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Norfolknet Politics
therefore, be it resolved: that the voters have the information they
need, what still concerns them they can ask, but campaign season on
Norfolknet is officially closed. See you at the polls!
"Last night at the Advisory Board meeting the Selectman offered the School Committee an additional $30K of the expected $90K that the bus fees would have generated for the schools. This $30K represents the amount of money that would be generated from the anticipated bus fee that presently offsets our operating budget. The School Committee accepted the Selectmen's offer and rescinded its vote to implement a bus fee in FY'08."Keep it up, SM... will you EVER get your stories straight??
My major complaint is that the assumptions about population growth and the additional
services needed are based on projecting forward current town-wide averages. This is
only meaningful if the demographic of new home buyers is the same as that of the
current town population, and that's not the sense I get. Basically, it assumes
that just as many retired and single people buy in town as are already living here,
which is highly unlikely given current housing prices. Specifically,
it is assumed that each new single-family home will add 3.2 people to the population
(the current town average, across all houses and all residents). Those
of you living in new neighborhoods, does only every fifth house have a
second child? That's not what I see on my street.
Another problem is that the accuracy of these assumptions is not quantified, nor is it
bracketed. No upper- or lower bounds are established for the possible range of actual
numbers, nor confidence intervals for where the real value is likely to lie.
When the arithmetic is based on assumptions with
possibly very large ranges of uncertainty (20-30% or more?), it's hard to take a
conclusion like "Scenario 2 will result in 15% more revenue" as definite.
As you sort of stated, Jay Talerman campaign stance is that he is against
the sewerage treatment plant. He has stated that he wants a quaint town
center and that we can achieve commercial development with just septic
systems. At the same time Jay Talerman is a member Master Planning
Committee that drafted the Master Plan so I dont know where Talerman was
when these MPC meeting were occurring. Jay Talerman has also said that
the sewerage system would benefit a select few land owners. This is a
true statement, but at the same time the whole town would benefit. This
is the beauty of capitalism, because the cash flow from these new
commercial properties would benefit both the property owners and the
town in the form of increased tax revenue.
Talerman stance on this issue and his statement about the property
owners concerns me because it suggests an underlying anti-business
attitude. The last thing we need is a Selectman that is against business
owners and commercial growth. Jim Lehan on the other hand possesses the
leadership and vision to strongly advocate the need a sewerage
treatment plant and Lehan has got the ball rolling. Lehan recognizes
that we can leverage an investment in the sewerage plant needed for both
a new school and public safety building by having the plant serve also
serve the downtown commercial area. This is the type of strategic
leadership Norfolk needs.
Whatever.
Since I've known Jay he's never worked for a developer. 40B's are pushed by
developers.
To paraphrase my favorite American:
The trouble with you two is not that you are ignorant, but that you know so much that isn't so.
On a separate note I was pleased to see last night that the SC decided
not to implement the bus fee. Kudos go out to the BOS and Selectmen led
by Jim Lehan for kicking in $20k towards the [school] budget so that the bus
fee will not be implemented in FY 2008. Just because SC's of other
towns have implemented bus fees to enhance their revenues doesn't make
it right. We have an obligation as a community to make sure our kids get
to school safely and we don't have the sidewalks in place so that kids
can walk safely to school. Also the costs of running the school should
be the responsibility of all taxpayers and we should not be unfairly
burdening those parents with kids in the school, especially those with
large families.
[I have a problem with the term "Trojan Horse" candidate. Trojan Horse implies that something is not as it would appear, for the sole purpose of gaining trust, and will change in nature once accepted. However, the opinions on Talerman have cited extensively from the record, and in fact are asking us to vote based on the record! My quandary - if it's part of the record, can it be said to be deceptive? Can any candidate who is running on and is being challenged on their public record be said to be a "Trojan Horse" candidate?
Put another way, we're being asked to choose a candidate based on their
public record. If we do, and they get elected, and they act, as we are
cautioned, in a manner consistent with that record, how is it meaningful
to suggest that we will have been deceived? - Wm.]
After candidate interviews and multiple postings, you all are in denial -
Talerman has already stated he will support overrides, increasing your
taxes. He already has shown a lack of cooperation between Boards and an
unwillingness to respond to the town's needs; after all, he is an
environmental lawyer who knows best. And he is known by some towns as
Mr. 40B - verbatim - so RJG, your facts need straightening out.
It's a simple equation: Talerman + Your Vote = Increased Taxes =
Waste
of Your Money
[I think that equation is missing a few dots -- I can follow the line from Talerman to overrides, but overrides only increase taxes if they're voted in by the whole town. If they are, then it's by popular demand. If they're not, then they don't increase taxes. I also don't see how taxes imply waste. - Wm.]
I could go into each of the issues that Jim raised and discuss how the
decision was made and why in order to refute the implication made that
the School Committee is acting against the best interests of this town.
I refuse to do so since I am interested in breaking the cycle of one
side reacting to something the other says which then prompts the other
side to react to that, and on and on. I want to concentrate on moving
forward in a positive direction and hope whoever is elected on Tuesday
will join me in this effort.
I have looked into the email issue and know of only one email that was
sent out by one member of the committee in February to that individuals'
friends, and not using any town group list as some have suggested. This
email was approximately 4 sentences long to introduce Jay and provide a
link to his website as he was making his decision to run for Selectman.
Other than that to my knowledge there have been no emails sent out by,
or on the behalf of, any School Committee member recommending Jay or any
candidate for that matter. If the TPA or others in town have sent out
any emails or communications supporting any candidate that is their
right and something we have no control over. Perhaps instead of some
organized conspiracy against Mr. Lehan, parents and townspeople have
simply viewed his record and how he has treated the School Committee
over the past few years and made up their own mind to vote for the
candidate they believe will provide better leadership going forward.
Regards,
The issue I have is that the Jay Talerman has employed a clever campaign
tactic of publishing personal testimonials that identify the Boards that
they sit on. Yet he has conviently neglected to disclose and publize the
fact the Senior Members of the School Committee are fully supporting
him.
[It has been suggested] that Jim Lehan does not support the schools
which couldn't be further from the truth. So I am sorry that you don't
like the term Trojan Horse but its very much applicable to Talerman's
candidacy and his mentors over at the SC. And thank you very much for
the cookies and the $5 donation to the TPA which does a great job for
the Schools and our children. I tell you what. Once the election is
over I will make a $50 donation to the TPA for a celebration cake that
will read "Jim-thanks for your service to the town and congrats on your
reelection".
BTW, KEM, how did you know I have a thing for cookies? I
chow them down every night before going to bed.
[Update 1:54pm: it was called to my attention that a specific allegation is improper unless substantiated; I have removed the line in question, and have asked SM to please either document it or retract it. - Wm.]
Check out Pre-Candidate Talerman 40B views as a panelist at a 40B
Symposium held at a Harvard University School of Government in October
2003.
[Daily Free Press link]
At this symposium the panelists noted that 40B only established a vague
definition of what constitutes affordable housing. The panelists noted
that under the 40B law affordable means a median income level of 80% of
a city or town. The panelists noted that 80% of the income is nowhere
near affordable for those earning the minimum wage. Talerman stated
"mend it, don't end it," arguing that while the law is flawed and
outdated, it still provides a necessary incentive for developers who
otherwise would not invest in low-income housing. Talerman said he is
frustrated with cities and towns that do not devote their own resources
- land and money - to creating affordable housing in their communities.
So Talerman wants to have the town spend money on land and housing from
our hard earned tax money so we can have low income people living next
to us. Oh yes RJG Jay Talerman as a 40B lawyer is quite willing to
fight the unwanted effects of "a bad 40b" a so he will gladly take
town's money to prevent it from happening . This form of creeping
socialism at the local level must stop. Vote for Jim Lehan.
SM, take your Trojan Horse and put it out to pasture... you'll have to
find someone else to spar with... I'm too busy investing in this town and
in its future, and not just with my money. And since we won't be
sparring, you might want to do a little more research with your free
time. Find out who one of the architects of the current teacher contract
was, and who participated in the approval for the design of the steps
and scales that are currently in place for those contracts. Find out who
knew years ago about the numbers involved and the future scheduling,
forecasting, and calculating of those contracts. (I'll give you a hint...
he's running for re-election for the BOS). Let me know how you manage to
struggle with that flip-flop.
And one final thought to ponder, SM. Wednesday morning will come, and
we'll still be a community then. Where will you fit in? What POSITIVE
things will you do to generate a sense of unity and progress in this
hamlet we call home? How will you face the parents of your children's
friends (like me) after you've tried to take a personal pot shot at
them? Will you be proud of all the posts you've made these past several
weeks?
There will be an extra $5 in the cash box at the TPA Bake Sale on
Tuesday. It's my $5. I'd like you to buy some treats for you and your
family, in the spirit of moving forward. Please accept it. Thanks
First, a couple of factual errors in your last post:
Jay is not a 40B lawyer. Jay worked for Kopleman and Page, the lawfirm
towns hire to protect them from lousy 40Bs. I was talking to a couple of
friends at the Department of Housing and Community Development and told them
that Jay has been tagged with this "pro-40B" label in the election and they
almost choked from laughing. Jay is no 40B advocate.
Second, Chapter 40R is a program where a town *gets money* from the state
for increasing density in appropriate areas (like around transit and train
stations). That money can be used for anything, from schools to cops to Taj
Mah Libraries. The interesting thing is our downtown densities are fairly
close to 40R so it wouldn't really change the character of zoning that
substantially. There's also a chapter 40S which provides additional school
funding to offset extra costs caused by a density change, should that
happen. And 40R doesn't require "low income" housing, it requires 25%
"affordable" housing. And, as we've been over, "affordable housing" is
housing for folks making up to $66K a year, with a family of four. Hardly
"low income". More like "normal working folk".
Quick overivew of 40B: if a town doesn't have 10% affordable housing it
opens itself up to Chapter 40B projects, which require only a signle permit
from the town (granted by the ZBA), and which do not have to conform with
town zoning. Which means a parcel of land where you could put 10 houses
could suddenly see 300 apartments. The town is very limited in its ability
to stop these developments. In Norfolk we've been fortunate to have two
40Bs recently which are relatively low impact, in terms of varying from the
established zoning bylaws. The town hill 40B went from an ugly set of
square apartment buildings to the row-houses you see for sale today. And a
large part of the reason that happened was Jay's intervention.
One way for towns hopelessly unable to meet the 10% requirement (like
Norfolk, who's at 3.8% at the moment) is to have a housing plan (which we
have, thanks to Sarah Del Mastro, Marie Chiofolo, Mike Kulesza and the
Affordable Housing Committee), and to be "making progress" toward the 40B
goal.
You can argue about the 10% level all you want, the state set it there and
isn't interested that you don't want "poor people" living near you. The
fact is, unless we want to see a development like "The Preserve" in Walpole,
or 50-60 houses thrown up on 5,000 square foot lots in environmentally
sensitive areas, we have to be showing some progress.
Why don't you check out the Affordable Housing Committee website (
[link]
). It's
a trove of useful information helpful to better understand this important
issue.
Are you telling us about inappropriateness and arrogance? Please! You
must owe the webmaster at least 100 bucks by now.
Dear Citizens of Norfolk:
Mr. Talerman appeared to become quite agitated and defensive when he
answered a two part question first asking him to explain why he blocked
the Rec Department's Town Pond restoration project and second why there
is an inconsistency between his campaign claim that he could facilitate
better working relationship between town Boards in light of his conduct
as a Con Com member when the ConCom rejected and blocked the Town Pond
restoration project which prompted the Rec Dept to file a lawsuit with
the State. Mr. Talerman stated that he was totally against the use on
any chemicals at the town pond which means in effect so long as he
remains on the Con Com the Rec Dept will not be able to restore the pond
for swimming as planned. He dodged the second part of the question and
stated that he had advised the Rec Department not to file an appeal with
the DEA. Mr. Lehan then set the record straight and stated that a
numerous occasions the Rec Department had requested meetings with the
Con Com after they blocked the project and the Con Com flat out refused
to meet with the Rec Dept to discuss the issue and collaboratively find
a solution. Mr. Lehan explained that the Rec Dept felt their only
recourse was to file an Appeal with the State.
So there you have it. On the Town Pond case, the Con Com and Talerman
acted just like his SC mentors and conducted a power play that resulted
in very bad blood between the two Boards. This type of aggressive,
confrontational behavior s is remarkably similar to School Committee who
cancelled joint budget meetings with the Advisory Committee without
prior notice and cancelled a long standing library contract with no
prior notice.
BTW at Candidates night Talerman claimed that he had only recently
become familiar with members of the SC which confirms for me that he
very much indeed is the SC's Trojan Horse Candidate since the core
members of the SC and the PTA have been sending around emails supporting
Talerman for some time now. So vote for Talerman , if you want someone
who has an arrogant it's my way or the highway approach, an aggressive,
litigious 40B lawyer who has plans to obtain 40R grants to build low
income housing in the center of town, and someone who states that living
within the budget is wrong and that overrides are a way of doing
business.
To the voters of Norfolk: As you know Tuesday, May first, is election day in Norfolk. When we vote, we will choose between two good candidates for Selectman. On what basis do we make that choice? I believe it should be based on the Town's neeeds. Which candidate has the knowledge and skills essential at this time in the Town's history?
If you watch any town budget meetings on tv, it is not hard to see that
this bus is on a collision course, and it's going to get very, very
rough around here in the next few years. I vote for a new driver, and
that driver is Jay Talerman. He has already offered creative solutions
to issues our town faces, he understands complex state regs and statutes
in and out, he is not afraid to make tough decisions to get us moving in
the right direction, and I believe he will fight for every state dollar
that Norfolk deserves.
Lastly, just a reminder to all to vote this Tuesday, May 1. If you will
be out of town, absentee ballots are available at town hall.
If you want to SUPER-SIZE town services and not insist that every efficiency
is explored and realized before being faced with multiple overrides, Jay
Talerman might be the one for you. But remember, Gov. Patrick is not
sending the cavalry to
Norfolk, Massachusetts.
A Talerman led BOS would be
another story. Talerman doesn't believe in budgets. The Talerman
Doctrine is "let policy dictate the budget," which said another way
means letting your costs run out of control and like a child who has
overspent his allowance come begging to the taxpayers for more money.
The fact that the core members of the PTA and the SC support Talerman is
scary. Because if this Trojan Horse candidate gets elected overrides
will be come an annual event. When asked about overrides by Matt
McDonald in his interview Talerman stated "overrides are a way of doing
business."
I'm not sure if SM has friends that teach and live in Norfolk-but I do.
They struggle to make ends meet in their 40+-year old house. Teachers'
jobs are not easy, require a relatively high level of education, and
they deserve every penny they get.
It seems to me that there are multiple reasons why Norfolk has a budget
shortfall-among them: reduced state aid, high special ed costs, fiscal
reports not getting submitted on time, low tax base in Norfolk, yearly
rise in all costs.
Please, let's not be so simplistic and "blame the teachers" for the Town
budget crunch.
Regards,
- the audit report that will be issued shortly is for what period
of time (fiscal 2005? or 2006?)
- Once the audit report is issued and if an internal control letter
exists how do citizens obtain a copy
- how frequently has the town been audted and who is our audit firm?
What are their qualifications? how long have they served our town?
- Are the schools subject to audit
- Has the town auditor ever issued a letter outliningdeficiencies
in the town's internal controls over its preparation of state
mandated financial reports or accounting and finance practices?
- For the period of time that we did not have access to the $1
million of state funds, were we delinquent in paying our bills or
did we incur late charges with any of our vendors?
I would appreciate your response. Thank you,
As for the SBA program, Jane states that the audits have not been
filed yet but will be soon. The letter that was posted on Norfolk
Net from the SBA says that in order to be eligible for a new school
grant from the program, all these documents must be submitted.
Therefore, until they are submitted and the SBA agrees they have
received everything, we are not eligible for the program. Is this
not correct?
Maybe I am in the minority in thinking that these filings are
important and should be done timely. But I do have serious concerns
about these.
Regardless of who is running or not running or who gets elected or
not elected, I will have serious concerns if these problems continue
to crop up. We are in tight financial times and we must do everything
in our powers to not jeopardize the little funds that we are getting
or could get from the state. That was my main intended point of my
last post.
I believe Mr. Lehan says what he means and means what he
says. That's all I am looking for in a candidate for selectman.
You claimed "it cost the town dearly." The response was that it was four
days late; cost to the town was minimal, if anything. They don't pay
extra for filing on time.
You claimed that because of the delay in filing the audit report, we're
not eligible for SBA funds. The repsonse was that we still are, and the
report will make it out in time so our eligibility will not be jeopardized.
Past history and experience filing reports does not enter into it.
You implied that oversight of the reports produced by the finance department
was Jim Lehan's responsibility. In response, Jane Wall took full
responsibility for the delay in getting the reports out.
And what does it matter whether Jane worked for Aetna? Your claim was
that she was hired because she knew Jim Lehan. She answered she had
never met him before starting her job in town. The two may have heard
of one another, but not having met in person would not have had a business
relationship on which a job offer could be based as you'd implied.
You can't meaningfully say the answers are misleading when it's the questions
that are being changed! Factual charges, factual corrections - all done.
This after two days of allowing open discussion on a pending election that
will affect a plethora of issues important to our community at large.
He/she has allowed several Talerman supporters to post against and in
response to me by using my initials. I have received several emails stating
that the webmaster has done the same to other individuals who support Jim
Lehan.
It seems he/she can not resist the urge to suppress. I urge you webmaster
to allow the discussion to continue in a place where readers need not dig
down to find Lehan supporters, or any others.
[Of course I can resist the urge to suppress! As evidence, I present the fact the Politics page exists at all. However, I very much reserve the right to choose what goes onto the front page that everyone, interested in the elections or not, has to see. Today I posted two lengthy messages by SM in support of Jim Lehan that I found thoughtful and educational, a worthwhile read for anyone.
You receive e-mails, I receive e-mails. Some of mine
suggested ditching the whole topic and refusing to post any of it.
I haven't done that, either. - Wm.]
Maybe a different example would have worked better.
Maybe a different example would have worked better.
If you want every penny of your hard earned money accounted for and every
possible option considered, before you are asked to support an override,
vote for Jim Lehan.
If you want to super-size town services and not insist that every efficiency
is explored and realized before being faced with multiple overrides, Jay
Talerman might be the one for you. But remember, Gov. Patrick is not
sending the cavalry to
Norfolk, Massachusetts.
PS: Providing safe school buses for our children should have been the 1st
thing funded out of the Norfolk School budget, not the last. It seems to me
that without kids we have no need for the staff. If a parent made such poor
choices they would be turned in to the Department of Social Services (DSS).
The safety of our children was used as a political football to be kicked
into the hands of Jim Lehan at the 11th hour - shame!
First, the Department
of Revenue released the $1 million on April 4, and the funds were received
on April 6. If there was an actual cost to the Town it was nominal.
Second, Norfolk has not lost its eligibility for SBA money. FYI, the
audit report will be submitted shortly.
Third, Jim Lehan had nothing to
do with my reports having been late. That was due to my inexperience, and
it is not likely to happen again.
Fourth, I was hired because I was the
best qualified candidate and because I was willing to accept the position
for the salary offered. Jim Lehan and I never met before I came to work
here.
Based on my interpretation of the interviews, Lehan believes that the
Selectmen's job is to balance the budget with the goal of no reduction
in services. In order to do this Selectmen must have strong
knowledge of finance and they must have the leadership skills so they
can effectively push back and get each department to give something up
and share equally in the pain. Lehan stated that "the town only has one
checkbook" and that we collectively work together through the process.
Jim Lehan is Chairman of the BOS and they have balanced the budget
without the need for overrides for two years in a row. Second, they have done
it without reaching into savings (free cash), so in my book hats off to
Lehan and the BOS because they have gotten the job done.
Talerman's approach, on the other hand, is what I would call the lawyerly
"Socratic" approach. In Talerman's view nothing is off the table and
budgets don't matter ("Policy dictates budgets") and all departments
should make their case to the BOS as to why they need additional money.
If Talerman believes that the department made a compelling case for more
money and the money is not available in the overall budget, Talerman
would put the question to the voters in the form of a "pocket override"
for that department. Talerman made the statement "Overrides are a way of
doing business." Talerman's definition of a pocket override is that
rather than have one large override, there would be separate overrides
for each department. Thus each department and Town Board would make
their case and then the voters would decide "a la carte" which override
to support. Sounds kinda good on the surface, democratic and all.
However, as you think it through, pocket overrides could be devastating
because the process would pit special interest groups and Town Boards
against each other; all of them fighting for limited resources. The end
result would be one department cannibalizing resources from others and
we would have a situation where essential public safety services would
be compromised.
Thus it swings full circle back to the role of the Selectmen. In my view
the Selectmen's job to take a business approach to the budgets and
derive the greatest value of service possible from the given
expenditure. (Yes Mr. Talerman, the business analogy does apply - we
the taxpayers are the Towns' shareholders and it's the Selectmen's job to
get he greatest value of services possible for our tax dollars.) After
completing this process, if an override is necessary then the BOS should
propose an override that takes into account all of the public services
required by the public and recommend one override that covers all of
these needs.
Imagine for a minute a Talerman-led budget process where
the Schools got their money but the fire department did not and as a
result they can only have one ambulance on call. Then some day they
receive two 911 emergency calls at same time and can only respond to
one and as a result a resident dies. I know the example is extreme, but
it points to how important the Selectman's job is and why Jim Lehan is
the better candidate. Rather than abdicate the Selectmen's
responsibility to the voters via the pocket override, Lehan understands
that we are all in the same boat together and that its Selectmen's job
to make sure that all essential services are provided to residents.
Thus voters shouldn't be fooled by the Talerman's [Deval] Patrick type
campaign; promising nothing, dreaming of everything.
I do not agree with that liberal philosophy or Talerman's. Now that
Norfolk taxpayers are threatened with Talerman's election, you should
expect a fight.
And, there have been no twistings of the facts or otherwise since this
"rant" began.
As for your Brownie troop not being able to
use the Senior Center, there is a reason for that. If you did your homework,
you would realize when they built the center there was a clause that it could
not be used for events other than the seniors. You see, MON, it is a
residential area, so you must respect the residents around.
As for the Brownie troop,
why don't they use the church basement. I hear they welcome people with open
arms. Hopefully we can turn Norfolk into a lovely democratic society so the
residents will care just a bit more about the people that work so hard to keep
our town together. Yes, MON they do deserve every penny they get, overtime
and all. Would you want to be plowing at 3 am? I do not think so. Do you
want to go into burning buildings?? Do you want to enforce they law? Or do you
want to teach at our schools where everything is being cut on a daily basis?
Hopefully I answered your questions.
I agree with JL's earlier post: "let's eliminate ignorance from these
posts. It seems to me that this may be a close race. That is good. It
shows that the citizens of Norfolk care. Hopefully they are
understanding the pros and cons of both candidates and will make
educated voting decisions."
The Boards need to focus on how to keep growth up with costs. Talerman
wants to flood the landscape with 40B's and stick it to the wealthy and
everyone in general.
And, you want expensive homes built and homeowners like me. I do not
even send my kid to the schools here, so you are saving on schools on
top of extracting high taxes, and I get no services other than police,
fire and plowing - which is all I expect. My kid's brownie troop can not
even use the Senior Center for a meeting! What's up with that? Another
Sacred Cow!
The Boards need to focus their Short Attention Spans on positive
growth-not some idealistic-feel-good-euphoria-40B-induced vision of
supplying others with homes- I thought this Town was Republican?
Only You Can Prevent Talerman! Be the BlueBird!
[Please, do share the data! Otherwise all we're left with is one subjective impression. Must be pretty good data, if it gives a person-by-person breakdown of overtime pay for the town. - Wm.]
Talerman demonstrated an amazing naivete and lack of knowledge of
municipal finance that is requisite for any Selectmen Candidate
while Jim Lehan our seasoned and experienced Selectman clearly
demonstrated that he understands how to manage the Town's finances
in order to balance cash inflows and outflows. On the topic of
capital needs, both Candidates properly recognize the needs for a
new school to replace the Freeman Centennial and a new public safety
building.
When asked about whether we could afford these two projects Talerman
stated that he wasn't sure whether the town could afford them at
the same time since these would be expensive undertakings and
therefore he would bring the issue to the voters. Obviously instead
of actually studying the long range fiscal forecast that Jim Lehan
had the foresight to develop, Talerman has been spending his time
taking pot shots at Lehan. Lehan on the other hand noted that around
2010 the town's existing debt service drops off significantly and
the town would have the financial ability to fund these projects.
Lehan noted that while he was a member of the School Committee he
led the effort to get the HOD school built and that it was a big
undertaking that took over 3 years to accomplish.
Talerman sheepishly conceded in his interview "I am not the number
cruncher that Jim is" That is a gross understatement in my book.
Of course if you follow the Talerman doctrine of letting the budget
follow the policy is there really any need for any financial forecasts
or budgets in the first place. What the Talerman doctrine really
means is if elected he is going to promote new spending programs
that will not be covered by your taxes. Don't worry though Talerman
and his ilk can afford it. During the interview Talerman noted that
the town is becoming affluent and that affluent people expect more
services. And these same affluent people expect everyone else to
pay for their extravagant needs.
[Taking pot shots how, exactly? One could make the observation that that's what that comment itself was, made on behalf of Lehan by an active Lehan supporter, thus effectively by the Lehan campaign, thus by Jim Lehan. Is that the sort of thing you meant? - Wm.]
When asked by Matt McDonald about the CPA act, Talerman stated that he was
a proponent of using the taxpayer CPA funds to building more affordable
housing. Talerman stated that there is not enough affordable housing in
town. Talerman stated that he would like to see affordable housing built at
the Buckley and Mann property.
What are Talerman personal views on 40B and affordable housing? Does he
believe in the principle of local rule or is he in favor of 40B? Check out
Pre-Candidate Talerman 40B views as a panelist at a 40B Symposium held at a
Harvard University School of Government in October 2003.
[Daily Free Press link]
At this symposium the panelists noted that 40B only established a vague
definition of what constitutes affordable housing. The panelists noted that
under the 40B law affordable means a median income level of 80% of a city
or town. The panelists noted that 80% of the income is nowhere near
affordable for those earning the minimum wage. Talerman stated "mend it,
don't end it," arguing that while the law is flawed and outdated, it still
provides a necessary incentive for developers who otherwise would not
invest in low-income housing. Talerman said he is frustrated with cities
and towns that do not devote their own resources - land and money - to
creating affordable housing in their communities.
So Talerman wants to amend strengthen 40B so that affordable truly means
low income and then he wants to use your hard earned tax money so you can
have low income people living next to you. Oh and remember he is also a
40B lawyer so he will gladly take town's money to fight off the wanted
effects of 40B. This form of creeping socialism at the local level must
stop. Vote for Jim Lehan.
[The relevant section from the ConCom minutes seems to be the portion indicated 10:15 p.m. Town Pond Discussion, that concludes with: Mrs. Terrio, a member of the Advisory Board, stated that the Advisory Board was looking for a consensus on this matter. Mr. Talerman stated that the Commission would be supportive of uses at the Town Pond. The discussion closed at 11:00 p.m.- Wm.]
Talerman = Taxes
And the situation is even more complex than my sources let on.
Jay Talerman is [allied] with the School Board-[certain
key individuals] in
particular - They want to see Mr. Lehan out- because of his fiscal
policies and protectionism. What this means to you?
More Overrides + More Taxes = Waste of Taxpayers Money
Don't cave in to an emotional School Board. They will show propaganda
pictures of crowded classrooms, all courtesy of 40B.
Remember, Only You Can Prevent Talerman!
It takes a village, folks. Let's try to remember that and treat each other
with respect. Since when did civility and common courtesy go out of style?
Also, I saw a lovely bird at my feeder this morning....
P.S.: Another great thing I like about Norfolk is our Web-master
[Update 9:43pm: it was called to my attention that this properly belongs under Politics and not on the main page, and I had to concede the point - Wm.]
Hate to tell you but it's already started and Town Meeting approved
it... Article 14 from the October 2006 Town Meeting. From the
definitions of this Article.
POLLUTANT: Any element or property of sewage, agricultural, industrial or commercial waste, runoff, leachate, heated effluent, or other matter whether originating at a point or nonpoint source, that is or may be introduced into any sewage treatment works or waters of the Commonwealth. Pollutants shall include without limitation:I'll let you search the EPA website on the Phase II Program and the DEP website for this program and figure out what a nonpoint source is.
[Eco-Nazis and Develo-Nazis... how quaint - NOT. Come on, folks... - Wm.] [Update 4/22 10:23am: post by SM about alleged Con Com action removed pending clarification - Wm.]
By the way, I have not heard that Jim Lehan has signed a pledge to
never support overrides under any circumstances.
How can the expression of some opinions ("you all can say what you
want-these are your opinions. This is America, after all.") be ok,
whereas some others ("your constant vocalizations is a form of
suppression") not? Aren't they all opinions? Isn't this America?
Sorry for the intrusion, I'll just go away quietly now...
If you want to learn about the ill affects of affordable housing
projects you don't have to go any further than The Preserve in Walpole.
This affordable housing project has caused a dramatic increase in crime,
drug use, violence and special needs kids in their schools.
So get this straight: on one hand Jay Talerman is an advocate of
affordable housing and yet on the other hand he profits handily as an
attorney representing towns and protecting them against the unwanted
intrusion of affordable housing projects forced onto towns by the Comm.
of Mass via 40B. Talk about having your cake and eating it too. Talerman
is part of this creeping socialism movement today that is all too common
today at the local level. The principles of Local Rule is a major
tenement (get the pun?) of our Constitution and is slowly being
undermined by socialist lawyers in this country. Let they buyer beware!
Peel back the Talerman onion a little further and take a closer look.
Dont be fooled on election day.
If people do not like their money and taxes wasted, handed out in
socialist programs or squandered, they can speak their mind and you need
to accept it. If somebody challenges your beliefs and you feel
threatened- which is clear in your last postings- you need to accept it
as well.
As far as tattoo and status insecurities, catty HOD moms, McMansions and
community spirit, you all can say what you want-these are your opinions.
This is America, after all.
Just do not attempt to raise my taxes in Norfolk. You will hear from
me, see me and eventually wish I was just hiding behind initials (which
I am not).
And if the leading proponent of 40B in the State wins, Mr. Talerman will
make sure your Taxes Will Go Up!
PS:
RD, I do hope you buy your house in Norfolk-let us all know how you feel
when your tax bill comes and the next override threatens your
financials-like it did mine 3 years ago.
Where will the firefighters, the teachers and my children live without 40B housing? They live where they can afford to live, like all Americans.itself answer the question of Otherwise, essential services-School Busing, Teachers Aides, Senior Center and Senior Tax Breaks will Go Away!Those services are only essential to those who can't afford to obtain them on their own. If affording to live in town means having to pay your own way, like all Americans, then... (or wait, was that coming next?)
But in fact, to properly
pay our own way, the tax break for mortgage interest and child tax credits
should also be withdrawn, for what are they but giant subsidies? Why,
the very concept of a publicly paid-for education is liberal socialist!
Smart kids should find corporate sponsors, and the dumb ones should be sent
to work in sweatshops in China! Yeah! No more subsidies, to each what
they can afford.
Every different view of society and our role in it creates
its own world to live in. We then choose.
As a taxpayer, watching this circus of Committees, Boards, and their
rampant absenteeism, lackluster Town development and support of
Subsidized Housing proponents for Selectman is disturbing. The Zoning,
CPC, Planning Board and others involved need to wake up, and direct
their short attention span to "real" development-new homes and
businesses- and stop focusing on how we house low income taxpayers,
students, 40B's, their children, civil employees and those over 55.
Otherwise, essential services-School Busing, Teachers Aides, Senior
Center and Senior Tax Breaks will Go Away!
If Mr. Talerman is not a 40B advocate, and Anti-Development, how do you
explain this quote by him?
"What began as a plan for affordable housing process has become an excuse for developers to come in and ride on the 25-percent affordable housing and make money off the 75 percent by going to wealthier communities," said panelist Jason Talerman, an attorney who has closely dealt with many 40B cases. "I'll give them (the developers) the benefit of the doubt, but there is a loophole.Who is Mr. Talerman to give the developers the benefit of a doubt? Someone who is Anti-Development!
You should reevaluate your comments - you have been taken.
Norfolk's median household income is over $100,000, so if the
typical federal tax paid is 20%, each of the 2800+ households contributes
around $20,000 to the US budget. That $56 million is
1/50000 of the $2.8 trillion total.
The Iraq war, a completely unnecessary war of choice, has cost $400
billion so far (plus that much or more again in replacement hardware,
care for veterans, lost productivity, social disruption).
1/50000, or the town's share, of the $400 billion is 8 million, or over
$2,850 dollars per household. With interest (they charged it, they
won't be around to worry about the bill), that'd be over $5,000 by the
time it's paid off.
That $5000 that was quietly pilfered from our billfolds is each family's
share of the total. The cost for a bungled war that has destroyed
a country, unleashed terrorism, resulted in close to
700,000 deaths - and got us nothing in return. And not a word is spoken
about it, but we quibble about $150 to get kids to school.
Hey, maybe we should invade Dover - all our budget problems would
immediately vanish. It worked for Bush, it might work for us!
You say: "a verbal tap-dance or non-answer could be misinterpreted or viewed
with a suspicion you may very well be one of those 30%"
And by this, I can only surmise that you are saying that if someone voted
for Bush, then they must be in the 30%? Right? A non-answer, you say, would
be taken as a "Yes, I did", thereby placing them into the 30%.
Would that be correct?
If so, then you are also saying that the 70% who are not in this particular
poll group must have not voted for him, since anyone who did vote for him is
assumed to be in the 30%. Do you see how wrong that is, to begin with?
To answer your question: Yes, I did vote for him. Twice.
Now don't get too excited, because he was hardly my favorite the first time
around. In fact, I did not vote for him in the primary. The second time
around I was more comfortable... but honestly, I think he has totally
mishandled the war in Iraq. I won't go into how I think he mishandled it,
but suffice to say that he has created a real mess. A mess which has
definitely hindered our ability to deal with more important threats like
Iran.
That doesn't sound to supportive, does it ;)
Have I ever once, on this forum came out and said that I am a Bush
supporter? Have I ever one said that I think he's a great president, a
decent human, or even that I ever voted for him? I have not ever said
those things, for I have not engaged the subject of the fitness of, or
lack there-of, George Bush. All I have done is try, and try again, to
deal with the uncanny tendency of some people to interject Bush into
every subject of debate. Bush (like him or not) has nothing to do with
Norfolk bussing. The fact that people feel the need to redirect an
argument over bussing to George Bush is the very reason I make
reference to that word (the "m" word), which I have agreed to not use on
this forum. It has nothing to do with your quotes of poll numbers.
You say "Any suggestions out there for an appropriate term for the
curious 30% who continue to blindly support the fumbling and the gross
incompetence of this man and his pathetic Administration?", as if you
mean to imply that I fall into this 30th percentile... Do I? Have I
shown support for Bush or his administration? If so, please educate me
on where I have, so that I might clarify.
A person can be against something yet not be consumed with interjecting
that something into every single subject of conversation. It is possible
to discuss the bussing fee without bringing up Bush. I myself did not
bring him up. I simply responded to the attempts to divert the argument
away from bus fees, and over to Bush.
You see, I view the world, and the arguments we engage in, as more than
just how one feels about Bush or his administration. Can you think of a
term for that?
Go to:
[ucsusa.org page]
Video: The Great Global Warming SwindleAbout 20 minutes into the 1 hr 16 minute video there is a reference to Gore's film. Watch and draw you own conclusions.
MKL: How do I rate the Bush administration on its environmental
policies? Well, I suppose I would rate them no worse than Clinton's... I
mean, I really don't perceive much of difference... that is to say, I
really don't make it a practice to stay up on it... there are enough
moonbats out there to do that for me. If you are asking me if there were
something pressing which I feel he (Bush) has neglected? I'd say No. If
there were some catastrophic that I feel he's done? I'd say no. Look,
if you look at the last 50 years... and draw a picture of the direction
we have been heading in... there is no doubt that we have made
incredible strides in conservation, clean energy, AND raising the
standard of living. So, there you have it. In almost every aspect of
energy or conservation, we have made significant progress. Even in our
little town... from the minimum lot size to the conservation
restrictions; from the demise of the landfill to the purchases of town
owned open spaces. Progress towards a more eco-friendly human footprint
has been made on most every front. So, am I worried about the "Bush"
environmental policy? No, I am not. The man has two years left, less than
that, so at what point do you put down the idealogic hatred, and put
back on the guise of common sense?
AL: Regarding "extreme conservative right, which wants to ban marriage
to some of our citizens"... Well, if you label more than half of the
citizens of Mass (one of the most democratic states in the union) as
extreme conservative right... you truly must have a unique perspective.
You see, the reason the moonbats fought so hard to kill the
Constitutional process over the argument of homosexual marriage was
exactly because THEY KNEW... that if put to a vote, the MAJORITY of our
citizens would rollback perversion of a long honored institution,
marriage between one man and one woman. Even the moonbats in California
knew better than to touch this issue (homosexual marriage)... and if it
were not for a moonbat loaded SJC, this aberration would never have even
seen the light of day. Ok... but that is a lot of personal feelings...
it comes out... I can't help it :) It will suffice to say that it is
HARDLY an "extreme conservative right" which seeks to rollback
homosexual marriage (in this, the only state where it exists)... if that
were the case, then the moonbats wouldn't be worried about a vote, and
they would be shouting: Let the people vote.... Give them a right to
choose! But they are not shouting that... and why is that??
As for abortion... infanticide... murder... I try not to discuss such
things because there is no middle ground. If you believe, as I do, that
a baby is a human... then anything less than protection of that human is
barbaric, and awaits the judgment of the creator. If, on the other hand,
you see that viable 6 month old baby as simply a lump of soulless flesh,
then you probably see me as an idiot. So what is the point of arguing
that? (for the record, the woman did choose... that choice resulted in
conception)
As for (a right to) pre-emptively attack another country... ABSOLUTELY!
I served 16 years in the US Army, 10 months in a war zone (Saudi Arabia,
1990-1991), and to not act pre-emptively means that you prefer to wait
until you are attacked. In today's world, that mistake can be very
deadly. And for the record: Afghanistan? We WERE attacked. Iraq? We were
attacked. When, say you? Almost daily, as they fired on of planes,
patrolling the no fly zone. That itself was justification... an act of
war. Or when they tried to kill Bush Senior... again, sufficient reason
in my book. This is all aside from the fact that they, for 10 years,
told the UN Security council to go screw. So, attack them pre-emptively?
Absolutely, as we had damn well better do with Iran soon, or the world
will be missing a few million people.
P.S. I may get hated with emotion, but please know, this isn't personal.
I love to argue the points... because I think I'm right... I'm sure you
know how it is. ;)
Funny, I thought that was the prerogative of the extreme
conservative right, which wants to ban marriage to some of our citizens,
abolish a woman's right to choose, preemptively invade another country...
shall I go on? Someone once said, those who live in glass houses shouldn't
throw stones. Maybe we all should think about that!
What next, people ? Has a governor ever been impeached ? I never have
and still don't like this guy. Next he has to explain how we are going
to pay for all these programs he has promised us, I'm sure it will be
okay, though. He certainly has no trouble spending our money.
For the
record, I support a seperate political page, I grow weary of this
irresponsibility by our elected leaders. Same junk, different characters.
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