Electronic Correspondence with Sen. Brewer's Office
From: david smart
Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2013 8:24 AM
To: Brewer, Stephen (Senator)
Subject: 177 million local aid cut
Senator Brewer: I would like to start by thanking you for all your efforts in the town of Templeton and other work you have done. I was reading a local blog my uncle started and see the cuts the governor has made to the local cities and towns. It was disheartening to see a state level cut made and without any regard for its action to the towns that rely on it so much. The change in the lottery aid money also has me not buying any tickets as well.
Templeton like others struggles with it tax base and income couldn’t be tighter. With the governor cuts it will surely put Templeton so far in a hole we won’t have any chance to dig our town out of. The facts are Templeton is in a struggle with money forced by mandated issues in the school district for things not funded after being mandated. I hope you can get things to change and the money will be restored and the sooner the better. My job and many others will depend on that. I work as an operator/driver for the Templeton highway department. Our department squeezes all value from any money we spend and I feel the town does also now. It was not that way in the past and would as you know be better off now if it was. The past can only be a learning tool and the future is up to the people who care enough to get involved. I’m one of those people. I would like to get all the help we can to restore the vital tool the local aid is. It’s the whole tool box in Templeton’s budget fix formula. There are other issues I would like to address with you about a fund being proposed for wind turbine relocation and problem turbines bankrupting effects like the town of Princeton has had. I feel strongly that the big picture has not been looked at and the MMWEC branch of the commonwealth has had a large footprint in pushing the town owned light departments into a higher cost power supply. The fats are unique in Templeton and I have a vast amount of information about the poor plan and lack of study to the health, cost, and safety of the school zone ours was put in. Residents on fern drive and others have a flicker problem and need to have special shades to sit in their living rooms . Noise and other issues about health and safety are not real and also are seen in other towns . I have been in contact with many people affected by these things and feel compelled to contact you about it. If you hear about any efforts dealing with the fund to be created please support it and the people will greatly be appreciative to see the senator we have doing what he can for the people that support him. Some of the residents on Fern drive have hired a lawyer and have not been treated the way our light department manager should have treated them. When a complaint about the flicker was answered with a question , Have you heard of the new high tech device call a window shade sold at Wal-Mart was asked. I started to check into this department we call Templeton municipal light and water and have found our rates for water are almost the highest and the rates for the electric are no cheaper than national grids. I would say the team of workers is as good as they come. The management of them is poor at best and the commission we have serving our town is a arrogant and will not follow the laws as outlined in chapter 164. I can name many ways they do not follow the laws. The DPU will be getting complaints and as they do the summer will get warmer for them with any luck. I think the MMWEC and our co-op with Princeton light should be looked at and our ability to have the problems that Princeton had with their turbine are similar and would devastate our bills. Princeton rates are the highest in mass I’m told, due to the turbine issues all pushed by the MMWEC monopoly.Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2013 8:24 AM
To: Brewer, Stephen (Senator)
Subject: 177 million local aid cut
Senator Brewer: I would like to start by thanking you for all your efforts in the town of Templeton and other work you have done. I was reading a local blog my uncle started and see the cuts the governor has made to the local cities and towns. It was disheartening to see a state level cut made and without any regard for its action to the towns that rely on it so much. The change in the lottery aid money also has me not buying any tickets as well.
I thank you for your time and I’m sure as in the past you have looked into things for us and will continue to do just that.
Thank you for your service,
Dave Smart
Response:
From: Cohen, Katherine (SEN)
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:30 PM
To:
To:
Cc: Ryan, Erin (SEN)
Subject: RE: 177 million local aid cut
Dear Mr. Smart:
Senator Brewer asked that I reach out to you to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail.
As you may know, the Legislature is expected to address the Governor’s vetoes through August 1, 2013. Senator Brewer certainly supports overriding the local aid cut, but the House of Representatives must vote on this item before the Senate take action. House Speaker Robert Deleo has already publically indicated his support for this override. In addition, Senator Brewer has asked Erin Ryan, his Legislative Director, to research the wind turbine relocation fund you referenced and she will be in touch with you relative to this bill’s progress in the legislative process.
Senator Brewer will be sure to keep you updated on both items of interest to you.
Sincerely,
Kate
Kate Cohen, District Staff Director
Chairman Stephen M. Brewer
Senate Committee on Ways and Means
State House, Room 212
Boston, MA 02133
p: 617-722-1540
f: 617-722-1078
www.stevebrewer.org
Subject: RE: 177 million local aid cut
Dear Mr. Smart:
Senator Brewer asked that I reach out to you to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail.
As you may know, the Legislature is expected to address the Governor’s vetoes through August 1, 2013. Senator Brewer certainly supports overriding the local aid cut, but the House of Representatives must vote on this item before the Senate take action. House Speaker Robert Deleo has already publically indicated his support for this override. In addition, Senator Brewer has asked Erin Ryan, his Legislative Director, to research the wind turbine relocation fund you referenced and she will be in touch with you relative to this bill’s progress in the legislative process.
Senator Brewer will be sure to keep you updated on both items of interest to you.
Sincerely,
Kate
Kate Cohen, District Staff Director
Chairman Stephen M. Brewer
Senate Committee on Ways and Means
State House, Room 212
Boston, MA 02133
p: 617-722-1540
f: 617-722-1078
www.stevebrewer.org
Good job David.I hope it will be sooner, not later that the people who have had faith in their Templeton Municipal Light will realize that they can no longer sit back and let them do what they want. Senator Brewer is a good man, and has always done what is right for this town.. We need his help now more than ever. At this point the best way to handle this is from the top. Bev.
ReplyDeletePardon the aside: There are three distinct phases in the response and reaction to stress displayed by large social groups. First, there is superficiality; the population under attack will defend itself with slogans; but this does not identify the source of the crisis, and therefore does nothing to address it, hence the crisis will persist. The second is fragmentation. This occurs as the crisis continues, and social order breaks down. Then, there is the third phase, where the population group goes into 'self realization' and turns away from the induced crisis and there follows a maladaptive response, accompanied with active synoptic idealism and disassociation.
ReplyDeleteWe as a community will need to address the real problems.
If you go to the senators web page you will see the docket # for the investigations Templeton voted to have done by the attorney generals office. Its on the top of the list when you look for it. This summer has a high temperature and the oven door will soon be opened up to see who will run from the kitchen that Templeton is. If you can't take the heat the Templeton voters voted to have,step away and just vote for a better Templeton. People who care are stepping up to do the right things Templeton need to have done. Vote to help us out and be a part of a better Templeton now. The investigation into the 4 things we voted on are the real problems, The way Templeton was run "ENOUGH" for years. Not sure how long Billy has been in Templeton but it will take much effort to get people back to the before where we started to trust to much to one group like that was "enough" It all started with the ENOUGH group and lately they are showing the colors they truly are. Green like money and yellow like squash. If you can't sign it stick it where the sun don't shine. Your whole letter about Jeff is cowardly,gutless and you have no respect or common sense to use on your own. Step up an sign it!
ReplyDeleteOr make Templeton a better place and stay home and not be led around by fools!
Mr. Morgan, I understand what you are saying, and you are right. The community has and is in deep denial. The fact that the increases they have handed out to the Water Customers, are not going to go away. The Commissioners have allowed this bunch to spend too much money over the years, and that bad management is going to come haunt the people of this town. Why do I say this?? Because the Light as well as the Water Department, refuses to cut back on any of their benefits,( by this I mean the Administration}, and when the unplanned expenses continue to go up, they will pass the bill to the people! So until the people have had ENOUGH , nothing will change.. Mr. Driscoll said he wants things to go back to the way they were!! Wah, Wah, Sure he does! Back to when the people did not know they are being screwed !! Dam right he would like that! Just a minute, it will not work, there is not the money around, that there was 5 or 10 years ago. No one planned for the economy to hit the skids!! I am sure the Master Planner of this mess, did not see this coming. This winter is going to be very tough on a lot of people..Sooner than later the Light and Water bills are going to get a collective rise out of the people who live from week to week, or paycheck to paycheck!!! In the maentime, we will dig out the drawing board,and get more specific. While this is done, the whole town better hope the wind turbine keeps going around, and around. When it stops, the town is in big trouble, along with the deep crap we will be in if the pipes on Baldwinville Road, decide to let go, under that beautiful new road. My opinion, Bev.
DeleteI think what Mr.Driscoll was referring to was a year ago no one was asking questions. That was the problem for the commissioners and the department as a whole they had to learn how to answer questions.Now the one answer we need at the next L+W show is the result from the cost certification audit. If it will not be available or the information about our nuke involvement I'm sure the meeting won't go very well for them.
ReplyDeleteThe time for the truth is due and when the story gets told we will have their record to back up the facts. Take a little trip to windwisema.org and see how efforts are working and how you can help the cause to make Templeton a safer,better town. Contact your state reps and they will listen and act. Not act like our L+W commissioners do, they are professional stackers. I think its camera time again.
Since my old friend Stanley Dymek passed on it seems the oversight at the L&W has been delegated to the leader at Echo Hill. Thanks Dave and Bev for keeping an eye on things, it is appreciated by us old timers.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the support! It is hard for me sometimes, when I know people must think I have nothing else to do but stir up trouble, but right is right, in my book and wrong is wrong. The first time I walked into a Light and Water Meeting, I just knew something was real wrong with the whole picture. Thank goodness Dave and others have ENOUGH backbone to stand with me. The people in this town are not treated fairly, by this bunch, and it is my hope things will improve for everyone. Bev..
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DeleteLowerforty40, You and all others are more than welcome. The zero hour has come to Templeton Light and the bull-hit aside all comes in to play next L+W meeting. Stay tuned in and see what is in store, who the new players are. Inviting outsiders into the issues will prove to make us a worth a second look group. Citizens4Templeton have only good intentions and to get involved in issues that affect a better Templeton will be something i will push for no matter what. Things in Templeton are and have been wrong for a long time.Times are going to change,without the old mindless Board of Selectmen to stand in the way. ENOUGH said!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lower40 and others who care.