Nasty fight between BOS & SC over School funding ........ DONE
Threaten to increase student fees and cut teachers due to lack of funding ........DONE
Hold budget hearings that are ignored by parents/taxpayers .......DONE
Suddenly find money to avoid lay-offs and fees .......DONE
Argue with FinCom over Budget, explain they can't adjust line items ...... DONE
Defer further contract discussions until after budget that will fund them is approved, huh? ....... OK, DONE
Continue to ignore Community School situation until after budget passes, even if the Community School will be siphoning funding away from K-12 education ....... DONE
Without sounding like an elitest Bastard, distract Town Meeting for a few hours with the idea that their $25 burger at the DW might go to $25.18 but slip a $60 Million budget through with barely a question....... DONE
Listen politely while Town Meeting vents over School Budget but overlooks the fact labor contracts are not settled, and there is still no plan to discontinue the use of school district funds to shore up the community school....... DONE
Hold Town elections to restock the Boards with fresh meat for the grinder -- either idealistic optimists or raging special interests .... DONE
Recognize that voters weren't kidding last year .... DONE
I guess that leaves just one piece of potentially expensive business left this year (click) ...
16 comments:
Take a look at the large amount of post's on sandwich mom's club about the ban on water guns at the 4th July parade. Interesting
I can't find their site --- but I assume the inference is that the Clueless are far more concerned about the regulation of squirt guns than they are about sound budgetary policy and accountability?
Were the water guns damaging Jacob's self-esteem .... or will the lack of water gun play make him less gifted & talented?
Water guns? Seriously? Our children at Forestdale historically bomb the science portion of the MCAS due to a lack of a good solid curriculum but... water guns are the bigger concern? Our family can barely afford the sports our kids want to play since we have to buy ALL of our own school supplies.... but, yes the real problem is kids blasting each other at the 4th of July parade. Give me a break.
The Truth Maker would like to add a few things that are still not done as of yet.
The revision of our town charter
Better oversite from the SEIC board members.
Catching my first fish of the year.
The Truth Maker would state that his first fish of the year was caught this week, now that takes care of one thing on my above list.
I see that the host of this blog is going to put together a blog for the SEIC. Hopefully that will provide a little more insite into the world of Economic development here in Sandwich. How about working on a BYlaw document as well, that can change the perspective on how the SEIC operates
I'm not doing an SEIC blog--- just helping out getting their website up and running. I think it is hugely important that they keep folks up to date on their activities and I'm glad to donate my time to help them.
Charter Review Committee a definite on the to do list - It is very interesting that before the Committee held one public hearing, they are already starting to make their recommendations. Last weeks public hearing was, no surprise, poorly attended. Let us not forget that the form of government in Sandwich was changed before we even had a charter. The idea of a Charter came primarily from people who had moved to Sandwich after the form of Government was changed. The Committee has taken on a role to tweak things and invited in government, school and selected groups/individuals to voice their opinions. This Committee can not and truly will not recommend any significant change in our form of government without citizens asking for it. If you believe they are exploring significant change to the form of government, they are not. In that regard, they can only recommend to the town that a Charter Commission is voted in to explore significant change to our form of government. They will not do this unless citizens ask them to and they weigh it. Please, if you think the form of government is not appropriate for our town, now is your chance to say so. We will have to wait another 5 years, listen to the speeches about people being apathetic, etc if citizens don't speak up and ask for a Charter Commission.
The Truth Maker would respond in regards to the New Town Charter Committee.
When I saw that the committee had already made a motion and voted for some of the proposals before the committee and before the proposals were brought foward by the public forum venue I did not attend. I did speak to several members, regarding why have a public forum to address issues, when you have allready voted one way or the other on the issue at hand. I was under the impression that a any committee did not take a stand on any issues, until the public had the opporunity to be fully heard. After all said and done the town charter effects every one and every one should be heard before any vote is taken.
This process has been violated by the present charter committee in my opinion. I ask why would any one come before the charter committee if they have allready predetermed what the results will be??? Where was the Board Of Selectmen while this was happening??
Truth Maker you make a good point. In defense of the Charter Committee I would say they are following in the footsteps of basically poor habits and process where this sort of thing is concerned. I have observed over the years that at times there is a tendency to just go through the motions as far as really reaching out to the public. Mostly I hear put downs about the citizens of Sandwich and assumptions that are negative about citizen involvement. The committee can always blame the public for not engaging. They seem to forget they are in charge of their process. But let's face it. This kind of thing gets heady for the folks involved. Look at the last Charter Committee. There is a BOS liaison but from the beginning it seemed like this is just a tweaking. The people with agenda items got to meetings and were heard. There has been no education of the public about the process from the committee. That tells you something. I hope there is another public hearing. I hope the committee takes their responsibility more seriously, but I doubt it. From the first meeting they did seem to have their scope of work set in their minds. Too bad for the town. One also wonders where the media is in holding the committee accountable for a transparent and engaging process. Would be nice to see some writing on the critical nature of Town Charters. There are still one or two towns on Cape Cod without Charters. Sandwich was without one till 2000. What is the value of a Charter? Who suggested a charter and how did we get one after 360 years? How has it helped, how has in hindered our town? Why is it we changed the form of government before we had a Charter but refuse to think we need to look at that within the context of a Charter Review? Too bad no one is willing to probe.
New rule -- Comments blaming "process" will be ignored.
People make "process". "Process" (or lack thereof) can not be blamed for everything that is wrong with the world.
People are responsible for the government they have -- if they do nothing, nothing good will happen. Those that get involved get to call the shots.
Discussion ad nauseum of the who, what & why of past discussions is just an exercise in navel gazing that wastes time, and distracts from the REAL current issues. It also bores the daylights out of folks and prevents them from bothering to get involved in local government and waste what little free time they may have on irrelevant, pointless, circular discussions.
Damn! I think that's what I just did!
Yes, Robert, you did engage in the age old process of omphaloskepsis; from Greek omphalos, navel, and skepsion, to question. As for anonymous, he (more likely she) seems to feel that Sandwich would profit by tossing out the Board of Selectmen and Open Town Meeting in favor of a Mayor and City Council. I'm not sure how that would help. In Massachusetts all significant decisions still end up at the ballot box via Proposition 2.5 I suspect we'd be better advised to figure out how 21st century information technology can be used to improve how we use the system that has been in place since the 17th century. As messy as democracy can be, it is still better than yearning for Plato's infallible philosopher king (or queen). At least that's what my navel told me the last time I asked ;-)
But... but... you're ruining my blog post comment drinking game!
Does this mean we also have to ignore comments about "small town political thinking" and "the old boys' network"?
Here's something else you can mark as complete on the "To do" list ---- Find a way to reduce crowds at the 4th of July parade.
Good thing; those damn families and those nasty little children were messing up the Hysteric District!
This is a wonderful thread about the July 4 parade and all the great changes the BOS has made!
Now that the powers that be have eliminated water fights and put an end to kids riding on the fire trucks why not stop the candy throwing by parade participants? Its littering and the sugary treats are bad for kids and adults.
And, while they’re at it, how come the BOS is allowing those slow rolling, gas guzzling cars and trucks to roll through our town polluting our air and adding unnecessary noise to our historic village?
I’m sure we’d all line the streets just to watch the Selectmen walk Main Street spreading their sun- shinny, know-it-all joy. Wouldn’t we?
Actions do speak louder, so true.
To Anonymous, 6/5/12, 6:09 PM.
Seriously, how old are you? Twelve?
Yes, I hope the BOS don't throw candy either.
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