Templeton BOS needs support not negativity
To The Editor:Robert C Mitchell
Templeton citizen
To The Editor:
Once again I find compelled to respond to a recent letter to the editor, “Some selectmen should resign after budget short fall” as I’m pretty sure the present Templeton Board of selectmen (BOS) are too busy trying to stop the buck to reply to this repetitive drivel. It seems the writer has condemned us with repeating history as it was in this very editorial spot published on July 19, 2010, “Call for treasurer Coller to resign appropriate” by none other than Robert Columbus.
Back then I had to respond in a letter and said the following: “While I have written many letters to the editor in the past, I have refrained since being elected to the BOS in an effort to get the board and coordinator to focus on the real issues and understand that they are supposed to be “civil servants” and not tyrants. At this point, it is obvious that my efforts have failed as there are those who will only ‘work’ for the town to feed their egos or self-interest and they will never understand the concepts of ‘service’ or ‘civility’ to the town’s employees and citizens.”
I believe there are many folks employed, elected or appointed by the town who understand that while they work for the town, it is their job to serve the town’s citizens. Mrs. Coller is one of them and her ability to be both courteous and civil through this unwarranted ordeal deserves our admiration and her abilities as a treasurer during these difficult times certainly deserves our respect. Perhaps one should ask the present TBOS or just tell us plain citizens how having the last two treasurers training on the job has helped develop a budget or worked for the town folks.
Furthermore having Mr. Columbus claim there is a vendetta against the water department is hog wash and having him discuss anything to do with the sewer department is ludicrous. After raiding their enterprise fund to make up past short falls and having his machinations at the sewer department cause one sewer committee member to stop attending meetings (see past letters by commissioner Hamel) I can’t see how this helped the town in the long run.
Beyond that having Mr. Columbus calling anything about our present situation or BOS a “fiasco” is farcical after his being the chairman of the board that rehired the past coordinator and lawyers while draining the accounts only to have Mr. Ritter and new lawyers hired. Perhaps he could tell us common folks how that helped the town and in the event folks would rather not repeat history they can watch a couple of the past BOS meetings he chaired on video to see a real “fiasco”. Perhaps someone at The Gardner News could even watch a few minutes of these videos.
To end on a positive note, I would like to say I support our present BOS 100-percent. I find it refreshing that I no longer need an FOIA request for information and that they deliberate in open meetings where they “let the people speak” before they vote, without meeting in the coordinators office first. This board has a tough job ahead and needs support instead of negativity as they are trying to stop a buck that got way out of control a long time ago.
Robert C Mitchell
Templeton citizen
VOTE DIANE HALEY-BROOKS for BOS move forward not backwards
ReplyDeleteA vote for DHB is a vote for WHAT?
DeleteIt's a vote for moving forward. Not repeating the past mistakes. I believe having Diane Haley-Brooks as a BOS will help Templeton. Diane is a business woman who understands that a Town must run as a business not as someone's pet project. A vote for Mitchell is a vote for the past, and why to we want another selectman that was recalled back as a BOS. I want new thinking, young thinking, someone who can see a future for the Town not a name for themselves.
DeleteI agree 100% well said....,truth truth truth
DeleteI agree 100% well said....,truth truth truth
DeleteI support Bob Mitchell because I believe he will look out for the best interest of the entire town. I support Bob Mitchell because I know his votes in the past have been to protect the Town of Templeton.
DeleteMr. Mitchell was instrumental in TCAD and the astounding turnout at a STM to reinstate the town bylaw regarding outside trash. This bylaw protected the town from more predatory schemes to make Templeton the largest landfill on the East Coast which would have been located behind the high school/ middle school complex.
The town is a municipality and is governed by rules and regs to ensure transparency and public participation. Local government is cumbersome. Local government is not the same as running a business in all aspects. Providing the most services using tax dollars approved by the tax payers is what local government is.
Using the nuclear option to overturn 4 NO votes by the voters in Templeton into a YES vote is not good governance. In my opinion, the nuclear option should NEVER be used.
There is one candidate who does not support the nuclear option. That candidate is Bob Mitchell.
Vote Bob Mitchell for selectman.
Julie, the more you say, the more you prove that you have no idea what the taxpayers want. WE DONT WANT MORE OF THE SAME! The nuclear vote proved that. Maybe you should worry more about where your $505,000 went, and less about getting an old crony elected again.
DeleteBam!!! How you like them FACTS!!!! Shot score for huff & puff!! All truth
Deletewell Puffy,
Deleteyou have your opinion and I have mine.
The nuclear option is bad for town government.
DeleteOverturning 4 NO VOTES is not a good thing for any local government.
I believe the use of the nuclear option has put the elementary school project at risk.
I support Bob Mitchell because I believe he will not endorse or support the use of the nuclear option.
Vote Mitchell for selectman on January 14th.
to huff and truth," where your $505,000.00 went" it is not Ms. Farrell's money and it did not go anywhere except on paper as was explained at a recent selectmen meeting. Bob Mitchell was not or is not about more of the same. The only thing the recall has to do with anything was it was an attempt to bring back and maintain the same old same old. fire & rehire a law firm that cost you the taxpayers extra $5,000.00, firing of Jeff Ritter at a cost of $15,000.00 which Templeton got back in a way after Jeff Ritter came back to work for "free" for a short while. Then the true fiasco of trying to bring back Carol Skelton...that is a real vendetta...as in the TRUTH. let's not forget trying to throw out whole sections of people attending a public meeting without even trying to follow procedures. Whoever sits in that seat will have a job ahead of them. You will have about 4 months to see if it gets done. Perhaps the truth and huff and others should ask this question, why was Bennett not recalled along with the other two? Why was Bennett not recalled as I was very vocal about some things and I was very open and plain about not believing Carol Skelton was the right person to continue to serve as coordinator. Also remember that Mitchell, Farrell Bennett and the Town of Templeton still have their names attached to a complaint filed by Carol Skelton, more of the same ole same ole. As for Mr. Columbus, he was front & center in all of the above, it is all on the record. One thing is for sure, who ever is elected this Tuesday is not going to solve the problem of now and dealing with the important issues, the continuing increase of costs on the forever bills of the Town, OPEB, post employment benefits as in pension & heath insurance cost for retirees and new & present employees. Who ever sits there has to help Templeton decide what services they want and how many employees they want and how to pay for it all. The rules for a municipality are different from a business. A private business can actually get the lowest price for work and municipalities are told how much they must pay as in prevailing wage forced on all taxpayers by unions and the people in the statehouse the unions support and back and that is the cold hard truth. Please vote for whomever but vote and attend meeting of the selectmen and the school committee because it is your money so know how it is being spent.
DeleteMore of the same from jeffey.... Get a clue !! Then decide to run for a position
DeleteMore garbage from a supposed leader!!! Hahahahahaha true colors!!! Thank you mr. Bennett for letting templeton into your thought process...now it's soon to be time to move away from it... Truh to be told... Oh yea thank you for informing truth Nd huff and puff have made their mark. It puts fuel on the fire. Thank you jeffey
Deleteapparently, the screen name truth can not handle the truth and the cold hard facts which can all be found in the public realm. I am not the first to point the facts of prevailing wage and the impact it has on municipalities and just like prop 2 1/2 limits the ability of municipalities to raise capital and keep up with ever increasing costs. That my friend is the cold hard truth.
DeleteBob you have my vote!
ReplyDeleteI also support the BOS 100%
VOTE DIANE HALEY-BROOKS for BOS for fresh new perspective on Templeton. Lets move forward not backwards
ReplyDeleteI'll be voting for Bob Mitchell because he has the courage to stand behind his convictions. While the Echo Hill Gang was empire building and most people in town were soiling their underpants in fear and confusion Bob Mitchell stood up for a town that he truly loves. Mr. Mitchell's words have been "twisted by knaves to set a trap for fools" but those who have been following the true story appreciate the abuse this man has been able to withstand. Mr. Mitchell may make mistakes but if history is prolog these mistakes will be of the honest variety. Before I head up to vote on Tuesday and after listening to Bob Mitchell's great campaign song I'll ask myself for the last time who is the battle tested candidate. Vote Mitchell for Selectmen!!!
ReplyDeletePeter, what a joke.... Again it comes back to you and the mrs....this is about the future of templeton. Not how popular you and Jules can be.... All truth
DeleteVery well said. I hope Diana won't be working the polls, that would be quite a conflict.
ReplyDeleteA person on the BOS should have the welfare of the town as their priority. No one can serve two masters in this position. I think Puffy knows how difficult that can be. The citizens of Templeton got burned very badly by people who did not respect their votes at the poles. There is one thing I know to be true, people in this town do not forget, and if the behavior of the School Committee does not change, the people will do it for them. The reality of this situation is that there is only so much money to go around, and the schools and the town needs to share. The faster everyone figures that out, the better off the town will be. Bev.
DeleteLol, u STILL dont get it....... The people backed the SC, not the Town. & I only serve one master, & she married me a long time ago.
Deletehuff, truth, and all the rest that will hide behind mother apron. I for one, will NOT read any dribble you right!!!! I you don't have the testicular fortitude to put things in your name, I could care less what you think !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! brad lehtonen yeldarbl@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteactually puff, the people I have spoken with voted to support the Town and are not happy with the way that the SC went about the entire affair. Why do you suppose the people in two towns voted against the override and Phillipston used free cash rather than raise their taxes for the school and they still will have that increase to pay this year again, hope they have enough free cash. Only after it was explained that Town services would be greatly affected did the people support the override. Templeton is the only Town in MA to pass an override in the fall out of 8 towns total.
ReplyDeleteJeff, my point to Bev was, the Taxpayers couldnt have been burned because they voted at the JTM for the budget knowing full well an override was needed.
DeleteAgain, you guys need to worry more about your own house b4 taking on others. Where's the $505,000?
Brad...... yes u will.
VOTE DIANE HALEY-BROOKS for BOS lets move Templeton forward without repeating the past
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't make sense to put blinders on and head willy nilly into the future without knowing where the landminds have been placed by past members of our town. It has been said that education is the best bang for the buck but after watching Building Seven fall to the ground in eight seconds I have had to reexamine everything that I was taught.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZEvA8BCoBw
Vote Mitchell for Selectman!!!
Who is costing the town 5K for an election that is not needed? Who thinks that raising the tax rate to pay anything the school asks for is good business? Who blames the town / BOS for the mess they created? Who has ignored the will of the people at so many elections? Who will not take no for an answer?
ReplyDeleteDianne I am afraid you will be losing a lot of possible votes for guilt by association or presumed association. These people are having an overwhelming negative impact on your election. They are the main reasons why you will not get our votes. I wish you luck and hope you will stay active in town affairs regardless of the election outcome.
We will vote for responsibility and fairness. We will vote for the candidate that will represent the Town and the people. We will not listen or consider anything posted by you self serving educators and PHD wannabe’s. We will vote for Mr. Mitchell.
Diane sorry for the double n.
DeleteVery well said, and I could not agree with you more. Dianne could be a good selectman if she could have a open mind about where the town stands financially. I do not think she will put the town first, before the needs of the schools. This worries me very much. I did not hear her asking the School Committee to work with the town to find a more equitable way to share the funds the town needed badly. After the fact, when the schools took what they wanted, she decided everyone would work together. A little late for that sentiment, in my book. I also heard her talking about how the people in this town do not pay enough for taxes, so that leads me to believe she will try to run up the tab, instead of looking for other ways to make ends meet. The blame for where we are goes to the way the town historically did business for years and years. Most town boards did things up front, with the aim to not raise the tax rate. As with anything, you can only pay Peter with money from Paul so long, because sooner or later Paul is broke and Peter has no place to take money from any longer. Our budget for the past ten years has been a poesy scheme, or a shell game, it does not matter how you look at it, you would come to the same conclusion. Things can look good on paper, but that is as far as it goes. With out someone to keep the game going, things were bound to fall apart, and they did. As I have said before, this board is the clean up crew, and they have the job of rebuilding our town finances. Shame on the DOR for not demanding that the town's business be done in a responsible way, years ago. That would have saved us from going through all of this, especially when we thought we were ok. Bev.
DeleteVery Well Said and no Time For Damage Control for Miss Brooks It's a.NO VOTE Miss Diane can thank all of her supporters for her loss. They Have Not Convinced Me..
DeleteVOTE DIANE HALEY-BROOKS for BOS lets start with some fresh ideas not stale recalled ones
ReplyDeleteThey are in full on attack mode. & they are just makin it up as they go, because DHB has consistently preached fiscal responsability from both sides all along. Bev has no idea what was said at SC meetings because she has never been to one...
ReplyDeleteWhat Seat were You Sitting At The Last SC meeting.?
DeleteDown hear on the lower forty we're greatful that both Mr. Mitchell and Ms Brooks have decided to step up and offer to help our town. If thier is self interest it is hard to see at this time. Good luck to both candidates and by the way Mr. Mitchell my dog wags his tail all the way through your campaign song.
ReplyDeleteI find it quite curious that Mr. Columbus' remarks in Saturday's "letter to the editor" have been ignored in this forum. I think it is another attempt by those who have the " keys to this blog" to control the conversations. If they don't like what is said or don't agree with a particular view, then they are not welcomed here. I do not necessarily support or reject Columbus, but I would like to here all opinions, not just one particular view. Just sayin'
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJNgm4kM24s
ReplyDeleteHi Tom, you bring up an interesting point. My research shows what happened to our countries media just prior to WWI. in the link above.
Could this happen at Pauly's Templeton Watch?
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ReplyDelete