, who spoke of that comment, in coded language to prevent her children from understanding, with tears in her eyes.
But let's not forget that he didn't do this alone. We have a spineless bos to thank. They sat without protest as residents were gavelled to silence. Then there's a town manager.
Let's not celebrate too quickly because there's work to be done and a town to take over. That's for those voters who have recently awakened from their slumber. You don't want this to happen again? Get involved. Run for office. Did you ever think about being Town Moderator? Anyone's got to be better than Wayne Perkins controlling debate on town meeting floor.
When the final chapter is written, it will be the bloggers who were called names, targeted, threatened, abused, cyberstalked, and harassed who will be the heroes for speaking and presenting the truth that few wanted to hear.
No one is town government will be a hero, least of all the Bonds.
Wayne Perkins as Town Moderator??
I hope THAT never happens. But if it does, it will be interesting to watch ole Wayne up there doing his moderating, as the first Town Moderator to carry out his duties wearing a feathered war bonnet and holding a tomahawk instead of a gavel.
Smoking Owl,
Interested in the job?
Good ol' Wayne NEVER had to use a gavel. He simply ignored the audience that stood at the microphone.
This is your town. Find candidates you can support or watch Wayne control town meeting.
Actually, I was giving it some thought. When I heard Wayne Perkins was the only candidate, I thought about at least giving him some competition.
After a little self evaluation I came to the conclusion that I'm probably better suited to being in the audience rather than on stage.
Smoking Owl,
There's a moderators' organization that provides information about conducting meetings, town counsel sits on the stage for opinions when in doubt and surely Jim Thomas or Rob Derosiers (the previous town moderator) could point you in the direction of obtaining information.
I'll sign your nomination papers!
No, Smoking Owl - Mr. Perkins is.
It's my hope, and one echoed by many, many others, that Mr. Bond's influence will quickly fade away. Like the headline that followed the State of Illinois's impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich - The Freak Show is Over.
It's bad enough to be gaveled to silence, but to be gaveled to silence while someone else on stage is tap dancing, playing the banjo and singing opera into a bullhorn - well that is and always has been a dangerous distraction from our focus:
No Casino!
Prior to the "C" word, Mr. Bond's presence on the board was contentious at best. He allowed many questionable things to pass without comment or challenge. When he became Chairman, his obsession with the "C" crowded out many other issues, monopolized his time, attention, comments. To date, he never insisted that impacts be determined in monetary terms. Other than the Matrix Report that successfully discredited his assertions that a town owned ambulance service made sense to taxpayers, he never produced a single credible comment about the costs to the town on which to substantiate potential re-negotiations of the IGA.
His clone, Brian Giovanoni did much the same.
To Casino Supporters: Rep. Calter challenged you to provide population projections, school population projections, job projections, income projections and various other related costs. Should this project move forward as negotiated (which is doubtful), the IGA, as it stands will bankrupt the town. Instead of attacking personally those who oppose the project, why aren't you gathering the facts?
I'm not going to defend bond but the rest of the board we're stuck with is braindead.
They're incapable of running the town and were it not for bond's help in the recall and last election, we wouldn't be stuck with this mindless bunch.
Minni Mi is too stupid to realize that her conduct is governed by certain laws and she's too lazy to do her own research. She continues to violate Ethics statutes for which I hope people are filing complaints. She must think this is like a social gathering of some sort.
Marsha Brunelle was chairman last time tax bills were sent out late and it was caused by her failures.
Hubby, Roger rushed to her defense, but it doesn't fly.
Roger is the one who squashed the proposal for quarterly tax billing saying it would cost too much. The translation is that Roger lacks the ability to figure out how to do it, but the bos is too stupid to look around at other towns that have gone to quarterly billing without additional costs.
The remaining members of the board are incapable of leadership (unless Spartero's compression is considered leadership) and pretty lazy.
Remember that Minni Mi and the Gavel Queen got on that board with less than 50% of the vote.
It's time for change Middleboro and time to elect competent members to the board.
The thing that always struck me as quite odd about the whole board, old and new, is that none of them, outside of hiring INDIAN CASINO GAMING VAMPIRE Dennis Whittlesey, seemed to do any research on their own. Nothing. It was this huge issue, and yet they were just as happy to believe it was a done deal and move on to the next dog complaint. That alone should be an ethics violation. What ever happened to due diligence. Plympton came up with 17 pages worth of impacts and assessments and the Wampanoags aren't even trying to put a casino in their town.
Who are the candidates for April's election so far?
Gladys,
What you are seeing of the "C" issue merely exemplifies the incompetence.
This board can't even set goals and they've been posted on the easel for ages.
Minni Mi looks like a deer caught in the headlights. She had a snitty that someone challenged her participation in the discussion about the new fire chief and reacted with 'Well, if that's what they want, ....' but is too lazy to go online and read the Ethics statutes that are posted.
Her election is blamed fully on casino supporters because that's the only issue she was elected for. At candidates' night, she blabbed about pensions and knew nothing about them, made no sense and didn't even know the correct cost that BTW are available in many places.
When she was asking one of the fire chief candidates questions, she said the tribe 'ought to pay' for the additional cost of the ambulance. That means she hasn't even read the IGA.
And for her to have a conversation with Stephen Graham indicates that she was too lazy to read the indictment and plea bargain of Glenn Marshall. Who would be stupid enough to meddle with about to be indicted felons?
She didn't even know about Rockland Industries, the Super Fund Clean Up site that's been in the news for 40 years. Is it praiseworthy to remain uninformed for 40 years?
Any single other candidate that ran, including the gentleman who didn't show up was better educated, more qualified and would have made a better selectman than she has.
So, thanks to all the casino supporters for putting her on the board. If you're not watching, you need to. This is your town and this is the level of incompetence you elected.
Gladys,
You must have been at the meeting in the Town Hall Auditorium when the Gavel Queen had the astounding Brain Fart that instead of hiring an 'expert,' we should use a Local Attorney to handle the negotiations because, as we all know, there are many local attorneys who have negotiated gaming/gambling/IGRA contracts. Right?
Vampire or not, can you imagine a local attorney?????
A local attorney negotiated the Mohegan Sun/Montville contract that pays the town the astounding annual sum of $500,000 per year, with no increase, no slots and nothing else. If the Gavel Queen had known that, she would have hired him.
I was at that meeting and remember the comment well.
Then Adam volunteered to "find" an "Indian Gaming Attorney."
The thing is, the town never needed an "Indian Gaming Attorney". You don't need an "Indian Gaming Attorney" to negotiate a contract with a Tribe. In fact, look where it got the town. More of the done-deal mantra we know is false. An attorney who writes for CasinoLawyer magazine, calls himself an "Indian lawyer" and gets on the bill for CasinoFest 2007, is possibly the last person you might want to bring in to negotiate with casino-interests.
As far as locals negotiating a contract - isn't that pretty much what happened? And doesn't that local still want to negotiate it?
It sure looked good on his resume, didn't it?
Did anyone notice at a recent bos meeting, when Bond commented on the Marshal inditment he said that Laurence Deitsch and Stephen Graham were present? He never commented on anyone else?
Hopefully, Michigan just might be closing in on Bond. He is just as unpopular with some there as he is here! Not for the same issues, but arrogance, and being skilled in deceiving people, breeds the same contempt for you in any state.
Isn't there something about a gag order in Michigan?
Please hold forth, Anon. 9:33...
I understand the gag order is soon to be lifted and a consistent pattern will be presented.
I believe it will reveal that women's intuition was correct in the assessment and the men will be proven blinded by the ego's glare and inclined to accept superficial explanations.
If we see the fony fact finder or lincon andrew run this was a set up.
Not all men have been fooled.
Smoke Screen, Smoke Screen !!!!!
It is very plausable that there are plenty of folks in Michigan that have "had it" with Adam. His phony "charm" offensive, has become, well, offensive. The folks here in Middleboro haven't caught on to his Eddie Haskel act. He is frantically trying to rack up friends, but his list is woefully thin. People here are looking at him and wanting to see something that just isn't there...no there, there.
Michigan? Gag order?
Sources in Michigan, (legal and invetgative reporting) do not know of any such "gag order"in affect. A"gag order" is a written clause essentially that stems from a binding agreement between parties not to reveal or speak about the/a agreement. Gag orders in binding agreements do not expire and live in perpatutity. One other example is a judge would gag participants from speaking about the on-going proceeding, and would enter his ruling into the record to reflect it, and the judge would be the only party able to release those from being gaged.
The law in Michigan would have no reason to "gag" Bond as there are no current proceedings in which to "un gag" him from.
He is here, and Michigan is there.
Actually, does he work? What does Adam Bond "do"???
Maybe Adam's stalwart Middleboro friends can fill in the gaps and let us know.
Adam just needs to move on and go away. He failed here, miserably. And on this "super bowl" week-end, he is trying to win with his "hail Mary" pass and claims that he can bring more money here than can be imagined.
We need to find honorable, decent, people who do not shirk from hard work to serve on the bos.
People with brains and no hidden agendas.
Question time!!
Adam Bond is an "officer of the court".
He has "claimed" or insinuated" or "wink-winked" and filled his prepared statements with charges leveled at his peers on the bos.
When will Adam step forward and put his money where his mouth is?? Is he trying to pad his reputation by winking about others...you know to deflect the glare away from him, waiving wildly in the corner and pointing at others?
In other words, will he take his public assertions about the bos to the Feds, or to the AG, or to the DOJ?
Will he do the right thing? Isn't it time someone does?
Come on Adam, do the right thing. Help to clear this up, after all you are holding all the cards. Haven't you as much said so???
What good are cards, if you don't play them?????
People with brains and no hidden agendas.
Huh?
You had a ballot filled with the above and guess who voters elected with less than 50% of the vote?
anonymous 11:11 AM,
Couldn't Mr. Bond have contacted those listed privately and remained on the bos?
Since people have been writing letters, is it reasonable to assume that Mr. Bond's blog comments have already been forwarded to those offices?
I included them with my letters. Did you?
Is there anything that would make us think with future inditments the feds aren't monitoring phone calls and reviewing phone records?
What I see is an officer of the court, an attorney, who is violating his profession's ethical standards with his conduct.
Someone mentioned RICO and it would be interesting to read the comments of others regarding a RICO prosecution.
Some of us voted for Bond believing he was capable of leadership before he called us braying mules. This shouldn't be about Bond. It should be about the entire crew and how uninformed they choose to be.
It's great to go to the Elks or Masons or VFW, have a few beers, tell a few jokes, but that's not leadership. Each of the "Wizards" may be personable, likeable, Hail Fellow Well Met, but I have come to realize that's not what I want in government. There were qualified candidates that I voted for in the last election, not the ones who took office. I hope they will step forward now to fill Bond's remaining year. The town needs them now. It is our responsibility, if we care about our town, to elect honorable people to office who are willing to work in the best interests of the town and only the town. If one of those candidates steps forward, my personal commitment is that I will work for their election. If each of us makes that commitment, we can have 2 new members on the bos in April.
Gladys,
Every night since you suggested that we write letters, I spend a few hours composing a set of letters after I tuck my daughter in. It's been a cathartic experience that is greatly appreciated and one I wouldn't have thought of myself.
The process made me feel cheated, bereft of the opportunity to speak in public before my elected officials. Other than CFO, there was no information available.
I remember at one selectmen's meeting, a letter from a resident opposed to the casino was read. Wayne Perkins said the letter was premature. Little did we know he was already negotiating the deal.
I hope in some small way, my letters help provide enough interest so that the backroom deals and lies will be investigated and publicly explained. Maybe we'll understand why Marsha silenced us.
The response of casino supporters has been disappointing since they have denied or ignored what this will do to our community.
I hope others are writing letters as well. I believe they're important to raise attention and in the healing process.
Maybe gag order was not for or directly about Adam Bond? Maybe events have changed in Michigan? Either way, I understand there is no love loss for you know who in Michigan.
Very well put Anon 1/26,12:16pm. Yes the veneer wore off some time ago there.
To bad their still in denial here, (some of them).
To be continued.....
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