My Name is Paul H Cosentino. I started this Blog in 2011 because of what I believe to be wrongdoings in town government. This Blog is to keep the citizens of Templeton informed. It is also for the citizens of Templeton to post their comments and concerns.
Paul working for you.
Friday, July 6, 2012
A link of
the town charges from Jeff Bennett is here
Budgeted for legal is $52 thousand, = $1,000.00 per week available. At $195.00 per hour, you can spend 5 hours per week on questions and issues. At $165.00 per hour, you can have 6 hours per week and both will keep you in budget. The best way to stay under budget is to follow the practice of the deputy assessor, utilize state services which you already pay for to find answers to questions. Another way to control cost is to avoid doing what was done by the interim coordinator carol skelton, after town meeting warrants were voted on and sent to attorneys, you change wording and mess around and send them to legal a secon and third time, paying two and three times for one thing. Simply stop call attorneys to find out what time it is, simply don't call lawyers everytime you need to make a decision. Better management will equal better control and in most cases, the taxpayers will stay under their budget. The law states we do not have to accept the lowest bid if there is demonstrative actions that indicate a history of bad performance. Of course since there is no requirement for legal contracts, there is no low bid requirment. Your highway department has saved taxpayers around $250,000.00 on work they have done at the senior center, you may wish to remember that when voting on a piece of equipment for the highway department.
REMEMBER THE RECALL REMEMBER THE RECALL cOLUMBUS, WILDER AND MULLINS (aka scrappy) voted to fire town council lisa mead and hire K&P FORTHWITH on February 16, 2012, a meeting that began at 5:30 p.m. on a thursday. So how is it Templeton was billed for labor issue on February 16, 2012 ( see bill for February from K&P) Not only did these three spend 10 grand in one month on legal, it appears they were working with K&P on the side planning this whole move. rehire K&P, fire Jeff Ritter and bring back carol skelton. (Recall Wilder beginning August 7, 2012) At one meeting of the board of selectmen, K&P attorney said how he had been put in touch with columbus about 3 weeks prior by mr kopelman, the big shot harvard grad lawyer len kopelman, in my opinion, interfering in Templeton affairs, not the first time in my opinion. Oh the same lawyer was involved in both above mentioned items David Jenkens who does what the boss tells him to do if he wants a job. So increased legal costs and messed up town meeting articles are directly linked back to those three amigos, columbus, wilder and mullins after they pushed for, supported and worked hard for a recall that Paul Q stated at February 16, 2012 selectmen meeting "was necessary" Well how did that whole thing work out for you, the taxpayer. Remember and recall but never forget.
Only a fool would even begin to think we would forget. The "fools" are anyone that waged this campaigned against Julie and Bob while supporting a effort to bring "dear Carol" back. This bunch did more to hurt our town, than anything in twohundred and fifty years. We can never go back to the way things were done. Jeff thanks for the reminder. Some people have short memories, or are late in the game. Some may have missed the earlier plays. The younger people in town need to learn from our mistakes. It is sad, but it really comes do to the fact that you as a taxpayer, can never trust that someone else will do things right. Never take your eye off the ball. You cannot support one department, and think because that one is good, it does not matter what is going on with the others. The business side of the town is too small, along with the amount of money we have to spend. The younger people will learn this, I only hope they do not have to learn the way we have. My opinion, as always. Bev.
Actually Bev, besides thanking Pauly for this blog, and don't choke or fall off the chair, but in a strange way, we may have to say a thank you (with a strange look) to columbus, wilder, mullins, O'Brien, skeltons, and all the people who supported the recall, Paul Q, Rich Curtis, Kathy Maton, shaun grimley and down the line, because it was after all, the recall, the outcome and all the things that the three did, (columbus, wilder & mullins) that caused people to attend meetings, ask questions, pay attention, demand answers and become involved, as in the people now on the advisory board, Dave Bergeron stepping up to moderator and on and on. Alot of the sneaky, deceitful, shady and corrupt things were brought out and residents of Templeton stepped forward to finally become involved in their government. More needs to happen and more people need to attend town meeting but it has begun and there is no turning back now. Jeff Ritter coming back to this place shows that there are indeed people willing to come here (after being tossed out) and work for Templeton. In a strange kind of twisted way, columbus did more for Templeton in his final few months as chairman of the select board than he ever did on his previous terms. Sick but if you get past the cheap stuff, you have to admit, it has worked out for our benefit (the residents of Templeton) The curtain finally got pulled back all the way, people finally got a good glimse of how carol skelton worked or not, as in my opinion. So as we move on down the road, things will continue to, as you say Bev, come out in the wash, even if we have to change the water more than a few times. So while ole bob columbus drove the recall wagon off the cliff, in doing so he brought out in the open all the shady stuff that was going on in Templeton. There were a few casualties on the good side, we lost Bob Mitchell, but all in all, you may have to admit that it did work out for the good guys, as in the taxpayers of Templeton. This is my personal opinion.
Very good point, Jeff. My dad always said "you have to stir up the paint in the can to see the true color". Sometimes things have to get really bad to get everyone's attention in order for the truth to come to the surface. Its great to see the outpouring of support from the citizens in recent months and all the new faces on the boards and committees. Just because some bad apples have been tossed, doesn't mean we can stop paying attention. It will be a long, ongoing process to right the wrongs and make Templeton what it should be again.
Young people really do need to become more involved and pay attention to more than just the school or whatever single aspect of the community that is important to them. And, everyone should talk more with our seniors. They've lived through much more than us and have a wealth of knowledge to share. They know the back stories on so much. And learning more about the past will help shape the future.
Thanks Jeff for all the info you shared. It is very helpful in keeping track of where the town's finances stand and what needs to be worked on moving forward. It would be great if all public documents were automatically shared on the town's website. All minutes from every committee, all bills, progress reports, etc. At the minimum, all members of each committee as well as a description of each committee should be on the website. Maybe more people would join committees if they knew better what each one actually did. Maybe a young tech-savvy citizen who has web design background will volunteer to take on the website duties. Information sharing is a very good thing...if you have nothing to hide. And Templeton government needs to be more transparent moving forward in order to regain the trust of its citizens.
I could not agree with you more Jeff. After watching the BOS for years on Ch8, it became apparent that just watching was not enough. My attendance at these meeting became imperative. It was obvious that the 3 amigos were on a mission that was against their own words. “Moving forward”, we were told, was what they wanted to do. Well only in bizzaro world could you describe their actions as “moving forward”. But, it was these 3 that prompted me to pay even closer attention to local politics. So in a strange way they can be thanked. I will be even more thankful when their time in office is over. One down, two to go! - #484
A huge thank you to all the people who come to meetings. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just having you there is important. I will never in my life forget the advisory board meeting when Will Spring decided to fill a open spot. Oh, thank goodness he did. I think it was the next meeting, when Bubba walked in the door and asked for 9,000., for Carols salary, out of a fund that was just for emergancies. When they got rid of Mr. Ridder, they did not leave enough to pay her! How dumb on their part! Any way the point is, If Will was not there, they would have walked out the door with the money!!!!As it turned out, the advisory had been functioning without knowing the rules of what to do, and what not to do! You wonder why the town is broke? This information you will not find in the Gardner snooz. Only on prime time live, at a meeting. There is so much left to do. Not many people realize how broke the town is. It did not get there by its self. Bubbas' adjenda was to bring the town back to where it was before the Citizens 4 Templeton and Pauly's Templeton Watch got involved. Yes, we can thank them for some things, but don't get to comfortable. "They" are still trying to get a foot in the door. This the town can not afford, and it sure does not need. My opinion. Bev
Budgeted for legal is $52 thousand, = $1,000.00 per week available. At $195.00 per hour, you can spend 5 hours per week on questions and issues. At $165.00 per hour, you can have 6 hours per week and both will keep you in budget. The best way to stay under budget is to follow the practice of the deputy assessor, utilize state services which you already pay for to find answers to questions. Another way to control cost is to avoid doing what was done by the interim coordinator carol skelton, after town meeting warrants were voted on and sent to attorneys, you change wording and mess around and send them to legal a secon and third time, paying two and three times for one thing. Simply stop call attorneys to find out what time it is, simply don't call lawyers everytime you need to make a decision. Better management will equal better control and in most cases, the taxpayers will stay under their budget. The law states we do not have to accept the lowest bid if there is demonstrative actions that indicate a history of bad performance. Of course since there is no requirement for legal contracts, there is no low bid requirment. Your highway department has saved taxpayers around $250,000.00 on work they have done at the senior center, you may wish to remember that when voting on a piece of equipment for the highway department.
ReplyDeleteREMEMBER THE RECALL REMEMBER THE RECALL
ReplyDeletecOLUMBUS, WILDER AND MULLINS (aka scrappy) voted to fire town council lisa mead and hire K&P FORTHWITH on February 16, 2012, a meeting that began at 5:30 p.m. on a thursday. So how is it Templeton was billed for labor issue on February 16, 2012 ( see bill for February from K&P) Not only did these three spend 10 grand in one month on legal, it appears they were working with K&P on the side planning this whole move. rehire K&P, fire Jeff Ritter and bring back carol skelton. (Recall Wilder beginning August 7, 2012) At one meeting of the board of selectmen, K&P attorney said how he had been put in touch with columbus about 3 weeks prior by mr kopelman, the big shot harvard grad lawyer len kopelman, in my opinion, interfering in Templeton affairs, not the first time in my opinion. Oh the same lawyer was involved in both above mentioned items David Jenkens who does what the boss tells him to do if he wants a job. So increased legal costs and messed up town meeting articles are directly linked back to those three amigos, columbus, wilder and mullins after they pushed for, supported and worked hard for a recall that Paul Q stated at February 16, 2012 selectmen meeting "was necessary" Well how did that whole thing work out for you, the taxpayer. Remember and recall but never forget.
Only a fool would even begin to think we would forget. The "fools" are anyone that waged this campaigned against Julie and Bob while supporting a effort to bring "dear Carol" back. This bunch did more to hurt our town, than anything in twohundred and fifty years. We can never go back to the way things were done. Jeff thanks for the reminder. Some people have short memories, or are late in the game. Some may have missed the earlier plays. The younger people in town need to learn from our mistakes. It is sad, but it really comes do to the fact that you as a taxpayer, can never trust that someone else will do things right. Never take your eye off the ball. You cannot support one department, and think because that one is good, it does not matter what is going on with the others. The business side of the town is too small, along with the amount of money we have to spend. The younger people will learn this, I only hope they do not have to learn the way we have. My opinion, as always. Bev.
DeleteActually Bev, besides thanking Pauly for this blog, and don't choke or fall off the chair, but in a strange way, we may have to say a thank you (with a strange look) to columbus, wilder, mullins, O'Brien, skeltons, and all the people who supported the recall, Paul Q, Rich Curtis, Kathy Maton, shaun grimley and down the line, because it was after all, the recall, the outcome and all the things that the three did, (columbus, wilder & mullins) that caused people to attend meetings, ask questions, pay attention, demand answers and become involved, as in the people now on the advisory board, Dave Bergeron stepping up to moderator and on and on. Alot of the sneaky, deceitful, shady and corrupt things were brought out and residents of Templeton stepped forward to finally become involved in their government. More needs to happen and more people need to attend town meeting but it has begun and there is no turning back now. Jeff Ritter coming back to this place shows that there are indeed people willing to come here (after being tossed out) and work for Templeton. In a strange kind of twisted way, columbus did more for Templeton in his final few months as chairman of the select board than he ever did on his previous terms. Sick but if you get past the cheap stuff, you have to admit, it has worked out for our benefit (the residents of Templeton) The curtain finally got pulled back all the way, people finally got a good glimse of how carol skelton worked or not, as in my opinion. So as we move on down the road, things will continue to, as you say Bev, come out in the wash, even if we have to change the water more than a few times. So while ole bob columbus drove the recall wagon off the cliff, in doing so he brought out in the open all the shady stuff that was going on in Templeton. There were a few casualties on the good side, we lost Bob Mitchell, but all in all, you may have to admit that it did work out for the good guys, as in the taxpayers of Templeton. This is my personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteVery good point, Jeff. My dad always said "you have to stir up the paint in the can to see the true color". Sometimes things have to get really bad to get everyone's attention in order for the truth to come to the surface. Its great to see the outpouring of support from the citizens in recent months and all the new faces on the boards and committees. Just because some bad apples have been tossed, doesn't mean we can stop paying attention. It will be a long, ongoing process to right the wrongs and make Templeton what it should be again.
DeleteYoung people really do need to become more involved and pay attention to more than just the school or whatever single aspect of the community that is important to them. And, everyone should talk more with our seniors. They've lived through much more than us and have a wealth of knowledge to share. They know the back stories on so much. And learning more about the past will help shape the future.
Thanks Jeff for all the info you shared. It is very helpful in keeping track of where the town's finances stand and what needs to be worked on moving forward. It would be great if all public documents were automatically shared on the town's website. All minutes from every committee, all bills, progress reports, etc. At the minimum, all members of each committee as well as a description of each committee should be on the website. Maybe more people would join committees if they knew better what each one actually did. Maybe a young tech-savvy citizen who has web design background will volunteer to take on the website duties. Information sharing is a very good thing...if you have nothing to hide. And Templeton government needs to be more transparent moving forward in order to regain the trust of its citizens.
Olive
I could not agree with you more Jeff. After watching the BOS for years on Ch8, it became apparent that just watching was not enough. My attendance at these meeting became imperative. It was obvious that the 3 amigos were on a mission that was against their own words. “Moving forward”, we were told, was what they wanted to do. Well only in bizzaro world could you describe their actions as “moving forward”. But, it was these 3 that prompted me to pay even closer attention to local politics. So in a strange way they can be thanked. I will be even more thankful when their time in office is over. One down, two to go! - #484
DeleteA huge thank you to all the people who come to meetings. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just having you there is important. I will never in my life forget the advisory board meeting when Will Spring decided to fill a open spot. Oh, thank goodness he did. I think it was the next meeting, when Bubba walked in the door and asked for 9,000., for Carols salary, out of a fund that was just for emergancies. When they got rid of Mr. Ridder, they did not leave enough to pay her! How dumb on their part! Any way the point is, If Will was not there, they would have walked out the door with the money!!!!As it turned out, the advisory had been functioning without knowing the rules of what to do, and what not to do! You wonder why the town is broke? This information you will not find in the Gardner snooz. Only on prime time live, at a meeting. There is so much left to do. Not many people realize how broke the town is. It did not get there by its self. Bubbas' adjenda was to bring the town back to where it was before the Citizens 4 Templeton and Pauly's Templeton Watch got involved. Yes, we can thank them for some things, but don't get to comfortable. "They" are still trying to get a foot in the door. This the town can not afford, and it sure does not need. My opinion. Bev
Delete